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There are over 25 million confirmed COVID-19 cases globally, with over 843,000 fatalities and more than 16.4 million recoveries, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
As of Saturday, the Chinese mainland had recorded 85,031 cases, with 338 asymptomatic patients under medical observation. The death toll in China stands at 4,728, including 87 fatalities from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and seven from the Taiwan region.
The Chinese mainland recorded nine new cases on Saturday, all from overseas. It is the 14th consecutive day the Chinese mainland has reported no new domestically transmitted cases.
India Sunday reported the world's highest single-day rise with 78,761 cases.
Police broke up a mass protest against coronavirus curbs on Saturday and arrested 300 in Berlin, Germany after demonstrators failed to keep their distance and wear masks as instructed.
The U.S. has registered over 5.9 million infections and more than 182,000 deaths so far – both the highest in the world.
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Beijing students will go back to school in batches in the coming fall semester beginning August, as the coronavirus epidemic has waned in the city.
According to the notice released by Beijing education authorities on Sunday, students of one-to-twelve grades are scheduled to go back to school from August 29 to September 7. Kindergarten students will return from September 8 to 11.
Universities, colleges and higher vocational institutions capable of epidemic prevention and control can arrange freshmen to register and other students to return in batches since beginning 15. Schools themselves can decide the specific time of returning according to their own conditions but have to report and get approval from local authorities.
The after-school training institutions can also apply for resuming in-person classes and other collective events.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic in late January, most schools across China have moved their classes online. It was until early March that schools in northwest China's Qinghai Province became the first in the country to resume in-person class, and schools in Beijing and hardest-hit Hubei Province were among the last to resume gradually since late April.
But because of a new wave of COVID-19 cases in Beijing in June, some university students did not have a chance to return to Beijing campus during the whole spring semester. Therefore, the notice marks a full reopening of schools.
Universities in other low-risk regions of China are also preparing to welcome students back to campus. Anhui Medical University has already had its first batch of freshmen registered on campus, the first in the country. And Wuhan University announced to start the fall semester on September 6.
(Cover image via CFP)
U.S. COVID-19 infections exceed 5 million: Johns Hopkins
The number of COVID-19 infections in the United States surpassed 5 million on Sunday, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University, with over 162,000 deaths reported.
For generations, residents of east China's Huangshan City have relied on sumptuous tourist resources to make a living. But the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. Though the pandemic has been largely brought under control in China, the recovery in tourism sector remains lackluster given sporadic infections and border restrictions. However, it's not all bad. While putting everything in the doldrums, the pandemic has allowed locals to pause for reflection.
Hong Kong reports 72 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 72 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, of which 63 are locally transmitted and nine imported, local health authorities said in a daily briefing on Sunday.
The Asian financial hub has registered close to 4,100 COVID-19 cases and 51 deaths since January.
Russia's COVID-19 cases surpass 885,000
Russia on Sunday reported 5,189 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing its national tally to 887,536.
Health authorities also said 77 more people died from COVID-19 overnight, raising the country's death toll to 14,931.
Tokyo confirms 331 new cases of COVID-19 infections on Sunday
The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed at least 331 new cases of coronavirus infections on Sunday, NHK reported, citing local health authority.
75% infected in Texas prison as U.S. COVID-19 cases top 5 million
Numerous inmates in Texas federal prison are fearing for their lives as coronavirus has been spreading around every corner of the jail. Nearly 75 percent of inmates have tested positive for the virus, according to data from the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Outside the prison, one out of every 66 Americans have infected as the coronavirus cases have topped five million, with more than 160,000 deaths, nearly a quarter of the world's total.
Among the five million infected Americans, more than 338,000 children tested positive as of the end of July and more than 25 children died in July alone, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The coronavirus has "extraordinarily widespread" in the U.S., White House coronavirus experts said last week.
Since the infection rate is far to achieve a herd immunity in the country, and the federal government has done little to curb the spreading, it seems that President Donald Trump's recent moves like urging children to go back to school and pushing for economy reopening, will make the number of coronavirus cases surge continuously in the foreseeable future.
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People walking in Tokyo, Japan on August 7, 2020. /CFP
Japanese researchers found that the novel coronavirus that has transmitted in Japan since June is a variant of a European strain, the Japan Times reported on Friday.
Researchers from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases collected samples from about 3,700 patients in Japan for the genome sequence study.
They found that the country's outbreak in mid-March was mainly caused by a European strain of the novel coronavirus. The spread of the virus waned in May due to containment measures. However, a month later, a variant of the virus, with a new genetic sequence, appeared centered in Tokyo and spread throughout the country.
In mid-June "an apparent variant of the European type was found in Tokyo that is believed to have emerged after more than three months of mutations," according to the Japan Times. "And a virus derived from that variant was later found in many other parts of Japan."
The research also suggested that the virus reemerged in June and might have been transmitted quietly among younger carriers, with mild or no symptoms, making it hard for public health centers to detect it.
Japan now has over 48,000 infections and reported more than 1,500 new cases in a single day for two consecutive days, according to the data released by NHK News on Sunday.
Here's the global update on COVID-19
Brazil has registered more than three million novel coronavirus cases and over 100,000 deaths, the government reported on Saturday.
The Colombian Ministry of Health on Saturday reported 9,674 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 376,870, with 12,540 deaths.
Morocco on Saturday reported 1,345 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest single-day increase so far, taking the total number of infections in the country to 32,007.
Egypt confirmed on Saturday 167 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the country to 95,314, said the Health Ministry. It is the seventh consecutive day the country sees less than 200 daily COVID-19 infections.
Israel's Ministry of Health reported 1,333 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total number to 82,324. According to the ministry, the death toll reached 593 with 12 new fatalities.
(With input from Xinhua)
The Chinese mainland registered 23 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with eight cases from overseas and 15 domestically transmitted, Chinese health authority said Sunday.
All of the 15 domestically-transmitted cases are in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Saturday, while 45 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 4,007 (2,755 recoveries, 47 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 477 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
In May, Brazil became the country with the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases after the United States.
Last month, President Jair Bolsonaro signed into law the use of protective masks on a national level.
But some cities didn't wait and went beyond: they are imposing fines on people failing to wear them.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed new executive orders extending financial relief in an attempt to restore enhanced unemployment payments to the tens of millions of Americans who lost jobs in the coronavirus pandemic when the United States marked a grim milestone of five million cases.
The orders will also suspend some payroll taxes, impose a partial moratorium on evictions and extend the offering of some student loan relief that's set to expire in September, to the end of the year.
According to Trump, the orders would provide an extra 400 U.S. dollars per week in unemployment payments, less than the 600 U.S. dollars per week passed earlier in the crisis. The payroll tax cut would apply to people earning less than 100,000 U.S. dollars a year. Trump said if he is reelected, he would look into making this tax cut permanent.
The four measures were signed after negotiations between his administration and Democrats broke up this week. Some of the measures were likely to face legal challenges, as the U.S. Constitution gives Congress authority over federal spending.
A patient is moved by an ambulance team at a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, in New York, U.S., May 6, 2020. /AP
Trump's move to take relief measures out of the hands of Congress drew immediate criticism from some Democrats. "Donald Trump is trying to distract from his failure to extend the 600 U.S. dollars federal boost for 30 million unemployed workers by issuing illegal executive orders," said Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.
"This scheme is a classic Donald Trump con: play-acting at leadership while robbing people of the support they desperately need."
The Democratic-majority House of Representatives passed a coronavirus support package in May which the Republican-led Senate ignored.
Trump, on the other hand, accused Democrats of filling their COVID-19 relief bill with priorities unrelated to the virus. "This is the money they need, this is the money they want, this gives them an incentive to go back to work," the Republican president said of the lower payments. He said 25 percent of it would be paid by states, whose budgets have been hard hit by the health crisis.
Republicans have argued that higher payments were a disincentive for unemployed Americans to try to return to work, though economists, including Federal Reserve officials, dispute that assertion.
Trump initially played down the disease's threat and has drawn criticism for inconsistent messages on public health steps such as social distancing and masks. He was forced to change the tune after rapid infection cases surges with death toll mounting to 160,000 across the country.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is riding high in opinion polls after her leadership through the Christchurch mosque attacks, the White Island volcanic eruption and the coronavirus pandemic. /AFP
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Saturday launched her re-election campaign promising a "laser-like" focus on boosting jobs and economic growth hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charismatic 40-year-old leader is on track for a comfortable victory in the Sept. 19 election, topping 60 percent in the latest surveys following her leadership through the Christchurch mosque attacks, the White Island volcanic eruption and the pandemic, according to opinion polls.
In a country of five million people, New Zealand has had only 22 COVID-19 deaths and it has been 99 days since the last recorded case of infection from an unknown source.
"When people ask, is this a COVID(-19) election, my answer is yes, it is," Ardern said as she launched the campaign with a 311 million New Zealand dollar (205 million U.S. dollar) pledge to boost jobs.
Labour is the senior partner in a three-party coalition government but if it can maintain the support shown in recent opinion polls, where it has consistently been above 50 percent, it could govern alone after the election.
The centerpiece of Labour's campaign is to support businesses in hiring at least 40,000 people whose employment has been affected by the coronavirus.
It pledged to expand existing job schemes to help employers hire staff at risk of long-term unemployment.
It will also help out-of-work New Zealanders start a business through an expanded self-employment program which will provide the equivalent of the minimum wage for up to 30 hours a week.
"If you had told me then that our launch in 2020 would be in the midst of a global pandemic with our borders closed – I would have found that very hard to fathom," she said.
Ardern's stratospheric rise in 2017 to become New Zealand's youngest prime minister and third woman to hold the office has been dubbed "Jacinda-mania" by some.
(With input from AFP and Reuters)
Hong Kong reports 69 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 69 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, of which 67 are locally transmitted. According to the region's Center for Health Protection, the total number of confirmed cases has exceeded 4,000.
One more death was also recorded, pushing the total death toll to 47.
On Friday, HKSAR's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said the government had distributed about 28 million disposable adult masks to about 2.8 million residential addresses in the past month.
Russia reports more than 5,200 new coronavirus cases
The Russian authorities reported 5,212 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, pushing its national tally to 882,347, the fourth largest in the world.
The death toll rose to 14,854 after officials said 129 people have died in the last 24 hours.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
India on Saturday saw an increase of 61,537 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total tally to 2,088,611. Health officials also recorded 933 new deaths, as the death toll now stands at 42,518.
Australia's state of Victoria recorded 466 new cases and 12 deaths on Saturday. It now has registered 14,283 coronavirus infections, accounting for 70 percent of the country's total number of cases. The death toll in Victoria rose to 193.
Mexico reported 6,717 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the national tally to 469,407. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 51,311 with 794 new fatalities added overnight.
Argentina has reported over 7,000 new cases for three days in a row, as health authorities recorded 7,482 new cases on Friday. It now has 235,677 total cases and 4,411 deaths.
Brazil has registered nearly 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, health officials said on Friday. It reported 1,079 deaths and 99,572 new cases over the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 2,962,442.
The Chinese mainland registered 31 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 6 cases from overseas and 25 domestically transmitted, Chinese health authority said Saturday.
All of the 25 domestically-transmitted cases are in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Friday, while 35 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,938 (2,620 recoveries, 47 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 477 (441 recoveries, seven deaths)
Mexico's health ministry reported on Wednesday 829 new COVID-19 deaths, taking its national toll from the pandemic to 49,698.
A man smokes next to a statue wearing a protective mask in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, May 29, 2020. /CFP
U.S. researchers have projected that nearly 300,000 people in the country could die of COVID-19 by December, with the number to exceed 180,000 by the end of this month.
Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington predict 295,011 deaths as of December 1, based on their model projecting the pandemic, the institute said on Thursday.
But consistently wearing masks can help relieve the situation, reminded the IHME.
"Starting today, if 95 percent of the people in the U.S. were to wear masks when leaving their homes, that total number would decrease to 228,271 deaths, a drop of 49 percent," the IHME said on its website. "And more than 66,000 lives would be saved."
Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, warned that inconsistent practice of protective measures is "a serious problem."
Murray said that people in the U.S. practice such measures like wearing masks and social distancing more frequently as infections increase, but let their guard down and stop taking these measures as infections drop, which leads to more infections. "And the potentially deadly cycle starts over again."
Meanwhile, the number of the tests for COVID-19 has declined in 29 states, including the worst-hit Florida and Texas.
Clusters of infections are also taking place in the country. About 80 percent of Texas's more than 1,200 nursing homes have reported cases, reported local media outlet Spectrum News on Tuesday, adding that July "saw an explosion of cases" compared to June.
The U.S. now has over 4.8 million infections and its death toll has exceeded 160,000, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Latest on COVID-19 pandemic around the world
Russia reported 5,241 new cases on Friday, pushing its national tally to 877,135, the fourth largest in the world. The death toll rose to 14,725 after 119 people had died across the country in the last 24 hours.
The Philippines recorded 3,379 new cases, with 24 more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 122,754 and death toll to 2,168. Its health department said on Friday that it would focus on the elimination of cluster infections.
Indonesia's total number rose by 2,473 within one day to 121,226, with the death toll adding by 72 to 5,593, and 1,912 people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 77,557.
Belgium reported 858 new cases on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 72,016 and death toll climbed to 9,681, with an average of three deaths per day and 54 confirmed infections per 100,000 people.
Oman confirmed 354 new cases, with 10 more deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 81,067, including 502 deaths. The government lifted closures between provinces ahead of schedule, starting from Friday.
Poland reported 809 new COVID-19 cases and 13 more deaths on Friday, the sixth record daily rise in two weeks, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 50,324 and 1,787 deaths. Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin ruled out a new nationwide lockdown and anti-epidemic measures, including compulsory wearing of protective face masks outside the home.
India hits 2 million cases as health volunteers strike
As India hit another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, crossing 2 million cases and more than 41,000 deaths, community health volunteers went on strike complaining they were ill-equipped to respond to the wave of infection in rural areas.
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality rates, the disease trajectory varies widely across the country with the burden shifting from cities with relatively robust health systems to rural areas, where resources are scarce or nonexistent.
India has been the third nation to pass that unwanted milestone, lagging behind only the United States and Brazil.
Health workers take blood samples for a random serological test to check for antibodies against the coronavirus in New Delhi, India, August 6, 2020. /AP
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will provide free COVID-19 tests for all residents in an effort to contain the ongoing outbreak, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Friday.
The citywide testing is voluntary and likely to be implemented in two weeks at the earliest, Lam said, adding that the testing is carried out by three testing agencies from the Chinese mainland and some health officials will assist in the testing.
HKSAR reported 89 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, 81 of which are locally transmitted, and the total number of confirmed cases has surpassed 3,900 with 46 deaths, according to the region's Center for Health Protection.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 160,000
U.S. COVID-19 deaths have surpassed the 160,000 mark to reach 160,090 as of 21:48 p.m. local time on Thursday (0148 GMT Friday), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
COVID-19 cases in India surpass two million mark
India's COVID-19 tally breached the two million mark on Friday, according to the central health ministry.
South Korea to lift ban on travelers from China's Hubei Province
South Korea will lift a ban on travelers from central China's Hubei Province starting next Monday, a government official said on Friday.
An absence of new confirmed cases in Hubei recently is cited as the basis for the decision, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior South Korean health ministry official, told a briefing.
Global coronavirus infections hit 19 million: Johns Hopkins
Global cases of the new coronavirus hit 19 million on Friday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Africa's confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed the milestone of one million, but global health experts say the true figure is likely several times higher, reflecting the gaping lack of testing for the continent's 1.3 billion people.
While experts say infection tolls in richer nations can be significantly undercounted, large numbers of undetected cases are a greater danger for Africa, with many of the world's weakest health systems.
The World Health Organization calls the milestone a "pivotal point" for Africa as infections in several countries are surging. The virus has spread beyond major cities "into distant hinterlands" where few health resources exist and accessing care could take days.
Recently filled graves are seen in the Olifantsveil Cemetery outside Johannesburg, South Africa, August 5, 2020. /AP
Immediately knowing they were at a disadvantage, African nations banded together early in the pandemic to pursue badly needed testing and medical supplies and advocate for equitable access to any successful vaccine. Swift border closures delayed the virus' spread.
But Africa's most developed country, South Africa, has strained to cope as hospital beds fill up and confirmed cases are over a half-million, ranking fifth in the world. The country has Africa's most extensive testing and data collection network and yet a South African Medical Research Council report last week showed many COVID-19 deaths were going uncounted. Other deaths were attributed to other diseases as people avoid health centers and resources are diverted to the pandemic.
It's all a warning for Africa's other 53 countries of what might lie ahead. While dire early predictions for the pandemic have not played out, "we think it's going to be here at a slow burn," the WHO's Africa chief, Matshidiso Moeti, said Thursday.
Just two African countries at the start of the pandemic were equipped to test for the virus. Now virtually all have basic capacity, but supplies are often scarce. Some countries have a single testing machine. Some conduct fewer than 500 tests per million people, while richer countries overseas conduct hundreds of thousands. Samples can take days to reach labs. Even in South Africa, turnaround times for many test results have been a week or longer.
In addition, Africa has just 1,500 epidemiologists, a deficit of about 4,500.
"We are fighting this disease in the dark," International Rescue Committee expert Stacey Mearns said.
African nations overall have conducted just 8.8 million tests since the pandemic began, well below the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's goal of 13 million per month. Countries would love to increase testing if only supplies weren't being snapped up by richer ones elsewhere.
Africa CDC director John Nkengasong said estimating the true number of cases on the continent is "very tricky." Some 70 percent of infections are asymptomatic, he has said. Africa's young population also might be a factor. Without a dramatic increase in testing, "there's much we don't know."
a resident from the Alexandra township gets tested for COVID-19 , in Johannesburg, South Africa, April 29, 2020. /AP
But some experts are making their best guesses.
Africa likely has at least five million infections, said Ridhwaan Suliman, a senior researcher at South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. He believes the true number in South Africa alone is at least 3 million. The country has conducted far more tests than any other in Africa — more than three million — but in recent days about 25 percent have come back positive. Because of shortages, South Africa largely limits testing to health workers and those showing symptoms.
Experts see South Africa as an indication of what's to come elsewhere.
Sema Sgaier, an assistant professor of global health at Harvard and director of the Surgo Foundation, thinks the number of infections across Africa could be more than nine million. The U.S.-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation puts the number at more than 8 million. And Resolve to Save Lives, led by Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates it could be 14 million.
For Resolve to Save Lives senior vice president Amanda McClelland, the more worrying number is not the overall cases but the health workers infected across Africa — now about 35,000. That affects care for everyone on a continent whose shortage of workers has been called catastrophic.
Reflecting the pandemic's diverse nature across Africa, just five countries account for 75 percent of confirmed cases: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria. Nigeria alone could have had close to one million cases by now if Africa's most populous country hadn't acted quickly, the Africa CDC's Nkengasong said.
The WHO Africa chief has said officials don't think the continent is seeing a "silent huge epidemic," with thousands dying undetected, but she acknowledged under-reporting of cases.
"What we'd like to see — to be able to be really confident — is higher testing rates," Moeti told reporters last week, and she criticized the "very distorted global market" in which richer countries have the bulk of testing materials while poorer ones scrape by on just hundreds of tests a day.
Moeti also worries about a related danger for which even less data exists: the number of deaths from diseases such as malaria, HIV and tuberculosis as resources are diverted to COVID-19.
The Chinese mainland registered 37 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with 10 cases from overseas and 27 domestically transmitted, Chinese health authority said Friday.
Of the 27 domestically-transmitted cases, 26 are in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, another in Beijing.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Thursday, while 31 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,849 (2,458 recoveries, 46 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 477 (441 recoveries, seven deaths)
German officials, including Health Minister Jens Spahn, have warned it will be harder to control the spread of new COVID-19 infections in the country from autumn onward, so it is imperative to keep the numbers down as summer draws to a close.
They have voiced alarm over a steady upward creep in the number of new infections over recent weeks. The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Germany has breached the 1,000 threshold for the first time since early May, in the latest sign that slackening social distancing is raising the risk of a second wave of the disease.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn. /Reuters
Germany's new daily caseload eased in May significantly, but has begun to climb again since late July.
According to statistics released by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday, the number of new infections rose by 1,045 to 214,104, breaching a key psychological barrier after creeping up for weeks.
With Europe's largest economy only now starting to recover from the near-total lockdown that was imposed in March, any sign of renewed restrictions on the horizon will dismay investors. The head of the German doctors' union said earlier this week that Germany was already contending with a second wave of the coronavirus and risks squandering its early success by flouting social distancing rules.
Thousands of people enjoy summer weather in Munich, Germany, July 19, 2020. /AP
Spahn said in a presser that rising numbers of infections is among people returning from west Balkans and Turkey. But he answered there was no need to comprehensively close shops again when asked if the general lockdowns would be imposed again in Germany.
The country's authorities will require people arriving from a large number of countries deemed high-risk to take coronavirus tests starting on Saturday. "The travelers refuse to get tested for coronavirus after returning from high-risk areas, could be fined up to 25,000 Euros," said Spahn, warning that the accelerating pace of new infections was a cause for concern.
He blamed both the impact of travelers returning from abroad and people's flagging adherence to social distancing guidelines for the increase, although he conceded that increased testing was also responsible for part of the increase.
"I understand if people are fed up, but they should resist the deceptive idea that the pandemic was never all that serious," he said.
People wear mandatory face masks due to the coronavirus pandemic at the main train station in Cologne, Germany, August 5, 2020. /AP
The lockdown and social distancing pushed the number of new cases down to as low as 159 in mid-July but numbers have been rising since, fueled by local outbreaks, including one centered on a slaughterhouse that required restrictions to be placed on the entire town of Guetersloh.
As school holidays end, the government is keen to keep tabs on potentially infected vacationers entering the country. Last Saturday, it started offering free tests for people returning to the country.
(With input from agencies)
Hong Kong reports 95 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, of which 91 are locally transmitted, according to the region's Center for Health Protection.
Two new deaths were also recorded, pushing the total death toll to 44.
On Thursday, the Special Administrative Region's Home Affairs Department announced it will extend the scope of its community testing scheme to achieve "early identification, isolation and treatment."
DPRK's ruling party says to allocate food, funds for Kaesong City in coronavirus fight
Food and funds will be allocated for Kaesong City, which is completely locked down due to COVID-19, the ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said following a key meeting, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday.
The meeting, presided by DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un, agreed to provide a special supply of food and funds to the city to stabilize the living of its residents, KCNA said.
Kaesong City, near the border with the Republic of Korea (ROK), was put under total lockdown on July 25 after a person there was found with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, though the official media outlet said a few days later that no confirmed case was reported in the country.
Read more:
DPRK sees 1st suspected COVID-19 case, adopts maximum emergency system
The meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which was held on Wednesday, also decided to establish a new division and improve the party's functions, according to KCNA.
Sao Paulo, Brazil. /VCG
Brazil's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday to a new record low, seeking to help Latin America's biggest economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
The bank lowered the Selic rate by a quarter-point, to two percent, and left the door open to one more "small" cut in an easing cycle that has steadily lowered it from 6.5 percent in June 2019.
It was the ninth consecutive cut, and came as Brazil reeled from the impact of the coronavirus, which has caused more infections and deaths in the country than any other except the United States: more than 2.8 million and 97,000, respectively.
The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on Brazil's economy, which contracted 1.5 percent in the first quarter and is set to shrink by 5.7 percent this year, according to analysts polled by the central bank.
The bank is seeking to give the economy a boost by cutting the interest rate, but indicated it was concerned that too many cuts would fuel excessive inflation and financial instability.
Recent indicators "suggest a partial recovery" of the Brazilian economy, the bank said in its accompanying statement.
The bank's monetary policy committee "understands the current economic climate still requires extraordinarily elevated monetary stimulus, but also recognizes... the remaining room to use monetary policy, if it exists, is small," it said.
Brazil's inflation rate is forecast to come in at 1.63 percent for the year, well below the bank's target range of 2.5 to 5.5 percent.
The Brazilian economy is meanwhile showing tentative signs of a rebound from the worst of the pandemic.
Industrial output grew 17.9 percent from May to June – but is still down 13.5 percent since March.
The Chinese mainland registered 37 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, seven from overseas and 30 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
Among the domestic transmissions, 27 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and three in Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Wednesday, while 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 79,057 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Wednesday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,528 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,754 (2,314 recoveries, 43 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 476 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
File photo of a Facebook logo. /Reuters
Twitter said on Wednesday it had restricted President Donald Trump's campaign from tweeting for its false claims about the coronavirus in a post, which came hours later that Facebook removed a video post from the page of Trump over "harmful COVID misinformation."
Both have removed the post containing a video clip of an interview the president gave to Fox News on Wednesday morning. Trump claimed in the video that children are being almost immune to the virus.
"Children handle it very well," he told reporters. "If you look at the numbers, in terms of mortality, fatalities ... for children under a certain age ... their immune systems are very, very strong and very powerful. They seem to be able to handle it very well and that's according to every statistical claim."
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone and Twitter spokesperson both said the video is a violation of their policies around COVID misinformation. Twitter added that "the account owner will be required to remove the Tweet before they can tweet again."
The Twitter by the Trump campaign had been shared from the president's main account and the video is no longer available on both accounts, suggesting the campaign had complied with the order and removed the video.
In response to the takedown, Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign criticized Silicon Valley for being biased against Trump, saying "social media companies are not the arbiters of truth."
Stitched photo of Trump's Twitter over "harmful COVID misinformation."
The spokesperson of Facebook added it was the first time the company removed a Trump post over coronavirus misinformation. However, it's not the first time that the company removed content from the president's page. In June, Facebook deleted ads run by the Trump campaign for containing a Nazi symbol.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
So far, the U.S. has reported nearly five million confirmed coronavirus cases, a quarter of the worldwide total, and over 161,000 deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that while adults make up most of the known COVID-19 cases to date, some children and infants have been sick with the disease and they can also transmit it to others.
A study made by the Science journal has shown that children under age 14 are between one-third and one-half as likely as adults to contract the virus.
An example that can directly proves scientists' claims is the fact that hundreds of children, who ranged in age from six to 19, contracted the coronavirus at just one summer camp in the U.S. state of Georgia last month.
According to local health authorities, the virus infected at least 260 of the 597 attendees as of August 1, and they added that the true number was probably higher since test results were only available for 58 percent of the group.
Trump has been pressing schools to reopen and has threatened to withhold federal funds from school districts if they don't reopen. Education groups criticized that the president is playing politics with education and people's lives.
(With input from agencies)
Oman to lift internal travel restrictions and reduce curfew
Oman will lift a domestic ban on travel between governorates on Saturday, imposed on July 25 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, the state news agency ONA said on Wednesday.
From Saturday it will also reduce its curfew for a week between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., instead of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. A full lockdown of the Dhofar governorate in the south will be maintained until further notice.
A vaccine factory in China has qualified to mass produce a COVID-19 vaccine.
In a press release on Wednesday, China National Biotec Group said that in mid-July its world's first inactivated COVID-19 vaccine production plant in Beijing passed joint biosafety inspections organized by relevant departments, and is qualified to put a vaccine into mass production at any time.
Previously, the production facility had obtained a COVID-19 vaccine production license.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Russia registered 5,204 new cases with 139 new deaths in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 866,627 and death toll to 14,490. A total of 246,685 people were still under medical observation, while over 29.4 million nucleic acid tests have been conducted across the country.
Indonesia's total number of confirmed cases rose by 1,815 within one day to 116,871, with the death toll adding by 64 to 5,452, and 1,839 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 73,889.
Kyrgyzstan added 569 confirmed cases on Wednesday, taking its total to 38,110 with 1,438 deaths. Of the newly confirmed cases, 20 are medical workers, bringing the total number of infected medical workers to 2,874. And a total of 1,934 patients have recovered.
The Philippines' total number of confirmed cases surged to 115,980, after 3,462 new cases were reported on Wednesday. The death toll also increased to 2,123 after nine more patients have succumbed to the viral disease.
Australia recorded its worst day of the coronavirus pandemic as the nation's death toll climbed to 247 after Victorian authorities announced 15 deaths on Wednesday. A total of 19,444 confirmed cases have been reported in Australia, with 739 new cases registered in the last 24 hours.
South Korea reported 33 more cases as of 0:00 a.m. Wednesday local time compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 14,456. The daily caseload stayed above 30 for two straight days due to small cluster infections and imported cases.
Hong Kong records 85 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 85 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the third straight day with less-than-100 daily new cases.
The newly reported cases, including three imported cases and 82 local infections, brought the city's total number of confirmed cases to 3,754.
Global coronavirus death toll passes 700,000: Johns Hopkins University
The novel coronavirus has claimed over 700,000 lives across the world, Johns Hopkins University's tally showed on Wednesday.
The United States remains the most affected country by the pandemic, reporting 156,801 deaths and over 4.7 million cases.
Brazil and India are the second the third affected according to the tally, with Brazil registering almost 100,000 fatalities.
Globally, over 18.5 million COVID-19 cases have been detected.
One asymptomatic COVID-19 case reported in east China's Hangzhou
One asymptomatic case of COVID-19 was reported in Hangzhou City, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, according to the city's health authorities.
The 19-year-old patient arrived in Hangzhou on July 15 after travelling with his mother from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Shanghai on July 13. On August 4, the patient went to the ophthalmology department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and tested positive for COVID-19 before having ophthalmic surgery.
Local health authorities said the patient wore a mask while taking public transportation in the city. They are tracing those who have been in close contact with the individual.
The Chinese mainland registered 27 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, five from overseas and 22 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
All of the 22 domestic transmissions were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Tuesday, while 17 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 79,047 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Tuesday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,491 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,669 (2,141 recoveries, 42 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 476 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Kuwait reported 475 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 68,774 and the death toll to 465. The country started the third-phase of restoring normal life on July 28, with labor capacity increased to no more than 50 percent and visits to social care homes allowed.
The Philippines' total number of confirmed cases surged to 112,593 after reporting a record high of 6,352 new cases on Tuesday. The number of recoveries rose to 66,049.
Iran recorded 2,751 new cases during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 314,786, and the death toll from the virus in the country rose to 17,617 after 212 new deaths were added.
Afghanistan reported 36 newly confirmed cases, taking the country's total to 36,782 with 1,288 deaths. A total of 187 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, of which 15 positive cases were from western Herat province and 21 positive cases from capital Kabul.
Bangladesh's total number of confirmed cases topped 244,000 on Tuesday with about 1,918 new cases reported, and deaths from the virus increased to 3,234. The fatality rate is now 1.33 percent and the current recovery rate is 57.31 percent in the country.
Indonesia reported 1,922 new cases with 86 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 115,056 and death toll to 5,388. Meanwhile, 1,813 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 72,050.
Philippines back under lockdown amid coronavirus cases surge
The Philippines reinstated a lockdown in and around capital Manila on Tuesday, after it reported 6,352 new coronavirus infections, marking the biggest daily jump in cases in Southeast Asia and after posting a record rise in five of the past six days.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases had increased to 112,593, while deaths rose by 11 to 2,115.
President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to reinstate the lockdown after medical groups warned the healthcare system was being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients.
More than 27 million people in Manila and nearby provinces will be put under another lockdown for two weeks, just after restrictions were relaxed in June. With only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in the capital and unable to get back to their hometowns.
Officials deployed dozens of shuttle buses, along with army trucks, to ferry stranded medical personnel and workers of authorized businesses. Most domestic flights to and from the capital were cancelled, and night curfews will return in places.
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On July 7, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the reopening of schools as COVID-19 cases reached new grave milestones in the country. This was followed by teaching professionals, school administrators, and parents expressing their concerns about the safety of children and staff returning to school, staging nationwide protests.
Twitter screenshot
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a hybrid back-to-school plan with most students inside their physical schools just two or three days a week sometime this fall.
De Blasio says his plan calls for most students learning online at least half the time because schools can't accommodate all their students and maintain safe social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus.
Teachers at the protest said not enough has been done to make sure schools are safe for students and teachers.
"There's no teacher who wants to be working from home behind a computer all day, while also having to provide for their own families in real time. No one wants that. But we don't want to come back to a place that's putting our lives at risk," teacher Karla Reyes said, who joined the march in New York on Monday.
The march went from teachers union headquarters down to the Department of Education.
Rallies took place in more than 25 U.S. states on Monday. Thousands of parents, educators and students participated virtually and in person.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said school reopening is up to him and he wants to wait and watch before a final decision is made.
Official says Xinjiang COVID-19 cases have same infection source
The genome sequence of the coronavirus found in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region suggests that the recent cases in the region can be attributable to the same infection source as others, Cui Yan, director of Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told a daily press briefing on Tuesday.
As of Monday, Xinjiang had 606 confirmed and 114 asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, while 15,213 people are still under medical observation.
The official said 99.3 percent of the confirmed cases were recorded in the capital city of Urumqi.
From July 15 to Monday, a total of 42 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery in Xinjiang.
New virus cases deal further blow to embattled cruise ship sector
No sooner had a limited number of passenger liners resumed cruising on the high seas after a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic that the negative headlines resurfaced.
Over the past few days, multiple ships have confirmed positive tests among passengers and crew for the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
In the midst of lockdowns and travel restrictions globally, cruise lines stopped sailing in March after several coronavirus outbreaks at sea.
In the most high-profile case, more than 710 people fell ill aboard the Diamond Princess while it was quarantined off Japan and 13 people eventually died.
The cruise industry's reputation suffered a nosedive, from which some analysts say it will struggle to recover, given the characteristics that make its ships vulnerable to the spread of the disease.
Thousands of people are required to share relatively small amounts of common space as ships have become ever larger. Many passengers are also elderly, with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimating that a third of cruisers are aged over 60.
It doesn't help that news reports routinely refer to cruise ships as "floating Petri dishes," a status also gained from the stomach bug norovirus that has sickened hundreds of passengers in recent years.
Now as the industry, which is said to contribute 150 billion U.S. dollars to the global economy, has taken tentative steps in resuming operations, new coronavirus problems have arisen.
On Monday, the Norwegian line, Hurtigruten, halted all trips after an outbreak of coronavirus on one of its ship – the MS Roald Amundsen – infected at least five passengers and 36 crew.
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New virus cases deal further blow to embattled cruise ship sector
Hong Kong records 80 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong has reported 80 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including 75 that were locally transmitted, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said at a press conference on Tuesday.
So far, the region has registered over 3,600 infections and 40 deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry briefs WHO experts' work in China
The two experts from World Health Organization had many talks with Chinese experts during their stay in China, and had in-depth exchanges on the progress of scientific research work and the next research plan for COVID-19 in the fields of crowd, environment, molecule, animal tracing and transmission route, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Tuesday.
Experts from both sides have worked out the China part of the global COVID-19 scientific cooperation plan, and further studied the animal source, intermediate host and transmission route of coronavirus to better prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, Wang added.
Chinese medical team to help Azerbaijan fight COVID-19
China sent a medical expert team, formed by the Sichuan Provincial Health Commission, to Azerbaijan to assist in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chinese foreign ministry. The departure happened on Tuesday.
The medical expert team will assist in the evaluation of the Azerbaijan situation and collaborate with local health authorities to share experiences related to epidemic control and prevention.
Russia reports more than 5,100 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5,159 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, pushing its national tally to 861,423, the fourth highest in the world.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 144 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 14,351.
Tokyo confirms 309 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday
Tokyo reported 309 new cases of coronavirus infection on Tuesday, bringing the city’s cumulative total beyond 14,000, the metropolitan government said.
With Tuesday's figure, a total of 14,022 cases have been confirmed in Tokyo. Tuesday also marks the eighth consecutive day for the city to report over 200 infections.
Australia to deploy military personnel to enforce coronavirus isolation in Victoria state
Australia will deploy 500 more military personnel to Victoria state to enforce stay-at-home orders, according to local media reports on Tuesday morning.
The state has reported 439 new COVID-19 cases and 11 fatalities in the past 24 hours.
Earlier this week, Victoria has entered a "state of disaster," which will be in place for at least the next six weeks until September 13.
(Cover: People in Melbourne City, Australia, August 4, 2020./CFP)
Chinese medics departs for Azerbaijan to fight COVID-19
A group of medics from the West China Hospital departed Chengdu City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday for Azerbaijan to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 10 members of the medical team are from various areas of expertise, covering Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, epidemiology, laboratory medicine and the integrated treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Some of them battled the epidemic in Wuhan.
The medical practitioners will work closely with their Azerbaijani peers in the coming weeks and share with them China's experience in containing the pandemic.
(CGTN reporter Yang Jinghao contributed to the story)
The Chinese mainland registered 36 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, six from overseas and 30 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 28 were reported in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and two in northeastern Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Monday, while 17 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 79,030 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Monday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,464 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,589 (2,037 recoveries, 38 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 474 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
COVID-19 deaths in Brazil near 95,000
Brazil on Monday recorded 561 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 94,665, according to the country's health ministry.
Meanwhile, tests have detected 16,641 new infections, taking the total caseload to 2,750,318, said the ministry.
Brazil has become the hardest hit country in Latin America and the second-worst hit worldwide, second only to the United States in deaths and the total number of COVID-19 infections.
The state of Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, is the epicenter of the national outbreak, with 560,000 infections and 23,365 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 168,064 infections and 13,604 deaths.
WHO: Wuhan not necessarily site of coronavirus cross-species transmission
A World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Monday that the alarm was triggered in Wuhan since there was a specific surveillance system in place in the region for picking up atypical pneumonia, which does not necessarily mean Wuhan is where the novel coronavirus transmitted from animals to humans.
Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the Health Emergencies Program of the WHO, made the remarks at a press conference.
What is required is going to be a much more extensive retrospective epidemiological study to look at those first cases in Wuhan and to fully understand the links between those cases, said Ryan, so that we can then determine whether the cross-species transmission of coronavirus happened in Wuhan or elsewhere.
New school year in Hong Kong to begin as scheduled with online classes
The new academic year in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will begin as scheduled over the coming weeks, but students won't be at school as part of the social-distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin Yeung, secretary for education of the HKSAR government, said at a press conference on Monday.
All classes and extracurricular activities will be conducted online or through distance learning, said Yeung.
On Monday, the HKSAR government announced that the region will extend social-distancing measures for another week to curb virus infections, including group gathering of two people and mandatory mask-wearing in all public places.
The advance team in China has concluded their efforts to prepare mission into origins of the new coronavirus, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday.
"The WHO advance team that travelled to China has now concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins," Tedros said at a virtual media briefing. "As a result of these efforts, WHO and Chinese experts have drafted the Terms of Reference for the studies and programme of work for an international team, led by WHO. The international team will include leading scientists and researchers from China and around the world."
Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases, according to Tedros.
The two-member WHO experts team arrived in China in mid-July for research on the source of the new coronavirus.
Read more:
Two WHO experts arrive in China for virus source research
WHO sending a team to China for further COVID-19 investigations
But the experts are yet to return from China, Michael Ryan, executive director of the Health Emergencies Program of the WHO told reporters, adding the terms of reference have been agreed on with Chinese health experts.
So far, over 18 million infections of the new coronavirus have been recorded globally with many countries still experiencing staggering daily increases of confirmed cases.
Tedros said that there might never be a "silver bullet" answer to the new coronavirus but people and countries should not give up.
"The time is always right to do what's right. We shouldn't give up. It's never too late and it can be turned around," Tedros said.
(Cover: People wearing protective masks walk in Malpensa airport near Milan, Italy, March 9, 2020. /Reuters)
A worker wearing a protective face mask checks the temperature of a traveler at Dadar railway station, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mumbai, India, July 31, 2020. /Reuters
India's interior minister and the chiefs of two big states have been hospitalized with COVID-19 as the country's daily cases topped 50,000 for a fifth straight day on Monday.
The country reported 52,972 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1.8 million, the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil, according to data from India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.
With 771 new deaths, the COVID-19 disease has now killed 38,135 people in India, including that of a minister on Sunday in the most-populous state of Uttar Pradesh.
On Sunday, India's central interior minister Amit Shah, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's closest aides, as well as the chief minister of the southern state of Karnataka, were hospitalized. The chief of the central state of Madhya Pradesh is also recovering in hospital.
It was not immediately clear whether Shah's cabinet colleagues, including the finance minister, had isolated themselves.
As infections continue to surge in the country, having registered a record of 57,118 on Saturday, India has also stepped up efforts to test more people and search for a vaccine.
The health ministry said on Twitter that the country's drugs authorities had allowed Serum Institute of India, the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume, to conduct clinical trials of a vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc.
Hong Kong records 80 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong has reported 80 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, falling below 100 for the first time in 12 days, Chuang Shuk-kwan, an official at Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, said at a press conference on Monday.
So far, the region has registered over 3,500 infections and 37 deaths.
Russia reports more than 5,300 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5,394 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, pushing its national tally to 856,264, the fourth largest in the world.
Officials said 79 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 14,207.
City of Melbourne, Australia, July 27, 2020. /CFP
Latest on COVID-19 development in Australia's Victoria state
Victoria, Australia's second most populous state, has entered a "state of disaster" from 6:00 p.m. local time on Sunday as COVID-19 cases surge. Here is what we know so far:
- At least 429 new infections and 13 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.
- Retail stores not deemed "essential" and some manufacturing sectors will be ordered to close around Melbourne City.
- About five million people in Melbourne were told to stay at home.
A GovTech staff member demonstrates Singapore's new contact-tracing smartphone app, called TraceTogether. /AFP
Travelers entering Singapore will have to wear electronic device
Travelers entering Singapore who choose to serve the self-quarantine order outside of dedicated facilities will have to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout the 14 days, starting next Tuesday, announced by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Education (MOE) in a joint press release.
The devices use GPS and 4G or Bluetooth signals to determine if people on stay-home notices are within the range of their place of residence.
This order will apply to all travelers including Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders, work pass holders and their dependents, except those under 12 years old.
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Officials have ruled out the possibility of domestic transmission as the origin of the COVID-19 infections in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, said Zhao Zuowei, director of the municipal health commission on Monday.
The genome sequencing of collected samples suggest a difference in genome sequencing from other domestic transmissions, Zhao noted.
The working presumption is that it was caused by items imported from overseas, said Zhao.
As for now, the efforts in tracing the origin of the virus is still underway, he added.
A new cluster of infections hit Dalian since a 58-year-old man working with Dalian Kaiyang World Seafood Co. Ltd. tested positive for COVID-19 on July 22.
Dalian has reported a total of 87 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday morning, among them, 38 patients are link to the seafood company.
(Cover: People line up for nucleic acid tests of COVID-19 at a test site in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 27, 2020. /Xinhua)
The Chinese mainland registered 43 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, seven from overseas and 36 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 28 were reported in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and eight in northeastern Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Sunday, while 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 79,013 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Sunday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,428 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,511 (1,959 recoveries, 35 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 474 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
A top White House official said on Sunday that the U.S. is "in a new phase" of the coronavirus pandemic as the virus has infected more than 4.6 million people in the country.
"What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It's into the rural as equal urban areas," White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Deborah Birx told CNN.
"To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus," she said.
She also stressed about the issue that related to reopening schools, saying "in the areas where we have this widespread case increase, we need to stop the cases and then we can talk about safely reopening."
Birx urged Americans to follow health recommendations, such as wearing a mask and social distancing.
Still, as the COVID-19 related death toll exceeds 154,000 in the country, President Donald Trump reportedly went on his golf outing over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump's motorcade heads into his Trump National golf course, in Washington, U.S., August 2, 2020. /Reuters
This was Trump's 283rd golfing trip since he become the president of the United States in 2017, according to a count by local media.
As of Sunday evening, the U.S. has reported more than 4.66 million cases of COVID-19, with 154,833 deaths nationwide, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is the only country in the world to have reported more than 100,000 COVID-19 related deaths.
(Cover: CFP)
Head of Kosovo government tests positive for COVID-19
Avdullah Hoti, head of government of Kosovo, said on Sunday he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and would self-isolate for the next two weeks.
"Today I did the test for the COVID-19 and tested positive," Hoti wrote on his Facebook account.
He had started 14 days of self-isolation, during which he would perform duties from home.
Flights between Iraq and Turkey suspended over COVID-19 fears
Flights between Turkey and Iraq have been suspended because of rising coronavirus infections in Turkey, Iraq's Aviation Authority said on Sunday.
Iraq reopened Baghdad and southern airports last week for international travel after months of closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philippines to update COVID-19 strategy as cases surpass 100,000
The Philippines' health department vowed on Sunday to update its game plan against COVID-19 within a week and sought to beef up the healthcare workforce in the capital Manila, where front-line medical workers are calling for reviving strict lockdowns.
The Southeast Asian country on Saturday reported 4,963 additional coronavirus infections, the largest single-day jump on record, bringing its total confirmed cases to 98,232, while its death toll climbed to 2,039.
It has the second-highest number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths in the region, behind Indonesia.
Vendors and customers wear masks at a market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Jul 21, 2020. /Reuters
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Kyrgyzstan reported 420 new cases and 12 deaths on Sunday, raising the total number of infections in the country to 36,719 and the death toll to 1,409. The current recovery rate in the country is 74.2 percent and the fatality rate is 3.8 percent.
Bangladesh reported 886 new cases and 22 fatalities on Sunday, with the total number of infections increasing to 240,746 and the death toll rising to 3,154. The total number of recovered patients in the country stands at 136,839 including 586 new recoveries.
Indonesia's total number of confirmed cases rose by 1,519 within one day to 111,455, with the death toll up 43 to 5,236. A total of 1,056 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 68,975.
Belgium recorded 651 new cases and four more deaths in the previous 24 hours on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 69,402 and the death toll to 9,845.
United Arab Emirates confirmed 239 new cases on Sunday, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 60,999 with 351 deaths and 54,615 recoveries.
Ghana's total number of confirmed cases increased by 787 to 37,014, and the death toll remained at 182 as of Sunday. At least 22 million Ghanaians have experienced reduced incomes since the pandemic first broke out in March, according to the country's statistical service.
India's home minister tests positive for coronavirus
Indian Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed on Sunday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
Shah tweeted that he has been admitted to hospital on the advice of doctors, adding "my health is fine."
He also urged people who have come into close contact with him recently to isolate themselves and undertake a virus test.
India's COVID-19 case tally reached 1,750,723 in total on Sunday, the fourth day in succession on which over 50,000 fresh cases were reported in the country.
So far, 37,364 COVID-19 patients have died in India.
Seven virus-testing experts from the Chinese mainland arrived in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday afternoon, the first batch of mainland support teams to help tackle a worsening spread of COVID-19.
The experts are among 60 professionals selected by the health commission of south China's Guangdong Province from over 20 public hospitals.
The medical professionals will help with laboratory work in Hong Kong.
The advance team was received by officials and local representatives at a hotel on Sunday afternoon. Qiu Hong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, and Sophia Chan, secretary for food and health of the HKSAR, were among the officials who welcomed the experts.
The arrival of the advance team, according to Qiu, indicates the close attention the central government is paying to the HKSAR. The central government strongly backs Hong Kong residents, said Qiu, before expressing hope all residents will unite and overcome the difficult time together.
Seven virus-testing experts from the Chinese mainland arrive in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), August 2, 2020. /CGTN
The HKSAR government expressed its gratitude to the central government for its proactive response to its request for support and the speedy formation of the team, a spokesperson for the HKSAR government said in a statement late Sunday.
The spokesperson also denied rumors that the HKSAR government was transporting the DNA data of Hong Kong residents to the Chinese mainland during virus testing, saying the claims are "absolutely unfounded."
"The central government's support aims at enhancing the virus testing capacity. All virus testing will only be conducted in Hong Kong, samples of which will not be transported to the mainland for testing," read the statement.
The spokesperson condemned the deliberate spreading of false information, warned the acts could constitute criminal offences and stated that the relevant government departments will study the matter carefully and collect evidence.
Some local residents also expressed gratitude for the help from the mainland by waving the Chinese national flag and the flag of the HKSAR, as well as by showing supportive posters on the streets.
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Hong Kong's first COVID-19 temporary hospital starts operation
The National Health Commission (NHC) announced on Saturday it had established several support teams to carry out nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 at the request of the HKSAR government.
The group of mainland professionals is the first dispatched by the central government to help HKSAR's fight against COVID-19.
The NHC has also promised to assemble mainland medical resources and provide more support at the request of the HKSAR.
Read more:
NHC experts to go to Hong Kong to help with COVID-19 testing
The Asian financial hub has seen cases spike since early July, and its total confirmed cases have mounted to over 3,500 since the pandemic began.
CGTN infographic
In an attempt to rein in the epidemic, a COVID-19 temporary hospital started operation on August 1 in Hong Kong.
The temporary hospital, located in the venue housing the Asia World-Expo, mainly treats coronavirus patients aged 18-60.
The 500-bed facility provides 24-hour medical services, lung X-rays and blood tests.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: A tidal wave of coronavirus business failures
Retailers, restaurants, airlines, tech companies, oil producers, fitness centers, travel agencies ... the list goes on and on. Businesses across the globe have declared bankruptcy this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has triggered economic turmoil and hardship.
For many businesses around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic could be the toughest challenge they've ever met: Cash flow dried up, financial problems deepened, customers stopped buying, stores shut down and lockdown orders returned over and over again.
Some are experiencing domestic political and social turbulence, others were struggling even before the pandemic began. The current situation has made it worse, as companies try to survive in an environment where a vaccine has yet to be found and economies are still reeling.
Philippines' confirmed coronavirus cases exceed 100,000
The Philippines on Sunday reported 5,032 new coronavirus infections, its largest single-day increase, taking the country's total confirmed cases to 103,185.
The Department of Health also said its death toll had jumped by 20 to 2,059.
President Rodrigo Duterte was scheduled to meet key cabinet members on Sunday to discuss a call by medical frontliners' groups to put the capital Manila, which accounts for the bulk of infections, back under a stricter lockdown, his spokesman said.
Hong Kong reports 115 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 115 new cases of COVID-19, all locally transmitted, in the last 24 hours, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said on Sunday.
A total of 3,511 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths have been reported in the HKSAR.
Russia reports 5,427 new COVID-19 cases, total surpasses 850,000
Russia on Sunday reported 5,427 new COVID-19 cases with 70 more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 850,870 and the total death toll to 14,128.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
India's COVID-19 cases tally surpassed 1.7 million on Sunday, reaching 1,750,723. The federal health ministry said 853 new deaths and 54,735 new positive cases were detected in the country. The official death toll has increased to 37,364.
Brazil on Saturday reported 45,392 new cases and 1,088 new deaths due to COVID-19. It now has registered 2,707,877 total cases and 93,563 fatalities.
New Zealand reported three new cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation on Sunday. It has recorded 1,215 total cases so far. The health ministry said it has been 93 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source.
Mexico registered more than 9,000 new cases for the first time on Saturday, reporting 9,556 new infections. The country's total tally has now risen to 434,193 cases and 47,472 deaths.
Colombia recorded 10,673 new infections on Saturday, setting a new daily record. It now has 306,181 confirmed cases. The death toll increased by 225 to reach 10,330.
U.S. COVID-19 death toll projected to top 230,000 by November
The death toll from COVID-19 in the U.S. is expected to climb to 230,822 by November, said the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
On July 22, the institute forecasted a total of 219,864 deaths from COVID-19 by November in the United States, reported CNN on Thursday.
The updated projection is based on the current scenario in the United States where the number of cases continue to rise, with some still refusing to wear masks or social distancing, or other measures, said the IHME in its projection model.
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People wearing masks shopping at a farmers market in Santa Monica, California, U.S., August 1, 2020. /CFP
Australia's Victoria state declares 'state of disaster'
Australia's state of Victoria has declared a "state of disaster" on Sunday in addition to the state of emergency already in place, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said in a press briefing.
A nighttime curfew will be implemented in Melbourne from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. from Sunday night. Residents in the city will only be allowed to shop and exercise within five km of their home, according to the premier.
Andrews said there are now 11,557 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Victoria, including 6,322 active cases. Some 385 patients are in hospitals, and 38 of them are receiving intensive care. A total of 671 new infections and seven deaths were reported since Saturday.
South Africa's COVID-19 cases surpass 500,000
South Africa's confirmed total cases of COVID-19 have crossed half a million, its health ministry said on Saturday, while continentwide case tally in Africa approached one million.
Africa's most industrialized nation recorded 10,107 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, pushing the total to 503,290, the ministry said.
Just over three million people have so far been tested for the virus in South Africa, which confirmed its first case five months ago, and 8,153 deaths have been recorded. Africa has recorded 934,558 cases, 19,752 deaths and 585,567 recoveries, according to a Reuters tally.
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The Chinese mainland registered 49 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 16 from overseas and 33 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Sunday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 30 were reported in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and three in northeastern Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Saturday, while 14 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 79,003 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Saturday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,385 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,396 (1,858 recoveries, 31 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 474 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Beijing reports no new COVID-19 cases for three straight days
Beijing recorded zero new COVID-19 cases on Saturday for the third day in a row, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.
Two more patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi market cluster dropped to three.
From June 11 to August 1, Beijing reported 335 COVID-19 cases linked to the Xinfadi market, 332 of those patients have already been discharged from hospitals.
One asymptomatic patient is still under medical observation, according to the health commission.
Russia will start mass anti-coronavirus vaccination by October this year and will prioritize medical workers and teachers in the country, according to local new agencies on Saturday, citing the health minister Mikhail Murashko.
The COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute, has completed clinical trials, Murashko said, adding that the documents for vaccine registration is under preparation.
On Saturday, a total of 5,462 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 845,443, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 14,058. So far, 646,524 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
(Cover: CFP)
Laverne Cox announces this year's Emmy nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series during the 72nd Emmy Awards Nominations. /AFP
Emmy Awards going virtual, HBO and Netflix top the nominations
The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held online this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A day after announcing nominations for this year's edition, the Television Academy on Wednesday informed top nominees that the ceremony in September will be held virtually.
The Emmys – television's equivalent of the Oscars – will air on ABC on September 20 and will be the first major awards show in Hollywood since the coronavirus crisis began.
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Hong Kong reports 125 new coronavirus cases
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, including 124 locally transmitted cases and one case from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday.
On the same day, Hong Kong's first temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients started operating. On its first operational weekend, the hospital is expected to receive 30 patients each day.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) first temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients started operation on Saturday. It received the first group of more than 20 patients, according to CGTN reporter Zhu Dan.
The temporary hospital, located in the venue housing the Asia World-Expo, will mainly treat coronavirus patients aged 18-60. The 500-bed facility provides 24-hour medical services, lung X-rays and blood tests.
On its first operational weekend, the hospital is expected to receive 30 patients each day.
Around a dozen nurses and two doctors were on duty on Saturday to take care of the patients.
A medical expert said the temporary hospital is designed to receive patients with mild symptoms and confirmed patients awaiting to be hospitalized.
The internal view of the temporary COVID-19 hospital at Asia World-Expo in Hong Kong, China, August 1, 2020. /CGTN
The hospital is equipped with ultraviolet disinfection facility and changing rooms besides self-service stations for patients to sanitize themselves and check their health status by measuring blood pressure, blood oxygen level and other parameters.
The HKSAR reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, including 124 cases of local transmission and one from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday.
(Cover: Asia World-Expo in the HKSAR, China, August 1, 2020. /CMG)
The National Health Commission said on Saturday that it has set up a nucleic acid testing support team to work in Hong Kong at the request of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to help fight the pandemic.
The first seven members of the team will arrive in the HKSAR on Sunday, said the NHC.
UK tightens restrictions as no fans allowed at sports pilot events
Spectators will not be allowed to attend pilot sports events for at least two weeks due to a spike in COVID-19 infection rates, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday putting a halt on plans to return to some kind of sporting normality.
"Pilots of larger crowds at sports venues will not take place," Johnson said at a news conference. "I said from May we would not hesitate to put on the brakes at the slightest sign that the numbers were going in the wrong direction."
The new restrictions on fans will be enforced at least until August 15.
The government had decided earlier to allow spectators at carefully selected trial events from late July to early August to 'stress test' new guidelines on a return to regular live sport.
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The global coronavirus outbreak is the sort of disaster whose effects will last far into the future, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday.
"The pandemic is a once-in-a-century health crisis, the effects of which will be felt for decades to come," Tedros told a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee.
"Although vaccine development is happening at record speed, we must learn to live with this virus, and we must fight it with the tools we have," he said.
The pandemic has killed more than 670,000 people worldwide, with more than 17 million cases diagnosed. The United States, Brazil, Mexico and Britain have been particularly hard hit in recent weeks by the disease COVID-19, as their governments have struggled to come up with an effective response.
Although knowledge about the new virus has advanced, many questions remained unanswered and populations remain vulnerable, Tedros noted.
"Early results from serology (antibody) studies are painting a consistent picture: most of the world's people remain susceptible to this virus, even in areas that have experienced severe outbreaks," he said.
"Many countries that believed they were past the worst are now grappling with new outbreaks. Some that were less affected in the earliest weeks are now seeing escalating numbers of cases and deaths. And some that had large outbreaks have brought them under control."
Economies have been hit by lockdown restrictions introduced to restrict its spread, while many regions are fearful of a second wave.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Brazil, on Friday, reported a daily increase of 52,383 new cases in the past 24 hours and 1,212 COVID-19 deaths, raising the total caseload to 2,662,485 and death toll to 92,475. The country is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, second only to the United States, both in terms of caseload and death toll.
Mexico registered 8,458 new cases, a record for a single day, as well as 688 additional deaths, bringing the total to 424,637 cases and 46,688 fatalities, placing the country's death toll from the pandemic as third highest in the world, overtaking the UK.
Egypt recorded 321 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases registered in the country to 94,078. Thirty-one patients died from the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 4,805.
Greece confirmed 78 new cases and three new deaths in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily rise since the end of the lockdown on May 4, as the total number rose to 4,477 with 206 fatalities. The authorities introduced stricter measures to slow down the spread of the virus, including extending the ban on local festivals to August 31.
Iran's total number of confirmed cases climbed to 304,204 after the addition of 2,674 new cases overnight, and the death toll also rose to 16,569 after 226 new deaths were recorded. So far, 261,200 patients have been recovered, and 4,041 others remain in critical condition.
Argentina's total number of confirmed cases rose to 185,373 cases with 3,466 deaths as of Friday, leading to the government announcing the extension of the quarantine to August 16, which has been in force since March 20, in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
Beijing reports no new COVID-19 cases for two straight days
Beijing recorded zero new COVID-19 cases on Friday for two days in a row, the municipal health commission said on Saturday.
Four more patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi market cluster dropped to five.
From June 11 to July 31, Beijing reported 335 COVID-19 cases linked to the Xinfadi market, 330 of those patients have already been discharged from hospitals.
Three asymptomatic patients are still under medical observation, according to the health commission.
The Chinese mainland registered 45 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, six from overseas and 39 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 31 were reported in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and eight in northeastern Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Friday, while 15 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 78,989 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Friday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,337 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,272 (1,751 recoveries, 27 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 467 (441 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, cities around the world went into lockdown -- and demand for public transportation dried up. It was the same in Brazil's big cities, and like many places, most of the commuter trains there kept running.
Railways and subways have high fixed costs that can’t be slashed– even when the number of passengers using them tumbles as it has during the pandemic. In Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, ridership plunged by 74% from the same time last year. But infrastructure must be maintained, regardless of passenger volume.
According to the rail industry association, ANPTrilhos, less than one third of Brazil's commuter trains were taken out of circulation during the pandemic, despite the three quarter-drop in passengers. It’s one reason for losses estimated at 750 million US dollars, which could hinder the sector's capacity for future investment or even day-to-day operations.
CGTN's Paulo Cabral reports, that led to a major loss of revenue, that could take years to recover.
Pedestrians with face masks walk past a store on Fifth Avenue in New York, the United States, July 4, 2020. /Xinhua
The number of initial jobless claims in the United States rose to 1.43 million last week amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, following an increase in the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
In the week ending July 25, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased by 12,000 from a revised 1,422,000 in the prior week, the department said.
Initial jobless claims peaked at a record 6.87 million in the week ending March 28 amid COVID-19 shutdowns, and the figures have declined for 15 weeks consecutively, before the trend was reversed in the week ending July 18.
With the latest numbers, a staggering 54.1 million initial jobless claims have been filed over the past 19 weeks, indicating the mounting economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new report also showed that the four-week moving average, a method to iron out data volatility, increased by 6,500 to 1.37 million.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 11.6 percent for the week ending July 18, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate, the report showed.
The latest data "confirms that the economy's recovery has lost momentum in recent weeks," Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in an analysis.
As Republican and Democratic lawmakers continue to debate the extension of the extra 600 dollars unemployment benefits, which are set to expire Friday, House said the "stakes are high" with more than 30 million workers collecting unemployment insurance.
The Senate Republicans' 1-trillion-dollar proposal, revealed Monday, would slash the federal unemployment benefits from 600 dollars to 200 dollars through September, giving an unemployed worker about 70 percent of previous wages when combined with state benefits, while Democrats want to maintain the current level of benefits through January.
The White House and Republicans have contended that the 600-dollar benefits have created a financial disincentive for people to return to work, an argument refuted by some economists, including Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman.
"The bottom line is that all those concerns that we were keeping unemployment high by making it too comfortable had zero basis in reality," Krugman said on Twitter. "UI (unemployment insurance) was helping employment, not hurting it."
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 908,931 on Friday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. /XINHUA
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 908,931 on Friday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU) Commission in its latest situation update issued on Friday, said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the continent rose from 891,199 on Thursday to 908,931 as of Friday registering 17, 732 new positive cases during the stated period.
The Africa CDC report also said that the number of deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 19,310 as of Friday, up from 18,884 on Thursday.
The continental disease control and prevention agency also stressed that some 556, 695 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far.
South Africa, which has so far reported 482, 169 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases, is Africa's highest affected country in terms of positive cases, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, it was noted.
The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions, respectively, the Africa CDC said.
Amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the African continent, the Africa CDC on Tuesday said 34 African countries are under "full border closure "in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus.
U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Friday that he is "cautiously optimistic" that the U.S. could have coronavirus vaccine in late fall or early winter this year.
Fauci said, "We hope that by the time we get into late fall and early winter, we will have in fact a vaccine that we can say that would be safe and effective. One can never guarantee the safety or effectiveness unless you do the trial, but we are cautiously optimistic this will be successful."
He made the remarks while testifying at the coronavirus crisis hearing in Capitol Hill.
During the hearing, Fauci was been asked about why the Europe did better job than the U.S. in the aspect of containing COVID-19.
Fauci answered that the European countries fully locked down to curb the spread of the virus. However, the shutdown of the U.S. only worked for about 50 percent of the country.
As of Friday morning, the U.S. reported more than 4.49 million COVID-19 cases, with 152,082 deaths, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, arrives to testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 31, 2020. /Reuters)
China's central government will send medical workers to Hong Kong to help with the nucleic acid tests in the region.
The State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office announced on Friday that the medical workers will also help Hong Kong build temporary quarantine and treatment facilities.
Hong Kong has seen a rapid surge in coronavirus cases this month. The Center for Health Protection reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, marking the tenth day that number of daily COVID-19 cases remained above 100.
Earlier the day, Lee Lap-yip, a Hospital Authority's expert said that the AsiaWorld-Expo – an exhibition center turned into a community treatment facility with 500 beds will start to receive COVID-19 patients from August 1.
UK puts lockdown-easing on hold as virus spread accelerates
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson put some planned measures to ease the UK's lockdown on hold Friday, just hours before they were due to take effect, saying the number of new coronavirus cases in the country is on the rise first time since May.
Johnson said at a news conference that statistics show that the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community is likely increasing, with an estimated 4,900 new infections every day, up from 2,000 a day at the end of June.
"We just can't afford to ignore this evidence," he said.
"With those numbers creeping up, our assessment is that we should now squeeze (the) brake pedal in order to keep the virus under control."
He called off plans to allow venues, including casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks, to open from Saturday, Aug 1. Wedding receptions were also put on hold, along with plans to allow limited numbers of fans back into sports stadiums and audiences into theaters.
(With input from AP)
Latest development of COVID-19 in the world
Vietnam and Fiji on Friday reported their country's first death from COVID-19. The confirmed cases in Vietnam stand at 509, while Fiji reported 18 COVID-19 patients since it confirmed its first case on March 19.
Russia reported 5,482 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 839,981.
Iran on Friday recorded 2,674 new cases of COVID-19, the cumulative cases in the country stand at 304,204.
(Cover: People's Daily)
Italy's GDP plunges 12.4 percent in second quarter
Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 12.4 percent in the second quarter, the national statistics bureau Istat said on Friday, plunging the country into recession.
GDP declined by 17.3 percent compared with the 2019 second quarter, Istat said, as the coronavirus lockdown took a dramatic toll on the eurozone's third-largest economy.
(With input from AFP)
Hong Kong reports 121 new coronavirus cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has reported 121 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, including 118 locally transmitted and three from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) said on Friday.
CHP said two more deaths related to COVID-19 have been registered in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 27.
Study suggests 76% of Brazilian coronavirus strains had origins in Europe
A new study shedding light on the epidemic transmission and evolutionary trajectories of the coronavirus in Brazil has shown that current interventions remain insufficient to contain the virus.
The research, published in Science a week ago, came amid the country registering the world's second highest number of confirmed cases with more than 2.6 million people getting infected.
Scientists found 75 percent of the strains in Brazil had their origins in three groups that were introduced from Europe in late February and early March, indicating transmission was already established in Brazil by early March.
Most of these estimated introductions were directed to internationally well-connected states such as Sao Paulo (36% of all imports), Minas Gerais (24%), and Ceara (10%), said the study.
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NE China's Dalian reports 11 new COVID-19 cases, total at 68
The city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province reported 11 new COVID-19 cases and six asymptomatic cases on Thursday, bringing its total number of confirmed cases since July 22 to 68, local health authorities said during a press conference on Friday.
Of the confirmed cases, 34 were employees of Dalian Kaiyang World Seafood Co. Ltd. , the site of a new cluster of infections after a 58-year-old employee tested positive for COVID-19 on July 22. Another 11 had been found of close contacts with the company's employees.
At present, 32 asymptomatic patients in the city are under medical observation, and Dalian will undertake a second round of testing on residents in high-risk areas.
Revellers jump and dance in a swimming pool during the Arenal Sound Music Festival in Burriana on July 31, 2019. /CFP
Young people letting down their guard to enjoy the summer holidays are partly driving a spike in new COVID-19 cases in some countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
A fresh jump in cases in parts of Europe, the United States and Asia has fueled fears of a second wave of new coronavirus infections and prompted some countries to impose new restrictions on travel.
"We've said this before and we'll say it again: young people are not invincible," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing in Geneva.
Evidence suggests that recent spikes of cases in some countries are being "driven in part by younger people letting down their guard during the northern hemisphere summer," he said.
The northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia on Monday warned young people to stop partying to help halt a surge in new cases or local authorities may have to reimpose harsh restrictions.
Britain and several other European countries have placed restrictions on travel to Spain.
Maria Van Kerkhove, a top WHO epidemiologist, told the same briefing that nightclubs were "amplifiers of transmission".
"The majority of young people infected tend to have more mild disease. But that's not always consistent," she said.
The WHO this month urged travelers to wear masks on planes and keep themselves informed as COVID-19 cases surge again in some countries.
The WHO guidance for travelers has included common-sense advice applicable to other settings such as social distancing, washing hands and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Beijing recorded zero new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the municipal health commission said on Friday.
Ten more patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi market cluster dropped to nine.
From June 11 to July 30, Beijing reported 335 COVID-19 cases linked to the Xinfadi market, 326 of those patients were already discharged from hospitals.
Three asymptomatic patients are still under medical observation, according to the health commission.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Israel confirmed 1,737 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally of infections to 70,036, which includes 500 deaths and 43,489 recoveries. The Israeli Employment Service reported the country's unemployment rate currently stands at 21.5 percent, down from 27.5 percent at the end of April, with more than 874,000 people unemployed.
Argentina reported 6,377 new cases with 153 deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 185,373 and death toll to 3,441. The capital Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province will not continue to relax existing quarantine measures due to the severity of the epidemic.
Canada's total number of confirmed cases climbed to 115,789 as 319 new cases were reported on Thursday, and its death toll stands at 8,929. All passengers going through security checks at Canada's four main airports have to have temperature checked starting Thursday.
France confirmed 1,377 new cases and 16 more deaths on Thursday, with the overall total being 186,573 with 30,254 deaths. Health authorities said 381 people were in intensive care units due to the disease, one more than the previous day, marking the first time that figure has increased on a daily basis in 16 weeks.
The UK reported 846 new cases on Thursday, the highest daily number in over a month, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 302,301 and the death toll to 45,999. People from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in parts of Northern England amid an increasing rate of transmission.
Mexico recorded 7,730 new novel coronavirus infections and 639 additional deaths, bringing the total to 416,179 cases and 46,000 fatalities. The country's gross domestic product plunged a record 18.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020, compared to the same period last year.
The Chinese mainland registered 127 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, four from overseas and 123 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Friday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 112 were reported in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and 11 in northeastern Liaoning Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Thursday, while 17 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 78,974 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Thursday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,292 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland since the start of the epidemic, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,151 (1,660 recoveries, 25 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 467 (440 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Antonio, who is currently unemployed, waits in a socially distanced line to enter a bookkeeping shop to fill out unemployment forms near the U.S.-Mexico border in Imperial County, which has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, on July 24, 2020 in Calexico, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
July 30 marks six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of global concern due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The virus has killed more than 669,000 people worldwide with more than 17 million cases confirmed.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO said Thursday during a briefing in Geneva, "We must all learn to live with the virus," he added, "and to take the steps necessary to live our lives while protecting ourselves and others – especially those at highest risk of Covid-19."
The U.S. remains the world leader in the pandemic, accounting for roughly a quarter of both deaths and cases.Johns Hopkins University has reported Thursday afternoon, more than 4.4 million confirmed cases in the United States, and more than 151,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S..
Florida reported 253 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, a new daily record for the third day in a row.
Herman Cain, former Republican presidential candidate and co-chair of Black Voices for Trump has died from COVID-19.Cain was hospitalized this month after attending a campaign rally in June for President Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Cain was one of many Trump surrogates, where up to eight advance team staff members tested positive for the virus at the rally.
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain speaks during the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., June 17, 2011. REUTERS/Sean Gardner/File Photo
As students return this fall, reopening schools across the country may become another victim of the pandemic.
Washington, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn announced on Thursday that public schools will all be virtual until November. Reversing an earlier decision to hold both virtual and in-person classes.
"We all understand that this school year will require flexibility from everyone, and with that in mind we are moving forward with an all virtual start to the school year for students in pre-K through the 12th grade for term one until November 6," Kihn said.
The U.S. economic recovery continues threatened by the COVID-19. On Thursday, the U.S. government said that the economy shrank at a record-breaking 33 percent rate from April to June as COVID-19 shuttered businesses and triggered layoffs.
And jobless claims rose for the second straight week, more than 1.4 million laid-off workers filed for unemployment benefits last week as COVID-19 surges across the nation.
People line up outside a Kentucky Career Center hoping to find assistance with their unemployment claim in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston/File Photo
Brazil has become the second country in the world with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's wife and one of his ministers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an official statement on Thursday.
Just days after her husband said he had overcome the virus with a negative test following weeks in quarantine, Bolsonaro's wife Michelle has tested positive, the presidential office said in a statement.
Michelle Bolsonaro, wife of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, attends a ceremony marking International Women's Day at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil March 6, 2020. Picture taken March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
The world's third-largest COVID-19 cases load in India, with over 1.5 million people infected.
The country's health ministry Rajesh Bhushan reported another record surge on Thursday. The country has added nearly 100,000 new cases almost every two days.
A worker from Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, a non-governmental organization, wearing a "Smart Helmet", a portable thermoscanner that can measure the temperature of people at a distance, walks in an alley to screen the residents during a check-up campaign for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a slum Mumbai, India, July 23, 2020. REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani - RC2ZYH93CJLN/File Photo
A man wearing face mask talks on the phone in a street in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2020. /Xinhua
Total coronavirus infections in Iran hit 301,530 on Thursday after registration of 2,621 new cases overnight, according to the state TV.
Meanwhile, 226 new death cases were registered over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll in the country to 16,569, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily update.
So far, 261,200 patients have recovered and 4,041 remain in critical condition, said Lari.
According to the health spokeswoman, 2, 431,804 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran by Thursday.
She said 27 Iranian provinces are in high-risk or alert condition over the disease.
Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19.
Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brazil's first lady Michelle Bolsonaro uses sign language to speak to the public, as her husband, President Jair Bolsonaro, stands behind her during his inaugural ceremony at Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. /AP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's wife and one of his ministers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an official statement on Thursday, as the spread of the novel coronavirus showed no signs of slowing in the country with the world's second-worst outbreak after the United States.
Just days after her husband said he had overcome the virus with a negative test following weeks in quarantine, Bolsonaro's wife Michelle has tested positive, the presidential office said in a statement.
"First lady Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. She is in good health and will follow all established protocols," it said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Earlier on Thursday, Brazil's science and technology minister, Marcos Pontes, said his test had come back positive, becoming the fifth minister in Bolsonaro's government to be diagnosed with the disease.
Their infections are a palpable sign of the scale of the outbreak in Brazil, which set fresh daily records on Wednesday for new COVID-19 cases and related fatalities.
The 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1,595 additional deaths reported by the Health Ministry, pushed the country past 2.5 million infections and 90,000 killed.
(With input from agencies)
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 891,199 on Thursday. /Reuters
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 891,199 on Thursday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU) Commission in its latest situation update issued on Thursday, said that the number of deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 18, 884 as of Thursday, up from 18,507 on Wednesday.
The continental disease control and prevention agency also stressed that some 540,872 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far.
South Africa, which has so far reported 471,123 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases, is Africa's most affected country in terms of positive cases, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, it was noted.
Amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the African continent, the Africa CDC on Tuesday said 34 African countries are under "full border closure" in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus.
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. /Reuters
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced a mandatory mask policy on Wednesday that requires all members and staff to wear face coverings in the chamber.
"Members and staff will be required to wear masks in the halls of the House," Pelosi said during remarks on the House floor, adding that lawmakers can temporarily take off their masks when speaking.
The California Democrat also said she has the authority to direct the House sergeant-at-arms to tell members to leave if they fail to adhere to the requirement.
The announcement came hours after Congressman Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, tested positive for the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Gohmert, who has frequently refused to wear a mask, was scheduled to fly to Midland, Texas with U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday morning but tested positive in a pre-screen at the White House.
However, the eight-term congressman blamed the result on wearing a mask.
"I can't help but think that if I hadn't been wearing a mask so much in the last 10 days or so, I really wonder if I would have gotten it," he said during an interview with a local TV station.
At least two House members have announced plans to self-quarantine due to contact with Gohmert.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who was seen walking alongside with Gohmert after a hearing at the House Judiciary Committee, tested negative for the virus on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson.
At least the 10th U.S. lawmaker known to have tested positive, Gohmert is among a group of conservative Republicans who have been walking around the Capitol without wearing a mask.
"Very frankly, too many Republicans have continued to act extraordinarily irresponsibly," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters on a press call on Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said "cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities."
Hong Kong reports 149 new coronavirus cases in record daily high
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has reported 149 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, including 145 locally transmitted cases and four cases from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said on Thursday.
The number of new cases is a record daily high since the outbreak of the epidemic.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
Australia recorded its deadliest day in the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday with at least 13 deaths and more than 700 new infections mainly in Victoria State.
India Thursday morning reported 775 new COVID-19 deaths and 52,123 positive cases in the past 24 hours, taking the number of deaths to 34,968 and the total cases to 1,583,792. This is the highest single day spike of new COVID-19 cases in the country so far.
In Vietnam, capital city of Hanoi will conduct mass testing from Thursday to Saturday for 21,000 people who recently returned from the central city of Da Nang, which has seen a resurgence of cases since July 25 after going through nearly 100 days without any local cases.
Ukraine reported a record daily high of 1,197 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. So far, the total number of cases in the country has risen to 68,794, including 1,673 deaths and 38,154 recovered.
Brazil on Wednesday reopened international air travel to foreign visitors, but said the entry restrictions on foreign travelers arriving by land or sea is extended for another 30 days. Tourists from all countries may fly to Brazil as long as they have health insurance for the duration of their trip.
(With input from agencies)
CFP
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19, evolved from most closely related bat viruses 40 to 70 years ago, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on Tuesday.
The study, led by researchers from the Pennsylvania State University, University of Edinburgh, and University of Hong Kong, analyzed the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2 using available genomic data on sarbecoviruses, the viral subgenus that SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 belongs to.
They found that the sequence of a bat virus, known as RaTG13, was highly similar to that of the novel coronavirus, with "approximately 96 percent genome sequence identity." The two share a common single ancestral lineage, but subsequently took a different evolutionary pathway decades ago.
The genetic proximity tells that "a bat origin for the current COVID-19 outbreak is probable," said the authors, who discovered that the divergence dates between SARS-CoV-2 and the bat sarbecovirus reservoir were estimated as 1948, 1969 and 1982.
The findings indicate that "the lineage giving rise to SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating unnoticed in bats for decades."
The study is significant in "pointing to the scale and nature of the problems that zoonotic transmission presents to humans," reported BBC citing Mark Pagel, professor of the University of Reading, who was not involved in the study. "There may be numerous and as yet undetected viruses capable of infecting humans that reside in animal hosts."
"We really do need to understand where or how the virus has crossed into the human population. If we now believe there's this generalist virus circulating in bats we need to get better at monitoring that," said David Robertson, professor of the University of Glasgow, who participated in the study, as no evidence shows in the study that an intermediary host is required for bat viruses to get into humans.
The study also "adds to mounting evidence discrediting conspiracy theories that suggest SARS-CoV-2 was bio-engineered or escaped from a laboratory," The Telegraph reported citing the authors.
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam urges Hong Kong residents to combat COVID-19 together in a promotional video broadcast from Wednesday. Lam shot the video on Monday to call for a joint fight against the virus in Hong Kong as the epidemic situation worsens.
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 17 million: Johns Hopkins University
Global COVID-19 cases topped 17 million on Thursday, statistics of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University showed.
DPRK says it has no confirmed COVID-19 case
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) says it has no confirmed COVID-19 case, the country's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun said on Thursday.
"There has not been even a single case of new coronavirus infection so far in our country," Rodong Sinmun said in an article.
The statement came four days after DPRK said it had found the first suspected case in Kaesong City, a person who illegally returned to the country from the Republic of Korea (ROK), which led to the city's lockdown.
Read more: DPRK sees 1st suspected COVID-19 case, adopts maximum emergency system
It's not immediately clear if the newspaper report means the suspected patient has recovered.
A ROK health official has denied the person contracted the virus during the stay in the country.
And as of Thursday, DPRK has not reported any confirmed infections to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The road to 150,000+: How the U.S. has handled the COVID-19 pandemic
150,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Since the first confirmed death in late February, the country has been grappling with intense challenges in its efforts to contain pandemic.
Here's a timeline showing how the U.S has responded.
Click here for more.
The Chinese mainland registered 105 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, three from overseas, and 102 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 96 were reported in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, five in Liaoning Province, and one in the Chinese capital of Beijing.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Wednesday, while 13 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 78,957 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Wednesday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,165 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 3,002 (1,591 recoveries, 24 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 467 (440 recoveries, 7 deaths)
(Cover: Collecting a swab sample from a resident in the Tianshan District in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 20, 2020. /Xinhua)
Beijing reports one new COVID-19 case
On Wednesday, Beijing recorded one new COVID-19 case related to a confirmed case from northeast China's Dalian City, the municipal health commission said on Thursday.
Five more patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi wholesale market cluster dropped to 19.
From June 11 to July 29, Beijing reported 335 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the Xinfadi market, 316 of those patients were already discharged from hospitals.
Four asymptomatic cases are still under medical observation, according to the health commission.
Brazil confirms nearly 70,000 coronavirus cases in new daily record
Brazil set a daily record on Wednesday for both confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and related deaths, with 69,074 new cases and 1,595 fatalities, Health Ministry data showed.
Brazil has now registered more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of the virus and 90,134 deaths since the pandemic began, according to ministry data.
Two large clinical trials of coronavirus vaccines are now underway in the U.S.
This week, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer both began advanced clinical trials, involving 30,000 volunteers each.
The trials will help determine if these vaccines are safe and effective.
CGTN's Hendrik Sybrandy looks at the Moderna effort which is being done in partnership with the U.S. government.
FILE PHOTO: Ella Speer speaks with a doctor before getting tested for COVID-19 during an outbreak in Austin, Texas, U.S., June 28, 2020. /Reuters
The number of COVID-19-related deaths in the United States surpassed the 150,000 mark on Wednesday as the country continues to see an upsurge surge in daily infections.
The U.S. remains the world’s worst affected country, having now reported more than 4.3 million cases, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
The figures represent 26.1 percent of the global infections and 22.6 percent of the deaths.
Out of the 20 countries that have reported the most infections, the U.S. ranks sixth in deaths per capita, standing at 4.5 fatalities per 10,000 people.
Only the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile have a higher per capita rate, the tally shows, with U.S. deaths making up nearly 23% of the global total of 660,997.
Dalian City residents sat in queues on a playground while they waited to get tested for the novel coronavirus recently.
Medical staff used isolation belts to set up four lines on the playground, and chairs were placed one meter apart so that people could still observe physical distancing protocols while they waited.
It has been reported that Dalian has seen 70 cases so far. Local authorities have ordered large-scale testing for the city's residents. Over a million people have been tested.
HK catering sector struggling as restaurant ban looms amid pandemic
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) catering sector is struggling as the sweeping ban on dine-in services into effect on Wednesday amid the epidemic.
On Monday, the densely populated city unprecedentedly announced to completely ban dining in restaurants from Wednesday, as authorities reported 145 cases the same day, a new daily record, of which 142 were locally transmitted cases.
"The situation is very worrying and the current outbreak is the most severe the city has experienced," said Matthew Cheung, chief secretary for administration of HKSAR, adding that the measures will be in place for seven days.
The city with a population of more than seven million, in July, halted dine-in services from 6 p.m. as concerns grew of a third wave of infections but allowed restaurants and cafes to function through the day as normal.
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A deliveryman delivers takeaway food in the downtown of Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, March 27, 2020. /VCG
The World Health Organization (WHO) needs to visit other countries and regions as well for tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday.
"We hope all related countries can collaborate actively with WHO like what China did," he added.
Two WHO experts arrived in China in mid-July and conducted scientific cooperation on virus tracing. Multiple video conferences were held during their quarantine. They discussed topics including virus tracing and route of transmission with Chinese experts.
(Cover image via CFP)
Hong Kong's confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 3,000
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, including 113 locally transmitted cases and 5 from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said.
Wednesday's number of new cases is higher than Tuesday's 106.
The Asian financial hub has reported over 3,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases since January, with 24 deaths.
COVID-19 cases in India surpass 1.5-million mark
India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 1.5 million-mark on Wednesday, with over 34,000 fatalities, the federal health ministry said.
U.S. was slow to recognize coronavirus threat from Europe: CDC director
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Redfield, on Tuesday admitted for the first time that the U.S. was slow to recognize the coronavirus threat from Europe.
"The introduction from Europe happened before we realized what was happening" Redfield said in an interview with ABC News, noting that "by the time we realized the Europe threat and shut down travel to Europe, there was probably already two or three weeks of 60,000 people coming back every day from Europe."
As of Tuesday evening, the U.S. has reported more than 4.3 million COVID-19 cases and 149,235 deaths nationwide, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Xinjiang reports 89 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 89 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, all in the regional capital Urumqi, the regional health commission said Wednesday.
The region also registered 15 new asymptomatic cases on Tuesday.
By Tuesday, Xinjiang had 322 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 133 asymptomatic cases, and 9,121 people were still under medical observation.
Beijing reports one new COVID-19 case
On Tuesday, Beijing recorded one new COVID-19 case related to a confirmed case from northeast China's Dalian City, the municipal health commission said on Wednesday.
One more patient has recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi wholesale market cluster dropped to 24.
From June 11 to July 28, Beijing reported 335 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the Xinfadi market, 311 of those patients were already discharged from hospitals.
Four asymptomatic cases are still under medical observation, according to the health commission.
The Chinese mainland registered 101 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, three from overseas, and 98 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
Of the domestic transmissions, 89 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, eight in the Liaoning Province, and one in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Tuesday, while 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Altogether, 78,944 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Tuesday, the report said, adding that a total of 84,060 COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 2,884 (1,527 recoveries, 23 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 467 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Belarus president says he had asymptomatic coronavirus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday he had had the coronavirus without any symptoms and has already recovered from it, the BELTA news agency quoted him as saying.
UK PM warns of second wave in virus spat with Spain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Tuesday of a "second wave" of coronavirus in Europe as he defended a controversial decision to quarantine all travelers arriving from Spain, despite criticism from Madrid.
Johnson insisted the UK had taken "swift and decisive" action at the weekend to impose a 14-day quarantine on everyone entering Britain from Spain – a major tourist destination for Britons.
Johnson also said UK would take action to impose quarantines on other countries should COVID-19 infections rise and such measures become necessary.
"I'm afraid if we do see signs of a second wave in other countries, it is really our job, our duty, to act swiftly and decisively to stop travelers coming back from those places seeding the disease here in the UK," he told reporters.
U.S. Federal prisons report 101 COVID-19 deaths
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in the United States reported a total of 101 people have died, and 10,350 people were tested positive for COVID-19 so far, according to the official website on Tuesday.
The BOP has 128,978 federal inmates in BOP-managed institutions and 13,721 in community-based facilities. The BOP staff complement is approximately 36,000.
Madrid to make face masks compulsory to curb COVID-19 contagion
Madrid will make face masks compulsory everywhere as part of a package of measures aimed at preventing coronavirus infections, regional leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso said on Tuesday.
Bars must close at 1 a.m, and gatherings at outdoor restaurant terraces will be capped at 10 people, she said. The region recommends that private gatherings at home remain below 10 people, but that is not a legal obligation.
Additionally, she asked the central government to increase checks at Madrid's airport.
According to health ministry data, Spain has a total of 278,782 coronavirus cases as of Monday, up from 272,421 on Friday.
WHO says COVID-19 pandemic is 'one big wave', not seasonal
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned against complacency about new coronavirus transmission in the northern hemisphere summer, saying that this virus did not behave like influenza that tended to follow seasonal trends.
Margaret Harris said the COVID-19 outbreak is different from seasonal pandemic on a virtual briefing in Geneva, urging vigilance in applying measures to slow transmission that is spreading via mass gatherings.
Harris also warned against thinking in terms of virus waves, saying that "It's going to be one big wave. It's going to go up and down a bit. The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet."
Germany advises against travel to virus-hit Spanish regions
Germany's foreign ministry on Tuesday advised holidaymakers not to travel to several Spanish regions including Catalonia, home to Barcelona, that have seen coronavirus infection rates rise.
"We currently advise against unnecessary tourist trips to the autonomous communities of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarre due to high infection numbers and local lockdowns," the ministry said on its website.
Spain's rise in COVID-19 cases has prompted most regions to impose rules for masks to be worn everywhere and, in several areas including Barcelona, calls for people to stay at home.
In Germany, the number of confirmed cases has increased by 633 to 206,242 and the reported death toll rose by 4 to 9,122, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
RKI head Lothar Wieler later said rapid rise in Germany's coronavirus numbers is very worrying and urged citizens to keep their distance and wear face masks.
Hong Kong reports 106 new COVID-19 cases, 98 locally transmitted
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Tuesday reported 106 new cases of COVID-19, of which 98 were locally transmitted and others were from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said.
Tuesday's number of new cases is slightly lower than Monday's record high of 145.
Of the newly confirmed local transmitted cases, 36 were infected at gatherings with relatives or friends, and others were infected at their workplaces, according to the local health authorities.
Russia's coronavirus cases surpass 820,000
Russia reported 5,395 new novel coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing its nationwide tally to 823,515, the fourth largest in the world.
Russia's coronavirus task force said 150 people died over the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll in the country of around 145 million people to 13,504.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
The UK will cut the length of quarantine imposed on travelers from Spain to 10 days from 14 days if they test negative for COVID-19, Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday.
India's central health ministry on Tuesday reported 47,703 new COVID-19 cases and 654 new deaths, pushing the total tally to 1,483,156 infections and 33,425 deaths.
Germany added 633 new positive cases to nationwide tally on Tuesday, as it now has registered 206,242 total coronavirus infections. The death toll rose by four to 9,122, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) showed.
South Korea on Tuesday reported 28 new cases, raising its total number of infections to 14,203. One more death was also confirmed, bringing the death toll to 300.
New Zealand reported one new case on Tuesday. It has been 88 days since the last positive case was acquired locally from an unknown source, according to the country's health ministry. The total number of confirmed cases is 1,207.
Australian state of Victoria on Tuesday reported 384 new cases and six more deaths. The state has registered a total of 9,049 confirmed cases and 83 deaths. Victoria on Monday reported a record high of 532 new cases, prompting authorities to warn an extension of the six-week lockdown.
Beijing reports 2 new COVID-19 cases, including 1 locally transmitted infection
Beijing on Monday recorded two new COVID-19 cases, one related to a confirmed case from northeast China's Dalian City and one from overseas, the municipal health commission said on Tuesday.
The new cases came after the capital city had reported no new cases for 21 days.
Fourteen more patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the city, as the number of active cases from the Xinfadi wholesale market cluster dropped to 25.
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Medical staff wear masks before conducting nucleic acid testing in Dalian City, Liaoning Province in China, July 27, 2020. /VCG
The Chinese mainland registered 68 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, four from overseas and 64 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
Of the domestically transmitted cases, 57 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, six in the Liaoning Province and one in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Monday, while 16 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals. There were 391 patients still being treated, including 20 in a severe state, the commission said in its daily report.
Altogether, 78,934 patients had been discharged from hospitals by Monday, the report said, adding that a total of 83,959 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland, including 4,634 deaths.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 2,778 (1,486 recoveries, 22 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 462 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
57 cases in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
The authorities in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, all of them from Urumqi.
Eighteen of the newly confirmed patients were previously asymptomatic cases.
A total of 13 new asymptomatic cases were reported in the region on Monday.
Six cases in Liaoning Province
China's Liaoning Province reported six new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday. All newly confirmed patients are in the city of Dalian and were previously asymptomatic cases, according to the commission.
Dalian also reported 12 new asymptomatic cases on Monday.
As of Monday, the province had reported a total of 209 confirmed cases, including 33 imported ones. Forty-seven patients are receiving treatment. There are 42 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation.
NE China's Liaoning Province reports 6 new local COVID-19 infections
Northeast China’s Liaoning Province recorded six new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday and 12 new asymptomatic cases, all from Dalian City.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Liaoning now stands at 47, as the province has reported 209 coronavirus cases, including 33 from overseas as of the end of Monday. A total of 160 patients have recovered, while two people have died from COVID-19.
The World Health Organization says the coronavirus pandemic is the worst global health emergency it has ever faced. At an online news conference on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic "continues to accelerate", with over 16 million cases reported worldwide. He also said the organization's emergency committee would meet on Thursday to discuss the situation. Tedros called on people to strictly adhere to health measures.
COVID-19: Latest development around the world
Russia reported 5,635 new cases on Monday, its lowest daily rise since April 23, pushing its national tally to 818,120, the fourth largest in the world. A total of 85 people have died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 13,354.
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 340 to 205,609, and the reported deaths remained unchanged at 9,118.
Kazakhstan confirmed 1,402 new cases over the past day, bringing the total to 83,122. Of the 1,402 new cases, 813 people have shown symptoms, and 589 are asymptomatic.
The Philippines reported 1,657 new cases with 16 new deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 82,040 and death toll to 1,945. President Rodrigo Duterte said the country now has 93 accredited testing laboratories nationwide and aims to conduct 1.4 million tests by the end of July.
Oman recorded 1,053 new cases and 9 more deaths on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 77,058. The death toll now stands at 393. The country will impose a 14-day quarantine on all visitors entering the country, with its citizens allowed to quarantine at home.
Hong Kong reports 145 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Monday reported 145 new cases of COVID-19, of which 142 were locally transmitted and others were from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said.
Monday's number of new cases is higher than Sunday's 128, setting a new record daily high.
HK announces extension of social-distancing amid spike in COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong on Monday announced further restrictions to curb a spike in coronavirus cases, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people, Matthew Cheung, chief secretary for administration of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said at a press briefing.
The latest measures, which will take effect from Wednesday, also include a complete ban on dining-in at restaurants and mandatory wearing of facemasks in all public places.
ROK denies person who fled to DPRK infected with new coronavirus
A Republic of Korea (ROK) health official on Monday said the person who fled to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not infected with the novel coronavirus, after the DPRK claimed the individual was the first suspected case of COVID-19 in the country.
Read more:
DPRK sees 1st suspected COVID-19 case, adopts maximum emergency system
"The person is neither registered as a COVID-19 patient nor classified as a person who came in contact with virus patients," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior ROK health official, said at a press briefing on Monday.
Yoon said virus tests on two people who had close contact with the person had been conducted, and both of them tested negative for the virus.
The DPRK convened meeting and unanimously adopted a "maximum emergency system" after discovering the suspected case, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.
However, KCNA did not specifically mention whether the individual had been tested.
Australia's Victoria reports record-high of new coronavirus cases
Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria reported on Monday six new deaths from the coronavirus and logged a record daily increase of 532 new cases compared with 459 a day earlier.
"Five of those six deaths are connected to outbreaks in aged care," state Premier Daniel Andrews said in a media briefing in Melbourne.
Victoria on Sunday suffered its deadliest day since the pandemic began after reporting 10 deaths, mostly at aged-care facilities.
The state recorded its previous one-day high of 484 cases last week.
Police officers on duty at a check point, following the COVID-19 outbreak, on the outskirts of Casablanca, Morocco, March 25, 2020. /Reuters
Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the interior and health ministries said on Sunday.
The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier, Marrakech, Fez and Meknes.
The country eased a nationwide lockdown a month ago, though international flights are still suspended except special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents.
On Sunday, the health ministry said 633 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, one of the biggest daily rises so far, bringing the country's total number of confirmed infections to 20,278, with 313 deaths and 16,438 recoveries.
Morocco has adopted 1.1 million nucleic acid tests and has made mask wearing mandatory. It has extended an emergency decree, until August 10, giving authorities leeway in restoring restrictive measures on a region-by-region basis depending on developments in the epidemic.
The government expects Morocco to record a budget deficit of 7.5 percent of gross domestic product this year, and the economy to shrink by 5 percent.
The Chinese mainland registered 61 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, four from overseas and 57 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
Of the domestically transmitted cases, 41 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 14 were in Liaoning Province and two in Jilin Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Sunday, while 10 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 2,633 (1,495 recoveries, 18 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 458 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Xinjiang reports 41 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 41 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, all in the regional capital Urumqi, the regional health commission said Monday.
The region also registered 38 new asymptomatic cases on Sunday.
By Sunday, Xinjiang had 178 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 170 asymptomatic cases, and 8,795 people were still under medical observation.
Ghana registered 794 new infections of the coronavirus in the early hours of Sunday. /Reuters
Ghanaian health authorities registered 794 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the early hours of Sunday, bringing the country's total caseload to 31, 851, according to the latest update by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The number of recovered cases increased to 28,438, with 637 more cases discharged after treatment.
The country's COVID-19 death toll remained at 161, while the active cases stood at 3,252, said the GHS.
The Ghana COVID-19 Fund set up by private sector businesses in the wake of the outbreak of the pandemic in the country commissioned on Friday a 100-bed infectious disease isolation and treatment center to support the country's fight against COVID-19 and the management of future infectious disease outbreaks.
The center constructed by the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces at the cost of about 7.5 million U.S. dollars is the first such facility in the West African country.
Hong Kong reports 128 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday reported 128 new cases of COVID-19, of which 103 were locally transmitted and 25 were from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said.
Sunday's number of new cases is slightly lower than Saturday's record daily high of 133.
The Asian financial hub has reported over 2,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases since January, with 18 deaths.
NHC official calls for expansion of nucleic acid testing in China's Dalian
Director of China's National Health Commission (NHC) Ma Xiaowei said on Saturday that the city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province should conduct widescale nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 and hopes full coverage can be achieved in four days.
Dalian reported the first domestic case in the current local cluster on July 22 after over 110 days of zero new local infections.
Ma, who leads a NHC group guiding epidemic control work in Dalian City, stressed a race against time was underway to curb the outbreak.
The city announced that it would be entering "wartime" mode earlier this week in the wake of the new cluster, which is linked to a local seafood processing company.
HKSAR government introduces new rules limiting ship crew movement
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Sunday that ship crews will be prohibited from coming on land starting July 29, and will only be allowed to travel directly between their boats and the airport, or vice-versa, on transport arranged by their employers.
The government said rotation of sailors via Hong Kong will only be allowed for vessels bringing daily goods into the city.
Meanwhile, a virus test and quarantine will be asked for plane crew if they do not provide proof of a negative coronavirus test result in the 48 hours before their flight to Hong Kong.
The new rules will end when the situation in Hong Kong is brought under control, the government said.
The Asian financial hub has seen a growing number of new cases in recent weeks, with sources of some cases remaining unknown.
As of Saturday, a total of 2,505 cases including 18 deaths were recorded in Hong Kong.
ROK official sees 'high chances' individual crossed border into DPRK
A military official from the Republic of Korea (ROK) said on Sunday that there were "high chances" an individual illegally crossed the border into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"The military is looking into the detailed routes, seeing high chances of a certain person's border crossing into the North," Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the official.
The remarks came after the DPRK reported its first suspected case of COVID-19 in Kaesong City, a person who illegally returned to the country.
(Cover: Kaesong City, a border town of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, December 26, 2018. /Xinhua)
UK quarantines travelers from Spain in sudden blow to Europe's revival
Britain abruptly imposed a two-week quarantine on all travelers arriving from Spain after a surge of coronavirus cases, a dramatic and sudden reversal on Saturday to the opening of the European continent to tourism after months of lockdown.
The quarantine requirement takes effect from midnight (2300 GMT on Saturday), making it almost impossible for travelers to avoid it by rushing home. The British foreign ministry also advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain, a move likely to prompt tour operators to cancel package holidays and trigger claims against insurers.
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The Chinese mainland registered 46 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 11 from overseas and 35 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Sunday.
Of the domestically transmitted cases, 22 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and 13 were in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Saturday, while 19 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 2,505 (1,455 recoveries, 18 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 458 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
NE China's Liaoning reports 13 new local infections
An additional 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted, were reported in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Saturday, the provincial health commission said on Sunday.
Twelve out of the 13 were found in the port city Dalian and were people previously observed as asymptomatic cases.
Another confirmed case registered in Tieling City is related to cases in Dalian.
The health commission also reported 14 asymptomatic cases on Saturday, all of them in Dalian.
Dalian rolls out mass testing in light of case spike
Dalian reported the first domestic case in the current local cluster on July 22 after over 110 days of zero new local infections.
The city announced that it would be entering "wartime" mode earlier this week in the wake of the new cluster, which is linked to a local seafood processing company.
On Saturday, the municipal authority said mass virus testing had been rolled out citywide in light of the resurgence and that the government would cover the fees.
By Saturday afternoon, at least 210,000 people had received nucleic acid tests.
The city has recorded over 20 confirmed cases since July 22.
Brazil registers 1,211 coronavirus deaths on Saturday
Brazil registered an additional 1,211 deaths attributable to the novel coronavirus over the last 24 hours and another 51,147 confirmed cases, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The South American nation has now registered 86,449 deaths and 2,394,513 total confirmed cases.
DPRK reports first suspected case of COVID-19
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) reported its first suspected case of COVID-19 in Kaesong City, a person who illegally returned to the country from the Republic of Korea (ROK) on July 19, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.
An emergency meeting was later convened by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to discuss the situation and unanimously adopted the "maximum emergency system" decision.
Kim also declared a state of emergency in the relevant area, according to KCNA.
The DPRK has so far reported no confirmed COVID-19 infections.
The unnamed person "was put under strict quarantine as a primary step and all the persons ... who contacted that person and those who have been to the city in the last five days are being thoroughly investigated" and quarantined, KCNA said.
Screenshot of the Brazilian President's tweet announcing his negative coronavirus test result.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Twitter that he tested negative for coronavirus on Saturday.
On Wednesday, Bolsonaro had a positive result for the novel coronavirus in his third test since falling ill on July 7.
Latest on novel coronavirus around the globe
Russia registered 5,871 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 806,720, its COVID-19 response center said in a statement Saturday. Meanwhile, 146 more deaths were reported, bringing the total tally to 13,192.
India's health ministry said on Saturday morning that 757 new COVID-19-related deaths and 48,916 new infections were reported during the past 24 hours, making the number of deaths to 31,358 and total infections to 1,336,861.
South Korea reported 113 more COVID-19 cases as of midnight Saturday in 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to 14,092. The daily caseload jumped above 100 since April 1 due to a surge in imported cases and continued small cluster infections.
Indonesia reported 1,868 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the total to 97,286, data from its COVID-19 task force showed. The number of deaths related to COVID-19 rose by 49, hitting 4,714 in total.
(With input from agencies)
Hong Kong reports 133 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) Saturday reported 133 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, hitting a new daily high.
The 133 new cases include 126 local infections and seven cases from overseas, bringing the total number of cases to over 2,500 in Hong Kong, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon.
NE China's Dalian reports 24 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases
Dalian City in northeast China's Liaoning Province reported no new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, but 24 new asymptomatic cases from 3:00 p.m. on Friday to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, the city's officials said during a press briefing.
Authorities said that 10 of the 12 confirmed cases in Dalian are staff at a local seafood processing company. Meanwhile, 46 of the 54 asymptomatic cases in the city are from the company or its dependents.
The local government has ordered a 14-day quarantine for all close contacts of the company's staff and will conduct at least two coronavirus tests for them.
The city has also mobilized a team of over 150 people to disinfect the seafood company.
Latest developments on COVID-19 around the world
Chile's total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 341,304, with 8,914 deaths. According to the Chilean Ministry of Health, 2,545 new cases and 76 more deaths from the virus were registered in the last 24 hours.
Iraq reported on Friday 2,485 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 104,711. It also reported 90 fatalities during the day, raising the death toll to 4,212 in the country, while 1,863 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 71,268.
Egypt reported on Friday 659 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 91,072. The death toll from the virus rose to 4,518 after 38 new fatalities were added, the lowest daily number in nearly six weeks.
South Korea reported 113 cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, the largest one day increase since March, bringing the country's total to 14,092. Of the new cases, 86 were imported and 27 were domestic infections.
The Chinese mainland registered 34 new COVID-19 cases on Friday – five from overseas and 29 domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
Of the domestically transmitted cases, 20 are in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and nine in Liaoning Province.
Of the cases from overseas, two were reported in Shanghai, two in Guangdong Province and another in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
No deaths related to the disease were reported Friday, while 16 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 2,372 (1,407 recoveries, 16 deaths)
Macao SAR: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 458 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
20 new cases in Xinjiang
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 20 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday, the regional health commission said Saturday.
The region also registered 38 new asymptomatic cases, all in Urumqi, on Friday.
So far, Xinjiang has 115 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 114 asymptomatic cases, with 7,170 people under medical observation.
Record number of new COVID-19 cases reported to WHO over the past 24 hours
There were 284,196 new COVID-19 cases reported to the World Health Organization in the last 24 hours, according to a situation report published Friday.
The number set another record for cases reported to WHO within a 24-hour period.
The United States has reported over 70,009 new infections and 1,096 deaths in 24 hours, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
There are at least 4,091,062 cases of coronavirus, and at least 145,063 people have died from the virus in the country.
Brazil's health ministry said it recorded 55,891 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the country's total to 2,343,366.
It also registered 1,156 new fatalities due to the virus, raising the total death toll to 85,238.
With Friday's new cases, Brazil has added a total of nearly 300,000 new COVID-19 infections in the last seven days.
/VCG
Beijing public transportation services to resume to normal
Beijing will fully resume its ground public transportation and urban rail transit services following its decision to lower the emergency response to COVID-19 from Level II to Level III in the city, according to local media reports citing the municipal commission of transportation.
Beijing will also gradually restore inter-provincial and chartered bus transport services, from Beijing to low-risk areas for COVID-19 which were earlier disrupted by the novel coronavirus epidemic, the reports said.
Meanwhile, cinemas in the city resumed operations on Friday, with 39 domestic and foreign films on show on the first day after months-long closure amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for the 18th straight day on Thursday. The citywide total number of cases since an outbreak was detected at the Xinfadi wholesale market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Friday.
Fourteen more patients recovered on Thursday, taking the total number of recoveries to 270 in the local cluster infections.
(Cover: Haidian District in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2020. /People's Daily)
The number of daily passenger flights in China has rebounded to 80 percent of pre-coronavirus levels, China's aviation regulator said on Friday, as the aviation industry recovers from the plunge in travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 23, Chinese airlines operated 13,059 passenger flights, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.
Daily passenger traffic was nearly 70 percent of the level seen last year, with load factors, a measure of how well airlines are filling available seats, averaging 73.57 percent.
The global aviation industry is closely watching capacity in China as a harbinger of demand recovery trends.
Even as China reported fresh COVID-19 cases in some parts of the country, domestic travel demand was robust, as travel restrictions eased and airfares remained cheap.
Beijing is also allowing more international flights, but requires all arrival passengers to provide negative COVID-19 test results before boarding.
People in Moscow, Russia, June 9, 2020 /People's Daily
Russia PM says international fights to resume from August 1
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Friday that the international flights will be resumed from August 1 this year and the approved destinations are UK, Tanzania and Turkey.
Mishustin said flights will restart from the cities include Moscow, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don.
Disney postpones 'Mulan' indefinitely, delays 'Avatar' and 'Star Wars'
Walt Disney Co on Thursday postponed the debut of its movie "Mulan" indefinitely, dealing a new blow to theater operators that were counting on the live-action epic to help attract audiences during a pandemic.
"Mulan" was scheduled to reach theaters in March but its release has been postponed several times as many cinemas remain closed. The film had most recently been set to debut on August 21 and theater operators had hoped it would help spark a late-summer rebound for movie-going.
Disney also said it had delayed the next film installments from two of its biggest franchises, "Avatar" and "Star Wars," by one year as the novel coronavirus has disrupted production.
The "Avatar" sequel is now set to debut in theaters in December 2022, and the next "Star Wars" movie in December 2023.
"It's become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis," a Disney representative said. "Today that means pausing our release plans for 'Mulan' as we assess how we can most effectively bring this film to audiences around the world."
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Hong Kong reports 123 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday reported 123 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including 115 locally transmitted cases and eight from overseas, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) said.
The sources of infection of the 53 cases remain unknown, the CHP noted.
The number of new cases sets a fresh single-day record since the outbreak of the epidemic.
The National Health Commission said on Friday that it will provide all necessary support in response to the HKSAR government's need for curbing the epidemic.
Chinese health authority said Thursday that the Chinese mainland registered 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, including three cases from overseas and 19 domestically transmitted.
Of the 19 domestically-transmitted cases, 18 are in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the other in Liaoning Province.
Of the three cases from overseas, one was reported in Shanghai, one in Guangdong Province and one in Shaanxi Province, said the National Health Commission.
No deaths related to the disease or new suspected COVID-19 cases were reported Wednesday, while 15 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for the 17th day in a row. The total number of cases, since the Xinfadi market outbreak was discovered on June 11, stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Thursday.
Eight more patients recovered on Wednesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 256 in the local cluster.
Eight asymptomatic patients are under medical observation in the Chinese capital, and no new asymptomatic cases have been reported.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Brazil recorded a new daily record of coronavirus cases Wednesday with 67,860 infections, a sign COVID-19 is still far from control. The health ministry said 1,284 deaths had been reported in the past 24 hours, 2.2 million infections and 82,771 deaths in total.
Chile on Wednesday reported 336,402 COVID-19 cases and 8,722 deaths from the disease, after tests detected 1,741 new cases in the past 24 hours and 45 more deaths.
Israel's Ministry of Health recorded 2,043 new cases on Wednesday, lifting the total number to 56,085. The death toll increased from 425 to 430, while the number of patients in serious condition rising from 256 to 273, out of 665 hospitalized.
Egypt reported on Wednesday 41 deaths from COVID-19, the lowest in nearly six weeks, bringing the death toll to 4,440, said the Health Ministry. Meanwhile, 667 new COVID-19 infections were confirmed, raising the total number to 89,745,
Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, recorded 2,586 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 281,413. The pandemic has so far claimed 14,853 lives, up by 219 in the past 24 hours.
Turkey's COVID-19 cases increased by 902 on Wednesday, while the total cases climbed to 222,402, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Meanwhile, 19 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,545.
Undertakers move remains of COVID-19 patients at the AVBOB funeral house in Soweto, on July 21. /AFP
At least 15,007,291 cases of the new coronavirus, including 617,603 deaths, have been detected worldwide since the pandemic emerged late last year, according to an AFP tally on Wednesday.
The United States is the hardest hit country with 3,915,780 cases and 142,312 deaths. In the last seven days, more than 1.6 million new cases have been detected globally.
The figures of detected infections likely reflect only a portion of the real number of cases.
People walk on a street in Moscow, Russia, on July 13, 2020. /Xinhua
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday he is hopeful that Russia will produce a reliable vaccine against COVID-19 by the fall.
"At the moment, 17 scientific organizations are working on more than 26 types of vaccines," Mishustin said as he reported the work of his government to the Russian State Duma, or lower house of parliament.
According to Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, four vaccines have proved safe so far, while clinical trials of two of them are at the final stage, with trials of the other two starting soon, Mishustin said.
The most important next steps are to prepare production sites and make sure that all the vaccines are safe, he added.
"I am convinced that our solutions will be in demand in Russia and around the world," Mishustin said.
One locally transmitted COVID-19 case reported in China's Liaoning
A locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Dalian City, of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Wednesday.
A 58-year-old staff member of a seafood processing enterprise showed symptoms on July 16.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has had another positive result for the novel coronavirus in the third test he has taken since falling ill on July 7.
He took the test on Tuesday, according to an official statement. The president is still in good condition, accompanied by the presidency's medical team, it said.
Urumqi collects over 1 million samples for coronavirus testing
Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has collected samples from over one million people for coronavirus nucleic acid testing as of Tuesday, the city's officials said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
Authorities said 24 nucleic acid testing institutions are carrying out citywide free coronavirus testing in Urumqi, and all these institutions have met the standards of Laboratory Biosafety Levels 2 (BSL-2).
HKSAR reports record daily rise in COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 113 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a record daily increase in the number of cases.
As many as 105 of the total are cases of local transmission.
The HKSAR is implementing new virus containment measures from Wednesday midnight, such as mandatory mask wearing in all indoor public areas including malls and markets, Health Secretary Sophia Chan said.
Maxim's mooncake factory suspends production to curb COVID-19
Maxim's Caterers said on Tuesday its mooncake factory in Tai Po area in Hong Kong has suspended production after one employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Hong Kong-based Maxim's Caterers is well known for its cake shops, moon cakes and dim sum. The company said all of the mooncakes from the factory were destroyed and it has conducted thorough disinfection in the factory.
All employees in the factory will take nucleic acid tests and will undergo a 14-day quarantine, the company added.
13 South Korean soldiers in frontline unit test positive for COVID-19
At least 13 soldiers in a frontline unit from South Korea have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Yonhap News Agency citing the military officials on Wednesday.
The source of infection is still unknown for the new cases, which the report noted as "raising concerns over a possible cluster infection in barracks."
The South Korean military earlier put 50 soldiers who were in close contact to an individual with COVID-19 into isolation and the officials said the infections in the military could increase.
On Wednesday, South Korea reported 63 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide, which brings the total infections to 13,879 in the country.
(Cover: VCG file photo)
A woman has blood samples taken for COVID-19 antibody testing in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.. /AP Photo
New research suggests that antibodies the immune system makes to fight the new coronavirus may only last a few months in people with mild illness, but that doesn't mean protection also is gone or that it won't be possible to develop an effective vaccine.
"Infection with this coronavirus does not necessarily generate lifetime immunity," but antibodies are only part of the story, said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. He had no role in the work, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Otto Yang and others at the University of California, Los Angeles, measured these more precise antibodies in 30 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and four housemates presumed to have the disease. Their average age was 43 and most had mild symptoms.
Researchers found that the antibodies had a half-life of 73 days, which means that half of them would be gone after that much time.
Peer studies
The U.S research dovetails with a previous report from China which suggests antibodies may quickly fade.
The one, published in Nature Medicine on June 18, highlights the risks of using COVID-19 "immunity passports" and supports the prolonged use of public health interventions such as social distancing and isolating high-risk groups.
After studying 37 symptomatic patients and 37 asymptomatic patients, researchers found that of those who tested positive for the presence of the antibody, over 90 percent showed sharp declines in 2-3 months.
Besides a similar study led by UK researchers also shows that patients who recover from coronavirus infections may lose their immunity to reinfection within months.
Scientists at King's College London noted immunity cannot be taken for granted and may not last more than a few months, as is true with other viruses such as influenza.
Caution against herd immunity and vaccine
The results "call for caution regarding antibody-based 'immunity passports,' herd immunity, and perhaps vaccine durability," the California authors write.
That's true, Creech said, but other parts of the immune system also help confer protection. Besides churning out antibodies, B cells develop a memory so they know how to do that again if needed.
"They would get called into action very quickly when there's a new exposure to the virus. It's as if they lie dormant, just waiting," he said.
Other while blood cells called T cells also are better able to attack the virus the next time they see it, Creech said.
Although circulating antibodies may not last long, what we need to know is if and how people remake antibodies if exposed to the coronavirus again and if they protect against another infection, Alison Criss, an immunologist at the University of Virginia, wrote in an email.
"We also need to know if there is a protective T cell response" that reappears.
Vaccines, which provoke the immune system to make antibodies, might give longer-lasting protection than natural infection because they use purified versions of what stimulates that response, she noted.
"This shouldn't dissuade us from pursuing a vaccine," Creech said. "Antibodies are only a part of the story."
(With input from AP)
The Chinese mainland confirmed 14 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, of which nine were domestically transmitted in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). The other five cases were from overseas, with two confirmed in Shanghai, one in Guangdong Province and one in Yunnan Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered, according to the NHC.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 2,018 (1,324 recoveries, 14 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 455 (440 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday for the 16th day in a row. The total number of cases since an outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Wednesday.
Seventeen more patients recovered on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 248 in the local cluster.
As of now, nine asymptomatic people are under medical observation in the Chinese capital and no new asymptomatic cases have been reported.
CDC: U.S. COVID-19 cases may be 6 to 24 times higher than reported
The true number of COVID-19 cases in the United States may be 6 to 24 times higher than reported, according to a new study published Tuesday.
In the cross-sectional study of 16,025 residual clinical specimens, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the proportion of persons with detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies ranged from 1 percent in the San Francisco Bay area to 6.9 percent in New York City.
The pandemic in the U.S. will probably get worse before it gets better, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press briefing Tuesday.
The U.S. has recorded 14,835,470 cases as of 6:34 p.m. EDT on Tuesday with 613,710 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports released a file on Tuesday evening, informing that the sports venues and activities are allowed to run since the city lowered the level of emergency response to COVID-19 from Level II to Level III on Monday.
According to the file, a sports activity with less than 500 participants could be held normally, and if the number passes 500, the activity should be audited by local government's COVID-19 pandemic management organizations in advance.
The file requires each sports venue to limit the people to 50 percent of its capacity, and all people must reserve the places remotely before using it. Besides, people are required to strictly keep the distance when doing sports activities, and operators of the sports venues should disinfect the sites and equipment properly.
Face masks and body temperature check are required in any other public places, and the time for sporting is suggested to be no more than two hours.
(Cover: Beijing Ditan Stadium, Beijing, China, May 13, 2020. /CFP)
Six prisons in Australia's Victoria go into lockdown after confirmed COVID-19 case
Six prisons in Australia's Victoria went into lockdown on Tuesday night after a prison worker tested positive for coronavirus, local media reported citing Corrections Victoria.
The staff member employed at Ravenhall Corrections Centre in Melbourne's west entered self-isolation on July 16 after being notified as a close contact of a positive case. The five other prisons are being locked down because of prisoner movement, reports said.
Victoria reported 374 new COVID-19 cases overnight and three more patients have died, according to local health authorities.
The world's first COVID-19 lung transplant recipient was discharged from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Hubei General Hospital) on July 2. The 65-year-old patient, identified as Cui Zhiqiang, was allowed to leave the hospital after undergoing treatment for 92 days. Cui suffered from irreversible pulmonary dysfunction caused by COVID-19. China is the first country in the world to conduct lung transplant surgery on COVID-19 patients. Cui is one of the six patients who have successfully undergone organ transplant surgery.
Iran reports 2,625 new COVID-19 cases, 278,827 in total
Iran on Tuesday recorded 2,625 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 278,827, Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education said.
Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the health ministry, said during her daily update that the death toll from the virus in the country rose to 14,634 after 229 new deaths were added.
Out of the new patients, 1,977 were hospitalized, said Lari. So far, there have been 242,351 recoveries, while 3,589 still remain in critical condition, she added.
The health spokeswoman noted that 2,201,958 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Tuesday.
She said 25 out of 31 provinces are either in high-risk or on alert over the disease.
Iran announced its first COVID-19 cases on February 19.
Nepal's tourism sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. /AFP
Nepal said Tuesday it will resume international commercial flights in mid-August, in a boost for its coronavirus-hit tourism sector.
The Himalayan nation shut its airports in late March to control the spread of the virus, which has so far reported 17,844 positive cases with 40 deaths caused by the virus in the country.
The shutdown hit just before the peak of the tourism season, when hundreds of mountaineers and trekkers visit Nepal, costing the industry – a key part of the country's economy – millions of dollars.
The decision to restart commercial domestic and international flights from August 17 was taken in a cabinet meeting Monday, Nepal's Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Yogesh Bhattarai said.
"The ministry is working on safety protocols for airport management, flight operators and passengers for the purpose," he said.
All arriving and departing international passengers would need to have a certificate to prove they are not carrying the virus.
Bhattarai said arriving travelers would also have to stay in quarantine, but he didn't specifying the duration.
About one-third of the 1.2 million visitors to Nepal last year arrived during the autumn season, according to government figures.
Five more U.S. military personnel test positive for coronavirus in Japan's Okinawa
On Tuesday, Okinawa authorities said five new infections were recorded at U.S. military bases in the prefecture, raising the total number of cases among U.S. military service members in Okinawa to 148.
Official data published on U.S. Forces Japan's (USFJ) website showed about 90 percent of COVID-19 cases detected among U.S. military bases in Japan were from Okinawa.
Hong Kong reports 61 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday reported 61 new COVID-19 cases, including 58 locally transmitted infections and three cases imported from overseas.
Two more deaths were also recorded, pushing the city's death toll to 14.
The Asian financial hub now has over 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Russia reports nearly 6,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5,842 new novel coronavirus infections on Tuesday, pushing its total case tally to 783,328, the fourth largest in the world.
The country's coronavirus response center said 153 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing Russia's overall death toll from the virus to 12,580.
Cinemas in Beijing can reopen from July 24
The Beijing Municipal Government on Tuesday said movie theaters in the national capital's low-risk areas can resume business from July 24.
On Monday, Beijing was cleared of all COVID-19 medium- and high-risk areas after no new cases were reported for 14 straight days.
A COVID-19 candidate vaccine developed by Beijing-based Sinovac Life Sciences Co., in collaboration with Brazilian research institute Butantan, landed in Brazil. Twelve research centers in six Brazilian states will perform the 9,000 tests on the volunteers in the next 90 days. It is the third and the last stage of testing before distribution.
Passengers in a subway station in Moscow, Russia, May 12, 2020. /CFP
Researchers in Moscow have found that the novel coronavirus that came to the country was from Europe rather than China, after they completed the first study of genomic epidemiology in the country, Russian broadcaster RT reported on Monday.
Researchers from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) along with three other local scientific institutions analyzed 211 virus samples taken from the patients in Russia from March 11 to April 23, and confirmed that "COVID-19 made its way into Russia from Europe in late February and early March," according to a report on the Skoltech website.
They combined the genetic analysis with travel history data, and found at least 67 independent introductions of the virus into the country from Europe and not China, which caused "at least 9 distinct Russian lineages corresponding to domestic transmission," said the research paper published on medRxiv on Friday.
The mayor of Moscow said in March that many Russians were infected with the novel coronavirus during their holidays in Europe, especially at the French ski resort of Courchevel, RT added.
All travelers arriving in Chinese mainland should hold a negative nucleic acid test certificate no older than five days before boarding, Civil Aviation Administration, General Administration of Customs, and China's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
EU leaders reached a deal on a landmark post-COVID-19 recovery package on Tuesday after four days of intensive negotiations over next seven-year EU budget and a massive recovery fund.
As New York City started phase 4 of its reopening Monday, some of the city's most famous tourist attractions opened to visitors for the first time since March.
Visitors trickled on to the Statue of Liberty ferry, but most said it seemed a little weird to be doing tourist activities.
"It feels very weird to be a tourist. It's not exactly what we would have wanted but we're trying to, as much as we can, take precautions to make sure that we stay safe and that we're not endangering anybody here," said Ethan Ghozali, a tourist from Florida.
"It's a freeing moment because we were in lockup for so long. And this is like ... the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the freedom. And today's the first day, so we wanted to greet her," said Bo Szwec, a visitor from Jersey City.
New York City didn't open malls or museums as originally expected in phase 4. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said most indoor activities will be delayed.
The rest of New York state is in phase 4, which typically permits opening malls and certain arts and entertainment centers and restarting professional sports games without fans. But Cuomo said no "additional indoor activity" will open in New York in the fourth phase because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus indoors.
Cuomo hasn't allowed New York City to open up indoor dining, unlike the rest of the state.
(With input from AP and AFP)
The Chinese mainland confirmed 11 new COVID-19 cases Monday, of which eight were domestically transmitted in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). The other three cases were from overseas, with two confirmed in Shanghai and one in Sichuan Province.
No deaths related to the disease were registered, according to the NHC.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,958 (1,302 recoveries, 12 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 455 (440 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday for the 15th day in a row. The total number of cases since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 248 patients, or 74 percent of the total patients in the local cluster, have recovered while none of the remaining 87 hospitalized patients are seriously or critically ill, a senior municipal official told a daily press briefing Tuesday afternoon.
As of now, nine asymptomatic people are under medical observation in the Chinese capital.
Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who's also at Tuesday's briefing, said the Xinfadi market outbreak and its related spread have ended as Beijing lowered its emergency response level to COVID-19 on Monday.
But Wu warned resurgence could become a "normality" given a similar outbreak could happen in other parts of China and growing pressure from overseas as more international flights resuming operation.
Brazil's Minister of Citizenship Onyx Lorenzoni tested positive for COVID-19
Brazil's Minister of Citizenship Onyx Lorenzoni revealed Monday on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Lorenzoni said he experienced symptoms from July 16 and conducted polymerase chain reaction test the next day.
Earlier, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and three other senior officials have tested positive for COVID-19.
Brazil has reported more than 2 million cases of COVID-19 with 79,488 deaths nationwide and seen the world's second-largest outbreak, after the United States, in terms of both the death toll and caseload.
Two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, one from China and the other from the UK, have proven safe for humans and produced strong immune reactions among patients involved in two separate clinical trials, the Lancet medical journal announced on Monday.
The first trial, which the World Health Organization (WHO) claims is leading the global vaccine race, is from Oxford University. It's regarded as one of the most advanced for development.
On Monday, the university published its results from the first phase of human trials, which involved more than 1,000 adults in UK aged between 18 and 55.
Screenshot from Lancet's Twitter account
Scientists say the vaccine contains a "double protection" against the disease. Not only does it produce antibodies – which are the immune system's natural response – it also produces T-cells that directly kill virus infected cells.
"Well I think there's increasing evidence that having a T-cell response as well as antibodies could be very important in controlling COVID-19," professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute, Oxford University told CGTN.
"We see people who've recovered from a COVID illness who have essentially no measurable antibodies but do have T-cells. So the guess there is that the T-cells have been important in helping them to clear their infection," Hill said.
The UK vaccine, called AZD1222, is developed by AstraZeneca and scientists at Oxford University. Authors say further clinical studies, including in older adults, should be done with this vaccine.
Current results focus on immune response measured in the laboratory. Further testing is needed to confirm if the vaccine effectively protects against infection.
'Chinese counterpart'
A separate trial in China involving 508 people has also yielded "much better" results in its Phase II in terms of the safety and ability to trigger immune response, a previous study shows.
The Chinese vaccine, named Ad5-nCOV, is developed by CanSino Biologics Inc and a military research unit. The Lancet said Phase 3 trials are needed to confirm whether the vaccine candidate effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
According to the company, China's success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials.
The vaccine developer is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday.
"We are contacting Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia (for the Phase III trial), and it's still in discussion," Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference in Suzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province.
Screenshot from the Twitter of The Lancet
Global vaccine race
The two are among more than 21 candidate vaccines that have shown promise in human testing, along with projects involving Moderna, BioNTech, and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, according to Margaret Harris, spokeswomen at WHO.
"We know we've got lots of options here, but we can't put it down to days of weeks," she told CGTN when asked if it's possible to make more accurate projections on vaccine timetables.
Harris also mentioned it's important to look at not only how to accelerate relevant researches and keep on sharing, but also how to distribute this fairly, who to prioritize and ensure that those most at risk are protected first.
Latest on coronavirus in the UK, more job cuts and vaccine development
- British retailer Marks & Spencer could cut up to 950 management and administrative jobs to counter slumping profits and sales in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
- In tourism, Beefeaters, the guardians of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, are facing redundancies for the first time because of plummeting number of visitors. Beefeaters are formally known as the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard.
- On vaccine development front, early-stage human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University induced "strong antibody and T cell immune responses" against the novel coronavirus, The Lancet medical journal said. The phase I trial in healthy adult volunteers began in April.
- Meanwhile, British business ministry said on Monday that it has signed deals to secure 90 million doses of two possible COVID-19 vaccines from an alliance of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, and French group Valneva.
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a successful vaccine was unlikely by the end of this year. "To say that I'm 100% confident that we'll get a vaccine, this year or indeed next year, is alas, just an exaggeration. We're not there yet."
AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 vaccine was safe and produced an immune response in early-stage clinical trials in healthy volunteers, data showed on Monday.
The vaccine, called AZD1222 and under development by AstraZeneca and scientists at Britain's Oxford University, did not prompt any serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses, according to trial results published in The Lancet medical journal.
Japan's COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000
Japan's nationwide death toll from COVID-19 has hit 1,000, with the figure including cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo, according to the latest data from the health ministry and local authorities on Monday.
Meanwhile, the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 342 to reach 25,767 as of Monday evening.
Japan reported the first death from COVID-19 on February 13 when a Japanese woman in her 80s from Kanagawa Prefecture, just southwest of the capital, was found to be infected with the virus after she died.
As the number of confirmed cases continued to rise across the country, the cumulative death toll surpassed 100 on April 8.
Since June, although there was an upward trend in new infections, the number of new deaths has declined in the country. Some experts believed it may be due to the fact that many of the newly infected are young people under the age of 30 who have a relatively lower risk of death.
However, the number of severely ill patients gradually increased since this month, with experts urging improvement to the medical system to secure enough beds for the patients.
Samples of food, sewage test negative for coronavirus in Urumqi
Samples of food, sewage as well as those from several environments in Urumqi, the capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have tested negative for the new coronavirus, a municipal official told a briefing on Monday afternoon.
The testing was conducted following a resurgence of domestic infection of COVID-19 in the northwestern Chinese city.
The external environment with potential virus contamination also has been disinfected, the official added.
Between July 15 and Sunday (July 19), 46 confirmed cases have been found in Urumqi, along with another 50 asymptomatic cases.
Among the 46 patients, two are seriously ill, but all of them are in stable condition.
Travel agencies in Beijing can now resume their inter-provincial group tours, and process domestic flight bookings and accommodation reservations, local authorities announced on Monday.
Group tours to medium- and high-risk areas are not allowed yet, and the same goes for trips to flood-hit areas, according to the notice by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. Overseas travel has yet to get the go-ahead.
Tourist attractions in the city should continue to follow epidemic prevention measures such as entry by appointment only and limits on numbers of visitors. The number of tourists at scenic spots has been adjusted from 30 percent of their maximum capacity to 50 percent. Indoor attractions will reopen gradually.
Tourist sites should strengthen cleaning and disinfection procedures, including garbage classification, and avoid crowd congestion.
Zero infection among 434,000 medical staff across Beijing: official
A total of 434,000 medical staff across Beijing have tested negative for the new coronavirus as of Sunday, an official told a daily news briefing on Monday.
Medical staff at fever clinics and those responsible for taking nucleic acid testing no longer need to live together and could return to normal starting Monday, Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson for the municipal health commission said.
Beijing has reported zero new domestic infections for 14 days running, and as of now, 104 patients are still hospitalized, but none of them is in serious or critical condition.
Australia warns coronavirus outbreak will take weeks to tame
A surge in COVID-19 cases in Australia's second-biggest city could take weeks to subside despite a lockdown and orders to wear masks, Australia's acting chief medical officer said on Monday as the country braces for a second wave of infection.
Authorities in the state of Victoria, whose capital Melbourne is in partial lockdown amid a new outbreak, reported 275 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from a daily record of 438 three days earlier.
Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said it would take "weeks" to slow the outbreak to levels seen as recently as June, when Victoria and the rest of Australia reported single or double-digit daily infections.
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Hong Kong reports 73 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 73 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, including 66 locally transmitted infections, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday.
There are 27 cases with unknown sources of infection, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch, told the media.
Kevin Yeung, secretary for education of HKSAR, announced earlier in the day that kindergartens and international schools in the city will remain closed until mid-August because of the epidemic.
Beijing cleared of COVID-19 medium-risk areas
Beijing on Monday was cleared of medium-risk areas for COVID-19.
The risk level of Huaxiang township in Fengtai District, the only medium-risk area in the city, was downgraded to low.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday for the 14th consecutive day.
Russia reports almost 6,000 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 5,940 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, pushing its total infection tally to 777,486, the fourth largest in the world.
In a daily readout, officials said 85 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 12,427.
Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that people should wear masks in confined spaces such as shops, and that the government would provide more details in the next few days about what "tools of enforcement" would be used. Johnson made the comments while visiting ambulance staff in central London as part of an announcement to double criminal sentences wherever emergency workers have been assaulted.
A protest was organized by "Keep Britain Free" movement on Sunday against face coverings becoming mandatory. From July 24, face masks will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England.
India records highest daily spike of 40,425 new COVID-19 infections
India's health ministry on Monday reported 681 new deaths and 40,425 more COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 27,497 and total cases to 1,118,043.
It is the highest single-day spike in the number of fresh cases in the country so far.
The Chinese health authority said Monday that its mainland received reports of 22 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, of which 17 were domestically transmitted in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Chinese mainland on Sunday recorded five new COVID-19 cases from overseas.
No deaths related to the disease were registered on Sunday, according to the National Health Commission.
Among the 17 newly confirmed cases in Xinjiang, 16 emerged in the regional capital of Urumqi, said Xinjiang's health commission.
As of Sunday, Xinjiang had 47 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 50 asymptomatic cases.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,682, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 154 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,885 (1,294 recoveries, 12 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 455 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday for the 14th day in a row. The total number of cases since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Monday.
As of Monday afternoon, 231 patients have recovered and discharged, while 12 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation.
The risk level of Huaxiang township in the Fengtai District, the only medium-risk area in the city, was also downgraded to low.
Beijing lowered its level of emergency response to COVID-19 from Level II to Level III on Monday, over one month after a local outbreak put the Chinese capital on guard.
Read more:
Beijing downgrades COVID-19 emergency response level from II to III
Speaking at a daily media briefing on Monday, a senior municipal official said residents should stay vigilant despite the lowering of risk level, and close-off management will still be observed at communities and villages with over five confirmed cases.
Following the downgrade, Beijing is now orderly reopening cinemas, domestic travel by tourist groups as well as other business with certain anti-coronavirus measures.
Read more:
Chinese cinemas set to reopen with anti-coronavirus measures
Latest COVID-19 updates around the globe
Brazil's COVID-19 death toll raced towards 80,000 on Sunday, after 716 deaths in the past 24 hours pushed the total number to 79,488. The number of people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 2,098,389, after 23,529 new cases were detected in the same period, the health ministry said.
Chile on Sunday reported 2,082 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, bringing the total number of positive cases to 330,930. And 58 more patients died of the disease in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide death toll to 8,503, the Ministry of Health said.
Egypt confirmed on Sunday 603 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total cases registered in the country since mid-February to 87,775, said the Egyptian Health Ministry. Sunday's daily infections marked the lowest since May 19, where 720 new cases were reported.
South Africa's death toll from coronavirus has passed the 5,000 mark, according to official figures. South Africa registered 85 new deaths from the virus in the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,033. A total of 13,449 new infections were also officially diagnosed, taking the total number to 364,328, the country's health ministry said.
Turkey's COVID-19 cases increased by 924 to 219,641 on Sunday. Meanwhile, 16 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,491, while 997 patients recovered, raising the total recoveries to 202,010 since the outbreak, according to the country's health minister.
(With input from agencies)
As of Sunday, the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases surpassed 3.7 million with a total death toll of more than 140,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Some U.S. states reported record highs for single-day COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including Georgia and North Carolina.
According to Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, 49 hospitals in the state have no more ICU beds for COVID-19 patients. Five of them are in Broward County where nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 infections have been reported over one week.
Miami-Dade County, Florida's hardest-hit area, is also over capacity, with 507 admissions to its ICU units that hold 398 beds.
In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he thinks some parts of the state reopened too quickly, as California is fighting a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
He didn't indicate in the interview if he would like to reissue a stay-at-home order for the city to better contain the virus. Garcetti also said, "I want to be more surgical. I want to go into those factories where we're seeing spread. I want to go into those communities, especially our lower-income communities.”
As U.S. COVID-19 cases keeps growing, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the role of the CDC and told CNN on Sunday, "We are going to do everything we can to make sure that the CDC is fully funded in the stimulus package."
In response to the recent change in U.S. hospital reporting methods for COVID-19 cases, Schumer highlighted the importance of transparency in COVID-19 data.
"For the President, the administration to want to sweep the facts under the rug so they can hide them, it's not gonna work. Whenever the President has tried to avoid the problem, like this will go away, this won't affect many people, it's gotten worse," he said.
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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 701,573 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC in its latest situation update issued on Sunday morning said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the continent rose from 683, 905 on Saturday afternoon to 701,573 as of Sunday morning.
The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the death toll from the pandemic surged to 14,937 as of the stated period.
The Africa CDC further said that 369,120 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have so far recovered from the infectious virus.
Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, the highly affected African countries in terms of positive cases include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, and Cameroon.
The Africa CDC also said that the Southern Africa region is now the most affected area across the continent in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, followed by the North Africa region.
The West Africa region is the third most affected area in terms of positive cases, followed by the Eastern and Central Africa regions, respectively.
French President Emmanuel Macron puts on a face mask after arriving at Mauritania's Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport on June 30, 2020. /AFP
People in France will be compelled to wear face-masks in closed public spaces from Monday, a measure to stem the coronavirus transmission in the country.
It was revealed by the country's Health Directorate - Direction générale de la Santé, also knows as DGS - to news agency AFP on Sunday.
Venues concerned include meeting and performance halls, cinemas, restaurants, hotels, game rooms, educational centres, holiday centres, libraries, places of worship, indoor sports venues, museums, stations and airports.
"Stores, shopping centres, administrations, banks and covered markets" have also been added to the list, the DGS said, while masks remain mandatory on public transport too.
President Emmanuel Macron said on July 14 that face-masks would become obligatory from August 1, but the date was quickly brought forward amid concerns expressed by scientists after "slight signs" of a resurgence in the virus.
"The health situation in France (excluding Mayotte and Guyana which are still undergoing the first wave), after several weeks of decline and stabilization of the epidemic, shows signs of a slight deterioration, but still uncertain", the DGS stated, as it urged everyone to be vigilant to avoid an "epidemic rebound".
The date was brought forward also because of worries the virus might spread in the air - a possibility the World Health Organisation did not rule out.
Tianshan and Sayibak districts of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, raised their COVID-19 risk levels from low to high on Sunday, while three other districts raised their levels to medium.
Xinjiang reported 13 new cases on Saturday, all from Urumqi. The total number of cases in the region reached 106 on Saturday, according to local health authorities.
Urumqi on Sunday finished nucleic acid testing for everyone under centralized or home medical quarantine, said a local health official while advising residents to stay calm.
A subway station in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), July 14, 2020. /Reuters
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has ordered most of its 180,000 civil servants to work from home from Monday as the city registered a record high of 108 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
The HKSAR government has also decided to extend compulsory mask wearing to cover all public indoor areas, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a press briefing.
The move comes as the financial hub tightened social distancing measures to battle the recent resurgence of local coronavirus infections.
Lam said the government will only provide essential and emergency services, returning to the service level in February.
Hong Kong has registered 1,885 COVID-19 cases as of 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, with 12 deaths.
China's national museum in Beijing, July 18, 2020. /VCG
Beijing will lower its level of emergency response to COVID-19 from Level II to Level III starting Monday, Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, announced at a press conference on Sunday.
The announcement comes almost a month after the city raised its COVID-19 emergency response to Level 2 on June 16 as a new cluster related to Xinfadi wholesale market in south Beijing's Fengtai District was reported.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for the 13th day in a row on Saturday. The total number of cases since the cluster outbreak was discovered on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.
A total of 16 asymptomatic cases are still under medical observation, the health commission said.
Thirteen patients have recently recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 203. In addition, all serious and critical COVID-19 patients have recovered.
With the downgrading of the emergency response level, Beijing will gradually begin to hold conventions, exhibitions, sports events and performances, according to Chen, adding that cinemas in the city will also be reopened with limitations on the number of visitors.
Gatherings of up to 500 people will be allowed if they meet the requirements of COVID-19 prevention.
Parks, tourist attractions, gyms, libraries and museums will also be reopened with limitations on the number of visitors.
Read more: China to reopen cinemas in low-risk areas from July 20
India COVID-19 cases hit record daily high, new cases stand at 38,902
India on Sunday reported 38,902 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide cases tally to more than 1.07 million, according to local health authorities.
The number of new cases sets a fresh single-day case record since the outbreak of the pandemic. The country also recorded 543 new fatalities due to COVID-19, pushing its death toll to 26,816.
As for now, India has the third highest number of infections worldwide, behind the U.S. and Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
(Cover: CFP)
Fauci: Racial disparities during pandemic 'very disturbing'
The leading U.S. expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday expressed concerns about the racial disparities that have opened up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a live chat with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Fauci noted the higher infection and death rates of COVID-19 among minority communities, calling it a "very disturbing phenomenon."
The expert told Zuckerberg that African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans and Alaskan Americans tend to have jobs that don't allow them to work remotely, putting them at greater risk of getting infected.
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U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 140,000
COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 140,103 as of 8:50 p.m. local time on Saturday, with over 3,707,023 confirmed cases, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Saturday for the 13th day in a row. The total number of cases since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.
A total of 16 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation, the health commission said.
Thirteen patients have recovered, taking the total to 203. All severe and critical COVID-19 patients in the city have recovered to normal conditions.
A total of 16 new COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland Saturday, of which 13 were cases of domestic transmissions, the Chinese health authority said Sunday.
The 13 domestically transmitted cases were reported in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. As of Saturday, a total of 30 cases were reported in Xinjiang.
No deaths related to the disease were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday.
The commission said 17 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,775.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,660 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 147 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,777 (1,274 recoveries, 12 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 454 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Trump administration pushing to block new money for CDC
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is trying to block billions of dollars to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with money for states to conduct testing and contact tracing in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill, Washington Post reported on Saturday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier the coronavirus-response bill will be unveiled in the coming week as part of negotiations with Democrats.
As of 6:36 p.m. local time on Saturday, the U.S. has reported 3,697,554 confirmed cases with 139,949 deaths.
Meanwhile, the CDC updated its guidance for people who are isolating at home with COVID-19 to prevent transmission of the virus.
French to enforce mask-wearing in banks and shops from July 20
France will enforce mask-wearing in enclosed public spaces including banks, shops and indoor markets from July 20, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday, as part of efforts to curb a resurgence of COVID-19 across the country.
The government has accelerated plans to make it compulsory to wear masks after a series of indicators have suggested the virus could be gaining momentum, especially in areas in western and southern France that had been relatively spared during the height of the outbreak between March and May.
"From Monday, mask-wearing will be mandatory in closed spaces," Veran said on Twitter. "That concerns shops, buildings open to the public, covered markets and banks."
HK to conduct deep disinfection of 12 Kowloon wet markets
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will arrange for 12 markets located in Kowloon to close early for deep cleaning and disinfection in batches as some of the recently confirmed COVID-19 cases were linked to markets, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said in a statement on Saturday.
During the period, FEHD staff will thoroughly clean and disinfect communal areas and facilities in the markets. They have called on the cooperation of market tenants of the 12 markets to conduct cleaning and disinfection of their respective stalls, with a view to improving the overall hygienic condition of the markets.
In addition, the two markets which linked to the confirmed cases were closed early on Friday for deep cleansing and disinfection, the FEHD added.
A total of 21 medics from three hospitals in Wuhan City arrived in Urumqi, NW China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to help in COVID-19 screening. The city has declared a "wartime mode" as all local residential communities have been put under "sealed-off management" after the first case in 150 days was reported in Urumqi, with 17 cases confirmed as of July 18.
Reporter's Diary: Facing COVID-19 again, this time in Xinjiang
A new cluster of COVID-19 cases in Urumqi scrambled our journey west exploring the beauty of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
As we landed in Urumqi, push notifications started to buzz through my phone – the city saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case once again in almost 150 days since late February.
EU summit enters second day with new recovery plan on table
European Council President Charles Michel offered a revised plan for the EU's proposed economic recovery fund on Saturday to break a deadlock between the bloc's 27 leaders on the second day of a summit in Brussels, according to a document, diplomats and officials.
To assuage concerns by the northern camp of thrifty EU countries led by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the share of free grants in the proposed 750 billion euro recovery fund would be reduced to 450 billion euros from 500 billion.
This, along with plans for an "emergency brake" on disbursement of funds, would appease wealthy northern states who want conditions attached to grants and would prefer to see those countries worst affected by the coronavirus crisis take loans.
The proposal would also increase rebates on the core EU budget for Austria, Denmark and Sweden.
The leaders of the EU held their first face-to-face summit in five months Friday in the largest room they could find at their summit center so they can keep apart as a health precaution. But it wasn't the only way in which they are far apart – they are also a long way from one another on the subject of the meeting: Plans for an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro (2.1 trillion U.S. dollars) EU budget and recovery fund.
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UK pauses daily coronavirus deaths update for urgent review
The UK government on Saturday said it was pausing the publication of daily coronavirus deaths after health secretary Matt Hancock ordered an urgent review into how Public Health England calculates the figures.
"Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and date of death. There have been claims that the lack of cut-off may distort the current daily deaths number," he said on the government's website.
There have been 40,528 deaths linked to the virus in England.
Rouhani says 25 million Iranians infected with COVID-19
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million are at risk of getting infected.
Iran, with a population of more than 80 million, has been the worst hit Middle East country in the pandemic. "Our estimate is that as of now 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus and about 14,000 have lost their dear lives," Rouhani said in the speech.
"There is the possibility that between 30 and 35 million other people will be at risk," he said, adding that "In total, more than 200,000 people have been hospitalized."
The Health Ministry reported a total of 271,606 confirmed cases with 13,979 deaths as of Saturday.
Hong Kong reports 64 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, including 60 locally transmitted casesly, the region's health officials said.
Health authorities said 25 new local transmitted cases linked to previously confirmed cases and urged people to avoid going out and attend social such activities as dinners or gatherings to reduce exposure to infected persons who do not show symptoms.
The HKSAR has so far registered a total of 1,713 COVID-19 cases, with 11 fatalities.
Two more U.S. military personnel test positive for coronavirus in Japan
Two more U.S. military personnel based on the Japanese island of Okinawa have tested positive for coronavirus, Okinawa Prefecture announced on Saturday.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among U.S. military service members and their dependents has now risen to 143.
On Friday, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono called on the U.S. to conduct coronavirus testing on all U.S. military personnel coming to Japan.
"With so many asymptomatic people, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing is a must," Kono said.
He said the U.S. side is considering the request.
New confirmed COVID-19 cases in Urumqi linked to gathering, city in "wartime mode"
Health authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said the current COVID-19 outbreak in the region's capital city Urumqi is mainly related to a gathering and the city has entered "wartime mode" for epidemic prevention and control, stopped all kinds of gathering activities and adopted closed management of communities.
Urumqi will carry out free nucleic acid testing throughout the city, first covering key areas and key populations, including the close contacts and their communities, and gradually expanding the testing scope citywide, local health authorities told media on Saturday.
The confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections are all mild or moderate and under medical observation. Xinjiang has recorded a total of 17 confirmed cases and 23 asymptomatic patients as of Saturday.
China's Xinjiang reports 12 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 12 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in the capital Urumqi City between midnight on Friday and noon Beijing time on Saturday, according to local health authorities. All are under concentrated medical observation.
Xinjiang recorded a total of 17 confirmed cases and 23 asymptomatic patients between July 15 and 18.
The authorities said 269 people are currently under medical observation.
Russia reports 6,234 new COVID-19 cases
Russia on Saturday reported 6,234 new coronavirus infections, bringing the nationwide tally to 765,437.
Authorities said 124 people have died in the past 24 hours due to COVID-19, raising the official death toll to 12,247.
NHC sends a team to investigate the source of Xinjiang new COVID-19 cases
On Saturday, the National Health Commission (NHC) sent a team of medical experts to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to investigate the source of recent COVID-19 cases in the province.
Xinjiang reported a total of 17 new cases since Wednesday, after 149 days without any reports. All cases were registered in Urumqi City.
As of Friday, 269 people are under medical observation in the province.
Trump refuses to consider national mask mandate to curb COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not consider a national mandate requiring people to wear masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Asked in an interview on Fox News to be broadcast on Sunday if he would consider a mandate, Trump said: "No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don't believe in that."
Trump has been reluctant to wear a face mask, with a report in May suggesting that he feared doing so would "send the wrong message" and harm his re-election chances. The U.S. president wore a mask in public for the first time last week.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has risen to over 3.6 million, and the death toll has surpassed 139,000. Both numbers are the largest in the world. Health authorities reported 78,000 new cases across the country on Thursday, according to the database run by Johns Hopkins University.
Nevertheless, Trump has urged a return to normal, stressing the importance of reigniting the economy. He has also made reopening public schools a focus of his re-election campaign, urging school districts to offer a full schedule of classes.
According to a CNN report on Friday, the White House is blocking U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and other officials from the agency from testifying before a House Education and Labor Committee hearing on reopening schools next week.
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'To be, or not to be?' – UK's theater industry faces difficult recovery
"To be, or not to be?" – the famous line in Shakespeare's classic play "Hamlet" has become a real dilemma faced by the British theater industry. As the entertainment industry adopted the government's guidance aimed at trying to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, British cinema chains, theaters and art venues have closed their doors since March.
The pandemic prompts major British theaters to close doors
Some of London's most popular performance spaces, including the O2 arena, the Royal Opera House, Shakespeare's Globe and National theaters as well as the nearly 150-year old Royal Albert Hall brought their curtains down – theaters saw their income vanish overnight when they locked down.
"We're not a sector with lower income, we're a sector with no income," Julian Bird, chief executive of Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theater told the Financial Times. Bird also added that by the end of the year, 70 percent of theaters will run out of cash, including larger venues.
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Volunteers help residents buy medicine in a pharmacy in Urumqi, China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 17, 2020. /VCG
A total of 22 new COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland Friday, of which 16 were cases of domestic transmissions, the Chinese health authority said Saturday.
The 16 domestically transmitted cases were reported in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. As of Friday, a total of 17 confirmed cases have been reported in the region, all in Urumqi City. 269 people are under medical observation in the province.
No deaths related to the disease were reported on Friday on the Chinese mainland on Friday.
The commission said 21 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,758.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,644 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 109 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,713 (1,264 recoveries, 11 deaths)
Macao: 46 (46 recoveries)
Taiwan: 454 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
CGTN's reporters Zhao Yunfei, Hu Chao and Xu Xinchen have arrived in Xinjiang and will bring us the latest reports. Stay tuned.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday for the 12th day in a row. The total number of cases since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Friday.
One new asymptomatic case was reported on Friday. A total of 18 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation, the health commission said.
Thirteen patients have recovered, taking the total to 190. All severe and critical COVID-19 patients in the city have recovered to normal conditions.
As of Saturday, only one area in Beijing remains at a medium risk level of coronavirus transmission, as all other areas in the city are now at low-risk of COVID-19, said Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, at a press conference.
"Beijing has basically cut off the coronavirus transmission from the Xinfadi market cluster outbreak in about a month," Li Sufang, deputy director of the city's development and reform commission, told reporters.
As the recent coronavirus outbreak eases in Beijing, the city will move forward with plans to reopen theaters, cinemas, and business sites providing internet access services, Li said.
She added that the work-resumption rate among enterprises in Beijing has come to the level reported in early June prior to the Xinfadi market's cluster infections.
China's civil aviation regulator said on Friday that Japan Airlines, Lao Airlines, and Hainan Airlines are allowed to increase their number of international flights because of their effective COVID-19 control measures.
Flights JL829/0 between Tokyo and Dalian, flights QV815/6 between Vientiane and Kunming, flights HU491/2 between Beijing and Brussels, and flights HU7975/6 between Beijing and Toronto are the second group of "rewarded flights" following the introduction of a reward-and-suspension system by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on June 4.
The number of these round trip flights can be increased from one to two per week until October 24, according to the CAAC.
Japan Airlines and Lao Airlines are the first two foreign airlines to be rewarded.
According to the CAAC policy, if all inbound passengers test negative for novel coronavirus for three weeks in a row, the airline will be allowed to increase the number of flights to two per week.
If the number of passengers testing positive reaches five, the airline's flights will be suspended for a week. The suspension will last four weeks if the number of passengers testing positive reaches 10.
The measure to resume some international passenger flights aims to balance epidemic control with economic and social development, said the CAAC.
(Cover image: Aircrafts stop at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 16, 2020. /VCG)
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Brazil: The COVID-19 outbreak in hard-hit Brazil has plateaued, the World Health Organization said Friday, urging the country to seize the opportunity to drive down transmissions. Brazil registered 34,177 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,163 new deaths on Friday. Total cases in Brazil have now risen to 2,046,328 while deaths to 76,688.
Chile: The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country has risen to 326,539, with 8,347 deaths. 98 new deaths and 2,840 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours.
Iran, which has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,379 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 269,440. The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 13,791 Iranians, up by 183 in the past 24 hours. A total of 232,873 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 3,509 still in critical condition.
Argentina: The Argentine government announced on Friday that it has extended the national quarantine aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 to August 2. Argentina reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 3 and as of Friday, the country has reported 114,783 cases, with 2,133 deaths.
Spain: In the last 24 hours, 628 new cases have been confirmed, of which 252 in Aragon and 121 in Catalonia. As of Friday, 28,420 people had lost their lives to COVID-19 in Spain. The number of those infected reached 260,255, and 150,376 people have recovered.
Egypt registered on Friday 703 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the country since mid-February to 86,474, said the health ministry. The death toll from the respiratory disease has reached 4,188 after 68 patients died in the past 24 hours, while 611 patients were cured and discharged from hospitals, taking the total recoveries to 27,302.
Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 327 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 47,453. Of the new cases, three are imported cases, nine are community cases and the rest are linked with dormitories of foreign workers. Altogether 27 people have died from COVID-19.
Global COVID-19 cases exceed 14 million
Confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 14,037,021 globally on Saturday, with 600,665 fatalities and more than 7.8 million recoveries, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries were given sufficient warning. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom on Friday called upon the world not to focus entirely on COVID-19 at the expense of other crises battering the world.
"Many countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, are still reeling from years of conflict and other humanitarian crises. COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate many of these crises," he said in a media briefing on Friday.
Noting that the pandemic had affected over 200 million people globally, Tedros warned that up to 132 million people may go hungry in 2020 due to the impact lockdowns and restrictions imposed in efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
"The pandemic, and the restrictions put in place to suppress it, are taking a heavy toll on 220 million people in protracted emergencies," he said.
Since its outbreak, the pandemic has disrupted many aspects of life, including education, travel, agriculture and more.
Many countries around the world have projected slumps in their economies as the pandemic continues to batter their borders.
Governments have been forced to re-focus funds towards the fight against COVID-19, leaving other sectors ailing.
In his address n Friday, Tedros urgd countries to strengthen their health systems to better tackle any future crises.
"The pandemic is teaching us that health is not a luxury item; it's the foundation of social, economic and political stability," he said.
COVID-19: Food is abundant, prices remain regular in Urumqi
Food is abundant and the price of products remains regular in Urumqi, the manager of Xinlian market, a major market in the city, told CGTN on Friday as at least six locally transmitted cases were found.
The market, which has over 2,800 vendors, provides nearly two-thirds of food and vegetable supplies across Urumqi City.
Click here to see what CGTN reporter Zhao Yunfei learnt in Xinlian market and how daily supplies were secured under the new restrictions.
Japan urges U.S. military to take virus tests prior to arrival
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said on Friday that he has called on the United States to conduct coronavirus testing on all U.S. military personnel coming to Japan after outbreaks of the virus hit U.S. bases in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.
Kono told a press briefing on the matter that the defense ministry has requested that U.S. military personnel bound for Japan take one test prior to leaving the United States and one upon arrival in Japan.
"With so many asymptomatic people, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing is a must," Kono said, adding that tests needed to be carried out, without exception, on military personnel before leaving the United States and coming to Japan.
Kono said the U.S. side has said it is considering the request.
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UK to review potentially faulty England COVID-19 death data
Health Minister Matt Hancock ordered a review into how England reports coronavirus deaths, after academics said the daily figures may include people who have died of other causes.
The way Public Health England, a government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other parts of the United Kingdom, according to two academics.
Britain has been the European country worst hit by the virus, with an official death toll of more 45,000. But the government has said international comparisons are misleading because countries record coronavirus deaths differently.
Yoon Loke, from the University of East Anglia, and Carl Heneghan, from the University of Oxford, said Public Health England cross-checks the latest notifications of deaths against a database of positive test results – so anyone who has tested positive can be recorded as dying from the virus.
An ambulance leaves the NHS Nightingale Hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April 3, 2020. /Reuters
"Matt Hancock is going to be doing a review of those statistics with Public Health England," Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a media conference on Friday.
In a blog called "Why no-one can recover from COVID-19 in England", the academics said that patients who tested positive for coronavirus, but are successfully treated, will still be counted as dying from the virus "even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later."
The academics said this was the reason why England's death figures vary substantially from day to day.
The same approach is not used in other parts of the United Kingdom. In Scotland, there is a 28 day cut-off, after which a patient who has tested positive is not automatically considered to have died from the virus.
Office for National Statistics figures on excess deaths in Britain show more than 64,000 people have died than usual during the coronavirus pandemic. Many health experts focus on those rather than the official COVID-19 toll.
Kyrgyzstan reports 1,654 new COVID-19 cases, total number near 24,000
Kyrgyzstan reported 603 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,051 community-acquired pneumonia cases have been registered in the country in the past 24 hours, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 23,783, the head of the public health care department of the country's Health Ministry Ainura Akmatova said at a regular news briefing.
Meanwhile, the death toll reached 785 since the beginning of the pandemic after 83 more fatalities were added, 77 people from pneumonia and six from COVID-19.
Akmatova explained on Thursday that the country's health ministry decided to take a unified approach in treating COVID-19, thus the statistical cases of community-acquired pneumonia are considered a manifestation of COVID-19.
Kyrgyzstan's neighbor Kazakhstan also reported a jump in pneumonia cases, causing a spike in the numbers.
Read more: WHO believes 'unknown pneumonia' in Kazakhstan could be COVID-19
Spain held a major event in honor of the more than 27,000 deaths caused by COVID-19 in this country on July 16. The state ceremony also served to pay tribute to the public servants who have been on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic for the past three months.
Macao's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases down to zero
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is down to zero in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the last patient was discharged from hospital on Friday, according to local health authorities.
No locally transmitted cases have been reported for 110 consecutive days and there have been no imported cases from abroad for 21 consecutive days in Macao SAR. All 46 confirmed cases have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. There has been no community transmission and no medical personnel have been infected, the authorities added.
Hong Kong reports 50 locally transmitted coronavirus cases, officials warn more cases in the coming days
The Hong Kong health department reported 58 confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday afternoon, among which 50 were locally transmitted cases.
So far, the global financial hub has registered over 1,710 infections since the initial outbreak on late January with officials saying they expect more outbreaks in the coming days.
According to health officials, a local bus driver who was on duty on Monday and Tuesday this week was among the list of newly reported patients.
But the driver was wearing mask during work before he developed symptoms on his day off on Wednesday, the New World First Bus (NWFB) said.
Meanwhile, local media later reported the 11th death in Hong Kong, a 71-year-old female who had a chronic illness and was sent to Ruttonjee Hospital on Thursday night after her heart stopped.
She tested positive for the virus in preliminary screenings and passed away Friday afternoon, according to local media.
Due to the surging cases, the annual swim race across Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor was cancelled on Friday.
Russia's coronavirus death toll surpasses 12,000
Russia's death toll from the novel coronavirus surpassed 12,000 on Friday, as the country reported 186 new deaths in the past 24 hours.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center registered 6,406 new cases, bringing its nationwide tally of infections to 759,203, the world's fourth highest caseload.
The death toll now stands at 12,123. Russia says 539,373 people have recovered.
U.S. sets another single-day record with over 77,000 new COVID-19 cases
The United States broke its single-day record for new coronavirus cases on Thursday with more than 77,000, according to Johns Hopkins University's data.
As of Friday, the country has recorded over 3.5 million infections, leading the world.
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported five new confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight asymptomatic cases in Urumqi City on Friday afternoon, according to local health authorities.
Xinjiang recorded a total of six confirmed cases and 11 asymptomatic patients from July 15 to 17.
The authorities said 135 people are currently under medical observation.
U.S. governors slam Trump government's coronavirus response
Governors for the U.S. states of New York and Maryland slammed President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday, blaming the federal government's "incompetence."
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. topped 3.5 million on Thursday, with deaths over 137,000, while New York remains the hardest-hit state with 404,775 cases.
Combating the virus requires people coming together and a competent federal government "which we do not have," New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo pointed out.
He made the remark while commenting on a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which pointed out that by the time the travel restrictions on Europe were implemented by the federal government, importation and community transmission of COVID-19 had already occurred in New York.
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COVID-19 cases top 1 million in India, deaths surpass 25,000
The number of COVID-19 cases in India surpassed one million on Friday, as total deaths surpassed 25,000, according to the latest data issued by the health ministry.
Shenzhen adjusts rules for entry from Hong Kong to battle COVID-19
Visitors from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to the Chinese mainland through ports in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen must carry proof of negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test results within 72 hours and undergo 14 days of medical observation after their arrival, Shenzhen authorities said on Thursday.
These new measures, starting from 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, were issued in response to a new wave of COVID-19 infections in HKSAR, Shenzhen's command center for prevention and control of COVID-19 said in a notice. It added that the new rules will not apply to some categories of people, including businessmen, drivers and students who had been exempted from entry quarantine.
A traveler receives a temperature check at Shenzhen Bay Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 16, 2020. /VCG
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday for the 11th day in a row. The total number of cases since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11 stands at 335, the municipal health commission said on Friday.
An additional 10 patients have recovered, taking the total to 177.
No asymptomatic cases were reported on Thursday either, though a total of 17 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation, the health commission said.
Xincun Sub-district in Fengtai District adjusted its risk level from medium to low and lowered the total number of medium-risk areas in the city to two – Majiapu Sub-district and Huaxiang Township in Fengtai District. All other regions in Beijing are low-risk.
The authorities said they will strictly prevent cases from overseas, strengthen epidemic prevention at airports and customs offices and implement measures such as quarantine for inbound travelers.
Officials said they will carry out risk screening for frozen food and meat and strengthen the supervision of imported cold chain foods, alongside follow-up disposal work at Xinfadi market. Beijing will also promote the standardized management, transformation and upgrading of markets.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany sparked controversy on Thursday by saying "science should not stand in the way of" reopening schools, even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the United States.
"You know, the president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open," McEnany said at a daily press briefing. "And when he says open, he means open in full – kids being able to attend each and every day at their school."
She added: "The science should not stand in the way of this."
But the press secretary went on to suggest that science is on the side of fully opening schools for the upcoming academic year, citing a pediatric study of 46 hospitals by the Journal of the American Medical Association that she said showed the risk to children posed by COVID-19 is less than that posed by the seasonal flu.
"The science is on our side here, and we encourage for localities and states to just simply follow the science, open our schools," she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has made reopening public schools a focus of his re-election campaign, urging school districts to offer a full schedule of classes. He threatened to cut funding for schools that do not follow through.
McEnany's remark that "science should not stand in the way of" schools reopening was picked up by CNN, The Washington Post and other media outlets, causing a heated discussion on Twitter.
McEnany later blasted coverage of her comments as a "case study in media bias."
"I said: 'The science is very clear on this... the science is on our side here. We encourage our localities & states to just simply follow the science. Open our schools,'" she tweeted. "But leave it to the media to deceptively suggest I was making the opposite point!"
Most Americans think it's unsafe to reopen schools
According to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, only one in four Americans thinks it is safe for public schools to reopen this fall as U.S. coronavirus cases continue to climb, and four in 10 parents said they would likely keep their children home if classes resume.
The July 14-15 national online poll was conducted as the country's 13,000 school districts grapple with how to safely resume instruction after closing in the spring as infections spread.
Des Moines Public Schools custodian Cynthia Adams cleans a desk in a classroom at Brubaker Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., July 8, 2020. /AP
Just 26 percent of American adults said they thought it was safe for schools in their community to bring students back. Another 55 percent felt they were not safe, and 19 percent were not sure.
The response was split along party lines: Half of Republicans said they thought schools were safe, compared with only one in 10 Democrats.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who for months has led Trump in national polls, including a 10-point advantage among registered voters in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, has called for a more cautious approach to re-opening schools.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also a Democrat, expressed a similar view. "The president and his administration are messing with the health of our children," she said on Sunday. "We all want our children to go back to school. Teachers do. Parents do. And children do. But they must go back safely."
The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has risen to over 3.56 million and the death toll has surpassed 138,000.
(With input from Reuters)
(Cover: White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2020. /AP)
Ten new COVID-19 cases were recorded on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, nine from overseas, and one local transmission in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Chinese health authorities added that there were no new deaths on Thursday.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,622, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 104 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,655 (1,254 recoveries, ten deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 452 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Fauci: Younger generation is driving the new surge of coronavirus in U.S.
Anthony Fauci, top U.S. infectious disease expert, on Thursday said the younger generation in the U.S. is driving the new surge of coronavirus and warned young people should not feel like they are immune to serious infection.
"You look at what's going on with the new infections – the age range of the infection. The median age is about a decade and a half younger today than it was a few months ago", CNN reported, citing Dr. Fauci.
"Young people are intimately and heavily involved in what's going on now with this pandemic", Fauci noted.
As of Thursday evening, the U.S. has recorded more than 3.56 millions cases of COVID-19 with 138,201 deaths nationwide, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: AP file photo)
COVID-19 cases in Brazil top 2 mln
The Brazilian government reported on Thursday that the country has registered over two million COVID-19 cases after 45,403 new cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, for a total of 2,012,151.
According to the country's Ministry of Health, 1,322 deaths were recorded in the past 24-hour period, bringing the total to 76,688.
The state of Sao Paulo, the most populous in the country, has been the worst hit by the virus, with 402,048 cases and 19,038 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 134,573 cases and 11,849 deaths, and Ceara, with 144,000 cases and 7,127 deaths.
Brazil has seen the world's second-largest outbreak, after the United States, in terms of both the caseload and death toll.
India reinstated lockdown measures across several states Thursday as coronavirus cases neared 1 million.
The countryside is seeing an especially strong spike in infections.
The surge is attributed in part to thousands of migrant workers returning from cities following the initial lockdown.
Police are on the streets to enforce restrictions.
Another 1.3 million U.S. workers file for unemployment benefits
Another 1.3 million Americans filed for jobless claims for the week ending July 11, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.
The number is higher than the estimated 1.25 million given by economists.
14 more Americans with USFK test positive for coronavirus in S Korea
Fourteen more U.S. soldiers and their family members tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in South Korea between July 9 and 15, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday.
The total number of infections among USFK-affiliated personnel has now risen to 88, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The USFK said of the 14 new patients, 12 were service members and two were dependents. Nine of them were asymptomatic, while the other five displayed minor symptoms, such as a headache or runny nose.
All 14 individuals have been transferred to a designated isolation facility on either Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Base, both in Pyeongtaek.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among U.S. army personnel on the Japanese island of Okinawa has risen to 138.
Okinawa has registered just 148 coronavirus infections since February, excluding the American cases.
Hong Kong reports record high of 67 new COVID-19 cases
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday reported 67 new cases of COVID-19, the largest daily increase in the region since January.
Health authorities said 63 new cases were locally transmitted following the recent resurgence of infections in the financial hub, while the other four are from overseas.
The HKSAR has so far registered a total of 1,655 COVID-19 cases, with 10 fatalities.
Russia reports 6,428 new COVID-19 cases, total cases exceed 750,000
Russia reported 6,428 new COVID-19 cases with 167 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 752,797, making it the fourth worst-hit country in the world. The country's death toll is now at 11,937, official data showed on Thursday.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Australia has reported 327 new coronavirus cases, bringing total number to nearly 11,000, including 113 deaths. The government is injecting a further 1.5 billion Australian dollars (about 1.1 billion U.S. dollars) into a wage subsidy program to counter rising unemployment.
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 534 to 200,260, and the reported death toll rose by seven to 9,078.
India recorded 606 new deaths and 32,695 more cases in the past 24 hours, marking the highest single day spike in the number of fresh cases in the country, taking the death toll to 24,915 and total cases to 968,876.
Pakistan reported 2,145 new cases with 40 new deaths, raising total number of confirmed cases to 257,911 and death toll to 5,426.
Israel confirmed 520 new cases and one more death in the last 24 hours, totaling to 44,188 with 376 deaths. A total of 19,989 people have recovered and 204 patients are in a critical condition.
Fauci calls White House criticism of him 'bizarre'
After days of attacks from Trump aides, U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Wednesday called the White House effort to discredit him "bizarre" and urged an end to the divisiveness over the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying "let's stop this nonsense" and focus on the virus.
"I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that," Fauci said when asked about the stepped-up attacks, in an interview with The Atlantic on Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, President Donald Trump's top trade advisor, Peter Navarro, described Fauci as "wrong about everything" in an op-ed article in USA Today. On Sunday, Dan Scavino, another Trump's close adviser, posted on Facebook a rendering that likened him to a faucet drowning Uncle Sam.
The attempt to discredit Fauci's public health expertise is a political move, Peter Nicholas, a staff writer at The Atlantic, said. Fauci is "a recurring reminder" that the pandemic still remains an enduring threat as Trump wants people to believe the virus is being brought under control.
Responding to the criticism, Fauci told the Atlantic: "I can't explain Peter Navarro. He's in a world by himself. So I don't even want to go there.”
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First deputy governor of Turkestan state in Kazakhstan died of COVID-19
The first deputy governor of the Turkestan region, Kosman Aitmukhambetov, died of COVID-19 at the age of 57 on Wednesday, local media reported citing officials.
Kazakhstan reported 1,674 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 65,188 and the death toll to 375, according to the country's official data on Thursday.
Beijing has tested 11.88 million people for COVID-19 from June 11 to July 14, accounting for half of the city's resident population. The Chinese capital responded swiftly after the first case in a cluster outbreak was reported on June 11. Through nucleic acid test screening Beijing has detected 53.8 percent of the COVID-19 cases, which played a huge part in getting the outbreak effectively contained.
China to reopen cinemas in low-risk areas for COVID-19 from July 20
Cinemas in China can reopen from July 20 in areas deemed as low risk for COVID-19, the China Film Administration said on Thursday.
The reopening will be subject to the implementation of prevention and control measures, the agency added.
Cinemas in high- and medium-risk areas will remain shut for now.
China's Q2 GDP growth recovers to 3.2% after steep slump, beats forecast
China's economy returned to modest growth in the second quarter of 2020 and reverted from the first contraction on record in the first quarter this year, as COVID-19 eases and policymakers announced economic packages, official data showed Thursday.
The world's second-largest economy grew by 3.2 percent in April-June from a year earlier, reversing a 6.8-percent decline in the first quarter – the first contraction since at least 1992 when official quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) records started, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. In the first half of 2020, China's economy declined by 1.6 percent year on year.
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Coronavirus found on shrimp packaging from Ecuador in SW China's Yunnan
The coronavirus has been found on packages of frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local health authorities report on Thursday.
The nucleic acid tests showed positive on some imported Ecuadorian shrimp's packages, the authorities said, adding that no positive nucleic acid test was found on shrimp bodies and their contacts.
The province has temporarily suspended the purchase of seafood from Ecuador, and all frozen imported shrimp produced by the three Ecuadorean enterprises found in the inspection has been removed from the markets and sealed up. Relevant contacts have also been quarantined for observation.
As for now, all relevant personnel has been isolated, and products have been sealed off.
The Chinese mainland on Wednesday recorded one new COVID-19 case from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,612 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 104 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,588 (1,241 recoveries, 10 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing reports no new COVID-19 cases for 10 straight days
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for the 10th day in a row. The total number of cases stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Thursday.
An additional 23 patients have recovered, taking the total to 167.
No asymptomatic cases were reported on Wednesday either, though a total of 17 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation, the municipal health commission added.
The Chinese capital has four regions labelled as medium risk for COVID-19, all located in the Fengtai District.
American Airlines is notifying 25,000 workers that they could be furloughed beginning October 1, executives said Wednesday, the latest major carrier to warn about massive layoffs.
Although the number of layoffs may be minimized through voluntary departures, American will have more than 20,000 excess workers on payroll due to a profound downturn in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Doug Parker and President Robert Isom said in a memo to employees.
Like other major airlines, the executives said the cost-cutting would be needed due to lackluster ticket sales amid fading hopes for a speedy bounce-back in travel from COVID-19.
"With infection rates increasing and several states reestablishing quarantine restrictions, demand for air travel is slowing again," they said.
U.S. carriers that received government aid under the CARES Act cannot lay off workers until after September 30.
American's layoff notices went to 2,500 pilots, 9,500 flight attendants, 3,200 maintenance staff and 1,000 reservations agents.
The executives said they "hope to reduce the actual number of furloughs significantly through enhanced leave and early-out programs for represented workgroups, which we are announcing today."
American's announcement is similar to one from United Airlines last week that warned of as many as 36,000 layoffs. Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines also signaled they may have to cut jobs if voluntary programs do not achieve enough savings.
Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said Tuesday that 17,000 employees had agreed to voluntary departures and he hoped more workers would step forward, "minimizing, if not eliminating, the need for involuntary furloughs."
(Cover image: American Airlines 737 Max passenger planes are parked on the tarmac at Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S., March 23, 2020. /Reuters)
Brazil coronavirus cases close to 2 mln mark, president tests positive again
Brazil on Wednesday reported 39,924 new coronavirus cases in a day as its total tally inched closer to 2 million, the health ministry said.
Brazil has 1,966,748 confirmed cases and 75,366 deaths, 1,233 more than on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters that he has again tested positive for coronavirus, suggesting he has yet to recover from an infection first diagnosed last week.
Bolsonaro underwent a new test on Tuesday. He said that he is in good health and he will resume his normal work schedule if he tests negative this week.
(With input from agencies)
A spike in COVID-19 cases across California has led the governor to take more drastic actions, closing indoor operations just four months after California became the first U.S. state to order its citizens to stay home. The move comes as many businesses were just starting to open.
CGTN's Mark Niu has more.
U.S. base in Japan confirms 36 more COVID-19 cases, locals wary
Authorities have confirmed 36 more coronavirus infections at Camp Hansen on Japan's Okinawa, taking to 136 the tally at U.S. military bases on the island while potentially putting more strains on the relations between the U.S. Marine Corps and the local government.
The outbreak inside the U.S. installations emerged over the weekend, with dozens of confirmed cases reported by the U.S. Marine Corps, which has about 20,000 troops stationed on the island.
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Disneyland Paris reopened on July 15 after a four-month closure due to COVID-19, but with face masks and social distancing required.
A steady stream of visitors trickled in during the morning, with one group wearing Mickey Mouse ears and dancing with glee as they entered Europe's most visited theme park.
Reinforced hygiene measures have been put in place. With a daily limited capacity, visitors were told to keep one meter away from others, while hundreds of sanitizing and hand-washing stations are now scattered around the park.
Advance booking is required for entry so there is no ticket sold at the entrance. Rides on which it is difficult to maintain social distancing are off limits, and playgrounds and make-up workshops are also closed for now.
Walt Disney also reopened another of its theme park in Florida, U.S., earlier this month despite a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Disneyland closed once again from Wednesday due to rising COVID-19 cases in the city.
Coronavirus found on shrimp packaging from Ecuador in SW China's Chongqing
The coronavirus has been found on packages of frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador in Shapingba District in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The nucleic acid tests showed positive results on some imported Ecuadorian shrimp's packages in a warehouse in the city's western logistics park, the reports said.
As for now, all relevant personnel have been isolated and products have been sealed off.
The Ecuadorian embassy in China said Wednesday on Weibo that the Ecuadorian side will carry out necessary procedures to ensure the safety of its exported products to international markets.
China suspends Bangkok-Guangzhou, Bangkok-Tianjin flights over COVID-19 cases
China's civil aviation regulator said on Tuesday that two Thai airlines flights from Thailand's Bangkok to China's Guangzhou and Bangkok to China's Tianjin would be suspended after a total of 11 passengers on the two flights from Thailand tested positive for COVID-19.
The suspension of flight SL117 and flight XJ808 will last for one week respectively, starting on July 20, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Hong Kong reports 19 new COVID-19 cases
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday reported 19 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 14 local infections, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, said at a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
Life has become more sedentary than ever since the coronavirus outbreak. Gyms and dance studios have shut their doors, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't work out.
If you've been spending more time on the sofa, it's time to shake things up.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday urged all Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement.
CDC's appeal came days after U.S. President Donald Trump wore a mask publicly for the first time when visiting a hospital in Maryland.
For months, Trump and some senior administration officials have been criticized for being reluctant to advise the public to wear masks.
Redfield said Tuesday the president and vice president need to wear masks to set an example for the public.
Trump indeed wore a face mask in public for the first time during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Saturday.
He has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.
"Glad to see the president wear a mask this week and the vice president, and clearly in their situation they could easily justify that they don't need to because of all the testing around them and they know they're not infected," Redfield said during an interview with JAMA.
"But we need them to set the example, as you said, for other individuals."
According to a new Hill-HarrisX poll, 44 percent of voters said people were less likely to wear masks when Trump had not set an example by wearing a mask to lower the spread of COVID-19.
(With input from Xinhua)
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday urged all Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The number of cases in the United States surpassed 3.4 million on Tuesday, hitting 3,431,574, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 136,466, according to the CSSE.
Mexico proposed to the U.S. extending a ban on non-essential travel by land over their shared border for another 30 days considering the development of the coronavirus pandemic. It on Tuesday reported 7,051 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 836 more fatalities, bringing the totals to 311,486 and 36,327 respectively. The government said the real number of infected people is likely to be significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
India's federal health ministry said Wednesday that 582 more deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 29,429 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, bringing the total to 936,181.
Egypt on Tuesday confirmed 929 more infections, raising the total cases to 83,930, said Egyptian Health Ministry. It is the fifth consecutive day for the country's daily COVID-19 infections to fall below 1,000 since May 28. The 73 more death has lifted the toll to 4,008.
Israel's Ministry of Health reported 1,728 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 42,360. The death toll increased from 365 to 371, while the number of serious patients remained unchanged at 183, out of 529 patients currently hospitalized.
36 more COVID-19 cases reported at U.S. base on Japan's Okinawa: Kyodo
Authorities have confirmed 36 more novel coronavirus infections at Camp Hansen on Japan's Okinawa, taking to 136 the tally at U.S. military bases on the island, Kyodo News said on Wednesday.
The outbreak emerged at the weekend, provoking the anger of the prefecture's governor, who has called into question the U.S. military's virus prevention measures.
Previous media reports said the U.S. troops have taken part in parties in downtown areas and beaches around July 4 to celebrate Independence Day.
In fear of the military outbreak spread to the southern island prefecture, Okinawa officials have urged the U.S. to take steps to prevent the spread.
Earlier on Tuesday, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said the outbreak of coronavirus cases at U.S. military bases in Japan is "extremely serious."
(With input from Reuters)
Philippines' public works secretary tests positive for coronavirus
Philippine Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said on Wednesday he had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
"I regret to announce that today, July 15, I received my test result and it is positive for COVID-19," he said in a Facebook post.
Villar is the third known senior official in the country to have contracted the virus following Education Secretary Leonor Briones and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
First U.S. coronavirus tests safe, induces immune response
Moderna Inc's experimental vaccine for COVID-19 showed it was safe and provoked immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers in an ongoing early-stage study, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Volunteers who got two doses of the vaccine had high levels of virus-killing antibodies that exceeded the average levels seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19, the team reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
No study volunteers experienced a serious side effect, but more than half reported mild or moderate reactions such as fatigue, headache, chills, muscle aches or pain at the injection site. These were more likely to occur after the second dose and in people who got the highest dose.
Moderna was the first to start human testing of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus on March 16, 66 days after the genetic sequence of the virus was released.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose researchers developed Moderna's vaccine candidate, called the results "good news," noting that the study found no serious adverse events and the vaccine produced "reasonably high" levels of virus-killing or neutralizing antibodies.
"If your vaccine can induce a response comparable with natural infection, that's a winner," Fauci said in a telephone interview. "That's why we're very pleased by the results."
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Coronavirus found on shrimp packaging from Ecuador in E China's Jiangxi
The coronavirus has been found on packages and the inner wall of a container of frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador in Pingxiang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, the municipal government said on Tuesday.
According to a notice issued by the government on its social media platform, no abnormal situation has been found in the city so far.
It said the shrimp packages that tested positive were purchased via an online platform from a local supermarket, and all relevant people, including the customers and deliverymen, have been isolated, the stores have been disinfected and products have been sealed off.
The Pingxiang government said it will also conduct nucleic acid tests on people who have contacted the products.
It's the second time China has found the virus on shrimp packaging from Ecuador.
Last Friday, China Customs announced the finding at a press conference, adding, however, tests on the shrimp bodies and inner packages showed negative results.
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Coronavirus found on shrimp packaging from Ecuador, China suspends imports from 23 meat companies
Beijing reports no new COVID-19 cases for ninth straight day
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday for the ninth day in a row. The Chinese capital's total number of cases stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at its Xinfadi wholesale market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Wednesday.
An additional 14 patients recovered on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries from the local cluster to 144.
The health mission also reported no new asymptomatic cases in the past 24 hours, adding that the existing 18 asymptomatic people are still under medical observation.
The Chinese mainland on Tuesday recorded six new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,611 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 110 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,569 (1,229 recoveries, eight deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (440 recoveries, seven deaths)
Tokyo raises coronavirus alert to highest level
Tokyo will lift its alert level for coronavirus infections to the highest of four levels on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper reported, after a recent spike in cases to record levels in the Japanese capital.
Daily coronavirus cases exceeded 200 in four of the last six days, touching an all-time high of 243 cases last Friday as testing among workers in the metropolis's red-light districts turned up infections among young people in their 20s and 30s.
The highest alert level suggests that "coronavirus infections are likely spreading," the Asahi said.
Brazil coronavirus cases rise past 1.9 million, deaths total 74,133
Brazil recorded 41,857 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 1,300 additional deaths, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
The nation has now registered 1,926,824 total confirmed cases of the virus and 74,133 deaths.
Trump administration rescinds rule on international students
The Trump administration has rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the decision as a court hearing was getting underway on a challenge to the rule by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The suit argued that the policy was created unlawfully and that it contradicted previous guidance from federal immigration officials. The colleges were asking the court to block the rule at least temporarily. Under the policy, international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all of their courses online this fall.
New visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, which includes Harvard. Students already in the U.S. would have faced deportation if they didn’t transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily.
The rule created a dilemma for thousands of foreign students who stayed in the U.S. after their colleges shifted to remote learning last spring.
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Former CDC directors: No president ever politicized science the way Trump has
Four former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have written they have not seen a president politicize science the way President Donald Trump has.
"The four of us led the CDC over a period of more than 15 years, spanning Republican and Democratic administrations alike. We cannot recall over our collective tenure a single time when political pressure led to a change in the interpretation of scientific evidence," the former directors wrote in an op-ed published in Washington Post.
They urged the Trump administration to give the CDC its proper role in guiding the country's coronavirus response.
"It is not too late to give the CDC its proper role in guiding this response. But the clock is ticking," they wrote.
COVID-19 Global roundup: Arduous road ahead for Asian economy
Gross domestic product (GDP) dived by a record 41.2 percent in the three months ended March, on a quarter-on-quarter annualized basis, preliminary data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry showed on Tuesday.
The latest GDP estimate was worse than analyst's expectation. Economists polled by Reuters had forecasted the Southeast Asian economy to shrink 37.4 percent in the quarter when countries were under lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.
The first in Asia to report second-quarter GDP data, the grim numbers for the wealthy city-state - a bellwether for the global economy - underscore the sweeping economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also point to an arduous road ahead.
(With input from agencies)
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California resumes shutdown measures as cases resurge
California's reopening was suspended on Monday, as Governor Gavin Newsom announced that indoor businesses and public venues, including cinemas, restaurants, bars, zoos, and museums, would shut down again.
Besides, in some severely hit counties, the restricted venues also include gyms, churches, hair salons, and malls.
The new restrictions were prompted by the recent resurge of confirmed COVID-19 cases in several U.S. states. California has reported 8,358 new coronavirus cases Monday, with the state now having over 330,000 and more than 7,000 deaths.
Read more here.
Deputy Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Bakyt Kurmanbaev died from COVID-19 on Tuesday at age 50, according to the country's Defense Ministry.
Hong Kong reports 48 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong on Tuesday reported 48 new coronavirus infections, including 40 that were transmitted locally, the region's health officials said.
Tuesday's new cases tally was slightly lower than Monday's 52, but remained in line with the recent resurgence of domestic cases.
The financial hub has reported over 1,500 cases and eight deaths since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Monday announced to further tighten limits on public gatherings from 50 to four people starting Wednesday.
People wearing face masks following the coronavirus outbreak wait for the train at a subway station in Hong Kong, China July 14, 2020. /Reuters
Russia reports over 6,200 new COVID-19 cases
Russia reported 6,248 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing its nationwide tally to 739,947, the fourth largest in the world.
Authorities said 175 more fatalities were also recorded over the previous 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 11,614.
Moscow added 613 new cases, with the total number of infections at over 230,000 in the capital city.
More than 270,000 people in Russia remain under medical observation.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
The U.S. recorded 59,222 new cases and 411 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases to over 3.36 million and death toll to 135,582. The surge of coronavirus infections has pushed some states to reinstate tougher anti-epidemic measures.
India's total number of confirmed cases surpassed the 900,000-mark on Tuesday, reaching 906,752; while total deaths stood at 23,727.
Mexico registered 4,685 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide count to 304,435, and 485 new deaths were reported, taking its death toll 35,491. Mexican Finance Minister Arturo Herrera tweeted that he has recovered from COVID-19 as he tested negative for the virus over the weekend.
Brazil reported a nationwide total of 1,884,967 people have tested positive for the virus and 72,883 people have died from the disease. Virus tests detected 20,286 new cases of infection and 733 more patients died.
Singapore reported 322 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 46,283. Of the new cases, 97 percent are linked to known clusters, while the rest are pending contact tracing.
South Korea reported 33 more cases as of 0:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 13,512. No more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 289. The total fatality rate stood at 2.14 percent.
Hong Kong Disneyland to close again after resurgence of COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong Disneyland will once again shutter its gates from July 15 due to the rising coronavirus cases in the region, the Walt Disney Company said on Monday.
Hong Kong recorded 52 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, a new high since the pandemic re-emergence, including 41 local infections, according to local health authorities.
"As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15," a Disney spokeswoman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open with enhanced health and safety measures in place, the company said.
The theme park reopened less than a month ago after closing in January over the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests and staff were required to wear face masks, social distance and go through temperature screenings upon entry.
Visitors at the Hong Kong Disneyland, June 18, 2020. /AP
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday for the eighth day in a row. The total number of cases stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Tuesday.
Twenty-one more patients recovered on Monday, taking the total number of recoveries to 130.
Beijing also registered no new asymptomatic cases on Monday, the municipal health commission added.
So far, 18 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Beijing municipal education commission Li Yi said at a press conference that the high school entrance examination for middle school students in the city will take place on July 17-19.
The examination will strictly implement the epidemic prevention and control measures and a total of 77,583 students will take this year's high school entrance examination in Beijing, Li introduced.
The Chinese mainland on Monday recorded three new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,605 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 110 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,521 (1,217 recoveries, 8 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (440 recoveries, 7 deaths)
India: Surge in new COVID-19 cases brings strict lockdowns
On Monday, India reported another record jump in COVID-19 infections, adding 28,701 new cases and pushing the tally to over 878,000.
Local authorities in several cities are reimposing strict lockdowns after an attempt to open up to revive an ailing economy. The new cases have raised the national total to 878,254, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Indian central health ministry also reported 500 more deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 23,174.
Major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune are among those witnessing a huge hike in infections. Several states have introduced weekend curfews and announced strict lockdowns in high-risk areas to slow down infections.
India has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world, behind the United States and Brazil.
A municipal vehicle decontaminates a road during the lockdown, Chennai, India, April 9, 2020. /Reuters
World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that for the foreseeable future, there would be "no return to the old normal" as COVID-19 cases rise by one million in five days and the total number of coronavirus infections around the world hit 13 million on Monday.
The pandemic has now killed more than half a million people in six-and-a-half months, and Ghebreyesus said the virus remains public enemy number one and noting that "too many countries are headed in the wrong direction."
"If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse, and worse. But it does not have to be this way."
Tedros noted that the most recent surge of COVID-19 cases come from the Americas, with the U.S. and Brazil accounting for more than a third of global deaths from the disease.
California shuts down again
On Monday, California shut down again as COVID-19 cases are on the rise in about 40 U.S. states.
Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered bars closed and restaurants, movie theaters, zoos and museums statewide to cease indoor operations. Newsom said churches, gyms and hair salons must close in the 30 hardest-hit counties.
The state's two largest school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, with a combined 706,000 students and 88,000 employees, said in a joint statement they would hold online-only classes for the new term, citing "vague and contradictory" science and public health guidelines.
The union representing Los Angeles teachers applauded the strategy, saying it was backed by 83 percent of its 18,000 rank-and-file members responding to an informal online poll last week.
"In the face of the alarming spike in COVID cases, the lack of necessary funding from the government to open schools safely, and the outsized threat of death faced by working-class communities of color, there really is no other choice that doesn't put thousands of lives at risk," United Teachers Los Angeles said in a separate statement.
The online-learning decision puts the two districts at odds with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to punish school systems that refuse to reopen classrooms by withholding federal funding or even removing their tax-exempt status.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos kept up the pressure on Sunday in a televised appearance, saying children need to return to their classrooms both for the sake of their own educational development and so that their parents can more easily return to the workplace.
"We know that children get the virus at a far lower rate than any other part of the population," DeVos told CNN. "There is nothing in the data that would suggest kids being back in school is dangerous to them."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sharply criticized the Trump administration for advocating a return to school in the fall, accusing Trump of "messing with" children's health and saying federal guidelines on reopening schools amid the coronavirus outbreak should be mandatory.
UK could see 120,000 deaths in a second wave
Newspaper headline on display at Oxford Circus in London, Britain, March 18, 2020. /Reuters
As the U.S. grapples with more than 3.3 million confirmed cases, it is still seeing huge increases in a first wave of COVID-19 infections. In some other places, such as the Australian city of Melbourne and Leicester in England, are implementing a second round of shutdowns and others are to tighten social distancing measures again amid growing worries about a second wave.
In UK, a report commissioned by the government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance warned that a second wave in Britain this winter could eclipse the current outbreak resulting in up to 120,000 deaths in hospitals alone between September and June next year. The modelling does not include deaths in care homes or the wider community, and assumes no government action to prevent a fresh surge in cases.
Britain has seen almost 45,000 deaths so far in the first wave, the highest toll in Europe and third only to the U.S. and Brazil. The latest predictions are based on an assumption that the R rate – which measures how many people an infected person is expected to infect – rises to 1.7 from September. Scientists also modelled for a lower increased R rate of 1.5, which would lead to 74,800 deaths. The R rate is currently between 0.7 to 0.9 across the country.
The group of 37 scientists involved in the report said the government needed to prepare immediately and called for "intense preparation" this month to prevent the country's state-run National Health Service (NHS) from being overwhelmed.
That includes work to minimize community transmission, a public information campaign and ensuring enough protective equipment for frontline medical and social care staff. The government's test, trace and isolate program also needed to be scaled up, along with surveillance and ensuring at risk individuals, health and care workers get flu jabs.
(With input from agencies)
WHO: Coronavirus crisis may get 'worse and worse and worse'
The coronavirus pandemic has the potential to get far worse if all nations do not adhere to basic healthcare precautions, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday.
"Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing.
Kazakhstan to extend coronavirus lockdown by two weeks
Kazakhstan will extend its second coronavirus lockdown by two weeks, until the end of July, and will once again offer financial aid to those who have lost their source of income, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Monday.
"There are first signs now that the situation is beginning to improve," he said in a tweet. "The next two weeks are important for the full stabilization of the situation."
According to the health ministry, Kazakhstan has reported 59,899 confirmed cases and 375 deaths, with 34,190 recoveries as of Monday.
Monday (July 13) has been declared as a day of national mourning as the country observed a minute of silence to pay tribute to COVID-19 victims at 12 p.m. local time (0600 GMT) with flags flying at half-mast, broadcasting of entertainment programs suspended and websites of news outlets turned black and white.
Tate to reopen its four British galleries on July 27
Four British galleries will reopen with necessary guidelines on July 27 after being closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some exhibitions will still be postponed or modified until 2021, Tate has announced on its official website recently.
At present, Tate is busy operating the preparations to welcome the business back on track. The four galleries, namely Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St lves, will once again meet the audiences with hundreds of artworks from across the globe. Epidemic prevention and control measures like social-distancing will also be in place for all visitors, including the members, and they need to book a ticket online in advance.
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Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Monday evening announced that the region will further tighten limits on public gatherings from 50 to four people starting Wednesday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Lam noted that mask-wearing will be mandatory on public transport and the number of customers allowed at a restaurant table will be capped at four.
To try to prevent the virus from spreading in restaurants, dining rooms will be closed between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Only takeaways will be allowed during that period.
Twelve types of high-risk venues, including beauty salons, fitness centers, bars, cinemas, will also be suspended for seven days.
In a press conference held at 8:00 p.m. local time, Lam said the new arrangements would come into effect on Wednesday.
Border control will also be stricter to prevent imported cases, as inbound visitors, who have traveled to high-risk areas during the past 14 days, should test negative for the new coronavirus before boarding flights to Hong Kong, added Lam.
Social distancing signs are seen on tables at a restaurant in Hong Kong, China, March 30, 2020. /AP
Hong Kong witnessed a resurgence of COVID-19 cases over the past weeks after some control and preventive measures were eased to revive the economy and let residents resume normal lives.
Noting that the entire city needs to work together to fight the outbreak, Lam urged vigilance while hoping that the public would not panic too much amid worries over an escalating wave of coronavirus infections.
Hours earlier, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 52 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, a new high since the pandemic re-emergence, which includes 41 local infections, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of CHP's Communicable Disease Branch said at a media briefing.
The epidemic situation was grave as cases with unknown sources increased every day, said Chuang, warning that there may be more such cases in the community.
Of the new local infections on Monday, authorities said 20 cases were untraceable and 21 cases were related to patients previously diagnosed. On Monday, Hong Kong also reported its eighth COVID-19 fatality.
(Cover: Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam listens to journalists' questions during a press conference in Hong Kong, China, Monday, July 13, 2020. /VCG)
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Face coverings become mandatory on public transport in Wales
First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, announced on Monday that face coverings would be mandatory on public transport in Wales from July 27.
And people in Wales are also asked to wear face coverings when taking taxis.
"For the sake of simplicity and consistency, as well as being part of our plan to help reduce the risk of transmission while on public transport where it is not always possible to maintain a two-meter physical distance, it will become mandatory for people to wear a three-layer face covering while travelling – this includes taxis," Drakeford said at the Welsh Government's daily press conference.
Wearing face covering is not yet mandatory in other public places like shops, but the rule could change if there is a spike in cases, he added.
Scotland introduced mandatory face coverings on public transport on June 22 with exceptions only for children under age five and people with certain medical conditions.
While in England, masks are mandatory on public transport.
As a formal review is still underway on making masks compulsory in shops in England, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that people should wear masks in confined spaces such as shops.
(With input from agencies)
Dozens more U.S. schools join lawsuit against rule on foreign students
About 60 U.S. universities on Sunday filed a brief supporting a lawsuit by the two most eminent institutions in the country, seeking to block a Trump administration rule barring foreign students from remaining in the country if educational institutions don't hold in-person classes this fall.
The lawsuit was filed by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Wednesday in a federal court in Boston, two days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new rules that will practically rescind foreign students' study visa if the universities they attend continue to only hold online classes this fall.
The so-called amicus brief – a supporting document submitted by interested parties – was filed by 59 U.S. universities on Sunday, including seven other Ivy League schools.
The universities said they relied on federal guidance, which was to remain "in effect for the duration of the emergency," allowing international students to attend all-online courses during the pandemic, according to the amicus brief.
"The emergency persists, yet the government's policy has suddenly and drastically changed, throwing amici's preparations into disarray and causing significant harm and turmoil," they added.
"We are taking this action for a simple reason: to do what we can to make sure the DHS policy receives judicial scrutiny," wrote Peter Salovey, president of Yale University, in a letter to the school community. "This ill-considered decision by the federal government must not go unchallenged."
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UK PM Johnson says people should wear face masks in shops
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that people should wear masks in confined spaces such as shops and that the government would say more in the next few days about what "tools of enforcement" would be used.
Asked if he would make it compulsory to wear masks in shops, Johnson said: "Masks have a great deal of value in confined places."
"I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering," Johnson said. "Yes - face coverings I think people should be wearing them in shops."
"In terms of how we do that, whether we make it mandatory or not, we will be looking at the guidance and will saying a little bit more in the next few days," he said.
Macao to lift restrictions on casino access for people who have been to Hubei
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government said on Monday that it would lift restrictions on access to casinos for people who've been to Hubei Province on the Chinese mainland, starting from 12:00 a.m. local time Tuesday.
The Macao SAR government issued the restriction in January, prohibiting visitors from Hubei and those that have been to Hubei within 14 days of their arrival in Macao from entering casinos over COVID-19 concerns.
In addition, a statement by the Macao SAR government said that 14-day medical observation will no longer be put on visitors from the Chinese mainland effective from Monday.
This adjustment is based on the assessment of the overall changes in the epidemic situation in the Chinese mainland, said the Macao SAR government.
The Casino Grand Lisboa and the Casino Lisboa stand illuminated at night in Macao, China, July 24, 2018. /VCG
Hong Kong reports 52 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 52 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 41 local infections, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of CHP's Communicable Disease Branch, said at a media briefing on Monday.
Of the new local infections, the transmission chains of 20 cases were still unclear and 21 cases were related to patients diagnosed previously, said the CHP.
The newly recorded cases brought the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong to 1,521.
In addition, Hong Kong hospital authority on Monday said that a patient in Queen Elizabeth Hospital had received blood from a donor who later tested positive for the coronavirus.
"The patient who received the transfusion has been transferred to an isolation ward and is being tested as the hospital continues to follow up on the case," a health official told reporters.
Olympics must go ahead as symbol of fighting COVID-19: Tokyo governor
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Monday that the Olympics must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming the novel coronavirus, even though Tokyo has seen steady spikes in cases.
The 2020 Olympics were scheduled to start this month but were postponed by a year because of the coronavirus.
Koike has pledged to win public support for the Games, although a media survey showed a majority think they should be canceled or postponed again.
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32 more cases reported at U.S. Futenma base in Japan's Okinawa
Thirty-two new infections were confirmed at Futenma U.S. military base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, Kyodo news reported, citing the Okinawa prefectural government.
It comes after a report of 61 U.S. service members stationed in the prefecture had tested positive for the new coronavirus on Saturday.
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61 U.S. personnel in Japan's Okinawa test positive for COVID-19
Now there are 93 confirmed infections among U.S. military personnel in Okinawa.
Following the detection of the outbreak on Saturday, the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and Camp Hansen, another U.S. Marine base, have been put on lockdown by the military.
Beijing's only high-risk area downgrades COVID-19 risk level
Huaxiang Township in Beijing's Fengtai District, the only high-risk area in the Chinese capital, lowered its COVID-19 risk level from highest to medium on Monday.
An official from the municipal government said the decision was made as Huaxiang has reported less than 10 domestic infections each day for 14 consecutive days.
Xinfadi wholesale market, where an infection cluster was discovered on June 11, is located in Huaxiang.
As of Monday afternoon, there are only seven medium-risk areas across Beijing's Fengtai and Daxing districts.
Russia reports more than 6,500 new coronavirus infections
Russia on Monday reported 6,537 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its overall tally to 733,699, the fourth largest in the world.
Authorities said 104 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 11,439.
Around 1,000 wholesalers who worked at Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market, where a COVID-19 cluster was discovered in June, were discharged after successfully completing a 28-day quarantine on July 11. Over 5,000 vendors at the market have tested negative for COVID-19 after living in isolation for almost a month.
Two experts from the World Health Organization have arrived in China for research on the source of the new coronavirus, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed at the daily press briefing on Monday.
Hua said the two experts will cooperate with Chinese scientists and medical experts and discuss related questions, but did not provide details on the experts' itinerary in China.
Hua said the experts might also make a similar trip to other countries and regions.
"WHO also believes that to trace to source of the virus is a continuous and developing process, which may involve multiple countries and regions. WHO will conduct similar inspections in other countries and regions as needed," Hua told reporters.
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WHO sending a team to China for further COVID-19 investigations
Hong Kong Book Fair postponed after spike in COVID-19 cases
The Hong Kong Book Fair has been postponed due to a recent spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council announced on Monday, without giving a new date for the event.
The fair was scheduled to be held from July 15 to 21.
Three other fairs and expos have also been postponed, the council said.
As of 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Hong Kong registered 1,469 coronavirus cases and seven deaths. Among the 38 new cases on Sunday, 30 were local infections.
White House sidelines Fauci even as coronavirus cases soar
Despite spearheading the U.S. fight against COVID-19, the country's top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci has been sidelined by the White House, reported several U.S. news outlets.
The Trump administration has prepared a list of comments made by Dr. Fauci about the virus to ascertain the number of times he made wrong remarks.
The list includes remark made in January, claiming the virus was not a significant threat to the U.S. people and was not driven by asymptomatic carriers, as well as an observation made in March, which suggested there was no need for face coverings.
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Nearly 1,300 test positive for COVID-19 in Indonesian military academy
A total of 1,262 people at a military academy in Indonesia have tested positive for the coronavirus, a local health official said, adding most of them were asymptomatic cases.
The Indonesian Army Officer Candidate School in West Java, the country's most populated province, has now been quarantined.
At least 17 people with mild symptoms are still in the hospital and 1,245 others who haven't shown any symptoms are under self-quarantine, said the official.
The outbreak was first detected when two cadets went to a medical facility after complaining of fever and back pain. It is not clear how the cadets were infected.
Indonesia is the hardest-hit country in Southeast Asia with more than 75,000 known cases of COVID-19 and over 3,600 deaths.
Mexico virus death toll surges to fourth-highest, surpassing Italy
Mexico on Sunday became the country with the fourth-highest death toll from COVID-19, ahead of Italy.
"There are 299,750 confirmed cases of infection and 35,006 deaths in Mexico," health officials said on the presidency's Twitter account. Italy currently has 34,954 fatalities from the coronavirus.
As U.S. grapples with virus, Florida hits record case increase
With the United States grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, Florida hit a grim milestone Sunday, shattering the national record for a state's largest single-day increase in positive cases.
Deaths from the virus have also been rising in the U.S., especially in the South and West, though still well below the heights hit in April, according to a recent AP analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
In Florida, where parts of Walt Disney World reopened Saturday, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases, and 45 deaths were recorded, according to state Department of Health statistics reported Sunday.
The state would rank fourth in the world for new cases if it were a country, according to a Reuters analysis. More than 40 hospitals in Florida say their intensive care facilities are operating at full capacity.
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Visitors wear masks as required to attend the official reopening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, U.S., July 11, 2020. /AP
Beijing reports no new COVID-19 case for seven straight days
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case on Sunday for the seventh day in a row. The total number of cases stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Monday.
Fourteen more patients recovered on Sunday, taking the total number of recoveries to 109.
Beijing also registered no new asymptomatic cases on Sunday, the municipal health commission added.
So far, 18 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
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The Chinese mainland on Sunday recorded eight new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,602 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 110 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,469 (1,214 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
President Donald Trump, center, wearing a mask as he walks down the hallway during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Saturday, July 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The total number of COVID-19 cases is approaching 13 million globally with more than 567,000 deaths.
More than 230,000 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the world over the past 24 hours, according to the World Health Organization.
Countries in Eastern Europe are facing a spike in new infections. To contain the spread of the virus, Croatia issued a mandatory face mask order. Hungary imposed travel bans and quarantines. Violent protests erupted in Serbia over the government's handling of the pandemic.
The number of new cases in the U.S. continues to lead the world. Florida has reported at least 15,299 new cases Sunday, the highest single-day increase since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
"I really do think we could control this, and it's the human element that is so critical. It should be an effort of our country. We should be pulling together when we're in a crisis, and we're definitely not doing it," said Dr. Cindy Prins, a University of Florida epidemiologist.
Many U.S. states have announced face mask orders and called it "absolutely essential" to fight COVID-19.
President Donald Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time on Saturday during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
The U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN that she hopes Trump's behavior can help stop the virus from spreading in the country.
India, which has the most COVID-19 cases after the United States and Brazil. reported a record surge of 28,637 cases over the past 24 hours. The government has announced a one-week lockdown starting Tuesday in Bangalore where worldwide top tech companies are located.
South Africa is experiencing a surge as well, with over 10,000 new cases being reported for several days in a row. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday the country would ban alcohol sales again to reduce the volume of trauma patients to save beds for COVID-19 patients in hospitals. The government has also required all residents to wear face masks in public.
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About 40 percent of COVID-19 infections asymptomatic: U.S. CDC
Around 40 percent of positive COVID-19 cases showed no symptoms of the coronavirus disease, according to the latest "COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios" from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This document, which the agency said can be used to estimate the possible effects of COVID-19 in U.S. states and localities, was first posted on May 20. The July 10 update is based on data received by the U.S. CDC through June 29.
Under the CDC's "current best estimate," 40 percent of people with Covid-19 are asymptomatic. This number is up from 35 percent the agency estimated on May 20. The percent of asymptomatic cases remains uncertain, the CDC emphasized.
Also, under the agency's current best estimate, an asymptomatic individual is 75 percent as infectious as an asymptomatic individual.
"Asymptomatic cases are challenging to identify because individuals do not know they are infected unless they are tested, which is typically only done systematically as a part of a scientific study," the CDC said.
COVID-19: New restrictions set as Coronavirus surge in Eastern Europe
Countries in Eastern Europe are facing rising waves of coronavirus infections, leading to new restrictive measures such as the mandatory use of face masks in Croatia, and travel bans or quarantines tobe imposed by Hungary.
Hungarian authorities said Sunday that they would put countries in three categories – red, yellow and green – based on their rate of new coronavirus infections, and would impose restrictions, including entry bans and mandatory quarantines, depending from which country people were coming from.
"We see worrisome signs about an increase in the number of cases in the neighboring countries, Europe and the whole world," said Gergely Gulyas, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff.
Foreigners from countries in the red category – those with a high rate of infections, including Albania, Ukraine, Belarus and practically all of Asia, Africa and South and Central America – are banned from entering, while Hungarian citizens arriving from those locations will have to stay quarantined for two weeks or until they test negative twice, 48 hours apart.
Both Hungarians and foreigners arriving from countries in the yellow category – which includes, among others, Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Sweden, as well as Britain, Russia, Serbia, Japan, China and the United States – will have to quarantine for two weeks, but will be allowed out if they test negative for the virus: once for Hungarians, or two negative tests 48 hours apart in the case of foreigners.
Gulyas said the new rules would take effect Wednesday and would be reviewed at least once a week.
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Hong Kong reports 38 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported Sunday 38 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 30 local infections.
The newly reported cases brought the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong to 1,469.
Among the 30 local cases, 17 are related to the cases confirmed earlier and the rest are with unknown sources of infection, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the CHP's Communicable Disease Branch, said at a media briefing on Sunday afternoon.
Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said Sunday on social media that the epidemic has become serious again recently, and she and her team are reviewing the situation every day and trying their best to deal with it.
Lam said that Hong Kong has abundant stocks of face masks and there is continuous local production and supply.
The HKSAR government is implementing relevant measures in every aspect to fight the virus, she said.
UK farm reports over 70 coronavirus cases,workers asked to isolate on site
At least 73 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus at a farm in Herefordshire in the UK, according to local media.
A S Green and Co, based in Mathon near Malvern, says 73 of its 200 employees have COVID-19 following an outbreak there.
Its workers, mainly responsible for picking and packing vegetables, are now asked to isolate in mobile homes on site.
"We contacted Public Health England(PHE), and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19," a spokesperson for the farm said.
"As a precautionary measure, we have arranged for testing of additional key workers including management team members and visitors connected with A S Green and can confirm all results to date outside of our site have been returned with negative results."
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, daughter test positive for COVID-19
Bollywood actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her daughter Aaradhya tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Last night, her husband Abhishek and father-in law Amitabh Bachchan were tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Beijing: no medical staff were infected since COVID-19 flare-up
Beijing Emergency Medical Center (EMC) said no medical staff were infected with COVID-19 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11.
As of Saturday, Beijing EMC's total number of negative pressure ambulances increased to 112 from 27 before the virus flare-up. A total of 20,370 people have been transported in ambulances, including 670 confirmed cases, 293 suspected cases, 8,688 close contacts and 10,718 other related people.
61 U.S. personnel in Japan's Okinawa test positive for COVID-19
Sixty-one U.S. personnel stationed in Japan's Okinawa Island have contracted the new coronavirus, 38 of whom were at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, and 23 at Camp Hansen, said the Okinawa Prefectural Government after receiving the information from the U.S. side.
"Okinawans are shocked by what we were told (by the U.S. military)," Tamaki Denny, governor of Okinawa told a news conference on Saturday. "It is extremely regrettable that the infections are rapidly spreading among U.S. personnel when we Okinawans are doing our utmost to contain the infections."
He also said he has strong doubts about the efficacy of the U.S. military's preventive measures.
In light of recent clusters in Okinawa, U.S.'s Marine Forces Japan said late Saturday that all personnel who tested positive are now in isolation and additional measures have been implemented to limit the spread of the virus and protect the U.S. forces, families and local communities.
Russia reports 6,615 new cases of coronavirus
Russia on Sunday reported 6,615 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally of infections to 727,162.
Its coronavirus crisis response center said 130 people had died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 11,335, and 501,061 people have recovered from the virus.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Germany's total number of confirmed cases has increased by 248 to 198,804, and the death toll has risen by three to 9,603.
India reported 551 more deaths and 28,637 new infections during the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 22,674 and infections to 849,553.
South Korea reported 44 new cases on Saturday, lifting the total number of infections to 13,417. The daily caseload has risen above 40 for two days amid continued small cluster infections and imported cases.
Israel recorded 1,197 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 37,463. The death toll rose from 351 to 354, and the number of patients in serious condition from 130 to 134, out of 471 patients currently hospitalized.
Uzbekistan confirmed 500 new cases with three more deaths in the last 24 hours, putting the total number of confirmed cases to 12,706 and death toll to 53. Nearly 70,000 people are under home or centralized quarantine.
India reports highest single day spike of 28,637 new COVID-19 cases, total nearing 850,000
India's central health ministry on Sunday reported 551 new COVID-19 deaths and 28,637 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours across the country, bringing the total tally to 22,674 deaths and 849,553 infections.
This is said to be the highest single-day spike in the number of fresh cases in the country so far.
According to ministry officials, so far 534,621 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
The country has entered "Unlock 2.0" phase, though restrictions remain in full force inside the COVID-19 containment zones.
On Thursday, the government of Uttar Pradesh, the country's biggest state in terms of population, decided to impose a weekend lockdown from Friday night till Monday morning, to cut the chain of COVID-19 transmissions.
International students holding F and M visas studying online outside of the U.S. can keep their status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a recent statement released on its official website.
"Students will not be permitted to enter or remain in the United States to attend such schools, but they are not barred from continuing to attend all classes at these schools from abroad," ICE said in response to the question "are students attending schools that are entirely online barred from attending that school?"
ICE also noted that this approach "balances students' ability to continue their studies while minimizing the risk of spread of COVID-19 in our communities by ensuring that individuals who do not need to be present in the United States are not physically here."
Earlier, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have jointly filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration over new rules barring international students from staying in the U.S. while taking online courses.
The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to bar the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from enforcing the new regulations on foreign students in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
(Cover: CFP)
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 case on Saturday for the sixth day in a row. The total number of cases stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.
Eleven more patients recovered on Saturday, taking the total number of recoveries to 95.
Beijing also registered no new asymptomatic cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission added.
So far, 21 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
As situation in the Chinese capital stabilizes, more regions are lowering COVID-19 risk levels.
As of Sunday afternoon, there're nine regions labeled as medium-risk across Fengtai and Daxing districts, and a single high-risk region in the Fengtai District, where Xinfadi market is located.
Residents in medium- and high-risk level regions are still under strict outbound travel restrictions.
The Chinese mainland on Saturday recorded seven new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,594 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 112 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,431 (1,197 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
U.S. President Donald Trump wore a face mask in public for the first time Saturday, finally yielding to intense pressure to set a public health example as the coronavirus rampages across America.
Trump had on a black mask as he walked through the corridors of Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington to meet with wounded veterans.
Trump walked past reporters and did not stop to speak to them about what had become a hotly anticipated moment – his possible change of mind on a practice recommended by the government's own medical experts, even as he resisted.
At the medical facility, Trump walked by media gathered for a carefully staged photo opportunity wearing a navy blue mask emblazoned with a presidential seal embossed in gold.
"I think it's a great thing to wear a mask. I've never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place," Trump said as he left the White House.
News reports this week said aides practically begged the president to relent and wear a mask in public – and let himself be photographed wearing it – as coronavirus cases soar in some states and as Trump trails Democrat Joe Biden badly in polls ahead of the November election.
Even as other officials in his administration called for the use of masks and social distancing, Trump pressured states to reopen closed economies.
Trump has steadfastly defended his administration's handling of the pandemic even though the U.S. is the hardest-hit country in the world.
The country has recently seen several days of more than 60,000 new cases, nearly 135,000 people have died and states have been left to figure out on their own how to reopen without a clear and coherent strategy from the White House.
As of 5:33 p.m. EDT Saturday, confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. stand at 3,228,884, with 65,379 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, according to Johns Hopkins University.
(With input from AFP, Reuters)
Iran says economy cannot be shut down despite worsening virus outbreak
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for big gatherings such as weddings and wakes to be banned to stem a rise in coronavirus infections, but insisted that its sanctions-hit economy had to stay open.
Iran must continue economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols, Rouhani said during a televised virus taskforce meeting.
It was not possible to keep businesses and economic activities shut down in the long-term, he said, emphasizing that "the people will not accept this".
Shortly after Rouhani's televised speech, a police official in Tehran announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice.
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Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says Iran must continue economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols. /AFP
Two-pronged virus tracing in Beijing underway: expert
The COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, which took place after 56 days without new cases, indicated that the novel coronavirus was brought from outside into Xinfadi wholesale market, the latest source of new cluster infections, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said during an interview with CCTV on Friday.
It is difficult to pin down the source, Wu said. The tracing process has been implemented from two aspects: people and goods transported to Xinfadi market.
Additional investigations into early cases are underway to address two questions, said Wu. The first is for those who worked in and visited Xinfadi market, how come some got infected while others did not. The second is to determine whether the virus was brought by people or by objects.
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Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Russia has reported 6,611 new coronavirus cases with 188 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 720,547 and death toll to 11,205. About 22.7 million virus tests have been performed and about 277,000 people are in medical quarantine.
Belgium recorded 112 new cases and one more death in the last 24 hours, with the nationwide total at 62,469 with 9,782 deaths. Mandatory face masks in the country were extended from public transport to more indoor public places starting from Saturday.
Ukraine confirmed 800 new cases and 27 new deaths compared to previous day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 52,843 and death toll to 1,372. The national adaptive quarantine measures will remain in place until July 31.
Pakistan recorded 2,752 new cases and 65 more deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 243,590 and death toll to 5,123. A total of 23,596 new virus tests were performed on the day, with 1,538,427 tests in total conducted in the country.
The U.S. saw its record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day on Friday, with 63,900 cases reported. Its nationwide total is at 3,181,846, a quarter of the global total, and its death toll now stands at 134,059.
WHO struggles with its stance as mounting evidence suggests coronavirus is airborne
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a clash among medical experts over disease transmission that stretches back nearly a century to the very origins of germ theory.
The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged this week that the novel coronavirus can spread through tiny droplets floating in the air, saying they will issue new guidelines about transmission in settings with close contact and poor ventilation.
The move came after more than 200 experts in aerosol science urged the medical community and public-health authorities to acknowledge the potential for airborne transmission.
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India's COVID-19 cases tally surpasses 800,000
India on Saturday reported 27,114 new cases of COVID-19, pushing its nationwide tally over the 800,000 mark, reaching 820,916.
Data released by the health ministry showed that the overall coronavirus death toll now stands at 22,123.
Health workers arrive to screen people for COVID-19 symptoms at a slum, in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 10, 2020. /AP
The Chinese mainland on Friday recorded two new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic case or death.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,587, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 111 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,403 (1,187 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 451 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday for the fifth day in a row. The total number of cases in the city stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11, the municipal health commission said on Saturday.
Twelve more patients recovered on Friday, taking the total number of recoveries to 84.
The final disinfection in Xinfadi market has passed a strict disinfection control process and a result evaluation. The environment in the market has become harmless and the original contamination has been eliminated, a medical expert told media Saturday afternoon.
Except for the beef and mutton trade hall in the market, which needs to be closed for some time due to its virus traceability, other areas have been able to return to normal, the expert added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that the "unknown pneumonia" reported in Kazakhstan could be COVID-19.
Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the Health Emergencies Program of the WHO, said at a regular briefing that the pneumonia outbreak in the Central Asian nation was "certainly on our radar," and the WHO is working with local health authorities amid a rise in reported cases.
He also pointed out that there's been a big surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, with over 10,000 confirmed over the last seven days.
The WHO is studying the quality of local testing conditions in case some pneumonia cases are in fact undiagnosed cases of COVID-19, Ryan said, adding that the WHO "keeps an open mind" to other possibilities.
"We are looking at the actual testing and the quality of the testing to make sure that there have not been false negative tests for some of those other pneumonia that are provisionally tested negative," he said. "That is likely to be a major cause of this. In many ways, many of these pneumonia cases will also be COVID-19. They just have not been diagnosed correctly."
The WHO is also working with health authorities to look at and review X-rays to see if these cases are consistent with COVID-19.
A medical worker in New Delhi, India, July 8, 2020. /Xinhua
India sees more local coronavirus lockdowns as cases near 800,000
India reported a record 26,506 new coronavirus cases on Friday as authorities re-imposed lockdowns in its most populous state and in an industrial hub, home to automakers, drug factories and brewers.
The new cases pushed India's tally to nearly 800,000 cases, the world's third-biggest outbreak, behind only the United States and Brazil in confirmed infections.
There have been more than 21,000 deaths in India since the first case was detected there in January, federal health ministry data showed on Friday.
The capital, New Delhi, along with Maharashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, and the southern state of Tamil Nadu account for about 60 percent of its cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, anxious to jump-start an economy crippled by the epidemic and put millions of people back to work, in early June eased an initial lockdown of the 1.3 billion population imposed in March.
(With input from Reuters)
Hong Kong COVID-19 cases stay high for 3rd day
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 38 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with 32 of them locally transmitted, according to local center for health protection.
This is in line with a sharp increase that the city has registered over the past three days.
The total number of cases in the city since late January stands at 1,403, of whom seven have died. A total of 1,187 patients have recovered so far after 11 more were discharged in the past 24 hours.
Eleven of the newly-confirmed patients lived in the same building located in Sha Tin. Staff of the center are disinfecting the building and collecting samples of the residents.
The SAR will move forward the start of the school summer break to July 13, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, secretary for education of the SAR government announced during a media briefing on Friday.
The coronavirus has been found on packages and the inner wall of a container of frozen shrimps imported from Ecuador on July 3, said Bi Kexin, head of the import and export food safety bureau of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) at a press conference on Friday.
He noted that the nucleic acid tests on the shrimp bodies and inner packages showed negative results.
On the same day, the GAC announced the suspension of imports from three Ecuadorian companies due to the risk of the novel coronavirus.
Three companies include "Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A., Empacreci S.A., and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif S.A.", GAC said in a statement on its official website, adding that the coronavirus was found on the outer packaging of their goods.
Meanwhile, the shrimps produced by these companies after March 12 to be recalled or destroyed.
According to the statistics from China's Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance, nearly 30,000 tons of shrimp were exported from Ecuador to China during March this year.
To prevent the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic through imported cold chain foods into the country, the Chinese customs conducted the coronavirus detection works on the imports of cold chain products.
So far, the GAC has suspended imports of products from 23 overseas meat companies. Many countries and companies are actively cooperating with China. The customs authority said that 10 of them had suspended their exports to China spontaneously according to Chinese requirements.
(Cover: VCG)
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will move forward the start of the school summer break to July 13, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, secretary for education of China's HKSAR government announced during a media briefing on Friday.
White House reporter tests positive for COVID-19 after attending briefings
A White House reporter who attended briefings this week has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) said on Thursday, raising concerns about the safety of staff and reporters working inside the building.
The journalist attended White House briefings on Monday and Wednesday this week while wearing a mask and has shown no symptoms, the group said. The person did not spend any additional time at the White House over the week.
WHCA said it is contacting those who had come into close contact with the individual.
This is the first known case of COVID-19 reported among members of the press at the White House.
Beijing recorded no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday for the fourth day in a row. The total number of cases in the city stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at Xinfadi market on June 11, according to the municipal health commission.
Twelve more patients recovered on Thursday, taking the total number of recovered patients to 72.
The epidemic has been effectively brought under control in Beijing, however, regular epidemic prevention and control work should not be minimized, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government at a routine press conference on Friday.
As of midnight Wednesday, Beijing has one COVID-19 high-risk area and 15 medium-risk areas, Xu added.
The Chinese mainland on Thursday recorded four additional COVID-19 cases, all from overseas, but no new cases of domestic transmission or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,585 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 113 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,365 (1,176 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have agreed to head the panel and chose its members, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual meeting with representatives of WHO's 194 member states, which was webcast.
"This is a time for self-reflection," Tedros said, noting that WHO's member states in May called unanimously for an evaluation of the global response to the pandemic.
"This is not a standard report that ticks a box and is then put on a shelf to gather dust. This is something we take seriously," Tedros said, adding that the panel would provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers being reconvened in November.
And the panel will present a substantive report at the World Health Assembly next May.
VCG
Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing reported plunging profits and lowered its annual profit outlook on Thursday, with the Japanese giant citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced lengthy store closures.
The firm now expects annual net profit to August of 85 billion yen (792 million U.S. dollars), down from an earlier projection of 100 billion yen announced in April, and nearly a half of what it earned in the previous year.
Annual operating profit is forecast at 130 billion yen and sales at 1.99 trillion yen, compared with earlier forecasts for 145 billion yen and 2.09 trillion yen respectively.
The revisions were necessary as previous forecasts did not account for the full impact of a state of emergency Japan declared earlier in the pandemic, which forced the firm to shut stores, as well as the slower-than-expected reopening of its branches overseas.
For the nine months to May, Fast Retailing said its net profit plunged 42.9 percent to 90.64 billion yen. Operating profit and sales were also down.
The company reported impairment losses, linked to the declining value of certain assets, of 15.2 billion yen, further driving down its bottom line.
Fast Retailing said it was on track to achieve business targets it set given the tough business climate with cost-cutting, limited discounts and a healthy recovery for operations in Japan and China.
Hong Kong reports 42 new COVID-19 infections, 23 at elderly care home
Hong Kong reported 42 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, of which 34 were locally transmitted, according to local authorities.
Of the 34 local transmissions reported on Thursday, 23 were from an elderly care home.
The total number of cases in the city since late January now stands at 1,365. Seven people have died.
Starting Saturday, the number of people at each table in a restaurant would be capped at eight in the city, said local authorities, adding no more than four could be seated in a bar together.
Russia reports more than 6,500 new coronavirus cases
Russia on Thursday reported 6,509 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its official nationwide tally to 707,301, the fourth largest caseload in the world.
The national coronavirus task force said 176 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official virus death toll to 10,843.
Tokyo coronavirus cases hit daily record of 224, NHK says
Tokyo has recorded 224 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said, surpassing the city previous record of 206 infections on April 17.
People remain cautious in Beijing, China, June 29, 2020. /Reuters
The latest coronavirus cluster in Beijing has been brought under control, according to city officials, with zero new domestic infection reported on July 6 after only one new case was confirmed the previous day. The news comes less than a month after a new cluster of cases were identified near Xinfadi market on June 11, which sparked fears of a second COVID-19 wave.
Now, with only one area of Beijing still classified as high-risk, it seems to have been contained. This has been achieved, thanks to the mass testing of over 10 million people – almost half of the city's population – which quickly identified new cases.
Self-employed resident Wang Cong told CGTN that her community in Wangjing, like many others, offered free tests to everyone living there. It meant that anyone infected could be found quickly, allowing communities and businesses to remain open for the most part. Stephanie Stone, a Beijing-based screenwriter and actor, told CGTN, "It was managed quite quickly but not over-reactionary. My apartment still allowed guests but some restaurants in more expat-friendly parts of town were quickly shut down and remain so."
People line up to take free nucleic acid testing in a neighborhood in the Tongzhou District, Beijing. Yang Xuemin/CGTN
The speed at which Beijing tested so many residents is clearly one reason this outbreak was brought under control so quickly. However, the city also proved it had learned lessons from the initial coronavirus outbreak at the start of the year. For example, only areas with confirmed cases were locked down, allowing life to carry on as normal elsewhere.
Sasha Rai, a teacher currently working in Beijing, explained, "Honestly, I feel that overall the second outbreak is somewhat less intense. I was here for most of the first outbreak, and there were worries about food shortages; most places were completely closed. And now it's more along the lines of a curfew. I even see people walking around without masks."
To maintain containment measures, businesses are still required to register visitors, who are also obliged to have their temperature taken and to wear a mask. Still, the more relaxed approach has been well received by most residents, especially business owners who are still struggling after the original coronavirus outbreak.
Community workers register for people taking nucleic acid testing in a neighborhood in the Tongzhou District, Beijing. Yang Xuemin/CGTN
In another positive step, local authorities relaxed travel rules on July 4, allowing Beijingers who live in low-risk areas to depart the city by train without taking a nucleic acid test beforehand. They can now board by simply scanning their ID cards as normal.
But the recent outbreak is a reminder that the coronavirus can reappear at any time, and many people remain fearful about travelling.
Wang Cong told CGTN she feels safe in Beijing, and wouldn't travel any time soon.
"I try to avoid travelling now. Some of my friends said that even though the test is no longer required, they have faced problems when travelling. Another reason is my financial situation. The virus has obviously impacted my work schedule and budget quite badly, so I'm more conservative about money now. I won't consider a vacation this year."
Stephanie Stone shares a similar view. "It is all dependent on what restrictions there are in other cities and if we're required to quarantine when we return to the city," she said. "It changes daily, so deciding to travel is a still a bit of a gamble."
Global cases of the new coronavirus hit 12,007,327 on Thursday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The Chinese mainland on Wednesday recorded nine new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic case or death.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,581, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 112 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,323 (1,167 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Brazil exceeded 1.7 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of Wednesday, with 67,964 deaths, according to the country's Health Ministry. In the last 24 hours, Brazil registered 44,571 new cases and 1,223 more deaths, the data showed.
Chile on Wednesday reported a total of 303,083 cases. The death toll climbed to 6,573 after 139 patients died in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said. Some 24,807 cases are considered to be active while 271,703 patients have recovered.
Mexico on Wednesday posted a record for new coronavirus cases reported on a single day, with 6,995 cases, bringing its overall tally to 275,003, health ministry data showed. The country also recorded 782 more fatalities, bringing its total deaths to 32,796.
Argentina posted a daily record of 3,604 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The sharp rise, the first time daily cases topped 3,000, took the total number to 87,030, fivefold the number at the start of June, though still well below case loads in hard-hit neighbors Brazil, Chile and Peru. Argentina's death toll stands at 1,694.
Egypt confirmed on Wednesday 1,025 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases to 78,304, said the Egyptian Health Ministry. And 75 patients died from the novel coronavirus, raising the death toll to 3,564, while 523 patients were cured and discharged from hospitals, making the total recoveries to 22,241, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement.
Beijing reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for the third day in a row. The total number of cases in the city stands at 335 since a cluster outbreak was discovered at the Xinfadi market on June 11, according to the municipal health commission.
Thirty-two more patients recovered on Wednesday, marking the highest daily recoveries so far and taking the total number of recovered patients to 60, the city's health commission said.
Meanwhile, one asymptomatic case was reported on Wednesday, and 26 asymptomatic people are currently under medical observation in the Chinese capital.
Twenty-one confirmed cases were found among 52 asymptomatic people in the early stage of the Xinfadi cluster, a medical expert told media on Thursday afternoon, adding that the Beijing authority continues to monitor the 26 people who so far have shown none of the symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus.
The flattening of the infection curve over the past few days has seen Beijing lower the risk alert for parts of the capital. The city now has only one region designated as high-risk for COVID-19 infection and 15 areas labeled as medium risk, locating in the city's Fengtai, Haidian, Daxing and Changping districts as of Thursday afternoon.
People residing in medium- and high-risk regions are currently not allowed to leave Beijing.
Despite the lowered risk, municipal officials caution the public to stay vigilant, wear masks and follow social distancing rules to avoid large gatherings.
"Zero increase does not mean zero risk," Xu Hejian, the spokesperson for the municipal government, told media on Thursday.
Seven students test positive at University of Wisconsin
Seven student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 at the University of Wisconsin in the United States, according to local media reports citing the university's athletic department.
The university said it has isolated the infected students and will continue monitoring their condition.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. has reported more than three millions cases of COVID-19, with 132,195 deaths.
U.S. official withdrawal from WHO triggers widespread criticism
After the Trump administration made formal its intention to pull the U.S. out of the World Health Organization (WHO), it drew criticisms from bipartisan lawmakers, medical associations, advocacy organizations and allies abroad.
"Thousands of people have spoken, from health experts to heads of state and heroes on the front lines: the world needs WHO. This move signals a dangerous gamble in the midst of a pandemic we have yet to conquer, and without a viable alternative to WHO," Loyce Pace, president and executive director of Global Health Council, said in an interview with CNN.
Objection to the withdrawal is most fierce in Trump's home territory, as the coronavirus case count is unrelentingly rising and Americans are the ones most affected by the move.
A conglomerate of medical associations said the move puts the health of the country at "grave risk."
Read more here.
Hong Kong reports 24 new coronavirus cases
Hong Kong's health officials on Wednesday reported 24 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, among which 19 cases were locally transmitted.
The financial hub has seen a surge of new local infections after reporting mostly imported cases for months.
Hong Kong's total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 1,324. Seven people have died.
Russia's coronavirus cases pass 700,000
Russia reported 6,562 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with the country’s case tally now reaching 700,792.
The authorities also recorded 173 more fatalities, raising the official death toll to 10,667.
Toughened by domestic pandemic, Chinese firms support world virus fight
The outbreak of COVID-19 brought turmoil to almost all rounds of life, especially in the early stage when business was widely paralyzed, but needs continued to surge, particularly in medical care. At this moment, Chinese enterprises offered support to the global fight with their leading capacity in manufacturing and technology.
The 77th Venice Film Festival will take place as scheduled between September 2 and 12 but with a reduced lineup, becoming the first major film festival not to be cancelled or delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers said on Tuesday that the number of films in the official selection will be reduced to between 50 and 55 films, with the whole program to be announced on July 28. About 20 films will be included in the main competition "Venezia77," which will see Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett presiding over the panel of jury.
The screenings will take place in traditional venues including the historic Palazzo del Cinema, as well as two outdoor arenas at the Giardini della Biennale and a skating rink on the Lido. Safety measures and social distancing will be adopted during the event.
"Without forgetting the countless victims of these past few months to whom due tribute shall be paid, the first international festival following the forced interruption dictated by the pandemic becomes the meaningful celebration of the re-opening we all looked forward to, and a message of concrete optimism for the entire world of cinema which has suffered greatly from this crisis," said festival Director Alberto Barbera.
Last week, the European Union announced it is reopening its border to nationals from 14 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea, but the list excluded the United States. Barbera said the invited filmmakers and actors blocked by travel restrictions will attend the festival virtually.
The Chinese mainland on Tuesday recorded seven new COVID-19 cases from overseas, but no new domestic cases or deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,572, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 117 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,299 (1,161 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing reported no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday for the second day in a row. The total cases of infection in the city rose to 335 since the cluster outbreak was discovered in the Xinfadi market on June 11, according to the municipal health commission.
Thirteen more patients recovered on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 28, the city's health commission said.
Meanwhile, 31 asymptomatic people are currently under medical observation.
Two more areas in Beijing lowered the risk level of coronavirus transmission on Tuesday from medium to low, as the city now has only one high-risk area and 18 others at medium risk level.
The headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, March 22, 2016. /VCG
Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are going to China this weekend to prepare for an international mission later to identify the zoonotic source of COVID-19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a virtual media briefing, Tedros said, "all preparations have been finalized and WHO experts will be traveling to China this weekend to prepare scientific plans with their Chinese counterparts for identifying the zoonotic source of the disease."
Tedros specified that the experts will develop the scope and terms of reference for a WHO-led international mission, whose objective is to advance the understanding of animal hosts for COVID-19 and ascertain how the disease jumped between animals and humans.
"Identifying the origin of emerging viral disease has proven complex in past epidemics in different countries. A well planned series of scientific researches will advance the understanding of animal reservoirs and the route of #COVID19 transmission to humans," Tedros said later on Twitter after the media briefing.
"This process is an evolving endeavor which may lead to further international scientific research and collaboration globally," Tedros tweeted.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also confirmed the WHO's trip, saying the Chinese government has agreed on the trip, during which experts from the WHO are expected to cooperate with Chinese scientists and medical experts on matters related to the zoonotic source of COVID-19.
"We have a basic consensus with the WHO. The identification on the zoonotic source of COVID-19 is a scientific issue," said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson from the ministry, adding that scientists should carry out international scientific research on the issue.
The WHO also believes that the identification is a continuous process and may involve multiple countries and regions. The organization will conduct similar visits in other countries and regions as needed, said Zhao.
Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, told the media briefing that answers to questions concerning the zoonotic source of a disease can sometimes be elusive, like in the cases of Ebola, MERS and SARS, which have taken quite some time as well as a meticulous multi-sectoral approach.
In the case of COVID-19, Ryan said identifying the zoonotic origin could involve the wild animal kingdom, the farmed animal kingdom, as well as the interfaces between those animals and humans.
"Understanding that the narrative and the pathway by which this virus entered the human population is extremely important, but it's not always a straightforward process of being able to get that answer," he said.
Starting from July 7, people at high risk of exposure to the Xinfadi market will gradually be released from quarantine. The first batch of over 5,000 people will be released in an orderly manner, according to authorities of the Fengtai District.
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
U.S. has reported nearly 3 million cases of COVID-19 nationwide as of Tuesday morning, Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country said in an interview that the U.S. is "still knee-deep in the first wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brazil's state of Rio de Janeiro has extended the restrictions to tackle the COVID-19 until July 21; cinemas and gyms will remain closed in the state. As of Tuesday morning, Brazil reported more than 1.62 million cases of COVID-19, with 65,487 deaths nationwide.
Iran reported 2,637 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 245,688 as of Tuesday. The death toll in the country now stands at 11,931. So far, 207,000 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Germany reported 390 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 196,944 in the country. The lockdown which was earlier imposed to curb the COVID-19 outbreak at a meatpacking plant in the district of Guetersloh has been lifted, according to local media reports.
(Cover: Advertisement of wearing face masks is seen near Times Square in New York, the United States, July 4, 2020. /Xinhua)
Study: 78% who test positive for COVID-19 in England don't show symptoms
Seventy-eight percent of people who test positive for COVID-19 in England don't show any symptoms, according to data released by UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday, suggesting a potentially large number of asymptomatic cases in the country.
Only a third of individuals testing positive reported evidence of coronavirus symptoms at the time of their swab test, or at the either preceding or subsequent test, ONS said.
The data was based on tests of people selected randomly in England and looked at people who tested positive at any time during the ONS infection study.
(With input from agencies)
Eurozone economy to crash 8.7% in 2020: EU forecast
The eurozone economy will plunge 8.7 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission said Tuesday in more pessimistic forecasts that do not see a complete rebound next year.
The new forecasts see the eurozone economy bouncing back by 6.1 percent in 2021, still leaving the region worse off than before the countries were forced to implement lockdowns in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.
"The economic impact of the lockdown is more severe than we initially expected," said Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement accompanying the release of the updated forecasts.
"Looking forward to this year and next, we can expect a rebound but we will need to be vigilant about the differing pace of the recovery," he added.
Click here for more.
Hong Kong reports 14 new COVID-19 cases
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported five COVID-19 cases from overseas and nine locally transmitted on Tuesday.
Based on the current epidemic situation, the CHP screening of arrivals at the Hong Kong International Airport will be tightened, and all cabin crew arriving in the city should take the COVID-19 test from Wednesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hong Kong has reported 1,299 cases of COVID-19 with seven deaths.
Disinfection work finished at Xinfadi market, evaluation says qualified: official
The disinfection work at the Xinfadi market, to which the new outbreak in Beijing has been traced, has finished, and evaluation says the work is qualified, Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government told a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
The market was immediately closed on June 12 after cases of the new cluster emerged.
With a size of 1,120,000 square meters (roughly equivalent to 157 soccer fields or 251 American football fields), the Xinfadi market makes up about 80 percent of Beijing's entire farm produce supply.
According to Xu, the first batch of over 5,000 people related to the market has been released from centralized quarantine on Tuesday afternoon after finishing their period of isolation and passing nucleic acid testing.
Read more:
Beijing's new COVID-19 cluster: Inside Xinfadi, biggest wholesale market in Asia
Russia reports more than 6,300 new coronavirus infections
Russia reported 6,368 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 694,230.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 198 people had died from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 10,494. Russia said 463,880 people have recovered from the virus.
Australia's Melbourne placed under new virus lockdown
Australia's second most populous state of Victoria will reimpose stay-at-home restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne and one regional area of the state, Premier Daniel Andrews said, after a record daily rise in coronavirus infections.
Victoria reported 191 new COVID-19 cases overnight, its biggest since the epidemic began. The state reported its previous high of 127 new cases on Monday.
India's coronavirus death toll hits 20,000
India’s total number of confirmed cases reached nearly 700,000 with 24,248 new cases reported in a single day, the country’s health ministry said on Tuesday, adding that the death toll has hit 20,000.
India has now overtaken Russia with the world's third largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, behind the U.S. and Brazil, accounting for about one-tenth of the more than 200,000 new cases of COVID-19 worldwide in a single day.
COVID-19 could cause an additional half a million AIDS deaths if treatment is disrupted long term, the United Nations said Monday in a warning that the pandemic was jeopardizing years of progress against HIV.
At the start of a week of virtual International AIDS Conferences, the UN said the world was already way off course in its plan to end the public health threat even before COVID-19.
Although AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 60 percent since the peak of the HIV epidemic in 2004, around 690,000 still died from the illness in 2019.
Around 1.7 million people were infected last year, and there are now close to 40 million people living with HIV worldwide.
The UN's annual report said that the 2020 target of reducing AIDS-related deaths to fewer than 500,000, and new HIV infections to under 500,000 will now be missed.
Millions of people died in recent decades despite the existence of effective treatments, it said, calling on the world to learn lessons from the AIDS epidemic in its COVID-19 response.
"Like the HIV epidemic before it, the COVID-19 pandemic is exposing our world's fragilities – including persistent economic and social inequalities and woefully inadequate investments in public health," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Key populations at high-risk of HIV/AIDS are being put in further danger as lockdowns and distribution of medicines leaves them "even more vulnerable than usual," the report said.
Research released Monday showed the pandemic was already impacting access to preventative medicine (PrEP) among communities at risk.
At one Boston medical center, a survey of more than 3,500 patients on the PrEP program showed that lapses in picking up repeat medication had risen 278 percent in the first four months of 2020.
Year on year, the overall number of patients receiving PrEP had fallen 18 percent, the research showed.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the findings were "deeply concerning."
"We cannot let the COVID-19 pandemic undo the hard-won gains in the global response to this disease," he said.
"As we have seen with HIV, and as we now see with COVID-19, epidemics affect everyone but they do not affect everyone equally. To fight COVID-19, we have to fight inequality. Because pandemics feed on and widen inequalities," said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima.
The report pointed out that out of the therapies to treat AIDS, anti-retroviral therapy has particularly shown its unequal access. Anti-retroviral therapy, also called ARVs, is a life-saving treatment for HIV patients.
Increased access to ARVs has averted an estimated 12.1 million AIDS-related deaths since 2010. However, 690,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses last year and 12.6 million out of the 38 million people living with HIV were not accessing the life-saving treatment.
"Stigma and discrimination and widespread inequalities are major barriers to ending AIDS. Countries need to listen to the evidence and step up to their human rights responsibilities," said Byanyima.
(CGTN's Liu Yang also contributed to this story.)
More than 200 scientists have called for the World Health Organization and others to acknowledge that the coronavirus can spread in the air – a change that could alter some of the current measures being taken to stop the pandemic.
In a letter published this week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, two scientists from Australia and the U.S. wrote that studies have shown "beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in the air." That means people in certain indoor conditions could be at greater risk of being infected than was previously thought.
The WHO has long maintained that COVID-19 is spread via larger respiratory droplets, most often when people cough or sneeze, that fall to the ground. It has dismissed the possibility of airborne transmission, except for certain high-risk medical procedures, like when patients are first put on breathing machines.
In a statement on Monday, the UN health agency said it was aware of the article and was reviewing it with technical experts.
WHO has been criticized in recent weeks and months for its seeming divergence from the scientific community. The organization for months declined to recommend mask-wearing, partly out of supply concerns and has also continued to describe the transmission of COVID-19 from people without symptoms as "rare."
The letter was endorsed by 239 scientists from a variety of fields. It stated that the issue of whether or not COVID-19 was airborne was of "heightened significance" as many countries stop restrictive lockdown measures.
The authors cited previous studies suggesting that germs closely related to the new virus were spread via airborne transmission. They said "there is every reason to expect" that the coronavirus behaves similarly. They also cited a Washington state choir practice and research about a poorly ventilated restaurant in Guangzhou, China, each of which raised the possibility of infections from airborne droplets.
"We are concerned that the lack of recognition of the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19 and the lack of clear recommendations on the control measures against the airborne virus will have significant consequences," the scientists wrote. "People may think they are fully protected by adhering to the current recommendations but in fact, additional airborne interventions are needed."
Scientists around the world have been working furiously to understand the new virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is thought to mainly jump from person to person through close contact, but adds: "We are still learning about how the virus spreads."
Martin McKee, a professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who was not linked to the letter, said the scientists' arguments sounded "entirely reasonable."
"Part of the problem is that everybody at WHO was moving with the paradigm of influenza, even though we know there are lots of differences between influenza and coronaviruses," he said.
McKee noted that with Britain's recent reopening of its pubs, restaurants and salons, the possibility of airborne coronavirus transmission might mean stricter interventions are needed indoors, including more mask-wearing and continued physical distancing.
"We're getting accumulating evidence about super-spreading events happening in indoor spaces where there are large numbers of people in confined spaces," he said. "Many of these are in exactly the circumstances that governments now want to open up."
(Cover image via VCG)
A total of eight new COVID-19 cases form overseas were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, but no new domestic cases. The Chinese health authorities added that there were no new deaths on Monday.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,565, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 114 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative reported 17 new confirmed cases compared to Sunday. The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,285 (1,157 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
U.S. recorded more than 2.91 million cases with 130,101 death as of Monday, and the worst-hit state, New York, has had 297,649 confirmed cases and 32,219 deaths. Eight states have reported more than 100,000 confirmed cases, and the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, said on Monday she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Mexico confirmed 4,902 new cases and 480 new deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 261,750 with 31,119 deaths.
Canada reported 399 new cases with nine new deaths as of Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 105,935 and death toll to 8,693.
Peru confirmed 2,985 new cases and 182 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 305,703 with 10,772 deaths. About 400 teachers have died after being diagnosed with the virus since the outbreak, while thousands of educators have tested positive.
France recorded 176 new cases on Monday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 168,335, with 29,920 deaths. The country's Louvre Museum reopened Sunday with strict anti-epidemic measures, and all night visits have been canceled.
United Arab Emirates reported 528 new cases with one more death, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 52,068 and death toll to 324. Over 2 million novel coronavirus tests will be performed over the next two months in the country to screen workers in the service industries and the government sector.
Spain reported 78 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 251,789, with a death toll to 28,388. Since the state of emergency was lifted on June 21, more than 70 cluster infections have been reported, with at least 50 clusters still ongoing.
Beijing reported no new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the first day of no new infections since the cluster outbreak was discovered in the Xinfadi market 26 days ago. The total infection cases in the city rose to 335 since June 11.
Four more patients recovered on Saturday, taking the total number of recoveries to 15, the city's health commission said.
Meanwhile, 31 asymptomatic people are currently under medical observation in the Chinese capital.
Disinfection work complete in Beijing's Xinfadi market
Disinfection work to curb the COVID-19 epidemic has rounded up in Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government at a press conference on Tuesday.
The first batch of around 5,000 people related to Xinfadi market will be released from centralized quarantine on Tuesday afternoon after finishing their period of isolation and nucleic acid testing for COVID-19, Xu added.
Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told the media that currently there are thousands of people still under quarantine in the city and 31 are asymptomatic patients. As such, the possibility of new COVID-19 cases cannot be ruled out in the following week.
Beijing's Baizhifang Sub-district in Xicheng District and Yongdinglu Sub-district in Haidian District have lowered the risk level of coronavirus transmission from medium to low, the State Council's mobile application showed on Tuesday.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he had undergone another test for the novel coronavirus, after local media reported he had symptoms associated with the COVID-19 respiratory disease, including a fever.
Bolsonaro told supporters outside the presidential palace that he had just visited the hospital and been tested for the virus, adding that an exam had shown his lungs "clean." CNN Brazil and newspaper Estado de S. Paulo reported that he had symptoms of the disease, such as a fever. The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bolsonaro has repeatedly played down the impact of the virus, even as Brazil has suffered one of the world's worst outbreaks, with more than 1.6 million confirmed cases and 65,000 related deaths, according to official data on Monday.
The right-wing populist has often defied local guidelines to wear a mask in public, even after a judge ordered him to do so in late June.
Over the weekend, Bolsonaro attended multiple events and was in close contact with the U.S. ambassador to Brazil during July 4 celebrations. The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bolsonaro previously tested negative for the coronavirus after several aides were diagnosed following a visit to U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, Florida, estate in March.
Latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in Middle East
Iran's COVID-19 cases tally rose to 243,051 on Monday after an overnight registration of 2,613 new infections. The death toll is up by 160 to reach 11,731.
Kuwait's COVID-19 cases surpassed 50,000, with 703 new cases reported on Monday. Its death toll increased by five to 373.
Qatar passed the 100,000 coronavirus cases on Monday, with 546 new cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours.
Saudi Arabia on Sunday reported 3,580 new coronavirus infections, increasing the total number of cases to 209,509.
Egypt reported 1,218 new cases on Sunday, the lowest since June 19. The country also witnessed a record 623 daily recoveries. It now has 75,253 total registered cases and 3,343 deaths.
Oman recorded 1,072 new cases on Sunday, bringing the nationwide tally to 46,178. Meanwhile, 10 more fatalities were reported, raising the death toll to 213.
A glimpse at Wuhan's top-level biosafety lab
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been at the center of COVID-19 speculation across the world. Some of the theories say that the coronavirus originated from its lab and that its researchers secretly sold experimental animals in the wet market. CGTN visits the institute's top-level biosafety lab and talks to a senior official there who has dismissed the accusations.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: How new coronavirus cases reach 'all-time high'?
Globally, the number of new coronavirus cases has reached a record high on Sunday at 212,326 cases in the last 24 hours, the WHO data showed, breaking the previous record of 190,566 that set on June 28.
With the United States, Brazil, and India showing the biggest increases, more than 11 million coronavirus cases have been recorded, and nearly 534,000 people have died so far around the world since the pandemic began, with around 5,200 of those deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
New cases reached an all-time high as many countries eased restrictions.
The biggest increase reported occurred in North and South America, which saw over 129,000 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total in the region to nearly 5.58 million. Southeast Asia had 27,947 new cases with India climbed to the forth and Bangladesh seeing the biggest increases in the region, while Australia is to close the border for the first time in one hundred years.
Read more here.
CAAC suspends US-Bangla Airlines' flight from Dhaka to Guangzhou due to COVID-19
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has suspended a US-Bangla Airlines' route from Dhaka to Guangzhou for one week starting Monday, after five passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on June 28.
This is the first time a foreign airline has triggered China's "circuit-breaker" measures to control inbound cases.
Beijing conducts coronavirus testing for over 11 mln people
Beijing has conducted coronavirus nucleic acid testing on over 11 million people as of Monday, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in the daily press briefing.
Still, a total of 54 residential communities have lifted closed-off management measures since the coronavirus cluster outbreak at Xinfadi wholesale market back in June, Pang added.
She noted that the timely and extensive testing has played a key role in preventing the further spread of the coronavirus.
Russia reports over 6,600 new coronavirus cases
Russia on Monday reported 6,611 new coronavirus infections, raising its nationwide tally to 687,862, the fourth-highest in the world.
The authorities also recorded 135 more deaths related to COVID-19, pushing its official death toll to 10,296.
Over the weekend, India overtook Russia as the third worst-hit country in coronavirus tally, behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Broadway actor Nick Cordero dies at 41 after high-profile battle against COVID-19
Broadway actor and Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero died of COVID-19 at the age of 41, his wife Amanda Kloots announced on Instagram on Sunday.
"God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth," Kloots wrote in her post.
Cordero was hospitalized in late March after an initial pneumonia diagnosis. In early April, he was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, and has since spent weeks in the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
During his hospitalization, the actor suffered from severe medical complications that included a lung infection and septic shock, and had his right leg amputated. In a recent interview, Kloots said that her husband would need a double lung transplant.
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Pakistan's Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza said in a tweet on Monday that he had tested positive for coronavirus and is in self-isolation.
Mirza said he has mild symptoms and is taking all precautions.
Visitors wear face masks on the boardwalk in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., July 1, 2020. /VCG
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn declined on Sunday to back U.S. President Trump's claim that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are "harmless."
When pressed by CNN's Dana Bash to respond to Trump's remarks at the White House that "99 percent of (COVID-19 cases) are totally harmless," Hahn refused to answer whether he thought Trump's remarks were true.
Instead, he said that data in the White House task force "show us this is a serious problem. People need to take it seriously."
COVID-19 infections have been surging in recent weeks in more than 30 U.S. states including Arizona, California, Texas and Florida. According to the latest tally by Johns Hopkins University, the United States has registered almost 2.9 million cases with nearly 130,000 deaths.
India's COVID-19 total cases near 700,000, surpassing Russia as third-highest
Nearly 700,000 COVID-19 cases have now been reported in India, surpassing Russia for the third-highest number of infections.
India's health ministry on Monday said 425 new deaths and 24,248 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 19,693 and total cases to 697,413 as of Monday morning.
COVID-19 may not have originated in China, existed in environment for many decades
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may not have originated in China but could have been thriving in a dormant stage in the environment for decades, according to researchers.
While a British epidemiologist found the virus prevalent in many parts of world before the pandemic, another study traced a part of the virus gene in existence for thousands of years.
A combination of conditions led to its viral spread, reported The Telegraph on Sunday, citing a British epidemiologist.
"I think the virus was already here, here meaning everywhere. We may be seeing a dormant virus that has been activated by environmental conditions," said Dr. Tom Jefferson, an honorary senior research fellow at the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), University of Oxford.
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At least 121 University of Washington students test positive for COVID-19
At least 121 students at the University of Washington in Seattle have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an updated press release from the University of Washington (UW) and Public Health Seattle & King County.
"As of July 5, at least 112 fraternity house residents have tested positive for COVID-19. In total, at least 121 UW students are confirmed to have tested positive in the Greek Row outbreak," the press release said.
The university said the other nine students were close contacts of the residents, but they do not live in the Greek houses north of the Seattle campus.
Last week, the university set up pop-up testing sites for COVID-19 near Greek Row and a total of 1,300 tests have been conducted as of the weekend.
Beijing reports one new local COVID-19 case
One locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Beijing on Sunday, marking the eighth consecutive day the city has seen a single-digit increase in cases. The infection total has risen to 335 since June 11, when the first case from the Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
Sunday's new case was registered in Fengtai District.
Beijing's municipal health commission said on patient recovered and discharged from hospital on Sunday, taking total number of recoveries to 11.
An asymptomatic case was also found in the past 24 hours, the commission added. So far, 30 asymptomatic cases are under medical observation.
Peru coronavirus cases top 300,000, the fifth-highest in the world
Peru on Sunday jumped past 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, reaching 302,718 cases and becoming the fifth-highest in the world.
The South American copper producer, which locked down in March against the virus but struggled to enforce a nationwide quarantine in the face of rising economic hardship, trails only Brazil in the region in terms of case numbers.
Now the leading four countries of confirmed cases are the U.S., Brazil, Russia and India.
Peru's death toll from the virus now stands at 10,589, the 10th-highest in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
(With input from Reuters)
Australia's most populous state to close border with Victoria: ABC
The border between Australia's two most populous states will close from Tuesday for an indefinite period, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said on Monday, following an outbreak of the coronavirus in his state.
Victoria reported 127 new COVID-19 infections overnight, the biggest since the pandemic began. It also reported one death, taking the country's total tally to 105.
The border closure between Victoria and neighboring New South Wales state will become effective at 11.59 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Andrews said.
Coronavirus cases have been rising in Melbourne, Victoria's capital, over the past several days, forcing authorities to enforce strict social distancing orders in 30 suburbs and put nine public housing towers into complete lockdown.
A total of four new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, three from overseas and one local transmission in Beijing. The Chinese health authorities added that there were no new deaths on Sunday.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,557, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 109 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,268 (1,156 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
Brazil registers 26,051 new cases of coronavirus, 602 deaths
Brazil recorded 26,051 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as well as 602 deaths, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Brazil has registered 1,603,055 cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths total at 64,867, according to the ministry.
Brazil's Health Ministry said on Sunday the country has recorded more than 37,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 1,000 deaths. The world's second worst-hit country by the pandemic has over 1.5 million cases. Despite this, President Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the risk, as businesses reopen.
Hong Kong reports two new local transmissions of COVID-19
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported eight COVID-19 cases from overseas and two local transmissions on Sunday.
This is the first time that the city reported local cases in three weeks.
The two newly infected cases involved a 59-year-old male who worked for a local restaurant and a 41-year old female nurse that worked in a private clinic.
"The male patient has not had travel history during the incubation period", Chuang Shuk-kwan, an official from CHP said at a press conference and noted that the female patient was responsible for dispensing drugs and earlier had no direct contact with patients.
As of Sunday afternoon, Hong Kong has reported 1,268 cases of COVID-19 with seven deaths.
(Cover: VCG)
Beijing reports single-digit increase in new COVID-19 cases for seven straight days
Beijing has reported a single-digit increase in new locally transmitted cases for seven straight days, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government, at a regular press briefing on Sunday.
"However, the challenges for epidemic prevention and control still exist in the capital city, and there have been confirmed COVID-19 cases within a controllable range", Xu noted.
Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control, told the media that the majority of COVID-19 cases reported in the period from June 11 to July 4 are from Fengtai and Daxing districts.
Among the confirmed cases, 47 percent are those worked in Xinfadi wholesale market, Pang said, adding that 98 percent of the patients have mild to moderate symptoms.
The Louvre in Paris, the world's most visited museum and home to the Mona Lisa, will reopen on July 6 but with coronavirus restrictions in place and parts of the complex closed to visitors.
The Louvre has been closed since March 13 and this has already led "to losses of over 40 million euro," its director Jean-Luc Martinez said.
Among more than 10 million visitors in 2018, almost three-quarters were tourists.
"We have lost 80 percent of our public., 75 percent of our visitors were foreigners," Martinez said. "We will at best see 20 to 30 percent of our numbers recorded last summer - between 4,000 and 10,000 visitors daily at the most."
According to its official website, since June 15, visitors have been able to book Louvre's tickets online. When it reopens on July 6, the entrance will be near the transparent pyramid with multiple separated queues. In addition, visitors have to book a visit time. Tickets can also be purchased at the museum on the same day if there are fewer visitors. However, advance booking is the only guarantee of admission.
To facilitate group tours, the Louvre can also receive groups of up to 25 people. Visitors will have to wear masks, there will be no snacks or cloakrooms available and the public will have to follow a guided path through the museum.
Positions have been marked in front of the Mona Lisa - where tourists routinely pose for selfies - to ensure social distancing.
Seventy percent of the museum's public areas will be open to the public. That means some collections and exhibition halls, such as Medieval and Renaissance French sculpture, other Renaissance art, 18th- and 19th-century art, and African, Asian, Oceanian and American art, are temporarily closed. The ground floor, which exhibits Islamic art, and the second floor, which exhibits French and Nordic paintings, are also closed.
After the success of its blockbuster Leonardo exhibition which closed earlier this year, the Louvre said its two exhibitions scheduled for spring and then postponed would now take place in the autumn.
These are on Italian sculpture from Donatello to Michelangelo and the renaissance German master Albrecht Altdorfer.
France contributes 100 million Euros to the Louvre's 250 million euros annual budget and the museum must make up the rest, according to experts.
The Louvre has upped its virtual presence during the lockdown and said it was now the most followed museum in the world on Instagram with over four million followers.
Martinez is planning a revamp of the museum ahead of 2024, when Paris hosts the Olympic Games.
(With input from AFP)
Russia's COVID-19 cases top 680,000
Russia on Sunday reported 6,736 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its nationwide tally to 681,251.
The authorities said 134 more people had died from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, raising its coronavirus death toll to 10,161.
India's COVID-19 death toll rises to 19,268, total cases near 670,000
India's health ministry on Sunday said 613 new deaths and 24,850 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the previous 24 hours, bringing total deaths to 19,268 and total cases to 673,165.
According to ministry officials, so far 409,083 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
Mexico becomes fifth-hardest hit country by pandemic, surpassing France
Mexico's death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 30,366 Saturday, propelling it past France to become the country with the fifth-highest number of fatalities in the global pandemic, according to the health ministry.
"As of today, 30,366 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the laboratory have died," Jose Luis Alomia, national director of the Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, told a press conference.
The U.S. now remains the hardest-hit country in the world, followed by Brazil, the UK and Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The Mexican health ministry also reported 6,914 new infections and a total of 252,165 confirmed cases. But officials warned the actual number of infected was probably significantly higher.
"We knew from the beginning that the cases we report here do not represent the total number of people with COVID-19 in Mexico," said Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez Gatell.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: How close are we to a vaccine?
The University of Oxford said last Wednesday their COVID-19 vaccine team has seen the right sort of immune response in trials but declined to give a firm time frame for when a vaccine will be ready.
The trials are among many across the world. In India, volunteers will be immunized with a new locally made coronavirus vaccine in July, according to a India-based firm Bharat Biotech.
In this race of the vaccine, there is one that has been approved in limited use. In China, the Central Military Commission approved the use of a COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by its research unit and CanSino Biologic, a Chinese vaccine company, after clinical trials proved it was safe and showed some efficacy, the company said in a filing on June 25. The shot also won approval for human testing in Canada.
Regarded as the most effective solution and holding the key to reopening economies, coronavirus vaccines has repeatedly attracted global attention. But, there are many steps before it will be fully useful, so how close are we now to a usable vaccine?
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Beijing reports two new local COVID-19 cases
Two new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in Beijing on Saturday, marking the seventh consecutive day the city has seen a single-digit increase in cases. The infection total has risen to 334 since June 11, when the first case from the Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
According to the municipal health commission, the two new cases were both registered in Fengtai District.
One more patient recovered on Saturday, taking the total of recoveries to 10, the commission said.
Meanwhile, 29 asymptomatic people are currently under medical observation in the Chinese capital.
Ghana's president self-isolates after close person tests positive for coronavirus
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo will self-isolate for 14 days on the advice of doctors after a person in his close circle tested positive for coronavirus, the government said in a statement late on Saturday.
"He has, as at today, tested negative, but has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution," the statement said, adding that the president will continue to work during the period, in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
The statement did not say if the close person was a staff or family member.
Ghana has recorded 19,388 coronavirus cases, one of the highest number of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, with 117 deaths.
The West African nation's deputy trade and industry minister Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah resigned on Friday for violating coronavirus self-isolation measures after he tested positive for the virus.
A total of eight new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, six from overseas and two of local transmissions in Beijing. On Sunday, the Chinese health authorities added that there were no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,553, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634 with 99 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,258 (1,145 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
Brazil registers 37,923 new cases of coronavirus, 1,091 deaths
Brazil recorded 37,923 new confirmed novel coronavirus cases and 1,091 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Brazil has registered a total of 1,577,004 cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths total 64,265, according to the ministry.
The number of recoveries in the country now stands at 876,359, the ministry said.
(With input from Reuters)
The World Health Organization announced that it would discontinue its trial of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir treatments in the fight against COVID-19.
The WHO's Solidarity Trial was established to find effective treatments for the coronavirus in hospitalized patients.
But the organization said that the recommendation was made to end the trials after evidence showed that neither of the drugs reduced the mortality rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, compared to standard-of-care treatments.
The WHO notes that the decision only applies to conduct from the Solidarity trials and does not affect possible evaluations in other studies of the drugs.
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The long wait is over. Thousands of pubs across England have opened their doors for the first time in more than three months, as the country eased its coronavirus lockdown.
"It's great to be back out, obviously supporting local businesses as well and just great to see friends and enjoy a nice freshly poured pint," said Jessie Lucas, a customer at a north London pub.
Cinemas, hotels, libraries, hair salons and restaurants are also reopening, but some businesses like indoor gyms and beauty salons will have to stay shut.
"Britain's pubs and bars alone employ almost half a million people, which is why it's such good news that so many people are able to return to work this weekend," said Rishi Sunak, the UK's finance minister.
The reopening of large parts of the hospitality industry is a significant psychological milestone for a country that's been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. But it's also important economically.
Employing around three million people, the hospitality industry could prove crucial in any economic recovery, especially in an era when jobs elsewhere are being rapidly cut.
Some people queued for pubs to open on Saturday, but initial turnout at venues could be muted. Prime minister Boris Johnson has urged people to "act responsibly" and there are still concerns about the spread of the virus.
Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, has warned people to "act responsibly" as lockdown measures are eased this weekend. /CGTN
In London's Chinatown, which has been particularly hard hit by fears over COVID-19, local businesses handed out free masks, sanitizers and other protective equipment. This acts as a small gesture aiming to reassure consumers that it is safe to return to shops.
"About 30 percent of restaurants in Chinatown are open today. By the end of the month, we expect that to rise to over 80 percent," said Lawrence Lee, spokesman for London's Chinatown.
After months of lockdown, millions of people in England will be welcoming Saturday's easing of measures. It's certainly not business as usual, as traders will need to ensure their businesses follow government guidelines and are "COVID-secure."
It's a strategy that's laced with risks, but with the economic cost of the virus rising by the day, officials have had to balance the threat of COVID-19 with the longer-term damage of businesses staying shut.
Businesses in Chinatown handed out masks, hand sanitizers and protective gear to customers in the famous area. /CGTN
Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learned from COVID-19.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program into law, according to the White House.
The House unanimously passed the extension less than a day after the program shuttered, and the program will now remain open to applications through August 8.
The program is a loan designed to provide incentives for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll during the outbreak.
As of Saturday, the U.S. has seen nearly 2.8 million coronavirus cases and more than 129,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
Read more:
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in a shopping district amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Tokyo, Japan, July 2, 2020. /Reuters
Tokyo seeks travel curbs as new infections exceed 100 for third day
Tokyo confirmed 131 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the largest daily increase in two months.
Tokyo government data indicated that young people in their 20s and 30s accounted for around 80 percent of the new cases, in line with a recent trend.
Tokyo confirmed 124 and 107 new cases separately on Friday and Thursday, partly due to increased testing among night-life workers in its Shinjuku and Ikebukuro districts.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Friday that the government was not planning to reintroduce a state of emergency. Curbs on movement pushed the world's third-biggest economy into a recession in the first quarter, with a deeper contraction expected in the April-June period.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Japan as of Saturday reached 19,411 and the death toll rose to 977, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
(With input from agencies)
A man carries his daughter as they wait at a local health center to conduct tests for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New Delhi, India, July 4, 2020. /Reuters
India recorded its highest singe-day spike of novel coronavirus cases on Saturday, with over 22,000 new cases and 442 deaths, as infections rose in the western and southern parts of the country during heavy monsoon rainfalls.
The western state of Maharashtra, home to the densely packed financial capital Mumbai, has the country's highest total, confirming 6,364 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 198 deaths.
India has now the fourth-most confirmed cases in the world following the United States, Brazil and Russia. The number of COVID-19 cases in India on Saturday reached 648,315 and the death toll rose to 18,655, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
As a precautionary measure, officials in Mumbai warned residents to stay away from the coast, as heavy rainfall is forecast for the next 48 hours in Mumbai and adjoining suburbs. The high tide was expected to be over 4.5 meters on Saturday at 11:37, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) continued.
The monsoons typically cause waterlogging at low lying areas and along the coastal parts and could ruin the novel coronavirus lockdown efforts by causing a further rise in infection numbers, experts say.
In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the second worst-hit state in India, the number of cases crossed 100,000.
India had imposed one of the world's harshest lockdowns in March to control the virus spread, but it has been eased in phases in recent weeks to restart economic activity. Epidemiologists warn that India's peak could still be weeks or months away, suggesting that the country's already severely overburdened healthcare system will come under further stress.
India's top health research body the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is expected to launch its first COVID-19 vaccine by August 15 in partnership with Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturing company Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL).
"BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project," a letter from ICMR's Director General Balram Bhargava to institutes said.
ICMR has selected a dozen institutes for clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine). The institutes have been asked to step up the clinical trials as they are a "priority project" and must "meet the given timelines without any lapse."
(With input from agencies)
Beijing announces measures to ensure employment for fresh graduates
Beijing has introduced a new QR code system for the city's fresh graduates from universities to help them seek employment amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, Xu Xi, head of Beijing's Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, said on Saturday.
The new QR code named "Jingyou," which took inspiration from the health QR code system Beijing has employed for the epidemic prevention, will help graduates and companies share and confirm information with each other without attending an offline job fair, said Xu.
Job seekers can stay at home and enjoy a total of 30 different services with the code, including applying for jobs and internships, and career assessments, Xu added.
Beijing has also announced that it will offer subsidies worth almost 3,000 yuan (roughly 425 U.S. dollars) a month to the city's micro, small and medium-sized companies for every fresh graduate from Beijing's universities they hire, according Xu.
The move is to help alleviate the financial pressure from these enterprises and encourage them to hire more employment seekers who have just entered the job market, said Xu.
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Russia's coronavirus death toll passes 10,000
Russia on Saturday reported 168 new COVID-19 related deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 10,027.
The authorities said 6,632 new cases of the novel coronavirus were also recorded, raising the nationwide tally to 674,515.
Trump top campaign official tests positive for COVID-19
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top campaign official for U.S. President Donald Trump, tested positive for COVID-19, according to local media reports.
The reports noted that, recently, she hasn't interacted with the president.
(Cover: AP)
Trump ventures to host July 4th celebrations amid rising COVID-19 cases
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump headed to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday to kick off July 4th celebrations amid a nationwide surge of new coronavirus cases.
Some 7,500 people are expected to attend the outdoor event. Masks will be available for those who want them but are not required.
Latest figures: The U.S. has suffered the most from the pandemic, with 2,788,395 cases and a death toll of 129,306, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University. The country's daily new cases have been breaking records in recent days, adding over 52,000 on Thursday.
According to the Washington Post, at least 20 states set record highs for the average of new cases over seven days, with Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina tallying the highest number of infections.
Street view of Madrid, Spain, at dawn. /VCG
Spain's government said Friday it would create a 10-billion-euro (11.2 billion U.S. dollars) rescue fund for firms hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.
In a statement, the leftist government said it would provide "temporary public support to bolster the solvability of non-financial companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."
Companies benefiting will be those seen as of strategic importance working in sectors such as security, health, infrastructure and communications as well as those contributing "to the effective functioning of markets."
The government did not name any company standing to benefit from the fund, which will be disbursed in the form of loans or share or bond purchases by Spain's state-owned industrial holding company SEPI.
Madrid said dividends, interest and value increases flowing from the investment fund would go to the treasury.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's administration also announced a 40-billion-euro new line of state credit to shore up investment in the environment and digital infrastructure.
In March, as Spain enforced one of the world's severest virus lockdowns as its death toll headed towards 30,000, Madrid had already guaranteed 100 billion euros of loans for firms in difficulty.
Spain's labor market was already precarious before the severe blow dealt to vital sectors such as tourism and auto exports.
The government has already extended unemployment protection through to September – firms benefiting from help will be forbidden to lay staff off for at least six months after the scheme ends.
A further measure to aid SMEs and freelance workers is delays for payment of tax and social security contributions.
Sanchez conceded Thursday that a revamp of fiscal policy was inevitable to fund such schemes and that larger companies would face tax hikes.
One new locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Beijing on Friday, raising the infection total in the Chinese capital to 332 since June 11, when the first case from the Xinfadi market cluster was detected, the Beijing Health Commission said on Saturday.
The new patient, a 56-year-old man, emerged in Beijing's Fengtai District.
On Friday, two patients from the local cluster infections were discharged from the hospital, taking the total number of recoveries to nine.
The coronavirus situation in Beijing is controllable, as the city has reported a single-digit increase of new locally transmitted cases in six straight days, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government at a regular press briefing on Saturday.
Beijing announces measures to ensure employment for fresh graduates
Beijing has introduced a new QR code system for the city's fresh graduates from universities to help them seek employment amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, Xu Xi, head of Beijing's Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, said on Saturday.
The new QR code named "Jingyou," which took inspiration from the health QR code system Beijing has employed for the epidemic prevention, will help graduates and companies share and confirm information with each other without attending an offline job fair, said Xu.
Job seekers can stay at home and enjoy a total of 30 different services with the code, including applying for jobs and internships, and career assessments, Xu added.
Beijing has also announced that it will offer subsidies worth almost 3,000 yuan (roughly 425 U.S. dollars) a month to the city's micro, small and medium-sized companies for every fresh graduate from Beijing's universities they hire, according Xu.
The move is to help alleviate the financial pressure from these enterprises and encourage them to hire more employment seekers who have just entered the job market, said Xu.
Three areas in Daxing District lower coronavirus risk level
Beijing's Huangcun Town, Tiangongyuan Sub-district and Qingyuan Sub-district in Daxing District have lowered the risk level of coronavirus transmission from high to medium, the State Council's mobile application showed on Saturday.
Two areas in the city remain at high risk level and 26 others are at medium risk level of virus transmission.
A total of three new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Friday, two from overseas, and one local transmission in Beijing. On Saturday, the Chinese health authorities added that there were no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,545, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634 with 98 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,247 (1,125 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 449 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
The U.S. is seeing record numbers of new cases of COVID -19, driven by surging outbreaks across the South and West. In hard hit Texas, hospitals are strained to the limit.
California is one of more than a dozen states rolling back reopening plans, once again banning indoor restaurant seating and closing bars.
"The bottom line is the spread of this virus continues at a rate that is particularly concerning," says Gavin Newsom, Governor of California.
Concerns are growing about the 4th of July Independence Day weekend - a time when American’s typically gather for BBQs, parties and fireworks displays. Public celebrations are being cancelled. Florida is closing the beaches.
CGTN's Jim Spellman takes a look.
As lockdown measures have been lifted across Europe, countries have begun using face masks as a means of halting the transmission of COVID-19. The protective equipment is worn when people venture outside of their homes to use public transport and enter enclosed spaces such as shops and schools.
In Germany, individual states have been given the power to implement their own rules regarding masks. In a similar move, the UK government has allowed the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to enforce their own measures, separate from those issued across England.
Countries have also altered their stance on masks as new studies have shown their effectiveness in reducing transmission rates. The UK previously dismissed the use of masks in their fight against COVID-19 before issuing new guidelines that include them. At the same time, Spain has made face coverings compulsory when social distancing can't be maintained until at least the end of autumn.
CGTN takes a look at the rules regarding face masks in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Greece as Europe slowly emerges from lockdown and tries to resume a normal life.
Public transport
Face masks were made compulsory on public transport in all 16 German states back in April. Greece, Spain and Italy have since followed an identical approach. In France and the UK, masks are mandatory on public transport for people over the age of 11.
Shops
In Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece, it is compulsory to wear masks inside shops. In the UK, the public has been advised to wear face coverings if social distancing is likely to be compromised, while individual shops in France have the power to make them compulsory - and most have.
Read more: Can DIY face masks really protect you from coronavirus?
Schools
Masks are compulsory for teachers and pupils in Germany. In Spain, 11-18-year-olds must wear them when 1.5-2 meter distancing can't be maintained. Face covers are not obligatory in UK schools, but teachers have been told to wear them if they are in contact with a child displaying symptoms. In France, masks must be worn by teachers if they're one meter or less away from a child. Schools in Italy are shut until September and rules have yet to be announced. Greek schools have reopened, but face masks aren't compulsory.
Public spaces
Greece, Germany, France and the UK haven't made masks compulsory when outside the home. Local authorities in the Italian region of Lombardy, the region worst hit by COVID-19, have made it illegal for people to walk outside without a mask, but they're not mandatory elsewhere in the country. In Spain, masks must be worn by people socializing outdoors in busy areas and if they're in groups of six or more.
Fines
Failure to wear a mask on public transport in the UK will mean passengers will be refused travel and handed a $121 fine, while the same offense will result in a penalty of $113 in Spain, $151 in France, $152 in Greece. Fines differ in severity across Germany, where Bavaria enforces the harshest penalty of $163. In Italy, people will be removed from public transport for flouting face mask rules.
Read more: Innovating face masks - the case for clear masks, visors and face shields
UK publishes list of England quarantine exemptions
The British government has published a list of countries and regions from where travelers won't require quarantining in the England on arrival.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday evening confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19 and is quarantining at home.
The foreign minister announced the news on Twitter, saying "this afternoon I felt a slight fever and immediately quarantined myself at home. I have now tested positive for COVID-19."
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's twitter screenshot.
He said he felt healthy and would carry on his duties from home.
There are no reports about the possible links which caused his infection. He had been conducting meetings continuously and had reportedly visited his hometown and met some locals.
In the last few days, Qureshi has had contact with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in parliament and a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meets with U.S. special representative on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Islamabad, Pakistan, July 1, 2020. /Pakistani Foreign Office
Qureshi also met U.S. special representative on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Islamabad on Wednesday when Khalilzad traveled to Pakistan to discuss progress on the Afghan peace process. Pictures released from those meetings showed Qureshi and others wearing face masks. The U.S. State Department did not comment.
According to the data available on Pakistani health ministry's website on Friday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 221,896 with 4,551 deaths and 113,623 recoveries in the country.
Pakistan has continued to see around 4,000 new cases on a daily basis, despite daily testing numbers falling.
A number of high officials have tested positive for COVID-19 in Pakistan, including Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Asad Qaiser.
(With input from wires)
Serbian capital declares COVID-19 emergency
The Serbian capital of Belgrade declared an emergency on Friday in order to suppress a resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks, while the municipal government adopted prevention measures, including fines for not wearing masks and ban of gatherings.
Belgrade Mayor Zoran Radojicic decided to declare an emergency because more than 82.5 percent of newly-infected cases in Serbia came from the capital, while the government issued temporary measures that will stay effective till July 18.
According to data published by the Health Ministry on Thursday, Serbia has 1,996 active cases of COVID-19, of which 359 are newly tested positive. The total number of confirmed cases in Serbia is 15,195, while 418,879 people were tested. 287 people have died of COVID-19 since early March.
On the proposal of the national crisis response team, the municipal government decided to restrict work of bars, restaurants and night clubs from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.
"In all closed spaces, without exception, it is mandatory to wear protective masks, while respecting the physical distance of 1.5 meters," the government said in a press release.
The obligation to wear masks exists also in public urban and suburban transport and in intercity transport.
"For non-compliance with the measure of mandatory wearing of a protective mask in public transport or indoors, a fine in the amount of 5,000 RSD (around 47.75 U.S. dollars) will be given to every person who violates this measure," the press release read.
The government has also decided to ban gatherings in public places indoors for more than 100 people, and in open spaces for more than 500 people.
Before Belgrade, several other cities and municipalities had declared an emergency in the past week, including Novi Pazar, Kragujevac, Tutin, Vranje and Ivanjica.
EU authorizes use of remdesivir to treat coronavirus
The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, on Friday authorized the use of anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat the new coronavirus.
"Today's authorization of a first medicine to treat COVID-19 is an important step forward in the fight against this virus," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a statement.
Researchers at the Federal University of Santa Catarina announced on July 2 that they had detected the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, in the wastewater samples collected on November 27, 2019, in Florianopolis, capital of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Earlier, the Spanish researchers also find coronavirus in waste water sample from March, 2019.
Moderna made the announcement on Twitter
COVID-19 vaccine candidates will enter late-stage clinical studies by the end of the month, with others beginning in August, September and October, the U.S. government's top infectious diseases expert said on Thursday.
The news comes as Moderna Inc, which is at the forefront of the country's vaccine development efforts, reiterated earlier in the day that a late-stage trial with 30,000 volunteers would begin this month.
The company made the announcement in response to one of its vaccine project investigators, Dr. Carlos del Rio, who also is an infectious disease expert at Emory University School of Medicine, who said that the trial has been delayed in an interview with health and medicine-related news platform STAT.
"We won't start until July 27, probably," del Rio said. "But July 27 would still be absolutely amazing. Even if it happens in early August, that's still amazing. This is going at a speed no other vaccine has ever gone."
According to Moderna, volunteers who have undergone the phase II trial in May have shown positive early results, developing antibodies against the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted in an interview with medical journal JAMA Network that "We may be able to at least know whether we are dealing with a safe and effective vaccine by the early winter, late winter, (or) beginning of 2021."
A COVID-19 vaccine has passed second phase clinical trials in China. /CGTN
In June, China National Biotec Group (CNBG) announced that their inactivated COVID-19 vaccine had passed phase one and two clinical trials.
The vaccine showed no "serious adverse reactions" with all volunteers generating antibodies after two doses in 28 days, the company said.
The human trials began in Wuzhi County, central China's Henan Province on April 12. A total of 1,120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 were inoculated with two doses in 28 days, according to CNBG.
(With input from Reuters)
Beijing eases restriction for outbound travel
People from low-risk area in Beijing will no longer need to provide a negative nucleic acid test report to leave the city, starting from Saturday (July 4), Pan Xuhong, deputy head of the Beijing public security bureau, told a press briefing on Friday.
The Chinese capital has enacted strict travel restrictions to curb the virus spread following the detection of the local cluster and a negative nucleic acid test result within the last seven days is required for anyone out of Beijing since June 16.
People from high- and medium- risk level areas are prohibited to leave the city.
The real number of people infected with the novel coronavirus could be 10 times more than what has been confirmed, according to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO).
One confirmed asymptomatic COVID-19 patient detected in Beijing; 204 close contacts are in medical quarantine
Beijing on Friday reported an asymptomatic 24-year-old woman who had visited Xinfadi market, where the COVID-19 new cluster infections occurred, local health authorities said, adding that the woman had also violated the regulations many times during her home quarantine.
A total of 204 close contacts of the patient had been traced and placed under quarantine for medical observation as of 14:00 BJT on Friday, while other contacts are under further investigation and verification.
Through the investigation of the case's trajectory, the local health authorities conducted health monitoring on the general contacts and nucleic acid tests on the close contacts, all of which were negative. The authorities also took 185 environmental samples outside the shopping mall, all of which tested negative.
The authorities carried out comprehensive environmental monitoring on the shopping mall in accordance with the epidemic prevention guidelines, and conducted nucleic acid tests on all businesses, which will be opened to the public as soon as possible after professional assessment, local health authorities said, urging people to strictly abide by home quarantine rules.
China's National Health Commission (NHC) has paid close attention to the relationship between food and COVID-19, and the possibility of a spread of the new coronavirus via food products.
As such, the NHC carried out monitoring all over the country after new cases emerged at Beijing's Xinfadi market in early June, focusing on both fresh meat and foreign imports of cold chain transported products.
As of Thursday, more than 50,000 food samples from Zhejiang, Yunnan and Henan provinces had been tested negative for the virus.
Russia reports 6,718 new coronavirus infections
Russia on Friday reported 6,718 new cases, taking the total tally to 667,883.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 176 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 9,859.
England to relax quarantine rules for around 50 countries: report
Quarantine rules for people arriving in England from around 50 countries will be lifted, according to Reuters on Friday, citing the transport minister Grant Shapps.
The government earlier said it would ditch the 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19.
COVID-19: Recovered patient in Myanmar infected again with coronavirus
A patient in Myanmar who had recovered from COVID-19 has tested positive again for coronavirus on Tuesday, according to local health authorities.
The patient is a medical worker in Shan State. He was initially infected with COVID-19 in April and later recovered on May 20.
Authorities said the patient is currently under quarantine.
VCG
There is "very little risk" that pets can infect their owners with COVID-19, said an expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) at a Geneva press conference on Thursday.
Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's chief scientist, said that felines, ferrets and even tigers have been infected with the disease by humans, but "very little evidence of the reverse."
"There is very little risk from domestic animals because there was some concern about domestic animals becoming a source of infection," she said.
Read more: Answer Bank: Can I get COVID-19 from my pets?
However, there were also cases of minks on farms that got the infection and were even perhaps able to transmit the virus to a human, she added.
Swaminathan pointed out that it is not yet clear how the virus can spread across the species barrier between animals and humans, which is a very active area of research that will help prevent future pandemics.
(With input from Reuters)
Two new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in Beijing on Thursday, raising the total infections in the city to 331 since June 11, when the first case from the Xinfadi market cluster was detected, the Beijing Health Commission said on Friday.
It marked the fifth consecutive day with a single-digit increase in daily new cases as more patients are recovering from the disease. On Thursday, three patients from the local cluster infections were discharged, taking the total number of recoveries to seven. The other 324 patients are still hospitalized.
According to the municipal government, two new cases from Thursday were registered in Fengtai District, and they've both come into close contact with previously confirmed patients.
As curve flattens in Beijing, mass testing is still carrying out across the city, and it now also offers coronavirus tests to those asked to get tested. The Beijing government previously vowed to conduct compulsory nucleic acid tests for all key groups.
As of Thursday, samples have been collected from a total of 10.41 million people, of which, over 10 million have completed virus tests, Zhang Qiang, an official with Beijing's COVID-19 prevention team, told a press briefing on Friday afternoon.
There're now 170 testing facilities available citywide, rising from 75 in the early June, Zhang added. Beijing's daily nucleic acid testing capacity has grown more than 11 times, from 40,000 on June 11 to 458,000.
Meanwhile, Beijing also announced on Friday to scrape proof of negative nucleic acid test results for residents from low-risk areas who seek to leave the city from Saturday.
Read more:
A total of five new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, three from overseas, and two local transmissions in Beijing. On Friday, the Chinese health authorities also added that there were no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,542, and the cumulative death toll at 4,634 with 97 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,242 (1,120 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 448 (438 recoveries, seven deaths)
As the investigations continue into how and where COVID-19 first started, attention in Spain has shifted to the University of Barcelona, where a research group believes they may have found traces of the virus when testing untreated wastewater samples dating from as far back as March 2019.
The technique, which identified traces of the coronavirus in untreated wastewater samples from nine months before the disease was first discovered in China, could be crucial in the fight against the virus.
The World Health Organization has stated that, while there is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through sewage systems, tests are able to detect the genetic residues of the disease in wastewater, as those who are infected are thought to shed traces of the virus in their feces.
The widespread and targeted testing of sewage water, carried out in this case by a research team from the University of Barcelona could allow authorities to identify when the virus is present in a population weeks before an outbreak materializes.
Joan Ramon Villalbi, from the Spanish Society for Public Health and Sanitary Administration, explains that the researchers "had a batch of frozen samples from last year and in one of them they found the results were compatible with some presence of the virus, so it's an isolated finding that needs further confirmation."
The testing of wastewater "could show the virus could be present in sewage water about two weeks before it shows in emergency rooms and hospitals, it's possibly a very valuable way of looking at the future," explains Villalbi.
The technique for testing sewage is being adopted by countries across Europe, with Spain and the Netherlands already having developed testing systems. On Thursday, the UK announced their own system as part of nationwide surveillance of infections.
Heading the British operation Andrew Singer, of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, explained that "wastewater could effectively become the 'canary in the coal mine' for COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases."
He added: "By sampling wastewater at different parts of the sewerage network, we can gradually narrow an outbreak down to smaller geographical areas, enabling public health officials to quickly target interventions in those areas at greatest risk of spreading the infection."
Though the discovery of the Barcelona sample could have significant consequences for those studying the origins of the virus, it is perhaps the technique used to identify the coronavirus trace that will have the larger impact in the future.
Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learned from COVID-19.
Video editor: Terry Wilson
Thailand is opening bars and pubs across the country since the coronavirus lockdown.
Frustrated bar and pub owners saw restaurants resume alcohol sales two weeks ago.
Britain to ease coronavirus quarantine for some countries
Britain will ease quarantine measures for some air travelers, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday, adding that details of the plan will be released this week.
"As we set out earlier this week ... we will be easing health measures at the border by allowing passengers arriving from specific countries and territories to be exempted from self isolation requirements," the spokesman told reporters, adding that the details would come later this week.
The government said on Friday it would ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19, but has as yet not listed the countries that would include.
U.S. gains 4.8m jobs in June as unemployment rate falls to 11.1%
The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in June as businesses began to reopen nationwide, while the unemployment rate fell more than two points to 11.1 percent, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.
However, an additional 1.43 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 27, according to the department.
McDonald's Corp plans to pause the reopening of its dine-in service in the United States by 21 days as coronavirus cases rise in the country, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The fast-food chain, that saw a 30 percent dip in global sales in the first two months of the current quarter, has been hurt by the shut down of its restaurants.
During the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, fast-food restaurants had to limit operations, leading to lower sales. Nearly 99 percent of McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. remain open for drive through, delivery and take-out options.
New cases in the United States have been rising and several states at the center of a new surge in infections have taken steps back from efforts to ease restrictions on businesses.
"Our resiliency will be tested again. COVID-19 cases are on the rise – with a 65 percent increase in infections over the last two weeks," Joe Erlinger, McDonald's U.S. president and Mark Salebra, head of the National Franchisee Leadership Alliance, said in the letter.
The company's shares were down about 1 percent in extended trading.
Kazakh ex-president Nazarbayev recovers from COVID-19
Kazakhstan's former President Nursultan Nazarbayev has recovered from COVID-19, which he contracted in mid-June, his spokesman said on Thursday. "Today, Yelbasy tested negative for COVID-19," his spokesman Aidos Ukibay announced in a Twitter post.
Nazarbayev will remain in self-isolation and will work remotely, Ukibay said. He also posted a photo of Nazarbayev walking out of a forest and a screenshot from an activity tracking app showing Nazarbayev had walked 2.5 kilometers.
A staff member handles nucleic acid testing samples at a novel coronavirus detection lab in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 22, 2020. /Xinhua
France has recently announced that it does not have information to corroborate a possible link between the origin of the novel coronavirus and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
"As regards the origin of the virus, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has no information to date to corroborate a possible link between the origin of the coronavirus and the work of the Institute of Virology in Wuhan," said the ministry when addressing the Senate earlier this month.
France has supported a resolution brought up by the European Union to the World Health Assembly in May, which requested the World Health Organisation (WHO) to continue its work, in close collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the mechanisms of transmission to the human population, said the ministry in a letter answering a question by the upper house of the parliament.
"At this stage, France's priority is to continue the international fight against the pandemic, and to consolidate multilateralism," it added. "With this priority objective, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs has talked several times with his Chinese counterpart."
Russia's coronavirus case tally surpasses 660,000
Russia reported 6,760 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, pushing its nationwide tally to 661,165.
The authorities said 147 people died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 9,683.
The Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing, where the COVID-19 cluster infections occurred, was shut down at 3:00 a.m. local time on June 13. Operations at Xinfadi long-distance bus station were suspended. Strict disinfection and sterilization measures have been underway. How does it look like now? CMG reporter visited the market for the first time more than 10 days after its closure.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: The virus threat in Africa
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpassed 410,000 on July 2 across the African continent, according to data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC). While it took 98 days to reach 100,000 cases, it took just 18 to reach 200,000 cases and 12 days to reach 300,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the virus is now spreading widely across the continent, which could lead it to become the next global epicenter.
Health workers disinfect a market in Toamasina, Madagascar, in June 2020. /Photo from AFP
India reports 19,148 new COVID-19 cases, total at 604,641
India reported 19,148 new COVID-19 cases with 434 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 604,641 and death toll to 17,834, the country's health ministry said on Thursday.
The confirmed cases in Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, rose to 18,298. Tamil Nadu and Delhi were also severely affected, with 94,049 and 89,802 confirmed cases respectively.
As of Wednesday, more than 9 million COVID-19 tests had been performed in India.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
The U.S. reported 52,898 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours Wednesday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, bringing the total number of cases to 2,682,270. A further 706 fatalities were reported, making the death toll to 128,028.
Brazil reported 1,038 more deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total fatalities to 60,632. Confirmed cases were lifted to 1,448,753 from 1,447,523, marking a daily rise of 46,712 from Tuesday and making it the second hardest-hit country trailing the U.S.
Chile on Wednesday said the total number of cases has climbed to 282,043. The death toll has hit 5,753 after 65 more patients died in the past 24 hours.
Mexico's health ministry on Tuesday reported 5,681 new cases of coronavirus infection and 741 more fatalities, bringing the total to 231,770 cases and 28,510 deaths.
Iran reported 2,549 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 230,211.
Turkey recorded 1,192 new cases and 19 more deaths, making the total number of infections to 201,098 and the death toll 5,150. Turkey's Istanbul Airport inaugurated its first COVID-19 test center for international passengers on Wednesday.
Beijing reports 1 new COVID-19 case, 2 discharged from hospital
One new locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported in Beijing on Wednesday, raising total infections in the city to 329 since June 11, when the first case from Xinfadi market cluster was detected, the Beijing Health Commission said on Thursday.
The new case was reported in Beijing's Fengtai District, where Xinfadi market is located.
Two new asymptomatic cases were reported in the city on Wednesday, the health authority said.
Click here for more.
A total of three new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, two from overseas and one local transmission. No more deaths were reported, according to Chinese health authorities on Thursday.
The locally transmitted case was registered in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,537 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 99 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,233 (1,117 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (438 recoveries, 7 deaths)
COVID-19: Road to a vaccine
Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, are we any closer to a vaccine?
With confirmed coronavirus cases now above 10 and-a-half million and more than a half-million deaths, the U.S. government said it aims to deliver 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by next January under a program it calls Operation Warp Speed. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world are racing to live up to that name.
Click here for more
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a huge challenge to U.S. hospitals. Many of them have experienced surges of coronavirus patients in the past few months.
All had to cancel non-emergency surgeries for a time this spring. That's affected their financial bottom lines and led to significant layoffs.
CGTN's Hendrik Sybrandy reports from the state of Colorado.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, has warned that some countries' 'fragmented approach' risks exacerbating the difficulties of facing COVID-19. /AFP
Countries that fail to use every mechanism available to combat the still-raging novel coronavirus will struggle to beat it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
"Some countries ... have taken a fragmented approach. These countries face a long, hard road ahead," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing from the WHO headquarters in Geneva, without singling out any nations.
More than 10.5 million people have been infected globally and more than 500,000 have died since COVID-19 first emerged.
He said local flare-ups were inevitable as some nations began lifting lockdown restrictions. "But countries that have the systems in place to apply a comprehensive approach should be able to contain these flare-ups locally and avoid reintroducing widespread restrictions," he said.
WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan told the same briefing that the UN body planned to send two experts from its headquarters to join its country team in China, to establish the scope for a mission looking into the origins of the coronavirus.
China has said it was transparent throughout and would support an investigation once the pandemic is under control.
Ryan said the WHO was trying to verify reports of hoarding of medical supplies in the U.S. – which has the world's highest COVID-19 death toll at more than 127,000 – and wanted to ensure everyone has access to life-saving materials.
Asked about a virus in Chinese pigs that a study said has become more infectious to humans and might become a "pandemic virus," Ryan said: "It's important to reassure people that it is not a new virus and is a virus under surveillance."
Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learnt from COVID-19.
New York City postpones reopening indoor dining
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday said the city will not move ahead with its plans to reopen indoor dining next week as the U.S. sees a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
"It is not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining," de Blasio told a news conference.
The mayor said he would work with the New York State government on when to resume indoor dining.
Restaurants were set to resume indoor services on Monday as the city enters its third phase of reopening.
Outdoor dining, which began last week, will continue in the summer, de Blasio said. He added that he is "very convinced" residents can help restaurants survive by dining outside.
An empty restaurant is seen in the Manhattan borough following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in New York City, U.S., March 15, 2020. /Reuters
Tokyo Disneyland Resort reopened on July 1 with COVID-19 safety measures in effect. Visitors who have temperatures of over 37.5 degrees or show COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed in. Face masks are also a must with visitors, and staff is encouraged to disinfect their hands frequently. Social distancing dictates that tickets should be bought online with the resort's signature parades and shows suspended. The park's reopening comes after the Japanese government lifted non-essential travel restrictions.
China's civil aviation regulator said Wednesday that China Sichuan Airlines' flight from Cairo, Egypt, to Chengdu would be suspended after six passengers who were on a June 27 flight tested positive for COVID-19.
The flight will be suspended for a week starting July 6, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said.
5 more areas in Beijing lowers coronavirus risk level
Beijing's Hepingli and Beixinqiao Sub-district in Dongcheng District, Dahongmen Sub-district, and Changxindian Township in Fengtai District, and Linxiaolu Sub-district in Daxing District have all downgraded the risk level of coronavirus transmission in the areas from medium to low, the city's health official said Wednesday.
One area in Beijing has lowered its coronavirus risk level from high to medium, and 17 other areas have adjusted the risk level from medium to low since the cluster outbreak at Xinfadi wholesale market, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Russia reports 6,556 new COVID-19 cases, 654,405 in total
Russia reported 6,556 new COVID-19 cases with 216 new deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 654,405, with 9,536 deaths, according to official data released on Tuesday.
Over 19.8 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Russia.
The number of COVID-19 cases has exploded in one of California's oldest prisons, San Quentin, as more than 1,000 inmates have tested positive for the virus, the authorities in the U.S. state announced on Tuesday.
"That is our deep area of focus and concern right now," said Governor Gavin Newsom, noting that 42 percent of the some 3,500 inmates at San Quentin, near San Francisco, are considered "medically vulnerable."
Unlike other penitentiaries in California, San Quentin State Prison had largely been spared the ravages of coronavirus until the beginning of June. But the transfer of inmates from prisons gravely affected by the virus, such as the California Institution for Men in Chino, opened the floodgates.
"Unfortunately, they arrived untested and were placed within San Quentin and really kind of seeded an outbreak in a second state facility," Matt Willis, the health director for Marin County, where San Quentin is located, told NPR radio.
The detention center in Chino, near Los Angeles, was a known COVID-19 hot spot since the start of the pandemic. More than 500 inmates there have so far tested positive for the virus, and seven have died.
San Quentin prison currently makes up half of the recorded cases of COVID-19 in prisons throughout California, which has a total incarcerated population of about 113,000 people.
California is the most populous U.S. state as well as one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus, with more than 200,000 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 deaths.
In an attempt to avoid an abnormally high mortality rate among inmates, state authorities have decided to free some 3,500 detainees, who were arrested for minor offenses and had less than 180 days left to serve in prison.
Newsom announced on Monday that another 3,500 potential candidates had been identified for freedom, 110 of whom are at San Quentin.
(Cover photo: San Quentin State Prison. /Reuters)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, June 25, 2020. /Reuters
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is "speeding up" and the "worst is yet to come."
Tedros also noted in his daily briefing that the "lack of national unity and lack of global solidarity" was actually "helping the virus spread".
The WHO chief pointed out "five priorities that every single country must focus on now to save lives." And the politicization of the pandemic is not one of them.
"Some countries are now experiencing a resurgence of cases as they start to re-open their economies and societies. Most people remain susceptible. The virus still has a lot of room to move," he said. "But the hard reality is: This is not even close to being over. Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up."
"Please quarantine COVID politics," he said, adding that "the virus has two dangerous combinations … one is it's fast, it's contagious and second is, it's a killer. It can exploit divisions."
"Your health is in your hands … That includes physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering coughs, staying home if you feel sick, wearing masks when appropriate, and only sharing information from reliable sources.
"You may be in a low-risk category, but the choices you make could be the difference between life and death for someone else," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also remarked that there's no reason to suspect that the coronavirus was introduced deliberately and that nothing good would come out of anyone insisting otherwise, during an interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel.
As the president explained, in their current predicament, countries should join forces instead of accusing one another.
"We need to do everything that leads us to deliverance from this threat", Putin said, adding that that's where "success awaits us" rather than on "the way of confrontation."
The second priority marked by Tedros "is to improve surveillance to find cases," he added while repeatedly stressing on the importance of tracing and quarantining.
He added that "if any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse."
"The lame excuse is there are 'too many' … Trust me there are not too many in war situations. If contact tracing helps you to win the fight, you do it even risking your life…"
The third priority should be to "save lives." "Early identification and clinical care saves lives. Providing oxygen and dexamethasone to people with severe and critical disease, saves lives," he said and advised countries to pay special attention to high-risk groups.
Fourth is to "accelerate research," while fifth is "political leadership."
He emphasized that global solidarity was crucial to the pandemic response and to "implement a comprehensive strategy to suppress transmission."
"We've already learned a lot about this virus, but there's still a lot we don't know – and there are still tools we need," concluded the WHO chief.
Fauci warns new U.S. COVID-19 cases could double to 100,000 per day
The daily increase in new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort is undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a U.S. Senate committee.
California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new hot spots of the pandemic, each reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases, adding to pressure on scores of potential vaccines being rushed into trials.
More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs, as states and major cities ordered residents to stay home and businesses closed. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the second.
Beijing reports three new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
Three new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in Beijing on Tuesday, raising total infections in the city to 328 since June 11, when the first case from Xinfadi market cluster was detected, Beijing Health Commission said on Wednesday.
All three cases were reported in Beijing's Daxing District.
No new asymptomatic cases were reported in the city on Tuesday, the health authority added.
A total of three new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, all being local transmissions, with no more deaths, according to Chinese health authorities on Wednesday.
All those locally transmitted cases were registered in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,534 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 100 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,205 (1,107 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (437 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Brazil has become the world No. 2 hot spot for COVID-19 cases, reaching 1,368,195 cases with total of 58,314 deaths.
In early June, the government stopped updating the total number of coronavirus fatalities and infections, a move critics call an attempt to hide the full toll of the disease.
James Alan has worked as a gravedigger at the biggest cemetery for seven years.
They used to bury around 30 to 40 bodies on a busy day. Nowadays they are doing more than 50 burials every day.
"I've never imagined this. This has taken everyone by surprise. Not only Brazil, but the whole world was taken by surprise. This has been the worst situation since I started working here." Alan said.
Watch the full documentary here.
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U.S. health officials are warning COVID-19 will be difficult to control, even though several states are now pausing or reversing their phased reopening.
Confirmed U.S. cases had climbed above 2,600,000 at mid-day on June 30. A separate database maintained by The New York Times shows cases climbing in 35 states with a handful of states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona seeing alarming infection rates.
Public health officials avoid calling this a ‘second wave,' calling it a resurgence instead.
A joint study by Harvard Global Health Institute and National Public Radio (NPR) concluded only 17 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. are doing the minimum required testing to keep COVID-19 under control.
Only two states, Rhode Island and New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. have reported declines in average daily cases, according to New York Times data.
Health experts say the virus does not appear to be surging in cities that witnessed large Black Lives Matter protests.
Concentrations of new cases appear clustered in states that may have reopened prematurely, and where people aren’t following COVID-19 guidelines.
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) reviewed data from 315 large U.S. cities. NBER said it found "no evidence that urban protests reignited COVID-19 case growth during the more than three weeks following the protest."
"The minute that we opened, it was like COVID didn't exist and people just forgot and, in some cases, are still forgetting," said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in an interview with ABC News.
While the surge in new U.S. cases is forcing states to re-think their reopening strategies, other nations are continuing their gradual reopening of workplaces and schools.
South Korea, New Zealand and Australia all appear to have the virus under control.
The European Union's 27 states have reportedly agreed to reopen their borders to 15 states outside the bloc.
The U.S. will not be among them. EU officials have confirmed that on Wednesday the bloc will ban most American citizens from traveling into Europe because U.S. infection rates remain too high.
Latin American cases are also climbing, especially in Brazil.
Brazil has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world.
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Travelers from the United States remain barred from the European Union, as it's not on the bloc's initial list of "safe" countries issued by EU governments on Tuesday.
The EU on Tuesday agreed to open its borders to 14 countries from July 1, but the U.S. will remain excluded as the coronavirus epidemic in the country is still raging.
According to a statement issued by the European Council, the 14 countries are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.
In addition, China would be included if it reciprocated by allowing in EU travelers, said the statement.
The U.S. currently is the world's worst-affected country by COVID-19 with more than 129,000 deaths and 2,680,000 infections, according to latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
Russia on Tuesday reported 6,693 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its tally to 647,849. The death toll rose by 154 to 9,320.
Iran reported 2,457 new cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 227,622 on Tuesday. Health officials also reported 147 more deaths, raising the death toll to 10,817. So far, 188,758 patients have recovered, and 3,049 remain in critical condition.
Israel reported 686 new cases on Monday, the highest daily number since April 2, taking the tally to 24,441. The number of fatalities increased by one to 319. Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katz announced a 2-billion-shekel (580 million U.S. dollars) aid package to help the businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Oman on Tuesday reported 1,010 new cases, bringing its tally to 40,070. The death toll stands at 176.
Indonesia's cases rose by 1,293 to 56,385 on Tuesday. Its death toll added by 71 to 2,876. Within the past 24 hours, five provinces, namely South Kalimantan, Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, and South Sulawesi, recorded high numbers of cases.
The Philippines recorded 1,080 more infections, taking its tally to 37,514. The death toll increased to 1,266 after 11 more patients died. The number of recoveries rose to 10,233 after 277 more patients survived the disease.
Three more areas in Beijing downgrade coronavirus risk level
Beijing's Yongdingmenwai Sub-district, Changyang Township and Yongding Township have downgraded their coronavirus transmission risk level from medium to low, the State Council's mobile application showed on Tuesday.
Beijing now has four areas at a high virus transmission risk level in Fengtai and Daxing districts, and 30 other areas at medium risk.
Beijing reports seven new Xinfadi wholesale market-related cases
All seven new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Beijing on Monday are related to the Xinfadi wholesale market cluster, Beijing's health official said on Tuesday.
Among the cases, five are individual business managers at Xinfadi, and the other two are cleaners working at the market, said deputy director of Beijing's Center for Disease Control Pang Xinghuo in a press briefing. They were currently in quarantine and under medical observation.
On Tuesday, another patient from Beijing Ditan Hospital recovered from COVID-19, and since then has been discharged, the hospital's deputy director Wu Guo'an said.
Wu also noted that all discharged patients would need to enter quarantine for 14 more days. He said no instance of human-to-human transmission from discharged patients had been detected.
Over 1,000 inmates in California jails test positive for COVID-19
California, the most populous U.S. state, is combating the coronavirus outbreak in jails, with thousands of inmates infected with COVID-19.
More than 500 people at the state's Fresno County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office reported Monday.
Among the nearly 1,200 people tested, at least 507 returned positive for the virus and 472 were negative. An additional 186 people are still waiting for their test results.
Earlier this month, inmates were quarantined after 13 inmates who had transferred from the Fresno County Jail to the Wasco State Prison tested positive for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, over 1,000 confirmed cases have been reported in California's San Quentin State Prison.
Some 1,021 people incarcerated at San Quentin tested positive for COVID-19 as of 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, according to data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The data indicates nearly 1 in 3 of the prison's total population of 3,507 has been infected.
A total of 89 staff members at San Quentin have also been infected with the virus.
India reports 18,522 new COVID-19 cases, total at 566,840
India reported 18,522 new COVID-19 cases with 418 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 566,840 and death toll to 16,893, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.
The number of confirmed cases in the worst-hit state of Maharashtra has risen to 169,883. Tamil Nadu and Delhi were also severely affected, with a total of 86,224 and 85,161 confirmed cases respectively.
More than 8.6 million COVID-19 tests have been performed in India as of Monday, with about 210,000 tests conducted on the day.
Beijing reports 7 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
The Beijing Health Commission said on Tuesday that seven new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were recorded on Monday, raising total infections to 324 since June 11, when the first case from Beijing's Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
The seven cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: six in Fengtai, one in Daxing.
Beijing also registered one asymptomatic case on Monday, the health authority said.
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A total of 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which eight were local transmissions and 11 from overseas, with no more deaths, according to Chinese health authorities on Tuesday.
Seven of the locally transmitted cases were registered in Beijing, the other in Shanghai, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,531 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 99 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,203 (1,105 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (435 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest on the global pandemic
Brazil registered 692 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 58,314, the Ministry of Health said. The confirmed cases rose by 24,052 to reach 1,368,195, the second biggest number in the world trailing the United States.
Chile on Monday reported 275,999 positive cases for the novel coronavirus in total. The death toll climbed to 5,575 after 66 more people died in the previous 24 hours, and tests detected 4,017 new cases of infection, with 3,092 showing symptoms and 432 presenting no symptoms despite testing positive.
Israel reported 686 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the highest daily number since April 2, taking the tally to 24,441. The number of deaths increased from 318 to 319. Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katz announced a two-billion-shekel (580 million U.S. dollars) aid package to help businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Iran, the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East, reported 2,536 new cases, lifting the total number of infections to 225,205. The pandemic has so far claimed 10,670 lives, up by 162 in the past 24 hours. A total of 186,180 patients have recovered while 3,037 remain in critical condition.
Egypt's coronavirus cases reached 66,754 after 1,566 new infections were found. The Egyptian Health Ministry also reported 83 more deaths and 412 cases of recoveries, pushing the death toll to 2,872 and the total recoveries to 17,951.
Saudi Arabia announced 3,943 new cases and 48 more deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 186,436 and the death toll to 1,599. It also reported 2,363 more recovered patients, taking total recoveries to 127,118.
Answer Bank: How can COVID-19 frontline workers manage stress?
As of the end of June, the coronavirus has infected over 10 million people across the world. Meanwhile, millions of frontline workers are still risking their lives, dealing with life-and-death situations. If you are one of them and are finding it hard to handle your stress, here are some tips.
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The WHO director-general has warned the crisis in Europe is far from over after announcing a mission to China to discover the source of the virus./AFP
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending a team to China next week as part of a search for the source of COVID-19.
"Knowing the source of the virus is very, very important," said WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the daily briefing.
"It's science, it's public health, we can fight the virus better when we know everything about the virus, including how it started," he said. Tedros did not specify the make-up of the team.
Scientists have speculated that the virus jumped from animals to humans, possibly in a market in Wuhan, after the outbreak in China was reported in December 2019. However, recently, traces of the virus have been found in France and Italy, while in Spain, researchers found positive samples of COVID-19 in sewage water collected in March 2019.
READ MORE: COVID-19 found in Spanish wastewater in March 2019, say researchers
It will be the second time this year the WHO has embarked on a mission to China after sending a team in January where they met with public health officials to learn about the response to the cluster of cases that had been reported.
Tedros said that the pandemic had brought out both the best and worst of humanity, citing acts of kindness and solidarity but also mentioning the misinformation and the politicization of the virus.
"The worst is yet to come. I'm sorry to say that... with this kind of environment and condition, we fear the worst."
The death toll has surpassed 500,000 worldwide and the number of confirmed infections has topped 10 million. The WHO urged countries to recommit to the fight to save lives.
Speaking to members of the media, Tedros went on to say: "Although many countries have made some progress, globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up. We're all in this together, and we're all in this for the long haul."
Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learned from COVID-19.
A research team from the University of Barcelona said that they had detected traces of coronavirus in wastewater samples collected on March 12, 2019. According to Albert Bosch, biology professor at the University of Barcelona and the coordinator of the study, the virus's level was relatively low but was positive. Investigators in this study believe the virus wasn't detected at the time because it was flu season, and nobody was looking for it.
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned that the U.S. is "unlikely" to achieve herd immunity to the novel coronavirus once a vaccine is available.
He said the vaccine would be only 70 percent to 75 percent effective because many Americans refuse to get it.
"There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country – an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking," Fauci told CNN in an interview.
As of Monday morning, the U.S. reported more than 2.5 million cases of COVID-19, with 125,808 deaths, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: Reuters file photo)
Latest COVID-19 development in the Middle East
Iran reported on Monday 162 more deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest single-day toll since the country's outbreak began in February. So far, over 225,000 infections have been reported, along with 10,670 deaths.
Abu Dhabi, the largest and wealthiest member of the United Arab Emirates federation, will allow people to enter the emirate if they have tested negative for COVID-19 infection within the previous 48 hours, the local government media office said on Monday. It has had a ban on people entering since 2 June.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Monday by five cases to 1,745, while the death toll remained unchanged at 34.
Kuwait on Monday reported 582 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 45,524 and the death toll to 350. Currently, 8,861 patients are receiving treatment, including 145 in ICU.
Israel on Monday decided to tighten restrictions due to morbidity rise of COVID-19, setting a limit of attendants of multiple gatherings, as well as reducing the number of public sector employees attending office to 70 percent.
(With input from agencies)
International language proficiency tests will partially resume in China starting next week, education authorities announced on Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic wanes in most parts of the country.
The resumption pace of the exams will depend on the epidemic situation in the city and whether the test centers meet the requirements for hosting group activities, the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) said.
Chinese students wishing to pursue overseas education need to sit for standardized language fluency tests as part of their application. But test centers nationwide temporarily closed and exams were halted earlier this year amid strict measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, putting the plans of thousands of students on hold.
Students whose exams were canceled will be fully refunded, authorities said.
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will partially resume on July 9, followed by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as of July 11 and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) tests a day later.
The TestDaF, which tests a non-native speaker's proficiency in German, scheduled for July 4 will be canceled.
In 2018, some 662,100 Chinese students left the country to study abroad, up 8.83 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Education. The U.S., the UK, Australia and Canada are the top destinations for study abroad hopefuls, according to a 2019 report by Beijing-based New Oriental Vision Overseas Consulting.
More information about the test centers can be found on NEEA's website http://www.neea.edu.cn/.
A volunteer receiving the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. /CGTN
The first clinical trial of China's first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is underway in east China's Hangzhou City. On Monday afternoon, volunteers received their first dose at Shulan Hospital.
The project started enrolling volunteers on June 23, and plans to recruit 168 healthy individuals, half of them aged 18 to 59 years old and the other half aged at least 60 years, to evaluate the safety and tolerance of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccine.
The hospital posted a recruiting announcement on its account on WeChat, a social media platform, on June 24.
The inauguration of phase I clinical trial of China's first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. /CGTN
Volunteers will receive two doses of the vaccine, and don't need to be hospitalized during the trial period. Researchers can leave the research center after confirming the absence of any abnormality.
Shulan Hospital staff they are still recruiting more volunteers.
ARCoV, a novel coronavirus Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine candidate jointly developed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences, Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd., was officially approved by the National Medical Products Administration for clinical trial on June 19.
This is the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to have been approved for clinical trials in China.
Latest on Beijing's press conference on containing COVID-19
Beijing authorities on Monday held a regular press conference on its latest measures to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak in the capital, here is what we know so far:
- Beijing will hold a high school entrance exam on July 17-19 with strict COVID-19 control and prevention measures; a total of 78,000 students would attend the exam;
- Beijing has conducted 1.18 million nucleic acid tests on people who work for local markets, restaurants, delivery services, and hair and beauty salons;
- Beijing's Beizangcun Township in Daxing District has upgraded its coronavirus risk level to medium, an app of China's State Council showed, another six areas in the city including Fengtai District's Xiluoyuan Subdistrict have downgraded to low-risk zones.
(Cover: People's Daily )
Tokyo Disneyland on Monday previewed its new COVID-19 safety measures ahead of reopening for the first time since the closure in late February. Among a new set of policies, visitors with fever over 37.5 degrees Celsius, or showing cold-like symptoms are asked to refrain from entering. The park will reopen Wednesday July 1.
Bars in Los Angeles and six other Californian counties were ordered to close again on Sunday as parts of the United States reimpose shutdown measures to try to quell a surge in coronavirus cases.
New coronavirus cases have jumped in more than half of U.S. states, reaching record highs after months of uneven mitigation efforts and sometimes contradictory messaging from government. Texas and Florida have also once again cracked down, ordering bars to stop serving alcohol. California, Texas and Florida are the three most populous states in the country.
"Due to the rising spread of #COVID19, CA is ordering bars to close in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin, and Tulare," California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Twitter.
People speak at a bar in Los Angeles. /AFP
About 13.5 million people live in the seven counties, accounting for roughly one-third of California's population. The hardest-hit U.S. states are currently in the south and west, where many state leaders pushed for early economic reopenings. But Californian bars were only allowed to reopen from June 12, with the final decision left to local authorities.
Bars in Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, had been open since June 19. The latest upsurge, pushing the nation's total of declared cases to more than 2.5 million and its death toll past 125,000, has prompted a growing chorus of calls for much tougher rules and enforcement of restrictions.
"This is a very, very serious situation and the window is closing for us to take action and get this under control," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on CNN on Sunday. Three northeastern states that made significant progress beating back the pandemic – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – have urged visitors arriving from U.S. hotspots such as Texas, Florida and Alabama to quarantine themselves.
President Donald Trump has pushed strongly for the U.S. economy to reopen despite the surge in cases as he prepares for a tough battle to hold onto office in November elections.
(Cover image: Bar tenders mix drinks while wearing face masks in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles on May 29, 2020. /AP)
Coronavirus has been 'a disaster' for the UK, PM Johnson says
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus crisis had been a disaster for the United Kingdom and while the government would look at what went wrong it was not the right time to have an inquiry into missteps.
"This has been a disaster," Johnson told Times Radio. "Let's not mince our words, I mean this has been an absolute nightmare for the country and the country has gone through a profound shock."
Johnson, who spent time in intensive care battling COVID-19, said the government owed it to all those who have died and suffered to look at exactly "what went wrong and when."
"I totally understand that and we will. I happen to think that the moment is not right now, ... when everybody is flat out, I don't think the moment is right now for consecrating a huge amount of official time to all of that. But we are learning lessons the whole time."
Russia reports lowest number of coronavirus infections since April 29
Russia on Monday reported 6,719 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the lowest one-day reported increase since April 29, pushing its nationwide tally to 641,156.
The national coronavirus taskforce said 93 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 9,166.
India reports nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases, total close to 550,000
India on Monday reported 19,459 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide cases tally to 548,318.
The country's health ministry also registered 380 new fatalities due to COVID-19, pushing its death toll to 16,475.
India has recorded over 10,000 cases daily for the past consecutive 18 days. It has the fourth highest number of infections worldwide, behind the U.S., Brazil and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
Most people who get infected by the novel coronavirus will experience mild illness and recover. But it can be more severe for others with underlying medical conditions. According to the WHO, here's what you need to do to take care of your health and protect others.
Latest developments on the global pandemic
The U.S. now has at least 2,548,617 confirmed cases as of Monday night, with a death toll of 125,803.
Brazil on Sunday reported 30,476 new cases and 552 more deaths from COVID-19. The country with the second-highest number of cases worldwide now has confirmed 1,344,143 infections, with 57,622 deaths.
Brazil had its worst week yet in terms of new cases, registering 259,105 infections in the seven days through Sunday, according to health ministry figures. It also reported its second-highest weekly death toll, with 7,005 fatalities.
Germany's number of confirmed cases increased by 262 to 193,761 on Monday. Its death toll rose by four to 8,961, according to the Robert Koch Institute's case tally.
South Korea's new reported cases fell to 42 on Monday, but the country continued to see a rise in cluster infections, mostly tied to churches. It now has registered 12,757 total cases, with the death toll unchanged at 282.
Argentina on Sunday reported 2,189 new cases, bringing its total tally to 59,933. The death toll rose by 26 to 1,232. The country has extended its lockdown, including by tightening restrictions on people's movements in densely populated areas of the country, mostly affecting Greater Buenos Aires.
The first cured COVID-19 patient since the new Beijing cluster infections detected in Xinfadi wholesale market on June 11 has been discharged from Beijing Ditan Hospital on Monday.
The patient, an airport bus driver, was confirmed to have contracted with the novel coronavirus after visiting the Xinfadi market on June 3.
Xinfadi, the largest wholesale market supplying fruit, vegetable and meat in Beijing, was suspended on June 13 after personnel working there and the market surfaces tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
So far, the Chinese capital has seen a total of 318 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since June 11.
Read more:
Beijing reports 7 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
China's National Health Commission said on Monday that it received reports of 12 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, including seven domestically transmitted cases and five imported ones.
All the domestically transmitted cases were reported in Beijing.
No deaths were reported Sunday, according to the commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,512 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 102 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,199 (1,104 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (435 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing reports 7 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
The Beijing Health Commission said on Monday that seven new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were recorded on Sunday, raising total infections to 318 since June 11, when the first case from Beijing's Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
The seven cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: five in Fengtai, two in Daxing.
Beijing also registered one asymptomatic case on Sunday, the health authority said.
Click here for more.
Lines of cars wait at a coronavirus testing site outside of Hard Rock Stadium, Friday, June 26, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Only two states in the U.S. have reported a decline in COVID-19 cases compared to last week.
Florida set a single-day record on Saturday with 9,585 new cases being reported. On Sunday, another 8,530 cases were reported. The state is among the country's new virus epicenters.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Sunday the spike is tied to a swell in young people flouting social distancing rules. He's also in recent days blamed the rising numbers on an increase in COVID-19 testing. But the former CDC Director Tom Frieden addressed that issue with Fox News on Sunday, saying, "As a doctor, a scientist, an epidemiologist, I can tell you with 100% certainty that in most states where you're seeing an increase, it is a real increase. It is not more tests; it is more spread of the virus."
At least two counties in Florida have decided to close beaches over the fourth of July weekend, including Miami. To help contain the spread of the COVID-19, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars to shut down in seven counties including Los Angeles.
The surge in U.S. COVID-19 cases is further fueling efforts to develop a vaccine. The U.S. plans to start its largest trials in July. 30,000 volunteers will test a government-created vaccine. Results of summer trials will give experts a better idea of how soon a vaccine may be ready for the public. Duke University health economist David Ridley told the Associated Press he doesn't believe a vaccine will become available by year's end.
Some U.S. lawmakers have voiced concern that President Trump could push out an unproved vaccine for the purpose of boosting his chances for reelection in November.
"We want a vaccine, not a headline," Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said at a recent Senate committee hearing.
In a separate House committee hearing last week, Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, promised lawmakers that any approvals of a vaccine would be based on science.
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People’s Bank of China (PBOC) /VCG Photo
Although facing serious challenges from the global pandemic and domestic resurgence, China’s economic growth remains resilient under “controllable” impacts, China’s central bank said in a meeting statement released on Sunday.
The stable monetary policy has offered great support to business re-openings, and it should be more flexible in prioritizing economic recovery and sustainable development, according to the statement from the second quarter seasonal meeting held by the monetary policy committee of People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on June 24.
The central bank will continue to keep adequate liquidity and lead lending rates lower by exploiting the potential of reforms, the statement said, noting that the PBOC would guide financial institutions to further support small and medium-sized enterprises as well as private companies with different measures.
UK could lock down city of Leicester over virus fears
The English Midlands city of Leicester could face a local lockdown due to a rise in coronavirus cases, the UK's Home Secretary Priti Patel said Sunday.
"There will be support going into Leicester, and in fact, the health secretary (Matt Hancock) was in touch with many of us over the weekend explaining some of the measures, the support on testing, resources that will go into the local authority as well," Patel told the BBC.
Reports in the Sunday Times newspaper said the government was set to reimpose strict lockdown rules on Leicester "within the next few days" after a spike of 658 new cases reported in the two weeks up to June 16.
The increases were linked to fresh outbreaks at food production plants and reports of large gatherings outside takeaway restaurants.
Patel added that there had been "flare-ups across the country in recent weeks, in just the last three or four weeks in particular."
"For local outbreaks, it is appropriate to have local solutions in terms of infection control, social distancing, screening and many tools," said Patel.
The news regarding Leicester comes at a worrying time for the UK, a country badly affected by the pandemic. Boris Johnson's government is set to ease virus lockdown restrictions from July 4 — despite predictions of a second wave of infections — by opening pubs, restaurants and hairdressers among others across England on July 4.
In the last few days, Britain has seen tens of thousands of people ignore social distancing rules and flood to beaches, hold street parties as well as Liverpool fans crowd the city after their football club won the Premier League.
"I think it's right that we are all conscientious about concerns of another wave. I think nothing would be more damaging for our country, for our economy if we do have a second wave," Patel added.
Leading medical experts warned earlier this month of the "real risk" of a second coronavirus wave this winter. More than 43,000 people have died due to the coronavirus in the UK, official figures show, though the final death toll is expected to be much higher.
Iran reports 2,489 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 222,669
Iran reported 2,489 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with 144 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 222,669 and the death toll to 10,508, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said mask-wearing will be mandatory in certain areas as of next week and gave coronavirus-hit provinces the green light to reimpose restrictive measures.
A total of 1,616,869 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the country.
Beijing mobilizes buses to collect samples for COVID-19 testing
The first batch of two buses was mobilized in Beijing's Xicheng and Chaoyang districts on Sunday to collect samples for novel coronavirus tests.
Each bus has one window for registration and four others for sample collecting, and they are placed at the optimal height for medical workers to carry out their work, according to Xinhua.
The mobile units are designed to improve the efficiency and working environment of medical workers in the high summer temperatures.
Beijing has rolled out massive testing with thousands of tents set up across the city to collect throat swabs from residents in light of a local COVID-19 cluster that has led to 311 infections since June 11.
According to a municipal official, as many as 8.29 million coronavirus test samples have been collected in Beijing as of noon on Sunday.
COVID-19 risk level downgraded in two areas in Beijing
The COVID-19 risk level in Jinrongjie (Financial Street) Sub-district in Beijing's Xicheng District and Taipingqiao Sub-district in Fengtai District were moved from medium to low on Sunday.
Beijing now has a total of five high-risk and 37 medium-risk areas across 11 districts.
Hotels, restaurants, schools and other facilities located in high-risk areas are temporarily closed and stricter community management measures are imposed in both medium- and high-risk areas.
25 of Beijing's new COVID-19 cases detected in quarantine
Beijing on Sunday said that 25 cases reported in the Fengtai District in the past two days had been confirmed among individuals undergoing medical observation.
Among them, 23 infections were detected at a hotel that had been repurposed as a quarantine facility. These cases were all traced back to employees working on the first floor below ground level of a building at the Xinfadi market specializing in beef and mutton trade. A total of 102 cases have been linked to that floor, accounting for 48.11 percent of all confirmed infections in the new coronavirus cluster in Fengtai, local health authorities said.
The 14-day quarantine period for personnel from that floor will be extended.
Global coronavirus infections hit 10 million: Johns Hopkins
Global COVID-19 cases hit 10 million on 17:51 BJT, with more than 498,000 fatalities, according to fresh data by Johns Hopkins University.
The top five countries with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are the U.S., Brazil, Russia, India and the UK.
Russia's daily coronavirus cases fall, death toll tops 9,000
Russia on Sunday reported 6,791 new coronavirus cases, a figure that keeps the daily rise below 7,000 for three days in a row for the first time since late April. The cumulative nationwide tally is now 634,437.
The country's coronavirus response center said 104 people had died of the virus in the previous 24 hours, taking the death toll to 9,073.
A research team from the University of Barcelona, one of Spain's most prestigious universities, said Friday that they had detected traces of coronavirus in wastewater samples collected on March 12, 2019, nine months before COVID-19 was identified in China.
The research has been submitted for peer review, and researchers say more testing is needed to support the findings.
"These results, sent to a high impact journal and published in the archive medRxiv, suggest the infection was present before knowing about any case of COVID-19 in any part of the world," the statement said. "Those infected could have been diagnosed with flu in primary care by mistake, contributing to the community transmission before the public health authorities took measures."
The study was led by researchers from the Enteric Virus Laboratory of the University of Barcelona in collaboration with the public-private company Aigues de Barcelona, which is responsible for managing the water cycle in Barcelona's metropolitan area.
The construction of a mobile, inflatable laboratory, named Huoyan or Fire Eye, for conducting COVID-19 tests in Beijing was completed on Saturday. The facility has 16 rooms, up from only nine on Tuesday. Finished within a week, the lab can handle 100,000 nucleic acid tests a day.
Staff conduct disinfection at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 16, 2020. /Xinhua
Latest developments of COVID-19 across the world
Brazil recorded 38,693 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 1,109 additional deaths, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The nation has now registered 1,313,667 total confirmed cases of the virus and 57,070 deaths.
Germany has reported a total of 193,499 cases of COVID-19 in the country, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by three to 8,957.
Ireland will maintain a 14-day quarantine for travelers from the British mainland in July even as it plans to ease travel restrictions with some countries, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.
Australia's Victoria state will implement mandatory coronavirus tests for returning travelers after a sharp spike in infections over the past two weeks, the state's premier said on Sunday. The country's second-most populous state had 49 new cases on Sunday, its highest in more than two months and the 12th consecutive day of double-digit rises.
(With input from agencies)
India reports 19,906 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 528,859
India reported a total of 19,906 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 528,859 infections and 16,095 deaths as of Sunday morning, according to local health authorities.
So far, 309,712 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Florida's coronavirus crisis deepens as state shatters daily case record
Florida and four other states recorded daily highs for cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, highlighting the worsening spread of the coronavirus in parts of the U.S. South and West, prompting some officials to roll back their reopening plans.
Florida on Saturday morning reported 9,585 new infections in the last 24 hours, a record for a second day, while Arizona recorded 3,591 new cases of COVID-19, matching its prior record on Tuesday.
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Beijing reports 14 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
The Beijing Health Commission said on Sunday that 14 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were recorded on Saturday, raising total infections to 311 since June 11, when the first case of Beijing's Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
The 14 cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: 10 in Fengtai, four in Daxing.
Beijing also registered three asymptomatic cases on Saturday, the health authority said.
U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 2.5 mln: Johns Hopkins University
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 2.5 million on Saturday, reaching 2,500,419 as of 4:35 p.m. (2035 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the national death toll reached 125,434, according to the tally.
The state of New York reported 391,923 cases and 31,362 deaths, both topping the nation. But the state's COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to around 1 percent, the lowest among the country's big states, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Other states with over 100,000 cases include California, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, Florida and Massachusetts, the tally showed.
Chinese health authorities on Sunday said that 17 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 14 were local transmissions and three were from overseas, with no additional deaths.
All the local transmissions were registered in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,500 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 106 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,197 (1,095 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (435 recoveries, seven deaths)
VCG
Mosquitoes and flies do not have the biological basis to transmit the novel coronavirus, said Wang Liping, researcher from China Center for Disease Control and Prevention at a regular press conference in Beijing on Saturday.
There has been no report worldwide suggesting any novel coronavirus infection caused by vectors like mosquitoes and flies, Wang added.
But, they are able to transmit other diseases like malaria and dengue fever, warned the expert. She suggested that people take preventative measures against mosquito bites in summer, and also protect food from flies.
The major transmission routes of the novel coronavirus are through respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks, and touching eyes, nose or mouth after touching a contaminated surface, said the World Health Organization.
Low risk of infection by short-time contact with courier
There's also a low possibility that people could be infected by brief contact with express deliverymen in an area where COVID-19 is spreading, said Wang.
Wear a mask when receiving deliveries at the entrance of a community, Wang cautioned. "Wash your hands with running water and soap after handling the package."
Men wearing protective masks to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus stand at a back ally bar street in Tokyo. /AP
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Saturday said that 57 new cases of COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in the capital, the highest single-day count since the state of emergency was lifted on May 25.
The number of people in the capital who have tested positive for the pneumonia-causing virus now stands at 6,054, the Tokyo metropolitan government said, with the latest increase marked the second straight day that the daily number in the capital has topped 50.
Among the newly confirmed 57 cases, 41 are people in their 20s and 30s, accounting for around 70 percent of the total, officials said Saturday. Meanwhile, 21 are known to have been in close contact with confirmed cases, while transmission routes remain unknown for the remaining 36.
Across the country, the confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 89 to reach 18,406, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Saturday.
The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.
The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 985 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the cruise ship.
The health ministry said there are currently a total of 49 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators or in intensive care units.
The ministry also said that in total, 17,110 people, including 658 from the cruise ship, have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.
Serbia's Defense Minister tests positive for coronavirus
Aleksandar Vulin, Defense Minister of Serbia, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the country's defense ministry.
On the same day, Director of Serbia's Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Đurić, was also confirmed with COVID-19.
Both Vulin and Đurić are feeling well and under quarantine, according to media reports.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Vulin will continue to perform his duties as Minister of Defense on a regular basis, adhering to all prescribed measures during self-isolation.
Beijing official urges vigilance as 'COVID-19 situation remains grim'
Beijing authorities urged vigilance and vowed to resolutely cut all possible routes of transmission to combat COVID-19 in the capital city as the "epidemic situation remains grim," said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government, at a regular press briefing on Saturday.
Saying that the city needs to strengthen regulation on the pricing of coronavirus nucleic acid testing, Xu noted that Beijing should ramp up its testing ability, and expand it to cover residents in all key groups and industries to detect and eliminate potential risks of virus transmission.
The Beijing Health Commission said on Saturday that 17 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were recorded on Friday, raising total infections to 297 since June 11, when the first case from Beijing's Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
According to a health official at the briefing, a total of 25 asymptomatic cases are still under observation since June 11.
The 17 new cases registered on Friday consist of 11 males and six females aged 23-55, said an official.
Sixteen cases out of the 17 are connected to Xinfadi wholesale market, while the other case is still under epidemiological investigation, the official added.
Read more: Beijing reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
Nucleic acid testing at a construction site in the Haidian District, Beijing, China, June 26, 2020. /VCG
Beijing to strengthen coronavirus testing pricing regulation
Beijing's officials on Saturday said the city needs to strengthen regulation on the pricing of coronavirus nucleic acid testing.
Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, said in a daily press briefing that the Chinese capital city needs to expedite its testing ability and expand it to cover residents in all key groups and industries to detect and eliminate potential risks of virus transmission.
Russia's daily number of new COVID-19 cases stays below 7,000
Russia on Saturday reported 6,852 new coronavirus cases, meaning that the daily rise has been below 7,000 for a second day in a row for the first time since late April. The new cases take the cumulative nationwide tally to 627,646.
The country's coronavirus response center said 188 people had died of the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 8,969.
Although COVID-19 remains a threat, many countries are considering reopening schools and public places. But is it really safe right now for kids to play outside?
Unfortunately, it's still not 100 percent safe outside, as many places around the world are still reporting new daily cases.
To cut down the risk of infection, the safest choice is to reduce the chances of person-to-person contact.
If kids feel bored inside the house: Try some indoor games. Playing with Legos, having a cartoon marathon or reading books can also be fun. Better give up the idea of holding parties for kids but they can always video chat with their best buddies.
If kids want some fresh air: Going outside can be great for physical and mental health. But please avoid crowded areas and say no to group activities. The best choice is playing in parks, backyard or other open spaces. When going to public areas, wear a mask and keep at least two meters of space between others. Don't forget to take some hand sanitizer to let them clean hands often.
And don't touch anything. No playing on playground equipment, sharing balls or touching any other items. You don't know who has touched it or when.
Also, don't touch let kids touch their eyes, nose or mouth before cleaning hands.
Last but not the least, here's a quick reminder: Stay calm and keep an eye on local cases. If you notice any signs of COVID-19 symptoms in your kid, seek early health care and follow recommendations of your local health authority.
Stay safe and healthy and remember that distance only stops the virus, not love.
(Video filmed by Zhang Yi and Zhao Jing; Cover image designed by Li Jingjie)
Pence says U.S. in 'better place' on coronavirus even as new cases rise in 16 states
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Friday sounded a note of optimism about the novel coronavirus pandemic, saying that 34 states show a measure of stabilizing numbers of new cases, but encouraged people to continue social distancing and other strategies to help contain the spread of the virus.
Pence, at the first U.S. coronavirus task force briefing in months, said that 16 states are seeing an increase in infections and that the federal government is focused on rising cases in the South.
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Coronavirus traces found in March 2019 sewage sample: Spanish study
Spanish virologists have found traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019, nine months before the COVID-19 disease was identified in China, the University of Barcelona said on Friday (Jun 26).
The discovery of virus genome presence so early in Spain, if confirmed, would imply the disease may have appeared much earlier than the scientific community thought.
The University of Barcelona team, who had been testing waste water since mid-April this year to identify potential new outbreaks, decided to also run tests on older samples.
They first found the virus was present in Barcelona on January 15, 2020, 41 days before the first case was officially reported there.
Then they ran tests on samples taken between January 2018 and December 2019 and found the presence of the virus genome in one of them, collected on March 12, 2019.
"The levels of SARS-CoV-2 were low but were positive," research leader Albert Bosch was quoted as saying by the university.
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Beijing reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted
The Beijing Health Commission said on Saturday that 17 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were recorded on Friday, raising total infections to 297 since June 11, when the first case of Beijing's Xinfadi market cluster was detected.
The 17 cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: 15 in Fengtai, two in Daxing.
Beijing also registered four asymptomatic cases on Friday, the health authority said.
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Chinese health authorities on Saturday said that 21 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Friday, of which 17 were local transmissions and four from overseas, with no additional deaths.
All local transmissions were registered in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,483 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 106 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,196 (1,091 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (435 recoveries, seven deaths)
Brazil reports 46,860 additional coronavirus cases, 990 deaths
Brazil registered 46,860 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours and 990 additional deaths, the Health Ministry said on Friday.
The nation has now registered 1,274,974 total confirmed COVID-19 cases and 55,961 deaths.
Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, has at least 258,508 confirmed coronavirus cases and at least 13,966 people died from the virus, according to the State Health Secretary.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths reach 124,000 amid soaring new cases
U.S. COVID-19 deaths reached 124,964 with over 2.4 million infections, while the number of new cases continues to rise across the country over three months into the pandemic.
A total of 2,461,444 cases were reported in the country with fatalities reaching 124,964 as of 6:53 p.m. local time (2253 GMT) on Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top health expert, warned on Friday that some parts of the country are facing "a serious problem" and the White House coronavirus task force is "seriously considering" pool testing for COVID-19.
Worldwide, COVID-19 cases surpassed 9.6 million and the death toll from the virus was 491,744.
WHO-led coalition needs $31.3 bln to fight COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO)-led coalition fighting the coronavirus needs 31.3 billion U.S. dollars over the next 12 months to develop and roll out tests, treatments and vaccines, it said on Friday.
Today, 3.4 billion U.S. dollars had been collected, leaving a funding gap of 27.9 billion U.S. dollars, of which 13.7 billion was "urgently needed".
The WHO initiative aims to scale up delivery of 500 million tests and 245 million courses of treatments to low- and middle-income countries by mid-2021, as well as two billion vaccines doses, including one billion to be bought by low- and middle-income countries, by the end of 2021, it said in a statement.
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ARCoV, a novel coronavirus Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine candidate jointly developed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences, Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd, was officially approved by the National Medical Products Administration of clinical trial on June 19, according to CCTV's report.
This is the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to be approved for clinical trials in China.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-9 pandemic, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA has been researching on COVID-19 vaccines.
Their study shows that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine not only induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies in mice and crab-eating macaques, but also induced protective T cell immune responses.
The experiment on crab-eating macaques shows that vaccine-immunized animals can withstand the attack of novel coronavirus, effectively prevent virus replication and pulmonary disease progression, which shows good protective effects.
Domestic mRNA vaccines have three advantages, according to the project leader and researcher of PLA Academy of Military Sciences, Qin Chengfeng.
First, the selection of vaccine antigen target is more precise, and the vaccine is safe.
Second, the core raw materials and equipment have all been localized, which makes it possible to expand the production capacity rapidly.
Third, the vaccine can be stored at room temperature for a week, which means the cost of cold chain is low, making it easier to achieve mass vaccination.
It is reported that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine has been completed in accordance with the requirements of clinical trials of multiple batches. Phase I clinical trial will be officially launched in Shulan Hospital in Hangzhou.
(Cover image: The mRNA vaccine experiment. /VCG)
Coronavirus: Tensions flare over virus-hit 'ghetto' in southern Italy
Italy sent fresh riot police reinforcements on Friday to secure a council estate in its southern virus "red zone", where nearly 50 cases of new coronavirus cases among foreign farm workers has sparked tensions with locals on Thursday.
Some 700 people were ordered to remain indoors this week in the complex of five blocks of flats in Mondragone, 60 km north of Naples, for 15 days, while local health authorities test them for the virus, the region's head, Mr Vincenzo De Luca, said late on Thursday.
The local health authorities said 43 positive cases had been identified and tests were being carried out on all the residents.
Four of the high-rise blocks house undocumented Bulgarian workers who feared losing their jobs, while Italian squatters occupy the fifth, Mr De Luca said.
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Paris's second-largest airport resumes after three months virus closure
Paris's second-largest airport, Orly, resumed operations on Friday after a three-month shutdown amid COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time since closing on April 1, the airport said in a statement.
More than 70 flights were taken off and landed by eight companies on Friday in the airport, with an estimated passenger flow of 8,000 people, equivalent to about 10 percent of the passenger flow before the outbreak. Orly airport currently has only one terminal open, and three more will open gradually.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the recent COVID-19 cases in Beijing are a different strain from the coronavirus in Wuhan and the outbreak in Beijing was not caused by animals.
Meanwhile, the authorities also said the genome of the virus from cases in Beijing and samples from the Xinfadi wholesale market indicates it is related to a strain in Europe.
Two more areas in Beijing upgrade COVID-19 risk level to medium
The COVID-19 risk level in Sijiqing Town in Beijing's Haidian District and Huilongguan Street in Beijing's Changping District has been lifted to the medium from the low, taking the total number of medium-risk regions in the Chinese capital to 39 across 11 districts as of Friday.
Yuetan Street in the Xicheng District has lowered its risk level to the low. To date, five areas in the city have been declared high risk. A majority of these areas are located in the districts of Fengtai, Daxing and Haidian.
Beijing beauty industry requires all staff to do nucleic acid testing
The Beijing municipal government has required everyone working in hair salons, beauty salons, eyelash and nail salons to conduct nucleic acid testing immediately and carry out disinfection operations in accordance with epidemic prevention standards.
The Beijing health authorities reported one confirmed case on Wednesday who gave haircuts to two people on June 21 before she was tested COVID-19 positive.
The hairdressing and beauty industry in Beijing took the initiative to restore the epidemic prevention requirements under the second-level control of the industry operation amid the COVID-19 epidemic. Customers need to take their temperatures and check their health codes when entering the store, and also maintain social distance. The shops are also disinfected regularly.
Arrivals at the Adolfo Suarez-Barajas airport in Spain, on Sunday. European officials are devising a list of "safe" countries to accept visitors from this summer. /AP
European Union countries eager to revive their economies are prepared to bar entry to Americans because the United States has failed to control the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Times reported from Brussels on Tuesday, citing draft lists of acceptable travelers.
The U.S., which has the most coronavirus cases in the world and is experiencing a surge in new infections, would be in the same category as No.2 hotspot Brazil and Russia, according to the New York Times, citing the proposal.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
An EU diplomat said the bloc's executive Commission had proposed three criteria for allowing in passengers from third countries, including the epidemiological situation of that country, but EU member countries would have to determine what the relevant measurements and thresholds should be.
"There's no list (of countries), just a list of criteria," another EU diplomat added.
The second diplomat continued member states were considering using a country's rate of infection per 100,000 people to decide whether to allow in passengers, but had not yet agreed at what threshold to set this criteria. The threshold would also need to account for factors influencing the reliability of this data, such as a country's COVID-19 testing capacity.
Earlier this month, the European Commission recommended that the bloc gradually reopen its borders to non-EU travelers from July and use three criteria to decide which countries to allow visitors from: countries should have COVID-19 under at least as much control as the EU average, have containment measures during travel, and be willing to let in EU visitors.
In March, when cases were rising in Europe, Trump banned most EU citizens from entering the U.S. in a bid to curb the outbreak there, angering EU officials.
Beijing clears all confirmed COVID-19 cases from overseas
Beijing cleared all confirmed COVID-19 cases from overseas on Friday as the last patient was discharged from hospital, local health authorities said at a daily press conference.
Russia reports lowest daily rise in coronavirus cases since late April
Russia on Friday reported 6,800 new coronavirus cases, the first daily rise below 7,000 since late April, taking its nationwide tally to 620,794.
The country's coronavirus response center said 176 people had died of the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 8,781.
U.S. sees a record number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day
The United States saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day with 37,077 reported Thursday, CNN reported, citing Johns Hopkins University's tally.
Coronavirus has infected more than 2.4 million people and killed over 124,000 in the United States.
Thursday's total eclipses the previous high on April 24, when 36,291 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that he might have contracted the novel coronavirus previously and he may do another test for the disease, having already tested negative for the virus multiple times weeks earlier. The country recorded 39,483 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as well as 1,141 deaths, bringing the total deaths to 54,971.
Mexico's total confirmed coronavirus infections rose to 202,951 cases and death toll reached 25,060, according to the country's health ministry.
Italy recorded 296 fresh cases of infection from the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours across the country, but total active infections decreased to 18,303 on Thursday from 18,655 on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement. A total of 186,725 patients have recovered (against 186,111 on Wednesday) and 34 patients succumbed to COVID-19, pushing the overall death toll to 34,678 since the pandemic officially broke out in Italy on Feb. 21.
Egypt confirmed on Thursday 1,569 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases registered in the country since mid-February to 61,130, said the Health Ministry. Meanwhile, 83 patients died from the novel coronavirus, raising the death toll to 2,533, while 403 were completely cured and discharged from hospitals, increasing the total recoveries in the country to 16,338.
UK: Another 149 COVID-19 patients have died in UK as of Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 43,230, the British Department of Health and Social Care said Thursday. As of Thursday morning, 307,980 people have tested positive for the disease, a daily increase of 1,118, according to the department.
Israel's number of coronavirus cases rose to 22,400 on Thursday after 356 new ones were added, the Ministry of Health said. The death toll from the virus rose from 308 to 309, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 46 to 47, out of 186 patients currently hospitalized. The number of recoveries reached 16,007, with 67 new ones, while the number of active cases increased to 6,084, the highest since May 3.
Chinese health authorities on Friday said that 13 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, of which 11 were local transmissions and two imported, with no additional deaths.
All local transmissions were registered in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,462 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 97 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,193 (1,088 recoveries, seven deaths)
Macao: 46 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 447 (435 recoveries, seven deaths)
The Beijing Health Commission said on Friday that 11 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted, were recorded on Thursday, raising total infections to 280 since June 11, when the first case was detected.
The 11 cases were reported in four districts in Beijing: seven in Fengtai, two in Haidian, one in Changping, and one in Daxing.
They are six males and five females aged 24-62, the municipal authority said at a press briefing on Friday afternoon.
According to the completed epidemiological investigations for 10 out of the 11 new cases, five have had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Beijing also registered three suspected cases and one asymptomatic case on Thursday, the health authority said.
No positive case found in mass testing in Xicheng, Dongcheng
Two officials from Beijing's Xicheng and Dongcheng districts told the briefing that no positive case was found in their mass virus testing.
Wang Qingwang, an official from the Dongcheng District, said samples from a total of 627,087 people have been collected across the district as of Thursday afternoon, including those who have been to Xinfadi wholesale market and those involved in food delivery, logistics and other service businesses, and 501,145 finished test results came out negative.
Li Yi, deputy district head of Xicheng, also said virus tests of relevant people from a local market in the district and seven nearby residential compounds are all negative.
Seven residential areas around the market were temporarily closed off between June 16 and 23 after the detection of one confirmed case in the market on June 14.
Beijing clears all COVID-19 cases from overseas
Meanwhile, as it fights to quell its local outbreak, Beijing has seen its last COVID-19 case from overseas recovered and discharged on Thursday.
As of now, Beijing has registered a total of 174 cases coming from abroad.
A San Diego County health nurse helps testing a patient at a drive-in COVID-19 testing site. /Reuters
Government experts believe more than 20 million Americans could have contracted the coronavirus, 10 times more than official counts, indicating many people without symptoms have or have had the disease, senior administration officials said.
The estimate, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is based on serology testing used to determine the presence of antibodies that show whether an individual has had the disease, the officials said.
The officials, speaking to a small group of reporters on Wednesday night, said the estimate was based on the number of known cases, between 2.3 million and 2.4 million, multiplied by the average rate of antibodies seen from the serology tests, about an average of 10 to 1.
"If you multiply the cases by that ratio, that's where you get that 20 million figure," said one official.
If true, the estimate would suggest the percentage of U.S. deaths from the disease is lower than thought. More than 120,000 Americans have died from the disease since the pandemic erupted earlier this year.
The estimate comes as government officials note that many new cases are showing up in young people who do not exhibit symptoms and may not know they have it.
Officials said young people with no symptoms, but who are in regular contact with vulnerable populations, should proactively get tested to make sure they do not spread it.
"We have heard from Florida and Texas that roughly half of the new cases that are reporting are people under the age of 35, and many of them are asymptomatic," one official said.
The CDC has sent 40 response teams to help deal with the outbreaks, they said.
More than 36,000 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded nationwide on Wednesday, just shy of the record 36,426 on April 24, concentrated on states that were spared the brunt of the initial outbreak or moved early to lift restrictions aimed at curbing the virus' spread.
Spain adopts 'new normal' decree over coronavirus
The lower house in Spain on Thursday approved a decree which outlines "new normal" safety measures over the coronavirus pandemic by 265-77 votes and 5 abstentions.
Among other measures, the so-called new normalcy decree makes the wearing of masks compulsory in spaces where a safe 1.5-meter distance between people cannot be respected.
The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had struggled to approve various extensions of a state of emergency and the phasing out of the COVID-19 lockdown in the past two months.
The European country which was once badly hit by the coronavirus ended its state of emergency alert on June 21. Over 247,000 cases have been reported in Spain with over 28,000 deaths.
The European healthcare regulator has recommended the conditional approval of Gilead's antiviral treatment, remdesivir, for use in COVID-19 patients, making it the first treatment on track to be green-lit on the continent.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday its human medicines committee (CHMP) recommended the drug's use in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age with pneumonia who require oxygen support.
The price of the drug in the region is not yet known. In the United States, it could be priced at up to 5,080 U.S. dollars per course, while Indian generic drug-makers will sell the treatment for between 5,000 rupees and 6,000 rupees (66.13-79.35 U.S. dollars).
The EMA endorsement, which comes just weeks after a speedy review, means physicians can prescribe the Gilead drug, to be branded Veklury, in Europe once approved by the European Commission, which usually follows CHMP recommendations.
The EU's conditional marketing authorization allows a treatment to be sold for a year in the 27-nation trading bloc before all necessary data on its efficacy and side-effects are available. Gilead has to submit final data by December.
Demand for the drug soared after it became a frontrunner following promise in trials. Gilead expects supply of remdesivir to exceed two million courses by year-end, double its previous target, and is planning to begin testing of an easier-to-use inhaled version of the drug, given intravenously as of now.
Remdesivir has already been approved for emergency use in severely-ill patients in the U.S., India and South Korea, and has received full approval in Japan.
(Cover via Reuters)
Coronavirus resurgence in Europe as restrictions ease: WHO
Europe has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 cases as many countries begin to ease restrictions for curbing the spread of coronavirus, the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said on Thursday.
"While the European Region is reporting a decreasing proportion of global cases than earlier in the year, the region continues to report close to 20,000 new cases and over 700 new deaths daily. Last week, Europe saw an increase in weekly cases for the first time in months," Kluge told reporters.
He said 30 countries have seen increases in new cases over the past two weeks.
"In 11 of these countries, accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again in Europe," Kluge warned.
He praised Poland, Germany, Spain and Israel for their swift response to outbreaks in schools, coal mines and food production setting in recent weeks.
"Where new clusters of cases appeared, these have been controlled through rapid and targeted interventions. This is very good news," he said.
Beijing's Fengtai District recalls products from Xinfadi market
Over 8 tons of goods sold from Xinfadi wholesale market between May 30 and June 12 have been recalled and disposed of after new infections were traced back to one of the city's main suppliers of fresh produce and meat.
The products, including beans, seafood, and poultry, were collected from 19 markets, 75 catering businesses and three supermarkets, according to the market regulation department of the Fengtai District in Beijing.
Guo Shaomin, an official with the department, said the district ordered vendors to stop selling products purchased from the market, and asked professional companies to collect them.
Xinfadi wholesale market was shut down on June 13 following a cluster outbreak.
Eiffel Tower re-opens after 104-day virus lockdown, but with strict measures
Eiffel Tower in Paris re-opened on Thursday after three months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, its longest period out of action since World War Two.
Some 700 visitors, mostly from France, have booked their spot for a tour on the first day of the iconic tower's reopening, following strict hygiene and safety measures.
Coronavirus-era rules for visitors as listed on the tower's website include:
- all visitors (from 11 years old) must wear a face mask
- at first, only visits by the stairs will be available. To ensure that ascending and descending visitors do not meet, ascent will take place from the East pillar and descent by the West pillar
- a limited number of visitors on the esplanade and on each floor will be secured
- significant signage and ground markings are installed to implement physical distancing
- daily cleaning and disinfection of public spaces at the tower
Germany, Spain express political, financial support for WHO
Health ministers from Spain and Germany Thursday voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO) as the two officials joined a press briefing with WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva.
"Germany remains, a strong supporter and a friend, sometimes a critical friend but a strong friend of the WHO," Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn said.
"The still ongoing pandemic shows that an interconnected world needs global level crisis management. We need a strong, efficient, transparent and accountable WHO today more than ever."
Spahn also announced Germany would contribute a record half billion euros in funding this year, as well as medical equipment and supplies for countries where it is urgently needed.
"Isolated national answers to international problems are doomed to fail. Germany will do its part to give the WHO the political, financial and technical backing that is needed," Spahn said.
Speaking at the briefing, French Health Minister Olivier Veran also said France will also support WHO's efforts in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and would give 90 million euros to a WHO research center in Lyon as well as an additional contribution of 50 million euros.
"I truly believe the world needs, more than ever, a multilateral organization," Veran said. "I believe the world cannot get rid of partners. We need a global answer (to COVID-19) and only the WHO can provide that answer."
Tedros expressed gratitude to the backings, adding: "We're getting today all the support we need, political and financial."
(With input from Reuters)
Thailand to extend emergency decree to July 31
Thailand’s government said on Thursday it would not suspend the emergency decree in place since the coronavirus outbreak but extend it to July 31.
Secretary-General Gen. Somsak Rungsita of the National Security Council said the decree is being extended to prevent the return of COVID-19 after the next phase of reopening the economy.
Thailand on Thursday reported one new COVID-19 case in a citizen returning from abroad. It has not reported any local transmissions for 31 days.
The coronavirus has claimed 58 lives in the country, among 3,158 infections.
File photo: A man walks on a street after the government eased some protective measures following the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand June 19, 2020. /Reuters
Waikiki Beach is pictured nearly empty due to the business downturn caused by COVID-19, Hawaii, the U.S., April 28, 2020. /Reuters
Hawaii will implement a pre-travel COVID-19 testing option for travelers to the U.S. state as an alternative to a two week travel quarantine, its governor said, hours after the Department of Justice (DOJ) backed a lawsuit challenging the quarantine.
Tourists to Hawaii will be exempted from the quarantine rule upon arrival from different states if they carry a valid coronavirus test result prior to the visit, Governor David Ige said late on Wednesday.
"Beginning August 1, we will be implementing pre-travel testing program for travelers to Hawaii as an alternative for 14-day mandatory quarantine," Ige said in a briefing.
The current 14-day mandatory quarantine for everyone traveling into the state began in March, with the governor later extending it until the end of June.
Earlier on Wednesday, the DOJ gave its support to a lawsuit challenging the state's coronavirus measures, saying visitors are being denied rights granted to most island residents. The lawsuit was filed by Nevada and California residents who own property in Hawaii.
Tourism is a big part of Hawaii's economy, more than 10.4 million visitors came to the islands last year, supporting some 216,000 jobs in a population of around 1.4 million, according to the state tourism authority.
The state at one point considered sweeping use of GPS-enabled ankle bracelets or smartphone tracking apps to enforce stay-at-home orders given to arriving air passengers.
However, that plan was put on the back burner after the Hawaii attorney general's office raised concerns.
The United States has recorded about 2.4 million cases of coronavirus infections as of early Thursday, with 121,979 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Hawaii has had over 830 cases of infection and 17 deaths from the outbreak. The state's average of one death per 100,000 people is among the lowest in the United States.
After closing for three months, Barcelona's El Liceu opera house reopened with its first concert on June 22 to an audience of 2,292... plants. The event took place the first day after Spain ended its state of emergency. Organizers said the intention was to reflect on the absurdity of the human condition in the era of the coronavirus, which deprives people of their position as spectators. All 2,292 plants (the theater's full seating capacity) will be given to local healthcare workers as a sign of gratitude for their work during the outbreak. The concert was also streamed live on the venue's website.
Russia reports over 610,000 COVID-19 cases
Russia on Thursday reported 7,113 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its nationwide case tally to 613,994.
The country's health officials also recorded 92 fatalities related to the coronavirus, raising the national death toll to 8,605.
File Photo: Passengers wearing protective face masks sit in a bus in Moscow, Russia June 19, 2020. /Reuters
India reports 16,922 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 473,105
India reported a total of 16,922 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 473,105 infections and 14,894 deaths as of Thursday morning, according to local health authorities.
So far, 271,697 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Beijing sees travel capacity reduced due to COVID-19 cases spike
The spike in COVID-19 cases in Beijing last week has had an immediate and dramatic impact on the tourism market around the Beijing, Tianjin and Heibei Province region.
Beijing Capital International Airport has seen a 60 percent drop in its passenger capacity with over 350,000 fewer seats operating this week. The new Beijing Daxing International Airport saw a slightly larger 63 percent reduction in its capacity with some 186,000 less seats available.
All those reduction were seen as the result of the tough social distancing rules in place.
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Wearing masks 'purely a health issue,' says Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S. reiterated the importance of wearing masks and warned against politicizing the issue, stating that it's "purely a health issue."
The federal health expert at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. was asked during an interview at the Sacramento Press Club Wednesday about the politicization of wearing face coverings.
"Everybody should wear a mask when out public," Fauci said, adding wearing a mask is society's responsibility to not just protect an individual, but the whole population.
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Senegal's president in quarantine after exposure to person with COVID-19
Senegalese President Macky Sall started self-quarantining on Wednesday after coming in contact with a person with COVID-19, his office said on Twitter.
The office noted that the president has tested negative for coronavirus. The quarantine will last for two weeks.
As of early Thursday, Senegal reported 6,129 cases of COVID-19 with 93 deaths nationwide, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: AP file photo)
Disney delays reopening of flagship theme parks in California
Disney is delaying the phased reopening of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, the company's flagship theme parks in California, the company said on Wednesday.
The parks, located in Anaheim, California, were set to reopen on July 17, months after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
California reported a record of 7,149 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, bringing the total in the state to over 190,000. At least 5,632 deaths have been reported so far, according to the local public health department.
Beijing reports 13 new local COVID-19 cases
The Beijing Health Commission said on Thursday that 13 new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted, were recorded on Wednesday, raising total infections related to a local market cluster to 269 since June 11, when the first case was detected.
Those 13 cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: nine in Fengtai and four in Daxing.
There were no reports of suspected cases or asymptomatic cases in the Chinese capital during the period, it added.
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Chinese health authorities on Thursday said that 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, of which 14 were local transmissions and five from abroad, with no new deaths.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered 13 and Hebei Province registered one, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,449 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 97 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,179 (1,086 recoveries, 6 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (435 recoveries, 7 deaths)
WHO warns of 10 million coronavirus cases globally 'within the next week'
The total number of global COVID-19 cases has surpassed 9.3 million, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The death toll now stands at 481,036.
The number of coronavirus cases around the world is set to reach 10 million "within the next week" World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned.
COVID-19 model projects nearly 180,000 U.S. deaths by Oct. 1
There are now at least 2,376,263 cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and at least 121,920 people have died in the country from the virus, according to data released by JHU.
Some states, including New York, are enacting new travel restrictions to try and curb the spread, while the government said it's working with Europe to safely resume international travel.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington is forecasting nearly 180,000 in the United States will die by October 1.
Researchers predicted that more than 179,000 people in the U.S. will die from the COVID-19 by the start of October. That number drops to just over 146,000 fatalities if at least 95 percent of people wear masks in public.
Total number of cases nears 1.2 million in Brazil
Brazil's health ministry recorded 42,725 new coronavirus cases in one day, as well as 1,185 new deaths resulting from the disease, the country's Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The country has registered nearly 1.2 million cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths total 53,830, according to the ministry.
COVID-19 outbreaks at other meat processing plants in Germany
Germany has reimposed some lockdown restrictions in North Rhine-Westphalia state after more than 1,550 people tested positive for coronavirus at the Toennies slaughterhouse in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck.
COVID-19 outbreaks also occurred at other meat processing plants in Germany. By Wednesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees of a Wiesenhof poultry slaughterhouse rose to 35, according to its parent company PHW.
New infections with COVID-19 in Germany remained above the previous weeks' average and increased by 587 within one day to 191,449, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Wednesday.
(With input from agencies)
Scroll left or right to see all the images.
The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 100,000 in Latin America, according to Reuters. And the numbers aren’t expected to go down anytime soon.
Latin America has seen a major spike in cases and deaths over the past month, as the virus recedes in other parts of the world – the number of infections has doubled in less than a month, to 2.2 million.
Brazil has seen more than 1.1 million cases as it approaches 53,000 confirmed deaths.
This is how the statistics for COVID-19 break down for Latin America and other countries in the region.
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COVID-19 and TCM: How Chinese medicine makes scientific inroads
In its latest move, Beijing health authorities have included Chinese medicine into the treatment plan for COVID-19 patients, as the city is going through a resurgence of the novel coronavirus after a 56-day streak of no locally transmitted cases.
With the emergence of new clusters of cases linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market – a hub supplying some 80 percent of food for the city's residents – Beijing quickly reacted with a series of policy measures ranging from partial lockdown to expansion of testing to the revision of treating the disease with Chinese herbal medicine.
Manufacturers of Chinese patent drugs based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, have been working non-stop to produce much-needed drugs. One of them is Yiling Pharmaceutical, the manufacturer of Lianhua Qingwen – one of the three Chinese medicines that have proven effective in curbing the virus following clinical trials.
"Since early February, we've halted the production of other products and focused all our capacity on producing Lianhua Qingwen," said Zhang Zhiguang, general manager of Yiling Pharmaceutical Beijing. In early May, the manufacturing bases at Yiling's Shijiazhuang headquarters and its Beijing branch could produce some 53 million capsules and 2 million granules each day, Zhang told CGTN.
The demand for Lianhua Qingwen has soared since Wuhan started converting public facilities into temporary hospitals in the wake of a spiraling rise of confirmed and suspected cases.
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Participants in the New York City Marathon at the starting line, the Staten Island borough, New York, U.S., November 3, 2019. /VCG
As New York and several other COVID-19 hot spots in the U.S. witnessed a steady decline in newly confirmed cases in recent weeks, optimism was growing that this year's New York City Marathon, one of the most prestigious events in the running calendar, could be saved.
However, this much-needed buoyancy met a cold reality check.
Organizers announced on Wednesday that the world's largest marathon, due to take place on November 1, has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
Michael Capiraso, the chief executive of New York Road Runners, which owns the showpiece event admitted he had held out hope that the race could happen, but the risk were deemed too high.
"There was hope, but that turned to uncertainty, and given what we have seen the past months, this was really the only decision," Capiraso said. "At some point, we are going to be waiting for runners on finish lines again."
An elite men's division runner makes his way across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the New York City Marathon, New York, U.S., November 3, 2019. /AP
The New York City marathon began in 1970 and it attracted more than 53,000 runners and 10,000 volunteers last year. The 2020 edition would have been the 50th running of the world-renowned race.
"Canceling this year's TCS New York City Marathon is incredibly disappointing for everyone involved, but it was clearly the course we needed to follow from a health and safety perspective," added Capiraso.
On the same day, the Berlin Marathon, another iconic race, was also called off. The big ticket running event was originally slated for September 26-27, but organizers confirmed that it could not go ahead because the "fun, joy, health and success" of participants cannot be guaranteed.
Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele finishes first in the 46th BMW Berlin Marathon, Berlin, Germany, September 29, 2019. /VCG
"Patience is a much sought-after skill these days. Every day we have to come to terms with new situations, demands and decisions. In the end, all this happens for the benefit of our health," read a statement.
"As hard as we have tried, it is currently not possible to organize the BMW Berlin Marathon with its usual Berlin charm. Fun, joy, health and success are attributes that characterize the BMW Berlin Marathon, but we are not able to guarantee all of this at the moment. Your health, as well as all of our health, is our first priority," it added.
The organizers also pointed out that "a comprehensive feasibility analysis" showed that the marathon could not be held at a later date this year either, and "weather conditions and shorter days would make it difficult" and there was also "uncertainty about the (coronavirus) regulations" after October.
This year's Tokyo marathon is limited to the elite field of 176 athletes and 30 wheelchair athletes, Tokyo, Japan, March 1, 2020. /VCG
The double whammy on Wednesday means that three of marathon's six most important events in 2020 have been scrapped. The Boston Marathon, which had been postponed to September 14 from April 20 due to the pandemic, was canceled for the first time in its 124-year history in May.
The only major race that took place as planned this year was the Tokyo Marathon. Organizers reduced the March event to elite runners and wheelchair athletes to minimize the concern of coronavirus that has wrecked havoc in Japan.
The Chicago and London marathons, both scheduled for October, still remain on the cards as for now, but organizers have not ruled out the possibility of a late cancellation. The latest decisions made by New York and Berlin could hold extra weight, and it might be a while before a major marathon event returns again.
China's 2020 negative list more open in services, manufacturing and agricultural sectors
Foreign investors will be given more freedom in the service, manufacturing and agricultural sectors based on the newly released negative list for 2020, according to China's economic planner on Wednesday.
In the first five months of this year, the country's foreign direct investment (FDI) was down 3.8 percent year on year but narrowed by seven percentage points compared to the first quarter of the year.
China will beef up efforts to maintain stable foreign trade and investment, as the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the world economy, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan told media at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual national legislative session last month.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday it now expects global gross domestic product to shrink 4.9 percent this year, significantly more than the three percent drop predicted in April.
The coronavirus pandemic is causing wider and deeper damage to economic activity than first thought, the IMF said on Wednesday, prompting the institution to slash its 2020 global output forecasts further.
A recovery in 2021 also will be weaker, with global growth forecast at 5.4 percent for the year compared to 5.8 percent in the April forecast. The Fund said, however, that a major new outbreak in 2021 could shrink the year's growth to a barely perceptible 0.5 percent.
Although many economies have begun to reopen, the Fund said that the unique characteristics of lockdowns and social distancing have conspired to hit both investment and consumption.
"Thus, there is a broad-based aggregate demand shock, compounding near-term supply disruptions due to lockdowns," the IMF said in an update of its World Economic Outlook forecast.
China, where businesses started reopening in April and new infections have been minimal, is the only major economy now expected to show positive growth in 2020, now forecast at 1.0 percent compared to 1.2 percent in the April forecast.
Advanced economies have been particularly hard-hit, with U.S. output now expected to shrink 8.0 percent and the euro zone 10.2 percent in 2020, both more than two percentage points worse than the April forecast, the IMF said.
Latin American economies, where infections are still rising, saw some of the largest downgrades, with Brazil's economy now expected to shrink 9.1 percent and Mexico's 10.5 percent and Argentina's 9.9 percent in 2020.
The IMF said that more policy actions from governments and central banks would be needed to support jobs and businesses to limit further damage and set the stage for recovery.
(With input from Reuters)
Three officials in Beijing have been punished over dereliction of duty during the prevention and control of COVID-19 in the capital city, the municipal authorities said Wednesday.
Jia Qi, the deputy director of the market supervision administration in Beijing's Fengtai District was removed from their intra-Party post and received administrative dismissal, the city's discipline inspection and supervision authority said in a statement.
Cao Cong, the deputy director of the health committee in Fengtai District, and Yang Jijun, deputy head of Huaxiang Township in Fengtai District, were given serious intra-Party warnings as well as administrative demotions.
Beijing recorded seven new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 256 since June 11, according to the municipal health commission.
Read more:
Officials sacked after COVID-19 cases reported in Beijing's Fengtai District
(Cover: A medical worker collects a throat swab from a local resident at a nucleic acid testing site at a community in Balizhuang Street of Haidian District, Beijing, capital of China, June 23, 2020. /Xinhua)
COVID-19 outbreak directly linked to Xinfadi market is 'basically under control': Official
The COVID-19 outbreak directly linked to Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market has been basically brought under control, a local official said at a regular briefing on Wednesday.
But the COVID-19 prevention and control situation remains grim and complex as family, community clusters emerged, added Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government at the briefing.
Xu also noted that the capital city needs to further improve testing efficiency and expand the testing to cover all key groups, including catering and delivery services workers and other patients seeking medical help in areas with medium- and high-risk level of infections.
Russia's COVID-19 cases surpass 600,000
Russia on Wednesday reported 7,176 new COVID-19 cases, pushing its nationwide case tally to 608,881, the world's third highest number of cases.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 154 more people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising its death toll to 8,513.
VCG
Top British medics have warned political parties that local flare-ups of the novel coronavirus are likely and a second wave is a real risk.
"While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, the available evidence indicates that local flare-ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk," the medics said.
Those who signed the open letter in the British Medical Journal included Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
"Many elements of the infrastructure needed to contain the virus are beginning to be put in place, but substantial challenges remain," they said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that pubs, restaurants and hotels could reopen in England early next month, easing the coronavirus lockdown that has all but shut the economy.
China ramped up its nucleic acid testing capacity to an average of 3.78 million tests per day in June, compared to 1.26 million tests per day in early March, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission, on Wednesday.
Guo said 90.41 million tests had been conducted in the country as of June 22.
India reports highest single-day spike, total COVID-19 cases reach 450,000
On Wednesday morning, India reported a record of 15,968 positive coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike in the country since the pandemic began.
The total number of cases in India has surpassed 450,000. Meanwhile, 465 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 14,476.
According to ministry officials, so far 258,685 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvements.
Are you a smoker? If you are, you might be at higher risk for COVID-19.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to the coronavirus caused disease due to two main reasons:
1. Smokers may already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity, which increases the risk of COVID-19 and its severity.
2. The act of smoking means fingers are in contact with lips and faces, which increases the possibility of viral transmission from hand to mouth.
Since tobacco can make people vulnerable to COVID-19, you may think of switching to alternatives such as e-cigarette and water pipes during the pandemic. However, this is still not a good idea, because like a regular cigarette, e-cigarettes can still cause lung injuries.
The use of e-cigarettes can cause lung injuries as well. /VCG
Moreover, smoking products such as water pipes often involve the sharing of mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of the virus.
For non-smokers, second-hand smoke is something you should be aware of.
Currently, the main transmission routes of novel coronavirus are through respiratory droplets and close contact with patients. Therefore, the smoke of cigarettes does not transmit the virus. But being able to breathe the smoke means you are pretty close to the smoker.
But people breathing in second-hand smoke are at greater risk as well, given that being exposed to second-hand smoke could increase the risk of lower respiratory tract infections, asthma and other debilitating health conditions and weaken the immune system and limit the body's natural defense against the virus.
Being exposed to second-hand smoke could increase the risk of lower respiratory tract infections, asthma, and other debilitating health conditions. /CGTN
For smokers and vapers, here are some things you can do to protect yourself.
Multiple health organizations, including the WHO, suggest smokers to quit during this special period to reduce their risks of COVID-19.
But if quitting immediately seems like too big of a task, you can start from cutting down and taking protection measures like regularly sanitizing your e-cigarettes with alcohol wipes, and avoiding touching your lips and face when you smoke.
You can also protect people around you by avoiding generating large clouds, and keeping at least two meters of distance when smoking in public places.
Evidence from other outbreaks caused by viruses from the same family as COVID-19 suggests that smoking could, directly or indirectly, contribute to an increased risk of infection.
So, now might be the best time for you to rethink your smoking habit.
(Video filmed by Fu Gaoliang; cover image designed by Yin Yating)
COVID-19 has "brought this nation to its knees," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on Tuesday, testifying in front of a House committee along with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert.
The "one little virus" is probably going to cost the country seven trillion U.S. dollars, and the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hotspots around the country.
On the bright side, a COVID-19 vaccine could be available later this year or early in 2021, said Dr. Fauci.
Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus, a controversial issue after President Donald Trump said last weekend he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections.
"We will be doing more testing," Fauci told the House committee.
Related reading:
Who to believe? Health officials or the Trump administration?
Since Fauci's last appearance at a high-profile hearing more than a month ago, the United States is emerging from weeks of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns.
From left, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Fauci, and Adm. Brett Giroir, head of the U.S. Public Health Service, listen as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn testifies before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020. /AP
Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the U.S. CDC warned during the testimony that no state has effectively transitioned from stay-at-home orders "to a public health model of testing, tracking, isolating and quarantining."
However, the governors of Arizona, Florida and Texas have been bullish on reopening its economy, which has seen worrisome increase in the cases.
According to the data from the COVID Tracking Project, 25 U.S. states reported more new cases last week than the previous week, including 10 states that saw weekly new infections rise more than 50 percent, and 12 states that posted new records.
Texas reported one of the largest rises in new cases at 24,000 for the week ending on June 21, an increase of 84 percent from the previous week.
New cases in Florida rose 87 percent last week to almost 22,000, with the state's positive test rate nearly doubling to 11 percent.
Arizona reported 17,000 new cases, a 90-percent increase, with 20 percent of tests coming back positive, according to the analysis.
The governors of all three states have attributed the increases in new cases to more testing, echoes the President Trump's explanation. But the health experts said, "This is not an artifact of just more testing at all."
"In many states, the testing is increasing, but the percentage of those people who are positive is actually going much higher," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Even with the increased testing, the country is still "way behind the virus," former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "We are still reacting. We're not ahead of it."
If the U.S. doesn't get control of the coronavirus pandemic by fall, "you're essentially chasing after a forest fire," Dr. Anthony Fauci told the House committee.
EU block
More 2.3 million in the U.S. have been infected in the pandemic, including 121,217 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Though people can become increasingly numb about the huge number, some EU countries have expressed concerns over opening their borders to U.S. citizens as they cast doubt over President Trump's crisis management.
European countries are easing border restrictions and planning to open up to tourists from third nations. Those plans, however, do not include U.S. citizens due to the country's handling of the pandemic, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing draft lists of acceptable travelers.
The U.S., which has the most COVID-19 cases in the world, is seeing a new spike in infections. According to the proposal, U.S. travelers would be grouped in with those from Brazil and Russia, who rank second and third globally in terms of the number of infections, and would not be allowed to visit the EU member states.
Beijing reports seven new local COVID-19 cases
Beijing Health Commission said on Wednesday that seven new COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted, were recorded in the past 24 hours, raising total infections related to a local market cluster to 256 since June 11, when the first case was detected.
Those seven cases were reported in two districts in Beijing: six from Fengtai and one from Daxing.
The commission also registered four suspected cases and one asymptomatic case on Tuesday.
There were no reports of cases from overseas in the Chinese capital in the past 24 hours, it added.
Chinese health authorities on Wednesday said that 12 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, of which nine were local transmissions and three from abroad, with no new deaths.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered seven and northern Hebei Province registered two, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, with three new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,430 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 100 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,177 (1,083 recoveries, 6 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (435 recoveries, 7 deaths)
COVID-19 cases surpass 2.33 million in U.S., over 1.1 million in Brazil
The United States has registered 2.33 million COVID-19 cases and over 120,000 deaths, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University, as of 2100 GMT on Tuesday.
The country reported 39,983 new cases and 806 deaths in one day, according to the data.
In South America, Brazil recorded 39,436 new cases of the novel coronavirus, as well as 1,374 deaths in one day, the country's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Brazil has registered more than 1.1 million cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths reaching 52,645, according to the ministry.
Several U.S. states are holding primary and runoff elections on Tuesday, including New York and Kentucky, where voters will cast votes for president in party ballots delayed by the coronavirus.
Some key Congressional seats are also up for grabs.
In Kentucky, Democratic candidates Amy McGrath, a white woman, and her rival Charles Booker, an African American man, are fighting for the chance to face Republican Senator Mitch McConnell in the fall election.
McConnell is also the Senate Majority Leader.
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The Democratic Party establishment backs McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot who ran a close race to unseat a Republican incumbent in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. But after the death of Breonna Taylor, an African American woman shot multiple times by Louisville, Kentucky, police in her home in March, the Black Lives Matter movement took the election in a different direction.
Many are still protesting the death of Taylor, killed during the course of a so-called "no-knock" warrant related to a drug investigation. Only one of the three officers involved has been fired. None has been charged.
Handling of the case has helped fuel candidate Booker's campaign. A state representative who has participated in BLM protests, he's won key endorsements in recent weeks and gained considerably in polls.
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In New York, fights for House seats are taking place. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among Democrats hoping to hold on to their seats in primary challenges.
Other key political figures in the state are also facing tough races.
Incumbent Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is facing a serious bid by middle school principal Jamaal Bowman.
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The pandemic and BLM protests have drastically impacted the U.S. election cycle.
This election year there has been a push for more absentee and mail-in voting compared to years past.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order allowing all of the state's registered voters to request absentee ballots with no excuse needed.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered mail-in ballot applications sent to every registered voter in the state.
There are worries, though, that a high volume of mail-in ballots will delay results.
For example, in New York absentee ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday but they may still arrive as late as June 30th.
This means officials won't start counting the absentee ballots until all are in, a week after the election.
With the increased focus on mail-in voting, there are new limitations on in-person voting.
Fewer polling stations are open.
For example, in Jefferson County, the most populous in Kentucky, voters will only have one polling place available.
Fewer than 200 polling sites will be available statewide.
As several other states expand their mail-in voting capabilities, more questions are being raised about the impact on the U.S. presidential race in November and possible delays then in reporting results.
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Chinese company to launch int'l phase III clinical trial at UAE
The world's first phase III clinical trial of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine officially kicked off Tuesday. The ceremony of "Sinopharm's China National Biotec Group (CNBG) COVID-19 inactivated vaccine International Clinical (Phase III) trial and the United Arab Emirates" was held simultaneously in Beijing and Abu Dhabi via video conference.
CNBG and UAE Group 42 signed a clinical cooperation agreement. This is the first company in China to conduct an overseas clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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VCG
An inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has entered phase-2 clinical trials in China, the Science and Technology Daily reported Saturday.
The phase-2 trials, which further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine in humans, are conducted in the southwestern province of Yunnan.
So far, five COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been approved for clinical trials in China, accounting for 40 percent of the total vaccines in clinical trials worldwide, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Novak Djokovic tests positive for COVID-19
Novak Djokovic, the men's world number one tennis player, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Serbian confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
"The moment we arrived in Belgrade we went to be tested. My result is positive, just as Jelena's, while the results of our children are negative," Djokovic said in the statement.
He has been under criticism since Croatia's Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Viktor Troicki tested positive after playing in the Adria Tour exhibition tournament he organized in the Balkan region.
"Everything we did in the past month, we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions."
"Our tournament meant to unite and share a message of solidarity and compassion throughout the region."
Boris Johnson: Pubs and cinemas can reopen from July 4
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that pubs and cinemas in England can reopen from July 4 as social distancing measures eased.
The social distancing rule will be cut from two meters to "one meter plus" in England, Johnson noted.
He also said the infection rate in the country fell in June and new COVID-19 infections are declining by two-four percent each day.
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Coronavirus epidemic may last until spring 2021: expert
The coronavirus epidemic may not disappear until next spring, Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan predicted on Tuesday during an interview with Guangdong TV.
But it's less likely to have a big outbreak like the first wave, Zhong said, adding it's still necessary to take short-term measures like closure of schools and suspension of flights to bring the spread under control.
Spain could reimpose state of emergency over COVID-19 if situation worsens
Spain could reimpose state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic if the situation worsens, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said on Tuesday.
Spain ended its national state of emergency on Sunday (June 21) after three months of lockdown. It has registered over 246,000 confirmed cases with more than 28,000 deaths.
Small outbreaks have been recorded recently in Spain but the health ministry said they're all under control.
At an elderly house in Lleida in Catalonia region, 18 people, 13 elderly and five staff, have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Testing started on June 17 at the care home when some showed COVID-19 symptoms.
Germany imposes local lockdown after virus outbreak at slaughterhouse
The premier of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said on Tuesday he was
putting the Guetersloh area back into lockdown until June 30 after a coronavirus outbreak at a slaughterhouse there, according to Reuters.
As of Monday evening, the number of workers who tested positive for the coronavirus in the area's slaughterhouse has jumped to 1,553.
Expert: Food can't get infected with COVID-19, contamination possible
COVID-19 will not spread from food to food but may be contaminated, an expert from China’s National Health Commission said on Tuesday, adding that there have been no reports of the novel coronavirus being foodborne anywhere in the world.
The expert said data shows that food cannot be infected with the coronavirus, but it can get contaminated. In other words, the virus can loosely attach itself to the surface of food but not invade the tissue.
She said there are two possible ways food can get contaminated with the virus. One is contamination from food packaging materials containing the virus, and the other is contamination from food processors carrying the virus.
Beijing has tested over 2.3 million people in the city
A total of 2.342 million people in Beijing completed coronavirus tests between June 11 and June 21, municipal official told a media briefing on Tuesday.
Over the same period, samples of nearly three million people have been collected as the Chinese capital is ramping up testing and screening in the wake of a local COVID-19 cluster, which first emerged on June 11.
At its peak, Beijing set up 2,422 sampling stations across districts, with 7,472 medical staff deployed.
Zhang Hua, deputy director at the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said Beijing can now administer more than 300,000 nucleic acid tests per day compared with 40,000 in March, and Beijing's mass testing for the new coronavirus will soon enter a "fast track."
(With input from Reuters)
Another area in Beijing's Haidian District upgrades COVID-19 risk level to high
The COVID-19 risk level in Yongdinglu Street in Beijing's Haidian District has been upgraded to high from medium, taking the total number of high-risk regions in the Chinese capital to five as of Tuesday.
There are two high-risk areas each in Fengtai and Daxing districts.
As of now, 38 areas across 10 districts in the city have been declared medium-risk. A majority of these areas are located in Fengtai and Daxing.
Hotels, restaurants, schools and other premises located in high-risk areas will be temporarily closed.
Stricter community management measures are imposed in both medium- and high-risk areas and people in high-risk areas are not allowed to leave their residential compounds.
People from medium- and high-risk areas are prohibited from leaving the city for now.
Infections in German slaughterhouse exceed 1,500
The number of workers who tested positive for the coronavirus in a slaughterhouse in Germany's North-Rhine Westphalia district of Guetersloh has jumped to 1,553 as of Monday evening, according to reports.
A local health official warned situation could lead the state towards a "lockdown" and an epidemiologist has been dispatched to the affected area to help combat the COVID-19 epidemic.
Saudi Arabia to bar foreign arrivals from attending Hajj
Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will bar arrivals from abroad from attending Hajj this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing only a limited number of Saudi citizens and residents to make the pilgrimage with social distancing measures in place.
The announcement means this will be the first year in modern times that Muslims from around the world not be allowed to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which all Muslims aim to perform at least once in their lifetime.
The kingdom halted international passenger flights in March and asked Muslims in March to put Hajj plans on hold until further notice. International arrivals for Umrah pilgrimages have also been suspended until further notice.
"This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings," the ministry that oversees pilgrimages said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia has 161,005 cases of COVID-19, with 1,307 deaths, following a rise in new infections over the past two weeks. The country now has the most confirmed cases in the Middle East.
Russia's coronavirus infection tally approaches 600,000
Russia reported 7,425 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, pushing its nationwide case total to 599,705, the world's third highest tally.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 153 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 8,359.
Latest developments in global coronavirus pandemic
India's death toll crossed the 14,000 mark on Tuesday, reaching 14,011. The country also registered 14,933 new cases in the past 24 hours, the largest daily increase since the epidemic began, pushing its case tally to 440,215.
Germany's total confirmed cases rose by 505 to 190,862 on Tuesday. The country's death toll increased by 10 to 8,895.
Japan's Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will reopen on July 1, operator Oriental Land announced on Tuesday. Visitors will need to make reservations in advance and take temperature checks on entry. They will also be required to wear a mask at the attractions.
Mexico reported 4,577 new cases on Monday, bringing its nationwide tally to 185,122. The death toll rose by 759 to 22,584.
South Korea registered 46 new cases on Tuesday, with 16 local transmitted cases and 30 from abroad. Most of the imported cases were traced to sailors on a Russian ship docked in the southeastern city of Busan. The country has now reported 12,484 total cases and 281 deaths.
Foreign meat companies voluntarily suspend exports to China amid COVID-19 pandemic
A British and a Brazilian meat company have informed China's General Administration of Customs of their voluntary suspension of all meat exports to China due to coronavirus infections among their employees, China Customs said in a statement on Tuesday.
China Customs has updated the list of meat products exported to China from other countries or regions meeting the assessment requirements and suspended the import of products from some enterprises.
A World Health Organization (WHO) expert said Monday that in light of the accelerating increase in new cases, especially in some populous countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is now well-established at a global level.
Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, made the remarks at a press conference in Geneva, responding to a question regarding the highest daily number of confirmed cases globally recorded on Sunday and the possible reason behind it.
"The situation is definitely accelerating in a number of countries with larger populations and that is most certainly contributing to this overall increased number," he explained.
Ryan said that some of that increase may be attributed to increased testing, but the WHO does not believe that testing is the main reason.
"Hospital admissions are also rising in a number of countries, deaths are also rising, and they're not due to increased testing per se," he noted.
He said that as the virus has reached some of the most populous countries and most populated areas in the world, and as the epidemic is now moving toward a peak in a number of large countries at the same time, they contribute to a surge in cases globally.
"Now in Europe ... you're seeing the curves decrease. In Southeast Asia, you're seeing the curves decrease. And then the overall numbers increase, which clearly means the Americas are contributing, South Asia is contributing very much, but also there are countries in the Middle East and there are countries in Africa that are also contributing to that overall increase. "
The latest numbers from the WHO show that more than 183,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide on Sunday, which was easily the most in a single day so far. More than 8.8 million cases have now been reported to the WHO, and more than 465,000 people have lost their lives.
(Cover image via VCG)
Japan's factory activity remained stuck at an 11-year low in June, in a sign the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on manufacturers even as services-sector sentiment picks up.
The decline in manufacturing activity offers evidence of the prolonged impact the coronavirus crisis is having on export-reliant economies such as Japan's.
The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) edged down to a seasonally adjusted 37.8 from a final 38.4 in May.
The index recorded its lowest since March 2009 for a second straight month, staying below the 50.0 threshold that separates contraction from expansion for a 14th month.
The PMI survey showed that overall output and new orders declined for the 18th straight month, while stocks of purchases and backlogs of work were at more than decade lows.
The world's third-largest economy is expected to suffer its worst postwar slump this quarter. However, the government last week upped its economic assessment for the first time since 2018 on signs of improving sentiment after a gradual lifting of a state of emergency in late May.
The PMI survey also pointed to a sharp increase in services-sector activity, which contracted at a much slower pace than in the previous month.
"Flash PMI data for June show us that economic activity in some parts of Japan has picked up at the back-end of the second quarter," said Joe Hayes, economist at IHS Markit, which compiled the survey.
"However, a sub-50.0 reading in the composite output index indicates that the underlying picture remains bleak and many firms are yet to see a rise in output volumes."
The au Jibun Bank Flash Services PMI index jumped to a four-month high of 42.3 on a seasonally adjusted basis from May's final of 26.5.
The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services, stood at 37.9 in June, up from the previous month's final of 27.8.
(Cover image: Employees work at an assembly line in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. /Reuters)
Chinese health authorities on Tuesday said that 22 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which 13 were local transmissions and nine from abroad, with no new deaths.
All of the locally transmitted cases were in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. Seven new asymptomatic cases were also registered.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,418 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 99 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,161 (1,078 recoveries, 5 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (435 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Beijing on Tuesday reported 13 new locally transmitted coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, up from nine cases the previous day, according to the city's health officials.
The Chinese capital has now confirmed a total of 249 cases related to a local market cluster since June 11.
Two more suspected cases and one asymptomatic case were also recorded, said the Beijing Health Commission.
Beijing's total number of nucleic acid testing institutions increased to 128
The Beijing Municipal Health Commission on Tuesday released a list of the institutions in the city that can provide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing services.
As of Monday, there are 128 institutions in the city with nucleic acid testing capability for both groups and individuals through advance appointment booking.
Meanwhile, local authorities said seven communities that earlier implemented closed-off management in the city's Xicheng District will lift restrictions and start following epidemic prevention and control standard for medium-risk zones starting from 8:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday.
Beijing requires people in service industry to undergo nucleic acid testing
Beijing has reported the activity tracks of newly confirmed patients in the past two days, including a food delivery worker who received an average of 50 orders a day and three employees from PepsiCo's factory in Beijing, said Zeng Xiaopeng, director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.
Beijing requires people who have been to or come into contact with Xinfadi market to undergo nucleic acid tests, including people from markets, restaurants, delivery and other services industries. Medical workers in medium- and high-risk streets and regions are also required to do nucleic acid tests. And those that are about to be released from intensive medical observation should be tested twice.
Global COVID-19 cases top 9 million: Johns Hopkins University
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world has surpassed 9 million, reaching 9,057,555 as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
More than 470,000 people worldwide have died from the novel coronavirus.
The U.S. remains the hardest hit by the pandemic with 2,306,247 total confirmed infections reported so far. A total of 120,340 COVID-19 related deaths were also reported in the country as of 19:00 EST on Monday, Johns Hopkins University's latest data showed.
Brazil on Monday reported 21,432 new cases of COVID-19 and 654 more deaths over the past 24 hours, its health ministry said.
The country has now registered over 1.1 million cases, the second highest number around the world, and 51,271 people have died.
Customers dine outside in New York City, Monday, June 22, 2020. /AP
The U.S. cities of New York and Washington D.C. have begun Phase II of their reopenings.
The cities' plans differ in what’s allowed to reopen, but both intersect on certain types of businesses.
For instance, both cities are now reopening restaurants, some retailers, hair and nail salons.
But as they reopen, 29 U.S. states and territories saw their seven-day averages of new cases rise.
The three biggest states in terms of population size are seeing their death tolls spike as they continue to reopen.
Venezuela on Monday imposed what its government described as a radical quarantine in several border states and the capital Caracas, as numbers of the coronavirus cases showed a sharp rise.
The country has had fewer than 4,000 confirmed cases and just 33 deaths, but its fragile health system is seen as acutely vulnerable to the pandemic.
CGTN's Stephen Gibbs reports.
New York City has just started its second phase of reopening after the coronavirus emptied the city's streets, restaurants and stores.
It’s a major milestone for a city that was once at the epicenter of the global pandemic, CGTN's Karina Huber has more on what this phase means for New Yorkers.
COVID-19: 37 U.S. airmen test positive
Thirty-seven U.S. service members at Guam's Andersen Air Force Base have tested positive for COVID-19, Brig. Gen. Gentry Boswell, commander of the 36th Wing, told media on Monday.
"It's unclear if the members contracted the coronavirus while on Guam or prior to arriving at Guam," said Boswell.
HKSAR reports 30 imported cases of COVID-19
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday reported 30 imported COVID-19 cases, 15 males and 15 females aged 1-61, according to HKSAR's Center for Health Protection (CHP).
All of them had a travel history during the incubation period, the CHP noted in a statement, adding that the epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases are underway.
The new detection has brought the total number of confirmed cases to 1,161 in Hong Kong.
The CHP has urged the public to follow social distancing measures to minimize the risk of further spread.
COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating, says WHO chief
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday in an online conference that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating and it is more than a health crises.
"The pandemic is still accelerating...we know that the pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it's an economic crisis, a social crisis and in many countries a political crisis. Its effects will be felt for decades to come," he said.
As of Monday, nearly nine million people around the world have contracted COVID-19 with more than 468,500 patients who have died from the disease, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: AFP file photo)
Beijing's coronavirus situation remains 'grim and complex' despite positive trend: Official
The coronavirus prevention and control situation in Beijing remains grim and complex despite a positive trend in epidemic development, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government and director of its information office, on Monday.
Xu's comments came after Beijing recorded nine more locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday, marking the lowest daily increase of confirmed cases in over a week.
As of Sunday, three confirmed cases were traced from two construction sites in Beijing, which have been under closed-off management, an official from the city's housing and urban-rural development committee said at the briefing.
Rowers competed on Venice's famed canals in the first traditional boat race since the lockdown. The event paid tribute to frontline medical staff who battled the coronavirus. Italy reopened its borders to countries within the European Union on June 3.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
India reported on Monday morning 445 new deaths and 14,821 additional cases during the previous 24 hours, taking the number of deaths to 13,699 and cases to 425,282.
Thailand on Monday reported three new coronavirus cases, all imported, marking 28 days without local transmission. The Southeast Asian country has so far recorded 58 deaths related to COVID-19 among 3,151 infections, of which 3,022 patients have recovered.
South Korea reported 17 more confirmed cases as of Sunday, raising the nationwide total to 12,438. Of the new cases, six were imported and no new deaths were confirmed. The death toll remains at 280.
New Zealand said on Monday it was extending a ban on cruise ships arriving in the country as it looks to safeguard borders as new cases emerge of people arriving in the country with the coronavirus. The current ban is about to expire on June 30. NZ reported two new cases on Monday. The country now has nine active cases, all linked to overseas travel.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 537 to 190,359, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The reported death toll rose by 3 to 8,885, the tally showed.
(With input from agencies)
Dubai opens up to tourists from July 7
Dubai announced Sunday that it would allow tourists back in the Gulf city state from July 7 after a closure of more than three months to contain the novel coronavirus.
"Dubai to welcome tourists from July 7," the emirate's media center said, quoting the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management. It also gave a list of protocols for travelers entering the Gulf emirate.
"Travelers must stringently comply with preventive measures and safety procedures put in place by Dubai and destination countries," the report said.
Tourists are "required to present recent COVID-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at Dubai airports," it said, with those testing positive to observe a 14-day isolation. A test for coronavirus is mandatory and should be done 96 hours before traveling to Dubai, according to the report.
Visitors are also required to have international health insurance and download a special phone application that lists their details, as well as fill in a special "health declaration form," it added.
Dubai also announced that citizens and residents would be allowed to travel abroad from Tuesday. But they have to comply with guidelines and protocols followed in the countries they are traveling to. They are also required to fill in a health declaration form before boarding a plane.
Dubai is one of the seven sheikdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, which has so far recorded nearly 45,000 cases of coronavirus, including 302 deaths.
Passengers wearing masks wait for flights at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 10, 2020. /AP
UK's Johnson to announce lockdown easing plans on Tuesday
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil the latest easing of Britain's coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday when he will also announce the conclusion of a review into whether a two-metre rule on social distancing should be relaxed, his office said.
Britain's economy has been hammered by the lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19 and although non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen last Monday, many businesses, particularly in the hospitality and leisure sectors, have remained closed.
Some lawmakers in Johnson's party have been vocal in calling for him to drop the two-metre rule saying it was having a devastating impact on the economy which shrank by a quarter over March and April. But the government has been cautious, saying it did not want to risk a second spike in novel coronavirus cases.
Johnson's office said the prime minister will tell parliament on Tuesday which sectors will be allowed to reopen on July 4 under the government's roadmap out of the lockdown. Detailed guidance will be provided to each sector so businesses were "Covid secure".
The Sunday Telegraph reported that Johnson will also announce a change to the social distancing guidelines so people will only need to remain one metre apart providing they took additional measures such as wearing a mask.
Britain has one of the highest death tolls in the world from COVID-19, but the number of cases has been steadily falling in recent weeks. The death toll on Sunday of confirmed cases rose by 43 to 42,632, one of the lowest increases since the lockdown was imposed in March.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference on the novel coronavirus, in London, March 3, 2020. /Reuters
Tianjin man might have got the virus from colleague: city CDC
Tianjin's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Tianjin CDC) said on Monday that a 22-year-old man working at the city's Conrad hotel might have caught COVID-19 from a colleague who had traveled to Beijing multiple times in a month. He is the city's latest case.
The colleague, a chef at the hotel, has shown no symptoms so far. The chef's antibody IgM testing came out positive but he's not yet a confirmed COVID-19 case.
The case of the 22-year-old, reported on June 17 in the city, had raised speculation that it may have arisen from frozen food as the man had no travel history in the 14 days prior to the onset of his illness, nor contact history with confirmed or suspected cases.
The young man has washed dishes in the hotel since May 30, occasionally cleaning frozen seafood.
Tianjin CDC confirmed on Sunday that the gene sequence of this case was the same as the Beijing market that has been linked to a new cluster in the country's capital.
Infections in German slaughterhouse cross 1,300
The number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in a slaughterhouse in Germany's North-Rhine Westphalia district of Guetersloh has jumped to 1,331 as of Sunday afternoon, with five patients in intensive care units.
A total of 6,139 workers have been tested so far and results of 5,899 have been completed.
The region's state premier, Armin Laschet, said on Sunday that he "cannot rule out a blanket lockdown."
On Saturday, the local authority ordered the slaughterhouse to halt production for 14 days to stop further spread of the virus.
Primary and middle schools in Guetersloh have suspended classes from June 18-29.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
Chile has reported a total of 242,355 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, with 4,479 deaths, according to the country's health ministry. In the past 24 hours, 5,607 new cases were detected and 184 more patients died. The country is under a state of emergency, with a nighttime curfew, closed borders and the suspension of school classes and non-essential businesses.
Mexico on Sunday reported 5,343 new infections and 1,044 additional deaths from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the health ministry said, bringing the nationwide totals to 180,545 cases and 21,825 deaths. The government has said the actual number of infections is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
Brazil registered its 50,000th death from the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday. Brazil is the world's second worst-hit country behind the United States, and the spread of COVID-19 is accelerating across Latin America. The ministry of health reported 641 new deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 50,617, with 1,085,038 recorded infections.
France: With seven new COVID-19 deaths registered in the past 24 hours, France saw its overall fatalities caused by the epidemic risen to 29,640 on Sunday while new confirmed cases slowed, according to data released by the health ministry. Some 284 people were infected in one day, taking the total of confirmed cases to 160,377. The daily infection figure was lower than Saturday's 641 and Friday's 811.
Iran, which has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, reported 2,368 new cases on Sunday, taking the total number of infections to 204,952. The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 9,623 Iranians, up by 116 in the past 24 hours. A total of 163,591 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 2,887 still in critical condition.
Turkey's confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday increased by 1,192, and 23 more people died, taking the death toll to 4,950, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Sunday. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 187,685, the minister tweeted.
Italy's Ministry of Health said on Sunday that 24 people died of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, the lowest single-day toll recorded since March 2 and the strongest sign yet that Italy has emerged from the grip of the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia on Sunday ended a nationwide coronavirus curfew and lifted restrictions on businesses, including hair salons and cinemas, after three months of stringent curbs, despite a spike in infections.
Chinese health authorities on Monday said that 18 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, of which 11 were local transmissions and seven imported, with no new deaths.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered nine and Hebei Province registered two, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, with seven new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,396 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 114 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,131 (1,078 recoveries, 5 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (434 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in action during the Adria Tour tennis tournament in Zadar, Croatia, June 20, 2020. /VCG
Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday said he had tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the cancellation of the ongoing Adria Tour in Croatia, which features world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
The 29-year-old Bulgarian withdrew from the exhibition tournament after losing to Borna Coric on Saturday, complaining of feeling unwell.
"I want to reach out and let my fans and friends know that I tested positive back in Monaco for COVID-19," former world No. 3 Dimitrov wrote on Instagram.
"I want to make sure anyone who has been in contact with me during these past days gets tested and takes the necessary precautions.
"I am so sorry for any harm I might have caused. I am back home now and recovering. Thanks for your support and please stay safe and healthy."
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after beating Borna Coric of Croatia 4-1, 4-3 in Zadar, Croatia, June 20, 2020. /VCG
Later on Sunday, the final between Djokovic and Russia's Andrey Rublev was immediately canceled as a precaution.
"This is the best possible decision. We have to take care about security of all involved," former Wimbledon champion and event's director Goran Ivanisevic said.
"Those who were in contact with Grigor will be tested. We are waiting for instructions of relevant bodies," he added.
Last weekend, Dimitrov, 29, took part in the Adria Tour event in Belgrade with Djokovic, world No. 3 Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, ranked 17.
The Adria Tour, a Balkan charity event organized to fill the gap in the virus-hit tennis calendar which has been on ice since mid-March, has copped widespread criticism over a stark lack of social distancing between fans, players and officials.
(With input from agencies)
Beijing reports 9 more local COVID-19 cases, lowest daily increase in a week
The Beijing Health Commission said on Monday that nine more COVID-19 cases, all locally transmitted, were recorded in the past 24 hours, raising total infections related to a local market cluster to 236 since June 11, when the first case was detected.
It's the lowest daily increase of confirmed cases in a week.
The nine new cases were reported from four Beijing districts: five from Fengtai, two from Haidian and one each from Xicheng and Chaoyang.
The commission said two suspected cases and five asymptomatic cases were also registered on Sunday.
No imported case was reported in the Chinese capital in the past 24 hours, it added.
Brazil passes the mark of 50,000 coronavirus deaths as outbreak worsens
Brazil passed the mark of 50,000 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, with more than 1 million total cases, the Health Ministry said.
Brazil, now the world's second coronavirus hot spot after the United States, has so far a total of 1,085,038 confirmed cases and 50,617 deaths, up from 49,976 deaths on Saturday, the ministry said.
People enjoy in a snack bar in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 21, 2020. Spain ended a national state of emergency after three months of lockdown. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The World Health Organization reported Sunday more than 183,000 new COVID-19 cases globally over the past 24 hours - the largest single day increase during the pandemic.
The UN health agency says Brazil, the U.S. and India accounted for the majority of the uptick.
Experts believe the surge in numbers is mainly due to more widespread testing and broader infection.
According to the WHO, the U.S. reported 36,617 new cases over a 24-hour period, which is the highest daily count during the past month. As more U.S. states are moving to the next phase of reopening, medical experts say it's vital to maintain social distancing rules to prevent the second wave of the virus infection.
However, public health experts argue a "second wave" is probably not a correct term to describe the current situation in the U.S.. "When you have 20,000-plus infections per day, how can you talk about a second wave?" said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. "We're in the first wave. Let's get out of the first wave before you have a second wave."
Many people are worried about another spike this fall or winter, as schools reopen, the weather becomes colder and less humid, and outdoor activities decline.
Although the number of COVID-19 cases continue to grow around the world, more countries are relaxing quarantines.
Spain removed its national emergency status Sunday after three months of lockdown restrictions. The change will allow 47 million citizens to travel around the country.
"This freedom that we now have, that we don't have to justify our journey to see our family and friends, this was something that we were really looking forward to." 23-year-old Pedro Delgado told the Associated Press at Madrid's airport.
People must follow social distancing rules and wear face masks for all indoor and outdoor activities.
Travelers from European countries as well as Britain are now able to enter Spain without having to quarantine for 14 days.
In Italy, the Health Ministry is calling for a national assessment of the WHO's recommendations that people with COVID-19 can be released from isolation if they have no symptoms for at least three days, instead of relying on negative test results.
The change is expected to give hope to thousands of people who are infected with the virus.
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COVID-19: Gene sequence of Tianjin's latest confirmed case same as Beijing market
The coronavirus sequence from the latest confirmed locally-transmitted COVID-19 case in China's Tianjin Municipality was confirmed to be identical to those associated with the Beijing Xinfadi wholesale market, Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Tianjin CDC) said on Sunday.
Tianjin reported one new confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 case on June 17, a 22-year-old man working at a hotel in the city, bringing the total number of local infections in the region to 137.
According to Tianjin CDC, the man has no history of traveling in the 14 days prior to the onset of his illness, no contact history with confirmed or suspected cases.
Parts of Beijing upgrade COVID-19 risk level to high
Beijing has upgraded the COVID-19 risk level to high in Huangcun Town, a township in Daxing District, and Xincun Subdistrict in Fengtai District.
The Chinese capital now has a total of four high-risk areas and another 37 classified as medium risk.
Residents receive coronavirus nucleic acid testing in Beijing's Daxing District on June 18, 2020. /VCG
Food company in Beijing confirms 8 COVID-19 cases: Official
Eight cases have been confirmed at a food company in Beijing's Daxing District as of Saturday, among which two are linked to Xinfadi wholesale market, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, said at a press briefing on Sunday.
The newly confirmed cases are considered cluster infections linked to the market, said Pang.
China's customs authority has suspended imports of poultry meat from U.S. firm Tyson Foods starting Sunday, said the General Administration of Customs in a statement.
The meat processor recently reported COVID-19 cases among its employees, prompting an assessment of the list of meats eligible for export to China, said the statement.
Tyson Foods products already arrived or about to arrive in China will be temporarily suspended, said the customs authority.
The U.S. had recorded nearly 2.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a death toll of over 119,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover image via VCG)
PepsiCo said all staff at its food factory in Beijing's Daxing District are home isolating after eight COVID-19 infections were reported at the factory on Saturday.
All products made after the detection of infection among the workers have been sealed and the production has been suspended, the company confirmed in a statement in late Sunday.
The Daxing plant, among seven food factories owned by PepsiCo in China, only produces small batches of canned potato chips, the company said, adding that its beverage lines are not affected by the virus and no cases have been discovered in its bottling plants.
Two of the confirmed cases from the PepsiCo factory had been to the Xinfadi wholesale market, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing center for disease control and prevention, told a press conference Sunday.
PepsiCo's food business entered China in 1993 and has seven food factories in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan.
The U.S. multinational food and beverage maker has increased its global net revenues from 39.47 billion U.S. dollars in 2007 to 64.66 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, according to data from Statista.
(Cover image: Lay's potato chips. /VCG)
COVID-19: Beijing's daily testing capacity up from 100,000 to over 230,000
The number of facilities conducting nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 in Beijing has expanded to 124, with the daily capacity increasing from 100,000 to over 230,000, a local official told a press briefing on Sunday.
Russia reports over 580,000 coronavirus cases
Russia on Sunday reported 7,728 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing its nationwide case tally to 584,680.
The country's coronavirus response center said 109 more people have died of COVID-19, bringing its death toll to 8,111.
A hundred people with COVID-19 now infect 179 others on average in Germany
The reproduction rate of the novel coronavirus in Germany has jumped to 1.79 after a raft of localized outbreaks, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Saturday, far above the level needed to contain it over the longer term.
A reproduction rate of 1.79 means that 100 people who contracted the virus infect 179 other people on average. A rate of less than one is needed to gradually contain the disease.
The number, a sharp increase from 1.06 on Friday, is a setback for the European Union's most populous country, which has fared better in the pandemic than many European peers due mainly to early testing and social distancing measures.
The institute attributed the rise to a number of local outbreaks, which have been seen in locations such as meatpacking plants, logistics centers, and shelters for refugees. Outbreaks have also been linked to church services and family parties.
Earlier this week, a meat processing plant in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany reported an outbreak of the novel coronavirus when 400 workers tested positive. By Friday, that number had doubled to 803 and the number now has risen to 1,029, according to officials.
The factory has been closed for 14 days following initial reports of the outbreak, prompting local health authorities to order all 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. Schools and childcare centers in the western city of Guetersloh were also closed by local authorities.
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Local government officials are seen outside the main Toennies meat factory in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck, Germany, June 20, 2020. /Reuters
Trump returns to rally stage amid coronavirus concerns
U.S. President Donald Trump held his first post-lockdown election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, despite warnings from health experts against large-scale gatherings as some states are seeing a surge in coronavirus cases after reopening.
Trump: 'I said to my people, slow the testing down, please'
At the rally, Trump said that he told officials in his administration to "slow the testing down," calling it a "double-edged sword" that led to more cases being discovered.
"When you do testing to that extent, you are gonna find more people, you're gonna find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please. They test and they test. We have tests that people don't know what's going on," Trump said.
Trump calls COVID-19 'kung flu'
Talking about COVID-19 and media coverage of it, Trump named the virus "kung flu," which U.S. media called a racist term.
"It's a disease, without question, has more names than any disease in history," Trump said. "I can name 'kung flu,' I can name 19 different versions of name. Many call it a virus, which it is. Many call it a flu. What difference? I think we have 19, 20 different versions of the name."
Attendees largely did not wear face masks at the rally although the administration's top public health officials continue to stress the importance of prevention measures. Meanwhile, six staffers working on the rally have tested positive for the coronavirus.
"Per safety protocols, campaign staff are tested for COVID-19 before events. Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented," Tim Murtaugh, communications director for Trump's 2020 campaign, said in a statement hours before the rally.
A new study published Thursday in Nature Medicine suggests that coronavirus antibodies may last only two to three months, especially in people who never show clinical symptoms while they get infected with COVID-19, which has killed more than 463,000 people globally so far.
The study researchers investigated 37 asymptomatic individuals from Wanzhou District of southwest China's Chongqing – those who were diagnosed with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections but never developed any relevant clinical symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. Their antibody response was compared to that of the 37 who showed symptoms, and researchers found that people without symptoms had a weaker antibody response than those with symptoms.
Within eight weeks, 81 percent of the asymptomatic people had a reduction of neutralizing antibodies, compared with 62 percent of symptomatic patients. In addition, the study also revealed that antibodies fell to undetectable levels in 40 percent of asymptomatic people, compared with 12.9 percent of symptomatic people.
Several experts suggested that the new findings do not necessarily mean that these people can be infected a second time, given that even low levels of powerful neutralizing antibodies may still be protective, as are the immune system's T cells and B cells.
However, the results give a strong note of caution against the idea of "immunity passports," which have been issued by some countries to enable people who have recovered from COVID-19, to travel or return to work.
Scientists from across the globe say they are still learning about key aspects of the coronavirus, including how immune systems respond once a person is exposed. But there is not enough evidence to indicate that the coronavirus antibodies ensure immunity against the virus and how long immunity lasts if antibodies do provide protection.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious disease expert, also expressed his worries about the "durability" of a potential coronavirus vaccine earlier this month during an interview with JAMA Editor Howard Bauchner, saying that there is a chance it may not provide long-term immunity if COVID-19 acts like coronavirus.
"It likely isn't going to be a long duration of immunity," he said, adding that "there is never a guarantee." But he is "cautiously optimistic" about finding an effective vaccine as the global race to develop one continues.
(Cover: CGTN screenshot via the Nature Medicine website.)
Chinese health authorities on Sunday said that 26 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 25 were local transmissions and one was an inbound case. No new deaths were reported.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered 22 and Hebei Province registered three, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified six new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,378 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 111 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said three patients were discharged on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,413.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,128 (1,077 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (434 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing reports 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases
The Beijing Health Commission on Sunday said that the city registered 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the total number of infections involving Xinfadi wholesale market since June 11 to 227.
So far, 18 asymptomatic persons have been placed under medical observation in the city.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
Brazil: Nearly 50,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Brazil, with 1,022 fatalities in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday. A total of 49,976 people have officially died from COVID-19 in Brazil, according to the ministry, with a total of 1,067,579 confirmed cases. Only the United States has recorded more deaths and cases than Brazil.
Chile: The Chilean Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that a total of 236,748 COVID-19 cases have been registered so far, with 4,295 deaths. According to the ministry, 5,355 new cases and 202 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. As of now, 1,682 patients have been placed on ventilators with 416 of them in critical condition, the ministry added.
Germany: The reproduction rate of coronavirus in Germany has jumped to 1.79, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Saturday. The number, a sharp increase from 1.06 on Friday, is a setback for the European Union's most populous country, which has fared better in the pandemic than many European peers mainly due to early testing and social distancing measures.
Spain: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a televised speech said on Saturday, the eve of lifting the country's State of Alarm, that "now it's time for recovery." The Spanish Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed seven new deaths, bringing the country's death toll to 28,322. Meanwhile, 134 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, taking the tally to 245,938.
France: The number of deaths in France from COVID-19 has risen by 19 from Friday to stand at 29,633, the health ministry said on Saturday. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 641 to 160,093. France's coronavirus death toll is the fifth-highest in the world.
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry announced on Saturday the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in all its cities from Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 3,941 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total number to 154,233 infections and 1,230 fatalities.
A large number of residents are lining up for COVID-19 nucleic acid testing in Beijing.
According to the Organization Department of Beijing Municipal Committee, as of 6 a.m. on June 20, 2.29 million residents have been tested.
Nearly 200,000 community and medical workers joined, and the city provided ice blocks, fans, sun protection sheds, and vans to protect them from the heat.
After 57 days of no new cases, Beijing recently saw a second wave of the coronavirus. The first case was reported on June 11. And nearly a week later, over 100 cases have been confirmed, and social restrictions have been reimposed across the city. How serious is the situation? And do we need to panic about the new outbreak?
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Brazil facing 'crisis moment'
Brazil has reported more than one million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 48,954 deaths as of Saturday, marking a grim milestone for the South American country.
It has also been reported that many experts believe the COVID-19 infections in Brazil will soon surpass the United States and it will become the worst hit country by the coronavirus pandemic, according to CNN.
Brazil passes 1 million coronavirus cases, nearly 50,000 deaths
While President Jair Bolsonaro is balancing the challenges of containing the virus while keeping the nation's economy flowing, he is also confronted with a leadership crisis including an inquiry into abuse of power, anti-police brutality protests, and growing calls for his impeachment.
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Beijing: Over 2.29 million samples collected for nucleic acid testing
A total of 2.297 million samples were collected for nucleic acid testing in Beijing between June 11 and June 20, said Zhang Qiang, a member of the city's epidemic-control office who oversees nucleic acid testing at a news press conference in Beijing on Saturday.
The Chinese capital city is ramping up nucleic acid tests for all deliverymen, Zhang said.
The infection risk is "extremely low" for those who didn't have contacts with people linked to the Xinfadi market between May 30 and June 12, according to Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
All food, including seafood, cannot be infected with but can be contaminated by the coronavirus, said Li Fengqin, an official from China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, at the press conference.
Li pointed out that the novel coronavirus cannot be replicated after contaminating food or packaging, and the virus won't survive for a long period of time under normal temperatures. However, it can survive for a long time under low temperatures, according to Li.
For this reason, Li said that the possibility of coronavirus transmission from food or food packaging stored in low temperature cannot be ruled out yet.
Latest figures in Beijing:
- 22 new cases were reported on Friday, with the youngest infected a one-year-old and the oldest at 56.
- 205 infections were reported in Xinfadi market.
- The total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 625, with nine deaths.
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Russia's coronavirus death toll surpasses 8,000
Russia on Saturday reported 161 new deaths from COVID-19, raising its death toll to 8,002.
The country’s coronavirus response center also registered 7,889 new cases, bringing its nationwide case tally to 576,952.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
South Korea reported 67 more cases as of Friday, raising the country's total number of infections to 12,373. The death toll remains unchanged at 280.
India Saturday morning reported 375 new deaths and 14,516 new positive cases in the past 24 hours, taking number of total deaths to 12,948 and cases to 395,048. This is the highest single day spike in the country so far.
New Zealand reported two new confirmed cases on Saturday, a couple in their 20s who returned from India on a direct repatriation flight and arrived on June 5. The total number of confirmed cases in the country was 1,159, while the death toll remained at 22.
Iran's total confirmed cases rose to more than 200,000 officials said Friday, re-emerging as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East with 200,262 infections.
South Africa on Friday reported 94 coronavirus fatalities in the past 24 hours, the highest daily death toll which brought the total nationwide deaths to 1,831. The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 87,715, an increase of 3,825 from Thursday.
Costa Rica's government will halt the reopening of the country's economy due to a recent increase in the number of coronavirus cases. The total number of confirmed cases in the Central American country now stands at 2,058. Twelve people have died from the disease so far.
Coronavirus deaths in Mexico surpassed 20,000 on Friday after 647 new fatalities and 5,030 new confirmed cases were found. Total cases in the country now stand at 170,485, with 20,394 fatalities.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 601 to 189,135, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 11 to 8,883, the tally showed.
(With input from agencies)
Authorities say the first known patient in Beijing's COVID-19 cluster infections helped them quickly trace the infections to a food market. And big data technology is also helping to identify those at risk.
Brazil passed the bleak milestone of one million COVID-19 cases, as the numbers of infections and deaths continue to surge in Latin America's largest country.
Beijing ramps up coronavirus test for deliverymen
All deliverymen in Beijing will receive coronavirus test in line with government measures in COVID-19 prevention and control, according to local media Beijing News.
The tests will be conducted in batches and are expected to finish by next week.
Meanwhile, according to Meituan, a major online food delivery service in China, all delivery persons who have been to "high risk" areas in Beijing will be immediately asked to stop taking orders, get tested and be quarantined for 14 days.
There're two areas in Beijing now labeled as "high risk" of COVID-19, Huaxiang Township in Fengtai District and Xihongmen Township in Beijing's Daxing District.
On Friday, Chinese ride-hailing platform DiDi Chuxing also announced it will offer all its drivers in Beijing free nucleic acid tests for the novel coronavirus.
A view of docked cruise during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, May 11, 2020. /AP
The Cruise Lines International Association announced Friday that ships will not be sailing from U.S. ports throughout the summer, extending a pause put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The industry association said they are consulting with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the appropriate measures to resume cruise travel. The association represents 95 percent of the global cruise industry.
The current no-sail order issued by the U.S. CDC on March 14 is set to expire July 24. The association says cruise lines have decided to voluntarily prolong this pause until September 15 because they need time "to resolve barriers" with U.S. authorities to restart sailing.
Not only cruise industry, domestic travel spending of the U.S. is expected to collapse this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, suffering a 40 percent decline compared to 2019, while international spending will plunge 75 percent, according to new research.
A report commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association showed spending will drop to 583 billion U.S. dollars this year from 972 billion U.S. dollars last year.
Total travel spending, including domestic and international visitors, is projected to fall 45 percent to 622 billion U.S. dollars, according to research by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics.
Customers distance before entering an Apple Store during phase one of reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown in New York City, New York, U.S. June 17, 2020. /Reuters
Apple Inc said on Friday it is temporarily shutting some stores again in Florida, Arizona, South Carolina, and North Carolina in the United States, as novel coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country.
Shares of the company, which said the closure would affect 11 stores in these states, were down 0.5 percent.
Apple had planned to reopen about 100 U.S. stores, mostly with curbside pickup but some with walk-in service, in late May as lockdown restrictions began to ease.
However, cases in the United States have been steadily rising, with over 2.2 million people infected and at least 118,396 people dead.
In a letter to Apple customers in May, Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's retail chief, had said the company would look at data on a local basis and that re-closings were a possibility based on that data.
"These are not decisions we rush into — and a store opening in no way means that we won’t take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant," O'Brien had said.
Chinese health authorities on Saturday said that 27 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland Friday, of which 23 were local transmissions and four were inbound cases. No new deaths were reported.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered 22 and Hebei Province registered one, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified seven new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,352 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 108 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 12 patients were discharged on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,410.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,127 (1,074 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (434 recoveries, seven deaths)
Beijing reports 22 new local COVID-19 cases
The Beijing Health Commission said on Saturday that the city registered 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising total infections to 205 since a local cluster was discovered in the Xinfadi wholesale market on June 11.
Friday's cases were reported in three Beijing districts: 13 in Fengtai, eight in Daxing, and one in Haidian.
Four suspected cases and two asymptomatic cases were also registered on Friday, according to the commission.
No imported cases were reported on Friday, it added.
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) 2020, originally scheduled for September 2-5, was cancelled and will be held next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roscongress Foundation said on Friday.
"The sixth Eastern Economic Forum will be held in September 2021," the foundation said.
The Eastern Economic Forum was established by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015 to support the economic development of Russia's Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
It has been held annually since 2015 in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.
Earlier this year, the investment forum in Sochi and St. Petersburg International Economic Forum were also canceled because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
(Cover: People walk past a sign of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2018. /Reuters)
China's DiDi provides free nucleic acid test for Beijing drivers
Chinese ride-hailing platform DiDi Chuxing announced on Friday it will offer all its drivers in Beijing free nucleic acid tests for the novel coronavirus.
Beijing confirmed 183 new cases over the past week, including 25 reported on Friday. Beijing authorities have set up at least nine locations for all ride-hailing drivers in the municipality to disinfect cars free of charge.
Drivers are also required to take temperatures, wear a mask, do spray disinfection to sanitize cars and keep good air circulation in the car, according to authorities.
Beijing's Daxing District, where the latest cluster of novel coronavirus appeared, announced it will conduct nucleic acid tests for all bus and taxi drivers in the district. As of Saturday morning, at least 1,471 people were tested.
Study suggests traces of coronavirus in wastewater of Milan and Turin last December
Genetic material of the novel coronavirus was detected in the samples collected from Milan and Turin sewage last December, according to an announcement released by an Italian institution on Thursday.
The study, conducted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, one of the leading institutions of the Italian National Health Service, suggests the virus already existed in wastewater collected from the entrance of treatment plants in northern Italy before the country's first COVID-19 case being reported.
40 samples from October 2019 to February 2020 and 24 samples from September 2018 through June 2019 serving as a control group to rule out the possibility of the presence of the virus have been analyzed, according to researchers.
"Results confirmed by two different methods in two different laboratories indicate the presence of SARS-COV-2 RNA in samples taken in Milan and Turin on December 18, 2019 and in Bologna on January, 29, 2020," said Giuseppina La Rosa at the Department of Environment and Health of the Italian National Health Institute.
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NYC cleared to enter phase two of reopening on Monday
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced that global public health experts have cleared New York City to enter phase two of reopening on Monday, two weeks after the city started reopening.
"I am so incredibly proud of what we all did together and as a community. We reopened the economy and saved lives, because it was never a choice between one or the other, it was always right to do both," said Cuomo.
The governor made the remarks in an address from his office in the State Capitol, ending his daily COVID-19 briefings after holding 100-plus conferences since early March.
New York state has the largest COVID-19 testing capacity in the country and now one of the lowest transmission rates among all 50 states.
Cuomo also warned that the pandemic is not over, and people have to be on alert for a second wave.
The coronavirus from a new local cluster in the Chinese capital is closely related to the European strain, an official from the World Health Organization said on Friday.
"As we understand it, the virus is closely related to the European strain," Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead on COVID-19 said.
It came after Beijing released and shared the gene sequence data of the COVID-19 virus from the Xinfadi market infection cluster on Thursday.
Read more:
China releases gene sequence data of Beijing COVID-19 strain
In light of the recent COVID-19 cluster outbreaks in China, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert commended Beijing for its efforts to control its spread.
Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the Health Emergencies Program of the WHO, made the remark at a press conference in Geneva on Friday.
Illustrating the good examples of Germany, Japan and South Korea, Ryan said: "I think our colleagues in Beijing as well are mounting a very large-scale response... in an attempt to prevent that from getting out of hand," underscoring the importance of rapid detection, investigation and suppression of cluster cases.
"You get a few cases occurring and it then a super spreading event or something happening where there's a large amplification of the disease. And when that happens, you want to avoid that first amplification turning back into community transmission," he noted.
Ryan noted that it has become difficult to discern whether the rise in COVID-19 cases in many countries has been due to increased testing or the result of further spreading.
"It's very important at that time to look at things like hospitalizations and deaths. If you start to see hospitalizations going up, that's not because of testing; if you start to see the number of people dying going up unexpectedly, that's not because of testing," he emphasized.
"What we really want to see is that the ability to use data, to use investigation, to use testing, to use physical and social measures in an agile, adaptive, sensitive way where you're doing the absolute minimum you need to do to suppress the infection or the maximum you need to do with the minimum disruption of society," he added.
(With input from Xinhua)
Brazil passes 1 million coronavirus cases, nearly 50,000 deaths
Brazil on Friday passed a total of more than one million coronavirus cases, and nearly 50,000 deaths, according to Health Ministry data, in a new nadir for the world's second worst-hit country.
Brazil has recorded 1,032,913 confirmed cases, second only to the United States, with 1,206 new deaths reported on Friday to take the total official fatalities to 48,954, the ministry said.
People walk with bags at a popular shopping street amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 19, 2020. /Reuters
COVID-19: Part of Beijing's Daxing District labeled high risk
Xihongmen, a town in south Beijing's Daxing District, has lifted its coronavirus risk level to high, taking the total number of high-risk areas in the capital city to two, according to China's State Council app on Friday.
On June 14, Huaxiang, a township in Beijing's Fengtai District, rose its risk level to the highest following a cluster of coronavirus cases found in a wholesale market in the district.
In Beijing, 33 other regions are classified as medium risk level.
COVID-19: 50 health workers arrive in Beijing to help with epidemiological survey
Fifty health workers have arrived in Beijing to help with an epidemiological survey and analysis work, as the city saw 183 new confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in eight days, a local official said on Friday at a press briefing.
They were deployed from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as four provincial disease control and prevention centers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan provinces.
Latest developments on global COVID-19 pandemic
The United Kingdom's chief medical officers have agreed that the COVID-19 alert level should be lowered from Level 4 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially) to Level 3 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation).
Russia on Friday reported 7,972 new cases, bringing its nationwide tally to 569,063. The country's coronavirus response center said 181 people had died in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 7,841.
Indonesia's number of cases rose by 1,041 to 43,803 on Friday. The death toll increased by 34 to 2,373.
Bangladesh reported 3,243 new cases on Friday, a dip from Thursday's high of 3,803, raising its total to 105,535. The death toll in the country now stands at 1,388 after 45 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours.
Singapore on Friday reported 142 new cases. It now has 41,615 total confirmed coronavirus infections. One of the new cases is a prisoner held in jail and the other cases are all from foreign workers' dormitories.
Nurse at a hospital in Beijing tests positive for coronavirus
An emergency ward nurse at Beijing's Peking University International Hospital tested positive for coronavirus, an official told a press conference on Friday.
The hospital is now under closed-off management.
The infected nurse had close contact with a COVID-19 patient in Beijing's Haidian District reported on June 14, said Deputy Head of Changping District Wu Bin.
NHC: Beijing, Hebei Province report new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for five straight days
The Chinese capital Beijing and its neighboring Hebei Province have reported new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 for five consecutive days, National Health Commission spokesperson Hu Qiangqiang said on Friday.
Hu told a press briefing that the number of active critical COVID-19 cases has also been increasing for the past five days. China has also seen fast growth in the number of people under medical observation who had close contacts with confirmed cases.
Hu stressed that China still faces challenges in treating COVID-19 patients and the country needs to build on achieved results in epidemic control and prevention and completely cut off the virus transmission.
When asked about outbound travels for Beijing residents, Wang Bin, an official with the National Health Commission, said those who can provide proof of a negative coronavirus nucleic acid test result received within a week prior to leaving the city, and show a normal temperature upon arriving at their destination, should be able to travel without any restrictions in other cities and provinces.
COVID-19: No evidence of infection via digestive tract from seafood
There has been no evidence showing the transmission of COVID-19 infections via the digestive tract after eating seafood, Feng Luzhao, a researcher for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said at a press briefing on Friday.
However, in order to reduce the risk of transmission, Feng recommended that people avoid contact with raw fish and meat.
China's Medical Products Administration has given green light to five Chinese coronavirus vaccines for human trials, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
More vaccines are expected to get approval for clinical trials soon, the ministry said.
Scientists around the globe are racing for a vaccine for COVID-19, which has claimed over 450,000 lives so far.
Around 10 potential vaccines are now undergoing human trials, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Earlier this week, a Chinese COVID-19 candidate vaccine passed phase-one and phase-two clinical trials, showing no "serious adverse reactions" with all volunteers generating antibodies after two doses in 28 days.
The WHO has expressed hope that hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine can be produced this year and two billion doses by the end of 2021.
Read more:
World's first inactivated COVID-19 vaccine proves safe and effective in clinical trials
WHO hopes for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses this year
(Cover: An illustration featuring small bottles labeled "Vaccine", April 10, 2020. /Reuters )
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
South Korea reported 49 more COVID-19 cases on Thursday, raising the total number of infections to 12,306. The daily caseload stayed between 30 and 60 for the past weeks. Of the new cases, 17 were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,396.
India's federal health ministry on Friday said 336 new deaths and 13,586 more cases were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 12,573 and total cases to 380,532.
Thailand on Friday reported five new cases, all of which were found in quarantine, making it 25 days without a confirmed domestic transmission of the virus.
Germany's total number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 770 to 188,534, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by 16 to 8,872.
Mexico's health ministry reported on Thursday a record 5,662 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 667 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 165,455 cases and 19,747 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
Fauci confident in vaccine efforts, predicts no more U.S. lockdowns despite virus surge
The United States does not need more widespread lockdowns to bring its COVID-19 outbreak under control, despite the fact that the national daily infection rate has stayed flat, leading government expert Anthony Fauci said Thursday.
The physician-scientist told reporters that he was optimistic the world would soon have a vaccine that would end the pandemic, calling early trial results "encouraging."
"I don't think we're going to be talking about going back to lockdown," he said when asked whether places like California and Texas that are seeing a surge in their caseload should reissue stay-at-home orders.
"I think we're going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases."
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Expert: No evidence that Beijing's new cluster virus is more contagious than earlier strains
Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday that environmental samples taken in Beijing's Xinfadi market were found to be extremely contaminated, especially in the aquatic product area, with high levels of the coronavirus. The infected staff were concentrated in that area, and most of the customers are infected with the virus after shopping or visiting that area too, so it cannot be considered that this virus is more infectious than the one circulating in China in January and February.
Wu said that there are two measures of the infectivity, one is the coefficient of transmission, in which one person can infect several healthy people. The second is the second-generation secondary rate, which is how many people are infected for every 100 people exposed to infection.
From the virus observed in countries around the world between January and May, neither indicator changed significantly. From the limited data available from Beijing, there is no hard data to support a stronger infectivity than in January and February, Wu added.
Japan lifts coronavirus travel curbs to help economy
Japan lifted all coronavirus-related curbs on domestic travel on Friday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling on people to go sightseeing or attend concerts and other events to help the economy bounce back from a recession.
Japan began lifting its pandemic lockdown in May as coronavirus infections fell. The latest easing comes after the end of an emergency declaration that allowed people to return to work and bars and restaurants implementing social distancing measures to reopen.
In addition, Japan is also allowing up to 1,000 people to gather at indoor and outdoor events. Japanese professional baseball teams will also restart games on Friday, although spectators will be locked out. Japan by Thursday had recorded 17,789 cases of the novel coronavirus with 948 deaths, according to NHK.
Five Chinese provinces report cases linked to Beijing market cluster
As of Thursday, five Chinese provinces have reported confirmed or asymptomatic cases linked to the infections Beijing, which first emerged on June 11 involving the local wholesale market Xinfadi.
Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces each reported one confirmed case, and Liaoning Province reported three cases. One asymptomatic case, a vendor in Beijing's Xinfadi market, was found in Henan Province.
Hebei Province has seen at least nine confirmed cases and four asymptomatic cases connected to Xinfadi market and their close contacts.
Brazil sees over 1,000 COVID-19 daily deaths for 3 consecutive days
Brazil has reported over 1,000 daily deaths from COVID-19 for three days in a row, the health ministry said Thursday.
The country reported 1,238 more deaths and 22,765 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 47,748 and the total number of infections to 978,142 – the world's worst outbreak outside the U.S.
The heavily populated state of Sao Paulo was hit the hardest, with 192,628 infections and 11,846 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro registering 87,317 infections and 8,412 deaths, the ministry said.
A total of 482,102 patients have recovered since the onset of the outbreak in the country, it added.
China released the gene sequence data of the COVID-19 virus from Beijing's Xinfadi market infection cluster on Thursday, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Chinese CDC also submitted the genome sequencing data for the virus to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The information published on the website of state-backed National Microbiology Data Center on Friday shows the data is from two confirmed patients and one local environmental sample.
Scientists collect samples at the Xinfadi wholesale market. /The Beijing News
Zhang Yong, assistant director of the Institute of Viral Diseases at the Chinese CDC, said preliminary research results suggest that the virus has European origin, but is not completely the same as the European strain.
"The large amounts of samples found in the wholesale market indicate that the virus has been around for some time. If it had only just recently arrived in the city, there may not have been so many positive samples found; however, we need more data before making an informed decision about its origin," Zhang added.
When asked about how the virus came to Beijing, Zhang explained it may have come with imported frozen food or it has been lurking in the dark, humid environment where has not been properly disinfected and sterilized before being exposed to local residents.
Food has been stored in freezing temperatures during the transportation, which prevent the virus from mutating. That's why we see that the virus found in Beijing is much closer to the original virus found in Europe, he noted.
Laboratory tests and genome sequence analysis can help us figure out the transmission routes, Zhang added.
Chinese health authorities on Friday said that 32 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland Thursday, of which 28 were local transmissions and four were inbound cases. No new deaths were reported.
Among the cases of local transmission, Beijing registered 25, Hebei Province two and Liaoning Province one, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified five new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,325 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 110 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said four patients were discharged on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,398.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,124 (1,072 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 446 (434 recoveries, seven deaths)
The Beijing Health Commission said on Friday that the city had registered 25 new COVID-19 cases, all local transmissions, in the past 24 hours, taking the total of infections involving Xinfadi wholesale market since June 11 up to 183.
Thursday's new cases were reported in four Beijing districts: 18 in Fengtai, five in Daxing, and one each in Xicheng and Haidian.
Cases in Fengtai District, where the market is located, represent over 71 percent of the total 131 local infection cases in this new infection cluster.
According to the commission, two suspected cases and two asymptomatic cases were also registered on Thursday.
No imported cases were reported on Thursday, it added.
As of Thursday, the Chinese capital has found a total of 603 local cases with nine deaths since the start of the virus outbreak in January.
Nurse at a hospital in Beijing tests positive for coronavirus
An emergency ward nurse at Beijing's Peking University International Hospital has tested positive for coronavirus, an official told a press conference on Friday.
The hospital is now under closed-off management.
The infected nurse had close contact with a COVID-19 patient in Beijing's Haidian District reported on June 14, said Deputy Head of Changping District Wu Bin.
50 staff dispatched to Beijing to help with epidemiological survey
50 staff have been dispatched and arrived in Beijing to help with the epidemiological survey and analysis work as the city has seen 183 new confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in eight days, a local official said on Friday at a press briefing.
The staff came from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as four provincial disease control and prevention centers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan provinces, the official outlined.
Part of Beijing's Daxing District labeled high risk
Xihongmen, a town in south Beijing's Daxing District, has lifted its coronavirus risk level to high, taking the total number of high-risk areas in the capital city to two, according to China's State Council app on Friday.
On June 14, Huaxiang, a township in Beijing's Fengtai District, rose its risk level to the highest following a cluster of coronavirus cases found in a wholesale market in the district.
In Beijing, 33 other regions are classified as medium risk level.
Nucleic acid test result required to leave Beijing by train
Starting on Friday, all passengers leaving Beijing are required to provide a negative nucleic acid test certificate issued within seven days of departure.
The move comes after the Chinese capital raised its COVID-19 response level early in the week due to a local market infection cluster which has led to more than 150 confirmed cases so far.
Refunds free of charge will be available for tickets bought before 20:00 on June 16, when the city announced raising the respond level.
At a press briefing on Thursday, the municipal authority called on people not to leave Beijing unless it's necessary and if in that case, they must bring with them qualified certificates for negative virus test results.
Beijing Capital International Airport and Daxing International airport announced the implementation of the regulation on Thursday afternoon.
730 people test positive for COVID-19 at Germany's largest meat factory
At least 730 people at the Toennies Group meatpacking plant in Germany's Rheda-Wiedenbrueck tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday, local media reported citing Germany's agriculture minister.
"Hundreds of infections in one plant. These conditions aren't tenable," Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said in a statement. She added it was right for officials in North Rhine-Westphalia state, where the plant is located, to have launched a probe into the source of the infections.
Following a series of earlier coronavirus clusters at abattoirs, the German government pledged to crack down on the practice of using subcontractors, who often hire migrant workers and house them in cramped accommodations. But some lawmakers have warned of the risk that jobs might move abroad.
Latest COVID-19 developments in the U.S.
- Residents in the U.S. State of California are required to wear face coverings in public spaces, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday.
- Florida officials announced a record of 3,207 new cases Thursday morning bringing the state's total to 85,926. The state has "all the markings of the next large epicenter of coronavirus transmission," projections from a model by scientists at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania suggested.
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday slammed the federal government's handling of the coronavirus and called it an "undeniable mistake," accusing the White House of operating on "pure political ideology" since day one.
Cuomo also said he's considering quarantine for travelers from Florida due to concerns they could bring COVID-19 to New York.
- Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio said on Thursday the city will enter phase two of reopening on June 22, two weeks after it entered the first phase. Hair salons and outdoor dining are among businesses allowed to restart operating in phase two at a capacity at 50 percent. Meanwhile, face coverings and social distancing are mandatory.
- U.S. CDC said on Thursday that this week's national ensemble forecast suggests there will likely be between 129,000 and 145,000 total reported COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by July 11.
(With input from agencies)
A new daily high for the state of Florida - adding another 3,207 coronavirus cases to its tally - a record figure.
The state now counts nearly 86-thousand cases in all -- and more than three thousand deaths due to COVID-19.
Florida is leading a surge of new cases being seen in nearly half the United States... while leaders say they see no reason to pull back on reopening.
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Hong Kong Disneyland reopened Thursday after a nearly five-month break due to COVID-19.
New safety protocols for the theme park include temperature screenings and mandatory face masks.
Visitors are also required to purchase tickets online and maintain social distancing in any queues, restaurants and other facilities in the park.
Park officials said tickets have nearly sold out for their first weekend after reopening.
Hong Kong is the second Disney park to reopen following Shanghai Disneyland's reopening in May.
The original Disneyland in California is slated to reopen on July 17, the resort's 65th anniversary. Florida's Walt Disney World plans to reopen on July 11. There are as yet no firm reopening dates for the parks in Tokyo and Paris.
Disney is taking a big financial hit by the extended closures, with one financial research firm projecting losses could approach $21 billion through 2022.
Around 40 million Argentines, nearly 90 percent, have received government help since the coronavirus lockdown began three months ago, according to the latest official figures. The government is expanding its economy rescue package to keep the economy afloat, but Argentina was already stuck in a recession before the pandemic, and it's still locked in negotiations over repayment of its foreign debt.
It's been three months since Argentina ordered a lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. Many locations are now opening up, but in the most populated areas, like the capital Buenos Aires and the surrounding province, heavy restrictions remain in place.
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Another 1.5 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, bringing the number of people laid off, at least temporarily, by COVID-19 to 45.7 million.
The number of new jobless claims was surprisingly high, a decrease of only 58,000 from the previous week's level, while the insured unemployment rate showing people still receiving aid was unchanged at 14.1 percent and 20.5 million continue to receive benefits.
(Cover: Reuters)
The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine can be produced this year and two billion doses by the end of 2021, chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Thursday.
The WHO is drawing up plans to help decide who should get the first doses once a vaccine is approved, she said.
Priority would be given to frontline workers such as medics, those who are vulnerable because of age or other illness, and those who work or live in high-transmission settings such as prisons and care homes.
"I'm hopeful, I'm optimistic. But vaccine development is a complex undertaking, it comes with a lot of uncertainty," she said. "The good thing is, we have many vaccines and platforms so even if the first one fails, or the second ones fails, we shouldn't lose hope, we shouldn't give up."
Around 10 potential vaccines are now undergoing trials in humans, in the hope that a shot to prevent infection can become available in coming months. Countries have already begun making deals with pharmaceutical companies to order doses, even before any vaccines have been proven to work.
Swaminathan described the ambition for hundreds of millions of doses this year as optimistic, and the hope for up to two billion doses of up to three different vaccines next year as a "big if".
She added that genetic analysis data collected so far showed that the new coronavirus has not yet mutated in any ways that would alter the severity of the illness it causes.
(Cover image via VCG)
Expert: Similarity between Beijing, Wuhan food market virus offers new clue
The similarity between Beijing's and Wuhan's food market COVID-19 outbreaks offers a new clue, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Thursday, adding that preliminary analysis showed that a cold and humid environment is favorable for the virus.
He told media at a press conference on Thursday that seafood and meat vendors have reported more coronavirus infections and that a further investigation is still underway.
Beijing's latest COVID-19 epidemic under control
Beijing's latest epidemic has been controlled, Wu told reporters.
He said the new confirmed cases reported daily don't mean new infections on that day but infections that were detected during the monitoring process.
As an example, Wu explained that most of the 21 newly reported patients on Wednesday were infected before June 12.
With the virus still spreading globally, the latest cluster in Beijing is what might have been expected, Wu said, adding the outbreak is "normal."
According to Wu, the peak of the latest cluster in Beijing occurred on June 13. He said there will be more cases in the coming days, but the number will decline.
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Community volunteers returned to their posts to screen visitors just one day after they withdrew due to zero new infections, said 64-year-old Wang from Beijing's Haidian district.
Outside Wang's community, higher vigilance over COVID-19 can be observed again.
I visited a lower-risk district neighboring Fengtai District where a wholesale market was linked to more than 130 infections.
After eight weeks of no local cases being reported, one emerged last Thursday, and a spike followed over the weekend. Municipal officials Tuesday put the emergency response level back to medium, just 10 days after changing it to low.
The area surrounding the market was closed off.
Many universities in Beijing were scheduled to welcome graduates this week, but had to cancel their plans due to the fresh emergency response.
"Our teacher said on social media that health staff carried out nucleic acid testing on campus," said Ni Xin, a senior student at Capital University of Business and Economics.
The re-imposition of restrictions is now keeping all students away from campus. Ni believed it is "timely and the right thing to do," adding that panic is unnecessary.
However, inconvenience is back. Residents in Ni's community now have to use only one gate to enter or leave the compound.
Song Jiawei, a delivery woman, also had to adjust her job to the new situation.
"In April, deliveries were't allowed into the community until early May," said the 26-year-old woman. "In recent days, we have been asked to register when we enter."
In March, Song quit her job at a childcare center when her company decided to suspend all classes. At least, she felt she made the right choice. "The company planned to resume classes on Monday, now it has been delayed with no date set," she noted.
"No one can stop it," Wang referred to the outbreak, saying all the government's strategies, including mass testing and inquiry into travel history have people's health in mind. "We feel quite relieved," she repeated.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, city officials asked all those who have visited the wholesale market since May 30 to report to their communities and self-quarantine at home.
Authorities on Thursday required all communities in Beijing to tighten control policies.
Top experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention are prioritizing screening and control measures at the moment, saying numbers this week will help define the extent of new cases.
Beijing to suspend inter-provincial passenger bus service from Friday
All inter-provincial highway passenger bus services in Beijing will be suspended from Friday to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, local authorities said at a press conference on Thursday.
All the 21 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Beijing on Wednesday were related to the Xinfadi market, and eight clusters related to the market have been reported in the city.
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Japan to ease travel curbs across the prefectures: Abe
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Thursday announced to fully ease travel restriction across the prefectures from June 19 under the current situation of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, local media reported that Japan would also ease the entry ban on Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Vietnam.
According to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University, Japan has reported a total of 17,571 cases of COVID-19 nationwide.
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Russia reports 7,790 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 561,091
A total of 7,790 new COVID-19 infections were reported in Russia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 561,091 as of Thursday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 7,660. So far, 313,963 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) has succeeded in isolating and culturing the novel coronavirus strain collected from cases related to the Xinfadi market in Beijing, CCTV reported on Thursday.
China CDC has received two batches of respiratory tract specimens collected from the market on June 11 and 13 and started the isolation and culture immediately.
The virus strain was successfully isolated and cultured on Monday, which is of great help for researchers to understand sequence and replication characteristics of the strain, and vaccine evaluation and drug screening of COVID-19.
(Cover image via VCG)
Strict outbound travel management doesn't mean Beijing is on lockdown
Beijing has taken decisive measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic by strictly managing the outbound travel from the capital city, but this doesn't mean Beijing is under lockdown, Pan Xuhong, deputy head and spokesperson of the municipal public security bureau said on Thursday.
Beijing to close restaurants, work places in high-risk areas
Beijing authorities will close restaurants, hotels and work places in high-risk areas to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Officials said at a press conference on Thursday morning that close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are required to take nucleic acid tests twice.
Authorities will continue to tighten management in high-risk areas and people who have visited the Xinfadi market since May 30 and have been infected with COVID-19 are not allowed to leave Beijing.
Chinese health authorities on Thursday said that 28 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland Wednesday, of which 24 were local transmissions and four were inbound cases. No new deaths were reported.
Among the local infections, Beijing registered 21, while Hebei Province recorded two cases and Tianjin Municipality registered one, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified eight new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,293 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 111 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 15 patients were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,394.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,120 (1,071 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 445 (434 recoveries, seven deaths)
World Health Organization halts hydroxychloroquine trials
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that it stopped testing the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as part of the multi-country Solidarity Trial because it had shown no effect.
"The internal evidence from the Solidarity discovery trial, the external evidence from the Recovery trial, and the combined evidence from these large randomized trials bring together, suggest that hydroxychloroquine, when compared with the standard of care in the treatment of hospitalized COVID patients, does not result in the reduction of the mortality of those patients," said Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, Medical Officer of WHO's Department of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals, at a press conference in Geneva.
China-Africa summit important solidarity platform to fight coronavirus: WHO chief
Platforms like the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit are important in strengthening global solidarity in the fight against the novel coronavirus, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
"Unity and solidarity are very important to defeat this virus. When unity and solidarity is lacking, when there is a crack between us, the virus exploits that crack between us," said Tedros at a press conference in Geneva. "That's why national unity and global solidarity is important, and platforms like this will be important in strengthening solidarity across the globe."
The world has now recorded more than 8 million cases of COVID-19. Noting that 85,000 cases were reported in the first two months of the outbreak but 6 million have been reported in the past two months, Tedros underlined that "The virus is accelerating and moving really fast."
"It's only by moving faster that we can defeat it, and to move fast, the most important element is unity and solidarity," he added.
He recalled that "since the pandemic started, China has been supporting Africa ... especially in sending experts, sharing information, in addition to that, in providing support with supplies, test kits."
Tedros expressed his concern that "Although the number of cases in Africa is the lowest compared to other regions, it is at the same time accelerating." The continent has reported more than 180,000 confirmed cases to the WHO.
The Extraordinary China-Africa Summit, held via video link on Wednesday, was jointly proposed by China, South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), and Senegal, the co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
In the Midwestern state of Ohio, restaurants have been able to open with limited seating for a couple of weeks now.
But social distancing, and concerns about a possible second wave of COVID-19 are affecting customer turnout.
CGTN's Sean Callebs was at a local pub just outside of Dayton, Ohio the day it re-opened.
As he reports, getting back to business now is a roll of the dice.
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A recent Latin American poll showed that a majority of Colombian citizens have felt emotionally at peace during the world wide pandemic.
Colombia is among the countries showing the most positive results in the region.
CGTN correspondent Michelle Begue has more from Bogota.
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Number of COVID-19 infections in Beijing may rise for a while: Official
The number of COVID-19 infections in Beijing may rise for a while, warned Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control on Wednesday.
The city will round up key groups of people for testing, such as medical workers, those who live around residential compounds where infections have been confirmed, and teachers and students who have already returned to schools.
Here are the latest figures:
- 31 new cases reported on Tuesday, covering five of Beijing's districts.
- 137 confirmed cases reported in Beijing in the latest COVID-19 cluster, with all of them related to Xinfadi market.
- 95 percent of the patients are showing mild to moderate symptoms.
- 356,000 nucleic acid tests have been conducted since June 14.
- Beijing has managed to conduct nucleic tests for 400,000 people daily.
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China CDC P3 laboratory helps conduct COVID-19 tests in Fengtai District, Beijing
A 14 person mobile testing team from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) P3 laboratory went to Fengtai District to help conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 at around 9 a.m. on June 17, according to CCTV's report.
The team can perform a maximum of 1,000 acid tests per day in Beijing.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the P3 laboratory of China CDC and its testing team has been to China's main areas for epidemic prevention and control. The team have assisted Wuhan, Mudanjiang, Jilin and other cities in completing laboratory testing tasks.
Click here for more.
Russia reports 7,843 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 553,301
A total of 7,843 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 553,301 as of Wednesday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 7,478. So far, 10,036 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Safety workers at Seoul subway station test positive: report
At least three safety workers at a central Seoul subway station have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday citing the city's transportation operator.
The new infected cases in South Korea's capital city raise concern over another possible outbreak, the report said.
As of Wednesday, South Korea has reported a total of 12,198 cases of COVID-19 with 279 deaths nationwide, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: file photo)
Former Buenos Aires province governor tests positive for coronavirus
Maria Eugenia Vidal, former Buenos Aires province governor, confirmed on Wednesday morning that she contracted the new coronavirus.
She said she's feeling well and following isolation rules, but has not been hospitalized.
Several Argentine officials, including the mayor of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who came into contact with Vidal last week, might need to be tested.
COVID-19 deaths cross 10,000 mark in India
Total COVID-19 deaths crossed the 10,000 mark in India on Wednesday, reaching 11,903, as total cases rose to 354,065, according to the latest data released by the federal health ministry.
Its daily death toll has leapt by more than 2,000 in a record jump since the virus outbreak began in the country.
A total of 10,974 news cases were detected in the past 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, marking the sixth day of daily rise above 10,000.
Honduran President Hernandez says he has COVID-19
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said late on Tuesday he has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
"As president of the nation and a responsible citizen, I want to communicate that during the weekend I started to feel some discomfort and today I was diagnosed as having been infected with COVID-19," Hernandez said in a televised speech.
Hernandez said he has mild symptoms and has started treatment. He also said his wife and two collaborators also tested positive for the virus.
(With input from Reuters)
A Chinese COVID-19 candidate vaccine has passed phase one and two clinical trials. The vaccine showed no "serious adverse reactions" with all volunteers generating antibodies after two doses in 28 days, its developer China National Biotec Group (CNBG) said on Tuesday.
The vaccine, developed by a CNBG subsidiary, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, is the world's first inactivated COVID-19 vaccine.
A volunteer in central China's Henan Province is being injected with the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. /Photo courtesy of CNBG
The human trials began in Wuzhi County, central China's Henan Province on April 12. A total of 1,120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 were inoculated with two doses in 28 days, according to CNBG.
In the randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial, all volunteers generated high levels of neutralizing antibodies, which can block pathogens from infecting human cells, the company said.
The study is the world's first clinical trial to obtain safety and effectiveness data of a two-dose inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, CNBG said, adding that the clinical trial has lasted the longest period of time (66 days) and got the most comprehensive data, as well as the most satisfying results among all COVID-19 vaccines to date.
The results have provided scientific and evaluable data for COVID-19 prevention and vaccine emergency use in China, the company said.
China has the world's highest number of vaccine candidates for COVID-19, with five undergoing clinical trials.
(CGTN's Liu Yang also contributed to the story.)
A Air China plane parking at Beijing Capital International Airport. /VCG
As of 9:10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, at least 1,255 inbound and outbound flights from Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport were canceled, according to data from Flight Master.
According to the customer service of Air China, if the flight ticket was purchased before June 15 and the travel date is between June 16 to 30, the company is offering full refunds to passengers. China Southern Airlines has also waived refund fees for some Beijing related flights.
The customer service also explained that the refunds can only be processed through the customer service call, no online service is being provided so far.
The aviation data tracker showed that half the scheduled inbound flights and around 67 percent of the outbound flights from the two airports have been or are likely to be canceled on Wednesday.
Beijing recorded 31 new infections on June 16, bringing the cumulative infection toll since last Thursday to 137 cases. Beijing authorities on Tuesday raised the alert level to two, the second-highest level in a four-tier COVID-19 emergency response level system.
Macao announces 14-day quarantine for arrivals from Beijing
Macao has announced 14-day quarantine and medical observation for all arrivals who have been in Beijing within 14 days prior to entry, starting at noon on Wednesday.
According to a government notice, the decision was made due to the upgrade of COVID-19 emergency response in Beijing in the wake of a new local market cluster, which has led to the detection of over 130 cases in six days.
Two new local cases outside Beijing are from Xinfadi market
Apart from 31 COVID-19 cases registered in Beijing, the other two local cases reported in north China's Hebei Province and east China's Zhejiang Province trace back to Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market, according to health commissions in the two provinces.
The case in Hebei Province, a previously asymptomatic patient, was diagnosed as a confirmed case on Tuesday. The patient had visited Xinfadi market with his family, the local authority said without providing other details.
The other case, a 36-year-old male, has been doing business in the Beijing market for a long time. He returned to his hometown in Zhejiang Province from Beijing and developed a series of symptoms including fever. He later tested positive for COVID-19 at a hospital on Tuesday.
A total of 11 people who came in close contact with him have all tested negative for the virus, Zhejiang's health commission said.
China railway operator refunds passengers to and from Beijing
China's railway operator will allow passengers to and from Beijing to cancel their tickets without a charge starting Wednesday.
The measure was taken as part of efforts to control the spread of coronavirus, said China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
Beijing reports 31 new local COVID-19 cases
Beijing reported 31 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the municipal health commission said on Wednesday. They're all cases of local transmission, it added.
The new cases were detected in five of Beijing's districts: 19 in Fengtai, five in Daxing, three each in Dongcheng and Haidian, and one in Xicheng.
The commission also found three suspected cases and six asymptomatic cases over the same period.
Tuesday's number has brought the total number of local infections in the Chinese capital to 557. So far, 137 patients are hospitalized.
Chinese health authorities reported on Wednesday 44 new COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, of which 33 were local transmissions and 11 inbound cases. No new deaths were reported.
Among local infections, Beijing registered 31, while Hebei and Zhejiang provinces recorded one case each, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified 11 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,265 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, with 106 asymptomatic patients under medical observation.
All residential communities in Beijing require close-off management
Beijing authorities required all residential communities to adopt close-off measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Officials said at a meeting on Tuesday that nucleic acid tests for residents in high-risk areas will be expanded.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
- The U.S. has agreed to keep its borders with Mexico and Canada closed until July 21, officials said Tuesday. The total number of infections has reached over 2.13 million with 116,833 deaths. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that full recovery of U.S. economy is "unlikely" until the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled.
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the latest extension of restrictions on the U.S.-Canada border.
- Mexico's Foreign Ministry also said its northern border would remain closed. The three countries closed their borders to non-essential travel for the first time on March 21.
- In the borough of Neukolln in Berlin, Germany, as many as 369 households have been put into quarantine after 57 people tested positive for COVID-19.
- Brazil reported a record 34,918 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. It is approaching one million cases as the latest figure stands at 923,189. It also registered 1,282 COVID-19 deaths, bringing confirmed fatalities in the country to 45,241. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro said Tuesday the city's business reopening will enter a second phase starting Wednesday, allowing hotels and outdoor playgrounds to open but with no spectators.
(With input from agencies)
Hundreds of Beijing-bound flights canceled
As of Wednesday morning, at least 850 inbound and outbound flights from Beijing Daxing International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport were canceled, according to data from VariFlight.
Some airlines, including Air China and China Southern Airlines, announced Tuesday evening they would offer full refunds to passengers.
Beijing upgraded its COVID-19 emergency response to level II on Tuesday. In the past five days, the municipality has registered over 100 new cases.
COVID-19: Beijing's 27 new cases all linked to Xinfadi market
Beijing registered 27 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday, all linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a local official announced on Tuesday.
The 27 patients consist of 17 males and 10 females, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Municipal Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said at a press briefing.
COVID-19: Five more Beijing regions upgrade to medium risk level
Five more regions in Beijing on Tuesday upgraded their coronavirus risk level to medium as seen on the Chinese State Council app.
So far, 27 regions of Beijing have a medium coronavirus risk level, and one region is at the highest risk level.
According to the risk criteria defined in a guideline issued by the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, there are three risk levels for the coronavirus: low, medium, and high.
Places will be categorized according to the population and severity of the epidemic.
Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an exclusive interview with CCTV on Tuesday that the number of cases reported in Beijing over the next three days will determine the course of the outbreak.
Graphics: What's gone wrong for Brazil's COVID-19 response?
Brazil on Monday reported that its COVID-19 death toll has climbed near 44,000 with over 888,000 people tested positive nationwide for the novel coronavirus.
The infection curves are flattening out or falling in many parts of the world but the situation remains alarming in Brazil. The country's infection rates and daily death tolls are among the highest in the world, making it the world's second COVID-19 hotspot. Brazil has the second-highest COVID-19 caseload in the world only after the United States. Last week, its death toll overtook Britain's as the second highest in the world.
Latin America's biggest economy is the latest epicenter in the world's battle against the novel coronavirus.
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Pandemic could undermine stability, even in Europe: Think tank
Will COVID-19 make the world a less peaceful place in the year ahead?
A global think tank, the Institute for Economics and Peace, raises that unhappy prospect in a special focus on the disease in its just-published annual Global Peace Index, which ranks countries according to safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarization.
The institute, which works on measuring and communicating the economic value of peace, notes that the pandemic has unleashed a new wave of tension and uncertainty around the world.
It says the devastating economic impact of COVID-19 will negatively affect political instability, international relations, conflict, civil rights and violence, undoing many years of socio-economic development.
Civil unrest has doubled since 2011, the report reckons, with 96 of the 163 nations surveyed recording at least one violent demonstration last year.
The number of riots globally over the nine years rose by 282 percent and general strikes by 821 percent by its count.
Europe, perhaps surprisingly to many, has been the setting of most of these protests – almost two-thirds of which were nonviolent – and more of the same is anticipated in the months ahead.
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"Yellow vests" protesters demonstrate against higher fuel prices near Bordeaux, France, November 17, 2018. /VCG
Hong Kong on Tuesday announced it will further relax coronavirus-related social gathering restrictions from June 19, local health authorities said at a press conference, adding that not all curbs will be lifted.
The new rules will allow group gatherings in public of up to 50 people.
Russia reports 8,248 new COVID-19 cases, total nears 550,000
Russia reported 8,248 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, its coronavirus response center said Tuesday.
The overall number of cases nationwide stood at 545,458. Another 193 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 7,284.
COVID-19: WHO calls for more 'systematic, exhaustive investigation' into Beijing cluster
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggested on Monday that more scientists from across the globe should join hands to further investigate the new disease clusters in Beijing and analyze what is driving the new infections in light of China's latest COVID-19 outbreak.
"The answers lie in careful, systematic, exhaustive investigation of disease clusters to really look at what is happening in these situations and what is causing the amplification of the disease in the human context," Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's emergencies program, said during a press conference at the agency's Geneva headquarters.
He said now it is the time to investigate what's driving the new infections. "If we get that, we will build up a much better picture of the public health advice we need to give to our communities on what behaviors to avoid, what places to avoid, and what circumstances to avoid."
Shanghai to quarantine all who arrive from mid to high-risk COVID-19 areas in China
Shanghai will quarantine all people coming to the city from mid to high-risk COVID-19 areas in the country for 14 days, a city official said on Tuesday amid concerns about a resurgence of the disease following a cluster outbreak in Beijing.
Wu Jinglei, director of Shanghai's health commission, told reporters during a briefing that individuals coming into the city from high-risk areas will be placed under centralized quarantine.
Shanghai has reported a total of 341 confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases with seven deaths since the start of the outbreak. In addition, the city also reported 354 cases imported from abroad.
Shanghai sampled 87 markets related to imported fresh food in 16 districts on Saturday. A total of 1,205 samples were collected, including 867 samples of external environment, surface and water samples, and 338 samples of imported food, and nucleic acid tests have all been negative.
Beijing in 'critical situation' with over 100 cluster virus infections
Beijing is in a critical situation with coronavirus prevention following the fresh cluster of infections linked to its Xinfadi wholesale market, said Cai Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Monday.
While hosting a meeting with officials from the Chinese capital and National Health Commission, Cai said epidemic prevention and control has to be the top priority and the most urgent task for the city.
Beijing has ordered the inspection of farm produce markets, vegetable markets, dining venues and canteens of government organs on their virus prevention measures and the disinfection of the locations, Cai said.
He emphasized the importance of thorough nucleic acid testing for all individuals who had been to the Xinfadi market and stall owners at markets across the city.
People line up to get tested for coronavirus at the Guangan Sport Center following an unexpected spike of COVID-19 cases in Beijing, China, June 15, 2020. /Reuters
The number of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases fell to zero in the city of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Monday, according to local health authorities.
The development comes at a time when the last three asymptomatic patients in the city have tested negative for two consecutive times. All the close contacts of COVID-19 patients have also been released from medical observation.
A total of 300 asymptomatic cases and 1,174 close contacts were traced after centralized nucleic acid testing was carried out in Wuhan from May 14 to June 1. Although no cases have been reported where asymptomatic virus carriers transmit the virus to others, the city has standardized the management of asymptomatic cases, strictly implementing closed-loop management of the entire process of detection, reporting, quarantine and disposal.
Chinese health authorities said on Tuesday that they had received reports of 40 confirmed new COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which 32 were local transmissions. No new deaths were reported.
Among the local infections, 27 were reported in Beijing, with other four registered in northern Hebei Province and one in southwestern Sichuan Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified six new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,221 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 110 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Global confirmed COVID-19 cases have topped 8 million, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll is now over 435,000.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States also surpassed 2.1 million, according to the latest figures. Meanwhile, the national death toll reached 115,827.
In Brazil, the death toll from the pandemic rose to nearly 44,000 on Monday, according to Health Ministry data.
Brazil registered 627 new fatalities on Monday, down from an average of nearly 1,000 over the past week.
The ministry registered about 20,000 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections to 888,271 in the world's second worst-hit country.
As a result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday that the 93rd Oscars ceremony, scheduled to be held on February 28, 2021, has been rescheduled to April 25, 2021.
Four Kenyan State House officials contract coronavirus
Four State House officials in Kenya have contracted the coronavirus, according to a government statement issued on Monday.
It's the first time the African country has reported infections among government staffers.
The four infections were detected during a mass testing held on June 11, and patients were admitted to hospital for treatment, the statement said.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his family "are safe and free from COVID-19," it added.
New confirmed COVID-19 case in Sichuan linked to a case in Beijing
A new confirmed COVID-19 case in southwest China's Sichuan Province is linked to a case in Beijing, after the individual traveled from the capital to Sichuan Province on June 9.
The patient on Sunday went to the hospital after receiving news that her husband had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Beijing. She was first categorized as a suspected case. After the nucleic acid test came back positive, the patient's condition was revised to a confirmed case on Monday.
After investigation, 111 close contacts with this new confirmed case have been identified. Sichuan Province is carrying out tracing, epidemiological investigation and disinfection of close contacts in strict accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Stricter COVID-19 containment and precautionary measures are being reinforced in Beijing after a new infection cluster was detected in Xinfadi, a wholesale market in the Chinese capital.
All neighborhoods in the city are returning to level-2 response measures, with round-the-clock personnel dispatched in every neighborhood to check temperatures, inspect and verify health codes.
A university in Beijing's Fengtai District will test all people on campus
Capital University of Economics and Business announced it's testing all people inside its Fengtai campus following a confirmed case in a nearby restaurant, according to local newspaper Beijing Youth Daily.
The confirmed case, a female working at a restaurant close to the university campus, was reported on Sunday. She had visited Xinfadi wholesale market on June 4.
The university said tests will be conducted in batches and over 800 people have been tested as of Monday.
Starting Tuesday, around 300 faculty members at another one of the university's campuses, located in Chaoyang District, will also be administered tests, it added.
The owner of the restaurant has also appealed for people who dined there to get tested.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday completed the genetic sequence of the virus that led to a new infection cluster in Beijing by testing more than 1,000 samples as it actively tracks the spread of the coronavirus in the Chinese capital.
The virus linked to Xinfadi market in Beijing is more contagious than that found in Huanan seafood market in Wuhan since Beijing has reported 79 confirmed COVID-19 cases within four days, Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, said in an interview with the Global Times.
Russia tops 7,000 deaths, WHO warns England: COVID-19 daily bulletin
• The World Health Organization's regional European director Hans Kluge has warned that lockdown restrictions in England should not be further eased until the government's contact-tracing system is proved to be "robust and effective."
• France's health minister, Olivier Veran, says COVID-19 has peaked but urged vigilance. "The largest part of the epidemic is behind us but the virus is not dead," he said on Monday, after president Emmanuel Macron's TV address hailed the "first victory" over COVID-19.
• Denmark has announced a slimmed-down stimulus package as it starts to phase out generous aid initiatives introduced at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. The country has injected more than $45 billion into the economy during the pandemic.
• Czechia has passed the 10,000-case mark. The country of 10.7 million has suffered a total of 329 deaths.
• Budget airline easyJet returned to the skies on Monday for the first time since 30 March, with a small number of mainly domestic flights. Passengers must wear face masks.
• Three weeks after declaring it was COVID-free, Montenegro has reported a new case – a visitor from Bosnia. The Balkan country of 620,000 people has so far reported 325 cases and nine deaths.
Global COVID-19 Roundup: Trouble ahead for India's COVID-19 fight
With more than 320,000 infections, India now is the fourth-worst affected country in the world. What makes things worse is that it has witnessed skyrocketing growth in its number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in recent days.
On Saturday, the world's second most populous country reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases, adding 11,458 confirmed infections, according to federal health ministry.
The steadily increasing number of cases have something to do with easing of the national lockdown, which was imposed on March 25.
Millions of informal workers, which make up as much as 85 percent of the country's workforce, reportedly had to return home on foot or by train when they got the news that they would lose their jobs and could not afford their daily living needs. The exodus has contributed to the spread of infection between cities and also from the cities to the villages.
People enquire about their relatives from a health worker at a COVID designated hospital in New Delhi, June 10, 2020. /AP
Another 12 regions in Beijing upgrade COVID-19 risk level
The COVID-19 risk level in an additional 12 areas across Beijing was upgraded to "medium" on Monday, bringing the total to 22 in the Chinese capital.
Huaxiang township in Fengtai District, where Xinfadi wholesale market is located, is the only "high risk" area in the country.
Number of shoppers in UK more than 80% lower in May
Numbers of shoppers in Britain's high streets, retail parks and shopping centers in May were 81.6 percent lower that the same month a year ago as most non-food stores remained closed due to the coronavirus lockdown, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.
The footfall data showed a slight improvement on the 84.7 percent decline seen in April as some garden centers and homeware shops reopened during May.
Other non-essential stores can open their doors on Monday as long as they are able to comply with social distancing rules.
People walk past a Tezenis store, amid the coronavirus disease COVID-19, at Oxford Circus in London, Britain, June 14, 2020. /Reuters
More EU countries ease coronavirus border restrictions
France will open its borders to all arrivals from the EU and nations that fall under the border-free Schengen zone. People arriving in the country from within Europe will not be put under quarantine. However, travelers from Britain will face the same two-week confinement that is mandatory for visitors to the UK.
Greece will mandate quarantines for those arriving from a string of airports in eight EU countries and two main airports in Athens and Thessaloniki are reopening to travelers from 29 countries.
Switzerland will allow entry to people from all EU countries as well as the UK. It will also relax restrictions for Lichtenstein, Norway, Iceland and non-EU countries that are part of the European Free Trade Association with Switzerland.
Italy opened its borders to EU members, Schengen countries, the UK, and other countries from Monday; 25 airports in the country resumed passenger flights, and people from the EU, Schengen, the UK, and other countries are free to travel to and from Italy without the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
If you're just joining us, here's the latest on Beijing's COVID-19 market cluster
- From last Thursday (June 11) to Sunday (June 14), 79 confirmed cases were reported across eight Beijing districts.
- A vast majority, 77 out of 79 were linked to Xinfadi wholesale market, directly or indirectly. The remaining two cases are still under epidemiological investigation.
- Xinfadi wholesale market, located in Huaxiang, Fengtai District, has become a focal point of the new cases. Huaxiang township now is the only area in China labeled as "high risk."
- All communities in Beijing are returning to level-2 response measures with round-the-clock checks. Entertainment, fitness and sports venues are also ordered to temporarily close.
- Residents living near the market and those living in the same communities as a confirmed COVID-19 patient are required to receive nucleic acid tests.
- Two Fengtai officials have been removed from their posts, deputy district head Zhou Yuqing and Party secretary of Huaxiang Township Wang Hua, for misconduct during epidemic prevention and control. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelin, general manager of the Xinfadi wholesale market, was also sacked.
- Beijing authorities said at a media briefing on Sunday that the spread of the new mutation of the virus "has not been completely grasped," adding the situation in the Chinese capital is still grim.
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Beijing has made a timely and effective response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the city after a new case was reported on Thursday, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in an interview with CGTN on Monday.
Wu said the number of cases reported in Beijing over the next three days will determine the direction of the outbreak.
"Infected people should be showing symptoms around tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he told CGTN. "If there is no significant growth in the number of new cases in the next two days, it means that the epidemic will basically stabilize at the current scale."
'Virus strain similar to the ones in Europe'
Viruses isolated from patients are identical with the ones collected from contaminated surfaces in the Xinfadi market, where the outbreak appears to have started, Wu said.
The expert explained that the structure of the virus did not look like the strain that appeared in Beijing two months ago, but more like that in Europe, adding that laboratory tests indicate that the strain may have originated in Europe, but also could have originated in the Americas or Russia, pending further research to help determine its origin.
Because the first case was diagnosed on Thursday, China's CDC is estimating that the earliest infection from this recent cluster would have occurred either in late May or early June, Wu said, adding that the viruses were most likely brought in Beijing from overseas.
Wu believes that the current outbreak in Beijing is a "local incident," and has a limited impact scope.
"There is no need to conduct large-scale testing in Beijing," he said, adding that close contacts of confirmed patients and people who have been to Xinfadi market need to be tested.
(Cover image via CCTV)
Russia's coronavirus death toll passes 7,000
Russia on Monday reported 8,246 new cases of the coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally of infections to 537,210, the country's coronavirus crisis response center said.
It said 143 people had died from the virus in the past 24 hours, taking Russia's overall death toll to 7,091.
Hong Kong's Disneyland theme park said on Monday it will reopen on June 18 to a limited number of visitors with enhanced health and safety measures after the coronavirus outbreak forced it to close in late January.
The majority of the park's shopping and dining locations will restart operations with "controlled capacity," while social distancing measures will be implemented in queues, restaurants and other facilities. Hotel services will also resume gradually.
Disinfection will be carried out frequently and hand sanitizers will be made available for visitors, who will be required to go through temperature screening procedures and wear a face mask. A health declaration will be required as part of the reservation process.
Visitors wearing face masks at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. /VCG
Hong Kong has reported only a handful of new COVID-19 cases recently, with its total so far standing at 1,110 infections and four deaths.
Ocean Park, another iconic theme park in the city, resumed operations on Saturday after lawmakers approved a 5.4-billion-Hong Kong-dollar (696.76 million U.S. dollars) bailout plan last month to keep it running for another year.
Similarly, a series of anti-epidemic measures have been implemented at the park to ensure the safety of visitors and employees. During the first two weeks following the reopening, the maximum number of people in the park will be 9,000 people – 25 percent of the usual level. Starting from the third week, it will gradually increase its park-wide capacity to 50 percent of the normal volume.
All six Disney parks around the world were forced to close as a result of the global spread of the novel coronavirus, with the one in Shanghai being the first to reopen in May.
Read more: Shanghai Disneyland first to reopen globally after virus shutdown
(With input from Reuters)
(Cover: Visitors at the closed Disneyland theme park in Hong Kong, China. /VCG)
Small bottles labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this image taken on April 10, 2020. /Reuters
Four EU countries have signed a contract with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Plc to produce enough vaccine to potentially get rid of the coronavirus, the Italian health minister said.
Under the agreement, British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will produce up to 400 million doses of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford. AstraZeneca said it would provide for no profit during the pandemic.
So far, the vaccine is still in clinical trials and is set to be completed this fall. If the trial results convince regulators the vaccine is safe and effective, the first doses will be available by the end of the year.
The deal is the first contract signed by Europe's Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), a group formed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands to secure vaccine doses for all member states as soon as possible.
The alliance "will work together with the European Commission and other countries in Europe to ensure everybody across Europe is supplied with the vaccine," the company's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, told journalists.
"We have a very self-sufficient supply chain for Europe" with manufacturers lined up in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy, among others, he said.
Though four nations signed the deal, the vaccines are for all EU member states, and the scheme allows other countries to join it under the same conditions, a source from the Italian health ministry told Reuters, adding China, Brazil, Japan and Russia have expressed interest.
The deal is the latest by AstraZeneca. It has forged several manufacturing deals globally to meet its target of producing two billion doses of the vaccine, including with two Bill Gates-backed ventures and a 1.2 billion-U.S. dollar agreement with the U.S. government.
Earlier this week, the company signed an agreement with American firm Emergent BioSolutions to be its manufacturing partner in the U.S.
"Many countries in the world have already secured vaccines, Europe has not yet. The rapid coordinated action of a group of member states will create added value for all EU citizens in this crisis," Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.
Reuters reported that the four nations that agreed the deal – France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – will pay for the total amount of vaccines.
(With input from Reuters)
Beijing reports 36 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Beijing reported 36 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and six new asymptomatic cases on Sunday, the municipal health commission said Monday.
The total number of confirmed cases in the Chinese capital now stands at 499, including 411 who had been discharged from the hospital after recovery and nine deaths.
There are still 79 patients receiving medical treatment in the hospital and seven asymptomatic cases under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said on Monday that they had received reports of 49 confirmed new COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, of which 39 were local transmissions. No new deaths were reported.
Among the local infections, 36 were reported in Beijing with the other three registered in north China's Hebei Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
The commission also identified 18 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,181 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 112 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Brazil reports 867,624 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus, 43,332 deaths
Brazil has reported 867,624 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, with 17,110 new cases in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
The death toll in the country now stands at 43,332.
Beijing examines food supply after new COVID-19 cases linked to wholesale market
Beijing is on high alert after a cluster of new COVID-19 cases were found to be linked to Xinfadi, a major wholesale market that makes up 80 percent of Beijing's entire farm produce supply
The market was shut down early Saturday morning, triggering questions of the potential impact on the city's food supply
With this question, CGTN reporters visited Yonghui, one of biggest chain supermarkets in Beijing.
The manager here said there was panic buying on Saturday afternoon because of fear, but that only happened in a few of its 46 major branches across the city.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
The UK's death toll rose by 36 to 41,698 as of 1600 GMT on June 13, according to government data released on Sunday.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 247 to 186,269, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by six to 8,787.
Tokyo confirmed 47 new cases of COVID-19 infections, the first time since May 5 that the daily count for the city was more than 40, as fears grow over a possible second wave of infections in the capital. Across Japan, the number of infections has climbed to 17,529, latest figures showed on Sunday.
The Philippines reported 539 more coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25,930. The country also recorded 14 additional fatalities related to the novel coronavirus, taking the death toll to 1,088.
Uzbekistan said on Sunday it will reopen its borders to some air travelers from June 15 with quarantine procedures depending on their country of origin.
The number of daily deaths from the new coronavirus outbreak topped 100 in Iran for the first time in two months on Sunday. 107 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 8,837. The total number of cases in the country has reached 187,427.
Kuwait on Sunday reported 454 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 35,920 and the death toll to 296.
(With input from agencies)
Spain brings forward border opening for Schengen countries to June 21
Spain will open its borders to countries in the European Union's Schengen area on June 21, ten days before previously announced, except for Portugal where the border will open on July 1, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised speech on Sunday.
One of the world's most visited destinations, Spain is still closed to tourists, and those allowed to travel from abroad have to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
The new date coincides with the lifting of the emergency Spain clamped on the country from mid-March to fight COVID-19 as fatalities soared. Spain has recorded more than 27,00 deaths in the pandemic, one of the highest tolls around the world.
But by Monday, more than 70 percent of Spain's 47 million population will be in the final stage of a phased rollback of the lockdown that should finish by June 21.
The European Commission has recommended that the 27 EU members fully reopen their frontiers with each other on June 15, and many countries are planning to do so. Italy reopened its borders on June 3, lifting all restrictions for travelers from within Europe.
Madrid has declared the virus under control, but Sanchez alluded to fears that opening the borders could provoke a new surge, saying, "It's a critical moment but we are prepared." Travelers who arrived in Spain after May 15 and had to go into quarantine will see the end of their period in isolation on June 21, Sanchez added.
UK looking at options for quarantine rules for travelers
The British government is looking at options for its two-week quarantine for people entering the country and might be able to make changes to the rules, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday.
"We are looking at all options to ensure that that is possible and people have got suggestions about how we might be able to open up some travel corridors over time and so the transport secretary is actively looking at all of those options," Sunak said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched a review of the two-meter distancing rule after warnings it could cripple the hospitality industry, the BBC reported on Sunday.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called for resolute and decisive measures in Beijing to avoid further spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending a meeting held by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Sunday.
Containing the epidemic at the source is essential, Sun said, urging comprehensive moves to trace the origin of the virus.
Meanwhile, she supported Beijing's efforts to increase its nucleic acid testing capacity, so as to cover all key areas and communities.
Without having full knowledge of the mutation of the virus, Sun underlined the arduous tasks for regular epidemic prevention and control, demanding continuous measures to guard against imported cases and prevent a resurgence of the outbreak at home.
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Beijing's new COVID-19 cluster: Inside Xinfadi, biggest wholesale market in Asia
Part of Beijing's Fengtai District upgrades risk level to highest
Eight new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Beijing from midnight Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday, according to officials at a press conference.
Seven of the new cases were confirmed to be related to Xinfadi, a large wholesale market of fruits, vegetables and meat, while one case is currently under epidemiological investigation, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Chinese capital on Friday reported six new confirmed cases. On Saturday, the figure climbed to 36, along with one new asymptomatic case. Officials said the 36 confirmed cases were all related to Xinfadi market.
(Cover: People take nucleic acid samples at a stadium in Beijing, China, June 14, 2020./VCG)
Expert: Genetic sequencing of virus in Xinfadi suggests it's from Europe
Yang Peng of the Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control says the source of the virus in Beijing's Xinfadi market is still under investigation, but genome sequencing suggests that the virus came from Europe. He said the preliminary conclusion is that the virus was "inbound."
The expert said the exact source of the virus is still unclear. It could be contaminated seafood or meat, or it could be transmitted by secretions from people entering the market.
Beijing reinstates second emergency response level for Fengtai District
Beijing adjusted its public health emergency response back to the second level for all communities in Fengtai District after new cases of COVID-19 were detected at the Xinfandi market, authorities said on Sunday.
The government is dispatching round-the-clock personnel to check temperatures, inspect and verify health codes, ensure people are not gathering in large groups and monitor the health of residents.
A total of 37 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Fengtai District since Thursday, according to local authorities.
Beijing reports 8 new COVID-19 cases, all linked to Xinfadi market
Eight more COVID-19 cases were detected as of 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, all linked to the city's Xinfadi market, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told media at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Xinfadi, a large wholesale market that sells fruits, vegetables and meat, is located in Beijing's Fengtai District and has been caught in the spotlight after a new coronavirus cluster was linked to it. Sunday's new coronavirus cases have brought the total number of new COVID-19 cases in Beijing since June 11 to 51.
Beijing reported zero local transmissions for 56 days before June 11.
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Global COVID-19 Roundup: Fears food markets have become new 'hotbed'
Beijing registered 36 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, all linked to a local wholesale market, prompting fears that a second wave of coronavirus might emerge from grocery outlets that are difficult to avoid.
Local authorities announced during a press conference that the strain collected from the Xinfadi wholesale market, to which all cases have been linked, is different from the version that was first encountered in China. The epidemiological investigation also detected coronavirus from an imported salmon processing table.
Beijing has since suspended operations at the market.
Meanwhile, the city has started to conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 on market staff as well as nearby residents.
In France, the wife of "patient zero" who tested positive on December 27, 2019, works in supermarket fish stall. She confirmed that she had only been exposed to fish processed in France.
Beijing is not the only city facing challenges from fresh-and-grocery related cluster infections.
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Spain to open borders to EU Schengen countries on June 21: reports
Spain will open its borders to countries in the European Union's Schengen area on June 21, except for Portugal where the border will open on July 1 as previously announced, Spanish media including El Pais newspaper and Ser radio station reported.
The Spanish government had said it would allow foreign tourists to enter Spain on July 1 without self-quarantining, apart from the Balearic Islands which could start receiving tourists on Monday as part of a test program.
After a cluster of coronavirus cases were found in a market in Beijing's Fengtai District on Friday and Saturday, a township inside the district, Huaxiang, upgraded its risk level to the highest, making it the only high-risk area in the country, said authorities on Sunday.
A total of 10 regions in four districts in Beijing also upgraded their coronavirus risk level to medium, which include Yuetan Sub-district and Jinrongjie (Financial Street) Sub-district in the Xicheng District (two confirmed cases); Xiluoyuan Sub-district, Xincun Sub-district, Taipingqiao Sub-district, Lugouqiao Sub-district in the Fengtai District (35 confirmed cases); Linxiaolu Sub-district, Gaomidian Sub-district, and Xihongmen Town in the Daxing District (four confirmed cases); Changyang Town in the Fangshan District (one confirmed case).
People take nucleic acid samples at a stadium in Beijing, China, June 14, 2020./VCG
Some entertainment venues in Beijing's Fengtai District have been temporarily closed and performances were suspended, local authorities added.
Chinese health authorities said Sunday that they've received reports of 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 38 were local transmissions. No new deaths were reported.
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COVID-19: Beijing's 36 new cases all linked to Xinfadi market
Russia reports 8,835 new coronavirus cases, 119 deaths in last 24 hours
Russia reported 8,835 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the number of infections nationwide to 528,964.
The authorities said 119 people died from the virus in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 6,948.
Why is a wholesale market in Beijing linked to new coronavirus cluster?
Beijing's Xinfadi market has been caught in the spotlight after a new coronavirus cluster was linked to the capital's largest vegetable wholesale market.
An epidemiological investigation has found that dozens of locally transmitted cases reported in Beijing from June 11 to 13 had some exposure history to the market, which was closed on Saturday. Lockdowns have been imposed in 11 nearby communities.
Before this development, Beijing had recorded zero COVID-19 cases for 56 consecutive days, according to local authorities.
So, why has the market become the latest source of new cluster infections? Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addressed the pressing questions in an interview with a reporter from China's National Supervisory Commission.
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79 hospital workers test negative for coronavirus after contacting virus patients in Beijing
All 79 workers at Beijing's Xuanwu Hospital and Boai Hospital who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients have tested negative for coronavirus, health officials said on Sunday.
Beijing Health Commission spokesperson Gao Xiaojun told a press briefing that the city has strengthened prevention measures at medical institutions to lower the infection risk for health workers.
The city dispatched another eight experts on Saturday to inspect and guide prevention work in local hospitals.
Beijing's Chaoyang District launches thorough food safety inspection
Beijing's Chaoyang District began a thorough food safety inspection at 41 reopened farm produce markets on Saturday.
The move comes after Beijing reported fresh coronavirus cluster infection this week linked to a large wholesale market that has since been closed for business.
Chaoyang District authorities said pork, beef and seafood are the key products for inspection. They will also examine other businesses in the region, including supermarkets and restaurants to strictly maintain product quality and safeguard residents’ safety in food consumption.
/CCTV
Beijing registered 36 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Saturday, all linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a local official said on Sunday.
Beijing will conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 on all the staff working in the wholesale market and its nearby residents, a local official announced at a press briefing.
Xinfadi, the largest wholesale market with fruit, vegetable and meat supplies in Beijing, was suspended on Saturday for disinfection after personnel working there and the surroundings tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Here are latest updates of the pandemic around the globe
Brazil has registered 850,514 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the death toll has reached 42,720, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday. The country recorded 21,704 new cases over the last 24 hours and 892 deaths.
As of Saturday, the U.S. state of California has nearly 150,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths. The state reported a record high of 3,620 and 3,644 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on June 11 and 12, respectively.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday kicked off a set of high-level talks aimed at relaunching the country's economy after weeks of coronavirus quarantine. Most of the discussion with ministers, European Union officials, and representatives from corporations, the financial sector, and trade unions will take place behind closed doors.
Colombia on Saturday registered 1,888 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 48,746. The country's death toll from the coronavirus has hit 1,592.
China Southern Airlines flight CZ392, which connects Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Guangzhou, China, will be suspended for four weeks from June 22, China's aviation regulator stated on Sunday after 17 passengers on board tested positive for COVID-19 on June 11.
In early June, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it would allow more foreign carriers to operate flights into the country based on the premise that the risks related to COVID-19 are controllable, stressing that flight incentives and "circuit-breaker" measures will be also implemented from June 8.
Foreign airlines unable to operate routes to China over the past few months can choose one city in the country from which to run international flights once per week starting Monday.
According to the regulation, if an airline reports no positive nucleic acid coronavirus test results among incoming passengers for three consecutive weeks on the same route, the carrier may fly two weekly passenger flights.
For airlines on the same route, if up to five of incoming passengers test positive, their operation on the route would be suspended for a week. If 10 passengers test positive, the operation on the route would be held for four weeks.
Once the "circuit-breaker" period ends, the related airline could resume its normal weekly passenger flights, said the statement, noting that China may "modestly increase" passenger flights from certain eligible countries under the premise of "controllable risks" and "adequate receiving capacities."
Data from the CAAC demonstrated that China's airline industry showed signs of recovery in May as airlines flew a total of 25.83 million passengers last month, down 52.6 percent year on year, but with the decline narrowing 15.9 percentage points from April.
The top aviation authority on Tuesday also rolled out a plan to trial the Seventh Freedom of the Air in Hainan to implement one aspect of a broader master plan publicized on June 1, so as to build the tropical island into a high-caliber free trade port.
The Seventh Freedom allows a carrier to operate flights between two foreign countries without having to land in the airline's home country.
The move conducted by the resort island signifies that some international routes in Hainan are now available for the operation of foreign airlines, thus bringing the number of Hainan's international routes from five in 2003 to 103 in 2020, CAAC data showed.
Read more:
China lodges solemn representations with U.S. over flights ban
(Cover image: An airplane of China Southern Airlines takes off. /VCG)
Chinese health authorities said Sunday that they had received reports of 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 38 were local transmissions. No new deaths were reported.
Among the 38 local infections, 36 were reported in Beijing, the two others were registered in northeastern Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission announced in its daily report.
Both of the confirmed cases in Liaoning Province are close contacts of the new confirmed cases reported in Beijing on Friday.
The commission also identified nine new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,132 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 103 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Health authorities said two patients were discharged on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,369.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,109 (1,061 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (431 recoveries, seven deaths)
The view outside the Xinfadi wholesale market, Beijing, China. /VCG
Beijing registered 36 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Saturday, all linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a local official said on Sunday.
The 36 new cases, 15 males and 21 females, consist of 27 individuals working at the market while another nine people who were exposed to the market directly or indirectly, official said.
The city will conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 on all the staff working in the market and nearby residents, Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the Beijing municipal government, told a press conference.
By Saturday, Beijing had reported 463 confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 411 who had been discharged from hospital after recovery, and nine deaths.
There were still 43 patients receiving medical treatment in hospital and one asymptomatic case under medical observation.
In addition to suspending operations at the major wholesale market, officials have tightened virus control measures to contain the spread.
Read more:
Beijing's Fengtai launches wartime-like measures to curb COVID-19
Things you may want to know about Beijing's new COVID-19 cases
People line up at the gate of Beijing You'an Hospital, a few kilometers from the Xinfadi wholesale market for nucleic acid tests in Beijing, China, June 14, 2020. /VCG
Beijing's Chaoyang District launches thorough food safety inspection
Beijing's Chaoyang District also began thorough food safety inspections at 41 reopened farm produce markets on Saturday.
District officials said pork, beef and seafood are the key products for inspection. They will also examine other businesses in the region, including supermarkets and restaurants, to strictly maintain product quality and safeguard food safety.
79 hospital workers test negative after contacting COVID-19 patients
All 79 workers at Beijing's Xuanwu Hospital and Boai Hospital who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients have tested negative for coronavirus, health officials said on Sunday.
Gao Xiaojun, Beijing Health Commission spokesperson, told a press briefing that the city has strengthened prevention measures at medical institutions to lower the infection risk for health workers.
The city dispatched another eight experts on Saturday to inspect and guide prevention work in local hospitals.
Xinfadi, the largest wholesale market for fruit, vegetable and meat supplies in Beijing, was closed temporarily on Saturday for disinfection after personnel working there and some surfaces tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Read more:
Chinese mainland reports 57 new COVID-19 cases, including 38 domestic cases
Operators sanitize each other after service on an ambulance for the transport of COVID-19 patients in Settimo Torinese, Northern Italy, March 23, 2020. /AP
Italy reported 78 new COVID-19-related deaths on Saturday, taking its total fatalities to 34,301.
The figure was announced by the Civil Protection Agency, which noted that the country registered 346 new infections.
Italy is one of the world's worst affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's death toll is the fourth highest after those of the U.S., U.K. and Brazil.
Italy has now recorded 236,651 infections, the seventh biggest tally after the U.S., Brazil, Russia, India, U.K. and Spain.
According to Reuters, the northern region of Lombardy, where the outbreak was first identified, remains by far the worst affected of Italy's 20 regions, accounting for 210 of the 346 new cases reported on Saturday.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 27,485 from 28,997 the day before.
There were 220 people in intensive care on Saturday, down from 227 on Friday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 174,865 were declared recovered against 173,085 a day earlier.
Things you may want to know about Beijing's new COVID-19 cases
Fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections have emerged in Beijing after dozens of residents tested positive for coronavirus.
The new confirmed patient reported on Wednesday was a locally transmitted case after Beijing had zero COVID-19 case for 56 consecutive days, local authorities said at a press briefing on Thursday.
On Saturday 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland from Friday. Seven out of the 11 cases are in Beijing, the National Health Commission announced in its daily report.
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Beijing Xinfadi Wholesale Market of Agricultural Products /CFP
COVID-19: National Health Commission sends experts to supervise Beijing's prevention work
The Chinese National Health Commission has dispatched an expert team to supervise the prevention and control work in Beijing.
Starting Thursday, seven COVID-19 infections and one asymptomatic case have been reported in the city.
There is another asymptomatic case related to Beijing's Chaoyang District. A 29-year-old man who lives in the area tested positive for COVID-19 in his business trip to Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province on Friday.
He is now receiving treatment in Shenyang, and his family members in Beijing were tested.
Poland opens borders to EU, UK launches 'social bubbles': COVID-19 daily bulletin
- Saturday marks the first day of the new 'social bubble' initiative in England. People who live alone, or single parents, will be able to go visit another household, with no social distancing regulations required.
- France is to lift its border restrictions for all European travellers on 15 June, according to its Interior and Foreign ministries. The restriction lift applies to all borders including air, land or sea.
- Russia's daily cases rose by 8,706 in the past 24 hours bringing the total number of infection to 520,129. Deaths also rose by 114 to 6,829.
- London's Metropolitan Police commander, Bas Javid urged Black Lives Matter demonstrators to reconsider protests in central London.
- European Union leaders are to join Italy's prime minister Giuseppe Conte for talks on how to restart the country's economy.
- Slovenia will open its borders for citizens of Montenegro and Italy on 15 June. It also announced an obligatory 14-day quarantine for people entering the country from 31 nations including the UK, U.S. and Russia.
- Germany's daily deaths rose by 18 in the past day to 8,781. Cases also rose by 348 to 186,022.
- Poland has lifted its border controls with Lithuania and other EU member states. As of midnight on the 13 June, Polish citizens can now travel freely to and from Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia and Czechia without being subjected to mandatory quarantine.
Beijing's Yuetan Subdistrict has upgraded its coronavirus risk level to medium, an app of China's State Council showed on Saturday.
On the same day, Xiluoyuan Subdistrict and Huaxiang Town in Beijing's southern Fengtai District and Changyang Town in southwestern Fangshan District also raised their respective coronavirus risk level to medium.
The risk level upgrades came after local health officials reported new COVID-19 cases in the Chinese capital city.
On Wednesday, a 52-year-old man surnamed Tang in Xicheng District was found contracted with COVID-19 and transferred to the designated hospital.
Read more: Beijing registers one new confirmed COVID-19 case: Official
Beijing confirmed six more domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday.
All the seven new cases were linked to Xinfadi, a wholesale farm produce market in Fengtai District, according to local officials.
Read more: Beijing's Fengtai launches wartime-like measures to curb COVID-19
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Russia reported 8,706 new cases with 114 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its cumulative infection tally to 520,129 and death toll to 6,829.
Singapore recorded 347 new cases, five of them were infected in the community, while the others occurred in residential areas for foreign workers, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 40,197.
India reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus cases on Saturday, adding 11,458 confirmed infections and taking its total count to more than 300,000. The death toll rose to 8,884 as 386 new deaths were reported.
Germany's total number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 348 to 186,022, and the reported death toll rose by 18 to 8,781 the tally showed.
Mexico reported 5,222 new confirmed cases and 504 additional deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 139,196 cases and 16,448 deaths.
Kyrgyzstan confirmed 41 new cases on Saturday, raising the total number of infections to 2,207 in the central Asian country. Over the past 24 hours, 3,158 laboratory tests were carried out, which detected 41 new cases.
Beijing has 31 more facilities offering coronavirus testing
Beijing on Saturday announced that another 31 medical institutions are now allowed to conduct coronavirus nucleic acid testing for groups and individuals.
Now, the Chinese capital has the capacity to test more than 90,000 people per day for coronavirus, with a total of 98 health facilities providing such services.
Fengtai launches wartime-like measures to curb coronavirus
Fengtai District in Beijing has launched wartime-like control measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, local authorities said at a press conference on Saturday.
The district also set up a command center to guide efforts. The move came after coronavirus was detected at Xinfadi market in the district.
A total of 11 residential communities around the market have been closed off, said authorities. At least nine schools and kindergartens were closed in the area.
Beijing to conduct nucleic acid tests on close contacts with Xinfadi market
Beijing will conduct nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 on people who were in close contact with the Xinfadi wholesale market since May 30, a local official announced at a press briefing on Saturday.
So far, 139 close contacts of the new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Fengtai District have been tracked and all of them have been put under quarantine, officials outlined.
45 throat swabs from Xinfadi market test positive for COVID-19
Beijing registered a total of four new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases from 4:00 p.m. to midnight local time Friday, all in relation to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a local official announced on Saturday.
45 throat swabs and 40 samples from the market's surroundings tested positive, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, said at a press briefing.
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Beijing to strengthen measures when checking imported goods
Beijing authorities said on Friday it will strengthen inspection and management measures when checking inbound passengers and imported goods to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Beijing reported six domestic cases on Friday and a wholesale market in the city has been closed as the coronavirus was detected on imported salmon processing tables at the market.
Several major supermarkets in Beijing took salmon off their shelves in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Beijing Xinfadi wholesale market closed to curb coronavirus spread
Beijing authorities shut down the Xinfadi wholesale market at 3:00 a.m. local time on Saturday to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The move came after some market staff tested positive for the virus. According to an official, the virus was also found on a chopping board used for handling imported salmon.
The Beijing authorities said over 10,000 people in the market will take a nucleic acid test.
The three new domestic cases, reported in the past two days, come after no new cases for nearly two months. Beijing's administration for market supervision said that it will step up supervision over markets.
Read more: Beijing records three new confirmed COVID-19 cases in two days, delays schools returning
Chinese health authorities said Saturday that it received reports of 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Friday, of which six were local transmissions. No new deaths were reported.
The six local infections were all reported in Beijing, the National Health Commission announced in its daily report.
The commission also identified seven new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,075 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 98 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Health authorities said two patients were discharged on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,367.
On Friday, northeast China's Liaoning Province registered two asymptomatic cases, both of which are close contacts with the new confirmed cases reported in Beijing on the same day.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,108 (1,060 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (431 recoveries, seven deaths)
Oxford Street in London, Britain, June 3, 2020. /Xinhua
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
UK's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 202 to 41,481 as of June 11, according to government data released on Friday.
Germany announced on Friday that the new infections with COVID-19 in the country remained under last week's average and increased by 258 over the past day. The number of people currently infected with COVID-19 in Germany declined as well and stood at around 14,050 on Friday.
Armenia announced an extension of its state of emergency to 5 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on July 13, the state-run Armenpress reported on Friday.
Switzerland will open its borders to European Union countries, EFTA members and Britain on June 15.
Iran's confirmed novel coronavirus cases rose to 182,545 on Friday after an overnight registration of 2,369 new infections, according to official IRNA news agency.
(With input from agencies)
Ukrainian president's wife tests positive for COVID-19
Olena Zelenska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's wife, said she has contracted coronavirus. She confirmed her test result in a social media post.
Zelenska said she's isolating from her husband and their two children, who all tested negative for the virus.
"Today, I received a positive test for coronavirus. Unexpected news. Especially considering that my family and I continue to follow all the rules - masks, gloves, a minimum of contacts," she wrote.
She said she felt well and was not hospitalized.
She also urged vigilance of the public. Ukraine has so far reported 29,753 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 870 deaths, according to the country's health ministry.
Hubei to lower COVID-19 emergency response level
Hubei will lower its COVID-19 emergency response level from two to three as of Saturday, Yang Yunyan, deputy governor of the province announced at a press briefing on Friday.
The numbers refer to a four-tier response system, in which the third emergency response level is the second-lowest.
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Beijing suspends class resumption after new COVID-19 cases
Beijing on Friday suspended the resuming of classes for primary schools' lower graders after three new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the capital city over the past two days.
According to the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the decision was made in line with the changing situation of the city's epidemic prevention and control.
Around 520,000 students in the first, second and third grades in Beijing's primary schools were scheduled to return to campus on June 15, the commission said on Tuesday.
Medical worker Rachel Luby and sister Jessica Luby hold a candlelit vigil outside Downing Street to remember the 245 NHS staff who lost their lives during the coronavirus crisis on June 11.
Beijing records two new confirmed COVID-19 cases: Official
Beijing confirmed two new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday. Two employees working at the same company in Fengtai District have contracted the virus.
It came after one case was detected on Thursday in Beijing after 56 days of zero local transmission.
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Russia reports 8,987 new COVID-19 cases, total stands at 511,423
A total of 8,987 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia in past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 511,423 as of Friday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 6,715. So far, 269,370 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
(Cover: Xinhua)
British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair have launched a legal action against the UK government's quarantine policy, asking for a judicial review to be heard as soon as possible, a statement from BA's parent IAG said.
The airlines said earlier this week they would club together to try to end the 14-day quarantine rule for international arrivals, which they said will deter travel and threaten more jobs.
(Cover: file photo)
UK economy shrinks by record 20.4% in April
Britain's economy shrank by a record 20.4 percent in April from March amid the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday.
This monthly decline in GDP is three times greater than the fall experienced during the 2008-2009 economic downturn, according to the government.
A young COVID-19 patient in the U.S. has received a double-lung transplant after the coronavirus ravaged her lungs. The operation is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. The 10-hour procedure was challenging because her lungs were damaged by the virus, said Dr. Ankit Bharat, who performed the operation.
Cardboard cutouts are seen in the stands during the NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Melbourne, Australia, June 5, 2020. /VCG
Australia will allow crowds of up to 10,000 at small stadiums to watch sporting events starting next month as part of plans to ease social distancing restrictions, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.
Morrison said Australia's states were working toward rules which would let stadiums with capacities of up to 40,000 host up to 10,000 spectators.
"It would have to be a large, open area. There would need to be seats at the appropriate distance," he told reporters after a national cabinet meeting.
"It would need to be ticketed, so people would be able to understand who was in attendance at that event."
He said the changes could also apply for concerts and festivals.
Limits on mass gatherings are still in place in Australia and vary between states and territories.
Melbourne Storm players before the 2017 NRL Grand Final match against the North Queensland Cowboys in Sydney, Australia, October 1, 2017. /VCG
Australia's two biggest professional winter sports, the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australian Football League (AFL), resumed their seasons with matches at closed stadiums but have been given the green light to allow small groups of fans to attend venues.
The NRL is allowing fans at corporate boxes on gameday, while South Australia state authorities approved a crowd of 2,000 in the terraces for the AFL match between the Adelaide Crows and Port Power at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. It will be the biggest sports crowd in the country since the shutdown.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is expecting fans at stadiums this weekend to watch the first matches of "Super Rugby Aotearoa," the world's first professional rugby competition to resume since mid-March.
Latest COVID-19 development around the globe
South Korea will extend intensive prevention and sanitation guidelines indefinitely until the daily number of new cases of the new coronavirus drops to single digits, the country's Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said on Friday. The announcement came as new virus cases rebounded to over 50 on Friday, after the appearance of a series of new clusters in the capital Seoul area.
Australia has effectively eliminated COVID-19 in some parts of the country, its chief medical officer said on Friday. Australia has recorded 38 cases of the novel coronavirus over last week. Australia's federal government stepped up pressure on state and territory leaders on Friday to reopen internal borders, a step viewed as key to reviving the country's coronavirus-hit economy.
Germany: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 258 to 185,674, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by eight to 8,763, the tally showed.
Mexico has reported 4,790 new COVID-19 cases and 587 additional deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 133,974 cases and 15,944 fatalities. Mexico has the fourth largest caseload of COVID-19 in Latin America, following Brazil, Peru, and Chile, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Singapore reported 422 new cases of COVID-19 as of noon on Thursday (Jun 11), including five cases in the community, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore to 39,387. The vast majority of the cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily preliminary release.
India records over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in single day, total nears 300,000
India's health ministry reported 396 new COVID-19 deaths and 10,956 new cases during the past 24 hours, taking the total deaths to 8,498 and cases to 297,535.
This is the largest single day spike in India, in terms of both new deaths and cases. For the first time new cases reported in a single day surpassed 10,000.
According to ministry officials, 147,195 COVID-19 patients have so far been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
The fifth phase of a nationwide lockdown came into force on June 1, featuring several relaxations and a phased reopening schedule.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown on March 25 to contain the spread of COVID-19 and break the chain of infection.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion about "Transition to Greatness: Restoring, Rebuilding, and Renewing," at Gateway Church Dallas, June 11, 2020, in Dallas. /AP
As the George Floyd protests sweep the nation, another tragedy is unfolding as the U.S. just reached a milestone that the COVID-19 death rate has now passed 340 per million residents, just over 100 times the rate in China (3.32 per million), the TIME Magezine website ran an opinion article on Wednesday.
Now the U.S. has the most COVID-19 cases and the most deaths of any country in the world. The two hardest hit states have been New York (almost three in 10 U.S. deaths) and New Jersey (one in 10 deaths). And the U.S., at the same time, has the highest number of new cases and new deaths every day, even when controlling for population size.
On the other side of the globe, China, where first case of coronavirus was reported and the Trump administration claims the blame should lie for letting the pandemic get out of hand, has already reined the tide of the virus, and kept the death number at 4,645.
The first cases were reported in Wuhan City in December, and by December 31, Chinese authorities had informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the threat. By January 12, Chinese scientists had identified the virus that causes the illness and shared its genetic sequence with the world so that all countries can start working on measures to run COVID-19 tests and vaccine.
At the end of January, the Chinese government announced a massive lockdown and strict stay-at-home orders centered around Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, even as many around the world decried the actions as draconian.
At the same time, Chinese health officials ramped up testing and contact tracing to isolate new cases of the disease, built temporary medical facilities to hospitalize COVID-19 patients, and deployed some 42,000 doctors and nurses to Wuhan. These steps successfully slowed down the virus' spread within Hubei, buying time for other parts of the country to prepare. To date, only 16 percent of China's COVID-19 cases have occurred outside Hubei.
People line up to enter the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles in Schaumburg, Ill., June 11, 2020. /AP
And it's not just China that kept its death rate low. Austria, Germany, and Greece have significantly lower per-capita mortality rates than the United States. In the East Asia and Pacific region, Australia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand were all able to keep their COVID-19 fatalities below seven deaths per million residents.
Vietnam, with a population of 96 million, has no reported deaths at all. Countries that acted early and effectively on the available information were able to avoid the worst of the pandemic.
By adopting strategies of swift testing, contracting infections, and effective social distancing, measure adherence to the guidelines recommended by the WHO, stories of China and all the other countries indicate that the mass casualty causing by the coronavirus is not inevitable.
In February, when the first death was reported in California, President Trump was still downplaying the severity of the epidemic, and calling it a "Democratic [Party] hoax."
Even as the data shows that the U.S. has about 2.05 million cases and 114,627 deaths as of Saturday, The TIME says that there is "little sign that the federal government is mounting the kind of urgent, nationwide, coordinated approach that is needed to reverse current trends."
The White House coronavirus testing czar, Admiral Brett Giroir, is standing down, and there are no plans to replace him. Harvard researchers concluded that somewhere in the range of 1-10 million tests are needed, while the daily test capacity of the U.S. is about 500,000. Similarly, there is "only eight states have sufficient tracers," the TIME pointed out in its article.
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The sobering truth of the U.S. having 100 times the death rate of China is the need for effective leadership to act and save lives.
Countries that took swift, coordinated action have been largely able to avoid the worst effects of the virus, save thousands of lives, and start to reopen their economies, even though no country is avoiding the inevitable economic pain.
The U.S., on the other hand, continues to waste valuable time. A new model made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington predicts that the coronavirus will kill nearly 170,000 Americans by early October with a second wave of the virus expected in September.
The TIME warned that "unless it aggressively implements the lessons to be learned from successful nations, we fear the U.S. death rate may rise to 200 times that of China."
Trump to accept Republican nomination in Jacksonville, Florida
President Donald Trump will accept the Republican presidential nomination in Jacksonville, Florida, this summer after balking at having the event in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to the state's coronavirus social-distancing rules.
It will be the first time in history that the convention will be split.
The official business of the party's convention would still be held in Charlotte, but the celebration of Trump's nomination would be moved to Jacksonville, according to an announcement made by Republican National Committee Chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, on Thursday.
Supporters asked not to sue if they catch COVID-19 at Trump's rally
Trump's supporters who attend his upcoming election rally must sign a waiver promising not to sue if they catch COVID-19 at the event, according to his campaign website.
The president was scheduled to resume his campaign rallies in four states, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Latest figures:
The country has registered 2,022,488 infections of COVID-19, with 113,803 deaths reported so far.
A model made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington predicts that the coronavirus will kill nearly 170,000 Americans by early October with a second wave of the virus expected in September.
President Donald Trump walks in the rain on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., June 11, 2020, /AP
COVID-19 deaths in Brazil top 40,000, total cases surpass 800,000
Brazil reported a cumulative total of 802,828 cases of coronavirus on Thursday, with 30,412 new infections in the last 24 hours, according to the local health ministry.
The health authority added that the death toll has reached 40,919, the third-highest tally in the world after the United States and the UK.
A total of 345,595 patients have recovered, the ministry said.
AP
The Chinese mainland reported one new domestic COVID-19 case and six new inbound infections on Thursday, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also registered one new asymptomatic patient.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,064 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 104 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Health authorities said four patients were discharged on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,365.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,107 (1,055 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (431 recoveries, seven deaths)
Wall Street plunges with biggest one-day loss since March 16
All three major U.S. stock indexes fell by more than five percent, recording their worst day in weeks.
It came as investors reacted to pandemic resurgence fears and digested dour economic forecasts from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
Here is how it looks:
- The Dow dropped 1,861.8 points or 6.9% to end at 25,128,
- The S&P 500 slid 188 points or 5.9% to 3,002.1.
- The Nasdaq closed 527.6 points lower or 5.2% at 9,492.7.
AP
1.5 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.
New data from the U.S. Labor Department also more than 700,000 workers who are self-employed, or otherwise ineligible for state assistance, filed new claims for federal aid under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Weekly first-time claims have fallen for the 10th straight week, but overall, unemployment in the U.S. remains at levels last seen at the end of the Great Depression.
Around 21 million Americans remain unemployed because of the pandemic.
U.S. Federal Reserve officials predict unemployment will finish the year around 9.3% and expect it to remain elevated for years.
Congress may continue the extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits for another six months. It's due to expire July 31. The Trump administration opposes extending it beyond that deadline.
Republicans members of Congress argue that an extension will discourage people from going back to work. When added to the $375 in state benefits, the extra federal money means some Americans are receiving more money while unemployed than they earned from their old jobs.
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Dow plunges over 900 points amid fears of second coronavirus wave
U.S. stocks traded sharply lower on Thursday with the Dow plunging more than 900 points shortly after the opening bell as investors worried about a second wave of coronavirus infections across the country.
State Council officials visit Hubei to check implementation of normal epidemic prevention and control measures
The liaison group of the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 has recently visited nearly 100 enterprises and institutions, residential communities, hospitals, schools and other places in central China's Hubei Province and its capital, Wuhan, to check the implementation of normal epidemic prevention and control measures.
Based on what they've seen during their visits, the liaison group offered formal feedback to the province on the good experiences as well as the problems that still exist, so as to jointly make the plan for the next step of prevention and control work on the epidemic.
The U.S. government will fund and conduct key studies on three experimental coronavirus vaccines, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert said on Wednesday.
Phase 3 trials, which typically involve tens of thousands of people and measure whether a vaccine is safe and effective, will begin with one by Moderna in July, then an Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in August and one by Johnson & Johnson in September, according to CNN.
Each Phase 3 trial is expected to occur at more than 50 sites, mostly in the U.S., but possibly in other countries, too.
"The coronavirus vaccine effort is progressing very well, and we expect more than one candidate vaccine to be in advanced clinical testing by early summer," Fauci told CNN, adding that the testing plans still track with the timeline he has suggested before – a potential vaccine at scale but the end of the year or early 2021.
"This is good news for the overall coronavirus vaccine effort."
When it comes to developing a vaccine against COVID-19, Fauci stressed he is sure there will be "more than one winner" as the race to find a vaccine for COVID-19 is well underway worldwide.
Due to the ever-involving situations of the disease, he speculated that all potential vaccines would be needed.
(Cover: Dr. Anthony Fauci addresses the daily coronavirus response briefing in Washington, U.S., April 1, 2020. /Reuters)
China donates more medical supplies to Lebanon to fight COVID-19
China on Thursday donated another batch of medical supplies to Lebanon to help its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including 17,500 masks, 1,500 protective gears, 1,320 goggles, and 1,000 shoe covers, was handed over by the Chinese embassy at a ceremony held at the Lebanese Foreign Ministry in Beirut.
The medical supplies will help public hospitals in Lebanon in the fight against COVID-19. Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said that no country in the world could fight such a pandemic on its own, stressing that China is committed to offering donations to the countries affected by the pandemic.
China has previously donated to Lebanon medical equipment, including 3,000 kits, over 1 million masks, 20,000 protective gears and 1,600 goggles.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections reached 1,388 on Wednesday, while the death toll remained 30.
Layoffs in the United States are abating, but millions who lost their jobs because of COVID-19 continue to draw unemployment benefits, suggesting the labor market could take years to heal from the pandemic even as businesses resume hiring workers.
New applications for state unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 1.542 million for the week ended June 6, from 1.897 million the prior week, the U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday. That pulled initial claims further away from a record 6.867 million in late March.
The latest jobless claims are a bit less than analysts forecast.
Construction workers assemble a scaffold at a job site, as phase one of reopening after lockdown begins, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), New York City, New York, U.S., June 8, 2020. /Reuters
But the number of people staying on benefits remained high, with the continued claims number at 20.929 million for the week ending May 30, which is the most recent data available for that metric. This was still lower than 21.268 million in the prior week.
The weekly jobless claims report, the most timely data on the economy's health, followed news last Friday of a surprise 2.5 million increase in nonfarm payrolls in May. It reinforced views that the labor market has weathered the worst of the turbulence. But claims for jobless benefits are still more than double their peak during the 2007-09 Great Recession.
Many businesses have reopened after being shuttered in mid-March to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, claims remain elevated amid jobs cuts outside the consumer sector, among industries that were not initially hit by the shutdown.
A Citadel Outlet shopping mall reopens during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Commerce, California, U.S., May 28, 2020. /Reuters
"The steady retreat in claims is a positive development, but the labor market has suffered a traumatic blow and a full recovery will be measured in years, not weeks or months," said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics in New York. "The figures don't capture the full extent of the blow dealt to workers during this unique crisis."
The Federal Reserve signaled on Wednesday it would provide years of extraordinary support for the economy, with policymakers projecting a 9.3 percent unemployment rate at year end. The unemployment rate has jumped from 3.5 percent in February and was at 13.3 percent in May. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters on Wednesday there would an "extended period" during which it would be "difficult for many people to find work."
Read more: Fed sees GDP falling 6.5 percent in 2020, keeps rates at zero
Italy's Conte inquiry, Russia tops 500,000 cases: COVID-19 daily bulletin
- The French government has said the European Union must reach an agreement on the $853 billion COVID-19 economy recovery plan by July.
- Italy is to open an inquiry into Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as that of the government's health and interior ministers.
- Prince Joachim of Belgium has been fined $12,048 by Spanish authorities after flouting quarantine rules to attend a party in Cordoba on 26 May.
- Germany's number of cases rose by 55 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 185,416. Fatalities also rose, by 26 to 8,755.
- Russia has reported 8,779 new cases, bringing the nationwide infection tally to 502,436. Deaths have also risen, by 174 in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 6,532.
- Top-flight football returns to Spain on Thursday as Sevilla hosts Real Betis in the first La Liga game for more than two months. The game will be played behind closed doors, although there will be virtual fans and crowd noise to try to build up atmosphere.
- Germany is to lift its border controls to all neighboring countries by mid-June but will extend its travel warning for non-European countries until the end of August.
- The UK's Heathrow Airport has started a voluntary redundancy scheme for its employees after passenger numbers fell by 97 percent in May.
Beijing confirmed one new case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday after the Chinese capital saw no new locally transmitted cases for 56 consecutive days, local authorities said at a press briefing on Thursday.
A 52-year-old man surnamed Tang in Beijing's Xicheng District was found to have contracted COVID-19 and has been transferred to hospital, said a local official.
Two individuals in close contact with Tang have been under concentrated medical observation, according to the official.
According to a statement by the district's health commission, the two contacts' first nucleic tests for the coronavirus were negative.
The patient said he showed symptoms of fever and fatigue, but no coughing, sore throat or chest distress. The patient also said he had not left the city for the past two weeks and had no contact with people from outside Beijing.
Nucleic acid testing will be conducted for residents living in the patient's community where closed-off management and temperature checks have been resumed, said the local government.
Stricter monitoring will be done in communities, fever clinics and public places in surrounding areas.
(Cover image: People visit Qianmen Street in Beijing, China, June 3, 2020. /Xinhua)
A Chinese team of medical experts departed from Chongqing for Algeria on May 14. This is the largest medical team that China has sent abroad to combat coronavirus to date. The Chinese medics exchanged ideas with experts from Algeria's crisis unit and visited COVID-19 patients at an Algerian hospital.
Russia reports 8,779 new COVID-19 cases, total exceeds 500,000
Russia reported 8,779 new COVID-19 cases and 174 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 502,436, including 6,532 deaths, official data released on Thursday showed.
Russia has become the third country in the world, after the U.S. and Brazil, to have more than half a million confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
South Korea reported 45 more cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of infections to 11,947 as of Wednesday. The country's death toll remains unchanged at 276. Several small clusters are still being found in the country, officials warned.
India said Thursday morning it has recorded the largest single day spike in both infections and deaths – 9,996 new cases and 357 new deaths during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of total infections to 286,579 and deaths to 8,102.
Thailand reported no new coronavirus infections or deaths on Thursday, maintaining the total of 3,125 confirmed cases and 58 fatalities. It was the first time in nearly three weeks that no cases were reported and the 17th day without a local transmission.
The Lao government announced an initial victory in the battle against COVID-19 after all 19 patients infected by the virus were discharged from hospitals and no new cases were detected for 59 consecutive days.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 555 to 185,416, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday. The reported death toll rose by 26 to 8,755, the RKI tally showed.
Mexico reported a record 4,883 new confirmed infections along with 708 additional fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the total in the country to 129,184 cases and 15,357 deaths.
Cuba said it will test all visitors for coronavirus when it reopens to international tourism, which will be limited at first to the beach resorts at the keys of the Caribbean's largest island, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said on Wednesday.
(With input from agencies)
Europe reopens borders amid worst global recession in memory
The world faces the worst global recession in nearly a century, a key economic body warned Wednesday, while in Europe, restrictions to fight the spread of coronavirus portend a bleak summer tourism season even as more nations announced plans to welcome visitors again.
Beginning Tuesday, Austria will open up to all European neighbors with the exception of Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britain, meaning that visitors from 31 countries will no longer be required to undergo a two-week quarantine upon arrival. Greece, another European holiday hotspot, will allow tourists to fly to Athens or the main northern city of Thessaloniki beginning on Monday.
Click here for more.
U.S. could reach 200,000 coronavirus deaths in September, expert says
The U.S. may see 200,000 deaths because of the coronavirus at some point in September, a leading expert said, while total U.S. coronavirus cases surpassed two million on Wednesday as governments relax restrictions.
Ashish Jha, the head of Harvard's Global Health Institute, told CNN in an interview on Wednesday that without drastic action, the number of U.S. deaths would march on.
"Even if we don't have increasing cases, even if we keep things flat, it's reasonable to expect that we're going to hit 200,000 deaths sometime during the month of September," Jha said. "And that's just through September. The pandemic won't be over in September."
"I'm really worried about where we're going to be in the weeks and months ahead," he added.
Jha said that was directly tied to the fact the United States was the only major country to reopen without getting its case growth to a controlled level – a rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus remaining at five percent or lower for at least 14 days.
He said the deaths were not "something we have to be fated with" and could be prevented by ramping up testing and contact tracing, strict social distancing and widespread use of masks.
Hawaii Governor David Ige extended the state's mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving travelers on Wednesday in a bid to keep coronavirus cases in the islands low.
Ige said the rule is being extended to the end of July as the state works to solidify a screening process that could soon allow travelers to return in some capacity. Officials said they are planning to install thermal screening stations and facial recognition technology at the airports by the end of the year. The technology would be used only to track people within the airport during the screening process, Ige said.
Surfers heading to the water at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, April 2, 2020. /AP
Hawaii has so far reported 653 COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths, the lowest in the nation. Ige enacted a mandatory self-quarantine for all arriving tourists and residents earlier in March. Violators of the quarantine rules have been arrested, including a resident who was found to have left her home after returning to Waikiki this week.
Officials said the state's inter-island quarantine rules will be lifted next week, but anyone with a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) will not be allowed to fly.
Read more: Hawaii's tourism sector hit hardest by COVID-19 in U.S.: Study
(Cover: A surfer walks on a sparsely populated Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, June 5, 2020. /AP)
Italy PM says prosecutors to question him over coronavirus response
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he will be questioned by prosecutors on Friday over the way the coronavirus outbreak was handled in the northern Italian city of Bergamo, one of the areas most badly affected by the epidemic.
"I am not at all worried," Conte told reporters outside the prime minister's office in Rome. "We will speak on Friday and I will pass on all the facts I am aware of," he said, adding that he was not under investigation himself.
The prosecutors are looking into why badly hit areas around Bergamo were not closed down early in the outbreak, and have already questioned the regional governor of Lombardy, which includes Bergamo, and Lombardy's health chief.
It came after 50 relatives of COVID-19 victims in Italy filed complaints on Wednesday at the prosecutors' office in Bergamo over the handling of the pandemic, the first such legal group action in the country.
Read more:
Relatives of Italy virus victims file complaints over handling of the pandemic
The U.S. has reported over two million coronavirus cases as of Wednesday evening, Johns Hopkins University's latest tally showed.
The country's death toll from COVID-19 rose to more than 112,000.
The U.S. is the worst-hit country in the world, and experts are worried about a second COVID-19 wave due to protests across the country over the death of George Floyd.
(Cover: A shop in Nassau County of Long Island, New York state, the United States, May 27, 2020. /Xinhua)
Disneyland in California announced plans Wednesday to reopen next month – but at "significantly limited" capacity, and with no opportunities to hug Mickey Mouse or high-five Donald Duck for the time being.
Under the plans, which still require government approval, the resort near Los Angeles, which includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, would welcome visitors back beginning July 17.
Disneyland is the world's second-most visited theme park, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each day, but not since closing in mid-March.
The move comes on the heels of the successful reopening of Shanghai Disneyland last month, and follows a similar timetable to the restart of Disney World in Florida, which has already received government approval.
Theme parks provide a significant portion of the Mouse House's revenue. Last month, Disney said the division's quarterly operating income fell 58 percent from a year earlier, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the California parks reopen, all guests will need to book reservations in advance, and social distancing measures mean no parades or "nighttime spectaculars" until a later date.
"While character meet-and-greets will be temporarily unavailable, characters will be in the parks in new ways to entertain and delight guests," Disney said in a statement.
Hotels at the site would reopen the following week under the plan.
(Cover image: A file photo of Mickey's Fun Wheel at dusk in Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, the U.S. /VCG)
More research needed on asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that more research needs to be done to better understand the extent to which COVID-19 is being spread by people who don't show symptoms.
"Since early February, we have said that asymptomatic people can transmit COVID-19, but that we need more research to establish the extent of asymptomatic transmission," the WHO chief said at a virtual press conference from Geneva.
"That research is ongoing, and we're seeing more and more research being done," he added.
Click here for more.
Brazil reports 32,913 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 772,416
Brazil reported 32,913 new COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday evening, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 772,416, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 39,680. So far, 325,395 patients have recovered.
The Chinese mainland recorded 11 new inbound COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered four new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,057 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 129 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Health authorities said four patients were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,361.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,107 (1,051 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (431 recoveries, seven deaths)
EU eyes reopening borders from July 1
The European Union said Wednesday it hoped to reopen its external borders to foreigners in July as leaders look to loosen the economic stranglehold of virus lockdowns that are triggering a steep global downturn.
EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell on Wednesday has suggested a "gradual and partial" reopening of external frontiers to travelers outside the bloc from July 1, but details of the proposal is not yet clear.
On March 17, EU member states agreed to close off the EU's external borders for 30 days, effective immediately for nonessential travel. The travel ban was later extended several times and will now expire on June 15.
(With input from AFP)
Ex-U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman says he's contracted the coronavirus
Jon Huntsman, former U.S. ambassador to China between 2009 and 2011, confirmed in a Twitter post on Wednesday that he has contracted the coronavirus.
"After a second try, test results came back positive for Covid-19. Have been experiencing classic symptoms like so many others, my goal is to keep my family safe. Though isolated temporarily, we've never been more energized in this important race for Governor. The work goes on!"
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. /AP
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the "fragility of our world", according to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The 71-year-old made the remarks in Singapore where he addressed the Forum of Small States in commemorating the founding of the UN.
"Despite the enormous scientific and technological advances of recent decades, a microscopic virus has brought us to our knees," said Guterres.
"COVID-19 must be a wake-up call. It is time for an end to this hubris."
The UN chief’s remarks came as the number of COVID-19 infections globally surpassed 7.2 million with a death toll exceeding 413,000, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
Guterres said the damage caused by the pandemic is partly because countries embarked on different strategies to counter the virus rather than a unified response.
He called for unity in the world’s response to such and more tragedies including terrorism.
Guterres also warned that a second-wave of infections was possible if countries relaxed their responses to the pandemic.
Many countries across the world are already reopening and easing lockdown restrictions in a bit to enable resumption of normal life.
But Guterres said it was too early to relax.
"There is a real risk of a second wave. That is why we must insist that no country is safe and healthy until all countries are safe and healthy," he said.
A patient is seen sitting inside the Spedali Civili hospital in Brescia, Italy, March 13, 2020. /Reuters
Fifty relatives of COVID-19 victims in Italy filed complaints on Wednesday over the handling of the pandemic, the first such legal group action in the country.
Italy is one of the worst affected countries worldwide by the pandemic, having registered 235,763 infections and 34,114 deaths, according to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
"We don't want revenge, we want justice," AFP news agency quotes Stefano Fusco, 31, who created a group on Facebook to reach out to others in similar situations after his grandfather died of the virus in a care home in March.
The complaints were filed at the prosecutors' office in Bergamo, the city in northern Italy worst hit by the pandemic, "because it has become the symbol of this tragedy, though they come from across the country," Fusco said.
Bergamo prosecutors are conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the health crisis. Local families blame tardiness in enforcing a red zone, as well as years of cuts to healthcare across the northern Lombardy region.
The Facebook page "Truth and Justice for COVID-19 victims" currently has over 55,000 members.
Members have been detailing their ordeals and how their loved ones fell victim during the pandemic’s peak which saw hundreds of patients die every day.
"We are submitting them (complaints) to see whether laws have been broken, and will evaluate the next steps after that," Fusco said.
People wearing protective face masks are seen next to the Olympic rings in front of the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo, Japan, February 26, 2020. /Reuters
The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee said Wednesday that they have agreed with the International Olympic Committee to hold a "simplified" games next summer.
In a press conference following the online meeting with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said that the IOC and local organizers had identified 200 items where simplification would be possible.
When asked about the possibility of the games being called off entirely due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo Olympic organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori said the local organizers and IOC had "never discussed cancellation."
The goals to streamline hosting the event are to battle "the biggest challenge" thrust upon the organizing committee, safety issues amid the coronavirus pandemic, and reducing cost.
According to Muto, there are three central principles for the postponed Olympics – providing a safe and secure environment, minimizing costs to gain the understanding of Tokyo residents and the wider public, and simplifying the games for the sake of safety and sustainability.
Tokyo Games organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori (R) and the organizing committee's CEO Toshiro Muto hold a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, June 10, 2020. /VCG
The reductions are likely to happen in areas such as number of spectators, numbers of IOC officials and representatives from national sporting bodies at the games, the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the torch relay scheduled to fall between March to July next year.
Reducing spectators would no doubt hurt Japan's economy, considering the total amount of budget needed to host the Summer Olympics.
Earlier in May, the IOC decided to spend up to 800 million U.S. dollars for extra costs arising from the one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, on top of the 12.6 billion U.S. dollars Japan had already spent on preparation of the games.
IOC president Thomas Bach explained that a sum of 650 million U.S. dollars would be available for the IOC's share of organizing the postponed Olympics amid the COVID-19 crisis. The remaining 150 million U.S. dollars is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees.
Bach said in an interview after the meeting that "it would be wrong to reduce the number of athletes."
"We can simplify and reduce the cost of the games. That is our full concentration."
IOC president Thomas Bach attends an interview after the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland, March 25, 2020. /VCG
The local organizing committee will review each item on the list and the IOC's Coordination Commission is expected to make a final proposal at the IOC executive board meeting in September after holding discussions with international sports federations.
The Tokyo Olympic Games, which were originally scheduled to start in July 2020, were postponed by a year in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The games are due to start on July 23, 2021.
(With input from agencies)
NHS waiting list 'could hit 10 million this year' in UK
The number of people waiting for National Health Service (NHS) treatment could hit 10 million by the end of the year in the UK, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the NHS Confederation on Wednesday.
Challenges include a backlog of cases, maintaining social distancing, and staffing, according to the organization.
Projections by the NHS Confederation show that the NHS waiting list is expected to rise from about 4.2 million currently to about 10 million by Christmas.
On the same day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government wanted to reopen the country's hospitality industry as quickly as possible, although not before the planned date of July 4.
Johnson said Britain was now getting the virus under control and as the number of cases fell, the government would keep under review its rule that people should maintain a two-meter social distance.
The country has registered 290,581 COVID-19 infections and 40,968 deaths so far, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
A London Underground worker hands over a free face mask, gloves and hand sanitizer to a passenger at London's Baker Street station, UK, June 9, 2020. /AP
Germany to lift border controls with France, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland on June 15
Germany will lift border controls with Switzerland, France, Austria and Denmark on June 15, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Wednesday, adding the government would reconsider this decision if the coronavirus situation deteriorates.
Seehofer also said rules in place for non-European Union citizens wanting to visit Germany will be extended until the end of June.
Russia's coronavirus cases approach 500,000
Russia on Wednesday reported 8,404 new coronavirus infections, taking its nationwide tally of cases to 493,657.
The country's coronavirus crisis response center said 216 more deaths from COVID-19 were also recorded, bringing its death toll to 6,358.
India reports nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 276,583
India reported 9,985 new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 276,583, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 7,745. So far, 135,206 patients have recovered.
The Chinese mainland recorded three new inbound COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Tuesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered five new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,046 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 155 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Health authorities said six patients were discharged on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,357.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,107 (1,050 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (431 recoveries, seven deaths)
Round-trip flights between the Chinese capital of Beijing and the central Chinese city of Wuhan resumed on Tuesday, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). China Southern Airlines is currently operating one daily round-trip flight between Wuhan Tianhe International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. The country's other major airlines are expected to follow suit.
Paris prosecutor opens probe into France's handling of COVID-19 crisis
Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz said Tuesday that he has opened a probe into the French state's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with possible charges including "involuntary homicide" and "endangering life," AFP reported.
The investigation, which comes after complaints were filed by members of the public, is not aimed at determining "political or administrative responsibility," Remy Heitz told AFP.
According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, 29,212 people have died from coronavirus infection in France and the country has recorded 191,313 confirmed cases as of Tuesday.
(With input from agencies)
Brazil must publish COVID-19 data in full, says Supreme Court justice
Brazil's top court waded into the controversy surrounding official reporting of coronavirus death and infection figures, as a Supreme Court justice ruled the Health Ministry must revert to releasing the full set of data it had previously made available.
In a statement posted to the Supreme Court website in the early hours of Tuesday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the Health Ministry must "fully re-establish the daily dissemination of epidemiological data on the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the agency's website, under the terms presented until last Thursday."
It came after Brazil removed troves of detailed coronavirus data and said it would no longer publish cumulative totals but daily increase numbers over the weekend.
The government's actions in recent days have made it "impossible" to monitor the spread of the virus and to implement adequate and necessary control and prevention policies, he said. Failure to adopt internationally recognized methods of data collection, analysis, and dissemination could have "disastrous consequences" for Brazil, Moraes said.
On Monday evening, the health ministry had rowed back on its earlier position, saying that it would release data earlier and dismissing allegations that numbers were being manipulated
(With input from Reuters)
French economy to shrink by 10% this year, recovery mid-2022
The French economy will likely shrink about 10 percent this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and will not recover to pre-crisis levels until mid-2022, the Bank of France said Tuesday.
It said signs of a "gradual" recovery should be seen from the third quarter of this year, after a slump in output of 15 percent expected in the three months to June due to the "very sharp shock" resulting from the countrywide lockdown imposed in March.
The economy should then expand seven percent in 2021, gaining another four percent in 2022, it said.
But unemployment is expected to surge to above 11.5 percent by mid-2021, well above previous peaks, the bank said.
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Treating patients is one of the most challenging tasks when an unknown virus hits, since there's no known treating methods. As the former epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan figured out a way to effectively treat mildly and critically ill COVID-19 patients.
In this episode of Facts Tell, CGTN's Li Jingjing explores several measures that China adopted to save lives during the pandemic.
Super Virus – COVID-19: How we got here
The novel coronavirus has so far claimed over 400,000 lives worldwide. No one knows how dangerous the virus really is and how long the pandemic will last.
To present readers with a clear picture of how we got here, we portrayed seven hard-hit countries in an interactive. These countries – China, South Korea, the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the UK – all reported initial confirmed cases at an early stage of the outbreak and all have their relatively mature healthcare systems strained in the fight against it. But their different policy measures have resulted in varied outcomes.
While it's far too early to draw simple conclusions, the policy measures taken in each country do require scrutiny. Our interactive takes a comparative approach in visualizing when and how quickly these measures were enacted over the course of the pandemic. We compiled and analyzed data in the realms of testing, which is crucial to early detection, preventive measures including economic shutdowns and cancellation of public gatherings, as well as the development of clinical methods and the ultimate panacea – an effective vaccine.
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Travel in post-pandemic era: Airports go contactless
Innumerable cancelled flights and near-empty airports – aviation industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the novel coronavirus basically contained in China, businesses across the country have pushed the "restart" button, including domestic airlines.
Statistics from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) showed that the number of passengers carried by airlines in China crossed the one million mark on June 5 for the first time since January 28. It also indicated a recovery rate of 61.5 percent from last year's level, according to CAAC.
But the question remains: will air travel experience ever be the same? This episode of "Travel in the Post-Pandemic Era" takes you to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport for the first-hand experience of the newly-introduced contactless services.
Disinfection gets smarter
At a time when epidemic prevention and control measures have been relaxed, disinfection is a must at airports for a safe travel environment. Here at Baiyun airport, one of the smart devices that'll probably catch your attention is the disinfection robot.
A cleaning and disinfection robot at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2020. /VCG
Buttonless elevators
For the fear of contracting the virus by touching elevator buttons, many people resort to objects like keys, toothpicks and tissues. But with buttonless elevators this fear can go off the window. The airport management has upgraded the elevators using infrared sensing technology.
This allows passengers to operate lifts without touching any buttons. By simply placing the hand near the button one can activate the elevator in less than a second and select the desired level.
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University of Washington forecasts 145,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths by August
University of Washington researchers estimated on Monday that 145,728 people could die of COVID-19 in the United States by August, raising their grim forecast by more than 5,000 fatalities in a matter of days.
On Friday, the widely cited Institute for Health Metrics and evaluation at the university projected 140,496 deaths by August from COVID-19. Researchers did not give a reason for the abrupt revision.
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COVID-19: First flight from Wuhan to Beijing since lockdown takes off
The first direct flight from Wuhan to Beijing, since the central Chinese city's lockdown, took off on Tuesday afternoon.
Wuhan, the former epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, was locked down in January for more than two months to contain the COVID-19 spread.
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Russia's coronavirus cases pass 485,000
Russia reported 8,595 new novel coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the number of infections nationwide to 485,253.
The authorities said that 171 people died from the virus in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 6,142.
China's Ministry of Education on Tuesday issued a travel warning for Australia as major universities in the country are planning to open around July.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not been effectively controlled, the ministry said in a statement, adding there are still risks in international travel and the opening of campuses.
During the epidemic, there were multiple discriminatory incidents against Asians in Australia, the ministry pointed out, reminding all Chinese students to do a risk assessment and be cautious in choosing to study in, or return to, Australia.
China-Philippines ties to deepen after COVID-19, says ambassador marking 45th year of diplomatic relations
China and the Philippines have continually deepened mutual political trust and both are committed to defend the peace and stability in the South China Sea, Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said, as the two countries mark the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship on Tuesday.
He hailed bilateral cooperation in various fields over the past decades, and said the bilateral ties have become closer as the two countries joined hands to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Huang made the remarks at a signature article published on Manila Bulletin on Tuesday.
Facing the common challenge of the COVID-19, Huang said China and the Philippines have supported each other, demonstrating our long-standing profound friendship.
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Answer Bank: Am I an asymptomatic patient of COVID-19?
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop in nearly every country, the risk of asymptomatic patients has been brought into sharp focus.
Put simply, asymptomatic patients of COVID-19 are people who tested positive in nucleic acid or antibody tests but have not developed any symptoms, such as fever, coughing and fatigue. This type of case is most likely to arise from close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, such family members. They will not appear out of nowhere in areas that have never been hit by the pandemic.
The most important question about asymptomatic patients is, are they contagious? According to current monitoring and research, asymptomatic patients of COVID-19 are contagious.
A quick blood test for COVID-19 amid the coronavirus pandemic at a plaza in Brazil, June 8, 2020. /AP
Brazil's government on Monday revised its single-day death toll from 1,382 to 525. Its health ministry said the revisions were caused by "duplication" in certain states.
Sunday's number of new cases was also amended, but upward, from 12,581 to 18,912.
According to the new figures, Brazil's total death toll is now stands at 36,455, with over 690,000 confirmed cases in the country. Some 283,952 COVID-19 patients have recovered since the outbreak in the country, while 371,351 patients remain under medical observation.
Brazil, one of the hard-hit countries by COVID-19 pandemic, registered the second highest number of confirmed cases, trailing the United States.
On Friday, the health ministry closed the webpage showing daily, weekly and monthly figures on infections and deaths in Brazilian states, after President Jair Bolsonaro claimed that the official count was "not representative" of the country's situation and threatened to pull Brazil out of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Following the move, the health ministry on Saturday released two contradictory sets of figures for the latest tally, with one reporting 12,581 deaths while another reported 525 deaths in 24 hours.
In response to Brazil's COVID-19 tally, Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, on Monday stressed it was important for Brazilians to understand where the virus is and how to manage risk, and that the WHO hoped communication would be "consistent and transparent."
(With input from Xinhua)
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that although the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe is improving, globally it is worsening.
According to Tedros, more than 100,000 cases have been reported to the WHO in nine of the past 10 days, and on June 7, more than 136,000 cases were reported, "the most in a single day so far."
"Almost seven million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and almost 400,000 deaths," Tedros said.
As for the situation in Africa, the WHO chief said that most countries there are still experiencing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, with some reporting cases in new geographic areas.
"We also see increasing numbers of cases in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia," he told reporters, reminding those countries with positive signs to avoid "complacency," since most people globally are still susceptible to infection.
"More than six months into this pandemic, this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal," he said.
(Cover photo: A testing site in Seattle, U.S., June 8, 2020. /AP)
Screenshot from the statement of Wuhan Municipal Government
Large-scale nucleic acid testing in Wuhan revealed 300 asymptomatic coronavirus carriers, but no "virulent virus" has been isolated from the throat swabs and sputum samples, according to the municipal health commission on Monday.
The result came just a couple of days after these no-symptom carriers being discovered in the citywide COVID-19 test which covers 9.89 million local residents.
Scientists in Wuhan Institute of Virology then started to isolate and cultivate the virus in an effort to know its infectiousness.
"Although these asymptomatic patients tested positive on COVID-19 virus, if the viral loads in the samples are very low, then infectious virus cannot be isolated and cultivated," said Zhang Dingyu, deputy director of Health Commission of Hubei Province. Wuhan is the provincial capital.
Zhang also explained that the virus was cultivated to see whether it can infect or kill cultured human cells, so as to know more about its infectiousness.
It turned out viral loads in those samples are extremely low, which suggests Wuhan's asymptomatic carriers are not infectious, experts concluded.
Meanwhile, the personal belongings of the asymptomatic carriers such as toothbrushes, mugs, masks and towels have shown negative COVID-19 testing results in samples collected from the surfaces.
A total of 1,174 close contacts of the 300 cases have also been tested negative for coronavirus.
The result reassured those still living in fear across Wuhan, months after the coronavirus claimed over 3,869 lives. The testing also served as a precaution against a second wave, since a small cluster of infections reemerged in mid-May, ending a month-long record of zero new cases.
Tanzania's President John Magufuli. /REUTERS
Tanzania's President John Magufuli has declared the country "coronavirus-free" thanks to prayers by citizens.
"The corona disease has been eliminated thanks to God," Mr Magufuli told worshippers in a church in the capital, Dodoma.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the government's strategy on the pandemic.
The government stopped publishing data on the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
On 29 April, the last day official data was released, there were 509 cases, with 21 deaths in Tanzania. However, Mr Magufuli said last week that only four patients were receiving treatment in the largest city, Dar es Salaam.
BBC reports that in May, Tanzania's government dismissed a US embassy warning that hospitals in Dar es Salaam were "overwhelmed" and that the chances of contracting the virus was "extremely high".
Mr Magufuli has repeatedly said the health crisis has been exaggerated and urged people to attend services in churches and mosques, saying that prayers "can vanquish" the virus.
(With input from the agencies)
Passengers wait with a certain distance from each other to buy bus tickets at a main bus station in Kigali, Rwanda, on June 3, 2020. /Xinhua
The number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent reached 189,434, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Monday.
The Africa CDC in its latest update said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases rose from 183,474 on Sunday afternoon to 189,434 as of Monday afternoon.
The death toll from the pandemic also rose from 5,041 as of Sunday afternoon to 5,175 as of Monday afternoon, according to the Africa CDC.
The continental disease control and prevention agency, which noted that the virus has so far spread into 54 African countries, also said that some 82,888 people who have been infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far.
Amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the African continent, the highly affected African countries include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana as well as Morocco, it was noted.
The Africa CDC also disclosed that the Northern African region is the most affected area across the continent both in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, as well as the number of deaths.
Latest developments on the global COVID-19 pandemic
The UK's coronavirus death toll rose by 55 to 40,597 as of Sunday afternoon. It has the second highest number of fatalities around the world, behind only the U.S.
A total of 1,205 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in one day, raising the UK's nationwide tally of cases to 287,399 as of Monday morning.
Germany's new coronavirus infections continued to fall as the total number of cases increased by 214 in one day to 184,193, the Robert Koch Institute said Monday. The death toll in the country increased by six to 8,674.
Saudi Arabia reported 3,369 new cases in a 24-hour period on Monday, bringing its total to 105,283. The death toll now stands at 746. The country's Eastern Province health ministry said a private hospital has been shutdown after a number of patients and medical staff contracted the coronavirus.
Iran's confirmed cases rose to 173,832 on Monday after an overnight registration of 2,043 new infections. The death toll increased by 70 to 8,351.
Singapore will deliver its first batch of wearable contact tracing devices, or TraceTogether tokens, in the second half of June, said Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday. Balakrishnan emphasized that the wearable is not a tracking device, as there is no GPS chip in it.
The country reported 386 new cases on Monday, raising its total to 38,296.
Disinfecting Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, April 3, 2020. /VCG
Direct flights between Wuhan City, once the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, and Beijing will resume from Tuesday, according to Wuhan's transportation bureau.
One round-trip flight between Wuhan Tianhe International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport will be operated every day by China Southern Airlines through June 27, the airline said.
Other companies such as China Eastern Airlines and Air China are also working on resuming flights between the two cities.
NE China's Mudanjiang City detects 19 asymptomatic cases
Mudanjiang City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province detected 19 asymptomatic cases among 650,000 people tested for the coronavirus over the past week, Mayor Wang Wenli said at a press briefing on Monday.
A total of 1,529 people who had close contacts with the asymptomatic patients are now under observation, according to Wang.
People wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus walk an outdoor book market set up in Red Square with a Historical museum in the background in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, June 6, 2020. /AP
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday announced the first steps to allow Russian citizens to travel beyond its borders after they closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Russian media reported.
Russians needing to work, study or care for relatives abroad are allowed to resume international travel for the first time since late March, Mishustin said in a televised meeting.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Monday that the city's lockdown will end from Tuesday, which means the digital pass system for residents will also be cancelled.
(With input from agencies)
Russia reports 8,985 new coronavirus cases
Russia reported 8,985 new coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Monday, bringing the nationwide tally to 476,658.
The country's coronavirus response center said 112 new COVID-19 fatalities were registered; the death toll now stands at 5,971.
Russian specialists modified the generic drug Favipiravir (above) to enhance its efficacy for treating COVID-19. /Reuters
Russian developers have registered a new drug that may help alleviate the harshest complications caused by COVID-19, a week after the country's Ministry of Health registered Avifavir, a domestic version of the Japanese drug Favipiravir, for combating COVID-19.
Levilimab, the second medication to receive state approval through a fast-track mechanism, is aimed at curbing the so-called "cytokine storm," a common complication from COVID-19 when the sick person's immune system overreacts to the virus and the excessive inflammation can lead to a fatal outcome. Experts say it will "buy time" for Russia before a vaccine against the coronavirus is made.
Unlike its foreign counterparts, which are administered intravenously, the new drug is administered hypodermically and will go into the market under the brand ILSIRA.
According to Dmitry Morozov, general director of Biocad, the biopharmaceutical company behind the drug, the highlight of Levilimab is that it can be administered not only to patients already in a serious condition, but used as a prophylactic to prevent the "cytokine storm" from occurring and allowing the patient to avoid intensive care and lung ventilation.
Ekaterina Trifonova, who heads the infectious ward at the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow, told Russia Today that Levilimab has proven itself as effective as its foreign counterparts and increased the speed of recovery for patients. She said during the first two weeks of trials, out of 45 COVID-19 patients who got the drug, ten were discharged, including a 92-year-old-man, while the rest remained in satisfactory condition.
A week earlier, Russia approved the first antiviral drug, Avifavir, which was produced in a joint venture by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the ChemRar group. According to the developers, the drug can disrupt the reproduction mechanisms of COVID-19, and has shown "high efficacy in treating patients with coronavirus during clinical trials." A study revealed that the virus dies in an average of just four days when a patient takes the drug, compared to nine with a standard course of treatment.
In a non-randomized Chinese study in March, it was proved that Avifavir can clear the virus faster than an anti-HIV drug. Companies around the world are considering producing it, with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals currently conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in India that might be completed as early as July.
On June 11, the first batch of Avifavir will be delivered to hospitals in Russia. The drug will not go on sale and will only be used in hospitals under the supervision of a doctor. It will not be prescribed during pregnancy due to a possible effect on the fetus.
Russia has recorded the world's third-highest number of COVID-19 infection cases, according to Johns Hopkins University's research center. Russian cases exceeded 467,000 on Monday, while the reported death toll remains relatively low at 5,851.
COVID-19 deaths in India surpass 7,000 mark, cases exceed 250,000
The total number of deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India crossed the 7,000 mark, reaching 7,135 on Monday, the latest data issued by the health ministry said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 256,611.
China will carry out mandatory nucleic acid tests on eight groups of people, according to the National Health Commission Monday.
The commission said the nucleic acid tests, which are used to detect the novel coronavirus in humans, will be mandatory for people with a history of close contact with COVID-19 patients, such as caregivers, relatives or medical assistants, fever clinic patients and medical staff. Newly arrived inbound passengers, as well as border port, prison and social welfare institution employees are also subject to compulsory testing.
Global COVID-19 cases exceed 7 million, over 402,000 deaths
Confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 7,006,436 globally on Monday, with over 402,000 fatalities and more than 3 million recoveries, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The Chinese mainland recorded four new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Sunday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered two new asymptomatic patients.
According to the report, the Chinese mainland on Sunday had no patients in critical condition.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,040 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 201 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said nine patients were discharged on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,341.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,106 (1,049 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (430 recoveries, 7 deaths)
U.S. coronavirus cases top 1.93 million, death toll over 110,000
The U.S. has reported over 1.93 million coronavirus cases as of Sunday evening, Johns Hopkins University's latest tally showed.
The country's death toll from COVID-19 rose to 110,425.
UK coronavirus death toll rises 77 to 40,542
The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 77 to 40,542 as of 1600 GMT on June 6, according to government data published on Sunday.
The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.
Earlier, Scotland and Northern Ireland both reported no COVID-19 deaths in the previous 24 hours.
As UK gradually eases it lockdown measures, British places of worship will reopen for individual prayer from June 15 after being closed to the public in March, government minister Robert Jenrick said on Saturday.
(With input from agencies)
Saudi Arabia's confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeds 100,000
Saudi Arabia reported 3,045 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 101,914, and the death toll to 712. The number of new daily cases exceeded 3,000 for the first time on Saturday, according to the county's health ministry.
The country of 30 million people recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2.
In April, health authorities said the virus could eventually infect between 10,000 and 200,000 people in Saudi Arabia.
The country topped 50,000 cases on May 16. Saudi Arabia's numbers are the highest in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which has recorded 272,625 cases and 1,406 deaths.
Latest COVID-19 development in Asia
Malaysia will lift most coronavirus restrictions on businesses on Wednesday as the country is set to enter the "recovery phase," which will last until August 31, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced in a televised address on Sunday, saying the coronavirus pandemic was "under control" in the country.
India took the fifth spot for countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday. With 287 new deaths and 9,971 cases reported during the past 24 hours, the number of deaths has risen to 6,929 and the total cases reached 246,628.
The number of confirmed cases in the Philippines rose to 21,895 after 555 new infections were reported on Sunday. The death toll reached 1,003 after nine more patients succumbed to the disease
Thailand on Sunday reported eight new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, taking its total to 3,112 infections and 58 deaths.
Indonesia on Sunday detected 672 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total to 31,186. Meanwhile, 50 new deaths were also registered, taking the total to 1,851.
Singapore reported 383 new infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of novel coronavirus infections to 37,910. As of Saturday, 25 deaths related to the disease have been confirmed in the country.
South Korea reported 57 news cases on Saturday, marking the second straight day the number crossed 50 as concerns rise over cluster infections in the greater Seoul area. Out of the 57 new cases, 53 were community transmissions. The country has reported a total of 11,776 cases.
Afghanistan's COVID-19 cases reached 20,345 after 791 new cases were reported, the health authority confirmed on Sunday. Its total fatalities stand at 357. So far, 1,875 patients have recovered.
(With input from agencies)
There were no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in northeast China's Jilin Province, local health authorities said on Sunday.
A total of 136 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in the province, including 134 recoveries and two deaths.
Three districts in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province downgraded their COVID-19 emergency responses starting Sunday, local authorities announced the same day.
Zhong Nanshan says COVID-19 vaccine could be available as early as this fall
A COVID-19 vaccine could be put into emergency use as early as this fall, China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said during a medical live event with China's tech giant Baidu on Saturday.
Currently, six vaccines are in clinical trials on the Chinese mainland.
Global coronavirus deaths hit 400,000: Johns Hopkins
The global COVID-19 death toll crossed the 400,000 mark on Sunday, hitting 400,013, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The U.S., the UK and Brazil are the three leading countries in the count, with over 109,000 deaths in the U.S., at least 40,000 in the UK and nearly 36,000 in Brazil.
Over three million known COVID-19 patients have recovered, according to JHU, with the biggest chunk of over 500,000 recoveries coming from the U.S., followed by Brazil and Russia.
Brazil to stop reporting total number of COVID-19 cases
Brazil's health ministry will only be reporting cases and deaths in the past 24 hours, no longer giving a total figure as most countries do, and data that had documented the epidemic over time has been removed from the website.
Brazil has reported more than 670,000 COVID-19 infections, and the death toll has surpassed 35,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Russia sees 8,984 new coronavirus cases, 134 deaths in last 24 hours
Russia reported 8,984 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours on Sunday, pushing the total number of infections to 467,673.
Officials said 134 people had died during the same period, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,859.
The coronavirus outbreak led to lockdowns and restrictions on travel that have squeezed consumer spending. In order to spur consumption, Beijing launched a shopping event on Saturday that lasts until the end of the National Day holiday in October, during which 12.2 billion yuan (1.72 billion U.S. dollars) worth of vouchers are expected to be issued.
The launch was jointly organized by the state-run China Media Group (CMG) and the Beijing municipal government.
The first batch of three million voucher packages was issued on Saturday through e-commerce giant JD.com. Each package contains three coupons worth 60 yuan, is valid for 14 days, and can be used in sectors such as catering and travel.
China's retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of consumption growth, tumbled by 19 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020.
Shoppers walk pass an Apple store in Beijing, June 6, 2020. /VCG
Voucher issuance programs are expected to release pent-up demand. Chinese authorities released guidelines in early March to boost consumer spending and unleash the potential of the domestic market. Over 50 Chinese cities have rolled out voucher programs worth billions of yuan, which are used in offline stores in various sectors.
Read more:
Cash or vouchers? Dilemma on how to spur China's pandemic-hit consumption
Wuhan, the city hit the hardest by the coronavirus outbreak in China, began to issue vouchers worth a total of 500 million yuan (about 71 million U.S. dollars) from April 19 after a 76-day lockdown.
The Shanghai municipal government launched the Double Five Shopping Festival which kicked off on May 4 and will run through to the end of June. E-commerce giants such as Alibaba and Pinduoduo have been encouraged to provide support to major retailers and brands for large-scale promotional events including discounts, group purchases and live streaming.
Citic Securities predicted in a March report that the local government-led coupons programs are expected to reach 34.9-billion-yuan. The investment bank estimated that this will boost consumption by 62.9 billion yuan, or 1.8 times the value of the coupons.
China released a white paper titled "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action" on Sunday, comprehensively explaining China's battle against the disease.
"Making people's lives and health its first priority, China adopted extensive, stringent, and thorough containment measures, and has for now succeeded in cutting all channels for the transmission of the virus," said the document.
Read more:
Graphics: Inside China's all-out effort to contain the coronavirus
Full Text: Fighting COVID-19: China in Action
According to the white paper, China's fight against the epidemic can be divided into five stages.
Related reading: Virus War
(Graphics: Pan Yufei, Chen Yuyang)
China on Sunday issued a white paper on the country's battle against COVID-19.
The document, titled "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action," was issued by the State Council Information Office.
Consisting of four chapters, the white paper explains China's prevention, control and treatment efforts in the battle against the virus, as well as the efforts made at a global level in international cooperation.
Here are some highlights:
The command system in China
A centralized and efficient command system forms a strong guarantee for China to win the all-out people's war against COVID-19, the white paper detailing China's fight against the disease stated.
All local authorities and sectors follow the leadership and instructions of the central authorities, perform their respective duties and cooperate with each other, the white paper noted.
Read more:
COVID-19: The command system in China
All-out effort to treat patients
From early outbreak to an all-out nationwide effort to save as many lives as possible, the Chinese Government has taken the most comprehensive, the strictest and the most thorough prevention and control measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak, according to the white paper.
Science, technology crucial in COVID-19 combat
Science and technology have always been the most powerful weapon used by mankind to combat epidemics, and China has made full use of the weapon to win the battle against COVID-19, according to the white paper.
It elaborated the country's efforts in combating the novel coronavirus and engaging in international cooperation over the past several months.
Read more:
White paper: Science and technology play a vital role in COVID-19 combat
Intl cooperation and information sharing
China has vowed to continue advocating globalization and multilateralism amid the coronavirus pandemic and in its aftermath, said the white paper.
The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the narrative of globalization, but cooperation is still important. The white paper pointed out that some countries are promoting the ideas of "decoupling," "erecting walls," and "deglobalization," which will not only tear the world apart, but also harm the proponent countries.
Read more:
China continues to promote intl cooperation and information sharing amid coronavirus pandemic
China's transparency on COVID-19
China has released information on COVID-19 in an open and transparent manner as required by law, said the white paper.
"It released authoritative and detailed information as early as possible on a regular basis," stated the white paper, "thus effectively responding to public concern and building public consensus."
Read more:
White Paper 'Fighting COVID-19: China in Action': China's transparency on COVID-19
Click here to see the Full Text of this white paper.
Read more:
Graphics: Inside China's all-out effort to contain the coronavirus
The Chinese mainland recorded five new imported COVID-19 cases, one new domestic case and no new deaths on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered five new asymptomatic patients.
According to the report, China on Saturday had no patients in critical condition.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,036 and the cumulative death toll at 4,634, while 236 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said three patients were discharged on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,332.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,105 (1,048 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (429 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Three districts in NE China's Jilin City lower COVID-19 emergency response levels
Three districts in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province downgraded their COVID-19 emergency responses starting Sunday, local authorities announced the same day.
Fengman District lowered its risk level from high to low. The other two regions, Changyi and Chuanying districts, lowered their risk level from medium to low.
On May 17, Fengman District was classified as a high-risk area for COVID-19 following reports of three new locally transmitted cases.
Residents shop in a supermarket in Fengman District of Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, May 12, 2020. /Xinhua
Several authors of a study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for COVID-19 patients have retracted the report, suggesting independent reviewers could not vouch for the accuracy of the data that's been widely questioned by other scientists.
The retraction in The Lancet journal involved the previous report on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, the antimalarial drugs touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a "game changer" to prevent or treat COVID-19 patients, but the safety and effectiveness for COVID-19 still remain unknown.
Although the Lancet report was not a rigorous test, the observational study had huge impact because of its size, analyzing data from more than 96,000 hospitalized patients in 671 hospitals across six continents during the period between late December and mid-April.
The Lancet study relied on a database from a U.S. company, Surgisphere; and the lead author is Dr. Mandeep Mehra of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
The study's conclusion that the drugs were linked to a higher risk of death and heart problems in people hospitalized with COVID-19 led the World Health Organization (WHO) to temporarily stop use of hydroxychloroquine in a study it is leading, and for French officials to stop allowing its use in hospitals there. Earlier this week, WHO said experts who reviewed safety information decided that its study could resume.
According to the Guardian, an independent audit company was asked to examine a database provided by Surgisphere to ensure it had the data from more than 96,000 COVID-19 patients in 671 hospitals worldwide, that it was obtained properly and was accurate.
Meanwhile, Surgisphere's CEO, Sapan Desai, had noted that he would cooperate with the independent audit, but it is understood he refused to give the investigators access to all the data they asked for.
Shortly after The Lancet retracted its study, the New England Journal of Medicine also retracted a paper based on the same company's database on blood pressure drugs. That study suggested that widely used blood pressure medicines were safe for coronavirus patients, a conclusion some other studies and heart doctor groups also have reached.
(With input from AP)
(Cover photo via AP)
India overtakes Italy's COVID-19 tally as world's sixth-biggest outbreak
India's federal health ministry reported a record 9,887 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 236,657 and death toll to 6,642, overtaking Italy as the world's sixth-biggest outbreak.
114,073 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement, and the number of active cases in the country stood at 115,942, the ministry officials said.
The fifth phase of nationwide lockdown came into force from Monday, marking several relaxations and reopening in a phased manner.
Saudi Arabia, which holds the G20 presidency, announced in a statement on Saturday that G20 members and invited countries have committed to pledge more than 21 billion U.S. dollars to support the international response to COVID-19.
"The G20, with invited countries, has coordinated the global efforts to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, G20 members and invited countries have pledged over $21 billion to support funding in global health," the group said in a statement.
The pledges will be directed towards diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and research and development, the statement said. G20 members and invited countries have also provided humanitarian assistance to low-income countries and invested heavily in strengthening their health systems.
Saudi Arabia, the current G20 chair, called on the international community to continue efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and be fully prepared to avoid greater negative impacts on global economy, society and health.
A medical specialist wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) sits inside an ambulance at the territory of Aleksandrovskaya hospital, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 5, 2020./Reuters
Russia reported 8,855 new COVID-19 cases and 197 new deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 458,689 and the death toll to 5,725, according to the country's official data.
More than 12 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Russia, and 317,000 people in the country are still under medical observation.
Latest developments on global COVID-19 pandemic
India reported its highest daily spike of 9,887 cases on Saturday, raising its total to 236,657. The country's health ministry also registered 294 new deaths, taking its death toll to 6,642.
Sri Lanka will allow foreign tourists to enter the country from August 1, the tourism department announced on Friday. A minimum five-night stay is required for all travelers, as well as a negative coronavirus test result. Visitors will receive another testing upon arriving. They will not need to go into quarantine unless showing symptoms.The country reported four new cases on Saturday, raising its total to 1,801.
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked the tourism department to push forward the "Travel Bubble" negotiations with countries considered by the Thai government to have a low risk of infections from the coronavirus. Thailand aims to reopen overseas traveling to selected countries within the second half of 2020. "The passengers must not be infected with the virus but they will not be under quarantine for 14 days," said tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
South Korea registered 51 new cases on Saturday, bringing its total to 11,719. Among the newly reported cases, 42 are locally transmitted and eight are imported from overseas. This is the highest number of daily cases in eight days.
Germany's number of confirmed cases increased by 407 to 183,678 on Friday. The death toll rose by 33 to 8,646.
Argentina recorded 840 new cases and 17 new deaths. It now has 21,037 total cases and 632 deaths. Mayor of capital Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta announced on Friday the city will relax lockdown measures from June 8.
Mexico on Friday reported additional 4,346 cases, bringing its nationwide total to 110,026. The death toll increased by 625 to 13,170.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a notice on Friday advising Chinese tourists to raise their safety awareness and avoid traveling to Australia.
There has been an alarming increase in acts of racial discrimination and violence against Chinese and Asians in Australia recently, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the notice said.
WHO updates coronavirus guidance as it warns the pandemic is not over
"Upticks" in COVID-19 cases are being seen in countries that are easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. It urged populations to protect themselves from the coronavirus while authorities continue testing.
The epicenter of the pandemic is currently in countries of Central, South and North America, particularly the United States, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.
"On upticks (in cases), yes, we have seen in countries around the world - I'm not talking specifically about Europe - when the lockdowns ease, when the social distancing measures ease, people sometimes interpret this as 'OK, it's over'," Harris told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.
"It's not over. It's not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world," she said.
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Brazil reports 1,005 additional coronavirus deaths
Brazil reported an additional 1,005 novel coronavirus deaths and 30,830 new cases over the last 24 hours, data released by the country's health ministry showed on Friday night.
The Latin American nation has now registered 35,026 total coronavirus deaths and 645,771 confirmed cases. With its official death toll now above 34,000, the pandemic has taken more lives in Brazil than anywhere else except the United States and the United Kingdom.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro threatened on Friday to pull Brazil out of the World Health Organization after the UN agency warned governments about the risk of lifting lockdowns before slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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Long-term care facilities major hotspot of U.S. COVID-19 deaths: Study
Fifty percent or more of COVID-19 deaths in 26 U.S. states have occurred in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), according to a report by Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) issued on Friday.
The states of Minnesota and Rhode Island each reported 81 percent of COVID-19 deaths in LTCFs, topping the list.
Following were Connecticut with 71 percent and New Hampshire with 70 percent.
Eleven states do not report the number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in LTCFs, and the authors of the study revealed that this has contributed to an underestimate of the total deaths in the country.
"Once we get accurate counts of the COVID-19 deaths in all states, we will likely see a big increase in the total number of deaths in the United States," Dr.Thomas Perls, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and one of the study's authors, said in a statement.
Across the U.S., there are so far nearly 1.9 million registered cases with over 109,000 deaths, topping the world on both counts.
On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected 127,230 COVID-19 deaths by June 27, with a possible range of 118,450 to 143,340 deaths in the country.
(With input from agencies)
The Chinese mainland recorded three new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered two new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,030, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 257 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said two patients were discharged on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,329.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,102 (1,045 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (429 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Azhan is the Islamic call to prayer that's echoing around a Paris neighborhood.
It’s a sign life is slowly returning to normal in France.
The Grand Mosque of Paris was one of the first places or worship to reopen. It closed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It opened after the government allowed religious services to resume last week.
But worship will have to adhere to health safety rules.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock speaks during a past press briefing. /Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/AFP
U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Friday announced new guidance that will require all staff to wear surgical masks at all times while at work.
“So to offer even greater protection we’re also providing new guidance for NHS staff in England, which will come into force, again, from June 15,” he said.
“And all hospital staff will be required to wear type 1 or 2 surgical masks.
“This will cover all staff working in hospital, it will apply at all times - not just when they’re doing lifesaving work on the front line.”
Hancock also announced that all visitors and outpatients will be required to wear face coverings while in the health facilities.
The new guidelines come a day after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that everyone travelling on public transport in England will be required to wear a face-covering from 15 June.
The U.K. is one of the world’s worst affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, the country had reported 284,730 infections and 40,344 deaths by Friday evening.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries were given sufficient warning. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
The World Health Organization has advised governments around the world to encourage their people to wear masks in regions where physical distancing is difficult, as a way of curbing further spread of COVID-19.
“WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments,” said Tedros Adhanom, the WHO Director-General, in a briefing on Friday.
Tedros warned that while masks help protect people from contracting the virus, they can also be an avenue for infection if not handled properly.
He urged against using contaminated hands to adjust or repeatedly taking off masks and wearing them again.
“Masks can also create a false sense of security, leading people to neglect measures such as hand hygiene and physical distancing,” he said.
“I cannot say this clearly enough: masks alone will not protect you from COVID-19.”
In his briefing, Tedros also noted that people aged 60 years and above, as well as those with underlying conditions, should wear a medical mask in situations where it is difficult to observe physical distancing.
The Director-General’s briefing came as the world’s COVID-19 infections went beyond 6.6 million and deaths surpassed 392,000, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The United States' total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 2.5 million in May, and the unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
Although the report also noted that in May, the U.S. employment in government continued to decline sharply, it is better than what economists had expected the unemployment rate to be even worse in May, rising to nearly 20 percent.
The gradual reopening of the economy added new jobs rather than eliminating further positions, improving May data from the dramatic 14.7 percent in April.
"Really Big Jobs Report. Great going President Trump (kidding but true)!" Trump tweeted moments after the numbers came out.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the job data at White House Press Conference on Friday.
Earlier, the U.S. unemployment rate soared by over 14.7 percent in April and the coronavirus lockdown wiped out 20.5 million U.S. jobs during the same month.
Experts positive, citing if improvement lasts
Sameer Smana, senior global market strategist, Wells Fargo Investment Institute:
"Payrolls growth came in well ahead of expectations, and showed growth, while most were expecting another sharp loss."
"The rebound was confirmed by a bounce-back in weekly hours, participation rate, and manufacturing and private job growth."
"The unemployment and underemployment rates also seem to have peaked."
"If confirmed by readings in the coming months, this would suggest the worst is over for the labor market, which would be a positive for the consumer, consumption, and economic growth, which we expect to trough in the second quarter."
"Stocks, rates, and the U.S. dollar rose, while gold fell, which tells us that equity markets may have further to run in the near-term."
Jon Hill, interest rate strategist, BMO Capital Markets:
"It's causing a classic pro-growth shock into financial markets. But the reality is ADP printed deeply negative, ISM manufacturing employment showed further declines, ISM non-manufacturing employment showed further declines. So the NFP figure seems to be the outlier, which I think is one of the reasons why it's been greeted with cautious optimism."
Patrick Leary, chief market strategist, Incapital:
"The jobs report was very encouraging to say the least. I was expecting a better-than-expected number, but nothing like we're showing actual job gains. It doesn't jive with the weekly claims though. Something seems off. But however you slice it, this a good number."
"If it's related to PPP (payroll protection program), that's okay, which means the program worked. The question is when do we hand off to the real numbers, but even we had some giveback for June, the overall tone is positive."
Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at The Leuthold Group:
"There was discussion about whether people would be slow to go back because they're receiving unemployment benefits that they'll wait until they run out. It doesn't seem like people did that. If there was a job available, they took it."
"It's a pretty big turnaround. We're left still with very terrible numbers, a 13.3 percent unemployment rate. It's not like we're back to normal, but that's a big turn and a big unexpected turn."
"People were suffering. If they had a job, they a family, kids at home, bills to pay. They're scared. They finally get a call they can go back to work, they'd take it."
"Across the financial markets is the same message today. It's a V recovery message. We'll see if it lasts."
(With input from Reuters)
The Global Vaccine Summit, hosted by the UK, raised 8.8 billion U.S. dollars to support vaccination and save more lives. Leaders from over 30 countries and heads of international organizations attended the summit. The summit aims to raise funds for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to ensure vaccine accessibility worldwide. The funds will immunize further 300 million children in the world's poorest countries by 2025. Once a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed, GAVI will have a role in its delivery around the world.
A bar in Lille, northern France, June 2, 2020. /Xinhua
Coronavirus pandemic 'under control' in France: govt adviser
The COVID-19 pandemic is now "under control" in France, the head of the French government's scientific advisory council said Friday, as the country cautiously emerges from a lockdown imposed in March.
"We can reasonably say the virus is currently under control," Jean-Francois Delfraissy told France Inter radio. "The virus is still circulating, in certain regions in particular ... but it is circulating slowly," he added.
Delfraissy, an immunologist, and his colleagues were appointed to the coronavirus advisory panel as authorities sought to contain an outbreak that has killed over 29,000 people in France.
The number of daily deaths has fallen off, however, with just 44 reported by the health ministry on Thursday.
Delfraissy said around 1,000 new cases were currently being reported in France per day, down from around 80,000 in early March, before the nationwide stay-at-home orders and business closures were issued.
In its latest summary of findings published Thursday, the Sante Publique France health agency estimated that the country had 151,325 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 2, when restaurants across France were allowed to reopen.
But it cautioned that at the height of the outbreak, patients with suspected coronavirus infections were not systematically tested, meaning the actual number of cases exceeds the official estimate.
(With input from AFP)
China has shared its COVID-19 prevention and control experience with the rest of the world in a timely manner, Zhong Nanshan, China's top epidemiologist and respiratory expert, told China Central Television (CCTV). Zhong said he has also shared his experience in dozens of international exchanges.
Latest coronavirus updates around the globe
Russia reported 8,726 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, pushing the total number of infections to 449,834. Officials said 144 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,528.
Hungary announced on Thursday that travel restrictions imposed due to the pandemic between Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia will be fully lifted starting Friday.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin announced Friday the country will allocate 35 billion ringgit (about 78.96 billion U.S. dollars) to revive the national economy in the wake of the pandemic.
Thailand's public health ministry said Friday that the government would allocate one trillion baht (about 31.77 billion U.S. dollars) to ease the impact of the coronavirus. Of the total, 45 billion baht will be for improving its national health system.
A man wears a mask to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus as he walks near the Grand Palace at Bangkok, Thailand February 2, 2020. /Reuters
Hebei Province further lowers COVID-19 emergency response
China's Hebei Province will lower its emergency response to the novel coronavirus epidemic from the second to the third level starting June 6, the provincial health commission said Friday.
People visit Qianmen Street in Beijing, capital of China, June 3, 2020. /Xinhua
Beijing will lower its emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic from the second to the third level starting Saturday, a local official announced Friday.
The strategies of the epidemic prevention and control will be adjusted accordingly, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, at a press conference on Friday.
Travelers to the capital city from central China's Hubei Province, the once epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, will no longer be required to place themselves under medical observation for 14 days, added Chen.
The relaxation of restrictions came after the city had seen no new confirmed local COVID-19 cases for 50 consecutive days.
On January 24, Beijing activated the highest level of public health emergency response to contain the outbreak of the epidemic.
Latest COVID-19 development around the globe
South Korea on Friday reported 39 more novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 11,668. The death toll in the country now stands at 273.
Thailand on Friday reported one new coronavirus infection and no new deaths, taking its total confirmed cases to 3,102, of which 58 have been fatalities. The single new case was a Thai man who had returned from Kuwait and was in quarantine.
Singapore plans to soon launch a wearable device for novel coronavirus contact tracing that, if successful, it will distribute to all of its 5.7 million residents, the government said on Friday.
Fijian authorities on Friday declared the country is now free of COVID-19, as the three remaining patients were cleared. Fiji had a total of 18 COVID-19 patients since March 19 when its first case was confirmed. More than 2,000 COVID-19 tests have been done in the country and so far 92 percent of the island nation's population have been screened in fever clinics.
Argentina extended on Thursday a mandatory lockdown in capital Buenos Aires and some other parts of the country until June 28, as confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise, surpassing 20,000 earlier in the day.
Mexico reported a record 4,442 additional cases on Thursday, and 816 more deaths, bringing the total to 105,680 cases and 12,545 deaths. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has urged calm.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 394 to 183,271, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases data showed on Friday. The reported death toll also rose by 26 to 8,613.
(With input from agencies)
India reports record high of daily coronavirus cases
India on Friday reported 9,851 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, a record high of daily cases, bringing its nationwide total to 226,770.
The country’s health ministry said 273 more people had died of COVID-19, raising its death toll to 6,348.
Brazil's COVID-19 death toll becomes third largest in the world
As Brazil's coronavirus death toll rose to 34,021 on Thursday, the country has now overtaken Italy to report the third highest number of fatalities around the world.
Officials also registered 30,925 new COVID-19 cases, raising the country's nationwide tally to 614,941.
The number of global coronavirus cases has now reached 6,600,692, with at least 389,620 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's latest data.
Gravediggers bury the body of a person who died from COVID-19, in Sao Francisco Xavier cemetery, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 29, 2020. /Reuters
All COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals in Hubei, China's epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to local health authorities on Friday.
There were no new confirmed or suspected cases in the province on Thursday.
So far, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hubei stands at 68,135. 63,623 patients recovered and 4,512 died from the virus.
The Chinese mainland recorded five new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Thursday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered three new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,027, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 297 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said eight patients were discharged on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,327.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,099 (1,042 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (428 recoveries, 7 deaths)
CDC forecasts at least 118,000 coronavirus deaths in U.S. by June 27
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now forecasts at least 118,000 coronavirus deaths in the country by June 27, the projection published on the health institute's website showed.
CDC predicts a range of 118,000 to 143,000 cumulative COVID-19 deaths by the date, with the number of new reported deaths per week to continue falling.
There are now at least 108,051 coronavirus fatalities in the U.S., with more than 1,870,000 total confirmed cases as of Thursday 19:30 EST, according to Johns Hopkins University's latest data.
"We're just not prepared," said CDC's director Robert Redfield, in prepared testimony before a House of Representatives committee on Thursday.
He also implied that as devastating as the coronavirus has been, a worse pandemic is bound to come. "You think we weren't prepared for this?" he mused. "Wait until we have a real global threat for our health security."
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Major flu, coronavirus activity could slam U.S. health system, top official says
The U.S. is developing a test kit that can simultaneously check for seasonal influenza and the novel coronavirus, a tool that could help health authorities more efficiently determine whether there is a second wave of coronavirus later this year. /Reuters
Reports say that the U.S. is developing a test kit that can simultaneously check for seasonal influenza and the novel coronavirus, a tool that could help health authorities more efficiently determine whether there is a second wave of coronavirus later this year.
According to the Bloomberg, Iran reported its highest number of daily cases, while Mexico and Brazil each had a record increase in deaths.
The European Central Bank intensified its response to the coronavirus recession with a bigger-than-anticipated increase to its emergency bond-buying program, and data showed Americans are still filing for unemployment benefits even as businesses reopen.
China will ease its ban on foreign airlines starting Monday and lessen quarantine requirements for official and business travelers, while Japan debated scaling back next year's Summer Olympics.
(With input from agencies)
The number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent surpassed 162,673, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent surpassed 162,673, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.
The Africa CDC in its latest update revealed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases rose from 158,318 on Wednesday to 162,673 as of Thursday morning.
The total death toll from the pandemic also rose from 4,508 on Wednesday to 4,601 as of Thursday morning.
The continental disease control and prevention agency, which noted that the virus has so far spread into 54 African countries, also disclosed that some 70,475 people who have been infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far.
The most affected African countries by the virus in terms of cases include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana, as well as Morocco. The Northern African region is the most affected area across the continent both in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, as well as the number of deaths.
The Southern Africa region is the second most COVID-19 affected area, followed by the Western Africa region, according to the Africa CDC.
Another 1.877 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits during the week ending May 30, according to data by the U.S. Labor Department released on Thursday.
European Central Bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. /VCG
The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday that it will expand its pandemic emergency purchase program (PEPP) by 600 billion euros (673 billion U.S. dollars) to a total of 1.35 trillion euros.
"In any case, the Governing Council will conduct net asset purchases under the PEPP until it judges that the coronavirus crisis phase is over," the central bank noted.
The maturing principal payments from securities purchased under the program will be reinvested until at least the end of 2022, it added.
Euro area key interest rates were kept unchanged. The eurozone base interest rate will remain at 0.00 percent, with the marginal lending rate and deposit rate remaining at 0.25 percent and minus 0.50 percent, respectively, according to the statement.
Spain will reopen its land borders with France and Portugal on June 22, three months after they were closed to slow the spread of the virus, local media reported on Thursday, citing the Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Reyes Maroto.
The minister added the Spanish government also was planning to lift the 14-day quarantine requirement for arrivals from those countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, 240,326 coronavirus cases were recorded in Spain since the beginning of the outbreak, and 27,128 people passed from the virus as of Thursday.
France cancels the 2020 Bastille Day military parade
France has canceled the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14 and replaced with another ceremony which honor the medical workers in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Thursday.
France has so far reported a total of 188,802 cases of COVID-19 with 29,024 deaths nationwide, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: People at the Place des Vosges in Paris, France, May 31, 2020. /Xinhua)
Africa CDC closely monitoring new outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo
The African Union (AU) on Wednesday said its specialized health institution, the Africa CDC, is closely monitoring the situation while preparing to support responses to the new outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Following a notification by the Equateur provincial health authorities of community deaths on May 23 and 30, the DRC government on Sunday declared a new outbreak of EVD in Mbandaka in the northwest Equateur Province.
This is the 11th EVD outbreak in the DRC and it has already claimed four lives and infected four other people in the community, said a statement from the 55-member pan-African bloc.
The outbreak began at a time when experts were close to declaring an end to the 10th EVD outbreak in North Kivu Province, and when countries are fighting hard to control the COVID-19 pandemic, noted the statement.
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Europe braces for summer tourism revival, borders reopen
As the summer season approaches, European tourist hotspots have, one after another, eased travel restrictions in a bid to revive a tourism industry battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italy thirsts for foreign tourists
Italy reopened to travelers from Europe on Wednesday, three months after going into coronavirus lockdown. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country was clearly on the mend, adding that latest contagion data was "encouraging."
"There's enthusiasm in the air, a renewed sociability. We deserve to smile, to be cheerful, after weeks of great sacrifice," he said, adding the time had come to lure tourists back.
Austria lifts border checks with all neighbors but Italy
Austria is lifting coronavirus-related border restrictions including quarantines for visitors from all neighboring countries except Italy as of Thursday, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Germany to ease travel ban from mid-June
Germany will lift a travel ban for European Union member states plus Britain, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from June 15 as long as there are no entry bans or large-scale lockdowns in those countries, the Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
Spain to open up to some foreign tourism from late June
Spain is working on plans to gradually open its borders to tourists from countries deemed more secure in the fight against the coronavirus, possibly starting from June 22, the tourism ministry said on Wednesday.
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'The game we love is back!' 2019-20 CBA season restarts on June 20
The remainder of the 2019-20 CBA season will come back on June 20, announced the top Chinese basketball league on Thursday.
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Russia reports 8,831 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 441,108
A total of 8,831 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 441,108 as of Thursday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 5,384. So far, 204,623 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Dulfa Elena Perozo Blanco is a doctor and public health management specialist in Caracas, Venezuela. She works at an IDC (integral diagnostic center) in a local community. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in Venezuela, Dulfa and other doctors received both medical supplies, including testing kits, and COVID-19 treatment experience from China. Apart from diagnosing patients and conducting testing in the IDC, Dulfa has also been visiting community residents' homes to check their health statuses. She believes the Chinese model has helped a lot and there were zero confirmed case in the La Pastora parish at the time the video was made. These days, Dulfa's been working tirelessly and sleeping less; all she wants is to help more people and protect them from the virus.
Brazil reports record for daily coronavirus deaths
Brazil reported a record number of daily deaths from the coronavirus, with 1,349 deaths registered in the last 24 hours, according to data released by the country's health ministry on Wednesday.
A total of 28,633 additional confirmed cases were reported in the same period.
The country has now registered 32,548 deaths and 584,016 total confirmed cases.
Latest on coronavirus around the world
The World Health Organization said it has received reports of 100,000 new cases every day for the past five days, as the pandemic gathers pace in various regions around the world.
The U.S.: At least 1,849,560 cases of coronavirus were confirmed and at least 107,093 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The UK: Another 359 COVID-19 patients died as of Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total death toll to 39,728, the Department of Health and Social Care said Wednesday. As of Wednesday morning, 279,856 people have tested positive, a daily increase of 1,871. UK business secretary Alok Sharma has been tested positive and is home to self-isolate.
Brazil recorded 1,262 deaths on Tuesday – a new daily record – taking its official toll to 31,199. It has reported over 555,000 infections – second only to the U.S. Authorities imposed curfews Wednesday across a swathe of territory in the Brazilian state of Bahia to curb the virus.
Spain extended the state of emergency a final time through to June 21 as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged an embittered opposition not to succumb to the "poison of hate." In the previous two 24-hour periods, no new deaths were registered for the first time since the pandemic began. To date, Spain has confirmed 27,128 deaths from the virus.
Chile: The Chilean Ministry of Health on Wednesday raised the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 113,628, with 1,275 deaths. Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich said that in the capital of Santiago and at least six neighboring towns, the quarantine will continue until June 12, affecting around 7 million people.
Germany: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition on Wednesday agreed on a stimulus package worth 130 billion euros (146 billion U.S. dollars) to help companies and workers.
Mexico: Mexican health authorities reported 1,092 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, the highest toll in one day so far. The additions bring the total number of the known cases to 101,238 and deaths to 11,729. Health authorities have previously said the real number is higher.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved legislation giving small businesses up to 24 weeks to use Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans created during the coronavirus pandemic, up from the current eight-week deadline.
The legislation, already passed by the House of Representatives, now goes to President Donald Trump to sign into law. The program was created in March to support small businesses during the pandemic and encourage them to retain their employees.
Under the PPP program, loans for restaurants, hotels and other small businesses would convert into federal grants if recipients adhere to a set of conditions, including spending the loan amount within the required time.
Democratic Senator Ben Cardin said that Washington had so far handed out 4.4 million forgivable loans valued at a total of 510 billion U.S. dollars. He called it a "lifeline" for businesses struggling during the pandemic.
He said gyms, caterers, museums and other small businesses had been particularly hobbled by the eight-week requirement for using the loans and they needed more time to carry out the terms of the loans.
A total of 659 billion dollars has been provided by Congress for the loan program, which is part of broader coronavirus emergency aid totaling around three trillion dollars so far.
Congress is expected to debate additional assistance in coming weeks, possibly including more federal funds to help state and local governments whose revenues have plummeted amid higher demand for services and social lockdowns.
The bill also gives businesses more flexibility to use the loans to pay for expenses other than payrolls.
The Chinese mainland recorded one new imported COVID-19 case and no new deaths on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered four new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,022, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 326 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said five patients were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,319.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,093 (1,039 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (428 recoveries, 7 deaths)
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday announced that based on the latest data review, the clinical trial of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients, which was paused last week due to safety concerns, will continue.
Speaking at a virtual press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that experts have been reviewing the data and recommended that "there are no reasons to modify the trial protocol."
"The Executive Group received this recommendation and endorsed continuation of all arms of the Solidarity Trial, including hydroxychloroquine," he said.
The Solidarity Trial is a WHO-sponsored plan to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four drugs and drug combinations against COVID-19, which include hydroxychloroquine.
Hydroxychloroquine has been a controversial drug touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a cure for COVID-19, but previous studies have found it ineffective and could cause multiple risks, including increased risk of death.
On May 25, the WHO decided to pause the trial of hydroxychloroquine amid concerns over its safety.
"The Data Safety and Monitoring Committee will continue to closely monitor the safety of all therapeutics being tested in the Solidarity Trial," Tedros said.
Read more:
New study links hydroxychloroquine to increased risk of COVID-19 death
'No benefit' in hydroxychloroquine virus treatment: two studies
Hydroxychloroquine combination risky for cancer patients with COVID-19: study
Chinese Premier Li to address global vaccine summit in a virtual conference
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will address the global vaccine summit in a video conference on Thursday, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Britain will host a virtual international summit on accelerating the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus on June 4.
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How COVID-19-hit Wuhan proved it's now safe
Wuhan was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Local residents fear the city could get hit by a second wave since a small cluster of infections reemerged in mid-May. Local authority on Tuesday offered a scientific prove that the city is safe.
A city-wide coronavirus testing of 9.89 million residents detected 300 asymptomatic cases, but no more with symptoms for the moment at least.
For Wuhan citizens who had suffered for months, many believe the results are reassuring. Local officials say the figure of newly found asymptomatic cases is small enough to prove that Wuhan is safe.
A scientist conducts research in the lab /CGTN
China slams report alleging it delayed COVID-19 information sharing
A news report that said it delayed sharing COVID-19 information with the World Health Organization (WHO) is totally untrue, China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
The comment was made during a daily briefing in response to a question about a report by the Associated Press, which said the WHO was frustrated by significant delays in information sharing by Beijing as the coronavirus outbreak took hold in China in January.
China has been sharing information about the virus and the epidemic with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the world based on the principles of "early, fast and transparent" since the beginning of the pandemic, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on May 19.
Read more: Expert: China reported COVID-19 outbreak to WHO on Jan. 3
Wuhan's Dongxihu District lower COVID-19 emergency response level
Wuhan's Dongxihu district's emergency response level was adjusted from medium to low from Tuesday, marking all areas in central China's Hubei Province at low-level risk.
China's Wuhan completed its citywide nucleic acid testing of 9.89 million citizens on Monday and reported 300 asymptomatic cases.
Germany to lift travel ban for EU, Schengen countries and UK from June 15
Germany will lift a travel ban for European Union member states plus Britain, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland from June 15 as long as there are no entry bans or large-scale lockdowns in those countries, the foreign minister said.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Heiko Maas said all countries concerned met those criteria except Norway due to an entry ban and Spain, where he said parliament was deciding whether to extend an entry ban.
Maas said the travel warning would be replaced with guidelines, adding that Germans would be urged not to travel to Britain when not essential while a 14-day quarantine is in place.
South Korea announces $29 billion third stimulus budget to fight virus misery
South Korea on Wednesday unveiled a 35.3 trillion won (28.8 billion U.S. dollars) supplementary budget, increasing the total stimulus to 270 trillion won in an economy facing its worst growth since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.
Announcing South Korea's largest ever supplementary budget, and the third this year, the government has put in place support measures equivalent to about 14 percent of the GDP to counter the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
The latest budget will see the government spending more on protecting jobs, COVID-19 vaccine development and discount coupons to boost consumption. More loans will also be made to small- to medium-sized businesses hit by slumping sales.
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Pedestrians in face masks cross a street, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Seoul, South Korea, May 28, 2020. /Reuters
Russia reports 8,536 new COVID-19 cases, 432,277 in total
Russia reported 8,536 new COVID-19 cases and 178 deaths in last 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 432,277 confirmed cases and 5,215 deaths, according to the country's official data.
Russia announced a 72-billion-U.S.-dollar recovery plan for its economy, which has been badly affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, vowing to boost employment and incomes in the country where cases continue to mount, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday.
How will COVID-19 change the way we travel?
With summer creeping closer and the coronavirus pandemic still going on, people are accepting the reality that post-COVID-19 vacationing isn't going to be as easy as it was. From the aviation industry to travel product choices, the pandemic has completely changed the way we travel.
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Like the rest of Spain, Valencia is on high alert until June 7 due to the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Alicante, the second-largest city of Valencia, people have started a volunteer campaign to provide free meals to the needy.
Restaurants' employees, farmers, people in social service organizations, and other volunteers are working together, "making meals until there is nothing left in the fridge," donating their products and delivering food items in poor neighborhoods.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during a news conference prior to the one-year anniversary of the mosque terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 13, 2020. /Reuters
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday she could lift all social distancing measures to return the country to normal life, bar the international border closure, as early as next week.
Ardern will decide on Monday whether the country is ready to shift to alert Level-1, more than two months after she imposed a strict Level-4 lockdown, shutting most businesses and forcing people to stay home, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Arden said waiting until Monday would allow her to see if recent changes, like the removal of restrictions on the number of people in bars and at social gatherings, had led to a rise in cases.
"If it hasn't, then we will be in a good position to move," she said during a televised news conference.
Under Level-1 there is no requirement for physical distancing or limits on the number of people allowed in places like bars, clubs, churches and sports venues, she said.
However, there would be one major change from pre-pandemic normality, with no immediate plans to reopen New Zealand's border.
New Zealand recorded no new cases of coronavirus for a 12th consecutive day on Wednesday and has just one active case. Ardern's decision to swiftly impose one of the harshest lockdowns in the world has been credited with constraining the spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand, which has reported a total of 1,504 cases and 22 deaths.
Ardern said the focus under a Level-1 alert would shift to public health measures and basic personal hygiene like regular hand washing, self-isolation by anyone with flu-like symptoms and contact tracing.
The government will work with large scale event organizers to develop a voluntary "COVID code", which would help authorities in contact tracing if it is needed, she added.
(With input from Reuters)
India’s coronavirus cases top 200,000
The number of COVID-19 cases in India has surpassed the 200,000 mark, reaching 207,615 on Wednesday, according to the health ministry.
The total number of cases increased by 8,909 over the previous day in one of the highest single-day spikes. The death toll stands at 5,815.
A man carries his son as he stands with others in a queue at a Railway reservation ticket counter after a few restrictions were lifted during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, in New Delhi, India, June 1, 2020. /Reuters
Northeast China's Shulan City in Jilin Province has downgraded its coronavirus risk level from high to low on Wednesday, Jilin's health commission announced.
Provincial officials will adjust the risk level in each region based on the developments of the coronavirus outbreak.
In May, authorities raised the coronavirus risk level in Shulan to high, following the detection of a new coronavirus infection cluster.
The Chinese mainland recorded one new imported COVID-19 case and no new deaths on Tuesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered four new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,021, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 357 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said one patient was discharged on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,314.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,093 (1,038 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (427 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Brazil 's coronavirus death toll surpasses 30,000
Brazil registered 1,262 more deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, another record number of new deaths in a 24-hour period, pushing its nationwide death toll to 31,199.
The country's health ministry also recorded 28,936 new cases, bringing total cases to 555,383.
COVID-19 cases in U.S. top 1.83 million
The U.S. has reported a total of 1,830,066 cases of COVID-19 as of 7:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus death toll in the country has increased to 106,120.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told media Politico on Monday that new outbreaks of the coronavirus should be expected, resulting from nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd as large crowds have made it difficult for demonstrators to social distance.
COVID-19: Russia to spend over $72 billion on two-year recovery plan
Russia will spend around five trillion roubles (over 72 billion U.S. dollars) in its economic stimulus plan to help the economy recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic over the next two years, said Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday.
A total of 8,863 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Russia, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 423,741 as of Tuesday, official data showed.
Wuhan completes 9.89 million COVID-19 tests citywide
The central Chinese city of Wuhan has completed the task of screening the entire city for COVID-19 infections, completing 9.89 million nucleic acid tests between May 14 and June 1, according to the local authority on Tuesday.
"No confirmed cases have been found during the tests and a total of 300 asymptomatic patients have been found in Wuhan while no cases of asymptomatic persons infecting others have been found," an official said.
The city arranged nucleic acid tests for all residents who have not been tested before, in order to better know the number of asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus.
HKSAR to extend ban on large gatherings by 14 days
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will extend social-distancing rules by 14 days, said the health secretary on Tuesday.
The rules restrict gatherings of more than eight people. The decision was made by the government after a new COVID-19 cluster emerged in the city.
Russia reports 8,863 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 423,741
A total of 8,863 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Russia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 423,741 as of Tuesday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 5,037. So far, 186,985 patients have recovered from the disease in Russia.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Japan's total number of confirmed cases reach nearly 17,000 and the death toll stands at 898. The government said it has approved saliva-based tests for the virus which offer a safer, simpler way to diagnose infection as well as boosting the number of tests being carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.
Germany reported 213 new cases and 11 new deaths, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 182,028 with 8,522 deaths.
India reported 204 new deaths and 8,171 positive cases during the past 24 hours, taking the number of deaths to 5,598 and total cases to 198,706. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide lockdown on March 25 to contain the spread of COVID-19 and break the chain of infection.
Brazil registered a single-day increase of 623 deaths, raising the national death toll to 29,937, and 12,247 new infections were detected, taking its total to 526,447, while 211,080 patients have recovered.
Peru reported 5,563 new cases and 128 more deaths, bringing the total caseload of infections to 170,039 and the death toll to 4,634. The country began to relax lockdown measures at the end of May to restart economic activities in 27 different fields.
Libya confirmed 12 new cases, bringing the caseload in the country to 168, with 52 recoveries and five deaths. The authorities have taken a series of protective measures against the virus, including closing the country's borders, mosques and schools, banning public gatherings, and imposing curfews.
Beijing prosecutors approve arrest of person who concealed COVID-19 infection
Beijing People's Procuratorate on Monday approved the arrest of a suspect surnamed Li on suspicion of obstructing the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, said in a statement on Tuesday.
On March 1, 2020, Li began to develop fever and other symptoms in the U.S. and she failed to get treatment after several visits to local hospitals. During that time, one of her colleagues was diagnosed with COVID-19.
In order to successfully board a Beijing-bound flight, Li took an antipyretic to lower her body temperature. Aboard, she did not take the initiative to truthfully report her fever and other uncomfortable symptoms, and did not truthfully answer flight attendants' questions on epidemic prevention and control.
Li and others arrived in Beijing on March 13, when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. As a result, more than 60 people who had close contact with her were quarantined. On March 16, Li's husband tested positive for COVID-19.
Hu Weifeng, a doctor at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, died on Tuesday. Hu was treated for over four months for COVID-19, according to hospital officials.
On April 22, Hu suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. After medical rescue efforts, his conditions maintained relatively stable. However, his health condition worsened after a second cerebral hemorrhage on May 29.
WHO and other experts say no evidence of coronavirus losing potency
World Health Organization (WHO) experts and a range of other scientists said on Monday there was no evidence to support an assertion by a high-profile Italian doctor that the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic has been losing potency.
Professor Alberto Zangrillo, head of intensive care at Italy's San Raffaele Hospital in Lombardy, which bore the brunt of Italy's epidemic, on Sunday told state television that the new coronavirus "clinically no longer exists".
But WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove and several other experts on viruses and infectious diseases, said Zangrillo's comments were not supported by scientific evidence.
There is no data to show the new coronavirus is changing significantly, either in its form of transmission or in the severity of the disease it causes, they said.
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A weekly question time debate at the Parliament, during the hybrid parliament session amid the COVID-19 outbreak, in London, UK., April 22, 2020. /Reuters
British lawmakers will form a long queue snaking through parliament on Tuesday to decide whether to ditch the system of remote voting and parliament-by-video conference that has allowed scrutiny of the government's coronavirus response.
In April, the House of Commons announced changes that allowed its 650 lawmakers to question ministers by video link, and in May, the house held its first remote vote, casting aside centuries of tradition in a building known worldwide for adversarial debates and arcane procedures.
The system was temporary, and despite functioning as planned, ministers said it should be scrapped when parliament returned on June 2 from a scheduled break because it did not allow enough scrutiny and was slow at processing legislation.
On Tuesday lawmakers will decide on the new system of voting - by holding a vote in which they will line up, two meters apart, in a queue expected to snake out of the debating chamber, down ornate hallways and into an 11th-century hall where kings and queens have lain in state.
"It is not perfect; it will take time, and members will need to be patient. But it is the safest method I can think of," Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said.
Political rivals have decried the end of the hybrid parliament, saying it will disenfranchise those who cannot attend for medical reasons and could spread the infection as lawmakers travel in and out of London.
Tuesday's vote could spark a rebellion within Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party among those who want to keep some elements of the hybrid parliament. Lawmakers will vote on rebel plans which could allow remote voting or videoconferencing to continue.
The government, however, is pushing for an end to the special arrangements.
"Westminster has been the seat of our democracy for centuries. It will take more than the coronavirus to change that," said Jacob Rees-Mogg, the government's leader in the House of Commons.
Authorities in Congo announced a new Ebola outbreak in the western city of Mbandaka on Monday, adding to another epidemic of the virus that has raged in the east since 2018.
Six cases have been detected, four of which have died in the city, a trading hub of 1.5 million people on the Congo River with regular transport links to the capital Kinshasa.
Mbandaka is 1,000 km (620 miles) from an ongoing outbreak that has killed over 2,200 people in North Kivu province by the Uganda border, where containment efforts have been hampered by armed conflict.
The new outbreak is Congo's 11th since the virus was discovered near the Ebola River in 1976.
"We have a new Ebola epidemic in Mbandaka," health minister Eteni Longondo told reporters. "We are going to very quickly send them the vaccine and medicine."
The Ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever and is spread through direct contact with body fluids from an infected person, who suffers severe vomiting and diarrhea.
The discovery is a major blow for Democratic Republic of Congo, which has suffered three Ebola outbreaks since 2017. It is also combating a measles epidemic that has killed over 6,000 and COVID-19, which has infected over 3,000 and killed 71.
"This outbreak is a reminder that #COVID19 is not the only health threat people face," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted.
The health ministry was two days away from declaring the end of the eastern North Kivu outbreak in April when a new chain of infection was confirmed. No new cases have been detected there in over 30 days.
Ebola was detected in Mbandaka in 2018, leading to fears it could spread fast there, or reach Kinshasa, which is home to 10 million people.
However, the use of a vaccine and swift containment efforts including mobile handwashing stations and a door-to-door education campaign kept it at bay.
(Cover image via Reuters)
Total confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in U.S. exceeds 1.8 million
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. rose to 1,808,291, and the death toll climbed to 105,003 as of 18:33 ET on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
New York, the worst hit state in the country, reported 371,711 confirmed cases and 29,833 deaths, according to the data. New Jersey, Illinois, California and Massachusetts are the other states with more than 100,000 confirmed cases.
The Chinese mainland recorded five new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered 10 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,022, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 371 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said eight patients were discharged on Monday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,315.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,087 (1,037 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 443 (427 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest on the global pandemic
Iran's confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 154,445 on Monday after overnight registration of 2,979 new infections. Officials also reported 81 new deaths, raising the death toll to 7,878.
India recorded 8,392 new cases on Monday over the past 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 190,535. The death toll increased by 230 to 8,392.
Qatar reported 1,523 new cases and two new deaths on Monday. It now has confirmed 58,433 total infections and 40 deaths.
Singapore registered 408 new cases on Monday, raising its total to 35,292. All these cases were detected from foreign workers' dormitories.
Germany's confirmed cases rose by 333 to 181,815 on Monday. The death toll increased by 11 to 8,511.
China to send COVID-19 experts to Sao Tome and Principe
The Chinese government will send a team of medical experts to Sao Tome and Principe to support the country in its response to COVID-19, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Monday. Zhao said the expert team was organized by the National Health Commission and consists of experts selected by the Hebei Provincial Health Commission.
Universal Studios Japan to reopen in June after 3-month shutdown
Jaws is back. So are the herd of Hippogriffs from Hogwarts, and the T-Rex from Jurassic Park as Universal Studios Japan (USJ) said on Monday its theme park in Osaka would open later this month for the first time since closing in late February due to the coronavirus.
The Japanese theme park operator owned by U.S. cable and media company Comcast Corp. said it would reopen on June 8 to the residents of Osaka Prefecture, and to residents of nearby regions from June 19.
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COVID-19 Global Roundup: Latest developments amid waves of reopenings
Worldwide confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed the 6 million mark as countries wrap up their lockdown programs in order to reopen economies.
In the wake of growing calls for caution in easing restrictions, a top Italian doctor has offered an alternative view that challenged what many have been arguing.
The coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, said Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy's coronavirus contagion. "In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy."
"The swabs that were performed over the last 10 days showed a viral load in quantitative terms that was absolutely infinitesimal compared to the ones carried out a month or two months ago," he told RAI television.
Zangrillo also said some experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and politicians needed to take into account the new reality.
"We've got to get back to being a normal country," he said. "Someone has to take responsibility for terrorizing the country."
A second doctor from northern Italy told the national ANSA news agency that he was also seeing the coronavirus weaken. "The strength the virus had two months ago is not the same strength it has today," said Matteo Bassetti, head of the infectious diseases clinic at the San Martino hospital in the city of Genoa.
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U.S. sends Brazil two million doses of hydroxychloroquine drug touted by Trump
The United States has supplied Brazil with two million doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for use against the coronavirus, the two governments said on Sunday, despite warnings about risks associated with the anti-malaria drug.
The White House released a joint announcement on the drug, whose use has been touted both by U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, just days after the World Health Organization suspended testing it on COVID-19 patients because of safety concerns.
Trump himself said in mid-May that he was on a regimen of HCQ as a preventive measure, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had issued a warning about its use for the coronavirus.
Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader who has forged personal ties with Trump, said he keeps a box of the drug in case his 93-year-old mother needed it.
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Russia reports 9,035 new coronavirus infections
Russia on Monday morning reported 9,035 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally to 414,878. The country's coronavirus response center said 162 people had died in the previous 24 hours, with the death toll reaching 4,855.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan tests positive for COVID-19
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday announced live on his Facebook page that he and his family have tested positive for COVID-19.
Pashinyan said he has not got any symptoms so far.
Wuhan, the city in central China's Hubei Province previously hard hit by the novel coronavirus, reported no new asymptomatic cases Sunday, the first time since the provincial capital released figures on the virus carriers showing no symptoms.
The city conducted more than 60,000 nucleic acid tests on Sunday, finding no new asymptomatic cases, according to a statement issued Monday by the municipal health commission.
Screenshot of the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission statement
Wuhan started a campaign on May 14 to expand nucleic acid testing in order to better know the number of asymptomatic cases or people who show no clear symptoms despite carrying the virus.
No new asymptomatic cases reported for the first time indicates the campaign has seen apparent effects, said the statement.
Asymptomatic patients of COVID-19 refer to people who tested positive in nucleic acid or antibody tests but have not developed any symptoms, such as fever, coughing and fatigue. This type of case is most likely to arise from close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, such as family members.
According to current monitoring and research, asymptomatic patients of COVID-19 are contagious. Some experts believe that due to the absence of symptoms, such as coughing and sneezing, the chance of transmission from asymptomatic patients is relatively less than from confirmed COVID-19 patients.
(With input from Xinhua)
The Chinese mainland recorded 16 new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Sunday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered 16 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 83,017, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 397 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said three patients were discharged on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,307.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,084 (1,037 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 442 (423 recoveries, seven deaths)
Coronavirus cases in U.S. surpass 1.78 million with over 104,000 deaths
There are now over 1.78 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University. Over 104,000 deaths have been reported in the country so far.
On Sunday, the U.S. supplied Brazil with two million doses of hydroxychloroquine for use against COVID-19, despite medical warnings about risks associated with the anti-malaria drug.
The U.S. and Brazil are the two countries with the world's highest coronavirus cases.
Spain to extend lockdown to June 21: report
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday he will ask parliament to agree to a final two-week extension of the state of emergency until June 21, newspaper El Pais reported.
Citizens' movements will no longer be restricted after this last lockdown is lifted.
The country's coronavirus death toll rose by four on Saturday to 27,125, the health ministry said. The number of total COVID-19 cases increased by 271 to 239,228.
COVID-19 cases in Russia surpass 400,000
Russia on Sunday reported 9,268 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, raising the nationwide tally to 405,843.
Officials also registered 138 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's death toll to 4,693.
Just last month, five tigers and three lions at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for the coronavirus.
Tigers and lions are wild animals. But it seems pets are also not immune. A few pets – dogs and cats included – have also been confirmed to be infected with the virus.
These confirmed animal cases could be a source of worry for some pet owners. If animals can get COVID-19, could humans also get it from their pets?
In a recent study led by Professor Yoshi Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin found that, cats specifically, are able to pass the virus to each other, but they themselves won't get sick from it. So, will humans?
As of May 16, there is no concrete evidence that a dog, a cat, or any pet can spread the virus to human beings. So, there is no reason to abandon your pets, even if they test positive. But if your pet has contracted the virus, here are some tips:
No.1: Isolate the pet from everyone else, including other pets. As I mentioned, studies have found that cats can transmit the virus to each other. So be cautious. Let a veterinarian or public health official determine when to let them out.
No.2: Wash your hands after touching your pet, or handling their food or waste.
No.3: Do not wipe or bathe your puppy or kitten with chemical disinfectants that are not approved for animal use.
(Video produced by Wang Zeyu; filmed by Fu Gaoliang; edited by Yu Qianhui)
More from CGTN's Answer Bank series:
DIY face masks: can they really protect you from the coronavirus?
Can coronavirus patients get reinfected after a full recovery?
Trump disapproval grows: report
U.S. President Donald Trump's overall job approval rating is 45-53 percent among all Americans, with a seven-point rise in disapproval since late March, according to local broadcaster ABC News.
The report noted that the disapproval comes from "sharply negative views of the economy and greater criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic."
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 286 to 181,482, and death toll rose by 11 to 8,500.
United Arab Emirates reported 76 new cases and two new deaths, bringing the total confirmed cases to 33,896 and death toll to 262. The new cases have come from many countries and regions, most of whom are in stable condition and being treated in quarantine.
Mexico on Saturday registered 2,885 new cases and 364 more deaths, raising the total cases to 87,512 and fatalities to 9,779.
Belgium's total number of confirmed cases stands at 58,186 with 9,453 deaths. The government reaffirmed on Saturday its support for the World Health Organization (WHO).
North Macedonia reported 35 new cases with five new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 2,164, including 131 deaths. The president announced a 14-day extension to June 13 of the state of emergency that expired on Saturday.
Italy confirmed 416 new cases with 111 new deaths, bringing the total to 232,664 and death toll to 33,340. Hospitalizations decreased in Italy on Saturday and recoveries rose by 2,789 compared to Friday, bringing the nationwide total to 155,633.
Brazil COVID-19 death toll hits 28,834, surpassing hard-hit France
Brazil on Saturday reached 28,834 coronavirus fatalities, authorities said, surpassing hard-hit France and becoming the country with the world's fourth-highest death toll.
At the epicenter of South America's coronavirus outbreak, Brazil, according to the Health Ministry, saw an increase of 33,274 cases in the past 24 hours which brings the country's total caseload to 498,444, the second-highest in the world, lagging only behind the United States.
Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro remain the hardest-hit states in Brazil in terms of sheer numbers, while per capita rates are higher in the country's impoverished north and northeast, where health facilities are reaching capacity.
Health organizations have urged special measures in Brazil to protect vulnerable populations among the indigenous, poor and racial minorities. /Reuters
England risking COVID-19 resurgence by ending lockdown too soon: experts
The UK government said on Saturday that the 2.2 million people who have been "shielding" from COVID-19 in England because they are deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable, will be allowed to spend time outdoors from Monday for the first time in 10 weeks, with social distancing still in place.
On the same day, senior scientific and medical advisers warned England risks losing control of the epidemic again and is at a "very dangerous moment" as it starts to ease out of the lockdown.
People enjoy the warm whether amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in Dovedala, Britain, May 30, 2020. /Reuters
China to keep closer eye on financial risks amid pandemic challenges: PBOC
China's financial risks are generally under control, while challenges remain as the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to global economic growth, said its central bank.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has urged enhanced monitoring and assessment of financial risks, as well as a profound grasp of current trends of development in the respect, according to a video teleconference on financial stability for 2020.
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The Chinese mainland reported two new imported COVID-19 cases, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday.
The NHC added that three new asymptomatic cases were detected on Saturday.
Confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland at present stand at 83,001, including 1,740 infections originating from overseas. China's cumulative death toll from the disease is 4,645.
As of Thursday, a total of 389 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,082 (1,036 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 442 (421 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Global COVID-19 cases exceed 6 million: Johns Hopkins University
The global number of COVID-19 cases exceeded six million as of 22:32 GMT Saturday, and the death toll surpassed 368,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The top five countries with the highest number of confirmed cases are the U.S., Brazil, Russia, the UK and Spain.
Belgian Prince Joachim, a nephew of Belgium's King Philippe, has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a party during lockdown in Spain, according to local media reports.
The reports said the party took place at a private residence and was attended by 27 people. Prince Joachim's symptoms are said to be mild.
(Cover via AP)
India enters lockdown Phase 5 till June 30
India will enter into the fifth phase of lockdown from June 1 till June 30 to fight the novel coronavirus, said new guidelines issued by the federal home (internal security) ministry on Saturday.
Announced only one day ahead of the deadline of the existing lockdown measures, the ministry said lockdown 5.0 will, however, be accompanied by more relaxations.
According to the new guidelines, shopping malls and restaurants are allowed to reopen from June 8 except in containment zones, or areas sealed because of a large number of virus cases.
Religious places, hotels and restaurants will also be permitted to open from June 8, the home ministry has said in its new order on the phased reopening of areas outside containment zones.
Meanwhile, the night curfew will be changed to 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. from the existing 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
(With input from agencies)
EU urges U.S. to reconsider WHO split
The European Union (EU) on Saturday called on the United States to "reconsider" the decision to severe ties with the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump said Friday he was severing U.S. ties with the WHO, accusing it of failing to do enough to combat the initial spread of the virus. The United States was the largest contributor to the WHO budget, providing at least 400 million U.S. dollars in annual funding.
"The WHO needs to continue being able to lead the international response to pandemics, current and future," Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in a joint statement.
"For this, the participation and support of all is required and very much needed."
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Twelve migrants test positive for coronavirus at Mexican government shelter
Twelve migrants have tested positive for coronavirus at a government-run shelter in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, the labor ministry said on Friday.
The migrants have been isolated to prevent further spread of the virus in the Leona Vicario center, which houses 337 people, the ministry said.
"People with COVID-19 symptoms receive medical treatment in a timely manner and remain in an isolation area to monitor their progress," the ministry said.
Fourteen migrants considered to be high-risk, including pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions, were transferred to another facility, according to the government.
Ciudad Juarez, a gritty industrial city that neighbors El Paso, Texas, has received thousands of migrants under a Trump administration policy that sends U.S. asylum seekers to Mexico to await the outcomes of their cases.
Disinfecting an area near to the Angel de la Independencia monument in Mexico City, Mexico, April 6, 2020. /Reuters
Mosques in Iran to resume daily prayers
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said mosques are to resume daily prayers throughout the country, even though some areas are seeing high levels of coronavirus infections.
"Doors to mosques across the country will open to the public for daily prayers," Rouhani said, adding that social distancing and other health protocols should be observed. He did not say when they are due to reopen.
Speaking on state television, Rouhani also said the operation time of shopping malls, which now allowed to open until 6:00 p.m. will be extended.
Iran's health ministry Saturday reported 2,282 new cases and 57 additional deaths over the past 24 hours as of Saturday noon, adding the country's total numbers of confirmed cases to 148,950 and fatalities to 7,734.
Among all the cases, 116,827 patients have recovered.
(With input from Reuters)
Singapore said on Saturday it had confirmed 506 more coronavirus cases, making a total of 34,366 infections. The vast majority of the newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, its health ministry said in a statement.
India reported a record daily jump of 7,964 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, taking its total of confirmed cases to 173,763 with 4,971 deaths. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there was a "long battle" ahead against the novel coronavirus and appeal the public to follow all lockdown rules.
Malaysia reported 30 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the national total to 7,762. Around 81.6 percent of all cases, or 6,330 patients, have been cured and discharged. The country's total deaths remain unchanged at 115.
Indonesia reported on Saturday 557 new coronavirus infections, taking the Southeast Asia nation's tally to 25,773. Also, 53 new deaths were registered, taking the toll to 1,573, while 7,015 people have recovered.
Thailand reported one new coronavirus case on Saturday and no new deaths, taking the total number of infections to 3,077 as the local transmission of the new virus appears to wane. The coronavirus has killed 57 people in Thailand since it was first detected in January.
South Korea reported 39 more cases of the COVID-19 as of Friday, raising the total number of infections to 11,441. No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 269.
Uzbekistan said on Saturday to extend quarantine measures until June 15 while easing some lockdown restrictions to allow many businesses to reopen. The country has registered 3,513 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 14 deaths and 2,728 recoveries so far.
(With input from agencies)
President Donald Trump leaves after speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, May 29, 2020, in Washington. /AP
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to terminate the country's relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) was met with criticism and dismay from global health experts and government officials on Saturday.
Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn on Saturday blasted Trump's move, describing it as "disappointing" and a setback for global health.
"That's a disappointing backlash for International Health," Spahn said in a tweet released in English, German and French.
The WHO "needs reform" if it is to "make any difference," Spahn added. "And the EU must take a leading role and engage more financially," he said, adding this would be one of Germany's priorities when it takes over the bloc's rotating presidency on July 1.
South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize called Trump's decision "unfortunate."
"Certainly, when faced with a serious pandemic, you want all nations in the world to be particularly focused … on one common enemy," he told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
A British government spokesman said the WHO had an "important role to play in leading the international health response" to the coronavirus pandemic. "We have no plans to withdraw our funding," the statement said.
Gail Carson, director of network development at the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium, warned that it was "not the time" to make health political amid a pandemic.
Richard Horton, the editor of medical journal Lancet, wrote: "We give our 100 percent support to the World Health Organization at this time of crisis."
"The U.S. government has gone rogue at a time of humanitarian emergency," he added.
Trump announced on Friday he was cutting U.S. ties with the WHO, accusing it of failing to do enough to combat the initial spread of the novel coronavirus.
(With input from AFP)
Read more: EU urges U.S. to reconsider WHO split
Two UN peacekeepers die of COVID-19: Guterres
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday announced the deaths of two UN peacekeepers from COVID-19.
Guterres made the announcement at a medal ceremony marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Both peacekeepers who passed away on Thursday and Friday were serving in Mali, said Guterres. One of them was from Cambodia and the other from El Salvador.
There have been 137 confirmed COVID-19 cases in UN peacekeeping operations, with Mali reporting the highest number of 90 cases, according to the UN peacekeeping department.
Russia reports 8,952 new coronavirus cases
Russia on Saturday registered 8,952 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 396,575.
Officials also reported 181 new deaths, down from the record high of 232 of the previous day, raising the country's death toll to 4,555.
At Antwerp University Hospital, you won't be greeted by front desk receptionists. Instead, a robot called CRUZR is screening medical staff, patients and visitors. It automatically detects the body temperature of those coming in and whether they have masks on. Those with fever or aren't properly wearing masks will be notified immediately. The robot is supplied by Belgian company Zorabots.
Fu Xuejie, wife of the late doctor Li Wenliang on Saturday dismissed U.S. lawmakers' push to rename the street in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington as "Li Wenliang Plaza", saying she felt "very sad to hear that".
Noting that Li had a deep love for his motherland, Fu said in a social media post that no one will be allowed to use Li's name to harm China.
Li, an ophthalmologist at a hospital in central China's Wuhan City and a member of the Communist Party of China, was among the firsts to alarm the novel coronavirus in the country and was unfortunately infected with the virus at work and died on February 7, 2020.
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China recognizes Li Wenliang as a 'hero,' condemns U.S. manipulation as 'extremely disrespectful'
The Chinese mainland recorded four new imported COVID-19 cases and no deaths on Friday, according to the country's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also registered four new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland has reached 82,999 and the cumulative death toll stands at 4,634. Currently, 396 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 11 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 78,302.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,079 (1,035 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 442 (420 recoveries, seven deaths)
COVID-19 death toll in Brazil reaches 27,878, surpasses Spain
Brazil has surpassed Spain to become the fifth ranking nation in the number of coronavirus deaths, after the country’s death tally reached 27,878, according to the Brazilian health ministry.
In the last 24 hours, Brazil, which now has the second-largest outbreak in the world, registered 1,124 deaths from the virus and 26,928 additional coronavirus cases.
The United States will end its relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) over the body's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Trump asserted that the agency had pressured to "mislead the world."
"Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs," Trump said.
It was not immediately clear when his decision would come into effect. A 1948 joint congressional resolution on U.S. membership of the WHO said the country "reserves its right to withdraw from the organization on a one-year notice."
The United States currently owes the WHO more than 200 million dollars in assessed contributions, according to the WHO website. On May 19, Trump sent a four-page letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warning he would permanently cut U.S. funding of the WHO and reconsider U.S. membership if the organization did "not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days."
The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's announcement.
Concerns and criticisms
Health experts, U.S. lawmakers and world leaders have expressed concern over defunding the organization amid a pandemic.
Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, criticized Trump's announcement Friday, saying they were "senseless" and had "significant, harmful repercussions."
"COVID-19 affects us all and does not respect borders; defeating it requires the entire world working together," Harris said in a statement. "In the strongest terms possible, the American Medical Association urges the President to reverse course and not abandon our country's leadership position in the global fight against COVID-19."
Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said in practice, Trump's decision was unlikely to change the operations of the WHO.
"From a symbolic or moral standpoint it's the wrong type of action to be taking in the middle of a pandemic and seems to deflect responsibility for what we in the U.S. failed to do and blame the WHO," said Adalja.
Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said, "I disagree with the president's decision."
"Certainly there needs to be a good, hard look at mistakes the World Health Organization might have made in connection with coronavirus, but the time to do that is after the crisis has been dealt with, not in the middle of it," Alexander said in a statement.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the U.S.'s decision, describing it as trampling on the international legal basis for world health cooperation at a time when the world is needed to unite against the novel coronavirus.
"What can the United States offer to the world in return? The sad picture in the U.S. public health system, exposed by the pandemic, does not leave Washington a single chance to claim its leadership in this sphere," she said.
ISARIC report updates fatality rate of COVID-19 inpatients
The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) published their seventh novel coronavirus clinical data report, which gathered statistics of 25,849 COVID-19 inpatients, and discovered case fatality rate to be at 27 percent.
This makes the novel coronavirus as dangerous as Ebola, in terms of the fatality rate of inpatients, said Prof. Calum Semple, director of Clinical Characterisation Protocol, an ISARIC's clinical guidelines project in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
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U.S. consumer spending sinks by record 13.6% in face of virus
U.S. consumer spending plunged by a record-shattering 13.6 percent in April as the pandemic shuttered businesses, forced millions of layoffs, and sent the economy into a deep recession.
Last month's spending decline was far worse than the revised 6.9-percent drop in March, which itself had set a record for the steepest one-month fall in records dating to 1959.
Friday's Commerce Department figures reinforced evidence that the economy is in the grips of the worst downturn in decades, with consumers unable or anxious about spending.
(With input from AP)
Hungary to allow football fans in stadiums under strict precautions
Hungarian football fans will be allowed back to reopened stadiums, but only under strict precautionary measures, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) said on Thursday.
"Fans can return to the stands if the organizing club decides to take the opportunity and keep certain restrictions and precautions. Spectators can be admitted to football matches again from Thursday, based on the government's decision," MLSZ wrote in a statement published on its website.
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File photo ./VCG
Thailand's Pattaya beaches to reopen under social distancing rules
Beaches in the resort of Pattaya in eastern Thailand will reopen to all visitors and local villagers under social distancing rules on June 1.
Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Khunpleum said on Friday that the beaches, which have been closed under partial lockdown measures, will reopen on condition that visitors strictly observe social distancing rules against the COVID-19 pandemic.
People may swim in the sea or lie on the beaches or in beachfront canvas chairs with about 1.5-meter distance between one another, Sonthaya said.
The owners of the canvas chairs for rent must ensure strict social distancing among their clients; otherwise, their business might be suspended, according to the mayor.
No group activities will be allowed on the beaches for fear of the possible spread of COVID-19, the mayor said.
Koh Larn island off Pattaya will also reopen to all visitors under social distancing rules on June 1, he said.
(With input from Xinhua)
Russia reports record increase in coronavirus death toll
Russia on Friday reported a record 232 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the country’s death toll to 4,374.
Officials also confirmed a total of 8,572 new coronavirus infections, bringing the nationwide tally to 387,623.
COVID-19: Boston Marathon, PGA John Deere Classic canceled
The Boston Marathon, the longest-running major annual marathon in the world, has now been cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic fears.
Boston mayor Marty Walsh said that the race, which had already been postponed to September 14 from its April slot, would not be held as planned for public health reasons.
"There's no way to hold the usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity," Walsh said in an announcement.
The marathon has been held every year without fail since 1897, generally drawing over 30,000 runners from all over the world.
Runners during the 123rd Boston Marathon in Newton, Massachusetts, April 15, 2019. /VCG
COVID-19 leads to dramatic unemployment, young people suffer the most
More than one in six young people have stopped working since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic while those who remain employed have seen their working hours cut by 23 percent, according to the latest International Labor Organization (ILO) data.
The COVID-19 economic crisis is hitting young people harder and faster than any other group. Young people have to face many hard situations including disruption to education and training, employment and income losses, and greater difficulties in finding a job. The ILO also uses the term "lockdown generation" to describe young people facing multiple shocks from the COVID-19 crisis, including increased vulnerability to anxiety or depression.
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Chinese medical expert team arrives in Sudan to help fight COVID-19
A Chinese government's medical expert team arrived in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, on Thursday. The Sudanese government warmly welcomed the medical team and expressed its deep gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their support in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The expert group was set up by the National Health Commission of China and consisted of 20 medical and health experts with practical experience in fighting the epidemic.
The team will exchange experience with the local health authorities, the offices of World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international organizations in the country, visit designated hospitals and Sudan's national public health laboratory, and train local medical staff.
The expert group will also provide guidance on epidemic prevention and control and transmit knowledge to local Chinese medical teams, Chinese-funded institutions, overseas Chinese and Chinese students studying in the country.
Hydroxychloroquine combination risky for cancer patients with COVID-19: study
Cancer patients with COVID-19 who were treated with a drug combination promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump to counter the coronavirus were three times more likely to die within 30 days than those who got either drug alone, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
The preliminary results suggest doctors may want to refrain from prescribing the decades-old malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine with the antibiotic azithromycin for these patients until more study is done, researchers said.
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These days people can get almost everything through the internet, and during the coronavirus outbreak, online shopping has become a lifeline for many.
But then there is the question, can I get coronavirus from the packages I receive?
The possibility of the packages being contaminated during the delivery process is very low and therefore, it is very unlikely that one will get it from the packages.
But still, we do know that the virus can live on surfaces for hours or even several days.
So just to be 100 percent safe, here are some tips when you are bringing packages into your home.
First, you'll need a specific area for disinfection, so basically "a dirty area." And you want to do all the cleaning in the same place.
Then, make sure to put on disposable gloves, so that you don't need to touch the boxes directly.
Next, use disinfectant wipes, or any household cleaner, to wipe out the boxes.
Once you are done, be careful of how you take the gloves off, don't touch the side that you've just used in contact with the delivery boxes.
One last thing, wash your hands one more time.
(Video produced by Wang Zeyu; filmed by Fu Gaoliang; edited by Lu Chang)
More from CGTN's Answer Bank series:
DIY face masks: can they really protect you from the coronavirus?
Can coronavirus patients get reinfected after a full recovery?
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Brazil registered 26,417 new cases and 1,156 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 438,238 and the death toll to 26,754. President Bolsonaro has signed a bill that provides financial aid to the pandemic-hit states and cities including 60 billion reals (about 11 billion U.S. dollars).
South Korea reported 58 more cases compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. Friday local time, raising the total number of infections to 11,402. No more deaths have been confirmed, leaving the toll at 269. The total fatality rate stood at 2.36 percent.
Chile reported 4,654 new cases and 49 more deaths in the past 24 hours, raising total number of confirmed cases to 86,943, including 890 deaths. Health Minister said 3,707 healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19, with "a very small number of them requiring hospitalization."
Argentina recorded 769 new cases, 14,702 in total, with 508 deaths. The capital and surrounding areas remain the hardest-hit in the country, and the mandatory quarantine could be extended again until early August.
Mexico reported 3,377 new cases with 447 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 81,400 and the death toll to 9,044.
The Chinese mainland reported no new COVID-19 cases or deaths in the past 24 hours, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Friday.
The NHC added that five new asymptomatic cases were detected on Thursday.
Confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland at present stand at 82,995, including 1,734 infections that originated overseas. China's cumulative death toll from the disease is 4,645.
As of Thursday, a total of 409 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,066 (1,035 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (420 recoveries, seven deaths)
Cuban officials in Havana recently announced the delivery of a third shipment of medical supplies from China to support the island's COVID- 19 program.
The initiative is part of Beijing's support of developing nations, particularly in Latin America, in the fight against the pandemic. CGTN's Luis Chirino reports.
Photo shows Chinese medical experts and officials from the Algerian government at the Algeirs International Airport on May 28, 2020. (Xinhua Photo)
A team of Chinese medical experts on Thursday ended their mission to help tackle the COVID-19 epidemic in Algeria after two-week work.
Director of the Asia-Oceania Department of the Foreign Ministry of Algeria Boumediene Guennad expressed his country's gratitude to the Chinese medical team and spoke highly of their work.
He stressed that their work will help Algeria overcome the epidemic at an early date.
Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Lianhe said that the Algerian government and experts gave a high evaluation to the work of the Chinese experts during their two-week stay in the country, which will help the two sides strengthen communication and learn from each other during the fight against the COVID-19.
The Chinese medical expert team arrived in Algeria on May 14 to help fight the coronavirus, through sharing China's experiences in the spread of the contagious disease.
They carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges with their Algerian counterparts on the prevention and control measures of COVID-19, clinical treatment techniques and laboratory testing.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. /VCG Photo
France will allow restaurants, bars and beaches to reopen from June 2, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday.
Philippe said that in "green" areas where the virus circulates slowly - most of continental France - the only limit will be that there needs to be a minimum distance of 1 metre between tables. In "orange" areas such as the Ile de France region around Paris, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to open their outdoor terraces.
Philippe also said that France's beaches will reopen from June 2.
France is one of the world's worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has registered 183,038 cases and 28,599 deaths as the world continues to battle the pandemic.
The country is one of only six nations globally to have recorded more than 20,000 COVID-19-related deaths.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday sent COVID-19 containment supplies, including protective suits, medical masks and goggles, to Lebanon's military.
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said China and Lebanon have maintained close cooperation and shared experiences in prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 since the outbreak began.
According to a tally from Johns Hopkins University, Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections had risen to over 1,160 with 26 deaths as of Thursday.
People who lost their jobs wait in line to file for unemployment following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at an Arkansas Workforce Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S. April 6, 2020. /Reuters
The number of workers filing for jobless benefits since the coronavirus arrived in the United States passed 40 million on Thursday while manufactured goods sales plunged even as signs emerged that people are returning to work.
Job losses on that scale have not been seen since the Great Depression early in the last century and came as new data showed the world's largest economy shrinking by 5.0 percent in the first quarter, a preview of much worse to come amid the COVID-19 recession.
The pace of layoffs passed their peak but continue in massive numbers, with the Labor Department reporting another 2.12 million workers making new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ended May 23.
The scale dwarfs even the worst week of the global financial crisis 12 years ago but is a decrease from the 2.44 million people who filed in the prior week.
And the number of people actually receiving benefits dropped by 3.86 million in the week ended May 16, the first decline since the pandemic's arrival and an indication that some people may be returning to work.
Even so, there are more than 21 million people relying on government payments, up from 1.7 million in the same week of 2019.
The White House Council of Economic Advisers said on Twitter the decline "suggests a substantial flow from unemployment to employment."
If sustained, it would be a positive development for President Donald Trump, who has cheered on states' efforts to reopen as he faces a November re-election battle in which the health of the economy is set to weigh heavily on voters' minds.
But Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia acknowledged the national unemployment rate could hit 20 percent.
"We do have to, again, acknowledge that this is a challenging time for workers across the country. But we are reopening," Scalia said on Fox Business Network.
Manufacturing suffers
Florida is one of the states moving most aggressively to resume business and posted one of the largest declines in the insured rate.
California also saw a large decline, but Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said it was a technicality as unemployed workers in the state were not required to file for benefits in the latest week.
But he nonetheless expects weekly claims to drop below one million by the end of June and slow over the coming weeks.
"The dip in initial claims is consistent with Google search and advance state data, which tentatively point to a bigger drop next week," Shepherdson said.
A separate Commerce Department report showed orders of manufactured goods – a key component of measuring GDP in the services-dominated U.S. economy – plummeting by 17.2 percent in April, following a 16.6 percent drop in March.
Sales fell to 170 billion U.S. dollars in April, the first full month of the lockdowns, compared to 246 billion U.S. dollars before the virus struck.
Much of the trouble stemmed from struggling aerospace giant Boeing, which reported no new orders in April, as compared to 31 in March.
Like other companies nationwide, Boeing shuttered its U.S. factories due to the pandemic, but has since resumed production while planning to slash its workforce by 10 percent and slow output.
Sales of motor vehicles and parts collapsed nearly 52.8 percent compared to March.
All told, transportation orders collapsed by more than 47 percent after the 43 percent plunge in March. Excluding transportation, total durable goods sales fell just 7.4 percent.
The expansion is over
The Commerce Department also reported that U.S. GDP fell 5.0 percent in the first three months of the year, slightly worse than the 4.8 percent drop originally reported, putting an end to a decade of economic expansion.
The drop was fueled by a collapse in consumer spending and exports, and was all the more dramatic given that the business shutdowns did not start to take effect until the final two weeks of the quarter.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the collapse in the April-June quarter could be as bad as 30 percent, again in line with the Great Depression.
In an analysis, Oxford Economics said the Fed's moves to inject liquidity and Congress's stimulus measures have blunted some of the impacts, but said that "more will be needed and fear that policy fatigue could hinder the recovery."
Read more:
U.S. Q1 GDP shrinks by 4.8% amid COVID-19 pandemic, worst drop since 2008
Chinese experts have been helping Serbia in its fight against COVID-19 since the outbreak started there in March. Earlier this month, the Serbian government honored Chinese medical experts for their contributions. CGTN's Aljoša Milenković has more.
International cooperation is vitally important in the fight against the common enemy COVID-19, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday at a press conference after the conclusion of the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
Li said that China and many other countries have advocated tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus because scientific tracing can assist in better preventing and controlling the pandemic, and ensuring good health of people around the world.
"(COVID-19) is a new infectious disease and what we don't know is greater than what we know," Li said.
He stressed that the most powerful weapons against COVID-19 are vaccines, effective drugs and detection reagents, and China will make its R&Ds public goods, in order to help the world defeat the virus.
China has effectively brought the epidemic under control currently through arduous efforts. It has actively participated in international cooperation and released relevant information to the international community in an open, transparent, responsible and timely manner.
However, Li warned that the epidemic is still spreading all over the world, and it is not yet over in China, as scientists have stressed that vigilance should be maintained to prevent a rebound.
"China will continue to adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts and being open and transparent," said Li. "Once cases are detected, we will resolutely control them with scientific containment measures. No concealment is allowed."
So far, the international community has been facing dual challenges, which is controlling the epidemic and at the same time restoring economic and social development to a normal order, Li pointed out.
He highlighted that international cooperation is particularly important at this time. "Both the battle against the pandemic and economic development require us to work together in a bid to enable mankind to surmount the huge impact brought by the pandemic."
Russia reports 8,371 new COVID-19 cases, total at 379,051
Russia has reported 8,371 new COVID-19 cases and 174 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 379,051 while the death toll stands at 4,142.
Russia has decided to postpone the 2020 summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS initially scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg in July, the Kremlin announced Wednesday.
Pandemic puts up to 86 mln children at risk of poverty: UNICEF
The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic could push as many as 86 million more children into poverty by the end of 2020, a joint study by Save the Children and UNICEF showed Wednesday.
That would bring the total number of children affected by poverty worldwide to 672 million, an increase of 15 percent over last year, the two aid agencies said in a statement, adding that nearly two-thirds of those children overall live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
But the pandemic-driven increase is expected to occur mainly in Europe and Central Asia, according to the study, which is based on World Bank and International Monetary Fund projections and population data from some 100 countries.
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American Airlines says to cut management and support staff by 30%
American Airlines Group Inc must reduce its management and support staff by about 30 percent and may have to cut frontline employees as it downsizes due to the coronavirus pandemic, showed a letter to employees made public on Wednesday.
All major U.S. airlines have said they will need to shrink in the fall, once U.S. government payroll aid that bans involuntary job cuts expires on September 30.
Competitor United Airlines Holdings Inc has also said it will need to reduce its management and administrative staff by about 30 percent.
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Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 353 to 179,717, and the death toll rose by 62 to 8,411. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany was still in the early stages of the outbreak and should not be negligent.
South Korea recorded 79 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising the total number of infections to 11,344. The death toll remains at 269 after no new deaths were reported. The total fatality rate stands at 2.37 percent. A new cluster, linked to a logistics center outside Seoul, has led to at least 69 confirmed cases.
New Zealand on Thursday reported its sixth consecutive day of no new COVID-19 cases, with the total number of confirmed cases staying at 1,504, including 22 deaths. Its job numbers fell by a record 37,500 in April 2020, and the total filled jobs fell by 1.7 percent in April 2020 compared with March 2020.
India recorded 194 new deaths, and 6,566 positive cases have been reported since Wednesday, taking the number of deaths to 4,531 and total cases to 158,333.
Spain reported 39 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 27,118, and the total number of confirmed cases now stands at 236,769 as 231 new cases were reported.
The Philippines' coronavirus task force has recommended the president ease lockdown measures in Manila from June 1. The restrictions, introduced in mid-March and eased slightly in mid-May to jumpstart the economy, are set to expire on May 31. The country's total number of cases exceeded 15,000, and the death toll surpassed 900.
Thailand reported 11 new cases and no new deaths, bringing its total to 3,065 confirmed cases and 57 fatalities since the outbreak in January.
Tokyo Olympics fate in 2021 still hangs in balance as COVID-19 pandemic rages on
The brutality of COVID-19 has been keenly felt by sports industries around the world, and especially so for the Tokyo Olympic Games, which has been pushed back a year to 2021 due to the pandemic.
As the U.S. has recorded more than 100,000 deaths from the deadly virus and global infections continue to soar, the million-dollar question has shifted from "How will Japan stage the Games?" to "Will the Games be staged at all?"
In mid-April, Tokyo 2020 organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto gave the starkest warning yet that the rearranged Games might not happen, as the veteran indicated for the first time that he could not guarantee the 2021 Summer Olympics will take place in 2021.
"I don't think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get the virus under control by next July or not. We're certainly not in a position to give you a clear answer," observed Muto.
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S.Korea central bank cuts rates to record low as pandemic hits economy
South Korea's central bank on Thursday cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in a bid to cushion the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic.
The interest rate was lowered from 0.75 percent to 0.50 percent, the lowest since the bank adopted the current policy system in 1999.
This is the second relief measure the Bank of Korea (BOK) has taken this year. In March, it announced an emergency 50-basis-point-cut in the benchmark interest rate and pledged unlimited liquidity through June via repurchase agreements.
The bank downgraded its 2020 economic projection to a 0.2-percent decline, from its February forecast for 2.1 percent growth. The contraction would be the biggest since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. The BOK also sees inflation for this year at 0.3 percent, down from 1.0 percent seen earlier.
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When Israelis were steeped in fear and negativity as confirmed coronavirus cases kept rising, they received medical supplies and equipment from China that helped save lives on the front line on top of emotional support, said Y-China owner and host Raz Galor, who shared how China and Israel worked together to fight COVID-19.
Professor Eyal Leshem, Israel's top infectious disease expert who works at Sheba Medical Center, said Peking Union Medical College Hospital reached out to many Israeli hospitals since the early stages of the pandemic. They had a conference call at least once every week with the Chinese team and shared knowledge of treatments, equipment and other experiences.
Besides, when Israel announced that schools will go back to normal, Chinese teachers shared the safest and best way they found for students to return to schools.
Raz said kindness is what he discovered from the two countries' cooperation – with people from different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs coming together to help solve each other's problems. "I hope that in the face of a common disaster, everyone can embrace each other instead of turning against each other, can understand each other rather than misunderstand each other."
Disney plans to reopen Walt Disney World starting July 11
Walt Disney Co plans to reopen the world's largest theme park, Walt Disney World in Florida, in phases beginning on July 11, if the the U.S. state's governor approves.
Disney wants to reopen Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 and Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15, according to Jim MacPhee, senior vice president of operations for the Walt Disney World Resort, who presented plans during a webcast meeting.
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Brazil's death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 25,000 people on Wednesday, at 25,598, the Health Ministry said. Deaths from the disease caused by the coronavirus over the last 24 hours were 1,086.
The number of cases rose by 20,599, reaching 411,821 confirmed cases of infection in the country, according to the ministry, making Brazil the second country with over 400,000 cases in the world only after the U.S., where nearly 1.7 million infections were recorded.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is facing criticism over his response to the health and economic crisis as he's accused of downplaying the seriousness of the virus.
He has rallied against stay-at-home measures in the country, arguing the economic fallout risks causing more damage than the virus itself.
Following the staggering spikes in some countries in the Americas, like Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO) now considers the region the new epicenter of the disease.
Read more:
WHO says the Americas are new COVID-19 epicenter as deaths surge in Latin America
(Gravediggers carry the coffin of Avelino Fernandes Filho, 74, who passed away from COVID-19, during his funeral in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 18, 2020. /Reuters)
The Chinese mainland registered two new imported COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in the past 24 hours, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Thursday.
The NHC added that 23 new asymptomatic cases were detected on Wednesday.
Confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland at present stand at 82,995, including 1,734 infections originating overseas. China's cumulative death toll from the disease is 4,645.
As of Wednesday, a total of 413 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,066 (1,034 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (419 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 pandemic developments in Europe
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia observed a minute's silence for the country's COVID-19 victims on Wednesday, the start of a 10-day nationwide period of mourning.
Spain reported 39 new deaths and 231 new cases on Wednesday. It now has 236,769 cases and 27,118 deaths.
Russia's capital Moscow announced Wednesday that the city's stay-at-home order was to be extended until June 14. The city's officials also ordered all residents to wear masks outside of their homes.
The UK will launch a new service in England called "NHS Test and Trace" on Thursday that will help identify, contain and control the coronavirus.
Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions. Those identified as having been in close contact with someone who tested positive must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that the country's COVID-19 alert system will be downgraded from level 4 to level 3.
Italy registered 117 new fatalities from COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing its death toll to 33,072. It marked a visible rise compared to 78 deaths recorded the previous day. The total number of confirmed cases increased by 584 to 231,139.
Switzerland will lift its state of emergency on June 19, the government announced. The Swiss Federal Council said it has decided to downgrade the situation status from "extraordinary" to "special" on the same date. The state of emergency was introduced on March 16.
U.S. surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 deaths
The United States surpassed 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday.
Johns Hopkins University listed the total deaths at 100,047 early Wednesday evening. There have been nearly 1.7 million cases in the U.S.
Around the world, there have been 5.65 million cases and more than 353,000 deaths.
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The number of COVID-19 related deaths have passed 100,000. This comes as the country takes steps to lift lockdowns and other restrictions. Things may not be back to business as usual yet - but there are signs things are rebounding for the first time in months. How did we get there?
CGTN's Nathan King explains.
Photo taken on May 19, 2020 shows an empty street amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington D.C., the United States. /Xinhua.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday that the city will lift its stay-at-home order on Friday and enter phase one of reopening.
Bowser said that the virus is still circulating but said the city had met its metrics of a 14-day decline in community spread of the virus as well as adequate testing and hospital capacity.
Under the order, nonessential retail businesses can open for curbside pickup and hair salons can open for appointments only. Restaurants can serve diners outdoors if they already have outdoor seating and tables are 6 feet apart.
Gatherings of more than 10 people are still banned, and Bowser encouraged people to continue staying 6 feet apart, wearing masks when around others and washing hands frequently.
"I want to clarify this," Bowser said. "COVID-19 is still in our community, in our region, in our nation, and the public health emergency will continue."She acknowledged that there are risks of an uptick in infections with reopening.
"More people can get infected because now more people will be moving around in the community," she said.
D.C. has moved slower than many other places in the country in lifting its restrictions, but it has also been hit hard by the virus.
Just last week, White House coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx warned that the D.C. metro area had the highest positivity rate of its tests of anywhere in the country, a warning sign about high levels of infection.
While new cases have generally been declining, the city did see an uptick over the Memorial Day weekend.
Source: The Hill
FILE PHOTO: Disney World to re-open in July 2020. /Xinhua
Disney World is reopening its gates, ending a multi-month closure of the park which left the Walt Disney Company reeling.
The Disney theme park, which employs some 70,000 people, plans to begin a phased reopening on July 11 for its Magic Kingdom parks and July 15 for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the company said on Wednesday.
Walt Disney World as well as Disney's Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California, closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: CNN
Thailand braces for domestic tourism reboot
After an over two-month closure in Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, is scheduled to reopen on May 30, according to local authorities. Also, the renowned Grand Palace has announced it will reopen to visitors from June 4.
As one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia, Thailand is likely to see its foreign visitor arrivals tumble by 65 percent this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, with its stringent ban on incoming flights extended till the end of June.
Last year, domestic tourism made up six percent of the country's GDP, while spending by foreign tourists accounted for 11.4 percent. Among them, Chinese travelers took up more than a quarter of foreigners' total spending. Amid unsettling figures caused by coronavirus, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, a deputy governor of TAT, pointed out that China remains Thailand's biggest international tourist market.
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The European Commission on Wednesday proposed a package worth in total 1.85 trillion euros for the EU's next long-term budget and a recovery fund for economies hammered by the coronavirus pandemic.
"The Commission is today proposing a new recovery instrument, called Next Generation EU, within a revamped long-term EU budget. In total, this European Recovery Plan will put 1.85 trillion euros to help kick-start our economy and ensure Europe bounces forward," the EU executive said in a statement.
Japan eyes fresh $1.1 trillion stimulus to combat pandemic pain
Japan will compile a fresh stimulus package worth 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars that will include a sizable amount of direct spending to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic, a draft of the budget obtained by Reuters showed on Wednesday.
The stimulus, which will be funded partly by a second extra budget, will be on top of a 1.1-trillion-U.S.-dollar package already rolled out last month, putting the total amount Japan spends to combat the virus fallout at 234 trillion yen – roughly 40 percent of Japan's gross domestic product.
The government's 117 trillion yen (1.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in fresh stimulus, to be compiled on Wednesday, will include 33 trillion yen in direct spending, the draft showed.
To fund the costs, Japan will issue an additional 31.9 trillion yen in government bonds under the second supplementary budget for the current fiscal year ending in March 2021, according to the draft.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
India Wednesday morning said that the total number of COVID-19 cases surpassed the 150,000 mark, reaching 151,767, while death toll stood at 4,337 as of Wednesday morning at 8.
Vietnam will resume issuing e-visas to citizens from 80 countries from July 1, government said on Tuesday.
Thailand on Wednesday reported nine new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 3,054 confirmed cases while its death toll stood unchanged at 57 deaths. The new cases were Thai nationals in quarantine who recently returned from overseas.
South Korea reported 40 more cases of new coronavirus, biggest daily jump in almost 50 days, taking its total to 11,265 as of Tuesday. Health officials are on alert as the nightclubs cluster is leading to other sporadic transmission across the country, including at a logistics center in Bucheon, west of Seoul, where at least 15 cases were traced down.
New Zealand reported no new cases for consecutive five days and there's no patients currently being treated in hospitals, health official said on Wednesday. Only 21 patients in NZ are still considered active, but they're not hospitalized. So far, 1,154 confirmed cases and 21 deaths have been recorded in NZ.
Argentina on Tuesday said the country has recorded a total of 13,228 infections and 490 deaths with Buenos Aires been the hardest hit region, which accounted for nearly 80 percent of total infections and 75 percent of nationwide fatalities.
Mexico registered 501 new deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday, its biggest single-day increase in fatalities yet. The country's total number of infections now stands at 74,560 while death toll stands at 8,134.
Panama government said on Tuesday that in June it will start to relax some measures imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, permitting sectors such as construction, nonmetallic mining and pharmaceuticals to resume operations. Curfew will also be relaxed, and places of worship, parks and sporting facilities may reopen at up to 25 percent capacity.
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced three-phase plan to lift the anti-coronavirus measures with the first phase to start from May 28 to 30 when travel between cities and regions, except for Mecca, will be resumed during curfew hours between 3 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 362 to 179,364, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 47 to 8,349, according to the tally.
(With input from agencies)
WHO says the Americas are new COVID-19 epicenter as deaths surge in Latin America
The Americas have emerged as the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Tuesday briefing, as a U.S. study forecast deaths surging in Brazil and other Latin American countries through August.
"Now is not the time for countries to ease restrictions," Carissa Etienne, WHO director for the Americas and head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said via video-conference.
The Americas have registered more than 2.4 million cases of the new coronavirus and more than 143,000 deaths from the resulting COVID-19 respiratory disease. Latin America has passed Europe and the United States in daily infections, she said.
"Our region has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic," Etienne said, as other PAHO directors warned there are "very tough" weeks ahead for the region and Brazil has a long way to go before it will see the pandemic end.
EU to unveil massive stimulus plan for post-coronavirus recovery
The European Commission will on Wednesday unveil a plan to help the EU economy recover from its coronavirus slump with a mix of grants, loans and guarantees exceeding 1 trillion euros that raised controversy even before it was announced.
The aim is to help countries and sectors worst hit by he COVID-19 pandemic recover quickly and protect the EU single market of 450 million people from being splintered by divergent economic growth and wealth levels as the 27-nation bloc emerges from its deepest ever recession expected this year.
It is needed because countries like Italy, Greece, France, Portugal or Spain, burdened with high debt and deeply reliant on tourism, will find it more difficult than more frugal countries in the north to restart their economies through borrowing.
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The Chinese mainland on Tuesday recorded one new imported COVID-19 case, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 1,732 imported COVID-19 cases and 28 new asymptomatic patients were registered on the Chinese mainland.
The total confirmed cases stand at 82,993, with 4,634 deaths, and 404 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,065 (1,033 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (416 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Brazil's number of deaths reached 24,512 on Tuesday, with 1,039 new deaths over the last 24 hours. The number of infections rose to 391,222, with 16,324 new cases reported.
Spain confirmed 35 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the country's total fatalities to 27,117 and a slight increase of 194 brought to a total number of 236,259 cases.
A further 78 COVID-19 patients died in the past 24 hours in Italy, bringing the country's death toll to 32,955, out of a total of 230,555 cases, according to fresh figures released on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled an eight-billion-euro (8.78 billion U.S. dollars) rescue plan to help the recovery of the domestic auto industry hit hard by the anti-coronavirus lockdown. The European country has confirmed a total of 145,555 coronavirus cases.
Germany's government and its state premiers have agreed to extend the coronavirus distancing rules to June 29, the government announced. Under the agreement, public gatherings of up to 10 people would also be allowed.
U.S. cases have reached a total of 1,675,532, with a death toll of 98,717 as of 4:32 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University data. Its hardest-hit New York State recorded the lowest single-day toll so far of 73 fatalities, Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a Tuesday morning press conference.
(With input from agencies)
New York City is seeking authority to borrow possibly as much as $7 billion if necessary to make up for the revenue lost because of the coronavirus pandemic./Reuters
New York City is seeking authority to borrow possibly as much as $7 billion if necessary to make up for the revenue lost because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Senator Liz Krueger, chair of the state senate's finance committee, introduced a bill Monday that would authorize the city's Transitional Finance Authority to issue debt to make up for the projected loss through mid-2021.
The TFA, which issues bonds backed by city income-tax revenue, was previously authorized to borrow for costs arising from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Source: Bloomberg
FILE PHOTO: President Emmanuel Macron of France. /AFP
President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced an 8-billion euro ($8.8 billion) plan to revive France's auto industry, brought to its knees by the coronavirus crisis, including a billion euros in green car subsidies.
The "historic" intervention will aim to turn France's rechargeable car industry into Europe's biggest, the president said, with annual production of more than a million "clean cars" by 2025.
According to Worldometer the European country has 182,942 coronavirus cases with 65,199 people having shrugged off the virus while 28,432 have since died.
Source(s): AFP, Worldometer
Spanish government said on Tuesday that it will hold 10 days of official mourning for victims of the coronavirus pandemic. /Reuters
Spanish government said on Tuesday that it will hold 10 days of official mourning for victims of the coronavirus pandemic that has so far claimed nearly 27,000 lives.
The mourning period is to begin on Wednesday when all flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-mast in a country that has suffered one of the most deadly outbreaks of the virus.
Writing on Twitter, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it would be "10 days, the longest period of mourning in our democracy, in which we will all express our sorrow and pay homage to those who have died."
The mourning period, which was approved at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, would also include an official ceremony to honour victims presided over by King Felipe VI, government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said.
"Eight out of 10 victims were older than 70, they were those who helped build the country that we know today," she said.
China, where the virus emerged late in 2019 and has now officially killed 4,634 people, held a national day of mourning on April 4, while Italy, which has so far suffered almost 32,900 deaths, mourned the victims on March 31.
And this week, the United States lowered its flags to half-mast for three days to remember its dead, who now number more than 98,200, the heaviest toll in the world.
Spain on Monday said the virus had so far claimed 26,834 lives, revising down the death toll by nearly 2,000 following a change in the system of gathering data.
The overall number of cases had topped 235,000 in Spain, officials said.
EU recovery fund must set tough conditions: Finnish PM
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday that the would-be EU recovery fund must set tough conditions to recipient countries.
"It must promote the joint targets EU countries have committed themselves to," Marin said in an interview with the Finnish news agency STT.
She listed green growth, digitalization, competitive edge and rejuvenation of industries as some of the conditions of the recovery fund for EU countries that suffer from the COVID-19 crisis.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., May 26, 2020. /Reuters
Andrew Cuomo rings opening bell as NYSE reopens after 2 months
The trading floor of the New York Stock exchange reopened Tuesday for the first time in two months and the state legislature was set to reconvene as the state relaxed more restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Traders cheered as Governor Andrew Cuomo rang the opening bell of the Stock Exchange, which had been closed since March when the state shut down in the face of the virus.
About five minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.3 percent at 25,023.76. The broad-based S&P 500 gained by 2.0 percent to 3,013.04, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced by 1.6 percent to 9,468.96.
(With input from AP, AFP)
Global COVID-19 cases top 5.5 million: Johns Hopkins
More than 5.5 million cases of COVID-19 infections worldwide have been confirmed, more than two-thirds of them in Europe and the United States, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the most cases in the world, with over 1.6 million infections confirmed in the country.
Brazil has emerged as the world's No. 2 hot spot for coronavirus cases, followed by Russia.
There are now over 374,000 confirmed infections in the Latin American country.
Su-25 attack aircraft are seen during the Victory Day Air Parade in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2020. /Xinhua
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that Russia will hold a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow on June 24.
Russia commemorates the Soviet victory over the Nazis each year on May 9 with a massive military display that sees thousands of troops and tanks parade through Red Square and military jets fly in formation over the capital.
However, Putin had to postpone Russia's Victory Day celebrations, including a huge military parade across Red Square, this year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, only an air parade was held on May 9.
"We will do it on June 24, the day the legendary victors' parade took place in 1945," Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, ordering him to begin preparations for the event.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, rumors and conspiracy theories have centered on the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Yuan Zhiming, director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory – a Protection Level 4 lab, refuted the rumors and discussed efforts made by scientists there to fight against the virus as well as their international cooperation with U.S. scientists.
Russia reports 8,915 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 362,342
Russia reported 8,915 new novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its coronavirus response center said Tuesday.
The overall number of cases nationwide now stands at 362,342. An additional 174 people died over the past 24 hours, bringing the country's official death toll to 3,807.
China sends medical expert team to Equatorial Guinea to combat COVID-19
The Chinese government has decided to send a medical expert team to Equatorial Guinea to support the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.
The expert group was established by the National Health Commission and selected by the Hunan provincial health commission.
Three nurses share their stories of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bi Je is a nurse at Wuhan Central Hospital. She tells CGTN about her journey from saving the lives of her patients to getting infected at work, staying strong and defeating the virus.
Xiong Yan who works as a nurse at South Wuhan Union Hospital, encouraged COVID-19 patients to dance and helped them stay optimistic. A video of her comforting a COVID-19 patient also went viral on social media.
Huang Bei, a nurse at Wuhan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, says she feels lucky to have met so many new people, who came together to wage a war against the common enemy – the novel coronavirus.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Brazil recorded 807 new deaths in the past 24 hours, marking the first time it has exceeded the U.S.'s daily tally. It has the second worst outbreak in the world, with 374,898 cases, behind the U.S. with 1.637 million cases.
Mexico reported 2,485 new cases and 239 deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 71,105 and death toll to 7,633.
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 432 to 179,002, and the death toll rose by 45 to 8,302.
India recorded 6,535 new cases with 146 new deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 145,380, with 4,167 deaths.
South Korea reported 19 new cases on Monday, three were imported, bringing the total number to 11,225, with 269 deaths. All citizens must wear masks when travelling on public transport, otherwise drivers have the right to refuse.
Peru confirmed 4,020 new cases with 173 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 123,979 with 2,629 deaths. The country on Monday officially entered a new phase of its national emergency until June 30.
Domestic flights resumed in India on Monday, two months after a countrywide lockdown was imposed on March 25, announced the country's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri through a tweet.
"Today, we restart domestic flights. India's civil aviation is always on the forefront," tweeted Puri.
A screenshot of India's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's tweet.
Flights resumed taking off and landing in all Indian states except the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and eastern state of West Bengal where they will operate from Tuesday.
Passengers were seen queuing up in front of the airports across the country while maintaining social distancing, even as a large number of flights were inexplicably cancelled.
A security guard (R) is on duty at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India, May 25, 2020. /Xinhua
The airlines were allowed to operate one-third of their capacity. Minimum and maximum limits of fares on all flight routes have been fixed and it has also been decided to sell 40 percent of tickets below the mid-point of minimum and maximum prices.
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases reached 138,845 and the total deaths stood at 4,021 on Monday as the country reported its highest one-day spike of 6,977 cases, according to data released by the federal health ministry.
Saudi Arabia to lift curfew from June 21 except for Mecca
Saudi Arabia has adjusted its curfew time to between 3 p.m. and 6 a.m. across the country except for Mecca staring from Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday, adding that the country will reopen all mosques outside Mecca from May 31 until June 20 in one of several steps taken to loosen coronavirus restrictions.
Both public and private sector staff will be allowed to attend their workplaces and the ban on domestic flights and travel between different areas is also to be lifted, according to the report.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia stands at 74,795, and the death toll stands at 399 as of Monday.
Local workers clean the streets as a precautionary measure amid the COVID-19 outbreak, in Vina del Mar, Chile. /Reuters
Chile registered a new high for coronavirus cases on Monday, with nearly 5,000 new infection cases, including two ministers in President Sebastian Pinera's government.
Health authorities announced they had registered 4,895 new infections in the South American country and 43 deaths in the previous 24 hours.
Public Works Minister Alfredo Moreno and Energy Minister Juan Carlos Jobet said they were among those with the disease.
"I have been informed that the COVID-19 test I had a few days ago was positive," Moreno said on Twitter, adding that he had no symptoms so far. The 63-year-old minister had placed himself in quarantine after one of his staff tested positive.
Jobet also tested positive after starting to quarantine preventatively on Saturday, "when he experienced mild symptoms, which could be associated with the disease," a statement from the Energy Ministry said.
The 44-year-old minister "has had no direct contact with President Sebastian Pinera or other cabinet members in recent days," the statement added, without specifying how he became infected.
Three other ministers, who had self-quarantined after being in contact with infected people, have all tested negative and resumed work.
A day earlier, President Pinera said the country's healthcare system is under strain and "very close to the limit," as more than 1,000 people had been hospitalized for the disease associated with the coronavirus.
"We are very close to the limit because we have had a very large increase in the needs and demands for medical care, and for intensive care unit beds and ventilators," Pinera said during a visit to a hospital in capital Santiago, which has the highest concentration of cases.
A third of Chile's population of about 19 million is under mandatory quarantine after the government put Santiago and several other cities under lockdown. The capital is the main focus of the pandemic in Chile, reporting 90 percent of the country's 74,000 cases.
Last week, the Senate was closed after three senators tested positive for the coronavirus. Sessions were held by video conference.
(With input from Reuters)
The Chinese mainland on Monday recorded seven new COVID-19 cases, all were imported, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 1,731 imported COVID-19 cases and 29 new asymptomatic patients were registered on the Chinese mainland, and 1,685 have recovered.
The total confirmed cases stand at 82,992, with 4,634 deaths, and 403 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,065 (1,030 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (415 recoveries, 7 deaths)
WHO suspends trials of hydroxychloroquine as virus treatment
The World Health Organization said on Monday it had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for coronavirus.
The decision came after a study published in The Lancet medical journal last week suggested the drug could increase the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
Tedros said the executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across the world have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had suspended trials using that drug as a precaution.
U.S. COVID-19 cases top 1.6 mln, deaths reach 98,000
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States reached 1,660,197 and the national death toll of COVID-19 rose to 98,184 as of 6:32 p.m. (2232 GMT) Monday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
New York remains the hardest-hit state with 29,229 fatalities.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday suspended entry for anyone who has been to Brazil in the previous 14 days, as it became one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump also announced that he has stopped taking hydroxychloroquine.
The Director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology Wang Yanyi said that claims that the coronavirus was leaked from her lab are completely false.
"This is pure fabrication. Our institute first received the clinical sample of the unknown pneumonia on December 30 last year. After we checked the pathogen within the sample, we found it contained a new coronavirus, which is now called SARS-CoV-2," Wang said.
"We didn't have any knowledge before that, nor had we ever encountered, researched or kept the virus. In fact, like everyone else, we didn't even know the virus existed. How could it have leaked from our lab when we never had it?"
Hear more from Wang's interview with CGTN's Hu Chao.
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FILE PHOTO: Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland May 3, 2019. /Reuters
The World Health Organization on Monday warned that countries seeing a decline in COVID-19 infections could still face an "immediate second peak" if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak.
The world is still in the middle of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, WHO emergencies head Dr Mike Ryan told an online briefing, noting that while cases are declining in many countries they are still increasing in Central and South America, South Asia and Africa.
Ryan said epidemics often come in waves, which means that outbreaks could come back later this year in places where the first wave has subsided. There was also a chance that infection rates could rise again more quickly if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon.
"When we speak about a second wave classically what we often mean is there will be a first wave of the disease by itself, and then it recurs months later. And that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months' time," Ryan said.
"But we need also to be cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now it is going to keep going down and we are get a number of months to get ready for a second wave. We may get a second peak in this wave."
He said countries in Europe and North America should "continue to put in place the public health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don't have an immediate second peak."
Many European countries and U.S. states have taken steps in recent weeks to lift lockdown measures that curbed the spread of the disease but caused severe harm to economies.
Reuters Image
The number of COVID-19 infections in Africa have surpassed 111,000 as the disease continues to spread around the continent.
Data from the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows the continent had recorded 111,348 cases with 3,348 deaths as of Monday afternoon.
The agency also noted that Africa had registered 44,630 recoveries from the disease.
South Africa remains the continent's worst affected country by the disease, having reported more than 22,000 cases and deaths exceeding 400.
The figures make South Africa the only African state whose number of COVID-19 infections have topped 20,000.
Other than South Africa, only Egypt has reported more than 10,000 cases. The North African country has registered 17,265 infections.
The continental disease control and prevention agency added that the COVID-19 pandemic had spread across all 54 African countries.
Sants market in Barcelona, Spain, May 8, 2020. /Xinhua
Spain to lift quarantine for foreign tourists from July 1
Spain will lift a requirement for foreign tourists to undergo a two-week quarantine from July 1, the government said on Monday in a statement.
Under current restrictions, visitors from abroad must isolate themselves for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya had previously said the measure would be relaxed in July, without specifying the date.
As of Monday, Spain has reported a total of 235,772 cases of COVID-19 with more than 28,000 fatalities nationwide, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
(With input from Reuters)
CGTN Exclusive: The story of COVID-19 in the words of Wuhan lab expert
Editor's note: The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been in the eye of the storm since the novel coronavirus disease, later known as COVID-19, engulfed the world. Leaving almost nowhere untouched, the virus of unknown etiology has so far infected over 5 million people globally, with a death toll exceeding 338,000. It has forced shutdowns worldwide, crippling economies and upending lives overnight.
Since the first known cases were reported last December, scientists have raced to find the origins of the virus in the hope of developing a vaccine. In the meantime, a blame game is going on, with conspiracy theories ranging from the virus "leaking" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology to China "concealing" crucial information, despite repeated claims from scientists that it originated from nature.
CGTN spoke to three top epidemiologists from the institute to get their take on these rumors, how they view the outbreak and progress on cooperating with their international counterparts. The following interview with Shi Zhengli (Shi), a virologist and researcher at the institute, is the second in this series. You can read the first story here.
CGTN: Per reports, it was on December 30, 2019 that your team first obtained samples of the novel coronavirus. What have you done since then for identifying the pathogen?
Shi: We obtained samples on the afternoon of December 30, 2019, and our team first carried out coronavirus studies on the samples, which were thought to be from an unexplained case of pneumonia, since my laboratory has long been researching on coronaviruses. Meanwhile, we performed high-throughput sequencing of the samples and the isolation of pathogens. And then in a very short time, we identified that this was a new type of coronavirus in these samples. We obtained its whole genome sequence. It showed that the pathogen's sequence was not the same as the already existing viruses. So we named it a novel coronavirus. We, along with two other medical institutes in our country, submitted this genome sequence to the World Health Organization on January 12, 2020. At the same time, we also uploaded other sequences to a gene library called GISAID for governments and scientists around the world to identify pathogens and develop vaccines and screen drugs.
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Spain's lockdown eased, UK schools to reopen: COVID-19 daily bulletin
- Spain has further eased its lockdown restrictions on Monday. Some areas will be entering phase one of the relaxation which includes the reopening of malls, cafes and some museums. Other areas will enter the more relaxed phase two where some beaches will be allowed to reopen.
- Boris Johnson, the UK's Prime Minister, has announced that schools will begin to gradually reopen in England from June 1.
- Germany's economy was pushed into recession in the first quarter of the year due to falling consumer spending, capital investments and exports as a result of COVID-19, the national statistics office said on Monday.
- France's measures to prop up the economy during COVID-19 has so far cost $490 billion, or the equivalent of 20 percent of GDP, the finance minister has said.
- Russia reports 8,946 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours as the country climbed to 350,000 cases overall. Fatalities also rose by 92 overnight, taking the overall death toll to 3,633.
- Hungary reopened its southern border with Serbia from Monday morning, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced.
- Italy recorded 50 new deaths on Sunday, however the data did not include deaths from the worst affected Lombardy region due to technical problems. Italy's death toll now stands at 32,785, the third highest in the world behind U.S. and the UK.
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Hubei's soon-to-be graduates can return to school starting June 8
The soon-to-be graduates in the colleges of central China's Hubei Province can return to schools starting June 8, according to local authorities.
The Hubei provincial COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters announced on Monday that higher educational institutions can arrange their soon-to-be graduates for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as senior students in higher vocational schools, to return in batches, if the students are willing to do so.
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Japan completely lifts COVID-19 state of emergency
Japan on Monday lifted the state of emergency that was still in place for five prefectures, which includes Hokkaido, Tokyo and three prefectures surrounding the capital.
This put a complete end to the state of emergency that began on April 7.
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Greece reopens island ferries, cafes in tourism restart
Greece restarted regular ferry services to its islands on Monday with cafes and restaurants also back open for business as the country accelerated efforts to salvage its tourism season.
Travel to the islands had been generally off-limits since a lockdown was imposed in late March to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, while only goods suppliers and permanent residents were allowed access.
But the country's low infection rate in the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the government to start the holiday season three weeks earlier than the expected June 15 date, as other Mediterranean countries – including Italy, Spain and Turkey – are grappling with deadlier virus outbreaks.
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Russia reports 8,946 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 353,427
Russia reported 8,946 new novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its coronavirus response center said Monday.
The overall number of cases nationwide now stands at 353,427. An additional 92 people died over the past 24 hours, bringing the country's official death toll to 3,633.
Sholban Kara-ool tests positive for COVID-19
Chairman Sholban Kara-ool of the Tuva Republic of Russia announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19 on his social media account on Monday.
Sholban Kara-ool is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
"Thanks to doctors, nurses! Good health to all! Everything will be fine," he said in a post on social media.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Peru extends lockdown for the fifth time
Peru on Friday extended its state of emergency and a nationwide lockdown for the fifth time to fight the coronavirus pandemic until the end of June, marking one of the longest periods of mandatory isolation in the world.
The Andean nation, which began the lockdown in mid-March, will have lived under it for more than three and half months by a June 30 expiration, outlasting restrictions in Italy, Spain and China, some of the hardest hit countries in the pandemic.
As of Monday, Peru has reported 119,959 cases of coronavirus, second most in Latin America after Brazil, including 3,456 deaths.
Peruvian soldiers stand at the border between Peru and Bolivia after their government's announcement of the border closure in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, in Desaguadero, Bolivia, March 17, 2020. /Reuters
New Zealand to allow gatherings of 100 from Friday
Limits on the size of social gatherings in New Zealand will be eased from 10 to 100 from midday on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced, and church services, funerals and parties will be allowed.
New Zealand is now under level two restrictions with schools and a majority of business reopening.
The country has been relatively successful in containing COVID-19, recording about 1,500 cases and 21 deaths.
Ardern said the Cabinet would discuss the lockdown rules again on June 8 and would consider by June 22 whether New Zealand could safely move to the level 1 alert.
(With input from agencies)
Latest on global COVID-19 developments
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 289 to 178,570, and death toll rose by 10 to 8,257.
South Korea reported 16 more cases on Monday, raising the total number of infections to 11,206. One more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 267. The total fatality rate stood at 2.38 percent.
India reported 6,977 new cases with 154 new deaths, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 138,845 and death toll rose to 4,021. The federal civil aviation minister said domestic flights will resume on Monday after a day of "hard negotiations."
Spain's death toll rose by 70 to 28,752, and the number of confirmed cases rose to 235,772 from 235,290. Spain will begin lifting lockdown measures in Madrid and Barcelona from Monday, and people will then be allowed to meet in groups of up to 10, parks will reopen and some museums will allow limited number of visitors.
Paraguay recorded 12 new cases and 11 new deaths, nearly 60 percent of Paraguay's economic and social activities have been reactivated.
Thailand confirmed two new cases and one additional death, raising a total of 3,042 confirmed cases and death toll to 57. And more than 96 percent of the patients, or 2,928 people, have recovered so far.
Wuhan authorities urge citizens to get COVID-19 nucleic acid tests
The capital city of central China's Hubei Province, Wuhan, urged residents who have not had nucleic acid tests to register in their communities and arrange sampling tests, local health authorities said on Monday.
Wuhan, the worst affected city by the coronavirus in China, issued an order to test every resident in the city for the novel coronavirus within 10 days starting from May 15.
More than 9 million residents have been tested so far. Starting from May 23, a total of 231 sampling sites have been set up in various districts of Wuhan to provide replacement services for residents who failed to collect samples for various reasons. For the elderly, the disabled and other special groups, medical personnel will visit their home to conduct the tests.
Wuhan, the worst affected city by the coronavirus in China, issued on May 11 an order to test every resident in the city for the novel coronavirus within 10 days. /VCG
Mexico's president warns of 1 million job losses due to COVID-19
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday that the COVID-19 pandemic could cost as many as a million jobs in the country, as many industries considered not essential remain shut.
"My prediction is that with coronavirus, a million jobs will be lost," Lopez Obrador said in a televised speech. "But we will create two million new jobs."
The country on Sunday reported 2,764 new cases and 215 fresh deaths, adding totals to 68,620 and 7,394, respectively.
Boris Johnson says lockdown-breaking advisor acted 'with integrity'
UK prime minister Boris Johnson backed his chief advisor Dominic Cummings, who travelled 400 km (250 miles) to northern England during the coronavirus lockdown.
At Sunday's daily press briefing, Johnson reacted to the growing clamour for Cummings's dismissal by saying his aide had acted "responsibly, legally and with integrity."
Johnson's office said Cummings made the journey to ensure his four-year-old son could be properly cared for as his wife was ill with COVID-19 and there was a "high likelihood" that Cummings would himself become unwell.
"I think that what they did was totally understandable," Johnson insisted. "I think any father, any parent would frankly understand what he did and I certainly do."
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Japan to launch fresh stimulus package worth over $929 bln
The Japanese government is considering a coronavirus relief package of over 100 trillion yen (929 billion U.S. dollars) as a way to support companies and employees severely hit by COVID-19, the Nikkei newspaper said on Monday.
The move would be the latest measure by the government to cushion the economic blow under the pandemic, following last month's record 117 trillion yen stimulus.
More than 60 trillion yen would be used as unsecured financing to businesses with little or no interest, about 12 trillion yen would come in the form of capital support, and an existing pool of public funds to rescue struggling lenders would be expanded to roughly 15 trillion yen, reported by the Nikkei.
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Veneto governor: Venice Film Festival to go ahead in September
The Venice Film Festival will go ahead as scheduled at the beginning of September, Luca Zaia, governor of the region around the Italian city said on Sunday as the spread of the new coronavirus in the country slows.
Organized by the Biennale di Venezia company, Venice is the world's longest running film festival. In January it announced that Cate Blanchett would preside over its 77th edition.
Due to the lockdowns imposed on the film industry across the world to limit the spread of the virus, the festival will probably be attended by fewer productions, said Zaia, who is also a board member of the Biennale di Venezia.
The Cannes Film Festival, the world's largest, was forced to postpone its latest edition in May due to the virus epidemic.
Italy plans to lift all travel curbs from June 3 and travelers from European Union countries will be able to enter without going into quarantine.
The country recorded 119 new deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic on Saturday, bringing the death toll in Italy to 32,735, the third highest total in the world after the United States and Britain.
At the 76th Venice Film Festival Awards Ceremony, Emmanuelle Seigner accepts on behalf of director Roman Polanski the Silver Lion award, Grand Jury Prize in Venice, Italy, September 7, 2019. /Reuters
The Chinese mainland on Sunday recorded 11 new COVID-19 cases, all were imported, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 1,724 imported COVID-19 cases and 40 new asymptomatic patients were registered on the Chinese mainland, and 1,678 have recovered.
The total confirmed cases stand at 82,985, with 4,634 deaths, and 396 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,065 (1,030 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (414 recoveries, 7 deaths)
China's Inner Mongolia reports 10 imported COVID-19 cases
North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reported 10 new imported cases of COVID-19 from Sunday to Monday. All of them were diverted from international flights at the Beijing capital airport to the Hohhot airport, and two of them were previously suspected cases, local health authorities said on Monday.
The total number of imported cases in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region stands at 150, with no asymptomatic infections.
All patients were quarantined in designated hospitals and all close contacts were placed in designated locations for medical observation.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
South Africa's total number of confirmed cases rose to 22,583, with 429 deaths. The president announced on Sunday a further easing of the country's coronavirus lockdown from June 1, allowing the vast majority of the economy to return to full capacity.
France reported 115 new cases, the lowest daily increase since mid-March, and the total climbed to 144,921. The number of patients in intensive care continued the downward trend, falling by 10 to 1,655.
The UK reported 118 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 36,793. The prime minister confirmed that primary schools in England will reopen from June 1, with secondary schools providing "some contact" for year 10 and year 12 students to help them prepare for exams next year from June 15.
Chile confirmed 3,709 new cases in the previous 24 hours, raising the total number to 69,102 and death toll to 718 as 45 new deaths were reported. The country has been working to strengthen its healthcare infrastructure to deal with the increase in admissions.
Turkey's total number of confirmed cases rose to 156,827 after 1,141 new infections were reported, and the death toll rose to 4,340 after 32 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours.
Italy recorded 50 new deaths on Sunday, the lowest daily increase since March 7, and the total number of infections stands at 229,858. The number of recoveries rose to 140,479, an increase of 1,639 compared to Saturday, and the number of active infections fell by 1,158 to 56,594.
Trump bars travel from Brazil, a new pandemic hot spot: White House
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday suspended travel from Brazil, which has emerged as a major new hot spot in the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said.
Non-Americans who have been in Brazil in the 14-day period prior to when they seek admittance to the U.S. cannot come to America, said White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Trade is not affected by the new rule. "Today's action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country," she said in a statement.
The new travel restriction will take effect starting Thursday midnight.
Brazil, now the world's No. 2 coronavirus hot spot behind the U.S., registered 653 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, taking its death toll 22,666, while the total number of infections rose to 363,211, up 15,813 from Saturday, according to its health ministry.
Meanwhile, more than 1.64 million people in the U.S. have contracted the coronavirus and nearly 98,000 have died.
And in a tweet on Sunday, Trump expressed optimism that the numbers would continue to go down. "Cases, numbers and deaths are going down all over the Country!"
In an interview during a Fox News virtual town hall earlier this month, Trump said as many as 100,000 people could die in the U.S.
Read more:
Trump 'firmly' believes virus vaccine will be ready by end of 2020, pushes for economic reopening
Scientists in Thailand began testing a COVID-19 vaccine on monkeys as part of an independent study. 13 long-tailed macaques were injected with the vaccine and their antibody levels will then be measured after exposure to the virus.
NE China's Jilin maintains ample daily necessities for citizens amid outbreak
The second wave of COVID-19 in northeast China's Jilin City has forced the local authorities to take proper precautions. Malls, markets and restaurants have been closed until further notice, while those still open have to cater to the city's 4.5 million people.
Fengman district, a high-risk neighborhood under partial lockdown, has implemented the toughest travel ban in Jilin's history. The district announced on May 18 that citizens living in residential areas with confirmed cases must stay at home, with food and daily necessities delivered to each household every three days by the community service.
Meanwhile, in areas less affected, each family may assign one person to go out with a permit and shop every day. However, many residents feel reluctant to do so, worrying about potential risks they may face. Employees of a supermarket chain have volunteered to help residents in full protective gear.
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FM Wang Yi calls for global cooperation to defeat coronavirus
The coronavirus is the common enemy of mankind, and unity and cooperation are the most advantageous weapons to defeat the virus, said Wang Yi, Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, at the press conference of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday.
"The most important thing we could learn from COVID-19 is that the life and health of people in different countries have never been so closely connected. Also, it has never been made so clear that all nations live in the same global village and that humanity is, in fact, a community with a shared future," Wang said.
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The Japanese government has decided to lift the state of emergency in the last few prefectures still under the measure and will consult with a panel of experts on Monday, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Japan has yet to end the emergency situation for Tokyo and nearby prefectures, as well as Hokkaido, despite lifting the measure for other areas across the country.
As of Sunday, Japan has reported a total of 16,536 cases of COVD-19 with 808 fatalities nationwide, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: Few passengers are seen at Tokyo Station in Tokyo, Japan, May 4, 2020. /Xinhua)
Russia reports 8,599 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 344,481
Russia reported 8,599 new novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its coronavirus response center said Sunday.
The overall number of cases nationwide now stands at 344,481. An additional 153 people died over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 3,541.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
India reported 147 new deaths and 6,767 new cases, taking the country's total number of fatalities to 3,867 and total cases to 131,868 as of Sunday morning at 8.
South Korea said on Sunday that 25 new coronavirus cases were detected in the past 24 hours, including 17 local transmissions. The country now has 11,190 confirmed cases, including 266 deaths.
Japan reported 28 new coronavirus cases and 12 new deaths on Saturday, taking its total to 16,550 infections and 820 deaths. Its government is expected to lift the emergency status for five remaining prefectures, including Tokyo, on Monday.
Thailand on Sunday reported no new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, maintaining its total of 3,040 confirmed cases and 56 fatalities. Sunday marked the fourth day in May, with no new daily cases recorded.
Kazakhstan said it has recorded 403 new cases in the past 24 hours as of Sunday morning at 10. There're a total of 8,322 confirmed cases and 35 deaths.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 431 to 178,281, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on Sunday. The country's death toll rose by 31 to 8,247.
77 Nobel laureates denounce U.S. decision to end coronavirus grant
In a joint open letter to the U.S. National Institutes for Health (NIH) last Thursday, 77 American Nobel laureates in science expressed their deep concern about the cancellation of a federal grant to a group researching the origin of the novel coronavirus, calling for a thorough review of the decision.
The letter, organized by Richard J. Roberts of New England Biolabs, came one day after 31 science societies criticized cancellation, saying it politicized science and that "the action taken by the NIH must be immediately reconsidered."
A screenshot of the open letter to the U.S. National Institutes for Health
France sees further drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations
France on Saturday reported a further decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations, nearly two weeks after the government eased lockdown measures.
Coronavirus infection rates have slowed further and the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital and intensive care continued to fall, health ministry figures showed, a sign that social distancing is keeping the contagion in check for now.
Health ministry data on Saturday showed the number of confirmed cases rose by 250 to 144,806 over 24 hours, an increase of 0.2 percent, below the average 0.3 percent increase of the past seven days and well below the average 0.8 percent increase seen in the last week of lockdown.
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People walk at Trocadero square near Paris' Eiffel Tower, May 16, 2020. /Reuters
Chinese medical teams arrive in Republic of the Congo and Peru
Two Chinese medical teams on Saturday arrived in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo, and Peru's capital, Lima, respectively, to assist in epidemic prevention and control.
The Peruvian health minister thanked the Chinese government for sending a team of experts to Peru, and expressed gratitude for China's strong help and comprehensive support since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
The 12-member team of experts sent to the Republic of the Congo covers respiratory medicine, infection, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, infectious disease control, medical testing, imaging and nursing.
The team sent to Peru consists of four members and covers areas such as respiratory and critical care medicine, infection management and neurology.
Upon their arrival, the two teams will conduct training in diagnosis, treatment, nursing and testing for local medical and health personnel, and provide guidance and advice on the establishment of epidemic prevention and control mechanisms, epidemiological investigation norms, identification and quarantine of close contacts and other aspects.
At present, a total of 487 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths have been reported in the Republic of the Congo. Peru has reported 115,754 confirmed cases and 3,373 deaths.
A Chinese medical team arrives in Peru's capital, Lima, May 23, 2020. /CCTV
Beijing resumes its first passenger flight to Hubei Province
Beijing resumes its first passenger flight to Hubei Province on Sunday since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, operated by Shenzhen Airlines, opening an air route for passengers from Hubei.
Special attention would be paid to ensuring the safety of passengers during the flight, while ground staff will conduct temperature checks, strictly collect relevant information – including ID, route to and from the city within 14 days, residence and contact information – and assist passengers in filling out electronic information cards.
The cabin crew will wear protective equipment throughout the flight and clean the toilets every hour. After the flight, a team of professional staff would disinfect the cabin, passenger ladder, corridor bridge and other common areas.
Passengers still need to wear masks and present health code "green pass" or a health certificate issued by the disease control department to enter or leave the terminal and board the flight.
UK PM rejects calls to fire top adviser for breaking coronavirus rules
The British government on Saturday rejected calls to sack top adviser Dominic Cummings over allegations he broke coronavirus lockdown rules by traveling across the country while displaying symptoms of the disease.
Cummings, who masterminded the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union during the Brexit referendum and announced he was suffering from coronavirus symptoms on March 30, traveled to his parents' home in Durham northeastern England on March 31, when a strict lockdown was already in place. It's more than 400 kilometers away from his London home.
In a televised address to the nation on March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced unprecedented limits on where and how people can meet and gather during the continuing coronavirus. One of these regulations said anyone with symptoms must self-isolate in their own homes and that people over 70, as Cummings' parents are, are not allowed to receive visitors.
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Argentina extends mandatory lockdown for Buenos Aires to June 7 – Fernandez
Argentina extended a mandatory lockdown for the capital Buenos Aires to June 7, President Alberto Fernandez announced on Saturday, after the city saw a steady increase in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days.
The nationwide lockdown, which was due to expire on Sunday, has been in place since March 20, though officials relaxed restrictions in some areas of the country.
As of Saturday, the country has a total of 11,353 coronavirus infections.
(With input from Reuters)
The Chinese mainland on Saturday recorded three new COVID-19 cases, two imported and one domestic, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 1,713 imported COVID-19 cases and 36 new asymptomatic patients were registered on the Chinese mainland, and 1,673 have recovered.
The total confirmed cases stand at 82,974, with 4,634 deaths, and 371 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,065 (1,029 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (411 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Italy reported 1,570 new cases and 119 more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 57,752 and death toll to 32,735. The country announced serological screening at a national level would begin next week on 150,000 people.
Brazil registered 965 new deaths on Saturday, taking the total number of fatalities to 22,013. The country has 347,398 confirmed cases, up 16,508 from Friday, when it overtook Russia to be the world's second hardest-hit country trailing the United States.
Georgia's total number of confirmed cases rose to 728, with 12 deaths, the state of emergency and some other restrictive measures were lifted at midnight on May 23.
France reported 250 new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 144,806. The number of patients in the hospital fell by 205 to 17,178 on Saturday, continuing a gradual decline that has lasted for more than five weeks since a high of 32,292 on April 14.
Germany recorded 638 new cases, with 42 more deaths, bringing the total number to 177,850, with 8,216 deaths.
Saudi Arabia announced 2,442 new cases and 15 more deaths, lifting the total number of confirmed cases to 70,161 and the death toll to 379. A 24-hour curfew was imposed in all cities and regions during Eid al-Fitr and gatherings of five or more people were banned.
Iraq's daily increase of new cases jumped to 308, the highest number recorded so far, bringing the total number of infections to 4,272, and the death toll to 2,585. The number of daily tests has risen from less than 200 in the early days of the outbreak to more than 6,000.
Egypt witnessed on Saturday a new record of 28 single-day fatalities, bringing the death toll to 735, while the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 16,513. The evening curfew will be 13 hours instead of nine from Monday, for six days, to maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
South America is the new epicenter of COVID-19 with Brazil, Peru, Chile and Ecuador being the hardest-hit countries, according to the World Health Organization.
Overall infection rates in the U.S. are slowing but in about 25 states they remain steady, according to the local media reports.
However, six states have reported an increase in cases because of more testing.
In Missouri, a hairstylist exposed at least 91 people to COVID-19 after working for eight days while symptomatic, according the public officials.
The report says it is unknown when the stylist tested positive but it is believed to have happened while traveling.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department says officials are working on contacting those who could have been exposed to the virus.
With the Memorial Day weekend, health officials are urging Americans to take precautions as many communities ease COVID-19 restrictions for celebrations.
Several states have reopened beaches and some entertainment venues.
"Go out, wear a mask, stay six feet away from anyone so you can have the physical distancing. As long as you're not in a crowd and you're not in a situation where you can physically transmit the virus," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation's top infectious disease experts, in a CNN town hall.
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70% of businesses in Dubai are expected to close within the next six months because of COVID-19, according to a survey by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
"Full and partial city-lockdown measures are bringing demand in key markets to a standstill. The double-shock impact is pushing economic activity down to levels not seen even during the financial crisis," said the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
A Dubai Chamber spokesman also qualified the survey's results, and issued a statement saying, "Dubai Chamber surveyed 1,228 out of 245,000 companies in Dubai in April when the lockdown measures were in the most strict phase. Their sentiments were based on the expectation that the strictest lockdown phase would be prolonged."
"We anticipate that business confidence will improve significantly in the coming weeks and months as businesses return to more normal operation."
Dubai relies on hospitality, tourism, entertainment, logistics, property and retail, which are all industries being impacted by the pandemic.
The United Arab Emirates currently has nearly 28,000 positive COVID-19 cases.
In March, the Dubai government announced a 1.5 billion dirham ($408 million) stimulus package to help those impacted by the virus.
The UAE's central bank also issued a $70 billion package to help businesses.
CNBC reports, many businesses still need additional support but are uncertain of how the economy will recover.
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Spain will reopen its borders to tourists in July and its top soccer division will kick off again in June. /REUTERS.
Spain will reopen its borders to tourists in July and its top soccer division will kick off again in June, the Prime Minister said on Saturday, marking another phase in the easing of one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.
Pedro Sanchez's dual announcements coincided with calls for his resignation over the lockdown's impact on the economy from the far-right Vox party, which called protests in cities across Spain drawing thousands of horn-blaring cars and motorbikes.
"From July, foreign tourism will resume in safe conditions. We will guarantee tourists will not take any risks and will not bring us any risks,”Sanchez told a televised news conference, without giving further details.
Foreign visitors contribute around an eighth of Spain's economic output and the government curbs - taken to contain one of Europe's severest coronavirus outbreaks - shuttered everything from hotels, bars and restaurants to beaches and leisure parks just as its tourism season got under way.
Spain's overnight death toll from the coronavirus rose by 48 on Saturday to a total of 28,678, the seventh straight day that the fatality rate has been less than 100, while the total number of cases rose to 235,290.
Close to a million jobs were lost in March alone when the lockdown began and the Bank of Spain has forecast the economy will contract by up to 12% this year.
Sanchez also said another national money-spinner, top flight La Liga soccer, would resume on June 8 with matches played in empty stadiums.
Saturday's protesters called on him and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias - head of left-wing Podemos, the junior partner in Socialist Sanchez's coalition - to resign over their handling of the crisis and, in particular, the economic fallout.
"It is time to make a big noise against the government of unemployment and misery that has abandoned our self-employed and workers,”Vox said. The government says the lockdown has allowed it to get the pandemic under control.
Restrictions on movement are being gradually eased, with bars in some parts of the country already being allowed to open their terraces, and museums and churches reopening, though residents of Madrid and Barcelona, both national epicentres of the virus, will only follow suit on Monday.
Sanchez said there would be a 10-day period of national mourning for victims starting on Tuesday.
Italy recorded 119 new deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic on Saturday against 130 the day before. /AFP.
Italy recorded 119 new deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic on Saturday against 130 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases rose marginally to 669 from 652 on Friday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 32,735, the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
The Civil Protection Agency said the total number of confirmed cases in Italy since the start of its outbreak now amounts to 229,327, the sixth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Spain, Britain and Brazil.
People registered as currently carrying the illness dipped to 57,752 on Saturday from 59,322 the day before.
There were 572 people in intensive care on Saturday, down from 595 on Friday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 138,840 were declared recovered against 136,720 a day earlier.
The agency said 2.164 million people had been tested for the virus as of Saturday, against 2.122 million on Friday, out of a population of around 60 million.
The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 282 to 36,675, the government said. /REUTERS.
The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 282 to 36,675, the government said.
"Tragically, 36,675 people have now died,”Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told reporters at a Downing Street briefing. The government publishes the death toll based on those who definitely had COVID-19; broader figures based on suspected COVID-19 deaths give a bigger toll. More details to follow.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. /Xinhua News Agency
The 2019-20 La Liga season can resume on June 8, announced Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a press conference on Saturday.
"La Liga can begin again from June 8. The ball will roll with all the necessary health and safety conditions in place," said Sanchez who also assured the country that "the worst is behind us."
The final announcement will be made by the league. La Liga president Javier Tebas has been confident to bring football back to Spanish people soon. After all players of the 42 La Liga and Segunda División clubs finished tests for coronavirus, the clubs were allowed to conduct group training.
Javier Tebas, president of La Liga. /VCG
Bundesliga already resumed in Germany last weekend behind closed doors and that gave Tebas more confidence. "I'm very pleased. I have congratulated the CEO of the Bundesliga. They have done a very important job and I am very proud. It is the example to follow," said the La Liga boss to El Partidazo.
The other two major leagues, Serie A and Premier League are on the track of restarting and both are eyeing mid-June to resume.
La Liga has been suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic after the final game between SD Eibar and Real Sociedad on March 10. All teams have 11 games left to play.
Currently, Barcelona lead the league with 58 points, followed by Real Madrid (56 points). In the relegation area, RCD Espanyol, which Chinese striker Wu Lei plays for, are at the bottom with 20 points but remain hopeful of escaping the pit.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology quickly found itself in the eye of the storm after COVID-19 engulfed the world. Over the past months, a blame game is going on, with conspiracy theories ranging from the virus “leaking” from the institute to China “concealing” crucial information, despite repeated claims from scientists that it's originated from nature. CGTN talked to Wang Yanyi, an immunologist and director of the institute, to get her take on these rumors.
Here are the latest updates on COVID-19 around the globe
Russia plans to start producing a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer, Alexander Gunzburg, director of the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology said on Saturday, adding that the country's clinical research and development for a COVID-19 vaccine has been going well.
India on Saturday reported 6,654 new cases, the biggest single-day spike during the last 24 hours, pushing the infection tally across the country to 125,101, the federal health ministry said. The death toll has risen to 3,720 after 137 people died in the last 24 hours. India's central bank announced on Friday it slashed the repo rate by 40 basis points to four percent, the second cut this year to contain the economic fallout of the coronavirus.
Iran confirmed 1,869 novel coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the country's total number of cases to 133,521, according to the country's health ministry. The country also reported 59 new deaths, taking the total to 7,359.
Indonesia's COVID-19 cases rose by 949 within one day to 21,745, said the health ministry. The death toll in the country rose by 25 to 1,351.
COVID-19 in Seoul's Itaewon cluster belongs to virus group typical for U.S., Europe: health authorities
A total of 219 coronavirus cases have now been linked to the nightclub cluster in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon, according to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.
The first case of the cluster dated back to May 6 when a 29-year-old man tested positive for the virus following his visits to multiple entertainment facilities in Itaewon.
The type of the coronavirus detected in those who have visited nightclubs in Itaewon, belongs to the group of COVID-19 varieties with a set of nucleotide sequences typical to that from Europe and the U.S., Jung Eun-Kyeong, director of the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said earlier.
Health authorities said they would continue to investigate the issue to determine the exact route of transmission of the virus.
Latest figures: South Korea now has 11,165 cases nationwide and 266 deaths, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea. /CCTV
New study links hydroxychloroquine to increased risk of COVID-19 death
Hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial drug promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a "game changer" to treat COVID-19 patients, has been linked to an increased risk of death and serious heart problems, a study published on Friday in the medical journal The Lancet showed.
The international study analyzed data from more than 96,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients from 671 hospitals across six continents during the period between late December and mid-April. It is the largest observational analysis to date on the drug following disappointing results of earlier small studies.
Seriously ill COVID-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine or the closely-related drug chloroquine were more likely to die or develop dangerous arrhythmia, namely irregular heart rhythms that can lead to sudden cardiac death, it concluded.
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Russia reports 9,434 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 335,882
Russia reported 9,434 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, its coronavirus response center said Saturday.
The overall number of cases nationwide stood at 335,882. Another 139 people died over the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 3,388.
Latin America named virus epicenter as Trump demands U.S. churches reopen
The World Health Organization declared Latin America "a new epicenter" of the coronavirus pandemic Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump demanded churches reopen despite the ongoing COVID-19 threat.
Surges in infections across much of Central and South America continued to drive the global toll higher even as hard-hit nations in Europe, along with the United States, sought to move into a cautious recovery phase with new infections dipping.
COVID-19 has killed 338,160 people, with more than 5.2 million cases in 196 countries and territories.
Brazil this week become the latest flashpoint as its death toll surged past 21,000, with 330,890 cases. The Latin American giant is now the second most affected country behind the United States, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Other countries in the region, including Mexico, Chile and Peru, are also struggling to contain major outbreaks.
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The Vila Formosa cemetery on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 20, 2020. /AFP
Wuhan is conducting nucleic acid testing on all its residents, as shown in this video which documents the day of a community secretory named Zhou Chengyu in the city. After being notified to conduct tests, Zhou Chengyu and other community staff members immediately started registration in her neighborhood online, through telephone and knocking on doors. At the testing point, every resident maintains a safe distance. Meanwhile, testing staff disinfect the area after each sample is taken to prevent cross infection. Community testing sites give priority to children and the elderly. Local residents said the country and the CPC have attached great importance to people so that everyone's lives can be more at ease and secure.
The United States will exempt some foreign athletes who compete in professional sporting events in the United States from entry bans imposed because of the novel coronavirus epidemic, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said on Friday.
Wolf said this in a statement issued by the department, adding he had signed an order for the exemption and is "in support of the country's reopening of the economy."
The Chinese mainland recorded zero new COVID-19 case and death on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission.
A total of 1,711 imported COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, and 1,670 patients have recovered so far.
The commission also registered 28 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases stands at 82,971. The cumulative death toll is 4,634, and 370 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,065 (1,029 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (408 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Brazil becomes second coronavirus epicenter after the U.S.
Brazil reported 20,803 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours on Friday evening, taking the country's total infections to 330,890, according to local health authorities.
A total of 21,048 fatalities have been reported nationwide while 135,430 patients have recovered from COVID-19.
The country, the worst hit by the novel coronavirus in Latin America, now has the second-highest confirmed cases in the world.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpass 95,000, over 1.5 mln infections
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States has topped 95,000 on Friday, reaching 95,276 as of 12:32 p.m. (1632 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 1,588,322 cases have been reported in the country, according to the CSSE.
Hardest-hit New York state reported 28,743 fatalities among 358,154 cases.
Trump said on Thursday that the United States would not close if a second wave of COVID-19 comes.
FILE PHOTO: The UK home Secretary, Priti Patel. /REUTERS.
Travellers arriving in the UK from 8 June will have to tell the authorities where they will be staying and face spot checks to ensure they quarantine themselves for fourteen days, the home secretary, Priti Patel, has confirmed.
All new arrivals, including UK citizens, will be expected to fill in an online “contact locator form", including onward travel information. Failure to do so is punishable by a £100 fine.
Patel said:“As the world begins to emerge from what we hope is the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, we must look to the future and protect the British public by reducing the risk of cases crossing our border.
"We are introducing these new measures now to keep the transmission rate down and prevent a devastating second wave.
"Arrivals will be required to travel directly from their port or airport of arrival, preferably by car, to an address where they must then self-isolate for a fortnight.
"The details they provide the authorities will allow them to be traced, if someone they travelled with subsequently contracts the disease, and public health authorities will be also be able to check up to ensure the quarantine rules are being obeyed.
"Anyone failing to comply could face a fine of £1,000. Patel said: "I fully expect the majority of people will do the right thing and abide by these measures. But we will take enforcement action against the minority of people who endanger the safety of others.”
If their planned accommodation does not satisfy the authorities, arrivals will be put up in facilities arranged by the government, the Home Office says.
SOURCE: The Guardian
China's COVID-19 vaccine trial shows promising results: The Lancet
China's COVID-19 vaccine trial, the first such vaccine to reach phase 1 clinical trial, has been found to be safe, well-tolerated, and able to generate an immune response against SARS-COV-2 in humans, according to a study published online on Friday by medical journal The Lancet.
China has approved three COVID-19 vaccine candidates for clinical trials, with the recombinant adenovirus vector-based vaccine (Ad5-nCoV) listed as the world's first vaccine to go into phase two by the World Health Organization. This type of vaccine is able to act as a natural infection and is especially good at teaching the immune system how to fight the virus.
(With inputs from Xinhua.)
Read more: First inactivated COVID-19 vaccine enters 2nd phase of clinical trial
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
The UK's death toll from COVID-19 rose by 31 to 36,393 as of 1600 GMT on Thursday, the health ministry said. At least 254,195 people have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Spain will ease coronavirus lockdown in Madrid on Monday to allow outdoor dining and gatherings of up to 10 people, the regional health department said on Friday. The restrictions in the capital city will be the same as most of Spain, which started relaxing its lockdown earlier this month.
Russia is expecting a spike in the number of COVID-19 deaths for the month of May, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said on Friday.
President Vladimir Putin told officials on Friday to ramp up coronavirus testing, and said Russia's outbreak was stabilizing as there had been a gradual decrease in number of new daily cases.
Portugal reported 288 new cases on Friday, raising its nationwide tally to 30,200 cases. A further 12 people died of COVID-19, taking the death toll to 1,289.
Iran reported 51 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing its death toll to 7,300. A total of 2,311 new cases were also recorded, taking the number of infections to 131,652.
The Netherlands registered 188 new cases on Friday, raising its total to 44,888. The death toll increased by 13 to 5,788.
WHO has worked day and night to coordinate global COVID-19 response: Tedros
The World Health Organization has been working non-stop since the novel coronavirus emerged, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told its 194 member states on Friday.
"Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO has worked day and night to coordinate the global response at all three levels of the organization, providing technical advice, catalyzing political solidarity, mobilizing resources, coordinating logistics and much more," Tedros said in his opening remarks at a meeting of the Executive Board.
"So far, almost 800 million U.S. dollars has been pledged or received, leaving a gap of just over 900 million dollars," he said.
UK borrowing soars, retail sales plunge as COVID-19 hits economy
Britain's government borrowed more than it has done in any month on record in April, pushing up a measure of public debt to close to 100 percent of economic output, and retail sales fell by a record 18 percent as the coronavirus crisis hammered the economy.
April's borrowing of 62.1 billion pounds (75.80 billion U.S. dollars) was six times higher than in the same month last year and March's figure was revised up sharply to almost 15 billion pounds as the government's emergency job-saving scheme began.
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Malaysia PM to observe 14-day quarantine after exposure to official with COVID-19
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will observe a 14-day home quarantine after an official who attended a recent meeting he chaired tested positive for COVID-19, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Friday.
Muhyiddin himself has been tested and the result came back negative for COVID-19, according to the statement.
All other officials who attended the meeting have been instructed to be tested and to observe home quarantine for a period of 14 days, it said.
Trump pictured wearing face mask on visit to Ford ventilator factory
The U.S. President Donald Trump was pictured wearing a face mask with the presidential seal during a visit to Ford ventilator factory on Thursday, according to NBC News.
The mask was given by Ford, as the company said on Tuesday that it told Trump and his entourage that they had to wear masks during the tour as a coronavirus precaution.
Asked by reporters if he wore one during the visit, Trump said: "I had one on before. I wore one on in this back area. I didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it."
A screenshot of NBC News Twitter post showing U.S. President Trump wearing a face mask during his tour at Ford Rawsonville Components Plants in Michigan.
Latest COVID-19 development in some Asian countries
The Philippines on Friday recorded 11 additional coronavirus deaths and 163 more infections, the lowest daily increase in cases in nearly two weeks. The total infections have increased to 13,597, while deaths have reached 857 in the country.
Thailand on Friday extended the emergency rule against the COVID-19 pandemic for one more month until the end of June. The emergency rule, as well as curfew, was earlier scheduled to last until the end of May.
Malaysia on Friday reported 78 new coronavirus cases, raising the cumulative total to 7,137 cases. The country also reported one new death, bringing the total fatalities up to 115.
Japan reported 23 new cases, adding the country's total number of infections up to 16,541 as of Friday afternoon at 6. So far, the fatalities in Japan stands at 802.
In Singapore, the total infections have crossed the mark of 30,000 on Friday noon.
UK to give details on 14-day quarantine for international arrivals
The UK is set to introduce a quarantine period of 14 days for people arriving in the UK, including returning Britons on Friday, according to local media reports.
All the arrivals will be asked to provide information on where they will be staying during the self-quarantine period, as health and border officials carrying out spot checks, and those who breach the quarantine will be fined 1,000 pounds (around 1,217 U.S. dollars).
Earlier in May, the British and French governments said they would exempt French arrivals from the quarantine order, but the UK later denied the exemption.
Only people arriving from the Irish Republic would be exempt from the quarantine along with those in a number of specific jobs, such as freight drivers and research on the coronavirus, the UK government said.
(With input from Reuters)
Coronavirus cases in Singapore surpass 30,000
Coronavirus cases detected in Singapore has crossed the 30,000 mark on Friday, reaching 30,426 after new report of 614 additional infections in the city-state country.
The number was reported as of Friday noon, and the vast majority of the new cases involve foreign workers living in dormitories, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) said, adding only four new cases are either Singaporeans or permanent residents.
A migrant worker looks on from a swab isolation facility as he waits for his test results at a dormitory, amid the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore May 15, 2020. /Reuters
People wait outside Lima's central market as Peru extended a nationwide lockdown amid the outbreak of the coronavirus in Lima, Peru, May 8, 2020. /Reuters
China has sent a team of medical experts to Peru to help fight the coronavirus epidemic, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday.
The team formed by the National Health Commission departed China early Friday morning.
It is the second group of medical professionals China has dispatched to Latin America amid the coronavirus pandemic, said Zhao. China first sent a medical team to Venezuela back in March to help with its COVID-19 response.
The Chinese experts will offer assistance in improving the epidemic control measures in place and the treatments for coronavirus patients in Peru.
Zhao said China will continue to provide help for Latin American and Caribbean countries in different forms, including sharing its experience fighting COVID-19, donating medical supplies and assisting in commercial purchases.
Russia reports 150 new COVID-19 deaths, total at 3,249
Russia on Friday reported 150 new fatalities from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, a record daily rise, taking the country's official nationwide death toll from the virus to 3,249.
The country's total number of confirmed cases rose to 326,448 as 8,894 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours.
Moscow reported 2,988 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 158,207. The mayor signed a decree to further implement the first phase of measures to lift the ban, including opening up some businesses in the national multi-functional public service network platform and resuming car-sharing services, but still wearing masks and gloves when traveling on public transport.
At present, more than 8.1 million COVID-19 tests have been carried out in Russia, and 285,000 were detected within 24 hours. About 277,000 people are under medical observation.
Against Trump, U.S. top health official says virus vaccine should be global public good
If the United States is the first to develop an effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus, it has to quickly share it with the world, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, told AFP in an interview.
President Donald Trump's administration has suggested that while it would share its scientific know-how, it would prioritize the production of doses for the U.S. population from the get-go.
But Collins said he "absolutely" agrees with the French and Chinese leaders that a vaccine should be what they have called a "global public good," and expressed particular concern for countries in Africa.
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Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
Germany reported 460 new COVID-19 cases and 27 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 177,212, and death toll stands at 8,174.
India recorded 148 new deaths, besides another 6,088 positive cases, since Thursday in the country, as the highest one-day spiked so far in the country, taking the number of deaths to 3,583 and total cases to 118,447.
Bulgaria had 2,331 confirmed coronavirus cases and 120 deaths so far, a relatively low number in Europe. It has started to ease its lockdown, has scrapped a ban on the entry of visitors from the European Union and Schengen visa zone countries.
Brazil's death toll surpassed the mark of 20,000 on Thursday following a record 1,188 24-hour increase, and the death toll stands at 20,047, out of more than 310,000 confirmed cases so far reported in the country, the worst hit by the novel coronavirus in Latin America.
Chile reported 3,924 new cases with 45 new deaths in last 24 hours, the most in a single day since the outbreak began, raising total number to 57,581 with 589 deaths.
Israel confirmed zero deaths on Thursday, keeping the death toll at 279; it was the first time since March 28 that no daily fatalities are recorded in Israel. It also reported 18 new cases, bringing the total number in the country to 16,683.
China was the first to take very strong actions and is the first to be exiting the COVID-19 crisis, so there are a lot of valuable lessons to be learned from China's experience, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday.
"China, clearly, has been taking very strong actions to combat the pandemic," IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said at a virtual press briefing, adding that China is moving ahead in some areas, which can carry lessons for others. "For example, in electronic payment systems, e-commerce, linking very small firms to markets and consumers," he said.
Rice also said that China has an important role to play in helping the world and the poorer countries, in particular, noting that China has pledged to support the Group of 20 Debt Relief Initiative for low-income countries.
The IMF spokesperson welcomed China and a number of other countries' "very generous contribution" to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT), which can provide some debt relief to the IMF's poorest member countries.
Rice said under the revamped CCRT, 27 countries have so far received immediate relief on their payment obligations to the multilateral lender. "We're looking to triple that debt relief from the IMF," he said.
At the press briefing, the spokesperson also noted that the IMF has received emergency financing requests from 102 countries, of which 59 had been approved as of Wednesday.
There were no new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no new asymptomatic infections reported on Thursday, the authorities in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province announced Friday, adding that the last asymptomatic patient in the province had been discharged from quarantine.
A total of 559 confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases have been reported in the province as of Thursday, with 467 asymptomatic patients still under medical observation.
A total of 386 confirmed imported cases in the province have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, but five people were still under medical observation as of Thursday.
Premier Li urges country to redouble its efforts to minimize COVID-19 losses, fulfill development targets
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called on the country to redouble its efforts to minimize the losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and fulfill the targets and tasks for economic and social development this year.
Premier Li made the remarks while delivering a government work report at the opening of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing.
The COVID-19 epidemic is the fastest spreading, most extensive and most challenging public health emergency China has encountered since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Li said.
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The Chinese mainland recorded four new COVID-19 cases, two domestic and two imported, on Thursday, according to China's National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
A total of 1,711 imported COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, and 1,558 patients have recovered so far.
The commission also registered 35 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,971. The cumulative death toll is 4,634, and 365 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said six patients were discharged on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,255.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,063 (1,029 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 441 (407 recoveries, seven deaths)
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would not close in the case of a second coronavirus wave.
"People say that's a very distinct possibility. It's standard. And we're going to put out the fires. We're not going to close the country. We're going to put out the fires," Trump told reporters when asked if he was concerned about a second wave of COVID-19 during a tour of a Ford manufacturing plant in the state of Michigan.
"A permanent lockdown is not a strategy for a healthy state or a healthy country. Our country wasn't meant to be shut down," the president said. "A never-ending lockdown would invite a public health calamity. To protect the health of our people we must have a functioning economy."
All 50 states have announced plans to begin loosening restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, opening their economies at varying speeds. Health experts have warned of the likelihood of a second wave of the virus coming fall or winter.
The coronavirus has sickened over 1.5 million Americans and caused over 90,000 domestic deaths. The death toll is expected to reach 100,000 by the beginning of June, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On the same day, President Trump tweeted that he would order U.S. flags lowered to half-staff for three days in honor of Americans who have died from the novel coronavirus.
"I will be lowering the flags on all Federal Buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in memory of the Americans we have lost to the Coronavirus," Trump said.
"On Monday, the flags will be at half-staff in honor of the men and women in our Military who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation," he added. Monday marks the U.S. Memorial Day holiday, observed in remembrance of those who have died in service.
Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Hackett (L) and Executive Chairman of Ford William Clay Ford Jr. (C) speak with US President Donald Trump as they tour the Ford Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan on May 21, 2020. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
The world has seen more than five million coronavirus cases and more than 330,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In the United States, there have been 1.56 million cases and nearly 94,000 deaths.
Unemployment data related on Thursday showed that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the past two months has reached almost 39 million.
In the last week, 2.4 million people filed initial claims for unemployment, the U.S. Labor Dept. reported.
While the weekly applications have decreased over the past seven weeks, the numbers are still 10 times higher than before the pandemic hit the United States.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump visited a Ford automotive plant in Michigan which is now producing ventilators and personal protective equipment.
Before the planned visit, Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel sent a letter to the White House asking that Trump wear a face mask during his visit to comply with the state's Executive Order on the coronavirus and Ford's safety protocols.
Trump was photographed not wearing a mask during a meeting with black leaders before and during his tour. Ford officials wore masks during the tour and Trump appeared to be keeping a six-foot distance when he spoke to them.
When asked by reporters why he didn't Trump said he was wearing a mask in the "back" area of the plant but that he "didn't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing him" in a mask.
He said he was tested for the coronavirus in the morning and the results were negative.
Trump also tweeted earlier in the day that the G7 summit for heads of the world's leading economies. "looks like" it "will be on."
Around the world, coronavirus cases in Russia continued to grow. The country now has more than 317,500 cases, followed by Brazil with nearly 291,600 cases. The U.S. continues to have the highest death toll from the virus followed by the United Kingdom and Italy.
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In Peru, the COVID-19 outbreak has brought much of the nation to a standstill, as the health system attempts to handle the pandemic, as the virus claims more than 100,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths.
This video breaks down the impact that the virus has had on the country and who has been most affected by it. It also examines how the main hope for the country is improving its testing capabilities.
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Test tube with a COVID-19 name label, January 29, 2020. /Reuters
China's large-scale COVID-19 testing may pave the way for a strong economic recovery, a renowned U.S. economist has said.
"Although there are no official national data on the number of tests that have been carried out in China, press reports suggest that China, at least in certain localities, has tested widely and strategically for COVID-19," Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Washington D.C.-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote Tuesday in an analysis.
"Because China's economic recovery will depend largely on reviving its service sector, its strategy of large-scale testing for COVID-19 can help restore consumer confidence, paving the way for a stronger recovery in private consumption," Lardy said.
"Confidence generated by widespread testing that shows that the number of asymptomatic cases is quite limited is also a precondition for citizens to resume traveling, shopping, dining out, and so forth-all essential for the hard-hit service sector to recover," Lardy added.
Widespread testing is also critical for avoiding a second wave of infections, which would lead to renewed lockdowns with their associated economic costs, noted Lardy.
Amid the COVID-19 impact, China's gross domestic product in the first quarter shrank 6.8 percent year on year, according to data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics.
Output in China will recover significantly in the second quarter and for the rest of the year, Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economics professor at Columbia University and a senior United Nations advisor, told Xinhua recently.
"China's economic recovery will ultimately depend on the success of a large part of the world overcoming the epidemic in a cohesive manner," Sachs said.
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The United States government has ordered 300 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and hopes first doses can be made available by October, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday.
"This contract with AstraZeneca is a major milestone in Operation Warp Speed's work toward a safe, effective, widely available vaccine by 2021," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
The U.S. is the world's worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic, having reported more than 1.5 million infections with over 93,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Globally, the disease has infected more than 5 million people, with a death toll exceeding 329,000.
Scotland sets to ease coronavirus lockdown from May 28
Scottish government Thursday revealed a four-phase "roadmap" to ease lockdown measures in the region with some new rules to start from May 28.
Those relaxations include permission for people to conduct non-contact sports like tennis, golf. Garden centers and some other outdoor business will be resumed.
And people will be able to meet one person from another household if they stay two meters apart outdoors.
But all Scotland's schools will reopen from August 11, said Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She also added new rules are "not set in stone" and they will be reviewed every three weeks.
A total of 14,856 people in Scotland have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 2,221 patients have died in the region.
Japan lifts state of emergency in three additional prefectures
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday ended the state of emergency for the regions of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo.
Japan removed emergency measures in 39 of its 47 prefectures last Thursday. However, the state of emergency order is still in force in five prefectures: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba and Hokkaido.
Abe said the government might lift the state of emergency for other regions as early as next week if the positive trend continues.
"The state of emergency will continue in Tokyo, Hokkaido and other regions. We will meet with experts (on Monday) to update the situation on infections," Abe told reporters after ending the state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.
"If the current situation continues, it is possible that the state of emergency could be lifted in those areas."
CDC officials: White House driven by politics, not science over COVID-19
Staff members in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the White House has been driven by politics rather than science in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a CNN report revealed on Wednesday.
A senior CDC official also criticized the Trump administration for focusing on China instead of Europe in early March, allowing large numbers of European travelers to enter the United States when transmissions in Europe were mounting.
In interviews with CNN, CDC officials said the agency's efforts to address the global outbreak "have been hamstrung by a White House whose decisions are driven by politics rather than science," the report said.
"We've been muzzled," said a current CDC official. "What's tough is that if we would have acted earlier on what we knew and recommended, we would have saved lives and money."
Although the CDC alerted the White House of the rapid spread of the coronavirus on March 2, Trump did not announce strict travel restrictions on more than two dozen European countries until March 11.
"The White House was extremely focused on China and not wanting to anger Europe ... even though that's where most of our cases were originally coming from," said a CDC official.
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COVID-19 Global Roundup: Is it safe for students to go back to school?
Much of the world remains on some form of lockdown. But as countries slowly start to loosen restrictions, schools across the world are considering reopening.
But there are still many more unknowns than guarantees. Among the biggest is a question that worries many parents - is it safe for my kids to go back to school? - though the parents themselves have been exhausted by the homeschooling when they were also working from home.
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Answer Bank: What to eat during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Dealing with quarantine is hard. There is not much you can do. So you turn to your favorite salty and crunchy snacks. A few pretzels or chips are okay, but you might not be able to stop until you've finished the entire bag.
But, these processed foods usually contain a lot of simple carbohydrates, which can potentially drive anxiety and worsen your mood.
So what should you eat during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Russia's coronavirus infections surpass 317,000
Russia reported 8,849 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of documented infections to 317,554 as of Thursday.
The country's coronavirus response center said a total of 3,099 people have died nationwide due to COVID-19.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide topped five million on Thursday, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Over 328,000 people worldwide have died of the disease, the data showed.
India reports 5,609 new COVID-19 cases, total surpasses 110,000
India reported 5,609 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 112,359, data from the country's health ministry showed on Thursday.
The coronavirus death toll in India now stands at 3,435, up from 3,303 the previous day.
The number of coronavirus infections has recently surged in India. Total infections surpassed 50,000 on May 7, and the figure doubled in under two weeks.
A policeman stands past migrant workers and their families waiting for transport to reach to a railway station to board trains to their home states, after a limited reopening of India's rail network following a nearly seven-week lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus, in Ahmedabad, India, May 15, 2020. /Reuters
Japan to lift emergency state in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo: Economy Minister
Japan will lift its state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo on Thursday as the number of new coronavirus cases drops, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Thursday.
Tokyo and four other prefectures, including Hokkaido, will remain under the state of emergency.
Japan on Wednesday reported 39 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 16,433, according to broadcaster NHK.
The death toll increased by 11 to 784.
The Chinese mainland on Wednesday recorded two new COVID-19 cases, one domestic and one imported, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also registered 31 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,967, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 375 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said five patients were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,249.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,055 (1,026 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (402 recoveries, seven deaths)
WHO records largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said that more cases had been reported to the agency in the last 24 hours than any time since the novel coronavirus outbreak began.
"We still have a long way to go in this pandemic," Tedros said at a briefing in Geneva. "In the last 24 hours, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO – the most in a single day since the outbreak began. Almost two-thirds of these cases were reported in just four countries."
Tedros acknowledged having received a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, but declined to comment further. "The answer is simply we have received the letter and are looking into it," he said.
(With input from agencies)
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Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
Brazil on Wednesday reported a record high of 19,951 new cases within 24 hours, bringing its total to 291,579. The country also registered 888 new coronavirus deaths, raising its toll to 18,859.
The U.S.'s total confirmed cases reached 1,549,052 as of 19:25 EST on Wednesday. The death toll hit 93,214, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Canada registered 1,009 new cases on Wednesday, bringing its nationwide tally to 80,121. The death toll increased by 116 to 6,028.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Iran reported 2,346 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the country to 126,949 since the outbreak in late February. Meanwhile, 64 patients died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 7,183.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the country has gotten closer to the containment of the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Wednesday by seven to 961, while death toll remained unchanged at 26. Lebanon started its re-opening at the beginning of the week.
Turkey will ease existing 14-day quarantine restrictions for citizens coming from abroad at student dorms Wednesday. All returning citizens will now be asked to conduct 14-day home isolation following checks at airports.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan have increased by 39 to reach 16,433. Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus stands at 797. Japan is mulling the lift of state of emergency declarations for three prefectures including Osaka and Kyoto.
The Philippines recorded 279 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus Wednesday, the highest daily increase in nine days, and five additional deaths. Total deaths has reached 842, while infections have risen to 13,221.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia totaled 7,009 after 31 new cases were reported, its Health Ministry said on Wednesday; 5,706 patients or 81.4 percent of all cases have recovered while 114 have died.
Cambodia has lifted a ban on entry of visitors from Iran, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and U.S. that had been put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
Singapore announced that it will gradually allow travelers to transit through its Changi Airport starting June 2 as the country is set to start easing coronavirus curbs on the same date.
Also in India, domestic air travel will resume on May 25 after a two-month shutdown imposed to stop the spread of coronavirus, the aviation minister said Wednesday.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Germany increased by 797 within one day to 176,007, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Wednesday. COVID-19 deaths increased by 83 to 8,090 on Wednesday in the country, the tally showed.
The Netherlands reported 33 new deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, as 198 more people tested positive for the coronavirus. So far, 44,447 people have been diagnosed as infected with the virus, of whom 5,748 have died.
In Sweden, 88 more new deaths have been recorded, bringing the country's total death toll to 3,831.
Ukraine's government decided to ease nationwide lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic from May 22 with hotels allowed to reopen and public transport to resume.
(With input from agencies)
A mink. /VCG
Research into COVID-19 infections in the Netherlands showed possible human contamination by a mink, the Dutch Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality announced on Wednesday.
By the end of April several minks at two mink farms in Gemert-Bakel and Laarbeek in the Dutch province of North Brabant appeared to be contaminated with COVID-19. The minks showed various symptoms, including respiratory problems and an investigation was launched to determine the source of the infections.
Some employees also had COVID-19 symptoms at both companies.
By comparing the genetic codes of the virus of different animals and people with each other, a picture can be obtained over how people and animals have been infected in time and place. This type of research has also been done on the infected minks and humans.
One of the employees showed similarities with the virus found from a mink on the same farm. The researchers concluded that it is plausible that one employee of an infected mink farm was infected by a mink, which would be the first time in the Netherlands. Further research will follow, including into some cats on the farms who carried antibodies against the virus.
Based on these new insights, the Dutch government took a number of additional measures, including the mandatory screening of all mink farms in the Netherlands.
COVID-19 can push 60 million people into extreme poverty: World Bank
The head of the World Bank on Tuesday cautioned that the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to push up to 60 million people into extreme poverty (under 1.90 U.S. dollars per day), wiping out the gains made over the recent years.
"The pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people into extreme poverty, erasing much of the recent progress made in poverty alleviation," said World Bank Group President David Malpass.
Malpass said the World Bank is financing aid programs in 100 developing countries, home to 70 percent of the world's population, under the body's commitment to spend 160 billion U.S. dollars in grants and financial support over the next 15 months to help developing countries respond to COVID-19 impact and economic shutdown in advanced countries.
A participant stands near a logo of World Bank at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2018. /Reuters
Japan to lift state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo: NHK
Japan to lift the state of emergency in Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo from the list of eight remaining ones but keeping curbs in Tokyo area and Northern Hokkaido, NHK reported on Wednesday.
It is because the rate of new infections there has fallen below 0.5 per 100,000 people in the past week, a benchmark set by the government for the emergency declaration to be lifted.
The government is expected to hold an advisory panel meeting and make a decision on Thursday, according to NHK.
Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Wednesday that the nation was on a path towards containing the novel coronavirus.
But he said Japan was yet ready to promote tourism and added that some restrictions will remain, even if the government lifts its state of emergency in all regions.
Last week, 39 out of Japan's 47 prefectures will lift their state of emergency, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced while the other eight prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, will remain under the state of emergency.
In total, more than 16,400 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Japan. Over 780 have died.
Passengers wearing protective face masks are seen at a station in Tokyo, Japan, April 7, 2020. /Reuters
The 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival to be postponed
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organizing committee of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has decided to postpone the 23rd SIFF, which was originally scheduled to be held on June 13.
"Though the COVID-19 occurred unexpectedly during the preparation process of the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival, we still received many [sic] support and attention from film institutions and fans at home and abroad," the committee expressed their sincere thank on their official website.
The date of the 23rd SIFF will be announced in the near future; fans can go check on their website to obtain the latest arrangement.
Many netizens expressed their support for the organizing committee's decision. "It's the right thing to do. Safety first, let's keep expecting," commented a fan on Weibo.
World Health Organization members agree to COVID-19 probe
A motion to establish an independent review into the global response and origins of the coronavirus has been unanimously adopted at the World Health Assembly.
None of the World Health Organization's (WHO) 194 members, including China and the United States, objected to the resolution.
In his closing remarks to the Assembly, WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus reiterated his commitment to carrying out an independent probe "at the earliest appropriate moment."
"We welcome any initiative to strengthen global health security and to strengthen WHO," Tedros said. "WHO remains fully committed to transparency, accountability & continuous improvement."
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected and killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world. /Dimitar Dilkof/AFP
Spain makes masks compulsory in public, including outdoors
Spain has made it compulsory for all citizens, including children over six, to wear masks in public spaces started from Thursday as one of Europe's strictest lockdowns gradually unwinds.
The Health Ministry order said the masks are efficient in curbing the coronavirus to keep a two-meter distance.
Spain's government said on Tuesday it would seek parliament's approval to extend the state of emergency by another fortnight, until June 7, as the current state of emergency is set to expire on Saturday, after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had initially said he would seek an extension of around a month.
Spain has recorded 27,778 deaths and had 232,037 cases of COVID-19 infection according to the latest data, while the tourism-dependent economy is forecast to contract up to 12.4 percent in 2020 due to its virtual paralysis since mid-March.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Behind surging virus growth in Latin America
After Asia, Europe and North America, the coronavirus pandemic found its latest peak in Latin America, which has relatively poor healthcare systems and economy.
The worst-hit country in Latin America is Brazil, which saw its daily death toll from the new coronavirus jump to a record 1,179 on Tuesday. Now Brazil has taken over Britain to become the country with the third-highest number of confirmed infections, behind United States and Russia.
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U.S. extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders
The United States and Canada said on Tuesday they would extend a ban on non-essential cross-border travel by another 30 days to help the fight against the coronavirus.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said restrictions, first imposed in mid-March and previously set to expire on Wednesday, would now be extended until June 22 for both Canada and Mexico.
"This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of the U.S.-Canada agreement.
There was no immediate comment from the Mexican Foreign Ministry.
A truck drives over the Seaway International Bridge on Cornwall Island, Ontario, Canada, March 25, 2020. /Reuters
China firmly opposes to some countries politicizing COVID-19 traceability
China welcomed the World Health Assembly's decision on COVID-19 resolution, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday, adding that the vast majority of countries believe that the current focus is on pandemic containment rather than virus traceability, which shows that there is no position to politicize the issue of tracing virus' source.
Concerning the source of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has restricted the scope of traceability research to finding animal sources, intermediate hosts and routes of transmission for better response to future outbreaks, said Zhao.
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Russia's coronavirus infections surpass 300,000; deaths near 3,000
Russia reported 8,764 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its lowest daily rise since May 2, taking the total number of documented infections to 308,705 as of Wednesday morning at 10:35.
The country's coronavirus response center said 135 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 2,972.
So far, 85,392 patients have recovered.
Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday the country's coronavirus outbreak is entering a more stable phase while warning that restrictions should be lifted carefully in the 17 regions where such moves have been authorized.
(With input from Reuters)
China helps companies hit by COVID-19 in production resumption
China has adopted a series of measures to help its micro, small and medium-sized companies hit by the COVID-19 outbreak resume production, Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Miao added that 99.1 percent of the country's industrial companies have resumed operation.
China has initiated a couple of projects on new generation artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with the investment amounting to 1 billion yuan (about 140.7 million U.S. dollars), an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The new AI-techs, by leveraging massive amounts of data, texts, images, videos and collective intelligence, are designed to help upgrade current infrastructure, traditional industries and city governance," explained Qin Yong, director-general of the ministry's Department of High and New Technology.
For instance, in the healthcare industry where abundant patient records lie unattended, there is a disconnected system full of waste and error. But by taking advantage of the data intelligence, both operational efficiencies and workflow management can be improved. Healthcare providers can make better decisions based on data analysis while reducing administrative burdens.
What's more, AI-assisted diagnostic systems, face recognition, temperature detection and a series of AI products and technologies have made great contributions in the recent coronavirus fight.
Read more: What can AI do in the fight against coronavirus?
Based on machine learning technology, a diagnostic tool developed by Chinese and American scientists has prevented as many mild cases as possible from progressing into severely and critically ill patients.
Read more: AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients could get worse
"In the future, AI will surely be a part of daily life. China has seen encouraging growth in the new generation AI sector, thanks to nationwide joint efforts to facilitate its growth," said Wang Zhigang, the Minister of Science and Technology.
To date, 15 such platforms nationwide and 11 pilot zones in Beijing and Shanghai have been established with the aim of helping to improve the basic software and hardware system and upgrade the healthcare industry and supply chain system in logistics as well as city governance in local and central government.
According to a 2019 report from U.S.-based think tank Center for Data Innovation, 32% percent of Chinese firms have successfully adopted AI into their business processes, followed by the United States (22 percent) and the European Union (estimated 18 percent).
The domestic AI industry attracted 60 percent of all global investment between 2013 and the first quarter of 2018, a report from Tsinghua University shows.
In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to allocate 950 million U.S. dollars annually to fund strategic AI projects.
(Cover: A doctor uses 5G technology to conduct remote CT scans on COVID-19 cases /CGTN)
The World Health Organization (WHO)'s head said on Tuesday he would keep leading the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, even after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding and quit the UN body.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the agency's role after the United States again withheld full support for a resolution on the pandemic.
"We want accountability more than anyone," Tedros told a virtual meeting of the WHO's 194 member states. "We will continue providing strategic leadership to coordinate the global response."
Washington allowed the resolution calling for a review into the global response to the pandemic to pass by consensus, but said it objected to language about reproductive health rights and permission for poor countries to waive patent rules.
The U.S. mission in Geneva said in a statement that paragraphs on the right of poor countries to waive patents to obtain medicine during a health emergency would "send the wrong message to innovators" trying to produce new drugs and vaccines.
At the time when Trump proposed quitting the WHO, the global health agency has received backing and a two-year pledge of 2 billion U.S. dollars in funds from China, which also promised if ever there is a vaccine it will share it with other countries, ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.
Tuesday's resolution also calls for a review to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population.
(With input from agencies)
The Chinese mainland recorded four new domestic COVID-19 cases and one new imported case on Tuesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also registered 16 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,965, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 368 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said three patients were discharged on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,244.
Total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,055 (1,025 recoveries, four deaths)
Macao: 45 (45 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (401 recoveries, seven deaths)
U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 1.5 mln, death toll reaches 91,000
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States reached 1,527,355 as of 6:32 p.m. (2232 GMT) Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The death toll from the disease in the country hit 91,845.
The construction site of a temporary hospital at Ibirapuera sports complex amid COVID-19 outbreak in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 16, 2020. /Xinhua
Brazil reports over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours
Brazil registered 1,179 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours. The overall death toll in the country now stands at 17,971, the health ministry said Tuesday.
New infections in the past 24 hours totaled 17,408, bringing the total to 271,628.
Brazil's Health Ministry will issue new guidelines on Wednesday, expanding the recommended use of chloroquine for treating the novel coronavirus.
(With input from agencies)
Over 11,000 people with coronavirus died in UK nursing homes
England's nursing homes reported 1,411 deaths from COVID-19 during the second week of May, taking the death toll from care homes across the UK to over 11,000, the Office for National Statistics' latest data showed.
As of Tuesday, COVID-19 has claimed over 40,000 lives in the UK, according to the executive office's tally.
European Union's resolution on the need to investigate the global response to the coronavirus pandemic won an endorsement at the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) on Tuesday.
None of the World Health Organization's (WHO) 194 member states raised objections to the resolution at WHO's annual ministerial meeting.
"Is the (World) Health Assembly prepared to adopt the draft resolution as proposed? As I see no requests for the floor, I take it that there is no objection and the resolution is therefore adopted," said Keva Bain, the Bahamian ambassador who serves as the assembly's president.
Latest developments on global coronavirus pandemic
Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is returning to his duties after fighting off the coronavirus, the Kremlin said Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree ordering Mishustin to resume his regular duties, which has been carried out by a deputy since April 30.
Spain on Tuesday lifted a ban on all direct flights and ships from Italy since March 11 during its lockdown, according to the government gazette.
Travelers from Italy will have to comply with a two-week quarantine like other foreign visitors, while a state of emergency is in place.
Iran on Tuesday reported 2,111 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number in the country to 124,603. The Iranian health ministry also announced 62 more deaths, taking the death toll to 7,119.
Japan could free more regions from emergency as new COVID-19 cases drop
Local authorities from several prefectures in Japan, including Tokyo, said on Tuesday they want to push for the lifting of a state of emergency in their regions as new coronavirus infections drop.
According to local media, Tokyo reported five new coronavirus infections Tuesday, marking the lowest daily increase since April 7 when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a month-long state of emergency in seven prefectures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.
Russia reports 9,263 new coronavirus cases, total nears 300,000.
Russia reported 9,263 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, up from 8,926 the previous day, bringing its nationwide tally to 299,941.
Russia's coronavirus taskforce also registered 115 more fatalities from COVID-19, raising the country's death toll to 2,837.
UK jobless claims jump to highest since 1996 amid COVID-19 lockdown
UK unemployment soared to its highest level since 1996 in April, the first full month of the government's coronavirus lockdown, data published on Tuesday showed.
The claimant count rose by 856,500 – the biggest ever month-on-month leap – to 2.097 million, a 69 percent increase, the Office for National Statistics said.
Britain's unemployment rate could hit 10 percent in the April-June period, the country's budget forecasters have said, even with millions of workers shielded by the government's scheme to pay their wages while they are only temporarily laid off.
As of Monday morning, 246,406 people across the country have tested positive for COVID-19, and the death toll stands at 34,796, said the Department of Health and Social Care.
Germany reports 513 new COVID-19 cases, total at 175,210
Germany on Tuesday reported 513 new COVID-19 cases and 72 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 175,210 and death toll to 8,007, according to the country's Robert Koch Institute.
The German government plans to lift its worldwide travel warning and turn it into country-specific travel advice on June 15, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced on Monday.
Race to cures: What have global scientists done since the coronavirus outbreak?
Virus and science have something in common: they do not recognize borders. Since the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus, scientists around the globe have been working round the clock to find a cure.
From knowing nothing to gradually piecing the puzzle little by little, researchers have isolated the virus strain, figured out its genome sequence and revealed transmission routes.
According to data compiled from top medical journals, namely The Lancet, Nature, Science and New England Journal of Medicine, over 60 studies and papers have been published in the past four months, covering the virus origin, clinical analysis, transmission, treatment and prevention.
What have global scientists done since the coronavirus outbreak? Click here for more.
Chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Carrie Lam, said on Tuesday that she planned to expand the number of COVID-19 tests in the region from 4,500 to 7,000 a day.
Lam will go to Beijing on May 21 to attend the opening ceremony of this year's annual session of China's top legislature, National People's Congress (NPC), and return to Hong Kong on May 22.
Total COVID-19 cases surpass 100,000 mark in India
The total number of the COVID-19 pandemic cases crossed the 100,000 mark in India on Tuesday, reaching 101,139, with 3,163 deaths reported, according to the latest data released by the federal health ministry.
Brazil becomes third worst-hit country with 16,792 COVID-19 deaths
Brazil has overtaken Britain to become the country with the third-highest number of COVID-19 infections after the United States and Russia, as it recorded 674 more deaths on Monday while the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 254,220, according to the health ministry.
The death toll in the country stands at 16,792, the health ministry said, adding that Sao Paulo was the worst hit by the outbreak with 4,823 deaths.
Trump says he is taking hydroxychloroquine as preventative measure
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday made a surprise announcement, saying he is taking hydroxychloroquine, despite experts having said the anti-malaria drug is not suitable for fighting the virus.
Trump made the remarks during a question-and-answer session with reporters as he met restaurant executives whose businesses are reeling from the impact of the virus.
It came as the death toll from COVID-19 in the country exceeded 90,000, with over 1.5 million confirmed cases, according to the data released by Johns Hopkins University.
"I'm taking hydroxychloroquine," Trump told reporters, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms.
"I've been taking it for the last week and a half. A pill every day," Trump added.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with restaurant executives and industry leaders during a COVID-19 pandemic meeting in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 18, 2020. /Reuters
The Chinese mainland reported three new domestic COVID-19 cases and three new imported cases on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also reported 17 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,960, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 389 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The Chinese health authorities said that three patients were discharged from hospitals on Monday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,241.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,055 (1,025 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (44 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (398 recoveries, 7 deaths)
South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny have both tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement from the government office that was released Monday.
The press release also adds that a number of his "office staff and bodyguards," have also tested positive for COVID-19.
Machar issued a statement confirming he had tested positive and would be in self-quarantine in his residency for two weeks, along with the rest of the staff that has test positive.
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Angela Dorothea Merkel (L), Chancellor of Germany, with French President Emmanuel Macron. /Reuters
France and Germany have proposed a 500-billion-euro fund to finance the relaunch of the European Union's economy, which is facing the biggest post-war crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Financed by "borrowing from the market in the name of the EU", the fund will flow to the "worst hit sectors and regions" in the 27-member bloc.
Countries benefiting from the financing would not have to repay the sum, said France's President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are convinced that it is not only fair but also necessary to now make available the funds ... that we will then gradually repay through several future European budgets," said Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The borrowing marks a major shift by Germany, which has until now rebuffed Spain and Italy's calls for so-called "coronabonds."
Germany, the Netherlands and other rich countries had seen it as an attempt by the indebted south to unfairly take advantage of the north's fiscal discipline.
It comes as Italian authorities called on ordinary citizens to help fund recovery efforts, as the country's already massive public debt soars further due to the coronavirus crisis
The plan could aid immediate financing needs but will do little to allay eventual default risks.
Italy's public debt has long been seen as a fault-line for the survival of the euro zone, and analysts say the pandemic is raising fresh questions about the sustainability of borrowings.
For now, even with a debt which economists see heading towards at least 170 percent of national output this year, Italy is safe thanks to the European Central Bank's massive bond purchases, recently expanded under its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP).
But a day of reckoning for the eurozone's third largest economy looks inevitable, analysts say. The country proved unable to lower the world's third highest debt mountain even during economic good times – and it cannot rely on the ECB forever.
The Franco-German proposal would bring essential relief to the bloc's worst-hit nations and demonstrate solidarity, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Monday.
"The Franco-German proposals are ambitious, targeted and, of course, welcome," she said in a joint interview with four European newspapers, after announcement of the plan sent the euro higher and reduced Italian bond yields.
"They pave the way for the European Commission to borrow funds over the long term and, above all, they allow a substantial amount of direct support to be provided to the countries most affected by the crisis," Lagarde told newspapers Les Echos, Handelsblatt, Corriere della Sera and El Mundo.
Jilin City's Changyi District upgrades epidemic risk level to medium
Changyi District in northeast China's Jilin City has raised its epidemic risk level from low to medium after a new domestically-transmitted case was confirmed there on Monday, the city's authorities have said.
Authorities reminded the public to enhance prevention awareness and protect their health and that of their family.
Putin sounds alarm over virus crisis in Russia's Dagestan
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday the coronavirus situation in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia required urgent attention after a top official said hundreds of people in the region might have died from the virus.
"The situation in the Republic of Dagestan is complicated and, of course, calls for additional – and urgent measures," Putin said at a meeting in Moscow.
According to official data, Dagestan had 27 coronavirus deaths as of Monday. However, the local health minister said Saturday that the possible fatalities might have reached 700.
WHO chief delivers speech at opening ceremony of WHA session
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday.
The 73rd WHA is being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the agenda has been reduced to fit into two days, Monday and Tuesday.
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33 fever patients in Beijing test negative for coronavirus
All 33 fever patients reported in Beijing's Xicheng District on Sunday have tested negative for the coronavirus, the director of the district's health commission said in a press briefing on Monday.
The Xicheng District's Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday received a report of multiple fever cases at one location.
Local health officials have diagnosed all 33 reported cases and the results mainly showed a bacterial lower respiratory infection.
The patients are now following the doctors' order to stay at home for further medical observation. Nobody has been hospitalized.
Russia's COVID-19 cases surpass 290,000
Russia on Monday said it recorded 8,926 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide infection tally to 290,678.
This is the third day in a row that new COVID-19 cases in Russia have hovered below the 10,000 mark.
The country's coronavirus task force reported 91 additional fatalities. The death toll from the new coronavirus in Russia now stands at 2,722.
Eating a healthy diet helps strengthen your immune system and fight off disease, which is increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nutrients like vitamin D could protect patients against COVID-19, according to studies from Northwestern University in the U.S. and the UK's Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.
It is essential to obtain these nutrients from the food you eat every day. So what do you need to eat to keep a healthy diet?
1. Based on your metabolism, ensure you get an adequate daily calorie intake. Normally, the recommended calorie intake for women is 2,100-2,300 calories per day, and men need 2,400-2,700 calories, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Eat the right proportion of protein (10-35 percent), carbohydrates (45-65 percent) and fats (20-35 percent). Salmon, eggs, yogurt, cereals, and orange juice could be your sources of vitamin D, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3. Try to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day – about eight 8-ounce glasses – which can help boost your metabolism.
4. Ensure adequate intake of fresh vegetables and fruits. Eating 500 grams of vegetables and 200 to 350 grams of fruit per day is suggested.
For COVID-19 patients who are in the recovery stage or patients with mild symptoms, moderate intake of protein, vitamin C, vitamin D and other nutrients is helpful. Consult your doctor remotely regarding healthy eating if possible.
China will speed up the implementation of its new foreign investment law and the construction of the free trade port in Hainan Province in order to meet huge challenges in sourcing foreign capital linked to the novel coronavirus outbreak, China's Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said on Monday.
"As the epidemic spread all over the world, global transnational investment has indeed been affected, and China also faces huge challenges in foreign capital use. But the more difficult it is, the more opening-up we must adopt," Zhong told a news conference in Beijing.
China intends to expedite the building of the Hainan free trade port and expand the scope of similar pilot facilities. Once completed, it will become the world's largest free trade port with an area of 35,000 square kilometers.
The island province was established as a pilot free trade zone in 2018. Both its number of newly-added foreign-funded enterprises and growth of foreign investment actually utilized posted increases of over 100 percent year-on-year in 2019.
China has set up 18 pilot free trade zones, the foreign capital use of which accounts for 15 percent of the total nationwide.
The country has pledged to give priority to carrying out the foreign investment law and improving the business environment for foreign-funded enterprises. In 2019, China's doing business ranking in the world rose from 46th to 31st.
The landmark legislation took effect on the first day of this year. Under the law, foreign-invested enterprises will be granted access to government procurement markets through fair competition.
"I think smart entrepreneurs will not give up the large markets in China as the country has abundant and high-quality labor sources as well as sophisticated supporting facilities for enterprises," Zhong said.
In the first four months of this year, China's foreign trade dropped 4.9 percent. Despite unprecedented challenges in foreign trade, China has other market options.
For example, from January to April, foreign trade with economies along the Belt and Road increased 0.9 percent in RMB year on year, and non-financial direct investment climbed 13.4 percent in U.S. dollars compared to last year.
Meanwhile, the ASEAN group has become the country's largest trading partner.
Call for enhanced multilateral trade
China is committed to building an open platform of cooperation with World Trade Organization (WTO) members and urges all parties to support the multilateral trading system, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen also told the press conference.
Wang made the remarks while responding to a question from a CGTN reporter. He said the WTO has played a positive role during the pandemic and China is willing to work with other members to ensure the safety and openness of the global industrial and supply chains.
"We call on all parties to strengthen coordination in economic and trade policies to smooth international transportation and carry out international logistics normally, so that the trade chains, industrial chains and supply chains between countries can be open," Wang said.
(CGTN's Wang Yushen contributed to the story.)
MOFCOM: No shortage of market supplies during COVID-19 epidemic
Chinese markets had sufficient supplies during the COVID-19 epidemic, earlier this year, and the Chinese government prioritized ensuring supplies in central China's Wuhan City, the country's worst-hit region, Zhong Shan, Chinese Minister of Commerce, said at a regular press conference on Monday.
The "nine-province joint supply mechanism" launched by the Ministry of Commerce ensured adequate supply of daily necessities in Wuhan, Zhong noted.
During the epidemic, the Ministry of Commerce stepped up efforts to ensure market safeguard for epidemic prevention and control, and actively coordinated the supply of daily necessities.
(Cover: People buy fruits at a supermarket in Handan, north China's Hebei Province, May 12, 2020. /Xinhua)
White House: CDC 'let the country down' on coronavirus testing
The White House rebuked the top U.S. health agency on Sunday, saying "it let the country down" on providing testing crucial to the battle against the coronavirus outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been under intense scrutiny since producing a faulty test for COVID-19 that caused weeks of delays in the U.S. response.
Critics have pointed out that it could simply have accepted kits made by the World Health Organization, which has been producing them since late January, instead of insisting on developing its own test kits.
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The Chinese mainland reported three new domestic COVID-19 cases and four new imported cases on Sunday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also reported 18 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,954, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 448 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The Chinese health authorities said that 11 patients were discharged from hospitals on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,238.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,055 (1,024 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (44 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (395 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Japan's economy contracted at an annualized rate of 3.4 percent in January-March, government data showed on Monday, meeting the technical definition of a recession – the first since the second half of 2015.
Trapped by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has been massively disruptive on supply chains and businesses, Japan's economy put the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the coronavirus crisis takes a heavy toll on businesses and consumers.
"It's near certainty the economy suffered an even deeper decline in the current quarter," said Yuichi Kodama, chief economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute. "Japan has entered a full-blow recession."
Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's 5-trillion-U.S.-dollar economy, slipped 0.7 percent, versus a 1.6 percent drop expected by economists.
That marked the second straight quarter of decline, as households were hit by the double-whammy of the coronavirus and a sales tax hike to 10 percent from 8 percent in October last year.
The virus' impact on corporate Japan has been telling, with the GDP data showing exports contracted sharply by 6 percent in the first quarter.
The shakout in global trade was highlighted in the recent March data, with Japan's exports slumping the most in nearly four years due to plunging U.S.-bound shipments including cars.
Capital expenditure fell 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter, against a median forecast for a 1.5 percent drop and marked the second consecutive quarter of declines, the data showed.
Taken together, domestic demand knocked 0.7 percentage point off GDP growth, while external demand shed 0.2 point.
All of this has put a strain on the labor market. The jobless rate in March rose to its highest in a year, while job availability slipped to a more than three-year low.
Deepening slump
Conditions are expected to have worsened in Japan in the current quarter after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in April declared a nationwide state of emergency amid a rise in coronavirus infections.
The emergency, which urged citizens to stay home and many businesses to close, was lifted for most regions on Thursday, but remained in effect for some big cities including Tokyo.
Analysts polled by Reuters expect Japan's economy to shrink an annualized 22.0 percent in the current quarter, which would be the biggest decline on record and underscores the collapse in activity that is expected to see the worst global slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The government has already announced a record 1.1-trillion-U.S.-dollar stimulus package, and the Bank of Japan expanded stimulus for the second straight month in April. Abe has pledged a second supplementary budget later this month to fund fresh spending measures to cushion the economic blow from the outbreak.
(With input from Reuters)
(Cover via VCG)
5,457 NYPD members return to work after recovering from COVID-19
A total of 5,457 members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) have returned to work after recovering from COVID-19 as of May 17, according to the Twitter account of the NYPD.
However, 111 uniformed members and 38 civilian members are still out sick due to the coronavirus that causes the disease, the NYPD said.
As of Sunday evening, the United States had reported more than 1.48 million COVID-19 cases, with 89,549 deaths nationwide, according to latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover: File photo. /VCG)
Global COVID-19 cases top 4.7 mln: Johns Hopkins University
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide topped 4.7 million on Sunday, reaching 4,708,415 as of 6:32 p.m. EDT (2232 GMT), according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 314,950 people worldwide have died of the disease, the data showed.
A man wearing protective suit and face mask leaves a supermarket after shopping in Nice, as a lockdown is imposed to slow the rate of COVID-19 in France. /Reuters
France on Sunday reported a daily COVID-19 death toll of 483, the highest number in more than three weeks.
The latest hike in daily fatalities comes even as the country's indicators point to a decline in the epidemic.
The vast majority of the new deaths (429) were in nursing homes, while 54 were in hospitals. Authorities did not provide an immediate explanation for the apparent spike in nursing home deaths.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital and in intensive care continued to decline, meanwhile. The health ministry said the number of people in hospitals fell to 19,361 from 19,432 and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 2,087 from 2,132.
France is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, having reported more than 179,000 infections and over 28,000 deaths.
The death toll is the fourth highest globally, only trailing the US, UK and Italy.
Source(s): France 24
A soldier stands in a temporary hospital set up in Barcelona. /AFP
Spain's daily COVID-19 death toll has dropped below a hundred for the first time in two months.
Authorities said on Sunday that 87 people had died with the disease in the past 24 hours, a significant decline from the over 900 fatalities a day during the country's peak.
The latest daily death toll is also the lowest recorded since March 16.
Fernando Simon, head of health emergency coordination in Spain, warned that the latest figures could be affected by a delay in recording deaths due to the "weekend effect", but assured a downward trend was still in progress.
Spain is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has registered more than 230,000 infections and over 27,000 deaths, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
As the pandemic rages on, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has revealed his plans to seek parliament approval for another extension to the national emergency - which he hopes will be the last of its kind in place until the end of June.
He has also highlighted the need to reopen the vital tourism sector that accounts for 12 percent of the country's GDP.
"Spain needs tourism," Mr Sanchez said, adding: "But tourism needs security. It needs health guarantees."
Source(s): Sky News
India's nationwide lockdown is the world's biggest as it affects 1.3 billion people, and has been in place since March 25 and extended several times. /Reuters
India on Sunday extended its COVID-19 lockdown until the end of May as it reported its biggest daily increase in new infections, but said some sectors would be allowed to resume operations as its economy takes a hammering.
The nationwide lockdown is the world's biggest as it affects 1.3 billion people, and has been in place since March 25 and extended several times.
The restrictions have been devastating for India's poor, with massive job losses.
"Lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 will continue for a period of up to (May 31)," the Home Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
Schools, places of worship, shopping malls, cinemas and gyms must remain closed, the ministry said, adding bans on large gatherings for religious and sporting events would also be extended.
The ministry added that the city metro train services will also remain suspended alongside domestic and international air travel.
Restaurants will however be allowed back in business for takeaway services, while sporting events will also be allowed in empty stadiums.
The lockdown extension came as India recorded its biggest single-day jump in virus cases with 4,987 new infections in the last 24 hours.
In total, the country has registered more than 91,000 infections and over 2,800 deaths, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
As the effects of the lockdown continue to bite, some regions of India have reported protests as residents pushed for a reopening the country to allow them return to their home villages.
In Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat, more than 1,500 migrant workers blocked roads, damaged more than a dozen vehicles and threw stones at police on Sunday, after two special trains that were supposed to take them home got cancelled.
On Saturday, at least 23 migrants were killed trying to reach their homes when a truck crashed in northern India.
Everyone's in the same boat: Inside a private Wuhan hospital taking on coronavirus
What kept Su Xi, director of the Wuhan Asia General Hospital, up at night amid the coronavirus pandemic is a life-or-death decision: with limited hospital beds, who to keep and who to let go?
When the coronavirus struck Wuhan in early January, the hospital, with 1,100 beds and clean, spacious surgery rooms, became a war zone. Patients with severe breathing problems were flooding the wards, and a growing number of medical professionals at the hospital developed symptoms.
"Because we cannot even spare one bed, I have to be personally in charge of deciding who to keep at the hospital, and who to send back home for quarantine," Su said in an interview with CGTN. Every day, it is a tough decision, and to maximize the value of beds, only those with severe symptoms could stay.
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Latest COVID-19 updates from Asia
India's nationwide lockdown has been extended till May 31 with several relaxations, according to Indian media. The country's Health Ministry Sunday morning reported 4,987 more cases, taking the number of total cases to 90,927.
Iran on Sunday registered 1,806 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 120,198 since the outbreak in late February. Meanwhile, 51 new fatalities were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 6,988, said the country's Health Ministry.
Indonesia reported 489 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 17,520. The country is reportedly planning a bailout package of 8.6 billion U.S. dollars for 12 state-owned firms to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korea confirmed that as of Sunday noon there had been 168 coronavirus cases linked to the Itaewon cluster, including club-goers as well as secondary infections in family members, co-workers and students, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People wearing protective masks wait to board a bus at a terminal amid coronavirus fears, Kochi, India, March 11, 2020. /Reuters
Outside Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, China January 30, 2020. /Reuters
Beijing will continue to implement closed-off management on communities and villages in the region to curb the possible rebound of the coronavirus pandemic ahead of this year's Two Sessions, China's biggest annual political event, a local official said Sunday.
Underscoring the complex overseas pandemic situation and pandemic rebound in several areas in China, Zhang Ge, deputy head of the organization department of the Communist Party of China Beijing municipal committee, said the capital will continue conduct management over personnel returning to Beijing.
Beijing saw its critically-ill cases drop to zero on Sunday. There are six COVID-19 patients remaining in hospitals citywide, the health official said on Sunday.
The 13th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, will open its third session in Beijing on May 22, while the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on May 21.
Community staff prepare to scan the QR code for health check of a resident in the Chuanying District of Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, May 15, 2020. /Xinhua
Eight medical teams with over 500 staff have rushed to Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, the city's health official said Sunday at a press briefing.
Upon their arrival, the teams began conducting epidemiological investigation, sample collection, nucleic acid testing, medical treatment, among others, Liu Qizhi, director of the Jilin municipal health authority, told the conference.
On Sunday, the city's Fengman District raised its epidemic-risk level from medium to high following three new domestic cases, the only domestic COVID-19 cases recorded on the Chinese mainland, on Saturday.
Read more:
NE China's Jilin City removes 5 officials after new COVID-19 cluster infections
The coronavirus pandemic updates
Russia confirmed 9,709 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 281,752, its coronavirus response center said Sunday. The death toll rose to 2,631.
Singapore registered 682 more novel coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Sunday, taking the city-state's total to 28,038 cases. The vast majority of the newly infected are migrant workers living in dormitories.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 583 to 174,355, with 7,914 deaths, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.
In The Spotlight: Behind southern U.S. governors' controversial race to reopen
Across a slew of states in the American south, life is returning to "normal" in dribs and drabs. In Florida, big crowds are sunbathing on Pinellas County beaches. In Texas, movie lovers can't wait to pack dark cinemas with popcorn and ice soda. In Georgia, golf courses remain open as the ideal location for men to sharpen their business acumen. In Mississippi, people are getting haircuts at barbershops following the end of the less-than-a-month lockdown.
The governors of these southern Republican states are racing to reopen their economies despite repeated warnings from epidemiologists that the move may trigger a second outbreak. And in some of them, there are still grim updates in COVID-19 cases. Nonetheless, as unemployment claims surge, governors are facing an uphill battle in trying to mitigate a painful economic downturn while keeping the coronavirus resurgence at bay.
They've drawn wide controversy for loosening restrictions too early. In a recent poll conducted by the Washington Post and Ipsos on how the public thinks their leaders are handling the outbreak, Republican governors of three states – Georgia, Texas and Florida – made up the bottom three.
Are these governors putting lives below GDP? Are they making decisions based on science or politics? We take a look at four of these leaders in the South.
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Latest COVID-19 developments from around the world
South Korea Sunday reported 13 new coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, taking the country's total tally to 11,050 infections and 262 deaths. According to South Korean officials, the nightclub-related infections have shown signs of slowdown over the weekend.
The total number of COVID-19 cases surpassed the 90,000 mark, reaching 90,927 in India on Sunday morning following the highest daily spike of 4,987 cases registered in the past 24 hours. The country's death toll stands at 2,872.
Thailand extended a ban on international passenger flights on Saturday for another month, until June 30, in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. Latest numbers of infections and deaths from Thailand are 3,028 and 56 respectively.
Nepal on Saturday confirmed its first death from COVID-19, a 29-year-old new mother. The woman gave birth to a child on May 6 and returned home the following day. She then developed fever and respiratory problems and was receiving treatment at a local hospital. The woman tested positive for the virus after she died on May 14.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 583 to 174,355, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 33 to 7,914, the tally showed.
Canada has officially approved the first clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine. As of Saturday afternoon, at least 75,770 cases of COVID-19 with 5,677 deaths were confirmed in Canada.
Mexico registered 47,144 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, with the country's death toll rising to 5,045.
(With input from agencies)
Answer bank: Can coronavirus patients get reinfected after full recovery?
Authorities recently discovered a disturbing trend.
Some patients who had already recovered from the coronavirus, later tested positive again. South Korea has reported over 350 cases like this, while five to 15 percent of recovered patients here in China fall into this category.
What's really going on? Are these patients actually getting infected again?
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Antibody test suggests coronavirus hit U.S. in December 2019
Two residents of Snohomish County, Washington, have tested positive for antibodies against the novel coronavirus after developing symptoms similar to COVID-19 in December 2019, several weeks prior to the country's first confirmed case in mid-January.
One of the residents reportedly developed symptoms, including dry cough, fever and body aches, shortly after Christmas last year, and improved after seeking for medical help. At the time, no COVID-19 patient and suspected case had been reported in the United States.
The patient recently learned from her family doctor that her blood test has shown positive for novel coronavirus antibodies, The Seattle Times reported.
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China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan warns of potential second wave of COVID-19 infections
Zhong Nanshan, China's top respiratory expert, in an interview with CNN on Saturday said China still faces the "big challenge" of a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections. He added the lack of immunity among the community is a serious concern as the race to develop a vaccine continues.
Zhong said authorities should not be complacent, with the danger of a second wave of infections looming large. Fresh clusters of coronavirus cases have emerged across China in recent weeks, in Wuhan as well as the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin.
"We are facing a big challenge, it's not better than other countries I think at the moment," Zhong said, adding the majority of the nation are still susceptible to COVID-19 because immunity is lacking.
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How can we deal with mental health issues related to COVID-19 lockdowns? Have a routine and a goal each day, be aware of what we can control and what we can't, and lastly, have self-compassion.
Fengman District raises COVID-19 risk level to high
The COVID-19 risk level in Fengman District in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, has been raised from medium to high following three new domestic cases on Saturday.
The three are the only domestic COVID-19 cases reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday.
Following the upgrade to high alert, all residential communities in the district will adopt closed-off management, with only one member of each household allowed to shop for groceries daily.
All residents are, "in principle," not allowed to leave Jilin City. However, in the case of essential outbound travel, individuals must self-isolate and undergo a nucleic acid and present the report before they are permitted to leave the city.
Classes for all grades have been suspended, as schools temporarily close, and all types of entertainment venues like karaoke, indoor gyms and theaters have been shuttered.
The Chinese mainland reported three new domestic COVID-19 cases and two new imported infections on Saturday, according to the National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The domestic cases were reported in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, on Saturday. After a tally by local health authorities, an additional confirmed case and a death were confirmed. The death was due to cardiovascular and other underlying diseases in the elderly patient.
The commission also reported 12 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 82,947, the cumulative death toll at 4,634, and 515 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said that eight patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,227.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,052 (1,022 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (44 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (389 recoveries, 7 deaths)
NE China's Heilongjiang discharges last COVID-19 patient
The last COVID-19 patient in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has recovered and was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.
The province now has no active domestic cases or active imported cases.
As of Saturday, all 386 imported cases registered in the province have recovered and 546 out of 559 domestic patients have recovered.
The province has reported 13 deaths related to COVID-19.
Obama says U.S. lacks leadership on COVID-19 pandemic
Former U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the federal government's coronavirus response on Saturday during a virtual commencement address delivered to historically black colleges and universities, saying that the crisis has revealed some leaders to be empty suits and that a lot of the people in positions of power aren't even pretending to be in charge anymore.
"More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Obama said, adding "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge."
Obama previously criticized the Trump administration last week, when he called its COVID-19 response "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a private call with supporters who formerly worked for him, local media reported.
Shenyang requires 21-day quarantine for all arrivals from Jilin City
Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Saturday ordered all people who have traveled from Jilin City, the second largest city in neighboring Jilin Province, since April 22 to be quarantined for 21 days at designated hospitals.
According to a municipal notice, they will receive three nucleic acid tests during their quarantine.
The notice also asked people who are isolating at home to be immediately moved to centralized quarantine.
The announcement came after a new domestic cluster of COVID-19 was detected in Shulan City, a county-level city under the administrative jurisdiction of Jilin City.
13 USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors test positive for COVID-19 after recovering
Thirteen soldiers aboard the coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt were tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time after recovering from the disease and returning to the ship, local media reported citing a defense official.
Some of the sailors who returned to the ship showed expanded symptoms, including body aches and headaches, according to one official. "These protocols resulted in a small number of close contacts who were also removed from the ship, quarantined and tested," said Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Myers Vasquez.
It is not clear how many people have been infected, the report said. When the navy stopped issuing updates at the end of April, 1,102 of its sailors were confirmed infected with COVID-19.
The U.S. reported a total of 1,435,098 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, 22,977 more from its previous count, and the death toll had risen by 1,325 to 87,315, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Worldwide COVID-19 cases reach 4.6 million as parts of globe reopen
The world's cumulative coronavirus cases reached 4.6 million on Saturday with more than 310,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In the United States, there have been 1.46 million cases and more than 88,000 deaths.
Many parts of the U.S. have reopened with certain businesses opening with stricter guidelines.
However hard hit areas, such as New York City remain under tight restrictions as they wait for lower infection rates.
In New Orleans, buildings are restricted to 25% of capacity and restaurants, nail salons, and other businesses can only take customers by reservation.
Graduating Masters Students from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) wave to passing traffic from an overpass the day before their graduation ceremony, which is to be held online due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., May 15, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Brazil's coronavirus death toll tops 15,000: official figures
Brazil's COVID-19 death toll passed 15,000 on Saturday, official figures showed, while its number of infections topped 230,000, making it the country with the fifth highest number of cases in the world.
With 15,633 deaths and 233,142 confirmed cases, Brazil – whose President Jair Bolsonaro has dismissed the disease as a "little flu" – is at the epicenter of infections in Latin America.
The pandemic has already claimed almost 310,000 lives worldwide.
This week, Argentina introduced a trial period of easing restrictions in Buenos Aires.
Many shops were authorized to open their doors for the first time since late March.
But there are worries about the number of cases increasing in the city, especially in low-income neighborhoods.
The easing of restrictions may not last long as a peak in cases is expected later in the month.
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A man wearing a face mask walks past billboards of La Rinascente department store, which is due to reopen with social distancing measures applied, after it was closed due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Milan, Italy, May 16, 2020. /Reuters
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined a further loosening of movement restrictions on Saturday, including opening borders to travelers from Europe from next month to unwind one of the world's most rigid coronavirus lockdowns.
With shops as well as bars and restaurants due to reopen from Monday, the government has also announced that people will no longer have to justify travel within their own region and will be able to meet friends as well as families.
"People will be able to go wherever they want – to a shop, to the mountains, to a lake or the seaside," he said.
The announcements came as coronavirus deaths in Italy, the third-highest in the world, fell to 153 on Saturday, the lowest since March 9.
A ban on travel between regions and abroad will remain in place until after Italy's June 2 Republic Day holiday, preventing any mass travel over that long holiday weekend.
But all travel curbs will be lifted from June 3 and travelers from European Union countries will be able to enter without going into quarantine, offering some hope ahead of the summer to the vital tourism sector.
Conte said the decision to lift curbs was a "calculated risk", but added: "We're facing this risk and we have to accept it because otherwise we will never get started again."
Recession
Italy has had some 31,800 COVID-19 deaths since the disease first emerged in the northern region of Lombardy on February 21, the highest total in the world after the United States and Britain, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
In a bid to contain the contagion, Italy was the first European country to impose nationwide restrictions in March, not sanctioning an initial relaxation of the rules until May 4, when it allowed factories and parks to reopen.
The changes announced by Conte take the process further. While large public gatherings will still be banned, church and other religious services can resume and museums and galleries will also be able to open.
Gyms, swimming pools and sports centers will reopen on May 25, while theaters and cinemas can reopen from June 15.
With its economy facing severe recession and public debt expected to spiral to more than 150 percent of its annual economic output, the government has been desperate to get the country back to work without triggering a second wave in the epidemic.
Some regions had pushed for a swifter rollback, but Conte has insisted on a gradual return to normal. However, regions will have scope to decide individual measures as long as safety measures are respected.
People in quarantine or suffering from COVID-19 symptoms will have to remain in isolation and social distancing rules will continue to apply, and people are still advised to wear masks inside or on crowded streets.
(With input from agencies)
Trump says he is considering restoring some funding to WHO
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization (WHO), including one in which Washington would pay about 10 percent of its former level.
In at tweet posted on Saturday, the president said that no final decision had been made and that U.S. funding for the global health agency remained frozen.
Late on Friday, Fox News reported that the Trump administration was set to restore partial funding to the WHO.
The Trump administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the health agency, Fox News reported.
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Germany plans 57 billion euro aid package for virus-hit municipalities
German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is working on an aid package worth 57 billion euros (61.65 billion U.S. dollars) to help municipalities cope with plunging tax revenues caused by the coronavirus crisis, a ministry document showed on Saturday.
Europe's largest economy is facing its deepest recession since the Second World War, even as a lockdown to fight the virus is gradually eased. The drop in business activity has hit tax revenues and left a hole in municipal finances.
Scholz's aid package aims to help cities and towns stabilize their finances, according to the finance ministry document seen by Reuters. The plan also contemplates extra relief for some heavily indebted municipalities.
"This protective shield should not only bring cities and municipalities through the current difficult situation, but also enable them to do their job even better," Scholz was quoted as saying in the strategy paper.
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Vice Premier Sun Chunlan inspects Jilin, urges stronger COVID-19 control
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called for more decisive, precise, and effective measures in epidemic prevention and control during an inspection tour in northeast China's Jilin Province on Wednesday night.
Sun is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Read more: China's Jilin City tightens COVID-19 control measures
The inspectors stressed the need to speed up screening, testing, quarantine and treatment of COVID-19 cases and conduct thorough epidemiological investigations.
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IOC and WHO sign new Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed a new Memorandum of Understanding at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on Saturday.
The two organizations looked to deepen their cooperation as Bach said the IOC "is counting on the WHO's support and advice for the time to come" to ensure a safe environment for the Tokyo Olympics.
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A demonstrator wearing a protective face mask carries a pot during a protest against the Spanish government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, in Madrid, Spain, May 15, 2020. /Reuters Photo
Spain's government will seek a fresh extension of its state of emergency that will last "about a month" until the transition out of lockdown is completed, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday.
"It should be the last state of emergency (period) and will continue until the end of the rollback. For that reason... instead of being a 15-day (extension), it will be for about a month," he said in a televised address.
Spain first decreed a state of emergency on March 14. Officials say that while the outbreak has been brought largely under control, restrictions must stay in place a bit longer as the lockdown is gradually phased out.
After pushing four previous extensions through parliament, support for Sanchez's left-wing coalition is waning among lawmakers and voters.
An elderly couple wearing face masks walks on a sidewalk marked for pedestrians to keep social distance in Spain. /Reuters Photo
Protests against the government's handling of the crisis and its economic fallout sprang up around Spain on Saturday, with demonstrators gathering to bang pots and pans and call for the government to resign.
At the largest such demonstration, in Madrid's wealthy Salamanca neighborhood, several hundred people congregated despite the efforts of police to enforce social-distancing.
Waving Spanish flags and crying "viva Espana!" some denounced the leftist government seeking to ruin the country.
Protests against the government's handling of the crisis and its economic fallout spring up around Spain. /Reuters Photo
"They need to test everybody so healthy people can get back to work and we can restart the economy," said a demonstrator in Salamanca.
Similar protests took place in Zaragoza and the southern city of Seville, until recently a Socialist Party stronghold.
"It doesn't matter what the demonstrations are about. The important thing is to maintain social distancing," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll fell to 102 on Saturday, the lowest since March 16, bringing the total number of fatalities to 27,563.
The Health Ministry also reported 539 new infections, taking the nationwide tally to 230,698.
New domestic cases in first half of May mostly from cluster infections: Official
A total of 39 new domestic COVID-19 cases were confirmed in China during first half of May, marking a 46 percent decrease compared to the second half of April, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a regular briefing on Saturday.
However, most of theose cases came from clusters of infections, said Mi, adding that asymptomatic COVID-19 cases showed up in many areas.
The health official also urged strengthening patient treatment and epidemiological investigation and improving nucleic acid testing capabilities so as to better prevent the spread of the epidemic.
A man wearing a protective mask reading a notice in front of a community under lockdown in Jilin City, May 15, 2020. /VCG
Jilin, the second largest city in northeast China's Jilin Province, will close all private clinics and hospital outpatient services from Sunday, local authorities announced Saturday.
Patients seeking medical help will need to visit medical institutions and those with a fever should go to fever clinics, according to the announcement.
Local law enforcement personnel are ordered to immediately start inspecting the city's private clinics to ensure they follow epidemic control measures. Clinics will be closed until further notice from the local government.
Jilin City reported six new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, and all of them could be traced directly to one confirmed case in Shulan City, where an infection cluster was previously detected.
Read more: China's Jilin City tightens COVID-19 control measures
Russia reports 9,200 new COVID-19 cases, nationwide total reaches 272,043
Russia reported 9,200 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, down from 10,598 reported the previous day, its coronavirus response center said Saturday.
The total number of cases nationwide stood at 272,043. And 119 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 2,537.
Thailand to remove Chinese mainland, China's Hong Kong, China's Macao and South Korea off list of dangerous disease zones
Thailand's Royal Gazette on Friday announced that the Chinese mainland, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China's Macao Special Administrative Region and South Korea will be removed from its list of "dangerous disease zones" from Saturday.
On the same day, Thailand reported no new daily cases or deaths.
Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul earlier in May said he would propose to the Cabinet to have the four locations removed from a COVID-19 high risk list.
However, with the emergency decree still in effect until May 31, inbound flights into Thailand are still banned.
The U.S. government led by President Donald Trump is expected to restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, reported Fox News on Friday citing a draft letter.
They will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO, Fox News quoted from the five-page draft letter.
It has been a month since Trump announced a halt to the funding, accusing the WHO of having "failed in its basic duty," adding that "it must be held accountable," amid criticisms both from authorities at home and all over the world at a time when coronavirus infections still soared.
Top public health official Robert Redfield, head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said publicly that the agency will continue its ties with the WHO, as the two sides have "had a long history of working together in multiple outbreaks around the world."
WHO also immediately pushed back against Trump's comments, urging the U.S. leader to think twice on the decision.
Read more:
WHO urges U.S. to reconsider suspending funding
The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the U.S. matches China's contribution, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about 400 million U.S. dollars per year, according to Fox News.
COVID-19: WHO to launch platform for collaborative sharing of data
The World Health Organization (WHO) will, in the next few weeks, launch a platform for open, collaborative sharing of knowledge, data and intellectual property on existing and new health tools to combat COVID-19, said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica asked me to set up a health technology repository for vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and any other tool that may work against COVID-19, WHO has accepted this visionary proposal," Tedros said at a press conference.
There are now over 4.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, with over 300,000 deaths reported, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
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U.S. House passes new $3 trillion coronavirus relief package
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a three-trillion-U.S.-dollar bill aimed at easing the human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 87,000 Americans and shut down much of the economy.
By a vote of 208-199, Democrats narrowly won passage of a bill that Republican leaders, who control the Senate, and President Donald Trump have vowed to block despite some Republican support for provisions aimed at helping state and local governments.
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The Chinese mainland reported two new domestic COVID-19 cases and six new imported ones on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new deaths were reported.
The commission also reported 13 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,941, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 561 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The Chinese health authorities said that 10 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,219.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,052 (1,019 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (43 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (383 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Italy to allow international travel starting June 3
Italy's government approved a decree on Saturday which will allow international travel to and from the country starting June 3, in a major move to unwind one of the world's most rigid coronavirus lockdown
Social distancing guidelines show members of Congress where to sit as the House Rules Committee meets to consider a resolution authorizing remote voting by proxy in the House of Representatives during the COVID-19 outbreak, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2020. /Reuters
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved an historic change to its rules, allowing lawmakers to vote by "proxy" from remote locations temporarily.
By a mostly partisan vote of 217-189, the House approved the rules change proposed by Democrats, allowing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to trigger the remote voting procedure for the first time in Congress' history if she deems it necessary.
The move upends more than 200 years of precedent in Congress, where proxy voting has been allowed before within committees but not for votes in the full House or Senate.
Currently, House members must appear in the House chamber to cast their votes on legislation. That requirement has become cumbersome as lawmakers shelter in their homes in an attempt to help limit the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus that has killed more than 87,000 people in the United States. The special procedure is intended to be in effect during the coronavirus crisis.
Read more:
U.S. House passes new $3 trillion coronavirus relief package
A discarded mask lays on a sign in the Capitol subway in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2020. /Reuters
House Democrat Jim McGovern said forcing lawmakers to repeatedly fly between their states and Washington and convene in person during a health emergency jeopardizes the lives of colleagues, staff and the general public.
"Convening Congress must not turn into a super-spreader event," he told the chamber, speaking through a surgical mask. "You can respect tradition without blinding yourself of the need to make temporary changes when necessary. And today is one of those times."
Republicans however attacked the move as an assault on representative government that would change the fundamental character of Congress.
"This has never been done in the history of the United States – not during the Civil War, not during previous pandemics," said Republican Debbie Lesko, warning it sets "a terrible example."
Congressman Jim Jordan added that emergency responders, truckers and grocers "can't phone it in, they can't mail it in, they can't proxy their work in" during the crisis. "They have to be there and do it. And we should do the same."
More than one-third of the House's 430 current members are 65 or older, putting them at high risk for COVID-19.
The resolution allows an absent lawmaker to cast their vote through a member present on the House floor, provided that colleague casts the lawmaker's vote exactly as he or she dictated. It also allows for remote work in committee.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)
The total number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 1.44 million in the United States, with 87,427 deaths reported in the country, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, said the department's forecasting models predict deaths from COVID-19 to exceed 100,000 by June 1.
The CDC tracks 12 different forecasting models of possible COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. As of May 11, all forecast an increase in deaths in the coming weeks and a cumulative total exceeding 100,000 by June 1, according to the director.
Earlier, researchers at the University of Washington also revised its model, forecasting 147,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. by August 4.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that the U.S. started to develop a candidate for the first COVID-19 vaccine on January 11.
"Scientists at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) began developing the first vaccine candidate on January 11th," Trump said, adding that "Most people never even heard what was going on January 11. And we were out there trying to develop a vaccine, not even knowing what we were up against."
Trump also unveiled details of a plan to accelerate the development of a vaccine and medical treatments for the coronavirus.
The president likened the vaccine project, dubbed "Operation Warp Speed," to the World War II effort to produce the first nuclear weapons in the world. The project was said to begin with studies on 14 promising vaccine candidates for accelerated research and approval.
"We're looking to get it by the end of the year if we can, maybe before," Trump told reporters at a press conference in the Rose Garden.
With 36.5 million Americans – more than 10 percent of the population – left unemployed by the coronavirus disaster, Mr. Trump made it clear that even without a vaccine, Americans must begin to return to their lives as normal.
Internally displaced families receive food items from Nigeria's Victims Support Fund, as the authorities struggle to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Abuja, Nigeria April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to undermine the ability of many African countries to feed their citizens amid disruptions on agricultural activities.
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa said Thursday that the viral respiratory disease could hamper efforts to address the endemic hunger and malnutrition crisis in the continent.
"COVID-19 is unfolding in Africa against a backdrop of worrying levels of hunger and undernourishment, which could worsen as the virus threatens livelihoods and household economies,” Moeti in a statement issued in Nairobi.
"Hunger and malnutrition heighten vulnerability to diseases, the consequences of which could be far-reaching if not properly addressed,” she added.
WHO statistics indicate that one in five people in Africa is undernourished while 30 percent of children under five years in the continent have stunted growth.
The UN health agency acknowledged there is limited research on malnutrition and COVID-19 fatalities but stressed that individuals with weak immune systems due to severe undernourishment are likely to be severely affected by the virus.
Nearly 73 million people are currently food insecure in Sub-Saharan Africa as desert locust invasion combined with climatic shocks devastate key staples like maize.
According to WHO, COVID-19 has escalated food shortages in Africa as containment measures like lockdowns, curfews and physical distancing hamper storage, processing and transportation of food.
It said that low-income households have borne the brunt of restricted movements amid loss of income and inability to access open-air markets where they often source for local staples.
WHO hailed a recent decision by several African countries to mitigate the disruption of food supply chains even as they intensify the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moeti said that WHO has developed guidelines to enable African countries to promote the health and nutrition of citizens through consumption of whole grains, cereals, lentils, peas, and beans as they mull easing of anti-COVID-19 containment measures.
"As countries begin to relax their lockdowns, essential health services must be in place to meet challenges posed by malnutrition,” said Moeti, adding that African governments should provide assistance to food-insecure households and ensure medical facilities are able to give special care to COVID-19 patients that are undernourished.
A man wearing a protective face mask to prevent contracting the coronavirus walks past the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy fell to 242 on Friday, against 262 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases dipped to 789 from 992 on Thursday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 31,610 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 223,885, the fifth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Spain, Britain and Russia.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 72,070 from 76,440 the day before.
There were 808 people in intensive care on Friday, down from 855 on Thursday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 120,205 were declared recovered against 115,228 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.859 million people had been tested for the virus against 1.820 million on Thursday, out of a population of around 60 million.
Child dies in France from rare disease linked to coronavirus
A nine-year-old boy has died in France from a Kawasaki-like disease believed to be linked to coronavirus, his doctor said on Friday, the first such death in the country as similar child fatalities are being investigated in New York and London.
The child died after a "neurological injury related to a cardiac arrest," said Fabrice Michel, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at La Timone hospital in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.
The boy, who tested positive for coronavirus, received treatment at the hospital for seven days and died on Saturday, the doctor told AFP.
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UK coronavirus death toll rises 384 to 33,998: government
The number of people who have died in the United Kingdom after testing positive to COVID-19 rose by 384 to 33,998, Britain's health ministry said on Friday. The number of deaths was as of 1600 GMT on Thursday, the government said.
A total of 236,711 people had tested positive for the virus as of 0800 GMT on Friday.
According to a study released Thursday by the University of Manchester, over 25 percent of people in Britain are likely to have had COVID-19 already.
Dutch dog, three cats infected with coronavirus: RTL
A dog and three house cats in the Netherlands have been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, broadcaster RTL reported on Friday, citing the country's agriculture minister.
"Everything points to these animals having been infected by their owners," RTL quoted minister Carola Schouten as saying. "So if you are ill, do not hug your cat or dog."
Other animal infections have been occasionally reported around the world during the current coronavirus pandemic. The Netherlands' National Institute of Health says that the risk an animal could infect humans is very small.
Read more:
Answer bank: Can I catch COVID-19 from my pet?
Pets and the coronavirus: Protect yourself and protect them as well
Over 25 pct of UK population may have had COVID-19: study
Over 25 percent of people in Britain are likely to have had COVID-19 already, according to a study released Thursday by the University of Manchester.
Researchers from the university, the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Res Consortium used the published local authority data to assess the cumulative impact of infection since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Britain, the university said.
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U.S. minimizes CDC's role in COVID-19 response: The Lancet
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flagship agency for the nation's public health, has seen its role minimized and become an ineffective and nominal adviser in the response to contain the spread of the coronavirus, The Lancet wrote in an article published on Friday.
The medical journal attributed the inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19 crisis in the U.S. partly to the strained relationship between the federal government and the CDC as the pandemic continues to worsen in the country.
The CDC, once regarded as the gold standard for global disease detection and control, used to be a national pillar of public health and globally respected following its founding in 1946.
However, funding to the CDC for a long time has been subject to conservative politics that have increasingly eroded the agency's ability to mount effective, evidence-based public health responses, according to the article.
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Sants market in Barcelona, Spain, May 8, 2020. /Xinhua
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Spain reported a total of 230,183 COVID-19 infections with 27,459 deaths as of Friday. The country decided to extend the closure of its borders until June 15.
Iran reported 2,102 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 116,635 and death toll to 6,902.
Thailand, which confirmed a total of 3,025 COVID-19 cases with 56 deaths as of Friday, will allow restaurants, shopping malls and other businesses to reopen on May 17.
Australia reported a total of 7,019 COVID-19 infections with 98 deaths as of Friday, when the state of New South Wales announced it will allow restaurants and pubs to reopen subject to social distancing regulations.
Monaco, which has so far recorded 96 coronavirus infections with four deaths, will launch COVID-19 screening of its entire population on May 18.
Slovenia declared an end to its COVID-19 epidemic after the government said there had been 35 cases confirmed in the past two weeks. As of Friday, Slovenia reported a total of 1,464 cases with 103 deaths.
Germany reported a total of 173,152 COVID-19 cases with 7,824 deaths on Friday. Germany will loosen coronavirus quarantine rules for travelers arriving from the European Union, the Schengen passport-free zone and Britain, according to Reuters.
Russia on Friday reported 10,598 new confirmed cases, pushing its tally to 262,843. The capital city Moscow started a free coronavirus antibody testing program for residents the same day.
Why travel bans didn't stop the coronavirus
When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on January 30 the novel coronavirus outbreak "a public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC), most of the world thought the virus was China's problem.
There were less than 100 cases outside China at the time, and 62 countries had already imposed travel restrictions on Chinese citizens. As the situation evolved, restrictions on cross-border movement did not stop there.
By April, at least 93 percent of the world's population were affected by coronavirus-related travel restrictions, with three billion people living under lockdowns that completely bar foreigners, according to the Pew Research Center. It is safe to say that any damage due to disruptions to international travel has been done.
But what's worse is that border closures didn't do much to prevent a global pandemic, which has killed over 300,000 people and sickened more than four million around the world.
Global health experts have overwhelmingly opposed travel and trade restrictions from the start. In its official recommendation, the WHO says denying entry to travelers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact.
However, most countries flouted the UN health agency's guidance. What transpired in countries hardest hit by COVID-19, despite having implemented strict travel bans in the early days, might be a testament to how well such as prohibition has worked.
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China's National Health Commission (NHC) said citywide nucleic acid testing can have a significant role in containing outbreaks and the resumption of economic activities.
Italy is set to allow free travel across the country from June 3, according to a draft decree seen by Reuters on Friday, as the government moves to unwind the coronavirus lockdown and revive the battered economy.
Rigid restrictions were imposed on Italy in March in an effort to halt the disease and with the death rate now falling, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is rolling back the curbs.
The draft decree, which could still be modified before it is approved, also said all travel within separate Italian regions would be allowed from May 18.
(Cover: Piazza delle Erbe, virtually deserted as Italy battles a coronavirus outbreak, in Verona, Italy, March 7, 2020. /Reuters)
Korean Air to impose face mask requirements on all passengers
South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air said Friday it will require all passengers on domestic routes to wear face masks during travel starting next Monday in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Yonhap News reported.
The move is in line with some U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, which have mandated facial coverings for all passengers from early May.
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How sewer science could ease testing pressure and track COVID-19
The science of sewage surveillance could be deployed in countries across the world to help monitor the spread of national epidemics of COVID-19 while reducing the need for mass testing, scientists say.
Experts in the field – known as wastewater epidemiology – say that as countries begin to ease pandemic lockdown restrictions, searching sewage for signs of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus could help them monitor and respond to flare-ups.
Small early studies conducted by scientific teams in The Netherlands, France, Australia and elsewhere have found signs that the COVID-19-causing virus can be detected in sewage.
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COVID-19 Global Roundup: How countries around the world reopen the economy
While the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 keeps growing worldwide, some countries and state governments have begun to reopen the economy or are mulling to do it as a large contingent of the population is getting anxious over the stay-at-home policy, which triggered a large scale of lay-offs and furloughs.
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German Q1 economy contracts 2.2 pct amid COVID-19 pandemic
German economy contracted 2.2 percent in the first three months of 2020, according to the German Federal Statistics Office, as shops and factories were shut in the middle March to fight the spread of COVID-19.
The number also marks the steepest quarterly slump since the 2009 financial crisis in Germany as the economy ministry warned economic downturn is expected to accelerate in the current quarter.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has reached 173,152, Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases date showed on Friday, while the reported death toll now stands at 7,824.
(With input from agencies)
The Odeonsplatz square during a partial lock down in Munich, Germany, March 21, 2020. /Reuters
File photo ./VCG
President Emmanuel Macron will meet the chief executive of French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi on May 19, a presidential official said on Thursday, after Paul Hudson angered the government earlier by saying some countries would get priority access to a coronavirus vaccine.
Hudson tempered his original comments earlier on Thursday by saying it was vital that any coronavirus vaccine reach all parts of the world.
Earlier, The European Union (EU) insisted Thursday that any vaccine against coronavirus must be available fairly to all countries after French drug giant Sanofi said it was reserving first shipments for the U.S..
"The vaccine against COVID-19 should be a global public good and its access needs to be equitable and universal," European Commission spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker told reporters.
Sanofi's chief executive Paul Hudson caused fury in France by announcing that U.S. patients would get first access to a vaccine because Washington is helping to fund the research.
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EU insists coronavirus vaccine be available to all
Global coronavirus cases top 4.4 million: Johns Hopkins University
Russia reports 10,598 new coronavirus infections
Russia on Friday reported 10,598 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its case tally to 262,843 as of Friday morning at 10:35.
Among them, 4,748 new cases were registered in Moscow, bringing the total infection in the capital to 135,464.
The country's coronavirus taskforce also said on Friday that 113 people had died over the last 24 hours, taking the official death toll from the virus to 2,418.
So far, 58,226 patients in Russia have recovered from the disease and over 6.4 million virus tests have been conducted across the country.
Domestic cases on Chinese mainland increase for three straight days
The number of domestic COVD-19 cases has increased for three consecutive days, and work to prevent rebound of the disease in the country is still arduous, said Song Shuli, a spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC) at a press briefing on Friday.
Speaking on the press briefing, Song noted active cases on the Chinese mainland has gone down below 100, reaching 91 as of Thursday.
Song also said China will step up screening and checking specially in key venues and key regions to detect loopholes and make sure the implementation of relevant prevent and control measures.
The Chinese embassy in Israel published a response on Thursday refuting the China-related comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo before and after his recent visit to Israel.
The accusations made by Pompeo can be summarized into three accusations, namely, "the origin of Coronavirus is China," "China hid the information of COVID-19" and "China's investments are threats," according to the embassy.
"Over the past few months, more and more studies are showing that the coronavirus in different places belongs to different strains, and patients zero of many countries do not even have any contact with China," read the statement.
The embassy urged that "source tracing is serious science, which should be studied carefully by scientists in a global context. We should let facts speak for themselves, and not be misled by lies."
On the claim that China concealed information of COVID-19, the embassy laid out a timeline of China's response to the outbreak, adding that "Throughout the fight against COVID-19, China's experts, doctors and scientists have been in close contact with their counterparts worldwide, including those from the US."
Noting that Pompeo has often labelled Chinese products, investments and personnel as "security risks," the embassy said: "China-Israel cooperation is win-win in nature, and the projects are market activities based on supply and demand."
(Cover: A couple wearing face masks walk near the shore of the Mediterranean sea, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Ashkelon, Israel May 2, 2020. /REUTERS)
NHC officials speak at a news conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing on May 15, 2020. /SCIO
The World Health Organization (WHO) never asked to visit a specific lab in China and allegations that China denied WHO experts a visit to the P4 lab in Wuhan are against the facts, officials from the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press conference on Friday.
A group of experts from WHO visited Wuhan in January and then a joint team of experts from China and the WHO visited Beijing, Guangdong Province and Sichuan Province in February, an NHC official said, adding that China attaches great importance to working with the international community in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comments were made after international journalists asked for confirmation on the unproven information spread by U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Other claims were also refuted.
China refused to share the virus strains with the rest of the world – FALSE
"China has always been open on sharing the novel coronavirus strains with the whole world and will carry on being open," said Liu Dengfeng, an ombudsman at the NHC. "These U.S. officials purposely spread only a part of the story."
China has also shared the genome sequence of the virus under the WHO framework to help develop a vaccine and medicine quickly, officials added.
After the scientific research on the virus started, the NHC issued guidelines on January 3 to regulate how labs should treat the SARS-CoV-2. And total destruction is only one of the measures.
Liu Dengfeng. /SCIO
China hid the "people to people infection" truth for a week before telling the world – FALSE
"'People-to-people infection' in a street term, not a scientific one," NHC Deputy Director Zeng Yixin said. "The more precise term would be the ability of the virus to spread among people."
It's obvious that all human infectious diseases can spread among people. But some viruses spread faster than others.
"In mid-January, we were still trying to learn how fast the virus can spread," Zeng explained. "It's not until January 19 that we confirmed that the novel coronavirus is dangerous. We did it as fast as we could."
Zeng Yixin. /SCIO
COVID-19 prevention is the new normal in China
Though there are less than 200 confirmed COVID-19 cases in China at the moment, the country is not going to let down its guard against the disease.
Last Friday, the Chinese government issued new guidelines on "normalized COVID-19 prevention measures," including a shift in focus from control to prevention, better implementation of early detection, an emphasis on public areas and vulnerable groups and eventually, reinforcing equipment support.
"We need people's cooperation to get the work done well," said Zeng Yixin.
IOC confirms 800 mln U.S. dollars in extra spending for postponed Tokyo Games
Banner of the 2020 Olympic Games hanging on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, March 18, 2020. /VCG
International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to spend up to 800 million U.S. dollars for extra costs arising from the one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe announced in March that the showpiece event will be delayed until 2021 "to ensure that the athletes are in peak condition when they compete and to guarantee the safety of the spectators," sparking devastating financial repercussions on both the Japanese government and the IOC.
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Latest developments on global coronavirus pandemic
India's total number of cases has surpassed the 80,000 mark, reaching 81,970 on Friday. The death toll rose to 2,649.
Brazil reported on Thursday that the number of cases in the country has exceeded 200,000, reaching 202,918. A total of 13,993 people have died from COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, 31,790 healthcare workers in the country have tested positive for the coronavirus, with 11,4301 more suspected infections among medical personnel.
Mexico reported its highest single-day spike in cases: A total of 2,409 new cases on Thursday. The country now has recorded 42,595 cases and 4,477 deaths.
Germany's confirmed cases increased by 913 to 173,152 on Friday. The death toll rose by 101 to 7,824.
Canada on Thursday registered 1,122 new cases and 168 more deaths. It now has reported 73,400 total cases and 5,472 deaths.
Northeast China Shulan City enhances COVID-19 testing
A team from the National Health Commission and the health authority of northeast China's Jilin Province is conducting an epidemiological investigation in Shulan City, where multiple domestic COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed.
Authorities said the city has enhanced nucleic acid testing and quarantine measures. As of noon on Friday, 5,568 people have been tested, and at least 408 close contacts of 26 confirmed cases have been put under medical observation in a designated facility.
South Korea's Itaewon club-linked coronavirus infections increase to 148
South Korea on Thursday detected 27 new cases of coronavirus, with 17 connected to bars and clubs in the capital Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The number of Itaewon club-linked coronavirus infections has increased to 148.
Health authorities are staying vigilant against the community spread of the virus connected to the cluster infections at Itaewon.
Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said that "a slew of secondary and tertiary infections have been reported across the country."
South Korea has reported a total of 11,018 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday. The death toll remains unchanged at 260, according to the KCDC.
People wearing protective masks walk on an almost empty street in Itaewon following the COVID-19 outbreak, in Seoul, South Korea, May 14, 2020. /REUTERS
U.S. hospital ship Mercy to leave Los Angeles after treating 77 non-coronavirus patients
The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Mercy will return to its home port San Diego on Friday after assisting the coronavirus response in Los Angeles, the U.S. Northern Command said Thursday.
Mercy will leave Los Angeles about 7 a.m. and is expected to arrive at Naval Base San Diego sometime Friday afternoon.
The hospital ship arrived at the port of Los Angeles on March 27 and started treating non-coronavirus patients to alleviate some pressure from local hospitals brought about by the outbreak.
Mercy received a total of 77 patients during around seven weeks in Los Angeles.
AP
Chinese FM urges intl community to reject COVID-19 politicization
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held telephone conversations on Thursday with foreign ministers of Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Estonia over the novel coronavirus pandemic.
China sincerely thanks these countries for their solidarity and support for China's fight against the epidemic, Wang said, adding that China has recently overcome its own difficulties, offered support and assistance to relevant countries, shared prevention and control experiences and treatments without reservation and facilitated various countries in their purchase of anti-epidemic supplies from China.
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UN chief says mankind 'so unprepared' for COVID-19, world lacks solidarity
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said mankind is "so unprepared" for COVID-19, while pointing out that there is not enough humility, unity or solidarity in the world.
Guterres earlier on Thursday brought together the principals of 31 UN system entities in a virtual meeting of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), the longest-standing and highest-level coordination forum of the UN system.
As CEB chair, the secretary-general gave an overview of the state of the world, reflecting on the future of multilateralism, beyond the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as on the risks brought by the current crisis for human rights, global governance, ethics and international cooperation.
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The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported four new domestic COVID-19 cases with no new deaths or imported cases, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported 11 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,933, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 619 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 14 patients were discharged from hospitals on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,209.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,051 (1,009 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (43 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (383 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Even with the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. growing, President Donald Trump is pushing states to reopen their economies.
Multiple states across the nation have seen protests against stay-at-home orders and calls for lifting COVID-19 restrictions for businesses to reopen since last month.
CGTN spoke to some residents in different states including, Florida, California and Colorado. Here are their opinions about the economic reopening.
Over 1,500 protesters attended a large gathering at the Wisconsin state capitol on April 24. Protesters were asking Democratic Governor Tony Evers reopen the state.
According to Sky News, more than 70 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Wisconsin attended the protest.
Many states, including Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska, South Carolina and Ohio, have already moved to restart parts of their economies.
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U.S. coronavirus death toll surpasses 85,000
The U.S. has reported 1,415,894 cases of novel coronavirus as of 19:20 EST on Thursday, and at least 85,800 people have died, latest data from Johns Hopkins University showed.
New York remains the hardest-hit state, with over 343,000 total cases and 27,607 deaths.
With 58,457 reported COVID-19 cases, Cook County in the state of Illinois has replaced Queens County in New York as the county with the highest number of infections, Johns Hopkins University reported.
Nearly three million more U.S. workers filed for jobless claims last week, bringing the unemployment total in the country to 36.5 million.
The New York Stock Exchange will partially reopen on May 26, president Stacey Cunningham said. Floor brokers will return in small numbers first and be required to wear protective masks while on the floor.
Dr. Rick Bright, former director of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, warned Congress on Tuesday that it's unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready in 12 to 18 months.
The nation could face "the darkest winter in modern history" unless leaders act decisively, he told a congressional panel.
"A lot of optimism is swirling around a 12-to-18-month timeframe if everything goes perfectly. We've never seen everything go perfectly," Bright told members of the House health subcommittee. "I still think 12 to 18 months is an aggressive schedule and I think it's going to take longer than that to do so."
Medical technologist tests a respiratory panel at Northwell Health Labs, where the same test will be used on the COVID-19 after being authorized to begin semi-automated testing by the FDA in Lake Success, New York, U.S., March 11, 2020 / REUTERS
Bright was ousted from his high-level scientific post last month. He then filed a whistleblower complaint, alleging his removal was in retaliation for his pushback on Trump administration efforts to promote the unproven drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.
Bright also told lawmakers he is worried about the speed of vaccine development and how that could affect safety. President Donald Trump has touted "Operation Warp Speed," a program to fast-track testing of 14 top vaccine candidates.
"We need to be truthful with the American people. Americans deserve the truth. The truth must be based on science," he said. "We have the world's greatest scientists. Let us lead. Let us speak without fear of retribution. We must listen. Each of us can and must do our part now."
Trump dismissed Bright in a tweet Thursday as "a disgruntled employee, not liked or respected by people I spoke to and who, with his attitude, should no longer be working for our government!"
Read more:
What Americans think of Trump's COVID-19 response
Report: Trump refuses to wear mask to avoid harming re-election chances
More than 1.4 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., with a death toll nearing 85,000 as of Thursday afternoon, according Johns Hopkins University.
Mask shortage warning out in January
In a whistleblower complaint filed with a government watchdog last week, Bright said that he warned about the virus in January and was met with hostility from leaders of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Bright told the House hearing that his warning about the nation's shortages of masks and other personal protective equipment were ignored multiple times by top officials. He said he would "never forget" an email he got in January from a U.S. supplier of medical-grade face masks warning of a dire shortage.
"He said 'we are in deep shit. The world is. We need to act,'" Bright said. The supplier sending the email to Bright was Mike Bowen, co-owner of Prestige Ameritech, the largest U.S. surgical mask producer.
"And I pushed that forward to the highest level that I could of HHS and got no response," Bright said. "I was met with indifference, saying they were either too busy, they didn't have a plan, they didn't know who was responsible for procuring those."
Police officers wearing face masks guard the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2020. /Reuters
Bright's remarks came two days after Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading expert of the White House coronavirus task force, testified before a Senate panel via teleconference, along with several other health officials.
Fauci warned in his testimony on Tuesday that there could be more infections and deaths if there is not an "adequate" response by the United States in the fall.
"We run the risk of having a resurgence. I would hope by that point in time in the fall that we have more than enough to respond adequately, but if we don't, there will be problem," he said.
Bright made a similar assessment on Thursday.
"If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged. There will be likely a resurgence of COVID-19 this fall that will be greatly compounded by the challenges of seasonal influenza," he said. "Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history."
Trump's controversial COVID-19 response
Trump is under criticism for his administration's delay in responding to the pandemic and blame-shifting.
Last month, an investigative report by The Washington Post said Trump's denial and delayed response in the critical first 70 days of the outbreak had caused the U.S. to suffer through a situation that could have been mitigated with decisive action.
Read more:
How Trump mishandled coronavirus outbreak in U.S.
Graphics: The delays in U.S. coronavirus testing
U.S. President Donald Trump tours medical equipment distributor Owens & Minor in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 14, 2020. /Reuters
On the other hand, the Trump administration tends to blame China for problems in the U.S. to cover up its own poor handling of the pandemic, Chinese officials said, urging Washington to focus on tackling the coronavirus at home and saving American lives.
According to a report by Politico in late April, the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent campaigns a memo authored by a top Republican strategist advising GOP candidates to address the coronavirus crisis by aggressively attacking China.
The detailed 57-page memo includes guiding candidates how to deflect public anger on racism to the "cover-up" of the Chinese government and to tie Democratic candidates to the Chinese government, accusing them of being "soft on China."
According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, more Americans have grown critical of Trump over the past month as the death toll mounts from the coronavirus pandemic, and he now trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden by eight percentage points among registered voters.
Those who disapprove of Trump's performance at the helm of the country's pandemic response outnumber those who approve by 13 percentage points – the highest level of net disapproval since the poll started asking the question at the beginning of March.
Michael H Fuchs, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, criticized Trump for "making America an obstacle in the global fight against Covid-19" in a recent opinion piece published on The Guardian.
"President Donald Trump's incompetent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is not only exacerbating the death and destruction caused by the virus in the U.S.. It is also crippling the global response to the crisis, and the costs could be even deadlier," Fuchs wrote.
The former senior diplomat slammed Trump for halting U.S. funding to the World Health Organization and "squabbling with China" over the pandemic, adding that "no one gains" from such a feud.
(With input from Reuters, Xinhua)
FILE PHOTO: A woman wears a mask in Chinatown following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. January 30, 2020. /Reuters
More than 300,000 people have died from the coronavirus globally, according to data compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University on Thursday.
The running tally counted 300,074 deaths, while the number of cases and recoveries stand at 4,405,019 and 1,573,765, respectively.
The US is the hardest-hit by the global pandemic with more than 1.4 million cases and nearly 85,000 fatalities.
The UK has the second-highest death toll with 33,692, followed closely by Italy's tally of 31,368.
Despite the rising number of cases, most who contract the virus suffer mild symptoms before making a recovery.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Latest COVID-19 development in some European countries
The COVID-19 death toll in the UK rose by 428 to 33,614, health officials said on Thursday. As of Thursday morning, 233,151 have tested positive for the virus in the country.
In Russia, Moscow will begin free mass testing of citizens for the coronavirus from Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed, adding the target is to test 100,000 people a day by the end of May.
Two Russian officials, Education and Science Minister Valery Falkov and Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, have recovered from the COVID-19.
The Netherlands has recorded a total of 5,590 coronavirus deaths following 28 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the health authority said. The number of people tested positive grew by 270, taking the total number of cases to 43,481.
France on Thursday announced measures worth 18 billion euros (19 billion U.S. dollars) to support its tourism sector, which has been hammered by the coronavirus crisis and resulting shutdown in beaches, leisure attractions and hotels.
Sweden reported 69 more deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 3,529. The total number of infections stands at 28,582.
Chinese medical team arrives in Algeria to help fight against COVID-19
A Chinese medical team arrived in Algeria on Thursday morning to assist the country's ongoing efforts to fight against COVID-19.
The team consists of 15 medical experts from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and five from the Macao Special Administrative Region.
The Chinese medics will conduct communication and in-depth exchanges with Algeria on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures.
They will also have video conferences with eight other countries and provide medical training for them, Xinhua reported, citing team leader Zhou Lin.
(Cover: CMG)
People walk on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 10, 2020. /Xinhua
UN chief calls for attention to mental health problems caused by COVID-19
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for attention to mental health problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that "the COVID-19 virus is not only attacking our physical health, it is also increasing psychological suffering," the UN chief said "grief at the loss of loved ones, shock at the loss of jobs, isolation and restrictions on movement, difficult family dynamics, and uncertainty and fear for the future" might cause psychological suffering.
"Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, are some of the greatest causes of misery in our world," Guterres said in his video message marking the launch of a policy brief titled "COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health."
"After decades of neglect and underinvestment in mental health services, the COVID-19 pandemic is now hitting families and communities with additional mental stress," Guterres said.
Noting that those most at risk are frontline healthcare workers, older people, adolescents and young people, those with pre-existing mental health conditions, and those caught up in conflicts and crises, Guterres said, "We must help them and stand by them."
(With input from Xinhua)
Vaccine dispute: Macron's office to see Sanofi executives
French President Emmanuel Macron's top officials will meet with executives of pharmaceutical giant Sanofi early next week, his office said Thursday after the firm's CEO said the U.S. would be the first recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine it is racing to develop.
"This vaccine must be a global public good, which is not submitted to market forces," the presidency said in a statement.
Earlier on Thursday, the European Union (EU) also made an appeal that any vaccine against coronavirus must be available equitably to all countries following Sanofi's announcement.
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UK approves 'game changer' coronavirus antibody test
The Public Health England has approved a coronavirus antibody test developed by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG to detect if a person has had been infected by the COVID-19.
The British government said it was talking with Roche on rolling out its test after a Public Health England laboratory at Porton Down, in Wiltshire, concluded it had 100-percent specificity. That means it can detect antibodies to the exact disease rather than similar ones.
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Nearly three million more U.S. workers file for unemployment
Nearly three million more American people filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending May 9, according to the U.S. Department of Labor as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter the labor market.
The initial claim from last week - 2.981 million - was down from 3.176 million in the prior week and marked the sixth straight weekly drop, despite the number still standing high and well above any week prior to the pandemic.
The new data has brought the total job losses since the pandemic's arrival in mid-March to 36.5 million in the U.S.
(With input from agencies)
China's foreign direct investment posts positive growth in April
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland rose by 11.8 percent year on year to 70.36 billion yuan (9.92 billion U.S. dollars) in April amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said an official with the commerce ministry on Thursday.
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About 4.4% of French population infected by coronavirus: Pasteur Institute
A study led by the Pasteur Institute says a mere 4.4 percent of the French population – or 2.8 million people – have been infected by the novel coronavirus, much higher than the official count of cases but way too low to achieve so-called "herd immunity."
In the study entitled Estimating the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in France published on Wednesday in the journal Science, researchers say the infection rate in the worst-hit parts of France – the eastern part of the country and the Paris region – is between nine and 10 percent on average.
"Around 65 percent of the population should be immune if we want to control the pandemic by the sole means of immunity," the study says.
Herd immunity refers to a situation where enough people in a population have immunity to an infection to be able to effectively stop that disease from spreading.
The rate of infection was measured by the Pasteur Institute as of May 11, the day when France started to unwind its almost two-month-long national lockdown.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Spain reported a total of 229,540 COVID-19 infections with 27,321 deaths as of Thursday.
Iran reported 1,808 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 114,533 and death toll standing at 6,854.
Brunei confirmed zero new COVID-19 case on Thursday, so far the country reported a total of 141 infections with one death. It will ease restrictions on restaurants, markets and sports facilities from May 16.
Armenia recorded a total of 3,860 confirmed cases and 49 deaths on Thursday; Armenia on the same day extended a state of emergency for another 30 days, until June 13.
India reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases in Dharavi, its largest slum, which is located in Mumbai. As of Thursday, India reported 78,810 COVID-19 cases with 2,564 deaths.
(Cover: Beauty Salon opens with the sanitary security measures taken in Molins de Rei, Spain, May 8, 2020. /Xinhua)
Trump reportedly pressuring CDC for COVID-19 death toll revisions
The President of the United States Donald Trump and his coronavirus task force are collectively pressuring the country's top health agency to revise the current COVID-19 death counts, revealed in an exclusive piece by the U.S. media agency The Daily Beast.
The news organization said that Trump wanted to exclude certain deaths when states counted their own and when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aggregated the total, as he said they were "incorrectly tallied or even inflated by current methodology," the Daily Beast wrote.
But five CDC officials briefed the Daily Beast, saying that they have been seeking to reject those demands, citing that states are already striving to count every COVID-19 death possible and this would only undermine their efforts.
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Japan lifts emergency for 39 prefectures expect Tokyo, Osaka
Thirty-nine out of Japan's 47 prefectures will lift their state of emergency, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday while other eight prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka will remain under the state of emergency.
"Japan will lift a state of emergency for 39 of the country's 47 prefectures ahead of its planned expiration at the end of the month, as the spread of the novel coronavirus in these areas has been kept in check," Abe said in a nationally televised news conference.
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Number of asymptomatic patients drop 22 percent in 10 days on Chinese mainland
The number of asymptomatic patients who're under medical observation on the Chinese mainland has dropped 22 percent in around 10 days while daily increase of the kind is below 10 people in average, said Song Shuli, a spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC) at a press briefing on Thursday.
According to the latest NHC report, there're 712 asymptomatic patients still under medical observation as of Wednesday.
Asymptomatic patients refer to those who tested positive for the disease but show no clinical symptoms. They will be classified as confirmed COVID-19 patients once they develop clinic symptoms or their CT scans show indications of COVID-19.
Song also noted increase of number of close contacts to domestic cluster, saying China will step up testing and screening to resolutely prevent rebound of the disease.
Read more:
Experts explain how to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients
Will asymptomatic patients cause a second wave of COVID-19 in China?
Russia's coronavirus cases pass 250,000, lowest daily rise in almost two weeks
Russia on Thursday reported 9,974 new confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, its lowest daily rise since May 2, bringing its nationwide tally to 252,245 as of Thursday morning at 10:35.
Russia's coronavirus response center said 93 people died overnight, bringing the official death toll to 2,305.
So far, a total of 53,530 patients in the country have recovered from the disease.
According to Russian authorities, the country has conducted over 6.1 million virus tests with 205,000 tests alone in the past 24 hours.
South Korea reports 29 more COVID-19 cases, 10,991 in total
South Korea reported 29 more cases and one more death due to COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. local time on Thursday. This raises the total number of infections in the country to 10,991 and death toll to 260, according to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The daily caseload has hovered around 30 for five straight days as a cluster of infections was found from clubs and bars in the multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon in Seoul. A total of 133 cases linked to Itaewon have been reported so far, 73 of which were registered in Seoul – with the others elsewhere in the country – forming the second-largest cluster of infections in the capital.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Germany's total number of confirmed cases rose by 933 to stand at 172,239, while the reported death toll rose by 89 to 7,723.
India reported 3,722 new cases and 134 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 78,003 and death toll to 2,549. The fourth round of lockdowns and their scope will be announced by May 18.
Mexico confirmed 1,862 new infections, along with 294 additional deaths, raising the total figures in the country to 40,186 with 4,220 deaths. The government announced that it will begin to ease the nationwide lockdown from May 18 to reactivate an economy.
Canada recorded 1,121 new cases with 133 new deaths, with the total number at 72,278 and death toll standing at 5,304.
Brazil's total number of confirmed cases rose to 188,974, and death toll climbed to 13,149 as of Wednesday, becoming the country with the sixth highest number of confirmed cases and deaths in the world.
Columbia reported 658 new cases, upping its total to 12,930 with 509 deaths. The country remains under a national quarantine, banning all forms of mass gatherings and several government officials will be investigated for violating the quarantine.
Israel confirmed 9 new cases and 3 new deaths, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 16,548, including 264 deaths. The Israeli authorities are discussing opening airports gradually from June 1 to allow visitors from countries with low infection rates.
Chile capital Santiago to go under total lockdown after COVID-19 spike
Chile on Wednesday ordered a mandatory total quarantine starting Friday for the capital Santiago's 7 million people after authorities reported a 60 percent spike in coronavirus infections in 24 hours, according to Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich.
The Chilean health ministry reported 2,660 new cases as of 21:00 local time Tuesday, the highest increase in a single day, and 11 new deaths. The country has 34,381 total cases and 346 deaths.
Health workers reported growing rates of infection in early May, just after the conservative government celebrated the fact that infections had "peaked," citing a persistent daily rate of around 500 new cases. The health ministry said it expected the outbreak to peak in May.
A nurse checks a patient who came in for testing at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) clinic at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia, May 12, 2020. /Reuters
Australian jobs plunged by the most on record in April as employers laid off hundreds of thousands of staff in response to the economy-wide shutdowns to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data on Thursday showed employment in April decreased 594,300 the unemployment rate shot up to 6.2%, the largest fall on record. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the job losses were "heartbreaking," adding that the forecast is still for unemployment to reach 10%.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country is reopening the economy.
Australia has recorded about 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 98 deaths. The federal government has a three-step plan to remove all social distancing restrictions by July, but the implementation is largely down to individual state and territory leaders. Frydenberg said lifting restrictions gradually will help get people back in work.
WHO's China representative pens reply letter to Wuhan students
On May 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a handwritten letter to middle school students in Wuhan City via its official Weibo account. The four-page, Chinese-language letter was written by Dr. Gauden Galea, the WHO representative in China.
The story begins with a letter from students at Xuguang Middle School in Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic in China.
Students sent a letter to Galea on May 5, calling on young people all around the world to join hands to help people in need.
"Thank you for your warm letter... Your letter is a symbol of the hope and solidarity the world so badly needs in its fight against this global pandemic," Galea wrote in his reply, which was posted on the WHO's Weibo account.
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VCG
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could become endemic like HIV, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, warning against any attempt to predict how long it would keep circulating and calling for a "massive effort" to counter it.
WHO officials said that it is hard to predict when the pandemic will be over, but countries should stay positive and collaborate closely.
"I think it's important to put this on the table: This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away," said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, at a press conference in Geneva. "It is important that we be realistic and I don't think anyone can predict when or if this disease will disappear."
He believes that there is a "massive opportunity for the world" to turn "a tragic pandemic into a beacon of hope for the future," urging the world to "work together to solve our problems through solidarity, through trust, through working together and through a multilateral system that can actually benefit mankind."
"In some senses, we have control over that future, but it's going to take a massive effort to do it," he said, noting that "It's going to need the political, the financial, the operational, the technical and the community support to be a success."
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 technical lead at WHO, added that, despite people may be "in a state of feeling quite some despair," we should remain positive and hopeful.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added: "The trajectory is in our hands, and it's everybody's business, and we should all contribute to stop this pandemic."
Stay vigilant when lifting lockdown measures
The grim warning came as some countries started to gradually ease their lockdown measures for reopening economies.
If countries "reopen in the presence of a high degree of virus transmission, then that transmission may accelerate," said Ryan. "If that transmission accelerates, and you don't have the systems to detect it, it will be days or weeks before you know something has gone wrong."
"By the time that happens, you are back into a situation where the only response is another lockdown," he added, warning of a vicious cycle of public health disaster followed by economic disaster followed by heath disaster followed by economic disaster.
Ryan pointed out that in countries like Korea, China, and Germany, where there is a jump in cases, the governments have been alert about what's happening, and taken very immediate action to investigate. "I think that's what we need to see."
Kerkhove stressed that it's important that countries have systems in place to be able to rapidly detect cases and then take appropriate actions.
"We need to get into the mindset that it is going to take some time to come out of this pandemic," the epidemiologist said.
The WHO Director-General said the recommendation is the alert in any country should still be at the highest level possible.
(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)
The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported three new domestic COVID-19 cases with no new deaths or imported cases, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported 12 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,929, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 712 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said six patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,195.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,050 (1,008 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (43 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (375 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Coronavirus cases in U.S. surpass 1.38 million, deaths over 83,000
There are now 1,388,936 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States as of 6:32 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to statistics released by Johns Hopkins University. At least 83,791 deaths have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump described as not acceptable a warning given by top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci this week about the dangers of reopening the economy and schools too quickly.
"To me it's not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Fauci's warnings to senators on Tuesday about the risks of reopening the schools and economy too soon.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in an interview on Fox News the economy will be reopened slowly, adding that there is a risk of "too much damage" to economy if U.S. waits too long to reopen.
An ousted U.S. health official will warn Congress on Thursday that Americans face their "darkest winter" in decades if the country fails to deploy a coordinated response against the coronavirus pandemic.
Rick Bright is expected to sound the alarm about inadequate countermeasures when he testifies at a congressional hearing.
"Our window of opportunity is closing," Bright will tell a House health subcommittee, according to his testimony released Wednesday.
"If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities."
According to Bright's testimony, "without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history."
Bright filed a whistleblower complaint last week after being demoted for what he said was opposition to the Trump administration's promotion of unproven therapies to fight COVID-19. U.S. officials were "dismissive" about his dire warnings early this year about the critical shortage of necessary supplies like masks, swabs and medicine and the lack of appropriate funding, he will say.
Bright was removed last month from his post as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the agency charged with developing a vaccine against the coronavirus, and transferred to a lesser position in the National Institutes of Health.
He said he was removed for opposing the use of malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus, a treatment that was repeatedly promoted by President Donald Trump despite little scientific evidence of success.
Bright will say he believes it is "painfully clear" that the U.S. government was not as prepared as it should have been.
"We missed early warning signals and we forgot important pages from our pandemic playbook," Bright said.
(Cover: Rick Bright, recently ousted director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is seen in his official government handout portrait photo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services taken in Washington, the U.S., in 2017. /Reuters)
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Brazil continues to be hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with experts believing the worst is still to come.
The iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro has been transformed into the site of a 400-bed field hospital, but a severe shortage of critical supplies is leaving healthcare workers worried that it will never be fully operational.
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Dr Michael Ryan, the head of emergencies programme at WHO, said "very significant control" of the virus was required in order to lower the current risk assessment.
The world still has a "long, long way to go" to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, the World Health Organization's top emergencies expert warned on Wednesday, as countries around the globe move to gradually ease restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.
In a WHO briefing, the organization's head of emergencies programme, Dr Michael Ryan, said risks from COVID-19 remained high at "national, regional and global levels”.
"What we all fear is a vicious cycle of public health and economic disasters if lockdowns are eased without the ability to detect fresh outbreaks," said Dr Ryan.
He added that "very significant control" of the virus was required in order to lower the current risk assessment.
Many governments have rolled out plans to restore normal life while still trying to contain the virus which has infected close to 4.3 million people and killed more than 294,000, according to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
Most of those countries have seen their economies take a battering due to the restrictions placed to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
The European Union on Wednesday pushed for a gradual reopening of borders within the bloc, saying it was not too late to salvage some of the summer tourist season while keeping people safe.
Latest COVID-19 developments from around the world
The UK's fatalities among confirmed COVID-19 patients rose by 494 to 33,186 as of 16:00 GMT on Tuesday. The toll is over 40,000 if including deaths due to suspected cases.
Spain's daily death toll inched up from 176 to 184 on Wednesday. The overall death toll rose to 27,104, and the total number of confirmed cases hit 228,691.
Iran reported 50 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing its death toll to 6,783. A total of 1,968 new cases were also recorded, raising the nationwide tally to 112,725.
Indonesia reported a daily record high of 689 new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 15,438. There were also 21 more deaths recorded, raising its death toll to 1,028.
Saudi Arabia announced 1,905 new cases and nine more deaths on Wednesday. The country now has 44,830 total cases and 273 deaths.
Qatar registered 1,290 new cases, bringing its total to 26,539. It has reported 1,000-plus new cases for six days in a row. The death toll stayed at 14.
Lesotho reports first COVID-19 case
Lesotho, the last country in Africa to be spared the coronavirus outbreak, reported its first COVID-19 case on Wednesday, according to the country's health ministry.
The ministry said in a statement that it had conducted 81 coronavirus tests for travelers from South Africa and Saudi Arabia and found one positive case.
275 UK health and social care workers have died from COVID-19: PM Johnson
A total of 144 health care workers and 131 social care workers have died from COVID-19 in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
The country's coronavirus death toll has surpassed 40,000, by far the most fatalities reported in Europe.
Global trade down 3 percent in Q1: UN agency
World merchandise trade is seen down three percent in the first quarter of 2020 from the last three months of 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Wednesday.
The UNCTAD report forecasts that global trade will down a further 26.9 percent in the second quarter.
EU calls for phased return of tourism after virus restrictions
The EU on Wednesday set out plans for a phased restart of travel this summer, hoping to save millions of tourism jobs threatened by the coronavirus pandemic across Europe.
"Today's guidance can be the chance of a better season for the many Europeans whose livelihood depends on tourism and, of course, for those who would like to travel this summer," the EU commission's executive vice president Margrethe Vestager told reporters.
People enjoy the good weather in Bois de Vincennes park on the eve of the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions during the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Paris, May 10, 2020. /Reuters
Germany to start gradual easing of border controls
Germany will start to gradually ease some of the border controls imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday.
The goal is to have free travel in Europe from June 15, said Seehofer.
General border controls with France, Switzerland and Austria due to end May 15 will be extended to June 15, but as many crossings as possible will be reopened, said Seehofer.
He also warned that the border controls could be re-imposed if there are new outbreaks.
Germany's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 798 to 171,306 on Wednesday, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. The death toll rose by 101 to 7,634.
Japan to consult experts on lifting state of emergency for 39 prefectures
Japan government will consult a panel of experts about lifting the state of emergency for 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures, reported NHK and Kyodo news on Wednesday.
The government has already planned to lift the state of emergency in 34 prefectures, as well as Ibaraki and Gifu, which have been designated as requiring "special caution."
Aichi, Kyoto and Fukuoka are also being considered, which would bring the total number to 39.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will finalize how many prefectures will remain under the state of emergency on Thursday.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Wednesday denounced the COVID-19 Accountability Act introduced by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham that would grant U.S. President Donald Trump the authorization to "impose sanctions on China if China fails to cooperate and provide a full accounting of the events leading up to the outbreak of COVID-19."
Zhao said that the legislation overlooked the facts. It is immoral and is an effort to blame China for the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
China has always been transparent in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and has worked closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), said Zhao. The world has seen China's contribution to containing the global pandemic.
He also clarified during the press briefing that there are no so-called "wildlife wet markets" in China. "China has some live poultry markets, farmers' markets, or seafood markets, which are not banned by international law," he said.
Noting that these markets in China are not wildlife markets, Zhao said China has started legislating on banning the illegal hunt, trade, transportation, or consumption of wildlife.
Zhao urged the U.S. administration to stop attacking China and instead focus on protecting the safety of its own citizens and contribute more to global cooperation in controlling the virus.
Read more:
'Attack China': GOP sends memo to candidates on deflecting anger over coronavirus
China's top legislature approves decision to ban illegal wildlife trade
COVID-19: Russia reports over 10,000 daily cases, total at 242,271
Russia reported 10,028 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 242,271.
It is the eleventh consecutive day that the country reported over 10,000 daily new cases.
The nationwide death toll rose to 2,212, while 48,003 patients have recovered.
Nearly 177,000 virus tests have been carried out in the country during this period.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday and Wednesday sent COVID-19 containment supplies, including protective suits, medical masks and forehead thermometers, to militaries of 12 countries by air force planes.
They have been sent to countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The move was made at the request of these countries' militaries and with the approval of China's Central Military Commission.
The PLA said it will continue to strengthen international cooperation with national defense departments and the militaries in other countries to contain the pandemic.
UK economy shrinks by 2% in Q1 due to coronavirus
The UK economy shrank by two percent in the first three months of 2020, signalling the first direct impacts of the coronavirus on the British economy, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.
The economy dropped by 5.8 percent in March alone, it added.
Click here for more.
Latest COVID-19 developments in the world
In South Korea, the Seoul nightclub cluster has 119 cases as the government vowed to trace and test all visitors within this week. The country saw a rise of 26 new cases and one more death on Tuesday, taking its total to 10,962 infections and 259 deaths.
India reported 3,525 new cases and 122 more deaths in the past 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The country has a total of 74,281 confirmed cases and 2,415 deaths. To ease the economic fallout caused by the pandemic, India has introduced a 267-billion-U.S.-dollar relief package to boost its economy.
Thailand on Wednesday reported no new coronavirus cases for the first time since March 9. The southeastern Asian country has a total of 3,017 cases and 56 deaths since the outbreak in January.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 798 to 171,306, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 101 to 7,634, RKI tally showed.
Iceland said on Tuesday that it will start easing restrictions for visitors arriving from overseas no later than June 15 as the government is developing a plan to offer travelers to the county choice between a test for COVID-19 upon arrival in Iceland or a two-week quarantine.
Spokesperson for Mexico's foreign secretary tests positive for COVID-19
Roberto Velasco Álvarez, spokesperson for Mexico's foreign secretary, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Álvarez made the announcement on Twitter, saying: "Will stay at home, remotely coordinating the tasks in my charge."
India PM announces 270 billion U.S. dollars virus economic package
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Tuesday a stimulus package worth 10 percent of the country's GDP to boost laborers and small businesses as the economy reels from the coronavirus pandemic and a weeks-long lockdown.
The 20-trillion-rupee (266 billion U.S. dollars) relief plan for Asia's third-largest economy came as the country enters its 50th day under the world's biggest shutdown on Wednesday.
The economic package "will give a new momentum to India's development journey and put India on the road to self-reliance," Modi said in a special television address to the nation.
"It is for the cottage, small and medium-scale industries."
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The coronavirus outbreak has led to significant experimenting with many emerging technologies, including drones. In China's fight against COVID-19, drones have been used for communications, spraying disinfectants and transporting medical supplies. Not just smaller drones, passenger drones have also the potential to lend a helping hand. Recently, China's EHang - a leading developer of autonomous aerial vehicles, successfully transported medical supplies and staff in its two-seated flight as part of a medical exercise in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. As the world continues to combat the pandemic, these experiences can reshape our response to tackle health emergencies in the future in terms of rescue, search operations, delivery of emergency supplies and air ambulance.
Answer Bank: Does vitamin D protect against COVID-19?
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in helping your body keep up with many vital processes, including building and maintaining strong bones. A new study conducted by Northwestern University (NU) in the U.S. shows COVID-19 patients with severe vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to experience severe complications, including death.
This means having healthy levels of vitamin D could protect patients against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, another new study led by scientists from UK's Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, also found an association between low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries.
"We found a significant crude relationship between average vitamin D levels and the number COVID-19 cases, and, particularly, COVID-19 mortality rates, per head of population across the 20 European countries," Dr. Lee Smith of ARU noted in a statement.
According to the study, because of cod liver oil and vitamin D supplements and possibly less sun avoidance, the highest average levels of vitamin D are found in northern Europe. In comparison, Scandinavian nations are among the countries with the lowest number of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates per head of population in Europe.
How to get more vitamin D from your food every day? U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some examples of foods with vitamin D include some fish, for example, salmon or light canned tuna, eggs, and vitamin D-fortified products like cow's milk (for children 12 months and older), yogurt, cereals, and some juices.
In addition, vitamin D supplements are another way to help children get enough of this vitamin every day.
Twitter to let some employees to work from home indefinitely
Twitter Inc on Tuesday became the first major tech company to allow employees who can work remotely to do so indefinitely, as the coronavirus outbreak forces unprecedented changes in work culture across the world.
The social media company said it will not re-open most offices before September and employees can choose whether or not to come to the facilities.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in Latin American countries
Brazil registered its highest daily COVID-19 death toll with 881 new deaths confirmed over the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 12,400. So far, 177,589 confirmed cases have been identified, making it the hardest-hit country in Latin America and the sixth most affected in the world.
Mexico confirmed 1,997 new cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, along with 353 additional deaths, the most deadly day since the pandemic began. Confirmed coronavirus cases reached 38,324 and 3,926 deaths in total.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday the extension of national lockdown measures for 30 days. Flights to and from the country have also been halted until June 12. So far, 423 infections had been detected in the crisis-worn South American country, with 10 deaths.
Argentina reported the highest increase of confirmed cases in a single day, 285, taking the country's total infections to 6,563. There're also five additional deaths, adding to a total of 319. On Tuesday, some non-essential businesses have gradually reopened in the capital of Buenos Aires, but with strict operation time from 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and social distancing measures.
Chile on Tuesday reported 1,658 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total number of cases to 31,721 with 335 deaths.
Peru on Tuesday registered 3,237 new cases and 96 new deaths in the past 24 hours, reaching 72,059 cases and 2,057 deaths. Also, 23,324 patients have recovered.
Colombia Tuesday reported 695 new cases, taking its total tally to 12,272 cases with 493 deaths. Around 160,000 virus tests have been conducted in Colombia and a majority of patients are mildly infected. Nearly 89.2 percent of patients are under treatment at home.
The vice mayor of northeast China's Jilin City, the second-largest city in Jilin Province, said Wednesday the current COVID-19 situation is quite complex and the city will implement closed-off management of residential communities to tighten prevention and control measures in the region.
On Tuesday, six new cases were reported in Jilin City, all were domestically transmitted. The new cases could be traced directly to one confirmed case in Shulan City, where an infection cluster was previously reported.
The vice mayor added that Jilin will take control measures in line with the high-risk standard. The city's Fengman District is a medium-risk area, while Shulan, the county-level city administrated by the city of Jilin, remains a high-risk area.
Starting Wednesday, all gathering activities inside and outside of schools are banned in the city. These activities include teaching, training, holding exams, competitions and other school-related activities. All the students that returned to school earlier have to take all classes online.
As of Tuesday, a total of 114 domestic and 19 imported cases were reported in the province, according to the provincial health authority.
Read more: Jilin train station suspends services after COVID-19 cluster detected
Workers rescue package to guarantee pay until October, says UK government
UK workers will now be paid up to October as part of the government's rescue package if they are in an industry in which they cannot carry out their job due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The furlough job retention scheme has been extended for a further four months, with the government saying that 7.5 million temporarily laid-off employees, one in every four British workers, are now on it.
"It will have been eight months, March to October, where we have provided that security and this is the right thing to do," said Business Secretary Alok Sharma in a televised press briefing.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak, the UK's finance minister, warned that from August employers would need to help meet the cost. "We have stretched and strained to be as generous as possible to businesses and workers," he told parliament.
"This scheme is expensive. It is the right thing to do — the cost of not acting would have been far higher — but it is not something that can continue indefinitely into the future."
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Jilin train station suspends services after COVID-19 cluster detected
Jilin train station in northeast China's Jilin Province announced temporary suspension of departures and ride-through services, starting 6:00 a.m. Wednesday until further notice.
Passengers who have already purchased tickets will be refunded.
The announcement came after a cluster of over a dozen COVID-19 cases was reported in the province, which also led to the discovery of other cases in neighboring Liaoning Province.
According to the latest report from Jilin health commission, a total of 114 domestic and 19 imported cases have been reported as of Tuesday, out of which 92 local and 16 imported cases have recovered.
Following the detection of the cluster, the central government has dispatched a team of experts to help cope with the situation in Shulan City.
Read more:
NHC sends work team to NE China's Shulan City to battle COVID-19
NE China's Shulan City to reimpose community lockdown in 'wartime' battle against COVID-19
The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported seven new COVID-19 cases, six domestic and one imported, with no new deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported eight new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,926, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 750 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 18 patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,189.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,047 (991 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (42 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (372 recoveries, 7 deaths)
Canada returning pandas to China due to bamboo shortages amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Calgary Zoo in Canada will return two giant pandas on loan from China due to a shortage of bamboo to feed them during COVID-19 pandemic, according to the zoo's president.
The two pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao, arrived in Canada in 2014 and have been in the Calgary Zoo since 2018. They were supposed to remain in the zoo until 2023.
The zoo's president, Clement Lanthier, said the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and decided it's best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.
Lanthier said there's no date for when the pandas will return home and the two sides will expedite the permit process to get them back soon.
Graphics: The delays in U.S. coronavirus testing
Flanked by banners declaring "America leads the world in testing," U.S. President Donald Trump claimed at a Monday news conference that the country has "prevailed" on coronavirus testing.
"We built the most advanced and robust testing anywhere in the world, and we've done more testing than any country anywhere in the world," he said.
The U.S. has indeed conducted more testing than anywhere else in the world, which is on track for 10 million tests this week. However, dozens of countries such as Italy, Germany, and Russia have tested a much larger share of their populations, according to data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in the U.S.
- Pence to keep a distance from Trump: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is keeping his distance from President Donald Trump for a few days in the wake of his press secretary testing positive for the coronavirus, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said on Tuesday.
- LA County to extend stay-at-home order: Los Angeles County's stay-at-home orders will "with all certainty" be extended for the next three months through the end of July, LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer acknowledged during a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. LA County is now the epicenter of coronavirus in California, with more than 1,300 deaths detected so far.
- Expert warning on economy reopening: Anthony Fauci, the U.S.' top expert on infectious diseases, said at Tuesday's hearing that the nation has not had the ongoing coronavirus outbreak under "total control" yet, warning a rushed reopening of the economy could result in more COVID-19 outbreaks and many more deaths.
- More deaths projection: A newly revised coronavirus mortality model predicts more than 147,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 by early August, up nearly 10,000 from the last projection. The U.S. has so far registered over 1.36 million cases and over 82,000 deaths related to the coronavirus.
- New relief bill: The U.S. House of Representatives unveiled on Tuesday a sweeping new coronavirus bill with more than 3 trillion U.S. dollars in assistance to states, families and epidemiologists seeking to track the extent of the coronavirus pandemic. The House is due to meet on Friday morning for expected votes on the legislation.
(With input from agencies)
FILE PHOTO: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Gov. John Bel Edwards, about the coronavirus response, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 29, 2020. /AP
The top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned Congress that the development of a vaccine against COVID-19 "might take some time" even though the federal government is working to help in its manufacture.
In his address to the Senate health committee, Fauci said the country's efforts against the disease should be "focused on the proven public health practices of containment and mitigation."
The infectious disease expert had earlier warned against rushing to ease restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, saying that would put lives at risk and hamper economic recovery.
Fauci was set to appear on Tuesday at the Republican-controlled Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions after the White House blocked the 79-year-old infectious disease expert from testifying to a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives panel, calling it "counterproductive."
His appearance came as some of the U.S. states rolled out reopening plans as the country took a battering from the effects of the pandemic.
The White House is also keen on reopening the country. In the latest move geared towards the same, President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged California to allow "Tesla and Elon Musk open the plant, NOW."
Other people who were lined up to testify on Tuesday include U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.
Here are the latest updates in our global coronavirus coverage
UK has extended the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme by a further four months until the end of October, said British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Tuesday.
Singapore announced on Tuesday that it will provide novel coronavirus testing for 330,000 foreign workers living in dormitories.
Iran's death toll from the novel coronavirus reached 6,733 after 48 more people died from the virus overnight, the health ministry announced on Tuesday. 1,481 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 110,767.
Spain registered 426 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 228,030, the health ministry reported. The number of fatalities related to the disease rose 176 on Tuesday to 26,920.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 933 to 170,508, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. the death toll rose by 116 to 7,533, the tally showed.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced 783 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 19,661, said the country's health ministry.
File photo. /Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has tested positive for the coronavirus and has been hospitalized, according to local media reports on Tuesday.
"Yes, I am sick. I am receiving treatment," Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
Peskov said he had last met President Vladimir Putin in person over a month ago, the TASS news agency reported. The Kremlin says Putin's health is rigorously protected and that he gets the best medical treatment Russia has to offer.
Putin, who has been working remotely from his residence outside Moscow and holding many meetings via video conference, held a face-to-face meeting earlier on Tuesday with Igor Sechin, the head of oil giant Rosneft.
Peskov is the latest high profile government or Kremlin official to fall ill with the new virus.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told Putin at the end of April he had been diagnosed with the virus and was temporarily stepping down to recover.
Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova tested positive earlier this month, her spokeswoman said, and Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev and one of his deputies were earlier diagnosed with the virus.
Russian factory and construction workers returned to work on Tuesday despite a new surge in coronavirus cases which gave Russia the second highest number of infections in the world after the United States.
Russia has confirmed 10,899 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number to 232,243, its coronavirus response center said.
The single-day increase has been over 10,000 for 10 consecutive days and the death toll from the virus also rose to 2,116 during that period in the country, the center's data showed.
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks along a street amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Moscow, Russia May 6, 2020. /Reuters
Putin said on Monday that Russia will end its non-working period starting Tuesday but the ban on mass public gatherings will be upheld.
The president also announced new welfare payments for families with children and there will be new support measures for the economy.
The Kremlin introduced the measures in late March, saying Russians not working in essential jobs would have to stay at home but will still receive their salaries as part of sweeping efforts to contain the virus.
(With input from agencies)
In the U.S., the White House is introducing new health and safety measures after two officials tested positive for COVID-19. Nathan King at the White House says that White House has ordered staffers in the West Wing to wear masks, but Trump and Pence still don't wear them.
Chinese medical experts Xu Yonghao and Chen Huai, members of the team that spent 50 days in Iraq fighting COVID-19, returned and received a warm welcome. Zhong Nanshan, China's top respiratory expert, highly praised their commitments while welcoming them at the hospital. He also extended best wishes to the young doctors and hoped that they would apply their precious frontline experience in future work.
The Bogatell beach in Barcelona, Spain, May 2, 2020. /Xinhua
Spain orders two-week quarantine for all overseas travelers from May 15
The Spanish government ordered a two-week quarantine for all overseas travelers coming to the country from May 15 in a bid to curb the spreading of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The incoming travelers will have to remain locked in and will only be allowed to go out for grocery shopping, go to health centers and in case of a "situation of need," an official order published on Tuesday said.
The quarantine has been enforced for all travelers coming into Spain between May 15 and May 24, when the state of emergency is due to end.
(With input from Reuters)
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks along a street amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Moscow, Russia May 6, 2020. /Reuters
Russia has confirmed 10,899 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number to 232,243, its coronavirus response center said Tuesday.
The response center said the death toll from the virus also rose to 2,116.
Read more:
Russia's president Vladimir Putin orders gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown despite surge in cases
The National Health Commission (NHC) has sent a work team to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic in Shulan City, northeast China's Jilin Province, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the NHC, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
As of May 11, a total of 1,611 imported COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital, with a recovery rate of over 95 percent, said Mi.
Read more:
NE China's Shulan City to reimpose community lockdown in 'wartime' battle against COVID-19
Latest COVID-19 developments from around the world
India reported 87 new deaths on Tuesday, while 3,604 new cases have been reported since Monday. The nationwide infection cases now stand at 70,756, with a death toll of 2,293.
South Korea recorded 27 new cases with two new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,936 and death toll to 258.
Germany's total number of confirmed cases increased by 933 to 170,508, and the death toll rose by 116 to 7,533. Chancellor Angela Merkel has appealed to stick to social-distancing rules to slow down the pandemic.
Mexico confirmed 1,305 new cases on Monday, along with 108 additional deaths, pushing the total number of cases to 36,327 with 3,573 deaths. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he will unveil a plan this week for resuming economic activities following the lockdown.
Brazil registered 5,632 new cases on Monday along with 396 deaths, raising the total number of infections to 168,331 and total deaths to 11,519. Brazilian financial analysts downgraded their economic forecast for the year from a 3.76-percent contraction in gross domestic product to 4.11 percent.
Nigeria reported 242 new cases with seven new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,641 and the death toll to 150.
Japan has so far recorded about 16,680 confirmed infections and 670 deaths. The health ministry is set to approve its first antigen coronavirus testing kits on Wednesday.
Fauci will testify on risks of reopening too soon, reports New York Times
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said he intends to warn the U.S. Senate of the risks involved in reopening the economy too soon and how it could lead to "needless suffering and death," according to the New York Times.
Anthony Fauci, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, CDC Director Robert Redfield and coronavirus testing coordinator Brett Giroir will testify about the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Wuhan, the worst affected city by the coronavirus in China, issued on Tuesday an order to test every resident in the city for the novel coronavirus within 10 days.
This came after Wuhan broke a 35-day record of zero cases on May 9.
For a city that has came out of a 76-day lockdown a bit more than a month ago, that's not good news.
It's a lofty goal taking into consideration that the city is home to more than 11 million people. To meet the set date, authorities must carry out over a million tests per day.
According to a China National Radio report on April 25, Wuhan has 211 sampling centers that can provide standard COVID-19 testing. The maximum capacity is 63,000 tests per day.
An easy calculation will show that it will take more than 170 days to finish all the tests at this rate. Wuhan has to increase its COVID-19 testing capacity by more than 17 times if it were to meet its deadline.
How will this possible?
Details of the implementation have not been revealed, but official documents show that different parts of the city are arranging the tests in their own way.
Reporters in Wuhan reported seeing many communities doing the tests one household at a time.
Residents in Wuhan take swabs from a mother and her daughter during a 10-day campaign on May 13, 2020. /CCTV
Local TV channels ran reports showing medics sanitizing their hands and equipment after each test to prevent cross infection.
"We contacted everybody in our community by WeChat, telephone and in person the day before testing started," Wang Kaiqi, local party secretary of Liujiao Community, told reporters. "Then we sent the name list to local health center for testing."
Wang Kaiqi speaks to local media on the 10-day COVID-19 testing campaign in Wuhan. /CCTV
Wuhan authorities have capped the testing fee at 180 yuan (roughly 25 U.S. dollars). But the cost of the 10-day campaign will be covered by the government. It could cost up to two billion yuan (about 280 million U.S. dollars).
More than 100 million students resume classes in China
A many as 107.8 million students have resumed classes in China, accounting for 39 percent of total students in the country, Chinese Ministry of Education said on Tuesday.
Of those who have resumed classes, 2.9 million are college students. A total of 26 provinces, cities and autonomous regions have opened their schools, leaving only Beijing, Hebei Province, Hubei Province and Heilongjiang Province, which have not yet opened their colleges amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
China has suspended exports of COVID-19 prevention supplies through the "market procurement trade" mechanism in order to conduct better quality control, said the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday.
According to an online statement (in Chinese), domestic or foreign companies and individuals will not be able to export medical supplies, including testing kits for SARS-CoV-2, medical masks, medial protective clothing, ventilators and infrared thermometers via the "market procurement trade" declaration mechanism but can still proceed with the "general trade" declaration mechanism.
The "market procurement trade" mechanism has been implemented since 2014 in 14 places in China including Yiwu, Zhejiang Province and Huadu, Guangdong Province, in an effort to improve the internationalization of some markets and help domestic trade merchants develop foreign trade.
The mechanism pilots achieved positive results, said the statement, as it is very convenient for the export of multiple varieties and small quantities of goods, but according to the regulations, it cannot apply with products that need to be subject to export tariffs and inspection and quarantine measures.
"It is necessary to suspend the export of epidemic prevention supplies through "market procurement trade" in order to better strengthen the quality control of these goods," the ministry said.
The MOFCOM will continue to strengthen quality supervision with relevant departments, expand export of anti-epidemic goods in an orderly manner, and better support countries in fighting the epidemic, said the statement.
The Chinese mainland reported one new imported COVID-19 case on Monday, and no new deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported 15 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,919, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 760 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 27 patients were discharged from hospitals on Monday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,171.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,047 (985 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (42 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (368 recoveries, 7 deaths)
China has sent a team of 12 medical experts to Zimbabwe to help the African country fight COVID-19.
On Monday afternoon, the experts from Hunan Province arrived in Zimbabwe's capital Harare, along with medical supplies, which include ventilators, nucleic acid testing kits, face masks and medical protective suits.
Zhu Yimin, deputy director of the provincial health commission, said Zimbabwe and some other African countries had lent a hand to China during the period when China was hit hard by COVID-19. The Chinese medical experts are expected to help Zimbabwe fight the epidemic.
The 12 experts are from respiratory departments, infectious disease departments and the fields of intensive medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, infection control, public health and nursing. Most of them have frontline experience in the prevention and control of COVID-19.
Experts from Hunan Province leave Changsha, the provincial capital, to Zimbabwe along with medical supplies donated by the provincial government. /CCTV
The Chinese doctors will share their experience in epidemic control and prevention with their counterparts in Zimbabwe, and provide prevention and treatment training to local medics. They will also provide guidance and assistance to other Chinese medical teams in Africa via video conferences.
"The medical expert team will propose a professional scheme that is suitable for Zimbabwe after fully grasping the local situation of the virus," said Hu Chengping, a 63-year-old professor of respiratory diseases and critical illness.
"China adopts a combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medicine, which is effective in alleviating patients' symptoms and boosting their confidence," said Sun Shuang, the only TCM expert of the team.
"TCM is a traditional Chinese culture, and Zimbabwe also has its traditional treatment methods," Sun added. "I hope to encourage them to explore how their traditional treatment methods can play a role in the treatment of COVID-19 based on their own culture."
Since Hunan sent the first medical team to Zimbabwe in 1985, as part of the Chinese aids for the country, the province has sent a total of 17 groups of 166 medical workers to Zimbabwe to provide medical services to local people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday paid tribute to nurses and all health professionals, a day ahead of International Nurses Day.
"Happy International Nurses Day for tomorrow! And of course we should pay tribute to our nurses and all health professionals every single day, but at the same time, tomorrow is a very, very important day and we have to celebrate our nurses," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva.
"As you know, during the COVID-19, they're in the front line and they're risking their lives to save others, but not only during COVID-19," he said, adding that "nurses are a bridge between the health system and the community and they have been doing so ever since the nursing profession actually started."
International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12 every year. The theme for this year is Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Nursing the World to Health.
France's Constitutional Council approves extension of health emergency
France's Constitutional Council on Monday approved a bill to extend the state of health emergency to July 10, reported local media.
The Constitutional Council partially repealed two provisions of the bill to limit the number of people who can access personal medical data and to allow free and custody judges to review cases where patients cannot leave quarantine for more than 12 hours a day.
Coronavirus-linked fatalities stood at 26,643, after 263 new patients died in the last 24 hours in France, the fifth worst-hit country in the world in terms of human losses, while pressure in hospitals eased for nearly one month, showed health ministry's data on Monday.
More people died of the disease in the last 24 hours compared with 70 deaths reported on Sunday, the lowest daily toll in nearly two months, the data showed.
Tesla's CEO Elon Musk says he's willing to be arrested as Tesla reopens its factory in California.
On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted to defying the restrictions, in a tweet: "Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me."
California Governor Gavin Newsom says he will speak with Tesla officials after the company ordered employees back to work despite COVID-19 restrictions in the area.
Reuters reports, Governor Newsom was not aware Tesla would be restarting production.
New York, epicenter of coronavirus, plans to reopen
In the meantime, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced parts of the state might be able to reopen by the end of the week.
Cuomo said regions must meet seven specific criteria to reopen, which includes a 14-day decline in cases of COVID-19, as recommended in the Centers for Disease Control federal guidelines.
With over 26,600 deaths, New York continues to be the U.S. epicenter for the virus.
The U.S. is also the global leader in COVID-19 deaths and infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As U.S. states continue to relax COVID-19 measures, health officials are warning of future spikes in infections. According to a model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, COVID-19 deaths are expected to increase to more than 137,000 by August.
White House orders staff to wear masks
The White House is now directing officials and staff to wear masks while inside the West Wing.
This comes after Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary and a valet for President Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 last week. VP Pence is the highest-ranking U.S. official to socially isolate because of the virus, but the new White House directive will not apply to Trump.
According to JHU, U.S. COVID-19 deaths have passed 80,000.
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FILE PHOTO: People watch a broadcast of Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the nation on measures to combat the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in a cafe in Omsk, Russia March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko/File Photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures despite a new surge in infections which took Russia's tally past Italy's, making it the fourth highest in the world.
Putin, in a televised nationwide address, said that from Tuesday he would start lifting restrictions that had forced many people to work from home and businesses to temporarily close.
He unveiled new support measures for businesses and for families with children who have seen their livelihoods devastated. He said unemployment had doubled to 1.4 million in a month and he wanted to try to stop it spiralling higher.
The Russian leader emphasised the lifting of restrictions would be gradual and that individual regions in the world's largest country would need to tailor their approach to varying local conditions. Moscow for example has said it will keep its own lockdown measures in place until May 31.
Mass public events would still be banned, said Putin, and Russians aged 65 or over asked to stay at home, even as certain sectors of the bruised economy such as construction and agriculture were allowed to restart work.
"All the (coronavirus-related) measures we have taken allow us to move to the next step in the fight against the epidemic and start a phased lifting of the lockdown restrictions," said Putin.
That exercise would need to be done carefully and in full compliance with new higher safety standards, he added.
Putin was speaking after the number of new cases of the novel coronavirus rose by a record daily amount to 11,656, making the official tally 221,344. Only Britain, Spain and the United States have recorded more cases.
The country's coronavirus response centre also reported 94 new deaths, taking the overall death toll to 2,009. The official death toll remains far lower than in many countries, something Kremlin critics have queried.
Official data published on Sunday showed Moscow reported 18% more deaths in April this year than the same month in 2019, raising the possibility that the official death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, seriously understates the impact.
Government officials attribute the lower death toll and the rising and large number of cases to a vast testing programme, under which they say 5.6 million tests have been conducted.
37 recovered COVID-19 patients in Japan test positive again for coronavirus: local media
A total of 37 people in 17 Japanese prefectures who recovered from COVID-19 tested positive again for the coronavirus after getting negative results in previous tests, according to an investigation by local media Mainichi Shimbun.
Several Japanese medical experts said that there are three possibilities for these results: the virus left in the body being reactivated, new infections, or diagnostic error.
Japan's Health Ministry has asked patients who tested positive after recovering from COVID-19 to be observed for about four more weeks.
Mauritius becomes first African country to report zero active COVID-19 case
Mauritius' health ministry said on Monday that the last two COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, making it the first African county to have zero active case.
The ministry said no new confirmed cases have been reported for 15 days since April 27 and the country's recovery stands nearly 97 percent.
As of now, Mauritius has conducted 73,572 tests and its total confirmed cases were 332 including 10 deaths.
Russia ends non-working period despite nine days of 10,000-plus COVID-19 cases
Russia will end its non-working period from Tuesday but the ban on mass public gatherings will be upheld, Russian President Vladimir Putin said while addressing the nation on the coronavirus situation on Monday.
Russia has the third highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, overtaking the UK and Italy.
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UK government publishes virus guidance, advises people to wear face-coverings
The UK government Monday officially published a 50-page COVID-19 guidance document that includes details on how England will begin easing restrictions, such as advising people to wear face-coverings in enclosed spaces with others.
"Homemade cloth face-coverings can help reduce the risk of transmission in some circumstances. Face-coverings are not intended to help the wearer, but to protect against inadvertent transmission of the disease to others if you have it symptomatically," the government said.
The document, "Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government's COVID-19 recovery strategy" has set out a three-phase approach, starting this week with further lockdown loosening at the start of June and further changes potentially from July 4.
Here are some of the guidelines laid out in the document with regards to people's daily life:
1. Work: For the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical workplace, wherever possible. All workers who cannot work from home should travel to work if their workplace is open.
2. Schools: Should prepare to begin to open for more children from June 1. The government’s ambition is for all primary school children to return to school before the summer for a month if feasible.
3. Travel: Everybody (including critical workers) should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible. Social distancing guidance on public transport must be followed rigorously.
4. Public spaces: People can now also spend time outdoors subject to: not meeting up with any more than one person from outside your household; continued compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain two meters away from people outside your household.
5. Non-essential retail: Will reopen in phases from June 1. After July 4, some remaining businesses could open. It includes personal care, hospitality, public places and leisure facilities.
People, some wearing protective face masks, walk on a street in London, as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide continues to grow, March 16, 2020. /Reuters
Slaughterhouses emerge as new coronavirus hot spots in Germany
At least 600 workers at slaughterhouses in Germany have tested positive for coronavirus, weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported on May 8.
Most of these affected workers are from eastern European countries, including Romania and Bulgaria. In most cases, they live together in tiny spaces and commute to work by buses operated by the factories, thus increasing the risk of getting infected, Der Spiegel said.
Some slaughterhouses in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has been shuttered after clusters of infections were detected. The state has also decided to test all of around 20,000 workers at these factories for coronavirus. The state of Schleswig-Holstein has also announced similar plans.
Another region in China raises COVID-19 risk level after local infection
The Sujiatun District in Shenyang City, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, raised its risk level for COVID-19 from low to medium following the detection of one new locally transmitted case, according to provincial authorities.
The local infection was officially confirmed on Sunday after the 23-year-old patient was admitted into hospital on May 8 with a fever, according to the provincial health department.
He had traveled to neighboring Jilin Province, where over a dozen cluster cases have been detected since last week.
Other places including Dongxihu District in Wuhan City, Hubei Province and Fengman District in Jilin City, Jilin Province have also raised risk alert from low to medium because of local infections.
Liaoning Province later announced all arrivals from Jilin Province will be quarantined for 14 days and mandatory nucleic acid tests will be conducted.
Especially, people from Jilin's Shulan City into the province will be put in centralized isolation and tested twice while people from other parts of the province only need to conduct home isolation and will be tested once.
Latest developments on global COVID-19 pandemic
Iran on Monday registered 1,683 new cases, bringing the nationwide total to 109,286. The data showed 45 new deaths, taking the death toll to 6,685.
The government announced that schools will reopen on May 16, and mosques will open for two hours on the nights of May 12, 14 and 16 for praying.
Germany's total confirmed cases increased by 357 to 169,575. The death toll rose by 22 to 7,417 on Monday, resulting in a fatality rate of 4.4 percent.
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll fell to 123 on Monday. It now has reported 26,744 deaths and 224,390 total cases.
Indonesia reported 223 new cases on Monday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 14,265. Eighteen more fatalities were recorded, raising the death toll to 991.
The Philippines' total number of infections rose by 292 on Monday to 11,086. The death toll climbed to 726 as seven more patients died from the disease.
Lebanon reported 14 new cases on Monday, raising its national total to 859. The death toll remained unchanged at 26.
Qatar registered 1,103 new infections on Monday, bringing its total to 23,623. The death toll stayed at 14.
Beijing school students trial temperature-tracking bracelets
Some senior students and staff at Beijing's middle and high schools began wearing temperature-monitoring bracelets on Monday as schools reopen across the city, according to Beijing Daily.
Several schools in five districts in Beijing are the first to utilize this new gadget which will provide real-time temperature data twice per day.
The data can be monitored by schools, parents and relevant departments via a smartphone app without the students needing to do anything themselves.
If a student's temperature rises above 37.2 degrees, the bracelet will prompt their teacher to alert the police, according to Beijing Daily report.
"The bracelet is similar to a normal fitness tracker. They used a button battery, so there's no need to charge them. We recommend that students wear them 24 hours a day," an unnamed teacher from Fengtai No.2 Middle School told the Beijing Daily.
A student is pictured wearing a temperature-monitoring bracelet in Beijing./ Beijing Daily
South Korea's Itaewon club-linked coronavirus infections rises to 86
The number of coronavirus infections linked to clubs and bars in Itaewon in South Korea's capital city Seoul has mounted to 86, local health officials reported on Monday.
Among the newly reported infections, 63 of them visited clubs in Itaewon, while 23 others were family members and friends who came in close contact with them, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said during a press briefing.
By region, 51 confirmed cases were reported in Seoul, 21 in Gyeonggi Province, seven in Incheon, five in North Chungcheong Province, and Busan and Jeju Island each confirmed one case.
The country's health ministry has asked those who visited the affected establishments between April 24 to May 6 to be tested for coronavirus.
Hacking vaccine data: U.S.' new excuse to attack China?
China firmly opposes and combats cyber-attacks of any kind, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
"China is a staunch defender of cyber security but also a victim of hacking," spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a daily briefing in Beiijing.
China now enjoys advanced vaccine studies and viral treatment, and any acts of making trumped-up charges based on no evidence are immoral, he underscored.
Zhao's remarks came after the possible warning U.S. will accuse China of trying to hack vaccine data as a part of a cyber theft.
The story, published by the New York Times, says China is seeking "valuable intellectual property and public health data through illicit means related to vaccines, treatments and testing."
Click here for more.
France exempted from UK's quarantine arrival rule
Travelers arriving in the UK from France won't be asked for quarantine at this stage, the two country have agreed.
It came after the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that quarantine measures will be imposed on people coming into the UK to prevent COVID-19 being brought in from overseas.
But he's yet to announce the start or end dates of the measure.
"No quarantine measures would apply to travelers coming from France at this stage," Johnson's office said, shortly after a similar statement from French President Emmanuel Macron's office.
"Any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner," the statements said after the two leaders spoke over the phone.
Apart from France, the UK government has already indicated people arriving from the Republic of Ireland will not be made to go into quarantine.
(With input from agencies)
The Chinese government has decided to send medical teams to Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Algeria to support African countries in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced on Monday.
The teams, organized by the National Health Commission, consist of experts selected by the health committees of Hunan Province, Hebei Province and Chongqing Municipality respectively.
The medical team for Zimbabwe departed Monday morning, and the medical teams heading to the DRC and Algeria will set out in the near future, according to Zhao.
African countries have provided valuable support to China when the country is at a difficult time in its fight against the epidemic, Zhao said. At present, the epidemic situation in Africa is still severe and China has provided and will continue to provide various forms of support and assistance to African countries within its capabilities.
The Chinese government has offered multiple batches of medical supplies to African countries urgently needed in the fight against the pandemic, and Chinese localities, enterprises and civil organizations have also offered their assistance, Zhao noted.
Read more:
Djibouti awards Chinese medics with Independence Day Medal for coronavirus assistance
How coronavirus adds fuel to fire in vulnerable African regions
In addition to sending medical experts to African countries, Chinese medical experts have held nearly 30 video meetings with their African counterparts, and Chinese medical teams conducted nearly 400 training activities in Africa, with more than 20,000 people trained, Zhao added.
"China will continue to provide more anti-epidemic materials to African countries in accordance with the development of the epidemic and the wishes of African countries, strengthen cooperation in public health and disease prevention and control, and jointly achieve the ultimate victory in the fight against the epidemic," he said.
(With input from Xinhua)
(Cover: People queue to shop ahead of a nationwide lockdown called by the government to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Harare, Zimbabwe, March 28, 2020./ Reuters)
Critical COVID-19 cases on Chinese mainland drop to single digits
The number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition on the Chinese mainland has dropped to nine, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press briefing on Monday.
Active imported cases on the Chinese mainland also decreased to 99 as of Sunday and no new deaths have been reported for 26 days.
However, a flare-up in domestic transmissions and detection of infection clusters have been reported in seven Chinese provincial-level regions in the past 14 days, raising concerns of a rebound.
Shulan City in the northeastern province of Jilin has become the latest Chinese city to report cluster cases of COVID-19, leading to the re-introduction of "closed-off management" measures in all communities and villages.
Mayor Jin Hua said the city is in a "wartime" battle against the virus.
Read more:
NE China's Shulan City to reimpose community lockdown in 'wartime' battle against COVID-19
Answer Bank: Tips for protecting yourself from coronavirus in hotel rooms
The tourism industry has been hit by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
However, for those who have to stay in hotels during the pandemic, it's important to take protective measures. So how can you protect yourself from coronavirus after checking in to your hotel? Just follow these tips:
New Zealand to downgrade country's alert level to 2
New Zealand's cabinet agreed to downgrade the country's alert level from three to two, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a press conference on Monday.
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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wears a protective mask after a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, April 17, 2020. /Reuters
Japan's Abe to decide whether to partially end state of emergency on May 14
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday said the government will consider whether to partially lift the state of emergency in many of the 34 prefectures under the current epidemic situation on May 14.
The government will discuss the issue related to the easing of emergency powers for the prefectures which do not include Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido and 10 other areas.
Japan has reported 15,847 cases of COVID-19 with 633 deaths nationwide as of May 10, according to an NHK report.
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Seoul's club-related coronavirus cases jump to 75
South Korea's capital city Seoul has so far reported 75 COVID-19 cases linked to clubs and bars in the Itaewon neighborhood, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said on Monday.
An earlier report said a 29-year-old man who resides in Yongin city, Gyeonggi province, visited six clubs and bars in Itaewon from the evening of May 1 to the early hours of May 2. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a hospital on the morning of May 6.
Seoul's city government has the names of 5,517 people who visited the affected facilities and has contacted more than 2,000 of them.
South Korea reported 35 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the nationwide number of infections to 10,909. The death toll stands at 256 in the country.
(Cover via VCG)
COVID-19: Latest situation in the U.S.
The death toll of the coronavirus in the United States has surpassed 79,000, with nearly1.33 million cases confirmed, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
Model projects more deaths by August
One of the leading models made by the University of Washington for measuring the impact of the coronavirus is now projecting a total of 137,184 cumulative COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by August, an increase of roughly 2,700 from its previous forecast on May 4.
Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, predicted the number of cases to increase particularly in areas where people become more mobile.
More officials to be in self-quarantine
Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations will self-quarantine after he came in contact with a family member who has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a U.S. official.
He was tested for the virus on Friday and although he is negative at this time he will quarantine for several days, the official said.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee, will also be in self-quarantine after a staff member in his office tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement.
The senator will be working remotely and will chair the Senate Health Committee hearing on Tuesday morning by video conference.
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci who is in self-quarantine will also attend the hearing, set to be held remotely.
Expert refutes Trump's coronavirus optimism
"No, this virus isn't going to go away," Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Disease Security, said in disputing President Donald Trump's recent claim that the pandemic will be resolved without a vaccine.
With more and more states taking steps to reopen their economy, the expert warned that the country is "still in the early stages of the pandemic."
In a Fox interview, he said the numbers of cases have reached "a national plateau," and while hard-hit areas like New York City are now seeing declines, other parts of the country are now getting worse.
The Chinese mainland reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 10 of which were domestic and seven imported, and no new deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported 12 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,918, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 780 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 24 patients were discharged from hospitals on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,144.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,047 (982 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (41 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (366 recoveries, 6 deaths)
Pence not to self-quarantine, plans to be at the White House Monday: spokesman
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine, said Devin O'Malley, the vice president's spokesman.
The spokesman's remarks came as Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the situation, reported that Pence is self-isolating away from the White House following his press secretary's diagnosis of COVID-19 on Friday.
"Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House Monday," said the spokesman.
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COVID-19 cases in Brazil exceed 160,000
Brazil's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has exceeded 160,000, with the death toll over 11,000 as of Sunday, according to local health authorities.
Most infections were found in Sao Paulo, where 45,444 cases have been reported and the death toll now stands at 3,709.
Second batch of Chinese medical aid arrives in Egypt
The second batch of medical supplies donated by China to Egypt to curb the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the capital Cairo on Sunday.
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The Trump administration's health officials will testify about the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic via video conference in a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, the panel's chairman Lamar Alexander said on Sunday.
According to a CNN report, Anthony Fauci, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn, CDC director Robert Redfield and coronavirus testing coordinator Brett Giroir will testify on Tuesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Fauci, Redfield and Hahn are all self-quarantining after coming into "low risk" contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the virus.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Gov. John Bel Edwards, about the coronavirus response, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 29, 2020. /AP
This will be the first time that Trump's health officials to testify before a congressional committee examining the government's response to the pandemic, after the White House said it would block members of the coronavirus task force from the hearing.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been one of the leading medical experts helping to guide the U.S. response to the highly contagious virus that has swept across the United States.
At a House hearing on March 12, Fauci said people cannot get tests for the virus easily and the U.S. testing system is not meeting the country's needs.
"The system is not really geared to what we need right now... That is a failing. Let's admit it," Fauci said. "The idea of anybody getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes. But we're not."
Trump has repeatedly clashed with the Democratic-controlled House over its moves to investigate his actions or those of his administration, even claiming that the House is "a bunch of Trump haters."
(With input from Reuters)
In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a "conditional plan" to reopen the country.
The plan encourages people to spend more time outdoors, maintain social distancing and allow people who can't work from home to return to their jobs, especially those in construction and manufacturing sectors.
But Johnson emphasized that people should avoid taking public transportation. Fines will be increased for those not obeying social distancing rules.
A new Covid Alert System with five levels would be used to govern how quickly the social distancing measures could be eased. The lower the level, the fewer the measures. The country now is in the process of moving to Level Three.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during filming of his address to the nation from 10 Downing Street following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, London, Britain, May 10, 2020. (Reuters)
Johnson said the government will be closely monitoring the alert level, and the next reopening phase would take place at the earliest by June 1. That's when some pupils could return to schools in England. Some of the hospitality industry and other public places such as bars and restaurants would not be reopened until early July.
He also announced that by the end of the month air passengers arriving in Britain will have to quarantine for 14 days to avoid a flare-up of the virus.
Johnson said in his speech he had consulted "across the political spectrum, across all four nations of the UK" and that his plan was a "a general consensus on what we could do."
In the meantime, both Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething criticized the move saying the "conditional plan" would not apply to them.
As of Sunday, the UK has recorded the most coronavirus-related deaths in Europe, about 32,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
According to the BBC, the government has missed its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day for the eighth day in a row, with 92,837 tests on Saturday. In addition, the UK's contact tracing ability is still behind other countries, including Germany and South Korea.
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A man talks on the phone outside of a shuttered Yankee Stadium during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in the Bronx borough of New York City, U.S., April 21, 2020. Picture taken April 21, 2020. /Reuters
New York reported 207 new deaths related to the coronavirus, the lowest total since March 27 but taking the nation's tally another step closer to the 80,000 mark.
The rate of hospitalizations and intubations dropped again, Governor Andrew Cuomo said at his daily press briefing Sunday.
The state's new COVID-19 hospital cases fell to 521, "taking us back to where we started this hellish journey," he said.
Source: Bloomberg
S. Korean president warns of COVID-19 second wave as cases rebound
South Korean President Moon Jae-in warned Sunday of a second wave of the new coronavirus, calling on citizens to remain vigilant as the pandemic is not yet over.
"We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention," Moon said in a televised speech. "We are in a prolonged war. I ask everyone to comply with safety precautions and rules until the situation is over even after resuming daily lives."
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon have jumped to 54 as of Sunday noon.
The view of Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea. /CCTV
Northeast China's Shulan City in Jilin Province has announced that it will re-impose "closed-off management" in all communities and villages after a COVID-19 infection cluster was discovered.
At a press conference on Monday, Mayor Jin Hua said the city is in a "wartime" battle against the virus and the local government will take the strictest measures to control the spread.
One new coronavirus case was confirmed in the city on May 7, and there are 13 infections registered in the city now.
A total of 290 people, who were in close contact with the patients, have been traced and are under medical observation now.
Authorities have now ordered all public places, including sporting facilities, scenic areas, movie theaters and libraries, be temporarily closed. All residents should stay home, except under unusual circumstances. Students in their last year of middle or senior high schools will return to take classes online.
Provincial officials also adjusted the coronavirus risk level in Shulan to high on Sunday, making it the only city in China with that designation.
Local authorities said they will conduct a thorough investigation of all Shulan residents and perform contact tracing on those who were in close contact with the newly diagnosed patients.
Besides a re-imposed community lockdown, the local railway company halted nearly a dozen train services, in and out of the city, from Sunday through the end of May.
All public transportation, including buses, also suspended service starting Sunday. No taxis are also allowed to leave the city.
The local government vowed to satisfy all residents' daily needs while implementing the new restrictions.
The Dongxihu District in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, raised its emergency response level for COVID-19 from low to medium after a new locally transmitted case was reported on Sunday, said local media.
Other parts of the province will remain at low-level risk.
According to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, an 89-year-old male, surnamed Gao, was confirmed with COVID-19 on Saturday.
Russia on Sunday reported 11,012 more COVID-19 cases, bringing its total to 209,688.
The country's coronavirus taskforce said 88 patients had died of COVID-19 in the past day, raising the death toll to 1,915.
Russia has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world, surpassing France and Germany.
A Chinese health official on Sunday urged citizens to keep vigilant to guard against the novel coronavirus after a new cluster of cases was reported on Saturday.
A total of 14 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland Saturday, of which 12 were domestically transmitted cases, including 11 in northeast China's Jilin Province.
"The Chinese mainland recorded 12 new domestic cases on Saturday, marking the highest number since March 11," Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a regular press briefing on Sunday.
Mi reminded the public to keep vigilant, take personal precautions and avoid crowds and gatherings.
Japan looks to lift coronavirus emergency in some areas ahead of May 31 deadline
Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday the government is looking to lift the state of emergency in "many of 34 prefectures" that are not among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic before the nationwide deadline of May 31.
"Lifting the state of emergency in many of 34 prefectures that exclude those under specific cautions will likely come in sight as many prefectures have been seeing no fresh infections lately," Nishimura said in a debate on public broadcaster NHK.
Nishimura, who is in charge of the government's overall coronavirus response, said a declining trend in the weekly number of new infections and the number of new cases on a per capita basis will be among evaluation criteria for the lifting.
Out of Japan's 47 prefectures, the government has designated 13 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka where the virus has spread rapidly as "the prefectures under specific cautions."
Nishimura said some of the 13 prefectures could also be among the areas to be brought out of lockdown measures before the deadline. About 15,777 coronavirus infections and 624 deaths have been confirmed in the country as of Sunday, excluding cases from a cruise ship previously quarantined in Yokohama, according to NHK.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Asia and Oceania
South Korea on Sunday reported a daily rise of 34 cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily increase in a month. Most of the new cases were linked to cluster in a night club. So far, there're 10,874 infections and 256 deaths. Following the burst of cases, Seoul on Saturday ordered closure of all clubs and bars.
India's total number of cases crossed 60,000 mark, reaching 62,939 on Sunday. So far, there have been a total of 2,109 deaths in the country.
Thailand reported five new coronavirus cases but no deaths on Sunday, bringing the total to 3,009 cases and 56 deaths since the outbreak started in the country in January.
New Zealand reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 overnight as the country is preparing for a possible downgrade of COVID-19 Alert Level. The combined total of confirmed and probable cases in NZ is 1,494, including 1,144 confirmed cases. A further review and Alert Level decision will be made by New Zealand government on Monday.
Australia's hardest-hit New South Wales state will ease lockdown restrictions on Friday as spread of coronavirus has slowed sharply following extensive testing.
Europe
UK PM Boris Johnson is expected to announce the launch of COVID-19 alert system in England to track the virus, along with other measures to cope with the pandemic in his Sunday's address, according to local media.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 667 to 169,218, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 13 to 7,395, the tally showed.
Italy's daily coronavirus death toll and new cases both fell on Saturday compared the day before and the country's total death toll now stands at 30,395 and number of confirmed cases amounts to 218,268.
Latin America
Mexico confirmed 1,938 new cases of coronavirus infections on Saturday, along with 193 additional deaths. Reported coronavirus cases in the country total 33,460 with 3,353 deaths. Government models projected that infections could peak this weekend.
Ecuadorian authority announced on Saturday the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 29,071, with 1,717 deaths. Among all, 402 are stable but have been hospitalized and 181 have been hospitalized with a reserved prognosis. The country has been in a phase of social distancing since May 4, and is now gradually reactivating its productive and commercial sectors after 53 days of quarantine.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Panama reached 8,282 on Saturday, a rise of 212 from the previous day, and deaths climbed by six to 237.
Gweilo60 is a YouTube channel that shares the experiences of Kirk Apesland, a Canadian citizen, in China.
In this video, Apesland talks about how he thinks some Western politicians are blaming China to cover up their incompetence.
Francisco Ortega lives in a neighborhood named "Corona," in New York City. The community, which is home to many from Ecuador and Mexico, joke about dealing with the coronavirus while living in a neighborhood called Corona.
In the video, Francisco describes the risks he must take to continue working as a gardener during the outbreak. With family members who have died from COVID-19, he discusses the risks of taking public transportation and how it's been difficult to socially distance in a culture that's naturally social.
Musk threatens removing Tesla from California over virus restrictions
Tesla chief Elon Musk on Saturday threatened to pull his electric car headquarters and plant out of California after local authorities kept him from resuming production due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately," Musk tweeted in a long diatribe, characteristic of past online rants which are not necessarily carried out.
Referring to the California city where the cars are produced, Musk said that "if we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all" it will depend on "how Tesla is treated in the future."
Tesla had hoped to reopen the California factory, its only in the United States, in the beginning of May, but had been prevented by local authorities.
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Trump losing seniors' support over his handling of pandemic: NYT
COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and long-time care facilities for the elderly in the U.S. accounts for one-third of the country's total coronavirus fatalities, according to the data compiled by the New York Times. The high death rate has cost President Donald Trump support from senior voters.
As of Saturday, at least 25,600 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in U.S. nursing homes and care facilities for older adults, while just about 10 percent of the country's infection cases have occurred in such units.
In about a dozen states, including Maryland, Oregon and Colorado, such facilities account for an even larger segment -- more than half -- of the deaths.
The high death rate is having a negative effect on Trump's re-election campaign. A recent Morning Consult poll has found that his approval rating on the handling of the coronavirus is 10 points lower than the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, among those over 65.
Trump's approval rating on the handling of the coronavirus was lower with seniors than with any other group other than young voters.
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Obama: Trump's handling of COVID-19 'absolute chaotic disaster'
Former U.S. President Barack Obama described President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as "chaotic" in a conference call with former members of his administration, a source said on Saturday.
In his call on Friday with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration, Obama urged his supporters to get behind Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the November 3 election, Reuters reported.
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The Chinese mainland reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 12 of which were domestic and two imported, and no new deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
Eleven of the domestically transmitted cases were reported in Jilin Province and the other one in Hubei Province. The two new imported cases were reported in Shanghai.
The commission also reported 20 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,901, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 794 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 74 patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,120.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,044 (967 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (40 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (361 recoveries, 6 deaths)
Shulan City in northeast China's Jilin Province has raised its COVID-19 threat level from medium to high after 11 new domestic cases were confirmed on Saturday, according to provincial authorities on Sunday.
Several trains to and from the city have been either suspended, rescheduled or rerouted to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to the local railway department.
France extends state of health emergency until July 10
The French Senate on Saturday adopted a bill to extend the country's state of health emergency until July 10.
The French Council of Ministers had requested the Senate to extend the lockdown until July 24.
COVID-19 death toll in France rose by 80 on Saturday, the lowest daily increase since March 22, official data showed. So far, a total of 26,310 people have died of the disease in the European country.
French health officials have warned that "the epidemic remains active and is evolving."
Fauci to begin 'modified quarantine' after virus exposure
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will begin a "modified quarantine," according to CNN. The member of the White House's coronavirus task force came in contact with a White House staffer, who tested positive for COVID-19.
Brazil's COVID-19 death toll exceeds 10,000, Congress declares 3-day mourning
Brazil, hardest-hit Latin American country in the coronavirus pandemic, has a death toll over 10,000, according to data released by its Ministry of Health on Saturday.
A total of 10,611 new cases were registered in the country on the same day, bringing the total number of infections to 155,939.
Brazil's Congress on Saturday declared a three-day period of mourning for the victims of COVID-19.
"Ten thousand people, loved and important to other people, full of dreams, had their lives interrupted. In solidarity with this pain, regarding the death of these 10,000 Brazilians, the National Congress decrees a three-day mourning," said the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in a joint statement.
(With input from Xinhua News Agency)
U.S. CDC director to self-quarantine after exposure to person with COVID-19
Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will self-quarantine for 14 days after he was exposed to a person at the White House who tested positive for COVID-19, CNN reported citing a spokesperson from the agency.
"CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has been determined to have had a low risk exposure on May 6 to a person at the White House who has COVID-19. He is feeling fine, and has no symptoms. He will be teleworking for the next two weeks," the spokesperson told CNN.
It's not immediately clear who Dr. Redfield came into contact with at the White House.
But Katie Miller, the press secretary to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, was the latest person inside the White House to test positive for the virus, on Friday.
The number of infections in the U.S. has surpassed 1.3 million, reaching 1,300,079 as of 3:32 p.m. (1932 GMT) on Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. cases account for nearly one-third of the global total.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the country hit 78,320, with New York remaining the hardest-hit state with 333,122 cases and 26,563 deaths, followed by New Jersey where 137,397 cases and 9,116 deaths were recorded so far.
Another milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. More than 4 million global cases have been confirmed as of Saturday, with nearly 280,000 deaths.
The U.S. still leads the world in cases and deaths with more than 1.3 million and nearly 80,000 respectively.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said three children in the state have died from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the coronavirus.
During his daily briefing, Cuomo said three children – including a five-year old – died from a syndrome that shared symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, while also testing positive for COVID-19.
The governor added that state health officials were reviewing 73 similar cases, shaking prior assumptions that children were less susceptible to the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new coronavirus antigen test that the Trump administration is promoting as a key to reopening the country.
The test would rapidly detect fragments of the virus proteins in collected samples.
This would be the third type of test to be authorized by the FDA, along with the nasal swab test and an antibodies test.
Globally, South Korea's capital was forced to closed down thousands of bars and other nightspots as a new cluster broke out in the region.
And Germany is facing fresh outbreaks as cases were found in three slaughterhouses – forcing the country to ramp up its vigorous testing regime while it allows for some loosening of restrictions.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued authorization for the first antigen test to rapidly detect coronavirus, Quidel Corporation, a provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, said in a statement on Saturday.
These diagnostic checks detect fragments of proteins found on or within the virus by testing samples collected from the nasal cavity utilizing swabs.
According to the statement, Quidel has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA to market its Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA, a rapid point-of-care test to be used for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Latest COVID-19 developments in the Middle East
Iraq recorded 60 new cases after 2,337 testing kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 2,603 and death toll to 104.
Kuwait reported 415 new cases and two more deaths, bringing the total infections in the country to 7,623 and the death toll to 49, the health ministry said in a statement.
Israel confirmed eight new cases on Friday, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 16,444 with 245 deaths. Israel Defense Forces announced that soldiers can begin their normal leave of absence.
Saudi Arabia reported 1,704 new cases with 10 new deaths, bringing the total number to 37,136 and death toll to 39. The government has relaxed controls in some areas, allowing residents to go out between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to buy supplies.
If you're just joining us, here are the latest coronavirus updates around the globe
South Korea has a new cluster of cases linked to nightclubs in the capital, Seoul. All bars and nightclubs have since been ordered shut. The total number of cases linked to nightclubs in Itaewon in Seoul increased to 40 as of noon Saturday, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon told a press briefing on Saturday.
France has witnessed a cluster of cases in Dordogne where eight people were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, local media reported, citing health authorities.
Iran on Saturday reported 1,529 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 106,220, said the country's health ministry.
Spain on Saturday reported 604 new infections, well down from the 1,095 cases reported in the previous 24-hour span, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 223,578, according to health authorities.
Indonesia reported on Saturday 533 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number to 13,645, a health ministry official said.
Qatar's health ministry on Saturday announced 1,130 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number in the Gulf state to 21,331.
People wearing face masks in Gran Via avenue in Madrid, Spain, May 8, 2020. /AP
Graphics: Why NYC has 200 times more coronavirus cases than Shanghai
New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States, with far more cases than many entire countries. Positive tests in the state made up a quarter of those in the whole U.S. as of Friday, with more than 335,000 cases.
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Anti-viral drug trio found to shorten COVID-19 illness in mild cases: Study
A triple drug combination of antiviral medicines helped relieve symptoms in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and swiftly reduced the amount of virus in their bodies, according to results of a small trial in Hong Kong.
The trial, which involved 127 patients, compared those given the combination drug - made up of the HIV medicine lopinavir–ritonavir, the hepatitis drug ribavirin, and the multiple sclerosis treatment interferon beta - with a control group given just the HIV drug.
The findings, published in the Lancet medical journal, showed that on average, people who got the triple drug reached the point of no detectable virus five days earlier than those in the control group - at seven days versus 12 days.
"Our trial demonstrates that early treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 with a triple combination of antiviral drugs may rapidly suppress the amount of virus in a patient's body, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk to health-care workers," said Kwok-Yung Yuen, a professor at the University of Hong Kong who co-led the research.
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China to reform public health response and disease prevention system
China will improve its public health response system, disease prevention and control system, as well as the medical insurance and relief system to address the weaknesses exposed by the novel coronavirus outbreak, a senior health official said at a press conference on Saturday.
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Russia reports 10,817 new COVID-19 cases, total at 198,676
Russia reported 10,817 new COVID-19 cases and 104 deaths on Saturday, according to the country's official data. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 198,676 and the death toll to 1,827.
Nearly 5.3 million novel coronavirus tests have been carried out in Russia so far, and about 243,000 people are under medical observation.
COVID-19 hits White House staff close to the president and his inner circle
The White House is in peril as it has not enforced strict social distancing guidelines for staffers after several staff members close to the president and his inner circle have got infected with COVID-19.
But it is rapidly increasing testing for those around President Donald Trump including his daughter Ivanka Trump, whose personal assistant has tested positive for coronavirus.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the globe
Thailand reported four new coronavirus cases and one more death on Saturday, bringing the country's total to 3,004 cases and 56 deaths.
South Korea Saturday reported a daily rise of 18 cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest daily increase in three weeks. Most of the new cases were linked to cluster in a night club. So far, there're 10,840 infections and 256 deaths.
India Saturday morning reported 95 more deaths and 3,320 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, taking the number of deaths to 1,981 and total cases to 59,662. The country's lockdown has been extended for two more weeks until May 17.
Pakistan reported 1,637 new cases and 24 new death in the past 24 hours as of Saturday morning at 8, taking the country's total to 27,474 confirmed cases and 618 deaths. Meanwhile, a total of 7,756 patients have recovered.
New Zealand reported one confirmed case and one probable case of the COVID-19, taking the number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 1,492, including 1,142 confirmed cases. NZ is now at COVID-19 Alert Level 3. A further review and Alert Level decision will be made on May 11.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,251 to 168,551, according to Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases data on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 147 to 7,369, the RKI tally showed.
U.S. FDA commissioner in self-quarantine after exposure to person with COVID-19
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is in self-quarantine for a couple of weeks after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, an FDA spokesman told Reuters late on Friday.
Hahn immediately took a diagnostic test and was tested negative himself for the novel coronavirus, FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in an emailed statement.
Politico reported earlier that it was Katie Miller, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, whom Hahn had come into contact with.
Asked by Reuters to confirm the details in the report, the statement did not name the person who tested positive for COVID-19 with whom the commissioner had met.
UK 'to bring in 14-day quarantine for air passengers': BBC
The UK will reportedly introduce a 14-day quarantine for all air arrivals to the country except for the Republic of Ireland starting end of May, according to a BBC report citing sources.
The new policy will require people arriving in the UK to self-isolate at private residence but it's not clear how long the new restriction would be in place and whether non-UK residents would be allowed to stay in rented private accommodation, BBC said.
UK has now become a major COVID-19 hotspot in Europe with over 212,000 cases and more than 31,000 deaths registered.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address the nation on Sunday night to lay out the country's new measures for the pandemic.
City in NE China's Jilin Province upgrades COVID-19 risk level to medium
Shulan City in northeast China's Jilin Province has upgraded its COVID-19 risk level from low to medium following the detection of one domestic case, according to a statement from the provincial authorities issued today.
The local transmission case, was detected on Thursday and officially reported the following day. It was also the sole case identified on the Chinese mainland on Friday.
On Thursday, China had classified all counties in the country as low-risk for COVID-19.
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China classifies all counties as COVID-19 low-risk areas
In the statement, the Jilin authorities said they will make adjustments to the regional classification of risk level in accordance with the development of this situation.
The authorities also urged residents to stay vigilant and maintain proper personal protection for the sake of their own and their families' health.
Over 800 inmates at California prison test positive for COVID-19
A total of 823 inmates and 25 staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at a prison complex in California, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Friday.
The Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex in California's Santa Barbara County is comprised of two facilities: FCI Lompoc, a low-security correctional institution that houses 1,162 inmates, and USP Lompoc, a medium-security US penitentiary that houses 1,542 inmates.
CNN cited the BOP data that approximately 68 percent of the FCI Lompoc facility's total inmate population have tested positive for the virus.
In U.S., thousands of inmates have tested positive. In Ohio, over 20 percent of the people infected with coronavirus are prisoners. In Colorado, the state's largest outbreak is in a correctional facility.
Eleven U.S. Secret Service agents test positive for COVID-19: report
Eleven U.S. Secret Service members have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday evening, Yahoo News reported citing documents it obtained from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders in the country.
According to the DHS document, there are also 23 members of the Secret Service who have recovered from COVID-19 and an additional 60 employees who are self-quarantining now along with the 11 active cases.
Back in March, the agency revealed an employee had contracted the virus.
The report does not mention if any of the referenced employees have come into contact with the U.S. president or other leaders.
The report also fans the flame of COVID-19's potential spread to the inner circle of senior U.S. officials following a latest report of U.S. Vice President Pence's spokeswoman having caught the virus.
"To protect the privacy of our employee's health information and for operational security, the Secret Service is not releasing how many of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, nor how many of its employees were, or currently are, quarantined," Justine Whelan, a Secret Service spokeswoman, told Yahoo News when asked about the documents.
German spy agency doubts U.S. 'China lab' coronavirus accusations
A German intelligence report casts doubts on U.S. allegations that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese laboratory and says the accusations are an attempt to divert attention from U.S. failure to rein in the disease, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday there was "a significant amount of evidence" that the coronavirus had emerged from a Chinese laboratory, but did not dispute U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusion that it was not man-made.
Spiegel said Germany's BND spy agency had asked members of the U.S.-led "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance for evidence to support the accusation. None of the alliance's members, the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, wanted to support Pompeo's claim, it said.
An intelligence report prepared for German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer concluded that the U.S. accusations were a deliberate attempt to divert public attention away from President Donald Trump's "own failures".
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Kuwait imposes 20-day 'total curfew' from May 10 to curb coronavirus
Kuwait will enact a "total curfew" from 4pm (1300 GMT) on Sunday through to May 30 to help to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, its cabinet said in a statement on Friday.
During the curfew, public sectors will work remotely and private sector activities, excluding vital ones, will be suspended, the statement said. All banks will be closed, but will continue to provide services electronically.
Essential sectors like health, security, electricity, oil and municipal services, as well as private sector companies providing vital services like maintenance will be exempt from the curfew, interior minister Anas al-Saleh said in a televised news conference later on Friday.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in Latin America
Brazil registered a record of 10,222 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday and 751 deaths, taking country's total cases to 145,328 and fatalities to 9,897.
Mexico on Friday reported 1,906 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 199 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 31,522 and 3,160 deaths. But, the government warned that actual numbers of both infections and deaths were higher than official numbers.
Colombia's president has announced the country will continue lockdown measures until May 25 after over 10,000 cases and 428 deaths were recorded.
Peru has also decided to extend its nation emergency situation from May 10 till 24. Peru has already started reopening in some sectors including architecture, tourism and mining since this month. There are currently over 61,000 confirmed cases and 1,700 deaths in Peru.
Argentina extended a quarantine for its capital Buenos Aires until May 24 but relaxed the restriction aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus elsewhere in the country, the country's president announced on Friday. The lockdown, which was due to expire on Sunday, will remain in place in the capital and its outskirts. As of Friday, Argentina had registered 5,611 confirmed cases of the virus and 293 deaths.
China is set to orderly open up public places and entertainment venues, according to a guideline issued by the State Council on Friday.
Shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and other public places will be fully reopened on the premise of implementing epidemic prevention measures, the guideline said.
Meanwhile, outdoor places including parks, scenic spots and sports venues will be opened through appointments and with restrictions on visitor numbers.
The guideline also noted that indoor sites such as libraries, museums and art galleries, as well as entertainment venues like movie theaters and arcades, may host meetings and exhibitions where necessary.
Europe reopens with caution, but questions about early cases remain
Europe is eager to get moving again. After weeks of living under lockdown in a collective effort to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, millions of Europeans are going back to work and schools, and reuniting with loved ones. But it will be a long time before life returns to what it was before the pandemic.
In the wake of more than 140,000 deaths and mounting economic toll, European leaders are understandably cautious with lifting restrictions, monitoring the situation closely as they let citizens out of the lockdown.
Major countries in Europe have all been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic. After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Europe the new epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak in March, Italy, France, Spain, Britain and Germany reported the most cases and deaths in the continent, where deserted streets, minimal human interactions and feelings of uncertainty became the new normal.
The European Central Bank said last week that the euro-area economy will shrink five percent this year in a "mild" scenario, whereas more severe impacts could mean contractions of up to 12 percent.
How did we get here?
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U.S. CDC reopening guidelines are under review: White House
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended guidelines on when and how localities should reopen activity are being edited, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters on Friday.
An administration official on Thursday said the White House had shelved a step-by-step guide prepared by CDC officials to help states safely reopen public places closed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth invokes wartime spirit to 'never despair'
Queen Elizabeth II invoked the wartime spirit on Friday to "never despair" as Britain marked 75 years since the end of World War II in Europe amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a televised message, the 94-year-old monarch said those who had served during the conflict with Nazi Germany in the 1940s would admire how their descendants were coping with COVID-19 and the lockdown imposed to curb its spread.
Britain has the highest death toll in Europe from COVID-19 at more than 30,000, a number second only to the United States.
"At the start, the outlook seemed bleak, the end distant, the outcome uncertain," she added. "Never give up, never despair, that was the message of VE Day."
One new imported case was registered on the Chinese mainland and no local transmission was recorded on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The commission also reported 15 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,887, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 836 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 53 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78,046.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,044 (960 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (40 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (355 recoveries, 6 deaths)
Trump says coronavirus will 'go away without a vaccine' as U.S. records 1.28 million coronavirus cases
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday asserted without evidence that the coronavirus will "go away without a vaccine" as confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. soared to over 1.28 million.
"This is going to go away without a vaccine, it's gonna go away, and we're not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time," Trump told reporters at an event with Republican lawmakers in the While House. "You may have some flare-ups, and I guess I would expect that."
"I just rely on what doctors say. They say it's going to go. That doesn't mean this year. It doesn't mean, frankly, it's going to be gone before the fall or after the fall, but eventually it's going to go away. The question is whether we will need a vaccine. At some point it will probably go away by itself.”
The U.S. has recorded 1,282,003 coronavirus cases as of 18:32 EST on Friday, Johns Hopkins' latest tally shows.
The death toll in the U.S. has reached 77,126 and Trump said he estimates 95,000 or more deaths in the country.
"We may be talking about 95,000 people, ultimately," Trump said. "We may be talking about something more than that."
(With input from agencies)
Colombia's lockdown is extended yet again, this time with more sectors opening up. But there are doubts amongst local leaders on whether or not, Colombia is ready.
Colombia's President announced the country will continue lockdown measures until May 25 in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
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For most of us "social distancing" has meant staying in our houses or apartments with our families plus the occasional walk through the neighborhood or trip the grocery store or carry-out restaurant.
But for Ezra Freeman, an onboard entertainer for Princess Cruises, it has meant lockdown at sea.
She took a gig on a ship in early March and hasn't stepped on land since. In mid-march, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced a "No Sail"order for cruise ships. Passengers disembarked and the industry has largely shut down.
Take a look at her lockdown experience on the ship.
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A person wearing a mask walks through Chinatown in New York, U.S., February 13, 2020. /Reuters Photo
The U.S. federal government has moved to firm up its plan to reopen the country's economy by having the agency that serves a human resources function for the rest of the agencies issuing a new notice on its website about a "phased transition."
The Office of Personnel Management has updated its operating status for federal agencies on transitioning to normal working operations for government employees.
OPM replaced language about teleworking on Thursday, and now says the federal government would "begin a phased transition to normal operations in line with the national guidelines to open up American again."
It urged agencies to "make operating decisions based on state or locality of duty stations and other factors" and told employees to contact their supervisors with questions.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which has been calling for care in the plans to reopen economies, is now calling for a return to "basic principles" of public health surveillance in the fight against COVID-19.
Mike Ryan, head of the WHO's health emergencies programme, urged all countries to focus on the fundamentals of the global coronavirus fight: scouting potential new infections, hunting them down, confirming them and then separating those afflicted, to save others from the disease.
Source(s): CNN
The European Commission on Friday recommended the extension of a travel ban barring non-EU citizens from its members' borders in an effort to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
The travel ban prohibits travel of non-essential persons into Europe, with the exceptions of long-term EU residents, EU nationals' family members, diplomats, doctors and those researching how to contain the virus.
The call comes as the death toll in Italy, a member of the bloc, exceeded 30,000.
The country is now only the third worldwide to reach the figure, the other two being the U.S. and the U.K.
Globally, the number of COVID-19 cases have gone beyond 3.8 million, with the death toll exceeding 271,000.
Like other regions, countries in Europe are gradually easing their lockdowns as the economic impacts of the restrictions become intolerable.
Some of the countries that have begun easing down their restrictions include Italy, Spain and Germany.
The U.S. remains the most affected country, having registered 1,259,777 cases and 75,852 deaths.
The number of COVID-19 deaths have surpassed 270,000 globally, as the world continues to battle the pandemic.
Latest figures from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University show that the number of infections globally have reached 3,877,914 while the fatalities have hit 270,537.
The U.S. remains the most affected country, having registered 1,259,777 cases and 75,852 deaths.
Only three countries have recorded more than 30,000 deaths; the U.S., U.K. and Italy.
As the number continue to swell, there world is now focusing on the search and development of a vaccine.
In a press briefing on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom urged the world to continue its efforts in the fights against the pandemic.
Tedros highlighted the organization's five strategic objectives, which include mobilizing communities, isolating confirmed cases, suppressing community transmission, reducing mortality and developing safe and effective vaccines.
Source(s): Johns Hopkins University
Italy's COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 30,000, making it the second highest fatality figure in Europe.
The country reported 243 new fatalities on Friday, taking its total tally to 30,201. The previous day, the country reported 274 deaths.
The total number of COVID-19 infections, fatalities, and recoveries since the pandemic began has risen to 217,185 cases over the past 24 hours, from 215,858 on Thursday.
Italy has the third highest number of officially recorded coronavirus deaths in the world, after the U.S. and the UK.
Earlier in the day, Italy's National Institute of Health (ISS) President Silvio Brusaferro said "the epidemiological curve is decreasing" during a televised press conference, adding "we are moving towards fewer and fewer cases" across all of Italy's 20 regions.
(With input from agencies)
(Cover: A man wearing a protective face mask to prevent contracting the coronavirus walks past the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy, March 4, 2020./ Reuters)
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. /VCG Image
An aide to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for COVID-19, CNBC reports quoting a senior source from the administration.
The news comes just a day after confirmation that President Donald Trump’s personal valet had also tested positive for the disease.
The Vice President was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, in the morning, but his departure from Andrews Air Force Base was delayed by nearly an hour.
The U.S. is the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic, having registered more than 1.2million infections and fatalities exceeding 75,000.
Source(s): CNBC
Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee plan to introduce legislation Friday that would restore U.S. funding for the World Health Organization and appropriate 9 billion U.S. dollars to support international efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
"To stop the spread in the United States, we need to stop the spread everywhere," Bloomberg citing Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, in a statement.
"There is a moral imperative to U.S. leadership in the global arena right now, and this legislation is a recognition that we need to lead the international community to bring this pandemic to an end," according to the report.
Read more:
U.S. WHO funding halt threatens global and its own pandemic fight
U.S. jobless rate soars over 14.7 pct in April amid pandemic
The U.S. unemployment rate soared over 14.7 percent in April as the COVID-19 fallout continues to ripple through the country, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.
The data came as the number of initial jobless claims in the country has surpassed a staggering 33 million in the last seven weeks.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Spain's daily death toll rose to 229 on Friday, up from 213 on the previous day, taking overall deaths to 26,299 and total diagnosed cases to 222,857.
The Philippines reported 120 new infections, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,463, with a death toll of 696.
Iran reported 1,556 new cases and 55 more deaths in the past 24 hours, making a total of 104,691 cases and 6,541 deaths.
Ireland's total number of confirmed cases stands at 22,385, with 1,403 deaths. Its unemployment rate shot up to 28.2 percent at the end of April, including those receiving emergency jobless benefits amid the pandemic.
Singapore reported 768 new cases and 20 deaths, bringing the tally to 21,707, including 20 deaths.
Israel recorded 28 new cases and 5 more deaths, raising its confirmed cases to 16,409, with 245 deaths.
Belgium confirmed 591 new cases and 107 more deaths in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 52,011 infections and 8,521 fatalities.
Dr Peter Embarek, a scientist for Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses of World Health Organization. /CCTV
The COVID-19 virus originates from bats in nature and occasionally spread to humans through other animals of different species, an expert for the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The virus could lead to disease after adaptation to humans, said Dr Peter Embarek, a scientist for Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses of World Health Organization, adding that such transmission is caused by close contact with animals.
Research on COVID-19 transmission and infection in animals is underway, said Embarek.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Expatriate exodus in Gulf countries
Hundreds of thousands expatriate workers from Gulf states are bearing the brunt of job losses and millions fear being stuck in a virus limbo as host countries lock down, employers withhold wages or mull redundancies and strict coronavirus containment measures are enforced.
Experts say Gulf countries will see a large outflow of expatriate workers as a result of the economic shock delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the expatriate exodus is expected to be larger than after the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the 2014-2015 plunge in prices for oil. The official data of Oman show the number of expatriates dropped by over 340,000 in 2010, following the 2008-2009 crisis.
Indian nationals gather at the Dubai International Airport before leaving the country on a flight back to their country, May 7, 2020. /AFP
Chinese mainland reports no new imported cases for first time since February 28
The Chinese mainland registered no new imported coronavirus cases for the first time since February 28, noted Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, at a press briefing on Friday.
As of Thursday, the Chinese mainland had 260 patients who are still being treated, the lowest since January 20, said Mi.
A used medical face mask to protect against coronavirus next to the Kremlin Wall with Spasskaya Towel, left, and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2020. /AP
Russia has confirmed 10,699 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 187,859, its coronavirus response center said Friday.
Single-day increases have been over 10,000 for six consecutive days, the center's data showed.
Read more:
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Russia is balancing between COVID-19 containment and economic fallout
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday the coronavirus pandemic keeps unleashing "a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering" and appealed for an "all-out effort to end hate speech globally."
The UN chief said "anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and in the streets, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have spread, and COVID-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred."
The secretary-general called on political leaders to show solidarity with all people, on educational institutions to focus on "digital literacy" at a time when "extremists are seeking to prey on captive and potentially despairing audiences."
"And I ask everyone, everywhere, to stand up against hate, treat each other with dignity and take every opportunity to spread kindness," Guterres said.
China beefs up COVID-19 control during May Day holiday: official
China beefed up COVID-19 control measures during the May Day holiday amid the country's resolute efforts to prevent the epidemic from rebounding, said an official from the National Health Commission (NHC).
Epidemic prevention measures were strictly implemented in transportation carriers, hotels, and restaurants by local authorities. Scenic spots across the country imposed restrictions on tourist flows to avoid mass gathering, said deputy director of the NHC Li Bin at a press conference Friday.
The State Council joint prevention and control mechanism sent a liaison group and a supervisory group to Hubei and Heilongjiang provinces to inspect and urge the implementation of epidemic control measures during the holiday.
Meanwhile, the NHC dispatched guiding groups to eight border regions including Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province to oversee the prevention and control of imported cases and related capacity building, said Li.
First COVID-19 cases in France date back to November
Doctors at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital of Colmar in eastern France said they've found evidence that the earliest COVID-19 cases in the country can be traced back to November 16, according to a press release from the hospital on Thursday.
Michel Schmitt, chief medical officer of the Medical Imaging Department at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, conducted a retrospective study on all the 2,456 chest scans done in his department between November 1 and April 30 with different pathologies, including pulmonary, cardiac, and traumatic.
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Shanghai to lower COVID-19 emergency response level
East China's Shanghai announced Friday that it will lower its COVID-19 emergency response level from the second level to the third level, effective starting Saturday.
The decision was made after Shanghai has reported no new local coronavirus infections since March 3. The city's authorities said that they will continue to take measures to prevent coronavirus cases both imported from overseas and transmitted domestically. Shanghai will further consolidate its gains from the prevention efforts and move forward with the economic development, said officials.
Just 10 percent of more than 250,000 travelers arriving at U.S. airports from travel-restrictive countries went through temperature screenings from January 17 to March 29, a report published by the House Oversight and Reform Committee showed.
Among these travelers, just under 1,500 of them received a third screening from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials, who were primarily responsible for determining whether a traveler with symptoms needed to be federally quarantined.
The U.S. House's latest investigation also showed that the travel restrictions issued by President Trump in January only targeted foreign travelers.
The report came as Trump has often turned to his decision to ban travelers from China, and eventually from Europe when facing criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic.
(Cover image: Travelers waiting to go through customs at Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, the U.S., March 14, 2020. /AP)
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He held a phone conversation with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday morning.
The two sides agreed to remain in communication and to strengthen cooperation in macro-economy and public health, and create a favorable atmosphere and conditions for the implementation of the China-U.S. phase 1 trade deal.
They also vowed to strive for positive outcomes and agreed to maintain communication and coordination.
Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue.
South China's Guangdong to downgrade COVID-19 emergency response level
Authorities in South China's Guangdong Province announced they will lower the coronavirus epidemic emergency response from the second to the third level starting Saturday.
The region will continue to work on the prevention of imported cases and control measures in the region will remain strict, authorities said.
One new COVID-19 case was registered on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 16 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,886, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 854 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 36 patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,993.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,044 (944 recoveries, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (40 recoveries)
Taiwan: 440 (347 recoveries, 6 deaths)
U.S. reports over 1.25 million coronavirus cases
The U.S. has reported 125,4740 coronavirus cases as of 19:00 EST on Thursday, Johns Hopkins' latest tally shows.
COVID-19 has now claimed 75,543 lives in the country, with over 26,000 deaths in the state of New York.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both test negative for COVID-19./AP
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were tested for Covid-19 and found to be negative after a member of the U.S. military who works on the White House campus contracted the virus, Bloomberg has reported.
The president and vice president "remain in great health," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement on Thursday.
The White House declined to identify the service member. However, CNN reported that the person was a member of the U.S. Navy who served as a valet in the White House residence, suggesting possible close contact with the president or his family. Service members detailed to the White House provide a range of household functions, including food service, hospitality and medical support.
This is the second person working on the White House grounds who the administration has said tested positive for the coronavirus. A member of Pence’s staff contracted the disease in March and fully recovered.
Source: Bloomberg
Japan approves remdesivir as COVID-19 drug
Japan's health ministry has approved antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19, according to an NHK report.
The drug will be given to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, a Japanese health ministry official said at a press briefing.
Remdesivir is the country's first authorized form of COVID-19 therapy. As of Thursday evening, Japan has reported more than 15,000 COVID-19 cases with 556 deaths in the country.
However, a steady rise in cases has put pressure on medical facilities in some parts of the country, and a drug that helps patients recover more quickly could help in freeing up hospital beds.
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Public masses in Italy to resume on May 18 after two-month ban
The Italian government and Roman Catholic bishops signed an agreement on Thursday to allow the faithful to attend masses from May 18 after a nearly two-month ban due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Masses were banned in early March in order to prevent spread of COVID-19 in Italy, which has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the world.
According to a protocol signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, president of the Italian Bishops Conference, masses for the public will be resumed under strict conditions including mandatory mask wearing in church and there'll be a maximum capacity of the church.
Also, all churchgoers will have to maintain a one-meter distance from others, inside and outside the church.
One of U.S. President Donald Trump's valets has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a CNN report on Thursday.
UK to announce very limited easing of lockdown: PM Johnson's spokesman
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a very limited easing of Britain's coronavirus lockdown next week, adopting a cautious approach to ensure there is no second peak of infections, his spokesman said on Thursday.
Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain's battle to tackle the novel coronavirus on Sunday following a review by ministers of the current measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home.
At a cabinet meeting of his top ministers, Johnson said Britain would advance "with maximum caution" and be guided by the science and data when considering whether any of the strict social distancing measures could be eased.
"Any easement to the guidelines next week will be very limited," the spokesman told reporters. "We are at a critical moment in the fight against the virus and we will not do anything which risks throwing away the efforts and sacrifices of the British public."
French PM: Paris to remain a 'red' coronavirus zone
The Paris region will remain classified as a "red" coronavirus zone, meaning some restrictions will continue to apply, said French Prime minister Edouard Philippe on Thursday.
France will mark the start of the progressive unwinding of lockdown measures on May 11, while the government will remain very vigilant on Paris, he added.
As of Thursday, France has reported more than 174,000 COVID-19 infections with 25,812 deaths.
Xinhua
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
Spain reported a total of 221,447 COVID-19 cases, with 26,070 deaths on Thursday.
Indonesia said that 35 more deaths of the COVID-19 were registered on Thursday, raising the total fatalities to 930, the highest in Southeast Asia. The total number of infections stands at 12,776.
Thailand announced on Thursday that all beaches in Pattaya are being declared off-limits to people from this Saturday until the end of the month. It has reported 2,992 infections, with 55 fatalities.
Poland will postpone the country's May 10 presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday, it has reported 14,898 infections, including 737 deaths.
Switzerland watch exports decreased by 21.9 percent to 1.4 billion CHF (1.44 billion U.S. dollars) in March, while a more gloomy outcome is expected for the month of April. According to the report, some 5,000 jobs could be lost in the industry due to the impact of the pandemic. So far, Switzerland has reported 30,060 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,505 deaths.
Pakistan will begin lifting some restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus from May 9, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday. It has recorded 24,073 COVID-19 cases, with 564 deaths.
Egypt has extended a nationwide nighttime curfew until the end of the hold month of Ramadan to curb the spread of the COVID-19. It has recorded a total of 7,588 COVID-19 cases, with 469 deaths.
(With input from agencies)
Beijing: World is facing a war between truth and lies over COVID-19
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying underscored a "war between truth and lies" on Thursday, responding to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's latest remarks on the origin of the coronavirus.
"We are indeed facing a war," Hua said at a regular press briefing. "This war is not only between mankind and the virus, but also between truth and lies."
Pompeo on Wednesday repeated the contested claim that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory in central China's Wuhan, but he conceded that the U.S. could not be certain.
On the other hand, Pompeo insisted "there is significant evidence that this came from a laboratory." He also indicated that China was not transparent about the outbreak.
Hua said she does not know what Pompeo was referring to and criticized him for using one lie to cover up another, reiterating that any judgment on the origin of the COVID-19 virus must be based on scientific proof.
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WHO: domestic violence surges in locked down Europe
Emergency services across Europe have seen a sharp rise in domestic abuse calls under sweeping coronavirus lockdowns imposed across the continent, the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office said Thursday.
Billions of people are subject to some form of stay-at-home orders across the globe, and experts say women and children are particularly vulnerable to abuse in lockdown.
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Mayor says Moscow's real coronavirus case tally is more than triple the official figures
Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Thursday that the real number of coronavirus cases in the Russian capital was actually around 300,000, a figure that is more than three times higher than the official total, according to local media.
The latest official tally of confirmed cases in Moscow is 92,676 as of Thursday morning.
In an interview on state news channel Rossiya-24, Sobyanin vowed to further step up screening and testing of people in the city.
"Our task is to identify as many of these people as possible," he said, adding it was "clear that there are even more really sick people in the city" than those identified through testing.
Sobyanin later also announced lockdown measures in the Russian capital would be extended until May 31 as new coronavirus cases surged.
"The self-isolation regime of citizens will be extended until May 31," he said on his website. "It's still too early to open restaurants, theaters, and sport facilities."
While from May 12, some restrictions in the city will be eased as industrial and construction companies reopen.
(With input from agencies)
China's decreases of the COVID-19 infections by 67 fold: Nature
If China did nothing to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak, there could have been more than seven million COVID-19 patients in the country by late February, according to a report published on the Nature magazine on Monday.
Titled "Effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain COVID-19 in China", the report was composed by multiple research teams from universities and organizations include the University of Southampton, Fudan University, Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Through modeling, researchers found that the three main non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) taken by the Chinese government not only stopped the development of pandemic in China but also bought time for the world.
Without the strong combination of NPIs, the number of COVID-19 cases in China could have increased 67 fold to more than seven million, the report said.
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Black and Pakistani people more likely to die from COVID-19: UK data
Black people and those of Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnicity have a significantly higher chance of dying from COVID-19 than white people, even when adjusting for deprivation, the British statistics office said on Thursday.
Using models that adjusted for a range of socio-economic factors, the statistics office said it was clear that there were significant differences in the risk of COVID-19 among different ethnic groups.
"The risk of death involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) among some ethnic groups is significantly higher than that of those of white ethnicity," the Office for National Statistics said.
"People of Bangladeshi and Pakistani, Indian, and Mixed ethnicities also had statistically significant raised risk of death involving COVID-19 compared with those of white ethnicity."
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UK's PPE orders from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that the British government ordered from Turkey have not met the safety standards, according to local media reports on Thursday.
That PPE is now stuck in a warehouse in London and the reports say the British government is trying to trace the source of the equipment. It's still unclear that whether the British government will seek any refund.
The shortage of PPE has been the most prominent problem of the current COVID-19 situation and it continues to plague the British government.
In fact, many of the British doctors have had to buy their own PPE during the epidemic, local medical association noted.
(Cover: Members of the clinical staff wearing Personal Protective Equipment PPE care for a patient with coronavirus in the intensive care unit at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England, Tuesday May 5, 2020. /AP)
Bank of England holds off on fresh stimulus, sees worst slump in 300 years
The Bank of England (BoE) held off further stimulus measures but said it was ready to take fresh action to counter the coronavirus hammering which could cause the country's biggest economic slump in over 300 years in 2020 before a bounce-back in 2021.
The BoE said its Monetary Policy Committee kept Bank Rate at its all-time low of 0.1 percent and left its target for bond-buying, most of it British government debt, at 645 billion pounds (797 billion U.S. dollars).
However, two of its nine policymakers - Michael Saunders and Jonathan Haskel - voted for 100 billion pounds' worth of more bond-buying firepower.
In what it called an illustrative scenario, the BoE said it saw a plunge of 14 percent in Britain's economy in 2020 followed by 15 percent bounce-back in 2021.
Such a scenario would require very significant monetary and fiscal stimulus, it said.
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Timeline: How did China warn the world about the coronavirus outbreak?
Recently, some politicians in certain countries have been hyping up claims that China should be held accountable for the pandemic, accusing China of covering up information about the COVID-19 outbreak.
They have often criticized so-called lack of transparency from China. However, facts speak otherwise.
On December 27 last year, Zhang Jixian, a respiratory doctor in Wuhan, which was hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, was the first to alert authorities of a new contagious disease after treating patients with flu-like symptoms. Meanwhile, the city's health officials started an investigation into the viral outbreak.
Within three days, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission sent out an urgent notification about an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown causes in the city, and started releasing briefings on the disease since December 31. National experts were also sent to investigate the epidemic on site.
At that time, there were still dozens of days away from the first case reports in the United States and many European countries, which were later hit hard by the virus.
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Medical supplies: How much China has donated to the U.S.
As the coronavirus sweeps the world, China has reached out to offer help to a thread of countries including the worst-hit U.S. where over 1.2 million cases have been detected.
Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said according to statistics, as of this Wednesday, some Chinese provinces and cities, as well as institutions and enterprises have donated:
Over 9.6 million masks, 500,000 testing kits, 305,900 pair of gloves including surgical gloves, 133,500 pair of goggles, to 30 U.S. states and 55 U.S. cities.
While according to an estimate by Chinese customs, between March 1 and May 5, China has shipped to the U.S.:
Over 6.6 billion masks, 344 million pairs of surgical gloves, 44.09 million sets of protective gowns, 6.75 million pairs of goggles and 7,500 ventilators.
Speaking at Thursday's daily briefing, Hua promised that China will continue to provide assistance and support as it can to the world including the United States.
"We see the American people are currently being torn by COVID-19 pandemic, we hope they overcome this as soon as possible," Hua said.
Russia reports 11,231 new COVID-19 cases, total reaches 177,160
Russia reported 11,231 new COVID-19 confirmed cases over the past 24 hours, with the total number of novel coronavirus infections rising to 177,160, official data showed on Thursday.
It was the fourth day Russia recorded a daily rise of over 10,000 cases.
Meanwhile, 88 people died overnight, bringing the coronavirus death toll to 1,625 as of Thursday morning at 10:45.
Among the new cases, 6,703 were registered in Moscow, pushing the total cases in the city to 92,676.
Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, revealed on Wednesday that the spike of confirmed cases were the result of growing testing capacity.
Wuhan to hold high school entrance examination from July 20-21
Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province and a city previously hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, will hold high school entrance examination from July 20-21, according to local health authorities on Thursday.
In addition, on May 6, around 57,800 students in their final year from 121 high and vocational schools returned to campus in the city.
(Cover: Senior students walk into Wuhan No. 6 High School in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 6, 2020. /Xinhua)
China classifies all counties as low-risk for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from Thursday, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a media briefing.
The move came as no domestic cases have been reported in the Chinese mainland for four consecutive days as of Wednesday, with no new deaths for 22 consecutive days.
Mi also warned of "a lot of uncertainties" of the epidemic situation and called for continuous efforts in patient treatment and rehabilitation management and implementation of regular epidemic prevention and control measures, to guard against the rebound of the epidemic.
According to the latest NHC report, there're 295 active domestic cases on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday, including 23 patients who are in critical conditions.
There are also 246 active imported cases on the Chinese mainland, said the report.
(With input from Xinhua)
(Cover: A staff member measures temperature of people entering Ping'an International Financial Center in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020./ Xinhua)
Answer Bank: Tips for hospital visits during COVID-19 pandemic
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, fulfilling a doctor's appointments could carry potential risks of getting infected. In theory, we suggest avoiding hospital visits unless necessary.
However, in a medical emergency such a heart attack or accidental laceration, you should seek medical advice immediately. Here are some tips for hospital visits during the novel coronavirus, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
1. Choose a hospital with fewer patients
2. Try to avoid emergency rooms or urgent care units. Maintain a six-foot distance from others in the waiting room.
3. Wear surgical or N95 masks.
4. Use hand sanitizer after touching objects like handrails and table tops.
5. Don't touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands immediately after use.
6. Patients with stable but chronic conditions should reduce the number of hospital visits.
Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
India's total number of confirmed cases rose to 52,952 and 1,783 deaths were reported, with 3,561 new cases and 89 more deaths in the past 24 hours.
Germany reported 1,284 new cases, bringing the total number to 166,091 cases, and the death toll rose by 123 to 7,119.
South Korea reported four more confirmed cases in last 24 hours, raising the total number of infections to 10,810 while the death toll stands at 256.
Mexico recorded 1,609 new cases and 197 new deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 27,634 while the death toll climbed to 2,704.
Singapore's total number of confirmed cases rose to 20,198 with 18 deaths; restrictions implemented in the country since early April are still in place.
Argentina reported 188 new cases with 9 deaths, raising its total of cases to 5,208 and the death toll to 273. The government will be cautious in relaxing the mandatory national quarantine measures and resume the country's economic and social activities in a gradual manner.
First COVID-19 vaccine test on animals successful
A coronavirus vaccine developed in China has been proven effective in monkeys.
PiCoVacc, a vaccine made by Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech, used a very typical method to prevent the virus from infecting life forms: Putting a crippled virus into an animal's body, forcing its immune system to produce antibodies. The antibodies will also kill normal viruses.
The researchers injected the vaccine into rhesus macaques, a kind of monkey originating in India, and then exposed the monkeys to the novel coronavirus three weeks later.
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CNN has published an opinion article calling out the Trump administration for saying that "China is the cause of American's problem" and calling the new type of coronavirus "the big lie."
On the same day Foreign Policy cited a scholar pointing out that the idea of "making China legally liable is… foolish."
Demonstrators display flags and placards during a protest in front of the Statehouse in Boston, the U.S., May 4, 2020. /AP
In an opinion piece published by CNN on Wednesday, author Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, said the "meme" of "Make China Pay" has worked because it plays into American smugness that if China is succeeding, they must be cheating.
Since President Trump took office in 2017, his approach to U.S.-China relations has included increased pressure via tariffs and trade war rhetoric, and now, with the onset of an unprecedented pandemic, roughly two-thirds now say they have an unfavorable view of China, up nearly by 20 percentage points since the start of the Trump administration, the Pew Research Center concluded in one of its surveys of Americans in March.
"Trump is our present-day Senator Joseph McCarthy, who uses lies and innuendos to scare Americans into submission," Sachs added.
The U.S. has now seen the most confirmed cases and deaths due to the pandemic globally. There was plenty of warning, wrote Professor Sachs in the article, listing a timeline of how China and the World Health Organization alerted others about the virus.
A key election issue
It is also important to note that the narrative of making China pay is unfolding during Washington's "political silly season" in the run up to the presidential election, pointed out Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, in his opinion piece published on Foreign Policy.
The unofficial slogan "Make China Pay" reflects the usual tactics of Trump using China as a campaign prop for partisan gains.
The recent flurry of lawsuits against China serves a political tool for Republican leaders facing election in November, Tom Ginsburg, professor of international law at the University of Chicago, said during an interview with Reuters.
"We are seeing a lot of people on the political right focus on the China issue to cover up for the U.S. government's own errors," Ginsburg said.
A store in Miami Beach, Florida, the U.S., April 30, 2020. /AP
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Republicans, who is well-known for leading political witch hunts against Chinese companies, has been openly peddling conspiracy theories about the Wuhan virus lab since February.
The Five Eyes intelligence alliance and even U.S. leading health expert Anthony Fauci have thrown cold water on Trump's claims that the virus originated from a Chinese lab.
However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is still saying that he had "seen evidence that this likely came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology," without showing any such evidence.
Read more:
'Attack China': GOP sends memo to candidates on deflecting anger over coronavirus
"Using judicial means to undermine China is a tried and tested method by U.S. politicians," said Jiang Zhenchun, a law professor at Nanjing Audit University.
Even though these lawsuits will probably not go very far, there will be political gains to be made in terms of public opinion in the lead-up to the 2020 election.
Can China be sued?
The short answer is no.
For starters, China cannot be sued in another country because it is protected by the common principles in international law known as sovereign immunity, which shields foreign governments, government agencies and officials from litigation. The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FISA) is a federal law in the United States since 1976.
Legal experts are largely in agreement that it is unlikely these lawsuits will even get off the round.
Writing on Bloomberg, Stephen L. Carter, a law professor at Yale University, said that regardless of alleged culpability, as a nation state China is immune to this type of lawsuits.
"Simply put, any scholar or practitioner with working knowledge of the law of foreign sovereign immunity would have taken one look at the headlines about these lawsuits (as I did) and assess immediately that there is no basis for jurisdiction in a U.S. court," Chimène Keitner, professor of international law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, wrote about the U.S. lawsuits on legal opinion site JustSecurity.org.
The American attorneys representing these cases are obviously aware of this. To get around this legal obstacle, they are claiming exceptions to immunity for commercial activities and even terrorism in the U.S., or by naming individual scientists as defendants. But as numerous experts have pointed out, the arguments for commercial activity and terrorism exceptions are very hard to substantiate in this case.
Read more:
Suing China for COVID-19 is not taking international law seriously
The U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the U.S. /AP
'Dangerous precedent'
If the U.S. Congress voted to allow Americans to sue the Chinese government regardless the international law, the Chinese government can reciprocate by authorizing its citizens to do the same thing. Then, the rest of the world could follow and adopt corresponding legislation.
"It would set an extraordinarily dangerous precedent," Bandow warned in his article in Foreign Policy.
"Imagine the rest of the world 'making America pay' for Washington's mistakes, failures, and crimes."
If Congress passes new legislation to redefine the protection of sovereign immunity in order for this type of lawsuit to go forward, there can still be litigation risk, according to Stephen J. Brogan, managing partner of law firm Jones Day.
The last time the U.S. suffered mass injury allegedly linked to a foreign government, Congress did just that. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, multiple actions were brought against Saudi Arabia on behalf of 9/11 victims. Some are ongoing to this day.
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which amended the FSIA to allow actions against foreign governments for damages caused by acts of international terrorism, was passed in 2016, overriding a veto from former president Barack Obama. This was a more limited action but still proved to be quite controversial.
After voting for JASTA, which Obama called "a dangerous precedent," some Republican lawmakers almost immediately regretted what they saw were the "unintended ramifications" for the U.S. government in other countries.
"Congress cannot create an exception to foreign sovereign immunity every time the United States is adversely affected – even catastrophically – by another country's actions," Keitner of the University of California said.
(Li Qian and Wang Yan also contributed to the story.)
Medical examiners in Chicago are planning to probe deaths involving heart attacks and pneumonia for evidence of COVID-19 as far back as November, reported CNN citing Cook County spokesperson Natalia Derevyanny.
Chicago reported its first known death on March 16.
"The goal is to see if this virus was present before we knew of it," Derevyanny said.
Viral pneumonia cases along with heart attacks caused by arteries being blocked will be examined, according to the report.
It came as a mayor of a U.S. city in the state of New Jersey claimed he recently tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and believes he was infected by the virus in November, about two months before the first confirmed case in the country.
(Cover image: Masks in boxes sit on a table at Boomers Stadium parking lot in Schaumburg, Illinois, May 6, 2020. /AP)
The mayor of a U.S. city in the state of New Jersey claims he recently tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and suspects he was infected by the virus in November, about two months before the first confirmed case in the country.
Mayor Michael Melham reportedly said he had high fever, chills and hallucinations.
However, amid the coronavirus virus pandemic, questions have been raised about the reliability of antibody tests and the ability to pinpoint the exact time of infection. And it's not clear whether anyone else who had contact with the mayor contracted the virus.
New Jersey has been hit hard by COVID-19, with more than 130,000 cases and 8,500 deaths.
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Brazil registered a record number of coronavirus cases and deaths on Wednesday, as President Jair Bolsonaro's spokesman tested positive for the virus according to his office on Wednesday, raising further questions about the president's exposure to the virus.
General Otavio Santana do Rego Barros, 59, is currently quarantined in his home and has no coronavirus symptoms, his office said in a statement. His staff is awaiting test results for the virus in their homes, the office added.
The nation reported 10,503 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, well above the previous record of 7,288 cases on April 30, according to health ministry data. Brazil also registered 615 deaths, up from the previous record of 600 on Tuesday.
Overall, Brazil has registered 125,218 cases and 8,536 deaths due to the virus.
There are over 100,000 completed coronavirus tests that still have not been registered in the national database, health ministry subsecretary Wanderson Oliveira warned, meaning case numbers could rise steeply in the coming days.
Health Minister Nelson Teich told a press conference an increasing number of local authorities may have to institute "lockdowns," as the coronavirus growth curve does not appear to be flattening.
The state prosecutor's office in Rio de Janeiro said it had received a report from Brazil's leading epidemiological institute, Fiocruz, recommending a lockdown in metropolitan Rio de Janeiro.
The prosecutors, who have significant independent powers in Brazil, said they had forwarded the report to the governor's office and the mayor of Rio, the state's eponymous capital city, raising the chance of a lockdown in Brazil's third-largest state.
While authorities have ordered non-essential services and businesses closed in most states, Rio residents are still allowed to circulate. A lockdown, which so far has only been implemented in the northeastern city of Sao Luis, prohibits people from leaving their homes except for necessary activities.
Still, Teich said, some areas of the country that had not borne the brunt of the pandemic may be able to consider gradually opening up.
As part of Brazil's bid to combat the coronavirus outbreak, officials said they were attempting to dramatically ramp up testing capacity from the current 2,700 tests per day.
"At the most elevated level of (test) production, which we think we'll get to in the middle of July, we'll get to 70,000 per day," Oliveira said.
A mass burial of people who passed away due to the coronavirus outbreak takes place at the Parque Taruma cemetery in Manaus, Brazil May 6, 2020. /Reuters
Record low interest rates
On Wednesday, Brazil's central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate by a bigger-than-expected three-quarters of a percentage point, seeking to help Latin America's biggest economy fight off the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The central bank said Brazil needed an "extraordinarily strong" economic boost, setting the interest rate at a more aggressive move than the half-point cut analysts had forecast.
The bank said the decision was made unanimously by its board of governors, and that another cut was likely at their next meeting, on June 17.
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting it will be hit by a painful 5.3 percent of recession this year.
"The current economic environment demands extraordinarily strong monetary stimulus," the bank said in a statement.
"For its next meeting, depending on the fiscal outlook and economic environment, the [monetary policy] committee is considering one last adjustment, no greater than the current one, to reach the necessary degree of stimulus in reaction to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic."
It added, however, that a high degree of uncertainty about how the pandemic will unfold, coupled with "heightened domestic uncertainty" in Brazil, made it difficult to predict its future moves.
President Jair Bolsonaro is entrenched in various clashes with Congress, state and local governments, and the courts.
The tension stems notably from his minimalist approach to the virus, which he has compared to a "little flu," and his decision last month to fire the chief of the federal police, triggering a potentially explosive probe into whether he was trying to protect himself and his family from ongoing investigations.
It was the seventh straight rate cut since July 2019 from the central bank, which was trying to revive a weak economy even before the pandemic.
The Brazilian real closed at its weakest ever, 5.70 to the dollar.
Meanwhile, Brazil's Senate approved a 60 billion real (10.5 billion U.S. dollars) aid package for the nation's cities and states, which are facing higher social welfare costs and decreasing revenue amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The bill now goes to President Jair Bolsonaro for final approval.
(With input from agencies)
(Cover image: Brazilian soldiers in protective gear show how they are fighting against the new coronavirus during a media presentation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 14, 2020. /AP)
The World Health Organization (WHO) is in talks with China to send a delegation to the country for further investigations on the novel coronavirus, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, on Wednesday.
The academic mission will focus on what "happened at the beginning in terms of the exposures with different animals" so the WHO can find the zoonotic source of the virus, said Van Kerkhove at a press conference in Geneva.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Thursday said China supports the WHO's efforts to investigate the origin of COVID-19 and will continue to work with WHO on virus traceability in an open, transparent and responsible manner.
Meanwhile, Hua said China opposes attempts by the U.S. and other individual countries to politicize the issue.
"Virus traceability is a scientific issue, which should be researched by scientists and professionals and get conclusions on the basis of sufficient argumentation", Hua added.
In February, the WHO sent a team of international experts to China to learn more about the situation of the outbreak in the country and how the virus was spreading.
China clears all COVID-19 middle and high-risk areas
There are no more COVID-19 middle and high-risk areas in China after Linkou county of Mudanjiang City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province lowered its risk level from medium to low on Thursday.
After downgrading their risk level, all areas will be able to further promote the resumption of work, production and business.
Two new imported COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 6 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,885, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 880 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 46 patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,957.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,040 (932 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (40 recovered)
Taiwan: 439 (339 recovered, 6 deaths)
Coronavirus cases in U.S. surpass 1.22 million, over 73,000 deaths
There are now over 1.22 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University. Over 73,000 deaths have been reported in the country so far.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit the United States harder than Pearl Harbor during World War II or the 9/11 attacks.
"This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center. And it should have never happened," he told reporters at the White House.
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Pompeo "not certain" coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab, Fauci to testify on Senate hearing
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday repeated the contested claim that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, despite saying the U.S. couldn't be sure.
During a morning news conference at the U.S. State Department, Pompeo conceded that the U.S. could not be certain, but added "There is significant evidence that this came from a laboratory."
Talking with Fox Business later Wednesday evening, Pompeo doubled down on his claim that he had "seen evidence that this likely came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology," but added that he'd be "happy to see evidence that disproves that."
Many experts have doubted the lab theory, however. This includes Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a U.S. intelligence agency and the World Health Organization, all of whom have said there is no scientific evidence.
Read more:
American officials defy White House on origins of the coronavirus
Prior to Pompeo's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying Wednesday slammed the U.S. secretary of state, saying he "doesn't have any evidence."
"I think this matter should be handed to scientists and medical professionals, and not politicians, who lie for their own domestic political ends," said Hua at a regular press briefing.
"Pompeo repeatedly spoke up but he cannot present any evidence. How can he? Because he doesn't have any," Hua said.
Critics have argued the Trump administration is using this theory as a way to deflect from its response to the outbreak.
In the U.S., more than 1.2 million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus, with nearly 73,000 dead from the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about COVID-19 during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., May 6, 2020. /Reuters
Fauci to testify before the Senate but not the House
Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is scheduled to appear May 12 before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions committee along with other top U.S. health officials.
A House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees health programs had been seeking testimony from Fauci for a May 6 hearing, but the White House said his appearance would be "counterproductive."
Trump defended his decision to block Fauci from testifying to the Democratic-led House of Representatives, accusing the House as a setup which is full of Trump haters.
"The House is a set up. The House is a bunch of Trump haters. They put every Trump hater on the committee," the Republican president said.
"They should be ashamed of themselves and, frankly, the Democrats should be ashamed because they don't want us to succeed. They want us to fail so they can win an election, which they're not going to win," added Trump.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci with U.S. President Donald Trump during the coronavirus response daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, the U.S., April 10, 2020. /Reuters
Trump to refocus coronavirus task force on economic revival
Meanwhile, the Trump White House said its coronavirus task force would shift its focus to reviving the U.S. economy instead of focusing on public health, prompting criticism from the Speaker and top Democrat in the House, Nancy Pelosi.
While the President tweeted out his plans for the future of the task force, saying it may "add or subtract people to it," Pelosi said she did not believe that Trump should make a pivot to reopening at the expense of emphasizing testing.
"If you undermine the science, if you underfund the testing, if you exaggerate the opportunity that is out there for the economy at the risk of people dying, that's not a plan," Pelosi said during an interview on MSNBC.
On Capitol Hill, members of the American Association of Airport Executives argued that U.S. airports would need 10 billion dollars in additional funding as they face losses from the air travel clampdown during the pandemic.
Congress already approved more than 50 billion U.S. dollars in emergency assistance for other parts of the U.S. transit network devastated by the outbreak.
American passenger air travel is down by 95 percent, and airlines have canceled at least 80 percent of their flights into June.
The World Health Organization warned countries emerging from COVID-19 restrictions to proceed "extremely carefully" – or risk more cases.
"The risk of returning to lockdown remains very real if countries do not manage the transition extremely carefully and in a phased approach," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual briefing in Geneva.
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FILE PHOTO: Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020. /Reuters
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned of the risks of returning to lockdown if countries emerging from pandemic restrictions do not manage transitions "extremely carefully and in a phased approach".
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus listed a series of steps needed before countries lift measures designed to control the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease, such as surveillance controls and health system preparedness.
"The risk of returning to lockdown remains very real if countries do not manage the transition extremely carefully and in a phased approach," he said at a virtual briefing in Geneva.
Tedros, who has come under fire for his handling of the outbreak, said that he would conduct an "after-action" assessment of the agency's response, but wait until the pandemic recedes to do so.
"While the fire is raging I think our focus should not be divided," he said.
He defended the WHO's record on warning about the potential for human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus, saying it informed the world of that in early January.
The Geneva-based body has been accused of being "China centric" by top donor the United States, which has cut off funding to the body.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he has "evidence" that the new coronavirus emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, whereas scientists have advised the WHO that it is of animal origin.
WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said that the agency was discussing a further "academic" mission to China to look at the virus origins.
"Without knowing where the animal origin is it is difficult for us to prevent this from happening again," she said.
"There is discussion with counterparts in China for a further mission which would be more academic in focus and really focus on looking at what happened at the beginning in terms of the exposures with different animals so that we can look to have an approach to find the zoonotic source," she added.
Tedros stressed the need for investment in health systems now to save lives later.
"The COVID-19 pandemic will eventually recede but there can be no going back to business as usual," he said. He also urged countries to address inequalities that he said were "fuelling" the pandemic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with regional heads via a video link amid the COVID-19 pandemic at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, April 28, 2020. /Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday supported a government plan to gradually ease restrictions imposed over the coronavirus crisis, warning that any haste in removing preventative measures could undo their work so far.
Putin made the remarks when chairing a meeting with regional heads via a video link amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the country's coronavirus crisis response center on Wednesday, the number of coronavirus cases had risen by more than 10,000 over the past 24 hours for a fourth consecutive day and stood at 165,929.
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File photo via VCG
Germany to give green light to restart football in May
The German government and state leaders are set Wednesday to give the Bundesliga the green light to restart behind closed doors later this month after weeks of shutdown imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus, according to a draft government agreement.
The Bundesliga would become the first major European league to return to action. Teams returned to training on April 6 although sessions have followed stringent social distancing rules and players are not allowed to change at training grounds.
(With input from AFP)
All 58 Chinese crew members aboard the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 of the German tourism giant TUI have tested negative for COVID-19, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Hamburg said it was monitoring the situation of Chinese nationals and has provided 58 Chinese crew members with anti-epidemic materials.
Mein Schiff 3 was being used to ferry 2,899 TUI employees and crew members home amid the closure of cruise ships and the usual means of transport in much of Europe.
On April 28, the vessel docked at the German North Sea port of Cuxhaven with more than a dozen crew members showing flu-like symptoms.
So far, nine people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently under quarantine.
(Cover via AFP)
U.S. private hiring collapses in April, down 20.2 mn: ADP
More than 20.2 million U.S. private-sector jobs were destroyed in April, and that almost certainly underestimates the damage from the efforts to contain the coronavirus, payrolls firm ADP said Wednesday.
More than 16 million jobs were eliminated in the services sector, half of those in leisure and hospitality.
However, the data only reflect payrolls through April 12, so the report "does not reflect the full impact of COVID-19 on the overall employment situation."
Click here for more.
U.S. private employers laid off a record 20.236 million workers in April as mandatory business closures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak savaged the economy, setting up the overall labor market for historic job losses last month.
The plunge in private payrolls shown in the ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday suggested that national lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, could leave lasting scars on the economy, even as large parts of the country reopen non-essential businesses.
"One thing for sure is that this pandemic health crisis has produced depression-magnitude job losses which means this recovery is going to take longer than many are thinking," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York.
"The Great Depression lasted three and a half years, and it will be a miracle if the economy gets anywhere near back to normal within the next couple of years."
People fill out application forms before a screening session for seasonal jobs at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York, March 4, 2014. /Reuters
Data for March was revised to show private payrolls decreasing by 149,000 jobs instead of the previously reported 27,000, which was the first decline since September 2017.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private payrolls tumbling by 20.050 million jobs in April. The ADP report is jointly developed with Moody's Analytics.
The staggering numbers were widely anticipated, since 30.3 million people had filed claims for unemployment benefits since March 21, equivalent to nearly one out of every five workers losing their job in just over a month.
The economy contracted in the first quarter at the steepest pace since the fourth quarter of 2008. The slumping economy and rising joblessness are big challenges for U.S. President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in office in November's election.
Trump has been pushing for businesses to reopen and even supported demonstrations in some parts of the country against the "stay-at-home" orders.
At least 30 states have partially reopened, though health experts and researchers have predicted a surge in infections and deaths.
"The jobs numbers are very, very chilling and I think that it's very important, you know, to let people understand in a very somber way that this is the biggest shock that our economy has ever seen, but it's something that we've done in order to get ahead of the curve on the disease," Trump's economic adviser, Kevin Hassett told Fox Business Network on Wednesday.
/Reuters
Layoffs last month were across small, medium and large enterprises. The leisure and hospitality industry shed 8.6 million jobs in April, accounting for more than 40 percent of the private sector job losses. Manufacturing lost 1.7 million jobs, while 2.5 million construction workers were laid off.
Stocks on Wall Street were trading higher amid hopes of a pickup in business activity as more states ease restrictions on movements, shifting investors' attention from the dismal employment numbers.
The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. U.S. government bond prices fell after the Treasury Department sharply increased the size of its long-dated debt auctions.
Eyes on employment report
"We are at the apex of the job losses," said Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi. "We should see a turn relatively soon in the job statistics, but we are not going to regain all the jobs we lost in the last couple of months."
The ADP report was published ahead of the government's more comprehensive employment report for April scheduled for release on Friday. While it has a poor record predicting the private payrolls component of the government's employment report because of methodology differences, economists said it offered some clues on the size of anticipated job losses in April.
The ADP noted that its April report "does not reflect the full impact of COVID-19 on the overall employment situation."
"The ADP report and the government data don't always align, but at least the ADP report suggests that we are in the right ballpark when thinking about the massive job losses to expect in the government data," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
According to a Reuters survey of economists, nonfarm payrolls are forecast to have tumbled by a historic 21.853 million in April, which would blow away the record 800,000 dive seen during the Great Recession. Employment dropped by 701,000 jobs in March, ending a record streak of gains dating to September 2010.
The unemployment rate is seen jumping to 16 percent in April, which would shatter the post-World War Two record of 10.8 percent touched in November 1982. In March the jobless rate shot up 0.9 percentage point, the largest monthly change since January 1975, to 4.4 percent.
Senior high school students in Wuhan return to school on Wednesday
Senior high school students in Wuhan, the once epicenter of the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, returned to school on Wednesday, ending their three and half months of "holidays" at home. Together with senior students in vocational schools and technician training schools, a total of 57,800 students in senior grades are back to school.
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Russia's culture minister diagnosed with COVID-19: report
Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local media reported on Wednesday.
(Cover: Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, left, attends a cabinet meeting in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 21, 2020. /AP)
UK PM says will set out details on easing lockdown on Sunday
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Wednesday that he will set out how the country will ease its lockdown on Sunday.
The country will face economic disaster if it eased lockdown in a way triggering a second spike in virus, said Johnson.
Johnson took questions on Wednesday in parliament for the first time since returning to work after recovering from COVID-19.
The country has registered over 196,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with over 29,000 deaths, according to latest data from the Johns Hopkins University.
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UK expert: Novel coronavirus is of natural origin
A UK biomedical science expert stated that the novel coronavirus is of natural origin, and did not come from a Wuhan laboratory.
"My view is very clear, it's a zoonotic transfer from an animal reservoir, originally the bat, probably via some intermediates, it did not come from the Wuhan laboratory," Ian Jones, professor at the University of Reading, talked CGTN in an interview.
He denied the conspiracy which claims the novel coronavirus was engineered artificially, reiterating that the virus' genetic sequence has been determined. "If it is an engineered virus, it would have some marks, points, which show the engineering has been done. But that is not the case, the virus is typically an animal virus."
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European Commission forecasts historic recession for 2020
The European Commission said in an economic forecast that despite policy response at both the European Union and national level, the EU economy will experience a recession of historic proportions this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
The Philippines reported 320 more COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the total number of cases in the country to 10,004.
Hungary has reported 3,111 COVID-19 cases and 373 deaths as of Wednesday. Local health authorities said COVID-19 has also claimed the lives of 40 people in a nursing home in the capital city Budapest.
Rwanda reported no new COVID-19 cases for the first time since May. The total number of infections in the country stands at 261.
Niger Labor Minister Mohamed Ben Omar died from COVID-19. The country recorded a total of 763 cases of COVID-19 with 38 deaths on Tuesday evening.
Spain has reported a total of 220,325 COVID-19 cases, with 25,857 cases reported on Wednesday.
(Cover: Healthcare workers from the Philippine Coast Guard are seen wearing protective equipment inside a newly-converted COVID-19 mass testing center in Manila, the Philippines, May 5, 2020. /Xinhua)
Beijing has reported no new domestic or imported cases of COVID-19 for 20 days, said local authorities on Wednesday at a regular press conference.
Meanwhile, 29 COVID-19 patients are currently receiving treatment in local hospitals, the authorities said.
Beijing also lowered its level of coronavirus emergency response from Level I (the highest) to Level II on April 30.
In addition, during the five-day May Day holiday, the city received more than 4.6 million tourists and a total of 126 major tourist attractions and 226 star-rated hotels in the city reopened, according to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
(Cover: Tourists visit the Palace Museum in Beijing, China, May 1, 2020. /Xinhua)
Russia reports 10,559 new COVID-19 cases, total reaches 165,929
Russia reported 10,559 new COVID-19 confirmed cases over the past 24 hours, with the total number of novel coronavirus infections rising to 165,929, official data showed on Wednesday.
The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic increased to 1,462, said the country's coronavirus response center.
Study shows coronavirus quickly spread around the world starting late 2019
A new genetic analysis out of the UK suggests the novel coronavirus spread quickly around the world late last year.
Researchers from the University College London Genetics Institute analyzed the virus genomes of over 7,500 patients infected around the world and the result shows it has been circulating since late last year, and must have spread extremely quickly after the first infection, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Infection, Genetics and Evolution.
A large proportion of the coronavirus' global genetic diversity was found in all countries with the largest outbreaks, suggesting vast worldwide transmission when the virus emerged in late 2019, according to the release.
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Santa Clara County Public Health Department Director Dr. Sara Cody speaks during a news conference in San Jose, California, U.S., February 28, 2020. /AP
Fifty-seven-year-old Patricia Dowd died at her home in San Jose, California on February 6. A heart attack was believed to be the cause. But as Dowd was only mildly obese, medical examiners still had questions.
"She has a perfectly normal sized heart at 190 grams. It doesn't have any abnormalities of the coronary arteries and there's no cholesterol in her blood vessel meaning that you wouldn't expect a heart like that to rupture," forensic pathologist Judy Melinek who had read the autopsy report told CGTN.
"In this case what's happened – myocarditis is the name of the infection – has damaged the heart muscle and during the process of remodeling, the heart weakened and burst open."
Fortunately, examiners had the foresight to save Dowd's tissue and send it to the CDC. But due to testing shortages, it would not be for nearly two months before the CDC would finish the diagnosis: Dowd died of COVID-19.
The signed-off autopsy indicates SARS-CoV-s was found in her heart, trachea, lungs and intestines.
"The virus has entered the bloodstream and circulated and damaged the heart muscle directly so the damage has occurred to the heart muscle cells and the body's immune system is trying to clean them up," said Melinek.
"In the process they weaken the muscle, so with every pump you're putting pressure on a weakened state and it can then fail or tear open. Blood comes out of the sac around the heart and that is fatal."
That means Dowd death is the earliest recorded COVID-19 fatality in the United States so far. Previously, the earliest fatalities were believed to be a man and a woman who both died on February 26 close to Seattle.
The city of San Jose, where Dowd died, is in Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley. So far, Santa Clara County, with a population of around 1.9 million people, has more than 2,225 cases and 121 deaths, making it one of the hardest hit counties in California.
"The disease has been around in this area, much longer than previously thought," said H. Westley Clark, the dean's executive professor of public health at Santa Clara University. "Some speculate January. (It) could have been earlier than late January. It's not known. You are dealing with uncertainties here especially since unfortunately, testing was not readily available in the United States. In fact, toward the end of February we hadn't done very many tests in the United States, less than 500 out of a population of 320 million."
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office is reportedly continuing to re-examine old cases and send what deemed necessary tissues for testing to the CDC.
"Part of the objective early on is to identify people who have been exposed and then we can encourage those people to get tested," said Clark. "And now that we have the antibody test which is a recent development, we can say this person went to xyz park and anybody who has gone to that park during that time might want to go get tested with the antibody to see whether they have some kind of antibody response or immunological response or to see whether they are an asymptotic carrier."
Melinek said it's important to know the specific findings and reclassifications from the autopsies so that pathologists can recognize "insidious infection" in their own populations.
"It's important to ascertain when the virus first entered in order for us to have an understanding of how to get control of it," said Melinek. "You have to look back retrospectively at what happened in order to be able to prevent it from continuing to spread in other places."
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai's article "Ignoring the facts to blame China will only make things worse" was published on the Washington Post on Wednesday and criticized the absurd mindset of "always blame China" during the fight against COVID-19.
The ambassador wrote that since January, China has fought a tough battle against the novel coronavirus and spared no expense to save lives while under various groundless attacks.
"An unnecessary burden has been distracting our focus and undercutting international efforts to curb the virus: the absurd mindset of always blame China," he wrote.
"Simply put, for some people, China has to be wrong, regardless of the facts," he added.
The ambassador then listed allegations during different periods in China's fight against the virus, such as critics saying China's lockdown violated human rights, and claims labeling China's updates about the virus as disinformation and propaganda.
Cui pointed out that the nature of China's political system dominated the content of attacks, and the Communist Party is the ultimate target of their barrage.
"Is China really to blame?" Cui questioned and then presented a series of facts to refute those allegations.
"Behind the mindset of 'always blame China' is a kind of dirty politics, championed by a few people who shift the spotlight for political gain. In their manipulation, China has to be wrong," Cui stressed, adding that it is this blame-shifting that needs transparency.
"It is time to end the blame game," Cui reiterated.
(Cover: File photo of Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai. /Photo via Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs )
Chinese FM: Cooperation and trust are needed to fight the pandemic
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed on Tuesday that cooperation and trust, rather than counteraction or suspicion, are most needed for countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a phone call with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov, Wang said that China stands ready to continue strengthening cooperation with countries around the world, including Uzbekistan, and support the World Health Organization(WHO) in playing its due role.
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The Magic Castle of Shanghai Disneyland. /VCG
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said Tuesday that it plans to open its Shanghai Disneyland theme park on May 11. This will be the first park to be reopened, since the closure, as the coronavirus outbreak eases in China.
According to the official WeChat account of Shanghai Disney Resort, most of the attractions, amusement facilities, performances, shops and restaurants will resume operation with a control visitor flow. Some interactive facilities and programs will be temporarily closed to tourists such as kids' corner and theater performances. Visitors can check out the official site or app of the resort to view the operation arrangements.
Other precautions will be taken to cope with the prevention of the epidemic.
Ticket sales will be available via the resort's official online channels and official travel partners' channels beginning May 8 at 8 a.m., with a limited number of tickets available each day during the initial reopening. Guests are required to purchase admission tickets valid on a selected date only and Annual Pass holders must make a reservation before arrival. On-site ticket sales will be temporarily canceled.
Temperature screening will be implemented and visitors should provide the Shanghai Health QR code at the entrance. A valid ID or travel document is required at the gate, and photocopies will not be accepted. Additionally, guests must wear a mask during their visit, except when dining.
Capacity will be recommended and managed in queues, restaurants, ride vehicles and other facilities. Queues will be structured and ride vehicles will be loaded in a manner promoting social distancing.
Hand sanitizers will be available at queue entries and attraction exits. High-touch locations, such as ride vehicles, handlebars, queue railings, and turnstiles will have increased sanitization.
Cast members will receive training on procedures with an emphasis on contactless guest interaction, cleaning, and social distancing and will receive additional protective equipment, including masks.
These measures will be continuously evaluated and may be further adjusted as the situation changes.
Shanghai Disneyland Resort will also extend the validity of the Annual Pass for the days corresponding with the closure.
NE China's Suifenhe City COVID-19 risk level downgraded to low
The COVID-19 epidemic risk level in Suifenhe City, bordering Russia in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, was downgraded to low-risk on Wednesday, according to authorities.
Work and production will resume orderly in the region to ensure the safe restart of daily life.
Two new imported COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 20 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,883, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 903 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 58 patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,911.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,040 (920 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (39 recovered)
Taiwan: 438 (334 recovered, 6 deaths)
Residents line up for free face masks the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation staff distributes at the Mauro playground, May 5, 2020. /AP
The U.S. has reported over 1.2 million coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, Johns Hopkins University's latest tally showed.
The country's death toll from COVID-19 rose to 70,646.
New York remains the hardest-hit state, with 321,192 total confirmed cases and 25,073 deaths.
The first known death caused by the coronavirus in Chicago was reported on March 16, but the Cook County Medical Examiner's office is planning to review a "handful" of cases that may have died from COVID-19 as early back as in November.
Local officials said that they will look into these deaths involving heart attacks and pneumonia starting in late fall last year.
In the state of Ohio, 3,300 inmates, or over 70 percent of the total prisoners kept in two state prison facilities have tested positive for the coronavirus, causing at least 33 deaths. Meanwhile, 276 workers at these facilities have also tested positive for the virus.
Sweden could have had coronavirus cases as early as November 2019
Sweden likely had coronavirus cases as early as November last year, the country's virus chief has revealed.
Sweden's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told Sweden's TT news agency that he would not be surprised if Sweden had isolated cases of coronavirus as far back as November last year.
His comments come following reports that a hospital in France revealed it had re-tested old flu samples and found a positive test for coronavirus on December 27.
The U.S. COVID-19 death toll approached 71,000 Tuesday, with more than 1.2 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced on Tuesday that the White House coronavirus task force could be disbanded within a month.
Pence says the U.S. has made "tremendous progress" in its response to the pandemic.
Former vaccine official, Rick Bright has filed a whistleblower complaint, saying he was demoted for "prioritizing science and safety over political expediency," according to the Washington Post.
Bright was demoted from Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority after raising concerns over the possible toxicity of a drug that President Trump promoted as a possible treatment for COVID-19.
As several U.S. states begin to reopen their economies, the stock market also saw a rise for the second day in a row.
On Tuesday, the Dow closed more than 130 points higher, spurred by optimism over states planning to reopen their economies.
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COVID-19 testing swabs. /AFP
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday urged countries to investigate any suspicious early cases of COVID-19, after French scientists said a man may have been infected with the disease as early as December 27.
The case points to the presence of COVID-19 in France nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases.
"This gives a whole new picture on everything," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a U.N. briefing in Geneva, referring to the French report.
"The findings help to better understand the potential virus circulation of COVID-19," he added, saying other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples.
The latest remarks by Lindmeier come as the number of COVID-19 infections worldwide exceeded 3.6 million, with the death toll going beyond 253,000.
As the war against the disease continues, world leaders on Monday pledged some €7.4 billion towards research into a possible vaccine and treatments.
The pledges were made at a European Commission-hosted pledging conference attended via videoconference by leaders from at least 40 countries around the world.
In a briefing on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom urged the world to unite in the fight agsinst COVID-19, confirming the agency’s focus was shifting towards this search for a remedy.
"This virus will be with us for a long time, and we must come together to develop and share the tools to defeat it," he said.
The United Kingdom has reported the highest official death toll in Europe, overtaking Italy, according to data released on Tuesday.
Weekly figures from Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) added more than 7,000 deaths in England and Wales, raising the total of the UK to 32,313.
Many of the early COVID-19 cases imported into the UK came from European countries, rather than China, the UK government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told the UK Parliamen's committee on health and social care on Tuesday.
There was a big influx of cases, probably from Italy and Spain in early March, seeded right across the country, said Vallance.
The UK has not yet managed to get the reproduction rate of the virus down to a manageable number, said Vallance, hinting it's not a good time to lift the country lockdown.
People queue at a post office during the coronavirus lockdown in London, May 5, 2020. /AP
The country must review its lockdown measures by Thursday and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline full details of how the UK will exit lockdown on Sunday.
The prime minister will consider evidence provided by scientists at a review on Thursday before taking any decision on the next steps against the coronavirus outbreak, his spokesman said when asked about the plan.
On Tuesday, British airline Virgin Atlantic announced its plan to cut 3,150 jobs, around a third of staff, after the coronavirus put airlines under "unprecedented pressure."
U.S. trade deficit widens to $44.4 billion in March as exports fall
U.S. exports plunged nearly 10 percent in March, driving an increase in the trade deficit to 44.4 billion U.S. dollars, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the Commerce Department reported on Tuesday.
Imports also fell by 6.2 percent, as transportation and shipping began to close down worldwide.
Declines in international travel and tourism made up a large portion of the decreases in exports and imports. Travel and transport exports dropped about 10.1 billion U.S. dollars, while imports fell around 10.6 billion U.S. dollars.
"The declines in March exports and imports were, in part, due to the impact of COVID-19, as many businesses were operating at limited capacity or ceased operations completely, and the movement of travelers across borders was restricted," the report said.
Latest on COVID-19 from around the world
UK's death toll has surpassed 30,000, the highest official toll yet reported in Europe, with the total number of confirmed cases exceeding 191,000.
Spain reported 867 new cases, pushing the total to 219,329, while the death toll rose to 25,613. The number of people registered as jobless in the country increased by about 8 percent in April, with 3.8 million people out of work.
Germany confirmed 685 more cases and 139 new deaths, raising total number of confirmed cases to 163,860 and deaths to 6,831.
Iran recorded 63 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing death toll to 6,340, while the total number of diagnosed cases has climbed to 99,970.
Afghanistan's total number of confirmed cases has risen to 3,224 as 320 new positive cases have been registered over the past 24 hours. The death toll stands at 95.
Ukraine reported 366 new cases, pushing the total to 12,697, with 316 total deaths. The government has extended quarantine measures until May 22.
Indonesia recorded 484 new cases on Tuesday, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 12,071 and death toll to 872.
WHO says France COVID-19 case in December 'not surprising'
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it was "not surprising" that a report of COVID-19 had emerged in December in France, earlier than it was thought to have spread there, saying more reports of early cases were possible.
"It's also possible there are more early cases to be found," said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a UN briefing in Geneva.
He also encouraged other countries to check records for cases in late 2019, saying this would give the world a "new and clearer picture" of the outbreak.
The novel coronavirus first appeared in France on December 27, 2019, said Yves Cohen, an intensive care chief from Avicenne Hospital in Paris, in an interview with local media BFMTV on Sunday.
Russia's general designer of Rocket-space Corporation dies of COVID-19
Russia's general designer of rocket-space corporation Energia, which is part of the "Roskosmos," Evgeny Mikrin, has died of COVID-19 in a Moscow hospital, Russian News Agency TASS reported.
President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Alexander Sergeyev, expressed his condolences over the death of Mikrin, adding that Mikrin was the key scientist responsible for the communication of fundamental science with the practical space.
Mikrin was confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus in mid April, and later placed in home quarantine where he received necessary medical treatment.
Recently, videos showing DIY face masks have been trending on social media. People from all over the world have been making their own masks out of T-shirts, scarves or even just random pieces of cotton. But the question is – can they actually protect you from the coronavirus?
When you wear a mask, you need it to protect you from the virus. You want a filter that prevents you from inhaling harmful airborne particles, such as pathogen-carrying droplets.
But cotton is just not delicate enough to work as a filter. Some say the holes in the fabric are tiny, so the virus won't be able to get through.
Figures talk. Let's see how big the droplets are.
According to a paper published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 82 percent of droplets expelled from coughing are in the range of 0.74 to 2.12 micrometers. That's roughly one eightieth the diameter of one strand of your hair.
Efficiencies of an N95 respirator mask, a medical grade surgical mask, a disposable mask and a cotton mask. /CGTN
Here are the efficiencies of four different types of masks, an N95 respirator mask, a medical grade surgical mask, a disposable mask and a cotton mask, respectively.
As mentioned, most of the droplets are in the range of 0.74 to 2.12 micrometers, so let's get that part highlighted.
From the chart, we can clearly see that cotton masks are not very effective, whereas the other kinds can sufficiently protect you from the majority of droplets.
So, no to T-shirts. Droplets can still get through the material. But disposable masks work just fine, so you don't have to get a medical-grade mask.
This is a tough time. Many frontline medical workers are still facing a severe shortage of protective gear; some have been working without proper PPE for days or even months. We do not need to fight with them over medical-grade masks when the disposable kind works just fine.
Read more:
Acute shortage of PPE and ventilators adds woe to COVID-19 battle
But, what if you can't even get a disposable mask? The advice is to stay at home as much as possible and cut off all potential sources of infection. And remember to always wash your hands.
(Video produced by Wang Zeyu; filmed by Fu Gaoliang; edited by Zhao Yuxiang)
Russia reports 10,102 new COVID-19 cases, 155,370 total
Russia reported 10,102 new COVID-19 infections in last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 155,370, while the death toll stands at 1,451, according to the country's official tally.
Russia is now the seventh most-affected country in terms of infections.
Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Tuesday announced the relaxation of social distancing measures, including allowing some entertainment venues to reopen and schools to resume classes, as the COVID-19 epidemic is, what she claimed, subsiding in Hong Kong.
Entertainment venues including fitness rooms, beauty salons and mahjong lounges will be permitted to restart operation since Friday on the condition that existing anti-epidemic measures remain effective, Lam said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Lam said bars can also resume operation but will be under strict requirements, such as limits on the number of customers and no musical performance.
Besides, restrictions on the number of diners at each table in restaurants will be loosened from four to eight, and group gatherings no more than eight people will be allowed. Schools will start to resume classes gradually since May 27.
The policy loosening came amid easing signs of the epidemic in Hong Kong where there have been no new local infections for 16 consecutive days.
However, Lam warned that there could be a resurgence of the COVID-19 spread and called on Hong Kong residents to stay alert.
Despite the partial relaxation, Hong Kong's social distancing measures that have been effective for more than a month and were due to expire on Thursday midnight will be extended for another two weeks, with some places of high contagion risks to remain closed, including karaoke lounges, party rooms and night clubs.
Here are the latest updates on COVID-19 around the globe
The governor of the U.S. state of California said the state would enter into the second stage of COVID-19 recovery at the end of this week, allowing some retail businesses to reopen with modifications.
South Africa had 7,220 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Monday, up by 437 from the previous day, said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
New Zealand recorded no new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row on Tuesday.
South Korea reported no new local COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 10,804.
Germany's number of COVID-19 cases rose by 685 within one day to 163,860, the Robert Koch Institute announced on Tuesday. The death toll in the country increased by 139 to 6,831.
Domestic tourist numbers during holiday exceed estimation
Some 19.3 million tourist trips were made in China on May 4, bringing the total number of domestic visits to over 104 million in the first four days of the five-day May Day holiday, making 43.23 billion yuan (6.08 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Monday.
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Fauci: No scientific evidence coronavirus was made in a Chinese laboratory
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a renowned U.S. infectious disease expert, has said that there is no scientific evidence for the theory that the coronavirus was made in a Chinese laboratory, or escaped from a laboratory after being brought in from the wild.
Fauci told National Geographic in an interview published on Monday.
"If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and what's out there now, [the scientific evidence] is very, very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated," he said.
Based on the scientific evidence, the expert also doesn't entertain an alternate theory – that someone found the coronavirus in the wild, brought it to a lab, and then it accidentally escaped, according to the report.
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COVID-19: FDA authorizes first new antibody test
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday that it has authorized the first new antibody test for COVID-19 that had independent validation from the U.S. government.
The FDA also noted in a release that it "will continue to take steps to appropriately balance assurances that an antibody test is accurate and reliable with timely access to such tests as the continually evolving circumstances and public health needs warrant."
WHO says has no proof from U.S. on 'speculative' Wuhan lab claims
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support "speculative" claims by the U.S. president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab.
"We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus – so from our perspective, this remains speculative," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing.
Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, emerging in China late last year, possibly from a market in Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat.
But U.S. President Donald Trump, increasingly critical of China's management of the first outbreak, claims to have proof it started in a Wuhan laboratory.
And U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said "enormous evidence" backed up that claim, which China has vehemently denied.
"Like any evidence-based organization, we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus," Ryan said, stressing that this was "a very important piece of public health information for future control."
"If that data and evidence is available, then it will be for the United States government to decide whether and when it can be shared, but it is difficult for the WHO to operate in an information vacuum in that regard," he added.
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China to expand COVID-19 cooperation special fund, says envoy at global pledging event
China will take further steps, including expanding the special fund on COVID-19 cooperation as necessary and considering donating to the United Nations Global Humanitarian Response Plan, to strengthen global cooperation and defeat the pandemic at an early date, a Chinese envoy said at the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event on Monday.
On behalf of the Chinese government, Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, said China will take an active part in the COVID-19 ACT Accelerator program launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other parties, and step up research cooperation with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) and other international agencies in terms of pharmaceuticals, vaccine and testing, with a view to jointly building ironclad defense against the virus.
Read more: Global leaders promise $8 billion to fight COVID-19
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Global leaders promise $8 bln to fight COVID-19, EU says
Global leaders have promised eight billion U.S. dollars to fund research into vaccines, treatments and diagnostics to tackle COVID-19, but the United States has refused to contribute to the global effort.
World leaders took part in a virtual international conference on Monday to thrash out a battle plan to fight the pandemic, which has infected more than 3.5 million people and killed close to 250,000 worldwide.
Organizers included the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries Britain, Norway and Saudi Arabia. Leaders from Japan, Canada, South Africa and dozens of other countries joined the virtual event, and China was represented by its ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming.
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One new imported COVID-19 case was registered on the Chinese mainland on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 15 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,881, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 947 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 87 patients were discharged from hospitals on Monday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,853.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,040 (900 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (39 recovered)
Taiwan: 438 (334 recovered, 6 deaths)
U.S. grocery stores limit customer purchases of beef, pork and poultry
The U.S. grocery store Costco announced on Monday that it will limit the number of beef, pork, and poultry items.
"Fresh meat purchases are temporarily limited to a total of three items per member among the beef, pork and poultry products", Costco said in a statement on its website.
Meanwhile, the grocery store giant Kroger also took similar action and have begun limiting customer purchases of fresh pork and ground beef.
Local media reported that around three percent of workers in over 100 meat processing plants in the U.S. have been infected with COVID-19.
As of Monday evening, the U.S. has reported at least 1.17 million cases of COVID-19 and the death toll has risen to 68,689.
Five countries have registered more than 20,000 deaths each. These countries are the U.S., Spain, Italy, U.K. and France.
The global COVID-19 death toll has surpassed the quarter million mark as countries continue the fight against the pandemic.
Fatalities attributed to the pandemic exceeded 250,000 on Monday evening, according to data from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S remains the world's most affected country by the pandemic, having registered 1,161,346 infections and 67,781 deaths.
The figures represent nearly 32.8 percent of the global cases and 27.3 percent of the world's fatalities.
Five countries have registered more than 20,000 deaths each. These countries are the U.S., Spain, Italy, U.K. and France.
The five countries account for 55.1 percent of the global COVID-19 infections and 70.7 percent of the total fatalities worldwide.
As the figures continue to rise, the fight against the disease has intensified worldwide. Countries are conducting more tests in a bid to rout out the disease from the public space.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a unified approach in the fight against COVID-19.
"At this critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic, all countries and stakeholders, including those from the private sector, must work together to ensure that no one is left behind,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom on Monday.
Adhanom noted that the world needs to leave no state behind in the COVID-19 battle so as to ensure there is no weak link in the fight.
"The ultimate measure of success will not be how fast we can develop tools – it will be how equally we can distribute them. None of us can accept a world in which some people are protected while others remain exposed," said the WHO chief.
On Monday, the European Commission hosted a pledging conference – without the United States – aimed at raising funds for research into a possible vaccine and treatments for COVID-19.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a COVID-19 press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 9, 2020. /Xinhua
A model by Donald Trump's administration projects a rise in the number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities in the coming weeks to hit up to 3,000 daily deaths in the U.S. by June 1, according to an internal document obtained by The New York Times.
The projections represent a worrying hike in the number of deaths from a figure of around 2,000 currently as seen in data from the John Hopkins University.
The projections are based on modeling from the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which were put together into charts and graphics by FEMA.
CNN reports an unnamed administration official to confirm the authenticity of the report obtained by the New York Times, which was distributed throughout relevant agencies over the weekend. The official cautioned that the numbers are projections at this point.
The U.S. is already the world most affected country by the pandemic, having recorded 1,170,719 infections and 68,046 deaths.
The figures represent nearly 32.8 percent of the global cases and 27.3 percent of the world's fatalities.
As the fight against the disease continues, the Trump administration is keen on reopening the country to avoid further shrinking of the economy.
On Monday, in the absence of the U.S., world leaders pledged some €7.4 billion towards research into a possible vaccine and treatments for COVID-19.
The pledges were made at a European Commission-hosted pledging conference attended via videoconference by leaders from at least 40 countries around the world.
The conference came less than 20 days after President Donald Trump instructed his administration to temporarily halt funding to the WHO.
(With input from CNN)
Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
The Philippines reported 266 additional infections with 16 new deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 9,485 with 623 deaths. A total of 1,772 medics were infected, and 34 of them have died.
Iran confirmed 1,223 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the country to 98,647. The death toll now stands at 6,277.
Germany reported 679 new cases, pushing the total up to 163,175 and the death toll to 6,692. The country will extend its border checks until May 15.
The Netherlands recorded 199 new cases and 26 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 40,770, including 5,082 deaths.
Qatar reported 640 new cases, bringing total infections to 16,191. The health ministry urged people to observe social distancing and avoid crowds.
Spain confirmed 356 new cases with 164 new deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 218,011. The death toll now stands at 25,428.
Israel reported 29 new cases, bringing the total number to 16,237. There are 234 fatalities.
Singapore recorded 573 new cases, lifting the total number to 18,778, including 18 deaths. The country's public hospitals will add 450 more intensive beds in mid-May.
EU to provide 1 bln euros for global vaccine search
The European Union pledged on Monday 1 billion euros (1.09 billion U.S. dollars) for the global search for vaccines and treatment for the novel coronavirus, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a pledging conference.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for any treatment developed to be available to everyone, something the World Health Organization said would be a challenge.
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California governor says it's 'arbitrary' to set reopening dates before suppressing COVID-19 spread
California Governor Gavin Newsom reiterated Friday that the state is not ready to reopen due to concerns of a second coronavirus wave despite a flattened curve as a result of strict shelter-in-place measures.
California remains largely shut down as other states begin to reopen businesses and allow gatherings. Newsom issued a stay-at-home order on March 19, in place until further notice. On April 30, he ordered beaches in Orange County closed after tens of thousands people flocked there during the weekend.
Newsom's decision goes against U.S. President Donald Trump who incited Americans on Twitter to "liberate" the U.S. In an interview with TIME magazine, Newsom said he fears "fatigue" would soon set in and people would put their guards down.
"All the progress that's been made over the course of the last 90 days can be thrown out in the matter of weeks," said the governor.
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A protester holds a sign in front of the pier in Huntington Beach, California, May 3, 2020. /AP
A special liaison group sent by China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council arrived in Wuhan on Monday to hold meetings with leaders from Hubei Province and its capital, Wuhan.
The group's primary responsibility is to evaluate the epidemic prevention and control work in Hubei Province and its capital, supervise the implementation of further prevention and control measures, consolidate the current achievements, and strictly prevent the epidemic from rebounding.
Expo 2020 Dubai postponed by one year to Oct 2021 due to pandemic
The Expo 2020 global trade fair, hosted by Dubai, has been postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, according to Bureau International des Expositions on Monday.
A two-thirds majority of member states of the BIE has voted in favor of the delay.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China, June 20, 2015. /VCG
Hong Kong's economy contracted by 8.9 percent year on year in the first quarter, the biggest quarterly decline on record, as the coronavirus outbreak battered the business hub, according to official data on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said that the economic recession deepened in Hong Kong in Q1 as the threat of COVID-19 seriously disrupted a wide range of local economic activities and supply chains in the region.
Hong Kong's GDP decreased by 5.3 percent in real terms in January-March from the previous quarter on a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison basis, also the steepest on record, based on advance estimates of the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government.
Analysed by major GDP components, private consumption expenditure decreased by 10.2 percent in real terms in Q1 from a year earlier, deteriorating from the 2.9-percent decline in the fourth quarter last year.
Inbound tourism was also faced with problems and exports of services fell significantly by 37.8 percent in real terms in Q1 from a year earlier, compared with a decrease of 24.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR, last Wednesday revised the real GDP growth forecast of Hong Kong for 2020 – between minus 4 and minus 7 percent.
He said that if the global outbreak is contained, Hong Kong's economy is expected to gradually recover in the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong's economy contracted by three percent in the fourth quarter last year, according to advance estimates of the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government.
Affected by external stock market turbulence and other factors, Hong Kong shares fell sharply on the first trading day in May, with the Hang Seng Index (HSI) plunging by nearly 4.2 percent.
UK PM readies plan to ease lockdown with new office guidance
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out his plan to ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown next Sunday, media reports said, as new guidance emerged on how to maintain social distancing in workplaces.
Stay-at-home orders imposed in late March are up for review on Thursday in Britain, one of the worst hit countries in the COVID-19 pandemic, but the government has already said the measures will be eased only gradually.
New guidance drawn up with company bosses and trade unions, seen by the BBC and the Financial Times, suggests office workers will be encouraged to stay at home for months to avoid overwhelming the transport system.
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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson displays his "Get Well Soon" cards sent in by children while he was ill with COVID-19 at his office in 10 Downing Street, central London, April 28, 2020. /AFP
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Hubei Province for 30 days
No COVID-19 cases have been reported in central China's Hubei Province for 30 consecutive days, local authorities said on Monday.
Outside Wuhan, the provincial capital, no cases have been confirmed for 60 consecutive days.
A total of 68,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the province, including 50,333 in Wuhan and 17,795 elsewhere in Hubei.
Civil servants in Hong Kong head back to work as services resume
The majority of government employees in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) returned to their offices on Monday when multiple city services also resumed as the COVID-19 situation eases in the region.
The city has reported no domestic infections for over two weeks and the HKSAR chief executive, Carrie Lam, announced last week the government will lift work-from-home arrangements.
As of Sunday, Hong Kong has registered a total of 1,039 confirmed COVID-19 cases, among which 879 have recovered and four have died.
However, some facilities like gyms, cinemas, museums and libraries remain closed.
Some other restrictive measures, such as a 14-day home quarantine for people coming from the Chinese mainland, operational requirements for restaurants and a ban on gatherings above four people, end at midnight on Wednesday and the HKSAR government is set to announce further decisions soon.
COVID-19: Russia reports over 10,000 daily cases for second day
Russia reported 10,581 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 145,268.
This is the second day in a row that new coronavirus cases in the country cross the 10,000 mark.
The nationwide death toll rose to 1,356 after 76 people died in the last 24 hours.
Nearly 4.3 million nucleic acid tests have been carried out in the country.
Japan extends state of emergency until May 31
Japan announced it will extend its nationwide state of emergency until May 31, as the country braces for a lengthy battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the formal decision on Monday, the last day of Japan's Golden Week holiday. So far, a total of 14,877 coronavirus cases and 487 deaths have been reported in the country.
At a press conference, Prime Minister Abe said that the number of infected people in the country is not at a sufficient level and the medical field is in a harsh situation.
"We should continue to make efforts for a while," said Abe.
For the 13 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka that have been hardest hit, a target of reducing person-to-person contacts by 80 percent would remain in place, Abe said.
The country will move gradually to a framework that will combine prevention of the spread of infections with maintaining social and economic activities, he added.
The prime minister said he will ask experts to assess coronavirus situation around May 14.
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Chinese mainland, as of Sunday midnight, recorded less than 500 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, the lowest since January 23. The total number of confirmed and suspected cases imported from abroad has declined for three consecutive weeks, China's National Health Commission said on Monday.
A total of 92 new confirmed imported cases have been reported in the last two weeks, down from the previous one-day peak. The health body said it will continue to strictly prevent and control imported cases from overseas.
Two Chinese crew members aboard a cruise ship belonging to German tourism giant TUI have shown mild flu symptoms even though their first test results came out negative for the coronavirus, according to CCTV news.
The two persons were among a total of 58 Chinese staff on the cruiser, who are all now quarantined on board with some 2,800 others after the ship identified its first coronavirus case on Friday.
"Mein Schiff 3" was being used to ferry 2,899 TUI employees and crew home with both cruises and the usual means of transport in much of Europe shut down by the pandemic and there're no passengers on the ship.
On April 28, the vessel docked at the German North Sea port of Cuxhaven with more than a dozen crew members showing flu-like symptoms.
TUI spokesman Friedericke Groenemeyer said all the members will be tested.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Hamburg also said it's monitoring the situation of Chinese nationals.
(With input from AFP)
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
India confirmed a total of 42,533 cases on Monday, and the death toll rose to 1,373 in the country. The Indian government has extended the nationwide lockdown until May 17.
New Zealand reported no new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the first time in 49 days, with the total number of infections staying at 1,487. Local health authorities said one probable case has been reclassified as confirmed, so the total case number remained unchanged.
South Korea reported eight new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which brings the country's overall tally to 10,801 and the number of fatalities to 252 on Monday.
Germany reported 163,175 COVID-19 cases, with the 6,692 deaths as of Monday.
Uruguay reported seven new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the total number of infections in the country stand at 665. The Uruguay's government expects the gross domestic product to fall by around three percent in 2020.
Japan recorded a total of 15,082 COVID-19 cases, with 537 deaths on Monday. Japanese government expected to extend its nationwide state of emergency to the May 31.
Brazil health authorities said the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country has exceeded 100,000, with 7,025 deaths. The fatality rate in Brazil is currently 6.9 percent.
(Cover: People line up to check body temperature before entering a market during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, April 28, 2020. /Xinhua)
Answer Bank: Which vaccines should not be postponed amid coronavirus?
Efforts should be made to ensure routine vaccination and other medical services during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Delays in some vaccinations could have negative health effects, so which vaccines are not suggested to be postponed?
1. Hepatitis B vaccine and Bacillus Calmette Guerin vaccine for newborns. Children under three months can be vaccinated directly. Skin tests are required for children aged three months to three years before getting the shot, according to Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Rabies vaccine for people who were attacked by animals, which including bitten or scratched by animals.
3. Tetanus vaccine for people with unclean or contaminated cuts. Those people who got the Tetanus vaccine in the latest five years won't need another shot.
4. Measles vaccine for children who are 12 months through 12 years of age.
You can call the vaccination clinic or local center for disease control and prevention to ask about the vaccines and book in advance.
Parents need to inform the doctors about the children's health condition before vaccination.
French coronavirus quarantine to spare travelers from Schengen area and UK
France said Sunday that it would not quarantine anyone arriving from the European Union, the Schengen area or Britain due to the coronavirus, as it prepares to start easing lockdown measures from May 11 after two months of restriction.
On Saturday, the government decided to extend its "state of health emergency" until at least July 24, and anyone entering France would have to remain in isolation for two weeks.
But the quarantine rules would not apply to "anyone arriving from the EU, the Schengen zone or Britain, regardless of their nationality", the presidency said on Sunday.
And for French and EU citizens arriving in France from other regions outside the EU, the Schengen area and Britain, "the rules will be announced in the coming days", the presidency said.
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Post-COVID-19 era: Can we go back to 'normal'?
"I just feel naked if I forget to wear a mask when going out," a strange sentence which has become normal in the post-COVID-19 era.
But can we really go back to "normal" when struggling to balance public health and social recovery?
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Battered global tourism industry makes reopening plans
Six months ago, the global tourism industry was celebrating a record year for travel. Now, it's decimated and facing a recovery that could take years. Tourism Economics, a data and consulting firm, predicts global travel demand won't resume its normal pace until 2023.
When tourists do finally return, they will face a changed landscape that incorporates social distancing and other restrictive measures to calm residual fears over COVID-19, the disease that has so far killed more than 247,000 people worldwide and infected over 3.5 million.
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Vice President Mike Pence (C) is seen talking, without wearing a face mask, with Dennis Nelson, a patient who survived the coronavirus and was going to give blood, during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, U.S., April 29, 2020. /AP
Pence says he should have worn face mask at Mayo Clinic
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that he erred in not wearing a face mask during a visit with patients at the Mayo Clinic last month.
The decision by Pence not to wear a mask was slammed by critics, who said it undermined efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus that has caused more than 67,000 deaths in the United States. Pence heads the Trump administration's anti-coronavirus effort.
During an appearance at a town hall event with President Donald Trump on Fox News, Pence said that while he did not believe he posed a risk to others, he still should have worn the mask required of other patients and visitors at the healthcare facility in Minnesota.
"I didn't think it was necessary, but I should have worn a mask at the Mayo Clinic," he said.
(With input from Reuters)
Three new cases of COVID-19, all imported, were reported on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 13 new asymptomatic cases and one suspected case which was imported from abroad. No new deaths were reported on the day.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,880, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 962 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 53 patients were discharged from hospitals on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,766.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,039 (879 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (39 recovered)
Taiwan: 436 (332 recovered, 6 deaths)
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in a live Fox News Channel virtual town hall in Washington, DC, U.S., May 3, 2020. /Reuters
Trump says U.S. to have coronavirus vaccine by end of year
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year. "We are very confident that we're going to have a vaccine at the end of the year, by the end of the year," Trump said in a Fox News "town hall" show broadcast from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.
He also said he would urge the reopening of schools and universities in September, saying "I want them to go back."
But while Trump increased his projection for the total U.S. death total to 80,000 or 90,000 — up by more than 20,000 fatalities from what he had suggested just a few weeks ago — he struck a note of urgency to restart the nation's economy, declaring "we have to reopen our country."
In addition, Trump also told Fox News that he received his first briefing about novel coronavirus on January 23.
(With input from agencies)
First coronavirus case in France appeared in December: expert
The novel coronavirus first appeared in France on December 27, 2019, said Yves Cohen, an intensive care chief of a hospital in Paris, in an interview with local media on Sunday.
He said his medical team revisited test results of 24 patients with respiratory infections and tested negative for flu and other kinds of coronavirus in December and January, among them a male patient showed positive for COVID-19.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in some European countries
UK registered 315 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the novel coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 28,446. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to unveil the government's plans in the coming days after claiming that the country had passed the peak of the outbreak.
France will exempt travelers from countries in Europe's Schengen open-border area and Britain from a 14-day quarantine on arrival. France has been the fifth-hardest-hit country with 24,895 deaths from COVID-19 and over 168,000 confirmed cases so far.
Italy recorded 174 fatalities, the lowest number since March 10. The Mediterranean country's death toll on the eve of its first easing of lockdown measures on Monday stands at 28,884, second only to the U.S. Its daily number of new cases declined sharply to 1,389, also the lowest since the first week of March. A total of 210,717 people have tested positive for the virus in the country.
Global coronavirus cases pass 3.5 million: Johns Hopkins University
Global cases of the new coronavirus have passed 3.5 million, reaching 3,502,126 as of 7 p.m. (2300 GMT) on Sunday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The current death toll globally stands at 247,107, according to the tally.
Coronavirus vaccine volunteer Wu Xiaohong says the "chance to save lives" was the reason she put herself forward for clinical trials.
Wu, who lives in Wuhan, said she first read information about vaccine trials early last month and she was "excited" at the chance to be able to do something to help. She also passed on the details to her son Lu Genglin who has also stepped forward for the testing.
Speaking from the initial epicenter of the outbreak, Wu said she was surprised at how fast clinical trials have started.
"The first stage of clinical trials have finished successfully, I guess everyone of us will be very happy by the progress" she said, adding "I have great confidence in the medical research team.
"If the vaccine could be a success it maybe one of the most powerful weapons against the disease and therefore many people's lives would be saved," Wu told Stephen Cole in an interview for The Agenda.
Check out The Pandemic Playbook, CGTN Europe's major investigation into the lessons learnt from COVID-19
Former WTO chief: Globalization to look different after COVID-19
Former World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy is not worried about "denationalization" after COVID-19, but believes it will be different.
What's inevitable is the impact of COVID-19 on globalization, Lamy said during an online conference in April while sharing his views on how the global pandemic will change the world economy.
He began his speech with four "more" and two "less." He said the world will face "more governments, more precautions, less growth, more digital, more inequalities among countries and less inequalities within countries."
"I do not believe a post COVID-19 world will be globalized," Lamy used some strong words at the very beginning of the meeting, predicting that globalization is going to look a bit different.
"There will be some reconfiguration of production chains," he said, adding that value chains will be shortened in the future and production will be more localized.
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Portugal on Saturday lifted its state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa has said that the state of emergency, which started on March 18 and was renewed twice, has produced positive results and that there is no need for it to continue.
Costa has also announced a three-phase plan to reopen the country for businesses:
May 4: Shops smaller than 200 square meters - including bookstores, hairdressers, shoes shops and clothes stores - can reopen. The public service system will also resume operation, excluding some town halls.
May 18: Restaurants and coffee shops can open. Schools will open for students in the final two years of secondary education.
June 1: All stores and shopping malls can open at 50 percent capacity. Residents will need to stay two meters apart from each other.
There are now 25,190 COVID-19 infections in Portugal, with 1,023 deaths.
South Korea to further relax social distancing rules starting May 6
People visit a public park along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 30, 2020. /AP
South Korea will further relax its social distancing rules starting May 6, allowing a phased re-opening of businesses, as the country has largely been able to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Sunday.
In a televised meeting with officials, Chung said 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."
Public facilities, such as parks, libraries and schools could reopen in phases, although the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended citizens to exercise with caution.
The new rules also advise those who feel unwell to stay home for three to four days, stay arm's length apart with others in public, and wash hands frequently.
The Korea Professional Football League (K League) announced Friday that its top-flight K League 1 and second-tier K League 2 will both kick off their 2020 season on May 8, Yonhap News Agency reported.
South Korea on Sunday reported 13 new coronavirus cases, bringing its nationwide tally to 10,793. No new deaths were registered, as the death toll stands at 250.
Nearly 3,000 crew quarantined on cruise ship in Germany
A total of 2,899 crew of a German cruise ship named "Mein Shiff 3" have been quarantined on board in Cuxhaven on Germany's North Sea coast after one person tested positive for the coronavirus on April 30.
The entire crew is being tested for the coronavirus, and the results will be available on Monday at the earliest.
There are 58 Chinese crew members aboard the ship, and they are all currently in good health conditions, China News Service reported citing comments made by the Chinese Consulate-General in Hamburg.
CCTV News
PM Abe looks to extend Japan's state of emergency through May 31
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with a group of experts to decide on if the national state of emergency will be extended until May 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reported NHK.
14,571 COVID-19 cases and 474 deaths have been reported in the country.
Volunteers wearing protective clothing, take part in disinfecting a village, in the outskirts of the city of Ghaemshahr, in north of Iran, April 29, 2020. /AP
Mosques across large parts of Iran will reopen on Monday, nearly two months after they were shuttered due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday.
Rouhani said 132 counties, or about one third of the administrative divisions, would "reopen their mosques as of tomorrow," speaking at a televised virus task force meeting.
He added that the committee was also mulling reopening schools by May 16 to allow for a month of classes before the summer break.
The new coronavirus has killed more than 6,150 people and infected over 96,440 in the country so far.
(With input from AFP)
Spain reports lowest daily coronavirus death toll since March 18
Spain on Sunday reported 164 COVID-19 deaths – the lowest daily death toll increase since March 18, newspaper El Pais reported.
A total of 25,264 people have died of the coronavirus in Spain, with 217,466 confirmed cases.
U.S. researcher who worked in Wuhan virology lab says COVID-19 leak 'highly unlikely'
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic is "highly unlikely a lab accident," Jonna Mazet, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Davis, who has worked with and trained researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the past, told Business Insider.
Here are four reasons why:
1. The lab's samples don't match the new coronavirus
2. The lab implements rigorous safety protocols
3. The coronavirus is the latest in a long line of zoonotic disease outbreaks
4. Everyday people are more likely to get infected than researchers who wear protection
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Russia has reported 10,633 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours – a new daily high – bringing the total number of infections to 134,686, with 1,280 deaths.
Moscow, the country's worst-hit region, confirmed 5,948 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 68,606.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who tested positive for the virus on April 30, is feeling well while handling government affairs and communicating with other staff members, his press secretary said.
The country's outbreak got off to a slower start than many others, but cases began to sharply rise last month, and on Thursday surged past the 100,000 mark. So far, over 4.1 million nucleic acid tests have been conducted in Russia.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia has not reached the peak of coronavirus yet, adding restrictions could be lifted step by step starting from May 12.
There is no reason to think that the pandemic situation has stabilized in the country and safety rules can be ignored, the Russian Health Ministry also said in a statement Saturday.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
South Korea reported 13 new cases, bringing the total number to 10,793 confirmed cases with 250 deaths.
Argentina's total number of confirmed cases climbed to 4,681, and the capital Buenos Aires has required all residents to wear face masks when they going out from May 4.
Brazil reported 4,970 new cases, raising the total number to 96,559 and death toll to 6,750. Hospitals in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have opened temporary hospitals to accept patients.
Mexico confirmed 1,349 new cases with 89 new deaths, bringing the total cases to 22,088 and death toll to 2,061.
Chile reported 1,427 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 18,435, including 247 deaths. The country's 21 national parks will gradually reopen on May 4.
In Ecuador, the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus rose to 1,371, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 27,464.
Poland recorded 270 new cases and 13 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,375 with 664 deaths.
An anti-lockdown protester is detained by police officers in London, UK, May 2, 2020. /Reuters
UK's COVID-19 death toll passes 28,000
The death toll from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom rose to 28,205 on May 3, falling just short of Italy which has so far had the world's second most deadly outbreak of the disease after the United States.
The United States has had 66,224 deaths, followed by 28,710 in Italy, 28,205 in the UK and 25,100 in Spain, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center of Johns Hopkins University.
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.
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Two new cases of COVID-19, including one imported case, were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 12 new asymptomatic cases. No new suspected cases or deaths were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,877, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 968 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 28 patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,713.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,039 (864 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (38 recovered)
Taiwan: 432 (324 recovered, 6 deaths)
Nearly 900 workers at U.S. pork-processing plant test positive for COVID-19
Around 890 employees, 40 percent of the workforce, at a Tyson Foods pork-processing plant in Logansport, Indiana, have tested positive for COVID-19, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.
According to the local health authority, a couple hundred others at the plant still need to be screened.
The plant in Logansport halted operations on April 25. Tyson plans to resume limited production at the facility next week, following a plant tour with local health and government officials, a union representative and medical professionals. Tyson made the announcement in a joint statement with the city, county health department and local officials.
COVID-19 cases in the U.S. exceed 1.12 million: John Hopkins
The U.S. reported 27,954 new cases of COVID-19 and 1,474 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,126,519 and death toll to 66,051 as of 7 a.m. Beijing time on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
NYC to distribute more than 100,000 face masks to residents
New York City will distribute more than 100,000 free face masks from May 2-5 to its residents to step up efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Residents are now required to wear masks or face coverings in public.
In New York City, the current U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, the number of infections has exceeded 170,000 and the death toll has surpassed 10,000.
(Cover: Medical workers carry a patient into an ambulance in New York, the United States, April 6, 2020. /Xinhua)
COVID-19: Spain to launch 16 bln euro reconstruction fund
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday his government would approve a 16 billion euros (17.57 billion U.S. dollars) reconstruction fund to help regional authorities deal with the social and economic damage from the coronavirus.
There are now 213,435 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24,543 deaths in the country.
Spain will make masks mandatory on public transport from Monday, said the PM.
AP
France extends state of health emergency to July 24 due to pandemic
France on Saturday decided to extend the health emergency state imposed to fight the new coronavirus for two months until July 24, Health Minister Olivier Veran said.
A proposal to be put to parliament on Monday said the lifting this month of the emergency, which began on March 24, would "be premature" and "could see a risk of the outbreak" intensifying.
France has now reported 167,305 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the death toll surpassing 24,600.
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More than 70 scholars studying public health in China and the United States have called to avoid politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic, urging the two countries to coordinate responses to COVID-19.
The scholars made the remark in a signed letter, which was published by The New York Times on Friday.
Diseases know no borders; supply chains are internationally-embedded, and crisis management necessitates intergovernmental collaboration and data sharing among scientists, the scholars noted in the letter.
There is no place today for politicians to endanger bilateral ties by spreading conspiracies or insulting language about virological origins, it read.
Now is the time to rebuild global public health alliances, such as the World Health Organization, renew scientific exchanges and communicate respectfully across borders, the scholars added.
The letter was initiated by Matthew Kohrman, an associate professor of medical anthropology at Stanford University, Chen Xi, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health, and Scott Rozelle, a senior fellow at Stanford University. Scholars who signed the letter are from think tanks and universities from the two countries, including Harvard University, Stanford Medical School and Guangzhou Medical University.
(With input from Xinhua)
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
Iran reported 802 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which brings the country's overall tally to 96,448 and the number of fatalities to 6,156 on Saturday.
Spain confirmed a total of 216,582 cases on Saturday, the death toll rose to 25,100 in the country.
Germany reported 161,703 cases of COVID-19, with the 6,575 deaths as of Saturday.
Thailand reported six new cases and zero deaths on Saturday, the newly confirmed cases stayed in the single digits for six consecutive days, and there are 2,966 overall infections in the country with 54 deaths. The epidemic has boosted delivery services in the country with delivery riders exceeding 100,000.
Malaysia recorded a total of 6,176 COVID-19 cases, with 103 deaths on Saturday. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government was seeking to restart the economy and will allow most business sectors to reopen on May 4.
(Cover: Pedestrians wearing face masks are seen in Munich, Germany, April 27, 2020. /Xinhua)
Singapore to gradually ease coronavirus curbs as spread slows
Singapore will start easing some curbs put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus over the next few weeks, authorities said on Saturday, as the city-state takes the first tentative steps towards reopening its economy.
Selected activities such as home-based businesses, laundry services and barbers will be allowed to operate from May 12. Some students will be allowed to go back to schools in small groups from May 19.
Traditional Chinese Medicine needle acupuncture will be allowed from May 5, if assessed to be essential for pain management.
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2% of Moscow residents could contract COVID-19: mayor
Around two percent of residents in Moscow may contract the COVID-19 after the city significantly increased its ability to detect novel coronavirus, said the mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Sunday.
Forty thousand nucleic acid tests are been conducted every day in the Russian capital and the number of antibody tests has also increased nine times the last week, he said.
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Russia's daily coronavirus cases hit new high
Russia reported 9,623 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 124,054.
The nationwide death toll rose to 1,222 after 57 people died in the last 24 hours.
Nearly four million nucleic acid tests have been done in the country.
China has sent 15 batches of 149 medical experts to 16 countries for COVID-19 prevention and control work, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for China's National Health Commission on Saturday.
China is willing to continue to work with the international community to combat the pandemic, said Mi.
According to the World Health Organization, a total of 213 countries and regions have reported infections.
Tourists are surging to the Great Wall in the Chinese capital during the nation's five-day Labor Day holiday as the city has lowered its epidemic emergency response level for COVID-19.
The Wall's Badaling section in the northwest of the city saw almost 10,000 visitors on Friday, the first day of the holiday, a sharp increase compared with a few hundred back on March 24 when the scenic spot was reopened.
Precautions are still required, such as body temperature checks and health QR code scans at the entrances.
Given the epidemic, the maximum number of travelers allowed in Badaling is set at 19,500, some one-third of its normal visitor flow, according to staff at the scenic spot.
Quarantine 'n Chill: Let's talk about China's COVID-19 numbers
Although China has recovered from COVID-19 and everyone's life is gradually returning to normal, it seems a lot of people are having a hard time grasping this fact.
How can China recover from this deadly pandemic with such a low mortality rate and low number of infected cases?
Health official says U.S. missed some chances to slow virus
The U.S. government was slow to understand how much coronavirus was spreading from Europe, which helped drive the acceleration of outbreaks across the nation, a top health official said Friday.
Limited testing and delayed travel alerts for areas outside China contributed to the jump in U.S. cases starting in late February, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the No. 2 official at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
India has reported 2,293 newly confirmed cases in last 24 hours, bringing the country's total to 37,336 with 1,218 deaths.
Mexico has confirmed 1,515 new cases with 113 new deaths, its totals rising to 20,739 cases and 1,972 deaths.
South Korea has reported six new cases, all imported from abroad, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,780 in the country with 250 deaths. The country's anti-epidemic authorities are preparing to conduct antibody testing among the public.
Brazil has registered 6,209 newly confirmed cases, lifting its total to 91,589 with 6,329 deaths; some cities will apply lockdown measures.
Canada reported 1,825 new cases and 207 new deaths, bringing the country's total to 55,061 with 3,391 deaths.
France's total number of confirmed cases rose to 130,185, including 24,594 deaths; the country will ease its nationwide lockdown step by step from May 11.
Medical workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), ECMO Centre of the City Clinical Hospital Number 52, where patients suffering from the coronavirus are treated, in Moscow, Russia, April 28, 2020. /Reuters
Russia on Friday reported a record daily rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, a day after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced he had been diagnosed with the new virus and was temporarily stepping down to recover.
The nationwide case tally rose by 7,933 cases and now stands at 114,431, Russia's coronavirus crisis response center said.
It said 96 people diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, had died in the last 24 hours. That raised the official overall death toll to 1,169. The fatality in its capital, Moscow, stands at 695.
Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that he had been diagnosed with the virus and would self-isolate. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will serve as acting prime minister in his absence.
Mishustin, who had been one of the main coordinators of Russia's response to the new coronavirus, was the first high-ranking Russian official to publicly say they have the virus.
On Friday, another member of the Russian Cabinet, Construction Minister Vladimir Yakushev, announced he had been diagnosed with the new virus and that he would be treated in hospital. Dmitry Volkov, one of his deputies, also tested positive for the coronavirus, the ministry said.
Russia's outbreak got off to a slower start than many other countries. But cases began to sharply rise last month, and on Thursday surged past the 100,000 mark.
Although Russia is rising up the table of nations with the highest number of confirmed cases, it has so far recorded far fewer deaths than many of the hardest-hit countries.
Putin has warned the peak of the outbreak has yet to come, and authorities have said there could be a new spike in cases if the population flouts lockdown measures during long public holidays in early May.
"Ahead of us is a new stage, perhaps the most intense stage of the fight against the epidemic," he said in a national address, in which he also announced an extension of his nation's lockdown until May 11. "The risks of getting infected are at the highest level, and the threat, the mortal danger of the virus persists."
The world's largest country by territory, Russia has been on lockdown since Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March to limit the scope for the virus to spread.
Putin and the Cabinet have been holding remote meetings to avoid contact.
(With input from agencies)
One new confirmed imported COVID-19 case was reported on the Chinese mainland on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 20 new asymptomatic patients, two suspected cases and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,875, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 989 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
The Chinese health authorities said 43 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,685.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,039 (859 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (37 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (324 recovered, 6 deaths)
U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpass 64,000: Johns Hopkins
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States surpassed 64,600 on Friday afternoon, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University, with over 1,100,197 cases reported.
Meanwhile, U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday. The Dow sank 2.55 percent to 23,723.69, the S&P 500 fell 2.81 percent to 2,830.71, and the NASDAQ decreased 3.20 percent to 8,604.95.
White House says U.S. health official Fauci will not testify to Congress
Top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci has been blocked by the White House from testifying next week to a congressional committee examining the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman for the panel said on Friday.
"We have been informed by an administration official that the White House has blocked Dr. Fauci from testifying," House Appropriations Committee spokesman Evan Hollander said in an email.
(With input from AFP)
Chinese high-speed railway giant remains profitable in Q1 despite COVID-19 bite
Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co. Ltd., the operator of one of the country's most lucrative railway lines, remained profitable in the first quarter of this year despite the COVID-19 epidemic's hard hit on the transport industry.
In the first three months of this year, the company recorded 324 million yuan (about 46 million U.S. dollars) in profit attributable to equity holders, down 86.33 percent year on year, according to its report filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
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COVID-19: India extends lockdown by two weeks
India's government on Friday announced that it will extend its national lockdown by two weeks after May 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the next two weeks, all secondary schools and universities will also remain suspended, according to local media reports.
(Cover: Men wearing protective masks walk inside the premises of a hospital where a special ward has been set up for the coronavirus disease in Mumbai, India, March 17, 2020. /Reuters)
A nurse assists a COVID-19 patient at one of the intensive care units of the hospital in Muehldorf am Inn, Germany, April 29, 2020. /AP
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to last as long as two years and won't be controlled until about two-thirds of the world's population is immune, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing a report by a group of experts.
According to the report from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, the virus may be more difficult to control than influenza due its ability to spread from people who don't appear to be ill.
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to continue in waves that could last beyond 2022, according to the report.
Read more:
Global coronavirus cases top 3.2 million: Johns Hopkins University
Latest developments of COVID-19 in the world
Iran reported 1,006 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which brings the country's overall tally to 95,646 and the number of fatalities mounted to 6,091 on Friday.
Spain confirmed a total of 215,216 cases on Friday, the death toll rose to 24,824 in the country. Spain said its gross domestic product was projected to fall by 9.2 percent this year under the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany reported 160,758 cases of COVID-19, with the 6,481 deaths as of Friday.
Thailand reported six new cases and 0 deaths on Friday, the newly confirmed cases stayed in the single digits for five consecutive days, and there are 2,960 overall infections in the country with 54 deaths. Except for the coronavirus situation, Thailand, on Friday, reported more than 1,000 cases of dengue fever in the country.
Philippines recorded a total of 8,772 COVID-19 cases, with 579 deaths. In addition, local health authorities said 1,694 medical workers have infected with novel coronavirus in the country.
UK reported a total of 172,481 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the death toll stands at 26,842. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that "I can confirm that we are past the peak of this disease. We are past the peak, and we are on the downward slope."
(Cover: Messages urging people to stay at home to help the National Health Service (NHS) save lives in London, Britain, April 3, 2020. /Xinhua)
Japan's Abe says leaning toward extending state of emergency on May 4
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would review the state of emergency over the coronavirus epidemic on May 4, and was leaning towards extending it by roughly a month.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that it was hoping China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the novel coronavirus, AFP reported, citing Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the health agency.
"WHO would be keen to work with international partners and at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in investigation around the animal origins," Jasarevic told AFP in an email.
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Expert: Tracing origin of the novel coronavirus is a scientific issue
Australian PM says no evidence coronavirus originated in China lab
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has no evidence to suggest the coronavirus originated in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
"What we have before us doesn't suggest that that is the likely source," Morrison told a news conference in Canberra.
"There's nothing we have that would indicate that was the likely source, though you can't rule anything out in these environments," he said.
"We know it started in China, we know it started in Wuhan, the most likely scenario that has been canvassed relates to wildlife wet markets, but that's a matter that would have to be thoroughly assessed."
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French COVID-19 outbreak does not come directly from China: Study
A genetic study done by French scientists revealed that the COVID-19 outbreak in France was caused by a locally circulating strain with unknown origin, rather than cases imported from China or Italy.
The pre-print study, entitled "Introductions and early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in France", was done by researchers from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, a research center at the forefront against infectious disease, and published on biorxiv.org on April 24.
The researchers sequenced 97 genomes from samples collected among infected cases in France between January 24 to March 24, and found that the dominant strain of the outbreak in the country was linked to a genetic group, or clade G, that was not from China or Italy.
"Unlike what is observed for many other European countries, the French outbreak has been mainly seeded by one or several variants of this clade," the study suggested, adding that more thorough sampling will be needed.
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Central China's Hubei Province announced it will lower its emergency response to the novel coronavirus epidemic from the top level to the second level starting Saturday.
An official made this announcement on Friday at a press briefing, adding that the strategies of the province's prevention and control of the coronavirus will be adjusted accordingly.
The decision came after the province saw no new confirmed COVID-19 cases for 27 consecutive days since April 4.
China has a four-tier response system for public health emergencies that determines what measures it will implement, with level one being the most serious.
A man receives health code and temperature check at the entrance of a supermarket in Suifenhe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 17, 2020./ Xinhua
The central government team on coronavirus prevention and control issued a report on COVID-19 situation in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and called for proper implementation of coronavirus prevention in Heilongjiang in wake of cluster cases and infections inside hospitals.
The official report issued on Thursday fiercely criticized the provincial capital of Harbin and its border city of Mudanjiang for underestimating the current situation and risk, and for failing on proper prevention and control measures including screening and shunting of fever patients, quarantine management, as well as timely nucleic acid testing for patients.
The northeastern Chinese province has been under growing pressure from imported cases and increasing domestic infections, mainly related to imported ones.
Since April, cluster cases have emerged in both Harbin and Mudanjiang cities and the sources were traced back to persons returning from overseas.
They also led to infections of several medical workers due to the poor implementation of prevention measures and delayed diagnoses or even misdiagnosis at hospitals.
Heilongjiang has so far recorded a total of 944 confirmed cases, over 40 percent of which, or 386 cases, were imported.
Russia reports 7,933 new COVID-19 cases, total reaches 114,431
Russia reported 7,933 new COVID-19 confirmed cases over the past 24 hours, with the total number of novel coronavirus infections rising to 114,431, official data showed on Friday.
The death toll increased to 1,169, said the country's coronavirus response center.
China's team of medical experts concluded the aid mission in Ethiopia to help the country respond to the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday and moved to Djibouti to continue its task.
The team comprises of 12 experts from medical institutions across China's Sichuan Province.
As of Thursday, Djibouti has reported 1,089 coronavirus cases, with two deaths.
Macao's gambling revenues in April plunge 96.8 percent on COVID-19 pandemic impact
Macao's gambling revenues plunged 96.8 percent in April year on year, as authorities imposed restrictive measures to keep visitors away from the world's biggest casino hub.
April's revenues of 754 million patacas (94.64 million U.S. dollars) was more or less in line with analyst expectations of a 95 percent drop.
Latest COVID-19 developments in some Asian and Oceanian countries
South Korea reported nine more cases of the COVID-19 as of Thursday, raising the total number of infections to 10,774. One more death was also confirmed, raising the death toll to 248. So far, 9,072 patients have recovered and the total recovery rate in the country was 84.2 percent.
Malaysia will allow the majority of businesses to resume operations from May 4, easing restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, its PM announced on Friday. While economic sectors that involve large gatherings of people will not be allowed to reopen.
India Friday morning reported 72 new deaths and 1,433 positive cases since last evening across the country, taking the number of deaths to 1,147 and total cases to 35,043.
Thailand reported six new coronavirus cases and no new death on Friday, taking its tally to 2,960 infections. It's the lowest daily infection identified in Thailand since early March. Fatalities in Thailand remained at 54 since the outbreak began in January.
Myanmar on Friday reported one new case of the novel coronavirus in the country, bringing the total to 151 cases. The country's death toll now stands at six. However, number of its overseas nationals who've contracted the virus has surpassed the tally domestically, with at least 136 people diagnosed in Singapore and over 50 respectively in Thailand and Malaysia.
New Zealand reported three new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the total number of confirmed and probable infections standing at 1,479. Death toll remained at 19 in the country.
Australia will consider next Friday whether to relax coronavirus-related mobility restrictions, as the growth rate of new infections slows to less 0.5 percent per day compared to 25 percent a month ago. There're around 6,700 cases and 93 deaths in the country so far.
China's Palace Museum reopens to the public
China's Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, in the capital Beijing, has partially reopened to the public on Friday after a three-month closure due to COVID-19. Visitors are required to wear face masks and the daily number of guests is limited to 5,000.
Answer Bank: Precautions when using disinfectants
Disinfectants are widely used on the fight against the novel coronavirus, there are some precautions that need to be taken when using disinfectant, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and prevention.
1. Do not use or prepare disinfectants in an airtight or enclosed space.
2. Do not put disinfectants into a beverage bottle.
3. Each disinfectant should be used separately and not in a mixture.
4. Ensure disinfectants stay on the surface of the object longer than the shortest time specified in the instructions.
Labels on disinfectants state that ingesting them can be poisonous.
Reckitt Benckiser, the company that owns well-known household brands such as Lysol, Dettol, Vanish and Cillit Bang, said "under no circumstance" should its products be injected or ingested.
If you ingest these disinfectants by mistake, drink milk or congee to protect your gastrointestinal mucosa before going to the hospital.
Read more: Answer Bank: Beijing downgraded its emergency response, what does it mean for locals & visitors?
Japan government panel defends extension of emergency measures
A Japanese government panel of medical experts agreed on extending Japan's state of emergency by another month to the end of May during a meeting on Friday, Kyodo news reported.
The current state of emergency in Japan is set to end on May 6.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo admitted on Thursday that he will extend the emergency declaration, saying it would be difficult for the country to return to normal life by May 7.
Broadcaster NHK reported that Japan will decide as early as May 4 on whether to extend its nationwide state of emergency.
Data shows Canada's early COVID-19 cases came from the U.S. not China
Data from Canada's largest provinces show it was American travelers, not Chinese, who brought the novel coronavirus to Canadian shores, according to the National Post Friday.
The National Post in Canada asked for data on the origins of travel-related cases in four provinces that have seen the majority of Canada's COVID-19 cases.
As of April 17, Ontario has identified 1,201 cases of COVID-19 in people who had recently returned from some type of international travel. Of those cases, just five related to travel from China. By contrast, 404 were from people travelling from the U.S.
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Liu Xiaoming: China is a COVID-19 victim, not producer of the pandemic
The Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom has said that China is a victim of the COVID-19 outbreak, not a source of the problem, refuting unfounded conspiracy theories spread by certain western countries, especially the United States.
"It was found in China. It was found in many other places that have no connection with China at all. So you can't point your fingers at China for the outbreak and we have done our best," Liu Xiaoming said during an in-depth interview with the BBC's HARDtalk television program on Tuesday.
In the interview, Liu clarified several points of contention related to China on the topic of COVID-19 including the origin of the virus and various accusations of a cover-up.
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Controlling the spread of COVID-19 seems daunting. But China and South Korea have managed to do it. Here's what they did to flatten the curve.
Michigan State Governor signs new emergency declaration after GOP legislature declares "mission accomplished"
U.S. Michigan State Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a new emergency declaration on Thursday that will last through May 28 after the Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature refused to extend the current emergency and disaster declaration that was set to expire at midnight.
"Today I signed new emergency and disaster declarations using independent sources of statutory authority to make sure our health care workers and first responders have the tools they need to save lives and protect Michiganders," said Whitmer. "We're all in this together. Defeating COVID-19 is an all hands on deck moment for our state, and I remain hopeful that Republicans in the legislature will stop the partisan games and start working with me to re-engage our economy safely and responsibly."
There have been 41,379 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of Michigan, and 3,789 people have died.
Whitmer's decision came as half of all the U.S. states have started easing coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses shuttered by the outbreak.
Here's some good news, over one million COVID-19 patients worldwide have recovered
According to the latest data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University, a total of 1,014,524 COVID-19 patients globally have now recovered. The one million mark accounts for nearly one third of the global confirmed case tally, which now stands at 3,256,570.
Meanwhile, the latest global death toll of the pandemic now stands at 233,363.
Japan will decide as early as Monday, whether to extend its nationwide state of emergency, which is due to expire on Wednesday, according to broadcaster NHK.
According to several local media reports, the Japanese government may extend the emergency by a month.
A government expert meeting will also be convened Friday morning to examine the matter.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo admitted on Thursday that he will extend the declaration of a state of emergency, saying it would be difficult for the country to return to normal life by May 7.
He also warned Japan should be determined to wage a "battle of patience."
Japan has so far registered over 14,000 infections, 430 of which were fatal.
The U.S. top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a CNN interview on Thursday that there could be a coronavirus vaccine by January if "everything falls into place right," but there are "a number of situations that could go wrong."
"I've been involved in vaccine work for decades. Not every vaccine we went after worked. That's an assumption that it's going to be safe, that it's going to be effective and we're going to be able to do it quickly. I think each of those are not only feasible but maybe likely. That's what I mean when I say by January we'll do it. But I can't guarantee it," said Fauci in the interview.
When asked about the second wave of a coronavirus outbreak earlier in the week, Fauci said it would almost certainly come, and he pointed out that it would likely lack the speed and ferocity of the initial outbreak in the U.S., and could hit locations where social distancing is being challenged, such as nursing homes, factories and prisons.
Three major U.S. airlines to require face coverings on domestic flights
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. joined JetBlue Airways Corp. on Thursday to require face coverings on U.S. flights.
All three of the largest four U.S. airlines, along with the smaller Frontier Airlines, announced they will require facial coverings starting in May.
Delta and United's new rules start May 4, while Frontier's start May 8 and American's begin May 11. Young children are exempted from the requirements.
Armed protesters storm Michigan state capitol seeking the end of COVID-19 lockdown
Hundreds of protesters, some armed with guns, entered the U.S. Michigan State's capital on Thursday as state lawmakers debated Governor Gretchen Whitmer's proposal to extend the state of emergency. Michigan State Police confirmed the confrontation.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered in the lobby of the capitol building in Lansing, Michigan, demanding to be allowed into the House Chamber. None of them appeared to be wearing masks. State Police blocked their entrance.
State Senator Dayna Polehanki said on Twitter that men with rifles were yelling at her and some of her colleagues had to wear bulletproof vests.
The protest, dubbed the American Patriot Rally, was initiated by a group called Michigan United for Liberty and aimed at pressing the state to reopen for business.
A protester is yelling at Michigan State Police at the state capital in Lansing, Michigan, the U.S., April 30, 2020. /REUTERS
Twelve new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, including six imported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 25 new asymptomatic patients, three suspected cases and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,874, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 981 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 32 patients were discharged from hospitals on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,642.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (846 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (35 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (322 recovered, 6 deaths)
Top U.S. spy agency: coronavirus not manmade
A statement from U.S. intelligence agencies debunks a conspiracy theory about the origin of the coronavirus, concluding that the virus was "not manmade or genetically modified."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the statement Thursday, adding that the U.S. intelligence community will continue efforts to determine if "the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan."
The conclusions were consistent with a worldwide scientific consensus that includes the World Health Organization.
"All available evidence suggests that the virus has a natural animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed virus," said WHO Spokeswoman Fadela Chaib at a briefing on April 21. "The virus most probably has its ecological reservoir in bats," she added.
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Media surveys show COVID-19 has killed more than 10,000 nursing home residents in the United States.
Dr. David Greene works at a care facility in Sonoma County, California.
It has had no cases of coronavirus, but staff are taking extreme precautions to keep patients safe.
Dr. David said, "Nursing homes are not like hospitals. A big part of using any of the protective equipment is knowing how to get it on and off so that you don't infect yourself or anybody else. And they're just not trained, not used to that. Nursing home care workers in the United States are amongst the lowest paid."
He also said that the patients in the nursing homes are getting a lot less exercise and the very elderly if they don't use it they lose it. "So we're at risk of having quite a number of people get weak and debilitated and I anticipate that there's going to be increased falls and that we'll probably lose some people, not from the virus itself but from the result of our caution," he added.
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Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for COVID-19 as the country's total number of confirmed cases surged past 100,000 after its largest daily increase.
Who is Mikhail Mishustin?
During a televised meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mishustin said he has to "observe self-isolation" to protect his colleagues, suggesting a temporary acting prime minister. The president swiftly signed a decree appointing First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov as a temporary replacement.
"Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, it has just become known that the tests that I passed for coronavirus gave a positive result. In this regard, and in accordance with the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor, I must accordingly comply with self-isolation, follow the instructions of the doctors. This must be done to protect my colleagues," RIA news agency quoted Mishustin as saying.
In response, Putin assured Mishustin that contracting COVID-19 "can happen to anyone" and that no major decisions would be made without his input.
"I hope that you stay able to work," Putin told Mishustin, who is the highest level Russian official to become infected.
"Call me as soon as you arrive at the hospital," said Putin, who appointed Mishustin in a surprise decision in January, picking the former tax service chief to replace longtime premier Dmitry Medvedev.
Medical staff wearing protective gear transports a man on a stretcher into a hospital for patients infected with COVID-19 on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, April 29, 2020. /Reuters
A spike of 7,099 confirmed infections in the last 24 hours brought Russia's total to 106,498 cases and 1,073 deaths, according to the government's daily coronavirus update.
With its number of cases increasing by several thousand each day, Russia is now the European country registering the most new infections.
Read more:
Graphics: Why there was a sudden spike in Russia's coronavirus cases
But Russia's coronavirus death rate remains relatively low and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the country's actions had helped it avoid the catastrophic "Italian scenario."
Russia's success was down due to "tough self-isolation decisions" and government measures "which convinced people to stay at home," Peskov told the RTVI television channel.
He also said Russia had quickly and efficiently increased the number of available hospital beds.
The virus has spread to all 85 regions of the country, with Moscow – the epicenter – having reported around half the nationwide case tally.
The Kremlin extended this week a "non-working" period until May 11 when Russians would stay at home but still receive their salaries as part of sweeping efforts to contain the virus.
Mishustin extended a ban on entry for foreigners into the country on Wednesday, which had been due to expire Thursday, until "the fight against the infection is over and the epidemic situation has improved."
The pandemic has thwarted several major political events for the Kremlin this year, with Putin postponing a massive military parade on May 9 commemorating the 75th anniversary of victory in World War II. Many world leaders had been due to attend.
(With input from agencies)
WHO reconvenes emergency committee to assess COVID-19 evolution
The World Health Organization (WHO) reconvened its emergency committee on Thursday for the first time in three months to evaluate the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After discussing the situation via teleconference, the emergency committee will make recommendations to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on May 1. A public statement will also be made on the same day.
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Shops closed on the Coney Island boardwalk amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., April 11, 2020. /Reuters
Another 3.84 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week and the total has passed 30 million in six weeks, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.
The report for the week ended April 25 showed a decline in the number of people applying for jobless benefits, but the level remains many times the 230,000 initial claims in the same week of 2019.
And even as the government rushed to expand benefits and provide aid to small businesses to pay their workers through the Paycheck Protection Program and other measures, the average for the past four weeks has soared to more than 5 million.
With state unemployment offices overwhelmed by applicants, swamping their archaic computer systems, many people have not been able to file claims or have not received a decision.
The total number of workers who are actually receiving jobless benefits surged by more than 2.2 million in the week to 17.99 million, "The highest level of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment in the history of the seasonally adjusted series," the report said.
While the jobless claims data do not directly correlate with the all-important monthly unemployment report, the surge in people who have lost jobs is a good indication of bad news to come.
"We expect job losses in April will be shockingly high," Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics said in an analysis. "Labor market conditions have deteriorated sharply in response to the economy largely being closed for virus containment."
The unemployment rate in March jumped to 4.4 percent, but that was before the strictest lockdowns were imposed nationwide.
Layoffs have accelerated in April and economists expect the rate to surge into double digits when the Labor Department releases the latest jobs report May 8.
"Claims may continue to fall over the coming weeks but will likely remain high as businesses remain closed and have no choice but to continue to reduce or furlough their workforce," Farooqi said.
Oxford Economics projects job losses of 24 million in April, pushing the unemployment rate to 14 percent – surpassing the 10-percent peak hit in October 2009 during the global financial crisis.
The economic damage from the coronavirus-induced shutdowns was also reflected in the 7.5-percent plunge in consumer spending in March, according to a Commerce Department report Thursday.
That was a key factor driving the 4.8-percent contraction of the U.S. economy in the first quarter.
Tajikistan reports first coronavirus cases
Tajikistan has confirmed its first 15 coronavirus cases, including five in capital city of Dushanbe and 10 more in the northern province of Sughd, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday.
Here are the latest updates over the coronavirus pandemic around the globe
Spain has recorded an overall death toll of 24,543 on Thursday up from 24,275 on the previous day, the country's health ministry said. The number of cases registered in the country rose to 213,435.
Iran's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 94,640 on Thursday, with an increase of 983 in the past 24 hours, according to Iran's health ministry.
The Indonesia announces 347 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 10,118.
Germany is likely to extend social restrictions by at least another week until May 10, officials said on Thursday.
China and South Korea on Wednesday have agreed to allow a fast-track entry for business people between two countries to mainly facilitate trade-related personnel and ensure the smooth operation of industrial and supply chains, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, China and South Korea have been jointly in battle against the epidemic, continuously cooperating on the delivery of epidemic prevention materials and maintaining a record of transmitting zero COVID-19 cases to each other, Geng said.
Geng introduced that the first batch of 10 provinces and cities in China will allow for fast-track entry and the relevant Korean personnel can enter the city after going through the health screening and quarantine measures.
Nearly two-thirds of the imported COVID-19 cases recovered in China
The number of imported COVID-19 cases on April 29 was the lowest in 35 days, in which four cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press conference on Thursday.
As for now, nearly two-thirds of the imported COVID-19 patients have been recovered and discharged from hospitals, however, the growth trend of overseas epidemic outbreaks continues, and the complexity to prevent a resurgence of cases in China is increased, Mi said.
Around 30 percent of the current domestic cases in China are the severe cases, Mi said and called for full efforts to save COVID-19 infected patients.
Russia reports 7,099 new COVID-19 cases, total now 106,498
Russia reported 7,099 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 106,498, according to official data released on Thursday.
The death toll increased to 1,073, while 11,619 people have recovered, including 1,333 over the last 24 hours, the country's coronavirus response center said in a statement.
Beijing authorities have downgraded the emergency response in the city from the top level to the second highest, announced the deputy secretary-general of the Beijing Municipal Government Chen Bei in a press conference on April 30.
What does this change means for the locals and visitors?
1. Returnees from other low-risk areas no longer need to undergo 14 days of quarantine or medical observation.
But visitors from other countries, Wuhan and the rest of Hubei Province, can't leave where they're currently quarantined.
2. Deliverymen, real estate agents, and visitors can enter residential compounds after registering and presenting a green health code.
3. Public amenities, such as scenic spots and parks will be opened to the public in order.
As International Workers' Day coming, travel restrictions are being eased. Visitors from Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) region are recognized as having a "healthy" status on the Beijing Health Kit app.
China's COVID-19 data matches Benford's Law like U.S. and Italy: Researchers
The hashtag #ChinaLiedPeopleDied has been around Twitter for quite a while. Its army of believers accuses China for hiding the true number of COVID-19 patients and deaths.
One common characteristic of the believers' posts is that there's no hard proof. "Leaked government papers" without a photo and other untraceable sources are mostly used to give apparent credit.
But when the official number from China is checked, there seems to be "no evidence of manipulation," according to pre-released research by experts from Oxford University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas released on Monday.
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China's Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, will partially reopen from May 1, the start of a five-day public holiday, according to a notice on its website.
The Palace Museum stopped admitting visitors from January 25 amid nationwide measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Those looking to tour the venue need to make online reservations, and the daily number of visitors is limited to 5,000, said the notice. ID cards and personal "health codes," which can be applied for via a local health app, are required before entering the compound. Those who are found to have body temperatures higher than 37.3 degrees Celsius or display symptoms of coughing and shortness of breath will be denied entry.
Visitors are also required to wear face masks the whole duration of the visit and distance themselves from others. The indoor exhibition rooms and indoor service venues will remain closed for the moment, according to the notice.
By Thursday, all tickets had been sold out for the May Day holiday.
Other museums in Beijing are also gradually reopening from May 1, including the National Museum of China and Capital Museum, which are usually crowded during the May Day holiday. Visitors will have to make reservations and museums will operate at 50 percent of its maximum daily capacity. Beijing has lowered its emergency response from one, the highest level, to two, and lifted mandatory quarantine requirement for domestic travelers from low-risk areas.
Wuhan is also gearing up for the upcoming holiday after being hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with 266 major class-A tourist attractions, or 63.2 percent of the total, resuming operations.
The Yellow Crane Tower, a landmark tourist attraction in Wuhan, welcomed visitors again on April 29 after being closed for more than three months. Only a part of the tower is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the number of visitors capped at 5,400 a day. Tourists need to show health codes and have their temperature taken before entry.
More: Reports anticipate peak travel season over May Day holiday
Rescue workers push a stretcher with a patient outside the ER area at Holy Cross Hospital amid the coronavirus outbreak in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., April 20, 2020. /Reuters
The U.S. state of Florida is trying to block medical examiners from releasing data related to the COVID-19 death toll, local newspapers have reported.
The numbers and names of COVID-19 fatalities should be public information and taxpayers have the right to know, Dr. Stephen Nelson, chairman of the state's Medical Examiners Commission, told the Tampa Bay Times.
This came after the newspaper reported that the commission's real-time release of COVID-19 death toll is 10 percent higher than the state's number. According to The Times, Florida's state officials directed that the list of death toll should be reviewed and potentially redacted.
The health department cited "privacy concerns" as a reason to pause the commission's data release, and the pause in reporting has been occurring for nine days, The Times noted.
But Nelson told media that the record should be public under the state's law.
"This is no different than any other public record we deal with," Nelson said. "It's paid for by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayers have a right to know."
Nelson said death records have been kept and made public since 1992 until being paused by the government more than a week ago.
However, the reason behind the inconsistency between data from the commission and the government department remains unclear.
CNN corresponded with two medical examiner offices in Florida and has been told that medical examiners report deaths within their geographic jurisdiction and not by place of residence.
The result is the state's county-by-county death toll of COVID-19 and the county-by-county death toll reported by medical examiners will not reconcile.
Meanwhile, The Times also reached out to a spokesperson for one of the state health department's county offices, and has been told that the reason why the figures are different is because the health department doesn't include in its list "some snowbirds and other seasonal residents, along with visitors who died in Florida." While the medical examiners, on the other hand, count all people who died in Florida.
It's too early to assume any party is concealing the number of deaths because the two could be using different counting methods.
But Tampa Bay Times said it's hard to extract public information from the Florida government after the COVID-19 outbreak hit the state. They have to file lawsuits to get the data that should have been made public.
Florida's act to the novel coronavirus has raised discussions on social media. Stephen King, a U.S. author with books sold over 300 million copies, made satire on his Twitter, saying the theory behind the state is like "If we don't report them, they are not happening." His remark has drawn thousands of retweets and likes. Users left comments under his post complaining Florida's confusing policy.
Screenshot from Twitter
As of now, Florida has more than 33,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,200 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The International Conference Center in Boao Town of Qionghai City, south China's Hainan Province, March 20, 2019. /Xinhua
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) said on Thursday that its 2020 annual conference, originally scheduled for March 24-27, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The forum's Board of Directors said on its website that it has made a difficult decision of not holding this year's conference as the raging COVID-19 pandemic across the world is threatening human health and the global economy.
However, despite the disruptive times, the forum will continue preparation for three major thematic conferences scheduled in the latter half of 2020, including the first conference of the International Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation on November 9 in Macao, the first Global Economic Development and Security Forum in September in Zhuhai, both in south China, and the second Conference of Global Health Forum in October in Qingdao, eastern Shandong Province, according to its statement.
In addition, under the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum will organize a series of online activities to discuss the impact of the pandemic and explore solutions for recovery.
Yemen reports first two COVID-19 deaths
Yemen has recorded its first two deaths from the new coronavirus, Yemen TV said quoting the country's health minister on Wednesday.
Local authorities also reported five infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the country to six.
A three-day, 24-hour curfew has been imposed in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, where the cases were reported.
S.Korea reports no new domestic coronavirus cases, first time since Feb. peak
No new domestic cases were reported in South Korea on Thursday for the first time since the country’s infection peak on February 29, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country however recorded four new cases that originated overseas.
It was the lowest daily increase in more than two months, KCDC said.
The total COVID-19 cases reached 10,765 while the death toll rose by one to 247.
In total, 9,059 people in South Korea have recovered, up 137 from a day earlier.
Four new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, all imported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 33 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,862, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 998 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 32 patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,610.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (830 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (34 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (311 recovered, 6 deaths)
Florida says Phase One of reopening plan to begin May 4
Florida, one of last U.S. states to impose lockdown measures amid the coronavirus outbreak, announced it will begin reopening its economy next week while leaving restrictions in place for the greater Miami area.
"We will get Florida back on its feet by using an approach that is safe, smart, and step by step," Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday.
Under the Phase One plan for relaxing mandatory business closures imposed at the start of the month, DeSantis said retail merchants and restaurants could welcome customers back inside their establishments starting Monday, but admissions will be limited to 25 percent of capacity.
A total of 26,097 patients have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in Britain as of Tuesday afternoon, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Wednesday.
Based on a new method of counting that includes retrospective deaths since the beginning of March, the total number includes an additional 3,811 deaths in England since the start of the outbreak.
Of these, around 70 percent were reportedly outside hospital settings while around 30 percent were in hospital.
It is the first time government figures have included deaths in care homes and the community, in addition to those in hospitals.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing, the foreign secretary said this did not represent "a sudden surge," as the figure includes deaths since March 2. However, the death number made the UK the second worst-hit country in Europe, after Italy.
Concerning the change in counting deaths and tracking care home deaths in the same way as hospital fatalities, Health Minister Matt Hancock was quoted by the Guardian as saying that this change aims to keep focus on what is happening in care homes and allow policy to be changed swiftly if needed.
Britain has suffered from limited testing capacity and Health Minister Matt Hancock promised to increase the number of tests to 100,000 a day by the end of April. On Tuesday, just over 52,000 tests were carried out.
A person wearing a mask walks in Brixton, as the spread of the coronavirus continues, London, the UK, April 28, 2020 /Reuters
100,000 people to be tested for COVID-19 to check spread
While some countries are easing lockdowns, the British government earlier said it was too early to consider loosening restrictions on the public.
On Thursday, the country's health ministry said that a total of 100,000 people will be randomly chosen to test for COVID-19 as Britain tries to understand infection rates better to decide when to lift the nationwide lockdown that started on March 23.
As organizer of the tests, London's Imperial College will shortly contact 100,000 people across England at random and send them self-testing kits to see if they are infected.
A later part of the study will test the public's ability to self-administer antibody tests that show whether someone has had COVID-19 but is no longer infected, which may confer some immunity against the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
So far, British officials have not found an antibody test that works reliably enough to roll out on a large scale.
(Cover image: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, the UK, April 29, 2020. /Reuters)
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States surpassed 60,000 on Wednesday afternoon, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University, with over 1,037,000 cases reported.
Latest COVID-19 developments in some European countries
Poland to start phase-two of easing of restrictions on May 4 when shopping malls, hotels and some cultural venues will reopen.
Switzerland has announced to further ease its coronavirus-related restrictions from May 11 when shops, cultural and sports institutions, and restaurants will be allowed to open. Meanwhile, events with more than 1,000 people are banned through August.
Germany predicts GDP contraction by a record 6.3 percent as demand for exports plummets and lockdown restrictions weigh on domestic consumption.
Belarus reported 973 new COVID-19 confirmed cases on Wednesday, raising its total to 13,181. Also, 2,072 patients have recovered, while 84 patients with chronic diseases have died from the virus.
In Sweden, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose past the 20,000 mark and stood at 20,302 on Wednesday. In addition, 107 new deaths were recorded, putting the nationwide tally at 2,462.
The Netherlands recorded highest daily fatalities in over a week of 145 cases, bringing the country's total deaths to 4,711. So far, the country has recorded 38,802 confirmed cases.
Belgium said on Wednesday that another 170 patients have died, taking the country's death toll to 7,501. It also confirmed 525 new cases of infection in the last 24 hours, bringing the total cases to 47,859
More than 70 COVID-19 cases on second U.S. Navy warship
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 aboard the USS Kidd had risen to 78 as of Monday morning local time, nearly 25 percent of the ship's population, local media reported citing the U.S. Navy.
The Kidd is now in port in San Diego, where it is being cleaned and disinfected, and its crew is receiving medical care.
The navy destroyer is the second U.S. warship to be hit by an outbreak of the virus while at sea following the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, with a reported crew of about 350.
Nearly half of global workforce risk losing livelihoods in pandemic: ILO
Some 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy, representing nearly half of the global labor force, are in immediate danger of losing their livelihoods due to the coronavirus pandemic, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday.
The UN agency's latest report sharply raised its forecast for the devastating impact on jobs and incomes of the COVID-19 disease, which has infected more than 3.1 million people globally, killed nearly 220,000 and shut down economies.
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Clinical trials have started for China's fourth COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Vaccine and Serum Institute under the China National Biotec Group (CNBG). Since the outbreak, the CNBG has allocated one billion yuan (about 141.29 million U.S. dollars) for vaccine development.
Boeing to cut workforce by 10% and reduce 787 production due to pandemic
Boeing Co said on Wednesday it would cut its workforce by about 10 percent and further reduce 787 Dreamliner production after reporting a loss for the second straight quarter as the coronavirus pandemic hits global travel demand.
Its stock was up 5.4 percent at 138.34 U.S. dollars in premarket trading.
Planemakers, airlines and suppliers have been left reeling by the pandemic, which has crippled passenger travel, catapulted major economies into recession and forced major companies to scramble for cash to weather the downturn.
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U.S. Q1 GDP shrinks by 4.8% amid COVID-19 pandemic, worst drop since 2008
The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, marking the worst dive since the fourth quarter of 2008 when the number was recorded at 8.4%.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, the staggering decline of GDP between January and March, was in part, due to the response to the spread of COVID-19, as the U.S. government issued "stay-at-home" orders in March.
World Bank allocates $195 million to more than 60 low-income countries to fight COVID-19
The Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF), a financing mechanism housed at the World Bank, announced on Wednesday it allocated $195.84 million to 64 of the world's poorest countries with reported cases of COVID-19, according to the official website.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the World Bank of its allocation on Twitter, writing "We are only as strong as our weakest link & to end this pandemic we must act in solidarity.”
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UK on track to make huge progress on coronavirus testing: Raab
UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Wednesday during Prime Minister Questions (PMQs) that the government is "on track to make huge progress" on coronavirus testing.
He added that the government's target of testing 100,000 people a day by the end of April is "only the first stepping stone toward the wider testing tracking tracing we will need" to make progress towards the second phase.
On the topic of the coronavirus lockdown, Raab said ministers couldn't give dates for easing the lockdown until they receive the latest advice from scientists.
Raab said the government is doing everything they can to protect the safety of front-line healthcare workers. He mentioned that a total of 21 million pieces of personal protective equipment have arrived in the UK from China.
Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said in the PMQs that according to his calculations, 27,241 people had died in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not attend the PMQs on Wednesday.
Germany extends travel warning for tourist trips abroad
The German Cabinet on Wednesday extended its strict global travel warning to limit the spread of COVID-19 and prevent German tourists from getting stranded overseas again, local media reported.
Germany's Foreign Ministry said the measure should remain in place “until further notice,” but at least until June 14, according to the report.
A total of 157,641 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country, while the death toll stands at 6,115 as of Wednesday.
68 died from COVID-19 at veterans' nursing home in U.S.
A total of 68 people has died from the COVID-19 outbreak in a veterans' nursing home in Massachusetts, United States, according to local media.
The outbreak at the nursing home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, began as early as March 30, according to the report.
Local authorities have begun an investigation, and the director of the nursing home has been suspended.
The COVID-19 outbreak has recently been reported in long-term care facilities across the U.S., and it has killed more than 10,000 people in these facilities nationwide, according to statistics previously published by the Wall Street journal.
Latest on coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East
Iran's total number of cases reached 93,657 on Wednesday. The death toll rose by 80 to 5,957. Iran reopened for business despite its persistent coronavirus outbreak as there was no end in sight for the crisis, its president Hassan Rouhani said.
Israel registered 54 new cases, totaling 15,782. Two more deaths were recorded, raising the toll to 212. The country has ordered another nationwide lockdown during its Memorial Day and Independence Day on April 28-29.
Oman reported 143 new cases on Wednesday, a record high in daily cases, bringing its nationwide tally to 2,274. Ten people have died.
Kuwait reported 300 new cases on Wednesday, also a record high for the country. It now has 3,740 total cases. One more death was recorded, raising the toll to 24.
Lebanon reported four more cases on Wednesday, raising its total to 721. The death toll is at 24.
Russia extends entry ban for foreigners amid COVID-19 outbreak
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday said he had signed a government order to continue to extend restrictions on foreigners entering Russia until the situation of COVID-19 outbreak improves and the country wins the fight against the disease.
The extension does not apply to specific foreign professionals, mainly those who debug and maintain imported equipment. Their work will help to reduce the impact of restrictive measures on the production activities of Russian industrial enterprises, especially those that produce anti-epidemic medical equipment.
On March 16, the government announced a temporary ban on foreigners entering Russia, starting on March 18 and ending on May 1.
A total of 99,399 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the country as of 10:45 am local time on Wednesday, according to official data.
Beijing lowers COVID-19 emergency response level, eases quarantine rules
Beijing will lower its coronavirus virus emergency response level from one to two, starting this Thursday, April 30, the municipal government announced at a daily press conference on Wednesday.
In China's four-tier response level, level one is the most severe.
Beijing activated the highest level of public health emergency response on January 24.
The municipal government also said people arriving from places in China deemed "low risk" will no longer be required to quarantine for two weeks.
Additionally, nucleic acid testing results will no longer be needed to book a room at a hotel in Beijing.
But the 14-day quarantine still applies to all international arrivals to Beijing and people coming from Hubei Province, said local authorities.
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Japan may extend state of emergency beyond May 6
Japan is considering extending its state of emergency beyond May 6 to prevent a further spread of COVID-19, according to government officials.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that the situation in Japan remains critical, and he will make a final decision based on experts' opinions.
Latest on COVID-19 development in Asia
Malaysia reported 94 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 5,945.
The Philippines confirmed 254 new cases, bringing the total to 8,212 and death toll to 558.
Bangladesh recorded 641 new cases with eight new deaths, raising the total to 7,103 with 163 deaths.
Singapore reported 690 new cases, six of them were citizens and permanent residents, and the total number of confirmed cases stands at 15,641.
Kyrgyzstan recorded 21 new cases, total to 729, including eight deaths.
Indonesia reported 260 new cases with 11 new deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 9,771 and death toll stand at 784.
Spain records 325 new deaths as total COVID-19 cases pass 212,000
Spain recorded 325 deaths from the novel coronavirus overnight, up from 301 reported the previous day, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The overall death toll from the virus, however, rose by 453 to 24,275, it said, clarifying that some of the additional cases were from the previous days.
Moreover, an additional 2,144 new cases were reported, taking the total number of COVID-19 infections to 212,917.
On Tuesday, Spain announced a four-phase plan to ease lockdown restrictions which were put in place on March 14. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said lifting of the restrictions will begin on May 4 and vary from province to province.
In the initial phase, hairdressers and other businesses that operate via appointment will open, while restaurants will be able to offer takeaway services. In the next stage, envisaged to begin on May 11 for most of Spain, bars will reopen their terraces but will be limited to a third of their capacity. From this point, healthy people with no underlying medical conditions will be allowed to socialize in small groups, while family members will be permitted to attend funerals.
Advancing through the stages will depend on factors such as how the rate of infection evolves, the number of intensive care beds available, and compliance with distancing rules, Sanchez said, without providing concrete thresholds for such evaluation.
(With input from Reuters)
Russia reports 5,841 new COVID-19 cases, total nears 100,000
Russia's coronavirus crisis response center on Wednesday reported 5,841 new COVID-19 cases, down from the previous two days, bringing its national tally to 99,399.
The death toll from the disease rose by 108 to 972. A total of 10,286 patients have recovered.
Russia has conducted over 330,000 coronavirus tests. About 19,9000 suspected cases are under medical observation.
Madrid's CEMTRO clinic, one of the top private sports medicine hospitals in Spain, which usually treats elite athletes, suspended most of its normal operations in mid-March when the Spanish government declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At short notice their staff had to adapt to treating COVID-19 patients, which were saturating public hospitals.
They had to adapt to new medical protocols to protect themselves from infection. The clinic redirected almost all of the hospital resources to treating COVID-19 patients.
CEMTRO clinic, a FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, was founded by Pedro Guillén in 1988. He is one of the world's greatest sports medicine specialists.
Stringer: Jaime Alekos, Luis Carballo
Museums in Beijing to reopen in May but not for group visits
Museums in Beijing will reopen from May 1, announced Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage. Group bookings will not be accepted.
Visitors will have to make reservations and museums will operate at a 50-percent maximum daily capacity.
Other protocols include temperature scanners, face masks and visitor registration.
The official has made it clear that cultural exchanges outside the province and abroad, academic seminars and other work projects will be suspended, and construction projects such as exhibition and production will be suspended inside the museum venue, so as to ensure the absolute safety of orderly opening during the pandemic.
Japan's Abe says impossible to hold Olympics unless pandemic is contained
It will be impossible to host the Tokyo Olympic Games next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday.
"The Olympic Games must be held in a way that shows the world has won its battle against the coronavirus pandemic," Abe told parliament. "Otherwise, it will be hard to hold the Games."
He was replying to a query from an opposition lawmaker on whether Tokyo could host the Games next year, after this year's delay caused by the pandemic.
It comes after Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, said on Tuesday the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the COVID-19 pandemic isn't brought under control by next year.
Read more:
Next year's Olympics will be cancelled if pandemic is not over: Games chief
(With input from Reuters)
Japan's Abe considers pushing back the start of the school year to September: report
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that he will consider pushing back the start of the academic year to September from April amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to local media Kyodo News.
The country continues to see a growing number of people infected with COVID-19. As of Wednesday, Japan has recorded more than 13,800 confirmed cases and 413 deaths.
(Cover via AP)
China's top legislature to open annual session on May 22
The 13th National People's Congress (NPC) will open its third session in Beijing on May 22.
The decision was adopted on Wednesday at a regular session of the NPC Standing Committee held from April 26 to 29.
The session, originally scheduled for March 5, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Top political advisory body proposes opening annual session on May 21
The third session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will start on May 21.
The recommendation was made at a recent meeting held by the Chairperson's Council of the CPPCC National Committee, which was chaired by Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.
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30,000 masks sent by Japanese govt to pregnant women are defective
The Japanese government has sent out a total of 500,000 cloth masks to pregnant women nationwide under the current coronavirus pandemic, however, 30,000 masks were found to be defective as of Tuesday, local media NHK reported.
Japanese health minister Katsunobu Kato approached the subject at a press conference on April 28, stating that the safety of all masks would be verified, according to local media reports.
(Cover via Reuters)
COVID-19: France mandates masks for public transport and high schools
France will start to ease its lockdown for coronavirus and return to normality on May 11 as shops, markets and schools will gradually reopen from that day.
Along with the reopen, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in parliament on Tuesday that masks will be mandatory on public transport and high school students will also be required to wear masks.
As of Wednesday, France has reported more than 169,000 cases of COVID-19 and 23,694 deaths in the country.
(Cover via AFP)
During a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence didn't wear a mask, going against the clinic's protocol that all visitors need to wear a face covering.
U.S. consumer confidence slumps to six-year low over COVID-19 outbreak
U.S. consumer confidence tumbled to near a six-year low in April as tough measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus sharply disrupted economic activity and threw millions of Americans out of work.
The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped to a reading of 86.9 this month, the lowest since June 2014, from 118.8 in March. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index would fall to 87.9 in April.
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U.S. COVID-19 deaths exceed Vietnam War; Pence seen without mask in hospital
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed the one million mark on Tuesday, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. coronavirus deaths now exceed the number of American soldiers killed in the 20 years of the Vietnam War – 58,220.
The next country with the highest number of coronavirus infections is Spain with 232,000 cases.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence faced criticism on Tuesday for not wearing a face mask while touring the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Video shows Pence meeting a Mayo employee who had recovered from COVID-19 and was donating plasma. Everyone in the room was wearing a mask except for Pence.
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Japan's Golden Week holiday in pandemic
April 29 marks the beginning of Japan's Golden Week – a day Merei Hatanaka usually spends traveling to her parents' house in Kyoto. But this year is a little different.
Instead of enjoying her usual view from inside the bullet train, she's stuck at her home in Tokyo. As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Japan, Hatanaka has become one of the scores of residents staying put for the holidays, in an effort to curb the spread of the outbreak.
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Twenty-two new confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, including 21 imported and one domestic, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 26 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,858, the cumulative death toll at 4,633, and 993 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 23 patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,578.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (811 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (33 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (307 recovered, 6 deaths)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases speaks as President Donald Trump listens during the daily briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force at the White House April 13, 2020 in Washington, DC./Getty Images.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House health advisor said an interview with the Economic Club of Washington on Tuesday that he was 'almost certain' the coronavirus would come back in the fall.
He says the country "could be in for a bad fall" if researchers don't find an effective treatment to fight the pandemic by then.
COVID-19 is "not going to disappear from the planet," he said, adding infectious disease experts are learning about how the virus behaves by watching emerging outbreaks in other regions such as southern Africa that are starting to enter their colder seasons.
"In my mind, it's inevitable that we will have a return of the virus, or maybe even that it never went away," he said.
Source: CNBC
U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus topped 1 million on Tuesday, having doubled in 18 days, and making up one-third of all infections in the world, according to a Reuters tally.
More than 56,500 Americans have died of the highly contagious respiratory illness COVID-19 caused by the virus, an average of about 2,000 a day this month, according to the tally.
The actual number of cases is thought to be higher, with state public health officials cautioning that shortages of trained workers and materials have limited testing capacity.
About 30% of the cases have occurred in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania.
The outbreak could take more than 74,000 U.S. lives by Aug. 4, compared with an April 22 forecast of over 67,600, according to the University of Washington's predictive model, often cited by White House officials.
Globally, coronavirus cases top 3 million since the pandemic began in China late last year. The United States, with the world's third-largest population, has five times as many cases as the next hardest-hit countries of Italy, Spain and France.
Of the top 20 most severely affected countries, the United States ranks fifth based on cases per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has about 30 cases per 10,000 people. Spain ranks first at over 48 cases per 10,000 people, followed by Belgium, Switzerland and Italy.
U.S. coronavirus deaths, the highest in the world, now exceed the total number of Americans killed in the 1950-53 Korean War - 36,516. Coronavirus deaths total just below the 58,220 Americans killed during the Vietnam War that ended in 1975.
The coronavirus has killed more people in the United States than the seasonal flu in recent years, except for the 2017-2018 season, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Flu deaths range from a low of 12,000 in the 2011-2012 season to a high of 61,000 during 2017-2018.
Coronavirus deaths in the United States fall far short of the Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and killed 675,000 Americans, according to the CDC.
Unprecedented stay-at-home orders to try to curb the spread of the virus have hammered the economy, with the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits over the last five weeks soaring to 26.5 million.
About a dozen states are beginning to relax the stay-at-home restrictions despite the warning of health experts that premature actions could cause a surge in new cases.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey this month found that a bipartisan majority of Americans want to go on sheltering in place to protect themselves from the coronavirus, despite the impact on the economy.
China has provided the UK with over 21 million pieces of PPE and more than 1,000 ventilators over the last three weeks, according to the UK government.
From April 2 to 25, the UK government said it had chartered 20 medical equipment flights back from China with the equipment.
The British embassy in Beijing is continuing to work with the UK Department of Health to source donations of medical equipment from China and bring it back for use in the British National Health Service (NHS).
British Ambassador to China Dame Barbara Woodward said that she was "delighted that we have been able to deliver huge quantities of lifesaving equipment for the NHS and our social care services.
"Our strong trade relationship with our Chinese partners has meant that we have been able to source the right equipment and we have seen both UK and Chinese firms contribute to our joint fight against COVID-19," she added.
"We are working round the clock to bolster the NHS supplies and save lives and we are seeking further deliveries as a matter of urgency."
The British embassy in Beijing has reportedly been working with staff from the UK Department for International Trade, Foreign Office, UK Visas and Immigration and the Ministry of Defence to deal with the logistics and coordination.
The China Civil Aviation Authority granted the UK special permission to allow passenger airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to take the cargo.
London's Guys and St Thomas hospital was just one of the recipients of the supplies.
David Lawson, chief procurement officer at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are very grateful for donations from the British Chinese Community and for the support of the British Embassy in Beijing, both of which have helped to ensure a steady and timely supply of PPE and other vital medical equipment to help the NHS response to COVID-19."
Chinese organizations including British Chinese Community Zhejiang UK Association have donated just under 2.5 million of the PPE equipment, with the Bank of China being one of the biggest donors, sending over 1.8 million pieces of PPE and 20 ventilators.
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New wave of COVID-19 in Japan comes from EU and U.S. instead of China: Government research
The current wave of coronavirus outbreak in Japan is due to imported cases from the U.S. and Europe, according to Japanese researchers.
The research, together with a motion graph showing the haplotype networks of the virus in Japan, was uploaded on the website of Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) on Monday.
The description said there have been two waves of coronavirus in the country. The first was connected to Wuhan, China, and largely containable. But the second wave, mostly from Europe and the U.S., has achieved a much wider spread.
It said the second wave was brought to Japan by overseas travelers and Japanese residents who returned from their travel overseas.
The conclusion was based on an analysis of genome samples collected from the confirmed COVID-19 patients in Japan.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that the country's non-working period will be extended until May 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Putin last month announced a nationwide "holiday" from March 28 to April 5 in an attempt to curb the coronavirus spread. The period was later extended until the end of April.
Speaking on Tuesday, Putin also warned that Russia has not reached the peak of coronavirus yet, adding restrictions could be lifted step by step starting from May 12.
"We have managed to slow the spread of the epidemic ... The daily number of new detected cases of the disease has stabilized," Putin said during a televised video-conference with regional officials.
"But this should not reassure us. The situation remains very difficult. The experts and scientists, who we are in constant contact with to check our plans and measures, say that the peak has not yet been reached."
He ordered the government to come up with a plan for a "phased exit" from quarantine regimes from May 12 "depending on the epidemiological situation" in the country's regions.
He also ordered officials to develop a new "package of urgent measures to support the economy."
Russia recorded more than 6,400 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 93,558. The number of recorded deaths has remained low in comparison to other countries, with the toll at 867 as of Tuesday.
During the non-working period, essential services including government, pharmacies, and food stores will remain open.
(With input from AFP)
Latest COVID-19 development in some European countries
Portugal will end national lockdown this Saturday but the reopening of the economy will be a slow and gradual process, the country's president announced on Tuesday. The state of emergency was put in place on March 18, which required most non-essential services to shut during the pandemic.
German media has reported a local coronavirus outbreak at a care home in Berlin where 73 elders were sent to hospital on Monday night, 28 of who have tested positive for the virus.
The Netherlands' number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen by 171 to 38,416. The country's death toll stands at 4,566.
Serbia reported 222 new cases and six new deaths, taking the country's total infections to 8,497 and fatalities to 168 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Slovakia said on Tuesday it has detected three new cases in the past 24 hours and two new deaths. The country now has a total of 1,384 cases, 20 of which were fatal. Also 423 patients have recovered so far.
Luxembourg plans to test its entire population for the coronavirus before the end of next month, at a rate of 20,000 per day, its government said Tuesday.
French PM outlines blueprint for emerging from coronavirus lockdown
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Monday that a lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic had saved 62,000 lives in a month, but that keeping the restrictions in place would mean risking economic collapse.
The country is set to end its lockdown on May 11. The scheduled lifting of the lockdown will depend on new cases dropping below 3,000 a day, said Philippe.
Speaking in parliament, the prime minister has outlined a blueprint to emerge from the coronavirus lockdown:
- Gatherings of over 10 people will remain banned after May 11 and no events with over 5,000 people allowed till September.
- Wearing masks will be compulsory in public transport and secondary schools starting May 11.
- Non-essential French retailers can re-open their doors from May 11, but they will have the right to insist that shoppers wear masks.
- Small French museums will reopen on May 11, but large ones won't.
- Paris metro will be running at 70 percent from May 11.
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French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presents his plan to exit from the lockdown at the National Assembly in Paris, France, April 28, 2020. /AP
The foreign ministers of the BRICS group of nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are holding a video conference on the coronavirus. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterparts attended. Russia is chairing the meeting. The country confirmed a record daily rise today, with over 6,000 new cases reported over the past 24 hours. Wang said the pandemic has severely impacted global trade and people-to-people exchanges. Wang also discussed issues in developing the strategic partnership among the BRICS members. Ministers discussed possible ways to overcome the financial, trade and social consequences of the pandemic
Scottish government recommends face coverings, but it's not mandatory for now
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recommended Tuesday that people cover their faces in places where it is required to social distance two meters.
"The Scottish government is now recommending the use of face coverings in limited circumstances."
But Sturgeon said the guidance is not mandatory and will be kept under review, and she stressed people should still remain at home.
As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, there have been 10,721 cases confirmed in Scotland, with a total death toll of 1,332.
Sturgeon said people admitted to hospital who are over 70 years old will be tested even if they do not show symptoms.
Following the recommendation from Scotland, a UK Prime Minister spokesperson said a scientific review has been sent to ministers and they are considering the advice.
Germany has already made wearing masks mandatory in many public areas but rules vary among states.
Will a pandemic accelerate adoption of meatless meat in China?
Sitting at a table in a bright Starbucks cafe in a high-rise office building, Ying gingerly sank her teeth into the new pesto pasta covered with plant-based meat. The pasta is one of three offerings from the world's largest coffee-house chain using alternative beef from Beyond Meat – a Los Angeles-based faux-meat maker of beef, chicken and pork substitutes.
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, concerns over meat safety prompted Ying, a meat aficionado, to take a crack at the dish. The current COVID-19 outbreak and past epidemics such as H1N1 and the African swine flu are all caused by viruses that possibly originated from animals, contributing to growing public concern regarding authentic meat.
As such, "fake meat" are two words at the center of a movement that is hitting Chinese shores. While Beyond Meat made its foray into China in over 3,300 Starbucks coffee shops, KFC China introduced fake fried chicken, and Papa John’s started offering faux meatballs on some of its pizzas.
In a country that leads in the development of renewable energy, the next step to going green seems to be an even bigger hurdle for one of the world's largest meat-consuming nations. On the surface, doing good for the environment by recycling or taking the subway instead of driving carbon-emitting vehicles seem manageable. Eating meat that's not really meat sees plenty of challenges involving doubts about its safety, industrial production and consumer habits.
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One-minute of silence held in UK for workers who died from COVID-19
A minute of silence was held in the UK on Tuesday to honor workers who died from COVID-19.
A total of 158,348 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country, with over 21,000 deaths reported, including over 100 NHS staff and other healthcare workers.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who's just back to work on Monday after contracting the coronavirus, and Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party also paid their respects.
Johnson later tweeted: "The nation will not forget you."
While Starmer called the observance of silence "a really emotional moment."
"Coronavirus has shown us who our key workers really are," Starmer wrote on Twitter.
Latest COVID-19 developments in the Middle East
Israel said on Tuesday morning it has recorded 34 new cases and four new deaths in the past 24 hours. The country's national death toll is now 208 with the total number of infections at 15,589.
Oman reported 82 new cases on Tuesday, taking its total number of cases to 2,131. Of that number, 364 patients have recovered, and 10 have died.
Also on Tuesday, the government announced reopening of some business services including repair shops.
Iran on Tuesday reported 1,112 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 92,584. Also, 71 people have died in the past 24 hours, and the country's overall death toll is now 5,877.
Iran's interior ministry has advised all citizens to wear masks and gloves on public transport.
According to Iranian state media, the military has sent around 80,000 personnel to assist in treatment as well as COVID-19 prevention and control work in the country. The military has also set up five fields hospitals.
UAE said the latest number of infections has reached 11,380 following a historic daily rise of 541. Fatalities also rose by seven to 89 while 91 more patients have recovered, taking the number of cumulative recoveries to 2,181.
Lebanon has recorded seven new cases, taking its overall COVID-19 cases to 717 as of Tuesday noon. A total of 145 patients have recovered and 24 have died so far.
Kuwait on Tuesday reported 152 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death, bringing the total number of infections to 3,440 and death toll to 23.
COVID-19 deaths in England and Wales 35% higher than government figure: ONS
The death toll involving COVID-19 in England and Wales was 35% higher than the daily figures for deaths in hospitals released by the government as of April 17, according to official data that includes deaths in the community.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 21,284 who had died up to April 17 were infected with COVID-19, compared with 13,917 people who died in hospitals, according to the government figure for the same period.
The ONS data also showed that 2,000 coronavirus care home deaths happened in the week ending April 17. As of then, care home deaths accounted for a third of all coronavirus deaths registered in England and Wales, raising an alarm for authorities despite hospital deaths trending downward since April 8.
Next year's Olympics will be cancelled if pandemic is not over: Games chief
The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the COVID-19 pandemic isn't brought under control by next year, the organizing committee's president said in comments published Tuesday.
The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games – which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021 – but Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said no further postponement was possible.
In an interview with Japan's Nikkan Sports daily, Mori was categorical when asked if the Olympics could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: "No."
"In that case, it's cancelled," Mori said.
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With the last two COVID-19 patients discharged, the Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was previously used to quarantine SARS patients, is scheduled to cease operations on Wednesday.
Spain records 301 new COVID-19 deaths; total cases exceed 210,000
Spain recorded 1,308 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total number of cases to 210,773, its health ministry said on Tuesday. The death toll has risen by 301 to 23,822, the ministry added.
Spain now has the second-largest infections following the U.S. and it has the third-highest death toll after the U.S. and Italy.
As the downward trend of death toll continues, Spain is on its way to ease lockdown restrictions which has been put in place since March 14.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to outline plans to ease restrictions later on Tuesday, which has been flagged as being "gradual and asymmetrical."
Spain's unemployment rises to 14.4 pct in first quarter
Spain's unemployment rate rose to 14.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, data from the National Statistics Institute showed on Tuesday, as a result of the lockdown imposed in mid-March to slow the coronavirus pandemic.
The jobless rate in the first quarter compared with 13.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a forecast of 15.6 percent by economists polled by Reuters.
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Russia reports 6,411 new COVID-19 cases, total number tops 90,000
Russia has reported 6,411 new novel coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, a record daily rise, bringing the total number to 93,558.
The number of deaths rose by 72, also a daily record, taking the total number of fatalities to 867.
Among the new cases, Moscow alone reported 3,075.
So far, over 3.13 million nucleic acid tests have been conducted in the country.
Click here for more: Graphics: Why there was a sudden spike in Russia's coronavirus cases
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Countries and regions easing lockdown
Countries from Italy to New Zealand have announced the easing of coronavirus lockdowns but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, back at work on Monday after being in intensive care with the disease, said it was too soon to relax the restrictions.
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WHO: Not all countries followed WHO advice on COVID-19
World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday tweeted that since January 30, the organization has been urging countries to prepare to find, test, treat and isolate every COVID-19 patient and trace all contacts. Some, but not all, countries have followed the international health body's advice.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday said the "WHO has no power or force to reinforce its advice, except the willingness of the countries to accept or reject. ... WHO will continue to give advice based on science and evidence and then it will be up to countries whether to take it or not."
As of Tuesday, the number of global confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded three million, with the death toll surpassing 210,000. The U.S. has recorded the most COVID-19 cases at nearly one million, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
Screenshot of WHO's tweet
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam told a media conference on Tuesday that most civil servants will gradually return to work from May 4, as the COVID-19 epidemic situation in the city has stabilized.
Hong Kong's daily increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remains single-digit over the past two weeks, with no new case reported in four days.
Looking to ease the way out of a lockdown, Lam said outdoor sports facilities, libraries and museums would also reopen from Monday although they would still be subject to a ban on gatherings of more than four people.
People wearing masks to avoid the spread of COVID-19 walk at a park in Hong Kong, China, April 26, 2020. /Reuters
A raft of epidemic-prevention measures are due to expire on May 7, including 14-day quarantine for all arrivals from the Chinese mainland, restrictions on venues including restaurants and bars, and limited public gathering of no more than four people. Lam said the government will soon announce whether to extend these measures based on suggestions from experts and various sectors.
Given the volatility of the epidemic, Lam said the HKSAR government as well as the public need to remain alert.
Read more:
Former HK chief executives to recruit 1,000 members to support coronavirus recovery
Carrie Lam reshuffles cabinet, vows to lead Hong Kong out of recession
A spokesperson of the HKSAR government said in a statement issued after Lam's remarks that the government will also implement infection control measures in government buildings and venues, such as body temperature checks, and government departments will continue social distancing and precautionary measures among staff, including flexible working hours.
The government will continue to closely monitor the situation and determine when to embark on a full resumption of normal business under the second phase, said the spokesman.
Joining cities around the world in the battle to halt the virus, Hong Kong has shut schools and many people work from home.
A total of 1,038 confirmed cases have been reported in HKSAR so far, along with 787 recoveries and four deaths.
(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)
New York cancels presidential primary over COVID-19 risks
The state of New York on Monday canceled its presidential primary, which had already been delayed from late April to June 23, over concerns that voting was an unnecessary risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move drew an angry response from the campaign of Bernie Sanders, who has suspended his White House bid but hoped to remain on the ballot.
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Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital discharges its last coronavirus patient
The last coronavirus patient at Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital was discharged Tuesday morning.
Beijing on March 16 put the hospital into use, with more than 1,000 beds prepared for the screening and treatment of imported mild and common confirmed COVID-19 cases, suspected cases and those who need to be tested.
The hospital will close on Wednesday.
COVID-19: South Korea duty-free shops experienced sharp drop in sales
South Korea's duty-free shops experienced sharp drop in sales in March amid the coronavirus outbreak, Yonhap reported that "combined sales of local duty-free shops shrank 1.3 percent on-month to 1.8 trillion won (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) last month."
The number is also down 46.2 percent from January, the report noted.
South Korea has recorded a total of 10,738 cases of COVID-19 with 243 deaths as of Tuesday, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
(Cover via VCG)
Designed by Li Yueyun
If you have a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient in your household, here are some tips from the World Health Organization that you can follow to avoid infection when doing laundry:
- Wash the patient's clothes, towels and bed linens separately.
- If possible, wear heavy-duty gloves before handling them.
- Never carry soiled bed linen against your body.
- Wash and disinfect linen: machine wash at 60-90℃ with laundry detergent.
- Do not forget to wash your hands at the end of the process.
The Chinese mainland recorded six more COVID-19 cases on Monday, three of which were imported from abroad, in addition to 40 new asymptomatic cases and no new deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,836. The cumulative death toll is 4,633, and 997 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 81 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,555.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (787 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (32 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (290 recovered, 6 deaths)
Trump: the general election not to be postponed
U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press conference at the White House that the general election will not be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to local media reports on Monday.
"I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that?" Trump said.
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U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a coronavirus response news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2020. /Reuters
Disinfecting at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, U.S., March 12, 2020. /AP
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. approached one million on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
There are more than 56,000 deaths related to coronavirus after the first case was reported in Washington state in January.
New York has 17,515 deaths, more than any other state in the country. It's also the state with the highest number of confirmed cases – 292,027.
The global total cases have surpassed three million across 185 countries and regions, with more than 210,374 deaths.
The U.S. has the highest number of cases in the world, followed by Italy, about 27,000, and Spain, 23,521.
FILE PHOTO: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (3rdL) sits in a mosque in Mopti, central Mali, talking to local leaders and worshippers May 30, 2018. Guterres vowed to pursue support for an anti-terror force gathering five Sahel nations, despite a US rebuff for UN funding. /VCG Photo
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to do more to address various challenges faced by young people who are encountering such problems as inadequate participation opportunities and exclusion from political decision-making.
Guterres said the world should open doors for the youth to be part of the search for solutions including the current COVID-pandemic.
"The world cannot afford a lost generation of youth, their lives set back by COVID-19 and their voices stifled by a lack of participation," he said.
"Let us do far more to tap their talents as we tackle the pandemic and chart a recovery that leads to a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable future for all."
Guterres made the remarks as he presented his first report on Security Council Resolution 2250. He listed how COVID-19 has impacted the world's young people, with more than 1.5 billion of them now out of the classroom. The youth were already facing other challenges, posed by among other things, violence and conflict.
The UN chief in his call for investment in youth participation issued a four-point call to action for the Council, urging members to do more to address the various challenges facing young people.
"We must strengthen human rights protections and protect the civic space on which youth participation depends," he said.
"And fourth, we must emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a determination to recover better – massively increasing our investment in young people's capacities as we deliver the Sustainable Development Goals."
Source(s): United Nations
The number of COVID-19 infections globally has surpassed three million as the fight against the disease intensifies across the world.
The latest data from U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows that the world's COVID-19 cases now stand at 3,002,303 , with 207,583 deaths.
The three million infections mark came 88 days since the World Health Organization (WHO) triggered its highest global emergency alert by declaring COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. At the time, there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths outside China.
As the fight against COVID-19 rages on, some countries have rolled out plans to reopen their economies that have taken huge hits since the disease entered their borders.
Many countries around the world imposed lockdowns, restricted movement, banned public gatherings and ordered non-essential businesses shut in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.
As a result of the closure, the countries have recorded economic setbacks that some now say should no longer be allowed to continue. The WHO has however on many occasions warned against a rushed reopening, saying that would put the world at risk of a second wave of infections.
Countries that have been hardest hit, including the U.S., Italy, and Spain have all laid out plans for a gradual reopening.
The U.S. remains the most affected country globally by the pandemic, having registered 967,585 cases and 54,931 deaths. This accounts for 32.2 percent of the world’s total infections and 26.5 percent of the global fatalities.
Eliot Engel, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Relations, has launched an inquiry into President Donald Trump's decision to withhold funding for the World Health Organization, the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted.
U.S. oil futures plunge nearly 30 percent as worldwide storage fills
U.S. oil prices started another wild week as the U.S. benchmark plunged by nearly 30 percent to trade about 12 U.S. dollars a barrel Monday morning, causing heavy losses.
The prices reflected fears that worldwide storage will soon fill due to the coronavirus pandemic continuing to hamper demand.
Experts: Little chance novel coronavirus will die out in summer
Chinese scientists confirmed on Monday that five experimental COVID-19 vaccines are being developed in China, among which three have entered stage-two clinical trials with approval.
Medical institutes and pharmaceutical companies in China, Germany, the U.S. and the UK are cooperating on the development of the vaccines, Wang Guiqiang, director of Infectious Diseases Department at Peking University First Hospital, said at a press briefing focusing on the latest COVID-19 scientific research.
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Modi: India may extend lockdown in COVID-19 hotspots beyond May 3
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to comply with the nationwide lockdown and social distancing measures, and hinted at extending the lockdown in COVID-19 hotspots beyond May 3.
Modi said in a radio address: "We should not be trapped into over-confidence and nurse the belief that coronavirus has not reached our city, our village, our streets, our office, and so will not reach them."
The Prime Minister addressed the public's concerns about the economy and told Indians to not worry about it. He also acknowledged that the lockdown measures in the past one and a half months have saved thousands of lives.
India reported 1,396 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing its total to 27,892. The death toll now stands at 872.
China's health authorities have been open, transparent and responsible in releasing information on COVID-19 outbreak, sharing experience and promoting international cooperation, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in response to some countries have accused China of failing to keep the outbreak informed.
Wu said China has always been open and transparent in reporting COVID-19 outbreak, and immediately informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of the situation. The gene sequence of novel coronavirus was immediately shared with other countries in the world, and international cooperation has been strengthened in the first place.
On late December in 2019, the local health authorities The Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in central China's Hubei Province detected cases of pneumonia of unknown cause.
On December 31, the National Health Commission and Chinese CDC sent a team of experts to Wuhan to help investigate the pandemic.
On January 3 in 2020, China notified WHO, U.S. and other countries, even though it was unclear what the cause was.
At the same time, since January 3, 2020, China has been irregularly informing WHO and other countries of the progress of its prevention, control and research about the pandemic.
On January 4, head of the China CDC talked over phone with director of the U.S. CDC about the pneumonia outbreak. The two sides have communicated on the research and prevention work.
On January 9, China informed the WHO about the epidemic, sharing with the WHO the initial progress in determining the cause of the viral pneumonia in Wuhan.
On January 12, China shared with the WHO about information on the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus.
On January 20-21, a WHO delegation conducted a field visit to Wuhan.
On February 16-24, a China-WHO joint expert team visited Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan and Hubei's Wuhan. Two American experts were among them.
On March 12, U.S. embassy attended a meeting during which experts from China and WHO shared experiences on the international control and prevention work.
On March 29, Chinese CDC and the U.S. CDC exchanged views on prevention work in video meeting again.
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll ticks up slightly
Spain's health ministry on Monday reported 331 more COVID-19 deaths, up from 288 the previous day. The death toll now stands at 23,521.
The total number of confirmed cases rose to 209,465 from 207,634 the day before.
China to arrange five flights to bring back 900 Chinese citizens
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it plans to arrange five flights to the United States, Britain, Italy and Spain, which are expected to bring back about 900 Chinese citizens, most of whom are overseas students.
The CAAC has arranged four temporary flights to assist a total of 854 Chinese citizens in the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy to return home from April 20 to 26, 711 of whom are overseas students.
British PM makes first public appearance after coronavirus absence
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday spoke outside 10 Downing Street on his first day back at work following his recovery from the coronavirus.
It's his first public appearance in nearly a month after a spell in hospital and several days in intensive care with coronavirus.
"The virus brings new sadness every day, and is the biggest challenge since WWII," he said.
In his statement, Johnson thanked Britons for abiding by the lockdown and also urged people not to lose patience with the measures.
The government would outline plans for an easing of the lockdown in the coming days, he promised but warned that there would be difficult judgments required.
"We are beginning to turn the tide," he said, adding the country was coming "to the end of the first phase of this conflict."
"We must also recognize the risk of a second spike, the risk of losing control of that virus and letting the reproduction rate go back over one because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster," he said.
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British PM Boris Johnson speaking outside of 10 Downing Street. /AP
Russia reports over 6,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours
Russia reported 6,198 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 87,147.
Among the new cases, Moscow alone reported 2,871.
47 deaths were also reported in this period, and the death toll now stands at 794.
Over three million nucleic acid tests have been conducted in the country.
Read more:
Graphics: Why there was a sudden spike in Russia's coronavirus cases
COVID-19: Hubei reports no new confirmed or suspected cases for the first time
China's Hubei Province reported no new confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases for the first time on Sunday, adding that the number of domestic confirmed cases dropped to less than 100, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
More than 1,000 patients with imported COVID-19 have recovered and were discharged from hospitals so far, and nearly a thousand asymptomatic patients are still under medical observation.
The Commission has vowed to expand the scope of detection to meet the inspection requirements.
China has sent coronavirus testing kits to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in case of future need, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a press briefing on Monday.
Geng added that China will provide aid for countries in need amid the pandemic, while continuing the domestic fight against the coronavirus.
When asked about DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un's health condition, Geng said that the ministry has no information to offer.
Kim Jong Un recently sent letters expressing thanks to workers who helped build a beach resort in the eastern port city Wonsan, and the construction of Samjiyon City, the country's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported
On April 22, the DPRK leader sent a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to thank him for his note on Kim's grandfather's birth anniversary, according to the KCNA.
The reports came amid speculations about Kim's health condition. Several South Korean government officials said they had not confirmed any of the information regarding the health of the DPRK leader.
Read more: Report: DPRK leader expresses thanks to Samjiyon builders
COVID-19: Central govt team returns to Beijing after last Wuhan patient discharged
The central government team guiding the COVID-19 epidemic control work in Hubei Province on Monday finished their work and returned to Beijing, after Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak first began, said it had discharged all coronavirus patients.
The epidemic prevention and control measures in Hubei Province, including Wuhan, have also been relaxed from "emergency" to "regular," according to a statement released by Xinhua News Agency.
The central government team, led by Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, finished their work and departed for Beijing on Monday at the approval of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the statement said.
The team was deployed to Hubei on January 27 to guide the epidemic prevention and control work.
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NZ records only one new case as country set to end highest restriction level alert
New Zealand's health ministry said on Monday only one new confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded, in addition to another four new probable cases.
The combined total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is now 1,469, and 80 percent or 1,180 of them have recovered, the ministry said.
The country has registered a total of 19 coronavirus deaths so far.
New Zealand is set to end its toughest lockdown level at midnight on Monday, which will see New Zealanders able to go fishing, surfing, hunting and hiking this week. Also, around 400,000 people will return to work after the country shifts from its highest alert level of 4 to 3.
New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with offices, schools, bars and restaurants, including take away and delivery services closed since March 26.
While on the last day of strict lockdown, the government has urged people not to "slacken off the effort."
Speaking on Monday, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised the progress the country has made, at the same time issuing a caution on reopening and getting back to normal life.
"There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand," Ardern declared. "We have won that battle."
"I will not risk the gains we've made in the health of New Zealanders. So if we need to remain at Level Three, we will."
(With input from agencies)
Graphics: Why there was a sudden spike in Russia's coronavirus cases
Russia on Sunday reported a record one-day rise in cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than 80,000,
The number of cases jumped by 6,361 and 66 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response center said on its website.
The capital Moscow, the worst-affected region, registered over 42,000 cases – that is more than half of the national figure.
Russia recorded far fewer cases of the new coronavirus than many Western European countries in the early outbreak stages.
As the pandemic swept across the globe, Russia was actually among the first to implement tough measures to curb the outbreak.
But the number of cases began to rise sharply this month. Infections have spread beyond Moscow and penetrated all of its more than 80 regions.
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First known U.S. COVID-19 patient dies from cardiac rupture: autopsy shows
The earliest recorded death from COVID-19 in the U.S. resulted from a cardiac rupture caused by coronavirus infection, an autopsy report obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle showed.
The 57-year-old Santa Clara woman, whose death from COVID-19 is the earliest known in the U.S. so far, died on February 6 and had reported flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to her death. While she had a mildly enlarged heart, she had no coronary heart disease or blot clots that would have triggered a heart attack, the report revealed.
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Latest COVID-19 development in Latin America
Mexico on Sunday reported 835 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 46 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 14,677 cases and 1,351 deaths.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Panama reached 5,779 on Sunday, a rise of 241 from the previous day. Deaths climbed by six to 165.
Peru reported 27,517 cases of COVID-19, with 728 deaths as of Sunday. A national lockdown has been extended through May 10 to contain the spread of the virus.
Chile to go ahead with issuing "health passports" to people recovered from COVID-19 despite WHO warning about virus immunity. Meanwhile, a Chilean official has clarified that the cards would not certify immunity. Chile has so far registered 13,331 coronavirus cases and 189 deaths.
Argentina reported a rise of 112 new cases on Sunday and 7 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total to 3,892 cases and 192 fatalities. Argentina had already extended its nationwide quarantine period until May 10.
The government of Uruguay is to send medics and managing personnel to the country's 1,208 registered nursing homes starting Monday, following a spike in cases among the elderly in those facilities over the week. The country now has 606 confirmed cases and 15 deaths. And, 365 patients have recovered so far.
Australia launches app to trace coronavirus contacts
Australia has launched a smartphone app to trace people who come in contact with coronavirus patients despite privacy concerns that authorities insisted Sunday were unwarranted.
The COVIDSafe app uses a phone's Bluetooth wireless signal to store information about people's interactions, which can be accessed by health officials if a person contracts coronavirus.
Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the app would speed up a "laborious process" for health authorities tracking down users who have been within 1.5 meters of someone who has the virus.
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More U.S. states mull easing COVID-19 restrictions as jobless rate may hit 16%
More U.S. states are preparing to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions despite warnings from public health experts against a rushed reopening.
Some health experts in the country fear increased human interaction could spark a new wave of infections, dealing a blow to the country's future public health safety.
Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee are the latest states to hint at starting experiments to reopen their economies even without the testing and contact-tracing infrastructure health experts say is needed to prevent a resurgence of infections, with lives in the balance.
Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Carolina have already taken steps to restart their economies following a month of government-ordered lockdowns.
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Three new confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, including two imported and one domestic, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 25 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,830, the cumulative death toll at 4,632, and 974 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 80 patients were discharged from hospitals on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,474.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (772 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (31 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (281 recovered, 6 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments in some European countries
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to Downing Street Sunday night and resume working on Monday. Local media revealed he will announce plans for easing the coronavirus lockdown as early as this week.
The official number of coronavirus deaths in hospitals across the UK now stands at 20,732 while confirmed cases have reached 152,840.
Italy registered its lowest daily toll since March 15, of 260 on Sunday. So far, COVID-19 has claimed 26,644 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 197,675 as of Sunday.
Also, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte vowed Sunday to reopen schools by September and allow many businesses to resume in a week's time as the country emerges from a near-total shutdown.
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France on Sunday reported 242 deaths in the previous 24 hours, of which 152 were registered in hospitals. This was the lowest daily toll in five weeks. The epidemic has claimed 22,856 lives in the country since the beginning of March.
France is also expected to ease lockdown measures as the government will present a plan before parliament on Tuesday.
Latest coronavirus developments in the U.S.
Total infections over 960,000: The total number of the new coronavirus cases registered in the U.S. reached 963,379 on Sunday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and the death toll stood at 54,810, with New York state the hardest hit.
New York state to reopen: On Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the sate will restart its economy after the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in a multi-phase manner, with construction and manufacturing sectors to reopen first, followed by evaluations for others on a case-by-case basis.
He did not give a specific date for the implementation of the strategy, but said part of the state could begin reopening as soon as May 15 – the current deadline for the statewide shutdown.
Over 4,800 NYPD members contracted virus: According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), 4,837 of its members have tested positive for coronavirus and 37 have died due to complications from COVID-19.
Trump denies firing HHS chief Azar: U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday rejected reports he was planning to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, saying he was doing an "excellent job."
USNS Comfort discharges last patient: The USNS Comfort, the Navy hospital ship that has been docked in New York Harbor since the end of March, discharged its last patient on Sunday. It has treated a total of 182 patients during the pandemic and will soon be departing for its home port in Norfolk, Virginia.
Spanish police blocked access to the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife /AP
Children in Spain were on Sunday allowed to play outside for the first time in six weeks as the country gradually eases down its lockdown measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Many youngsters across the country took the opportunity to enjoy various outdoor activities such as bicycle riding and skateboarding.
The authorization of outdoor spells for children comes as Spain registered its lowest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths in more than a month.
The easing of restrictions will see children below 14 years of age engage in supervised outdoor activity per day between 9 AM and 9 PM, staying within one kilometre of their homes.
Spain is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, having registered 223,759 cases and 22,902 deaths.
Spain’s lockdown was one of the strictest of any country, leaving no room for outdoor activities for anyone. Public gatherings were banned, affecting learning and religious institutions. Sporting activities were also banned in the restrictions.
Even though children can now have some outdoor playing time, authorities are still not keen on re-opening schools.
Latest COVID-19 developments from around the world
Spain reported 288 deaths on Sunday, the lowest since March 20, pushing the death toll to 23,190. The country is easing its lockdown curbs to allow children outside for the first time in six weeks.
Germany registered 1,737 new cases, raising its total to 154,175. The death toll rose by 140 to 5,640.
Iran on Sunday reported 1,153 new cases and 60 deaths. It now has 90,481 total cases and the death toll stands at 5,710.
Saudi Arabia's total number of cases rose by 1,223 to 17,522. Three more deaths were reported, bringing the toll to 139. The country will continue the suspension of international and domestic flights until further notice, with the exception of emergency cases.
Japan's capital Tokyo registered 72 new cases on Sunday. The country's total number of cases reached 13,231, with 360 deaths.
Russia reports over 6,000 new coronavirus cases, total exceeds 80,000
Russia on Sunday reported 6,361 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, pushing its nationwide total to 80,949.
The disease claimed 66 more lives in the past day, raising the death toll to 747, Russia's official crisis response center said.
Global COVID-19 cases top 2.9 million: Johns Hopkins University
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed 2,900,000 on Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The CSSE has so far recorded over 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 around the world.
China has never stymied the export of COVID-19 materials: Official
China has never restricted the export of prevention materials amid the battle against the COVID-19, Li Xingqian, head of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, said at a press briefing on Sunday.
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All COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the central Chinese city of Wuhan have been discharged, a health official announced on Sunday.
As of Sunday, no COVID-19 patient remains in hospital in the city, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press briefing.
The milestone was made possible thanks to the unremitting, painstaking efforts of medical workers in Wuhan and those from across the country who have come to help, added Mi.
With many countries across the globe heeding the call to practice social distancing under the current COVID-19 crisis, parents have had to play a bigger role in taking care of children at home.
Under such circumstances, children's responses to such stressful events are varied: Many are privy to information from a variety of sources can be disappointed and confused, while some children may have difficulty with eating or sleeping or self-care.
And all these responses have led to more and more children having difficulties adjusting to their new routines, which may interfere with their sense of structure, predictability and security.
Furthermore, helping children understand and follow recommendations like social distancing and wearing face masks can be very challenging if your children have intellectual disabilities, sensory issues, or other special healthcare needs. To help these children better adjust to the new routines around the current COVID-19 situation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made the following recommendations:
1. Keep children at home and in a sheltered place to lower stress created by social distancing and face-covering measures.
2. Used behavioral techniques to address behavioral challenges and develop new routines. These include social stories, video modeling, picture schedules and visual cues.
3. Try to reward your child in small ways with favorite non-food treats or activities to help in switching routines and following recommendations.
4. Seek help. Your child's therapist(s) and/or teachers may have resources to help in the introduction of new routines.
Saudi Arabia partially lifts curfew, keeps 24-hour curfew in Mecca: SPA
Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued an order to partially lift the curfew in all regions of the kingdom, to become from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting Sunday through Wednesday, May 13, while keeping a 24-hour curfew in Mecca and in previously isolated neighborhoods, state news agency (SPA) said early on Sunday.
The order also allowed the opening of some economic and commercial activities, which includes wholesale and retail shops in addition to malls, in the period from 6 to 20 Ramadan, which is from Wednesday, April 29, to Wednesday, May 13.
Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday 1,197 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number to 16,299. Meanwhile, 136 people have died of the disease in the kingdom, after nine new deaths were reported, while the total recoveries have increased by 166 to 2,215.
Latest COVID-19 development in Asian and Latin American countries
Asia:
South Korea reported 10 more cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of infections to 10,728. Its daily caseload has hovered around 10 for the eighth consecutive day. Two more deaths were confirmed, raising the death toll to 242.
Myanmar reported two new cases on Sunday morning, taking its total to 146. So far, 10 patients have recovered and five have died.
India recorded its highest daily rise of 1,990 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 26,496. So far, 824 patients have died and 580 have recovered. India's health ministry cited its growing testing and treatment capacity for the spike in infections.
Sri Lanka said 460 cases have been detected as of Sunday morning, including seven deaths and 118 recoveries. The military has confirmed there are at least 20 infections involving military personnel.
Thailand on Sunday reported 15 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, bringing the total number of cases since its outbreak in January to 2,922 cases and 51 deaths.
Latin America
Argentina said on Saturday that 173 new cases and six new deaths were detected, bringing the country's total to 3,780 infections and 185 deaths. The nationwide quarantine period will be extended to May 10 from Saturday.
Panama on Saturday reported 200 more confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases to 5,538, while the death toll increased by five to 159.
Mexico on Saturday reported 970 new cases of coronavirus infection and 84 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 13,842 cases and 1,305 deaths.
As Western media outlets continue to dissect recent coronavirus figures out of Wuhan, the city keeps pushing ahead with efforts to rid itself of the virus. So how have Wuhan people conquered COVID-19? CGTN reporter Xu Mengqi has more.
French PM to present plan to unwind coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will present the government's plan to unwind the country's coronavirus lockdown to parliament on Tuesday, followed by a debate and vote, his office said in a statement.
The lockdown ordered by President Emmanuel Macron to slow the spread of the virus has been in place since March 17 and is due to be lifted on May 11.
Macron is aiming to ease some of the lockdown measures then with schools reopening first, although the government has yet to finalize how it might work in practice.
France has also offered retailers some relief by saying it wants them to reopen on May 11, though some curbs could remain in certain areas to delay a new wave of the coronavirus.
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Hawaii's stay-at-home and quarantine orders extended until May 31
While some U.S. states are preparing for reopening, Hawaii Governor David Ige Saturday announced the extension of the statewide stay-at-home order until May 31.
The existing one is set to expire on April 30.
Ige said the decision was made because there are still about 100 travelers arriving every day, despite a dramatic 98 percent decrease in travelers arriving at airports since the quarantine rule was put in place.
Under the current rule, all arrivals to the state are required to quarantine for 14 days.
White House considering replacing HHS chief Azar: reports
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is reportedly considering replacing its Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Alex Azar, because of early missteps in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the Wall Street Journal and Politico said on Saturday.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited six sources, frustration with Azar was growing, but the Trump administration was reluctant to make big changes while the country was seeking to stop the outbreak.
Politico said the short list of names to replace Azar included Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Seema Verma and deputy HHS Secretary Eric Hargan.
Azar was appointed HHS secretary in January 2018.
Following the reports, HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley said: "Secretary Azar is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn't have time for palace intrigue."
White House spokesperson Judd Deere also dismissed the report and said it's irresponsible to make the speculation.
"Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19," Deere said.
(With input from Reuters)
The Chinese Embassy in Canada on Saturday urged local media to clarify their facts after a report by local newspaper The Globe and Mail on Friday said "one million masks from China failed to meet standards."
"The Embassy verified with the City of Toronto and the relevant official clearly replied that there was a misunderstanding between what the City was purchasing and what the vendor was selling," the embassy spokesperson said in a statement.
The Globe and Mail's Friday report also claimed that Toronto recently recalled more than 60,000 faulty surgical masks made in China.
Canada is not the first country to have reported so-called "defective masks" imported from China.
In March, reports from some European countries including the Netherlands said face masks purchased from China were substandard and had quality problems, but preliminary investigations showed the masks were misused as they were initially exported for "non-medical purposes."
"If individual problems happened in the process of anti-epidemic cooperation, it should be resolved in a practical and realistic manner rather than being interpreted politically," the spokesperson emphasized.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had responded to the matter earlier in the month, saying it's irresponsible for some media to hype up the so-called quality problems of Chinese anti-epidemic products before making clear the facts.
(Cover: Medical staff prepare for assessing people for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the public Victoria Health Unit in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada March 17, 2020./ Reuters)
Eleven new confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, five of them imported and six domestic, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 30 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,827, the cumulative death toll at 4,632, and 1,000 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 48 patients were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,394.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,037 (753 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (28 recovered)
Taiwan: 429 (275 recovered, 6 deaths)
WHO: No evidence that recovered COVID-19 patients cannot be reinfected
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that there was currently "no evidence" that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second coronavirus infection.
In a scientific brief, the United Nations agency warned governments against issuing "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed.
The practice could actually increase the risks of continued spread as people who have recovered may ignore advice about taking standard precautions against the virus, it said.
"Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection," the WHO said.
"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," it said.
Naval destroyer USS Kidd's coronavirus cases rose to 33
The second U.S. Navy destroyer hit by the new coronavirus, the USS Kidd, reported on Friday the infection cases rose to 33 from 18.
Two of the confirmed crew members have been transferred back to the U.S. while the rest of its 350 crew are continuing to receive tests.
The destroyer is now off the Pacific coast of South America and the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island is en route to rendezvous with Kidd in case medical support is required at sea, according to the U.S. Navy.
The outbreak on the USS Kidd, which is on a counternarcotics mission, was confirmed on Friday.
Latest COVID-19 development in some European countries
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be back at work on Monday, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed on Saturday. Johnson was taken to St Thomas's Hospital in London on April 5 suffering from COVID-19 symptoms and spent April 6-9 in intensive care before being discharged on April 12.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday and Spaniards will be allowed out to exercise alone from May 2 if the coronavirus toll continues to fall. People living together will be permitted to take short walks together.
The death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen by 369 to 22,614. And the number of patients in intensive care declined for 17 days in a row. More than 7,500 people are now in intensive care across the country.
Coronavirus deaths in Italy climbed by 415 on Saturday, the smallest daily tally since March 17 to a total of 26,384. The number of new infections of 2,357 was also the lowest in five days, which brought to a nationwide total number of 195,351 cases.
Georgia has become one of the first states to begin the process of reopening non-essential businesses.
Gyms, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors are among the businesses that can now reopen in the state.
But that decision has not been universally welcomed.
More than 200,000 people globally have now succumbed to the coronavirus, figures from Johns Hopkins University show./REUTERS.
More than 200,000 people globally have now succumbed to the coronavirus, figures from Johns Hopkins University show.
There are more than 2.8 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the tally.
It comes after the number of fatalities in the US passed 50,000, as Americans endure the world's deadliest outbreak.On 11 January, Chinese state media reported the first known death liked to the virus. More than 210 countries and territories have since reported cases.
The UK's Department of Health announced today that more than 20,000 people have now died with coronavirus in UK hospitals.Home secretary Priti Patel described the figure as a "tragic and terrible milestone" and said "the entire nation is grieving".
As the UK's daily data does not include people who die at home or in nursing homes, the true figure is certain to be higher.France, which does include deaths in care homes in its statistics, said its toll had risen by 369 on Saturday.
There have been 22,614 virus deaths in France since the start of March, but the country's health officials say the mortality rate in hospitals is falling, and the number of people in intensive care has dropped for the seventeenth consecutive day.
Earlier this week, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted upward trends in Covid-19 cases in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central America and South America.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while most of the epidemics in Western Europe appeared to be stable or in decline, for many countries the disease was just getting started.
SOURCE: BBC
Latest developments on coronavirus pandemic: UK death toll passes 20,000
UK: A clinical trial has been given approval to determine if plasma donated by recovered COVID-19 patients can help those battling the illness. The Department of Health on Saturday reported 813 more COVID-19 deaths in UK hospitals, pushing the UK to become the fifth country with over 20,000 coronavirus related deaths.
U.S.: The U.S. death toll from coronavirus approached nearly 52,000 on Saturday. Over 900,000 cases have been reported so far.
Japan: Tokyo reported 103 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, said Kyodo news. The capital has now confirmed 3,836 cases. Japan's total number of cases reached nearly 13,000 on Saturday, with 345 deaths.
Germany: Data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday that Germany's confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 2,055 to 152,438. The country's death toll rose by 179 to 5,500.
India reports 1,490 coronavirus cases, total nears 25,000
India on Saturday reported 1,490 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 24,942, according to health officials.
The country's death toll is at 779, and 5,210 people have recovered.
India's largest slum, Dharavi, on Friday registered 21 new cases, raising the area's total confirmed cases to 241, local government reported. Fourteen people from the slum have died.
Dharavi reported its first coronavirus infection on April 1. The government has closed down parts of the slum for disinfection and dispatched medical teams to take residents' temperature.
A doctor checks the temperature of a girl in Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 13, 2020. /AP
18 crew members aboard U.S. Navy destroyer test positive for coronavirus
At least 18 crew members aboard the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Kidd have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the second outbreak at sea on a U.S. Navy warship, the Navy said on Friday.
The Pentagon said more cases are expected aboard the USS Kidd, as the destroyer is carrying out a counter-narcotics mission near South America.
The Navy said the ship will return to port, where they will remove a portion of the crew and continue to clean and disinfect the ship.
USS Kidd is the second U.S. Navy ship to be hit by the coronavirus outbreak, following the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is docked in Guam and has more than 800 confirmed virus cases.
Local media reported earlier this week that crews from 26 U.S. warships have been hit by the coronavirus, but most of them are in port.
According to U.S. Department of Defense's data, a total of 3,919 coronavirus cases have been confirmed among U.S. Active Duty personnel, with 1,445 from the U.S. Navy. Two of them have died.
USS Kidd is seen underway in the Pacific Ocean in this U.S. Navy picture taken on May 18, 2011. /Reuters
Russia reports nearly 6,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours
Russia reported 5,966 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 74,588.
Among the new cases, Moscow reported 2,612 alone. A total of 39,509 cases have been confirmed in the city.
According to health authorities, the country has conducted 2.7 million nucleic acid tests so far.
Last critical COVID-19 patients in Hubei discharged from hospitals
All critical COVID-19 patients in central China's Hubei Province have now been discharged from hospitals as of Friday, deputy director of Hubei's Center for Disease Control and Prevention Li Yang said Saturday in a press briefing.
There are 23 COVID-19 patients receiving treatments in medical institutions in Hubei as of Friday, as 24 patients from Wuhan, the former epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak, were discharged.
A total of 63,593 people have recovered form COVID-19 in Hubei, and 4,512 have died.
Staff members transfer medical supplies at an airport in the China-Russia border city of Manzhouli in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 17, 2020. /Xinhua
A plane carrying medical supplies took off at 8:34 p.m., local time, Friday, and left Wuhan, a central Chinese city once hardest hit by COVID-19, for New York.
The flight was operated by China Southern Airlines and loaded with nearly 20 tons of medical supplies on board. It was the airlines' first passenger flight that was used for delivering cargo from the province.
The airlines is also planning to operate more cargo flights from Wuhan to San Francisco, Rome, Paris, London and Frankfurt to send medical supplies produced by local companies to help with the coronavirus fight, said a source with the company's Hubei branch.
The airlines decided to use passenger planes to deliver cargo on March 29 and sent 17.6 tons of cargo on the first converted flight from south China's Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 3.
As of Thursday, China Southern Airlines has run 255 converted all-cargo flights, which sent 2,930 tons of cargo in total to 22 countries and regions, including Italy, France, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Kenya, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Spain has the most coronavirus infections among healthcare workers
Twenty percent of the coronavirus infections reported in Spain have been among healthcare workers, Spanish media El País reported on Saturday.
Spain is the country that has the most COVID-19 cases among healthcare personnel, said El País.
In comparison, according to a report published on Thursday by the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), the percentage of cases among health professionals in Italy has dropped to ten percent.
As of Saturday, Spain has confirmed 21,9764 total coronavirus cases, the most in Europe.
The coronavirus killed two people in California as much as three weeks before the U.S. reported its first death from the disease in late February - a gap that Dr. Sara Cody, health director in Northern California's Santa Clara County said on April 23 may have led to delays in issuing stay-at-home orders in the nation's most populous state.
China reports no coronavirus death for 10 straight days
China has reported no coronavirus death for the last 10 days, National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said Saturday in a press briefing.
The country has confirmed imported coronavirus cases from 50 countries, as seven of its provinces registered such cases on Friday.
Mi stressed that preventing domestic coronavirus transmission from imported cases remains a challenging task. The country will need to continue implementing precise control and prevention of the virus. He also urged individuals to be self-aware and protect themselves.
Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
Kazakhstan reported 158 new cases with three new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,482 with 25 deaths. The president called on the entire population to observe the rule during the state of emergency.
India reported 1,429 new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 24,509 with 775 deaths. The government decided to allow independent shops in the community to open.
The total number of confirmed cases in Paraguay rose to 223, the government has again extended a mandatory social quarantine until May 3.
South Korea confirmed 10 new cases as of midnight on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,718 and death toll to 240.
Canada recorded 1,782 new cases and 190 new deaths, bringing the total to 43,889. The death toll now stands at 337.
Germany reported 2,055 new cases with 179 new deaths, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 152,438, including 5,500 deaths.
Singapore to conduct large-scale COVID-19 antibody test for economic restart
Singapore will conduct "large-scale testing of the entire population and more safety quarantine measures" for the "gradual re-opening" of the country's economy, Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's minister for trade and industry said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday.
Earlier, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the county needs to substantially expand its COVID-19 testing in order to detect swiftly any new cases.
A couple wearing face masks walk past the landmark Merlion statue in Singapore. /AP
U.S. Navy recommends reinstating commander of coronavirus-hit USS Theodore Roosevelt
The U.S. Navy on Friday recommended to Defense Secretary Mark Esper the reinstatement of Captain Brett Crozier's command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt that has been hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Following a week-long investigation, the Navy concluded that Crozier, who was fired earlier this month after sounding the alarms of a growing coronavirus outbreak aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, should be reinstated as the warship's commander, said local media reports.
According to a statement issued by the Navy later Friday, the recommendation has been presented to the Defense Secretary and is under "continued discussions" with Esper. "No final decisions have been made," the statement added.
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Captain Brett Crozier, former commanding officer of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, December 19, 2019. /Reuters
Designed by Li Yueyun
Children may respond to stress in different ways in crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes being clingier, anxious, angry, withdrawing and bedwetting.
Here are some tips provided by the World Health Organization that you can follow to reduce your child's stress:
- Listen to their concerns and give them extra love
- Give them more time and attention
- Speak to them kindly and supportively, while reassuring them
- Keep children close to their parents and family
- Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible
- Give them clear information about how to reduce their risk of being infected
UN chief calls for affordable, universally accessible COVID-19 vaccine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for the development and production of COVID-19 tools that are universally accessible.
Guterres made the appeal at the launch of global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to new COVID-19 tools.
The world needs the development, production and equitable delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutics and diagnostics – not a vaccine or treatment for one country or one region or one-half of the world, but a vaccine and treatment that are affordable, safe, effective, easily administered and universally available, for everyone, everywhere, Guterres told the virtual event.
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Read more:
Graphics: How soon can we get a COVID-19 vaccine?
China approves clinical trials for two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview in Lahore, Pakistan, February 18, 2020. AP
Twelve new confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered on the Chinese mainland on Friday, 11 of them imported and one domestic, according to China's National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 29 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases in the Chinese mainland stands at 82,816, the cumulative death toll at 4,632, and 983 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 89 patients were discharged from hospitals on Friday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,346.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,035 (725 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (27 recovered)
Taiwan: 428 (264 recovered, 6 deaths)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday research showed that strains of the novel coronavirus first entered his state from Europe, not China./REUTERS.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday research showed that strains of the novel coronavirus first entered his state from Europe, not China, and that travel bans enacted by U.S. President Donald Trump were too late to halt its spread.
Cuomo pointed to researchers at Northeastern University who estimated that more than 10,000 New Yorkers may have contracted the disease by the time the state had its first confirmed case on March 1. He said he believed Italy was the likely source.
The governor noted that Trump ordered a ban on travel from China on February 2, more than a month after news reports had emerged about an outbreak in China, and decided to restrict travel from Europe the following month. By that time, the virus had spread widely in the United States, he said.
"We acted two months after the China outbreak. When you look back, does anyone think the virus was still in China waiting for us to act two months later?”Cuomo told a news briefing. "The horse had already left the barn by the time we moved.”
WHO calls for universal access to vaccines in global COVID-19 plan
All new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments against the new coronavirus must be made equally available to everyone worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday as it outlined an international initiative to accelerate work to fight COVID-19.
Launching what he called a "landmark collaboration" between countries across the world to speed the development of effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent and treat COVID-19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus was a "common threat, which we can only defeat with a common approach."
He added: "Experience has told us that even when tools are available they have not been equally available to all. We cannot allow that to happen," Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual conference with world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Coronavirus cases may have existed before January in Italy: Researcher
Coronavirus cases may have already been present in January or even earlier in northern Italy and the Lombardy region, Stefano Merler, a researcher from the Bruno Kessler Foundation, a top research institute in Italy, told a media briefing on Friday.
In Lombardy, "there are hundreds of cases that had symptoms before February," he said at the media briefing.
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U.S. coronavirus death toll hits over 50,000: Johns Hopkins
The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States crossed 50,000 on Friday, according to the latest data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Latest COVID-19 developments in Europe
The UK: 684 more people died in UK hospitals as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 19,506, the Department of Health and Social Care said Friday.
The Netherlands: The number of confirmed cases in the Netherlands rose by 806 to 36,535, health authorities said on Friday, with 112 more deaths. The country's overall death toll is 4,289, the Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.
Austria: Austria registered 14,987 coronavirus infections with 530 deaths as of Friday morning. Of the infected, 651 are hospitalized and 156 are in intensive care, according to the Health Ministry.
Sweden: A total of 812 new confirmed cases were reported as of Friday, and the total number of infections stands at 17,567, with a death toll of 2,152.
(With input from agencies)
Transport for London to furlough 7,000 staff, access UK job retention scheme
Transport for London (TFL) said on Friday it would place 7,000 staff on furlough and access the British government's job retention scheme, saving nearly 16 million pounds (19.72 million U.S. dollars) a month in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
"TfL is to place 7,000 staff whose work has been reduced or paused as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on furlough from Monday. This will allow TfL to access funding from the government's Job Retention Scheme, saving the organisation an estimated 15.8 million pounds every four weeks," TfL, which runs the city's underground subway system and bus network, said in a statement.
"This will partly reduce the huge financial impact of coronavirus whilst constructive discussions continue with the government on the wider revenue support that TfL will need to continue the effective operation of London's transport network."
IMF, WTO urge open trade amid COVID-19 pandemic
The International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization on Friday urged countries to refrain from imposing export and other trade restrictions as the world fights against the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
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A street view in Tokyo, Japan, April 17, 2020. /AP
14% of COVID-19 infections in Tokyo are medical workers
As of April 21, a total of 454 medical workers have contracted with COVID-19, making up 14 percent of the total cases in Tokyo, NHK reported on Friday.
The report also noted that nearly 10 percent of COVID-19 patients in the whole country are possibly infected with the novel coronavirus inside hospitals and other medical institutions.
An earlier report said that Tokyo's Eiju General Hospital had confirmed 201 cases of COVID-19 infections from March 20 to April 17, among whom 73 are medical workers, and 128 patients in the hospital.
A total of 463 patients and 1,019 medical workers in Eiju General Hospital have undergone tests for coronavirus.
NHK citing the Japanese medical experts warned that further increase of the COVID-19 cases could trigger a collapse of Japan's healthcare system.
UK's coronavirus testing website overwhelmed by demand, government apologizes
The UK government's new website designed to allow essential workers to directly book a coronavirus test was closed to applications hours after its launch at 6:00 local time on Friday following high demand.
"There has been significant demand for booking tests today. We apologize for any inconvenience. We are continuing to rapidly increase availability. More tests will be available tomorrow," the Department of Health and Social Care said in a tweet after the closedown.
Boris Johnson government has been criticized for been "too slow" on testing for the coronavirus.
Earlier this week, UK's Health Minister Helen Whately had admitted to Sky News that some of the "early tests" used by the NHS were "not effective enough" and a re-testing has been asked.
Major disinfectant firm warns against improper use after Trump comment
The world's leading manufacturer of disinfectants and the makers of Lysol and Dettol, RB, on Friday warned against consuming and injecting disinfectants after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed the use of UV light and disinfectants to treat COVID-19.
"As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route)," RB said in a press release.
Spain's coronavirus death toll rises by 367 to 22,524, lowest daily toll in a month
Spain's coronavirus death toll has risen by 367 to 22,524 in the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said on Friday.
It's the lowest daily number of deaths in four weeks since March 22 when 394 deaths were recorded.
There were 2,796 new infections confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, or swab tests, over the past 24 hours, while 3,105 recovered, Spain's health ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon told a news conference.
The total number of new cases went up by 6,740 in the last 24 hours when those detected by antibody tests were included, bringing the overall number of infections to 219,764 from 213,024 the day before.
(With input from AFP)
Latest COVID-19 development in the Middle East
Iran on Friday reported 1,168 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 88,194. Also, 93 people have died in the past 24 hours, and the country's overall death toll is now 5,574.
Israel said on Friday morning it had recorded 290 new cases and two new deaths in the past 24 hours. The country's national death toll is now 193, and the number of infections is 14,882.
Oman reported 74 new cases on Friday, taking its total cases to 1,790. Of that number, 325 patients have recovered, and nine have died.
Lebanon has recorded eight new cases, taking its overall cases of COVID-19 to 696 as of Friday noon. A total of 140 patients have recovered and 22 have died so far.
Kuwait on Friday reported 215 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death, bringing the total infections to 2,614 and death toll to 15.
Latest COVID-19 developments in Europe and Asia
Germany on Friday recorded a total of 5,321 deaths from COVID-19; so far, more than 150,000 people have contracted the coronavirus in the country.
UK health minister Matt Hancock said the country will keep lockdown measures and "will not allow for changes to be made that are unsafe." The UK has so far reported more than 139,000 cases of COVID-19 with 18,791 deaths.
Russia reported 5,849 new cases over the last 24 hours, which brings the total infections to 68,622; the country reported a total of 615 deaths as of Friday.
Singapore recorded 897 new cases of Friday, taking its total number of infections to 12,075.
Philippines extended the lockdown in capital Manila until May 15 and the country's major airlines will suspend domestic and international flights until mid-May. Cebu City's prison on Friday reported 147 infections of COVID-19. Philippines has so far confirmed more than 7,100 cases with 477 deaths.
Malaysia on Friday reported 88 new cases which brings the total numbers of infections to 5,691. The country has extended comprehensive restrictive measures till May 12 to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
South Korea reported zero death of COVID-19 for the first time, the country reported six new cases on Friday, which brings the total infections to 10,708.
Donald Trump on Thursday said in a briefing that researchers should try to apply their findings to coronavirus patients by injecting ultraviolet light or disinfectant into their bodies. On Twitter, several doctors and experts warned the public against injecting disinfectant or using UV light. Edwin Mitchell, an intensive care specialist, tweeted: "inhale or swallow bleach will kill you and UV light will give you cancer."
WHO to launch initiative to share COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it would announce a "landmark collaboration" later today to speed up development of safe, effective drugs, tests and vaccines to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.
The Geneva-based agency said the initiative with partners aims to make technologies against the disease caused by the novel coronavirus "accessible to everyone who needs them, worldwide," but gave no details.
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The last critical-condition COVID-19 patient has recovered from the disease in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, announced Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), on Friday.
Mi noted that on Thursday, the current number of COVID-19 cases in Hubei has fallen to below 50 for the first time.
According to the NHC report, all the current cases in Hubei Province are registered in its capital city of Wuhan and following the recovery of the last critically ill patient in Wuhan today, there are only 46 patients that are still hospitalized.
Hubei has seen no new infections and suspected cases for 20 straight days.
Speaking at the briefing, Mi also said the current number of imported cases on the Chinese mainland has also seen a steady decline in the past 10 days.
Mi had revealed on Thursday's media briefing that over half of the imported coronavirus cases on the Chinese mainland have recovered.
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Over half of imported cases on Chinese mainland have recovered
Report: UK PM Boris Johnson plans returning to work as soon as Monday
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to return to work as early as Monday to take back control of the coronavirus crisis, the Telegraph reported.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is in charge as stand-in leader while Johnson recuperates from COVID-19 complications.
Earlier this month, Johnson was discharged from a London hospital and was continuing his recovery at his country residence of Chequers.
Johnson is facing criticism from opposition politicians and some epidemiologists for reacting too slowly to the virus outbreak.
Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis with the number of deaths related to coronavirus hitting 18,738 – the fifth highest national death toll from the pandemic worldwide.
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An 800-bed hospital that was hastily built to treat coronavirus patients outside Russia's capital Moscow is ready to become fully operational. The clinic, 70 kilometers south of Moscow, was inspired by a coronavirus facility in the Chinese city of Wuhan, was built in a month.
The doctors and nurses of Moscow's Spasokukotsky hospital are dealing with a surge of coronavirus patients. An entire wing of the city hospital has been turned over to virus patients. Almost all the beds are full less than a week after it opened.
Russia is seeing a major increase in coronavirus cases, with Moscow's sprawling metropolis at the epicenter, after initially avoiding the mass outbreaks that hit parts of Western Europe weeks ago. Of 62,773 confirmed Russian cases as of Thursday, 33,940 are in Moscow, which also accounts for 288 of the country's 555 deaths.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 2,337 to 150,383
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 2,337 to 150,383, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.
The latest increase was a slight deceleration after three straight days of new infections.
The reported death toll rose by 227 to 5,321, the tally showed on Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo launches fresh attacks on the WHO amid world criticisms
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the COVID-19 pandemic shows the need to overhaul the World Health Organization (WHO), warning that Washington may never restore WHO funding, and could even work to set up an alternative to the UN body instead.
As Pompeo launched fresh attacks on the WHO, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives accused the administration of President Donald Trump of trying to "scapegoat" the institution to distract from its own handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
In a letter to Trump, they called for the immediate restoration of U.S. funding, which Trump suspended last week over its handling of the pandemic.
Pompeo told Fox News late on Wednesday there needed to be "a structural fix of the WHO" to correct its "shortcomings."
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All available evidence to date suggests that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has a natural animal origin and is not a manipulated or constructed virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a daily report on Thursday.
"All available evidence for COVID-19 suggests that SARS-CoV-2 has a zoonotic source," said the world health authority, adding that "many researchers have been able to look at the genomic features of SARS-CoV-2 and have found that evidence does not support that SARS-CoV-2 is a laboratory construct."
"A constructed virus would show a mix of known elements within genomic sequences – this is not the case," said the report.
SARS-CoV-2 was identified in early January and its genetic sequence was shared publicly on January 11-12, noted the global health watchdog, stressing that the full genetic sequence of the virus from the early human cases and the sequences of many other viruses isolated from human cases from China and all over the world since then show that SARS-CoV-2 has an ecological origin in bat populations.
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Experts: Coronavirus is not man made, not released from a lab
Expert: Tracing origin of the novel coronavirus is a scientific issue
The head of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a vaccine could be months away and vaccines may be ready for emergency use by September.
A medical worker examines a patient with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 25, 2020. /Xinhua
The National Health Commission reported on Friday six new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Thursday, two imported and four domestic.
The commission also reported 34 new asymptomatic patients and no new deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases in the Chinese mainland stands at 82,804, the cumulative death toll at 4,632, and 979 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
Chinese health authorities said 50 patients were discharged from hospitals on Thursday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,257.
The total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,035 (699 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (27 recovered)
Taiwan: 427 (253 recovered, 6 deaths)
U.S. House approves aid package, sets up panel to probe gov't coronavirus response
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives approved the fourth coronavirus aid package, with a majority of that money allocated to small businesses. The rest of the funding will be used to help hospitals crushed by the the outbreak of COVID-19.
The legislation received solid bipartisan support in the Democratic-led House, with only five House members, four Republicans and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voting "No" on the bill.
The $484 billion aid bill is the fourth bill to pass during the coronavirus pandemic.
Around $321 billion will be used for the Paycheck Protection Program, a small business aid program that ran out of money early in the crisis. According to Politico, the aid bill will provide $60 billion in economic disaster loans for small businesses, $75 billion in emergency funding for hospitals and $25 billion to improve coronavirus testing.
The House also approved the creation of a special coronavirus investigative panel that will examine the federal government's response to the pandemic - passing on bi-partisan lines, 212 to 182, with Republicans completely against it.
The bill was sent to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign the aid package.
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Latest COVID-19 development in some European countries
UK's COVID-19 death toll in hospitals rose by 616 to 18,738 in the 24 hours up to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, and 138,078 people have tested positive in the country as of 9 a.m. on Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron told mayors that a plan to unwind the country's COVID-19 lockdown will be unveiled around next Tuesday.
France has 21,340 COVID-19 related deaths, and 29,741 people tested positive for the coronavirus and were hospitalized.
Greece said it is extending coronavirus lockdown measures by a week to May 4.
The number of coronavirus infections in Romania rose by 386 on the day to 10,096. Its health ministry said 2,478 people have recovered so far and 527 have died.
Russia recorded 4,774 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, a fall in the number of daily new cases for the third day running, bringing its total tally to 62,773. The latest death toll is 555.
Ukraine on Thursday reported a total of 7,170 confirmed cases, with 187 deaths.
The Netherlands announced on Thursday that its number of infections rose by 887 to 35,729, with 4,177 deaths.
The latest COVID-19 numbers from Portugal are 22,353, with 820 deaths.
CNN: Trump has praised China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic 37 times
U.S. President Donald Trump has recently criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for being too "China-centric" and failing to objectively assess the COVID-19 situation and repeatedly stoked criticism at China as confirmed cases in the U.S. surpassed 842,000.
However, CNN Monday found that the U.S. president has praised China at least 37 times since January.
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1,500 soldiers in France contracted with COVID-19
A total of 1,500 soldiers have been confirmed as being COVID-19 positive in France, among them are 1,046 crew members from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, according to local authorities on Thursday.
(Cover: Xinhua)
Residents of care facilities may account for nearly half of the coronavirus deaths recorded in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.
"According to estimates from countries in the European Region, up to half of those who have died from COVID-19 were residents in long-term care facilities," WHO European director Hans Kluge said at a press conference on Thursday, calling it "an unimaginable human tragedy."
Kluge said health workers in such facilities were often overworked and underpaid and the way these facilities operate, and how residents receive care – is providing pathways for the virus to spread.
Almost 50 percent of the global burden of COVID-19 cases - over 1.2 million – are recorded in the European region and over 110,000 people have lost their lives.
Noting on stabilizing or decreasing in some European countries in recent days, Kluge urged caution. "We remain in very turbulent water and will do so for some time."
Boris Johnson has talked to the Queen and is in touch with team: spokesperson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had audience by telephone with the Queen last night, the PM spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.
Johnson is still recovering at Chequers after being discharged from St Thomas' Hospital in London on 12 April but he is not formally doing any government work for the moment.
He discussed COVID-19 and trade with the U.S. President Donald Trump early in the week.
It's not immediately known when he'll be officially back to work, but the spokesperson said he has been speaking to his No. 10 team and receiving regular updates on the coronavirus response.
Earlier on Thursday, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the PM "will be back at work soon."
COVID-19: Put lives first and drop the arrogance urges China's Ambassador to the UK
Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, has called for the international community to work together in the coronavirus pandemic and put lives first.
Speaking at an Asia House event in London, Liu said China notified the world about the outbreak without delay and built a "strong line of defense" for global public health.
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Kremlin: Russia and China maintain comprehensive communication to jointly battle the epidemic
Russia and China have maintained comprehensive communication to jointly battle the epidemic, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday.
The novel coronavirus is not only a challenge for a certain country but also a challenge to all mankind and the world economy, Peskov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin firmly believes that the international community should cooperate to overcome the virus and gradually eliminate the impact of the epidemic on the world economy, Peskov added.
Latest COVID-19 development in Asia and Middle East
Asia
The Philippines on Thursday reported 16 new coronavirus deaths and 271 confirmed infections. Total deaths have increased to 462, while infections have risen to 6,981.
The Philippines' president is to decide whether to lift or extend quarantine measures on the country's main island.
Singapore said preliminary data showed 1,037 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the Southeast Asian city-state's total infections to 11,178. A vast majority of the new cases were migrant workers residing in dormitories.
Indonesia on Thursday announced 357 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections in the archipelagic country to 7,775. The overall fatalities now stand at 647.
Also, the country announced a ban on all domestic air and sea travel from April 24 to June 1 and June 8, respectively.
Malaysia reported 71 new confirmed cases on Thursday, raising the cumulative total to 5,603. Two more deaths were also registered, raising the total number of fatalities to 95. Malaysia on Thursday announced the extension of comprehensive restrictive measures for two more weeks until May 12.
India reported 214 cases, with 13 deaths in Dharavi, the country's largest slum on Thursday. India has so far reported more than 21,000 cases of COVID-19, with 681 deaths.
Middle East
Iran on Thursday reported 1,030 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 87,026. Also, 90 people have died in the past 24 hours, and the country's overall death toll is now 5,481
Israel said on Thursday it had recorded 94 new cases and two new deaths. The country's national death toll is now 191, and the number of infections is 14,592.
Oman reported 102 new cases on Thursday, taking its total cases to 1,716. Of that number, 307 patients have recovered, and eight have died.
Kuwait recorded 151 new cases and one new death, bringing the country's total number of infections to 2,399 and fatalities to 14. A total of 498 patients in the country have recovered.
UAE Thursday reported the largest daily increase of 518 new infections. The country now has 8,756 cases and 56 deaths.
Number of people facing hunger likely to double due to coronavirus
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic could double the number of people facing hunger, with children being the worst victims, warned a report released by an alliance of United Nations, governmental and non-governmental agencies.
More than 265 million people would face food insecurities as a result of the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19, a massive increase from 135 million in 2019. Malnutrition caused by the lack of food led to stunting 75 million children in 55 countries, hampering their physical and mental growth last year.
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The redlined, the underpaid, the insured: Black Americans in COVID-19 pandemic
The novel coronavirus attacks all, regardless of race, gender, or nationality. But it's still "selective" in some places through disproportionately targeting the poor, vulnerable, and the underprivileged.
The situation is even starker in the U.S., the current epicenter of the pandemic, where the virus has shaken the communities of black Americans. Over the past few months, they've been infected and dying at higher rates than the national average. According to figures released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late last week, African Americans make up 30 percent of the country's confirmed coronavirus patients – much higher than the proportion of African Americans in the entire population, which stands at 13 percent.
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Border city Suifenhe becomes China's new frontline in COVID-19 fight
Facing a high proportion of novel coronavirus infection cases brought from abroad, Suifenhe, a remote border city with fewer than 70,000 residents, has become the new frontline in China's battle against the COVID-19.
Why Suifenhe?
Suifenhe, a county-level city under Mudanjiang, is a key frontier port in China's Heilongjiang Province, which is just 120 km from the Russian port city of Vladivostok.
The Suifenhe border crossing is one of the few places where Chinese people living in Russia could use it to return home after Russia shut down international flights in late March.
These Chinese nationals returning to the Chinese mainland took a similar route: fly from Moscow to Vladivostok and then take trains, buses, or privates cars to the Suifenhe port.
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Spain records 4,635 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 213,024
Spain reported 4,635 new coronavirus cases on April 22, taking the nationwide tally to 213,024, according to the nation's health authorities on Thursday.
The overall death toll in Spain has risen to 22,157 from 21,717, its health ministry said.
China refutes U.S.'s 'groundless' accusations about coronavirus
Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Geng Shuang on Thursday refuted the "groundless" accusations made by certain U.S. politicians about China's
handling of the coronavirus.
"We have repeatedly responded to remarks made by certain U.S. politicians accusing China of not doing a good job in preventing and controlling the disease. Their purpose is to cover up the facts about their failure to implement timely and effective disease prevention and control measures," Geng said, adding that such acts are not conducive to alleviating the COVID-19 challenges that have emerged in the country.
Canadian PM announces billions of dollars in emergency aid for students
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday nine billion Canadian dollars (about 6.35 billion U.S. dollars) in financial aid for students whose education and job prospects are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aid named Canada Emergency Student Benefit is intended to help young people who have fallen through the cracks of other emergency relief programs against the COVID-19 crisis.
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China has decided to donate another 30 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily media briefing on Thursday, adding the donation aims at helping the building of developing countries' health systems.
In March, China already donated 20 million U.S. dollars to the organization to support it in carrying out international cooperation in fighting the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and for helping developing countries improve their response capacities.
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China to donate $20 million to WHO for COVID-19 fight, vow to strengthen international cooperation
Over half of imported cases on Chinese mainland have recovered
Over half of the imported coronavirus cases on the Chinese mainland have recovered, said Mi Feng, a spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC) at a media briefing on Thursday.
According to the latest HNC report, a total of 1,616 cases were imported and 823 patients in these cases have recovered as of Wednesday.
Mi also noted a positive trend on domestic cases as the number of current coronavirus patients receiving treatment on the Chinese mainland went down to 959.
While in the epicenter of Hubei Province, there are 69 cases that are still in treatment, including two patients in critical condition.
Coronavirus cases reported on 26 U.S. Navy ships: Report
A total of 26 U.S. Navy warships have reported confirmed coronavirus cases so far, said local media citing a service official on Wednesday.
The 26 ships are all in port and each have a "very small number of cases aboard," according to the report.
Cases have had also been reported on another 14 Navy vessels in the past, but the sailors have since recovered.
A total 3,578 U.S. service members have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Defense. Those numbers include two deaths, 85 hospitalized individuals, and 1,073 recovered.
Among the total infections, the Navy was the hardest-hit division, with 1,298 cases.
Answer Bank: Can the COVID-19 virus spread through pools, hot tubs or spas, and water playgrounds?
In the southern U.S. state of Florida, the weather is already warm enough for swimming pool activities. With the governor's green light, north Florida beaches were among the first in the U.S. to allow people to return since being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the good news is that there is no evidence the COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools, hot tubs or spas, or water playgrounds; the proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools, hot tubs or spas, and water playgrounds should inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It is of great importance that both adults and kids at private or public pool gatherings should practice social distancing, particularly staying away from people who are coughing and sneezing.
For pool operators, the CDC reminds they should make sure kids are well-supervised when in the water; and that chemicals such as chlorine are added to pool water to kill germs at regular time.
As the summer is coming, the following tips for healthy swimming are recommended for the public:
WHO urges U.S. to reconsider funding, says virus to stay for long
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that he hoped the U.S. administration would reconsider its suspension of funding, but that his main focus was on ending the pandemic and saving lives.
"Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics and some that were affected early in the pandemic are starting to see a resurgence in cases," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Geneva journalists in a virtual briefing. "Make no mistake we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," he said, while noting that epidemics in Western Europe appear to be stabilizing or declining.
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Fourteen more cases of coronavirus infections have been confirmed on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs at Japan's Nagasaki prefecture, bringing the total to 48, NHK said on Thursday.
As of Wednesday, 34 crew members on the Costa Atlantica had tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising concerns about the impact on the local community.
The Costa Atlantica infections come after the cases on the Diamond Princess in Yokohama two months ago, where more than 700 people were found to be infected, although this time only crew members were on board.
The Italian cruise ship is carrying 623 crew members and no passengers, officials have said.
(With input from Reuters)
Former Stanford President and FDA chief dies of COVID-19
Donald Kennedy, the eighth president of Stanford University and former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, died of COVID-19 at the age of 88. He has also served as editor-in-chief of the journal Science.
Kennedy died Tuesday morning at a care facility in Gordon Manor, Stanford said in a statement. In addition to Kennedy, at least two other Gordon Manor residents have died of the coronavirus, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Donald Kennedy, former president of Stanford University and then commissioner of the U.S. FDA. /courtesy of Stanford News Service
First pet infections reported in U.S.
Two cats in New York have become the first pets in the United States to test positive for the new coronavirus, according to U.S. health authorities.
It is believed that they contracted the virus from people in their households or neighborhoods.
At a daily briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said there's no evidence that the virus is transmitted from pets to humans, indicating owners do not need to fear their pets.
Meanwhile, four tigers and three lions are the latest big cats to be infected with the virus at Bronx Zoo in New York City. Another tiger at the zoo tested positive earlier this month.
On Wednesday, the Chinese mainland announced 10 more COVID-19 cases, six imported and four domestic, according to the National Health Commission, which also reported 27 new asymptomatic patients and no more deaths.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,798, the cumulative death toll at 4,632, and 984 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On Wednesday, Chinese health authorities said 56 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,207.
The total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,033 (678 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (26 recovered)
Taiwan: 426 (236 recovered, 6 deaths)
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday during a visit to north-western France that the government will gradually ease movement restrictions from May 11 in different regions of the country.
Under the government's plan to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, cafes, restaurants, shops, cinemas, and theaters will remain closed, while festivals will be postponed to mid-July.
Meanwhile, schools will be reopened in several stages and with much smaller classes. But questions over protective equipment and hygiene protocol to be implemented in education establishments remain unanswered.
The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in France has climbed to 21,340, after a one-day increase of 544, higher than Tuesday's 531, director-general of health, Jerome Salomon, announced on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 29,741 people tested positive for the coronavirus were hospitalized, down by 365 in the last 24 hours, consolidating a one-week slowdown.
(With input from Xinhua)
Donald Trump, who last week backed protests against statewide lockdowns, clashed with the Republican governor of Georgia on Wednesday, saying he "disagreed strongly" with the decision by Brian Kemp to reopen salons, gyms and other nonessential businesses later this week.
At Wednesday's press briefing, the president also called on the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to walk back his warning that a second wave of the coronavirus could be "even more difficult."
Trump disagrees with Kemp
Kemp, the Georgia governor, announced this week that various non-essential businesses would reopen in the state over the coming days, prompting warnings from Democrats that the state had not yet met the federal recommendations for reopening the economy.
Trump has been stressing the importance of reopening states sooner than later to get the U.S. economy back on track and his administration recently announced a three-phase plan for making that happen.
But at the White House's daily press briefing on Wednesday, he said he told Kemp that he had misgivings over the governor's plan to reopen quickly. He also said that he would not stand in his way. "I want him to do what he thinks is right," Trump said. "But I disagree with him on what he's doing ... It's just too soon."
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp tours a temporary hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, April 16, 2020. /AP
Trump's top adviser on the pandemic, Anthony Fauci, urged Kemp to proceed with caution. "If I were advising the governor, I would tell him, be careful, I would tell him not to just turn the switch on and go," Fauci said, adding that Georgia could see a rebound of the virus, further damaging the state's economy.
Kemp responded in a tweet on Wednesday night that he appreciated Trump's guidance but would move forward with his plan.
"Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials. We will continue with this approach to protect the lives - and livelihoods - of all Georgians," he tweeted.
Redfield on second wave
Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clarified his warning that a second wave of coronavirus could be worse than the current situation.
"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," Redfield said in an interview on Tuesday with the Washington Post.
"And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean. We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time."
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that the health expert was misquoted and would be putting out a statement. Redfield, speaking at the daily briefing, said he was quoted accurately.
"I think it's really important to emphasize what I didn't say: I didn't say that this was going to be worse," Redfield said. "I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated because we're going to have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time."
Trump downplayed the chances that the coming fall or winter could bring another serious wave of COVID-19 cases combined with outbreaks of seasonal flu.
"We will not go through what we went through in the last few months," Trump said. "It may not come back at all." Instead, the president said there could be "embers of corona" that could combine with flu to create "a mess."
Fauci, however, said the country needs to be prepared for a second wave. "We will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that.”
(With input from agencies)
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.6 mln, death toll tops 180,000
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide reached 2,620,579 as of 6:39 a.m. BJT (2039 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, global deaths from COVID-19 rose to 182,903, according to the CSSE.
The United States reported 837,947 cases and at least 46,497 deaths. The highest numbers in the world.
Trump signs executive order suspending immigration into U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States during the coronavirus
outbreak.
At a news briefing, Trump also said that he disagrees with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp about reopening certain businesses this month, noting it was too soon for enterprises like spas, beauty salons and tattoo parlors to resume business.
Click here for more.
Eiju General Hospital in Tokyo reports 201 cases of COVID-19 infection
Tokyo's Eiju General Hospital has reported 201 cases of COVID-19 infection during March 20 to April 17, among them, 73 people are medical workers and 128 are the patients in the hospital, according to reports on Wednesday.
As of now, 463 patients and 1,019 medical workers in the hospital have undergone tests for coronavirus.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Asia
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed on Wednesday to ease the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in most parts of the country.
Singapore reported 1,016 new cases of COVID-19 infection as of Wednesday noon, taking the city state's total confirmed cases to 10,141. Singapore authorities on Tuesday extended a partial lockdown until June 1.
Malaysia recorded 50 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the cumulative total to 5,532. The total number of fatalities was up to 93 by one.
Large-scale social restrictions in Indonesia's capital Jakarta will be extended for a month until May 22. The Southeastern Asian country now has a total of 7,418 cases and a death toll of 635.
Europe
The number of UK hospital deaths from coronavirus rises to 18,100 from 17,337 as of 5 p.m. (1600GMT) on Tuesday, while the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 had risen to 133,495 as of 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Wednesday.
Matt Hancock, Health secretary told the Parliament on Wednesday that UK is "at the peak" of the coronavirus outbreak.
The number of people infected with the new coronavirus in Poland exceeded 10,000 on Wednesday, with the death toll reaching 404. On Monday, the government has started to relax some of the restrictions imposed during the outbreak.
Swiss death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 1,217. The number of positive tests also increased to 28,268 from 28,063 on Tuesday,
The Netherlands said on Wednesday that confirmed cases in the country rose by 708 to 34,842, and the country's death toll stands at 4,054.
Ukraine has extended strong quarantine measures till May 11. The country has reported 6,592 infections of April 22, including 174 deaths, and 424 recovered.
Middle East
Iran on Wednesday confirmed 1,194 new cases, bringing the total number infected by the COVID-19 to 85,996, and the country's death toll has reached 5,391.
Lebanon has recorded a total of 682 coronavirus cases and 22 fatalities as of Thursday noon. So far, 108 patients have recovered.
Israel reported an increase of 384 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 14,326. The number of coronavirus deaths rose to 187 in Israel, with three new death cases in the past 24 hours.
Kuwait Wednesday recorded the largest daily spike of 168 cases. The total infections in the country are 2,248, among which 13 were fatal. A total of 443 patients have recovered.
Saudi Arabia identified 1,141 new cases, bringing its total to 12,772. Among all, 109 patients have died, and 1,812 have recovered.
The health authorities of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has launched a website that promotes information and policies on public health as well as the epidemic prevention measures.
The website named: "Inminbogon" offers two languages- Korean and English, introducing the recent efforts made by the DPRK government to prevent a virus outbreak in the country.
The DPRK, has so far not confirmed any cases of the coronavirus as the global coronavirus cases have already exceeded 2.5 million.
(Cover: VCG)
South Korea says patients from relapse coronavirus cases not highly infectious
Patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after recovering from their first bout of the disease appeared to be far less infectious and transmissible the second time round, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Wednesday.
KCDC has begun investigating a growing number of people testing positive after recovering. Over 180 such cases have been recorded in the country.
"Although their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were positive, they tested negative after being cultivated in isolation, meaning the viruses from relapse cases have very low or no infectious power," KCDC chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said.
The KCDC said it's still examining why some patients test positive again after recovering as the country saw downward trending of more infections.
South Korea reported only 11 new cases on Tuesday as its daily caseload hovered around 10 for the fifth straight day. The country's total number of infections is 10,694.
(With input from Reuters)
COVID-19: Why do more seem to die in some countries than others?
Around 10,000 extra people are dying each week in Europe, according to the latest information from The University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) released on Monday.
Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 is driving the spike in deaths – primarily among the over-65s, who account for nearly 80 percent of total fatalities.
Each week, the CEBM publishes Europe's mortality rate. Since the pandemic began to increase that rate significantly, it started to look more closely at COVID-19's effect on the continent's death rate to help scientists understand more about the coronavirus, how many people are infected and how deadly it is, which the group calls its "case fatality rate."
Lockdowns in Spain, Italy and elsewhere are helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus and aggregate deaths are starting to plateau at a level more in line with the seasonal average. Some countries, however, have case fatality rates as high as 15 percent. In others, such as Iceland, it's just 0.51 percent.
Understanding why there is such a disparity holds the key to knowing more about this silent killer.
Click here for more.
Raab says testing capacity at 40K a day, denies slow response to pandemic
UK's foreign minister Raab said on Wednesday the country now has a testing capacity of 40,000 a day for the new coronavirus while denying the government has been slow in its response to the pandemic.
He also said he would not commit to holding a public inquiry into the government's handling, in response to a question raised by MP Edward Davey.
"I have to say I won't take up his offer of committing to a public inquiry. I think that there are definitely lessons to be learned, and when we get through this crisis, it will be important that we take stock," Raab told parliament in the first-ever semi-virtually PMQs.
But he admitted the challenge to get hold of enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers, adding government needs to "strive even harder" to source equipment.
The British government has been criticized lately for a shortage of PPE. On Wednesday, a delayed delivery of PPE from Turkey, which was expected to arrive on Sunday, landed in the UK. The reason for the delay was not given.
Speaking to the Parliament, Raab also revealed that 69 health care workers have died from coronavirus in the UK.
Except for the shortage of medical equipment, concerns have also been given to medical workers as Health Minister Helen Whately earlier admitted to Sky News on Wednesday that some of the "early tests" used by the NHS were "not effective enough" and a re-testing has been asked.
So far, there are over 130,000 COVID-19 cases in the UK, and over 17,000 deaths have been registered. But the death toll is widely believed higher than the government data, which doesn't include fatalities outside hospitals.
Claims about artificial origin of coronavirus are unacceptable: Kremlin
The groundless accusations recently made by the U.S. media about artificial origin of novel coronavirus are unproven and unacceptable, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
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First U.S. coronavirus death occurred in early Feb in California
Health officials in California's Santa Clara County have identified two people who died from the new coronavirus in early and mid-February, making them the earliest known victims of the outbreak in the United States.
It was previously thought that the first U.S. death from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, was a man in his 50s who died in Washington state on February 29.
Click here for more.
The coronavirus pandemic is expected to drive carbon dioxide emissions down six percent this year, the head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday, in what would be the biggest yearly drop since World War II.
"This crisis has had an impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told a virtual briefing in Geneva.
"We estimate that there is going to be a 6 percent drop in carbon emissions this year because of the lack of emissions from transportation and industrial energy production."
(Cover: VCG)
China calls U.S. suing against its handling of coronavirus 'malicious'
China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed the accusation of the U.S. that China should be responsible for the coronavirus pandemic that has affected over 2.56 million people in the world, saying such allegation against the country is groundless and lacks legal basis.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang called the accusation is "purely malicious" and is against basic legal principles.
"According to the principle of sovereign equality of international law, the sovereign actions taken by Chinese governments at all levels in the epidemic prevention and control are not subject to the U.S. courts," Geng told reporters at a daily media briefing.
On Tuesday, Missouri became the first U.S. state to sue the Chinese government over its coronavirus handling, saying China's response to the outbreak had led to devastating economic losses in the state.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, also accused the Chinese government of making the pandemic worse by "hoarding" masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
Geng hit back on Wednesday the suing should be dismissed, adding the move is not good for the U.S. and is also against the very idea of international cooperation on the disease.
Click here for more.
Germany has authorized its first clinical test of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the country's regulatory body said Wednesday, green-lighting trials on human volunteers for an RNA vaccine developed by German firm Biontech and U.S. giant Pfizer.
"The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut... has authorized the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19 in Germany," the regulatory body said in a statement. It added that approval was the "result of a careful assessment of the potential risk/benefit profile of the vaccine candidate."
The trial will be conducted on 200 healthy people aged between 18 and 55 in the first stage, and on further people, including those at higher risk from the disease, in a second stage.
But it's not immediately clear when the trial will begin.
"We are pleased to have completed pre-clinical studies in Germany and will soon initiate this first-in-human trial ahead of our expectations," CEO and co-founder of Biontech Ugur Sahin said in the statement.
It was the fourth in human trials to have been authorized worldwide.
The other three experimental vaccine were developed by CanSino Biologics and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, U.S.' Inovio Pharmaceuticals, as well as Moderna Therapeutics and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) document.
The UK has also announced that it will conduct human trials for a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.
Read more:
Human COVID-19 vaccine trials to begin on Thursday – UK health secretary
(Cover: A medic conducts a swab test during a media event at a drive-through coronavirus testing checkpoint in Munich, Germany, March 11, 2020./ Reuters)
Tokyo Olympic organizing committee member tests positive for coronavirus
A member of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has tested positive for novel coronavirus, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The infected person is a man who works at the committee's headquarters. He is currently under quarantine at home.
(Cover: VCG)
Coronavirus cases rise to 208,389 as Spain aims for lockdown easing by late May
Spain's health ministry said on Wednesday that the country's coronavirus cases have risen to 208,389 from 204,178, and the death toll has jumped to 21,717 by 435 in the past 24 hours.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that the government plans to begin winding down the coronavirus lockdown measures in the second half of May, and restrictions will be eased slowly and gradually to ensure safety.
Right now, the country's Parliament is debating whether to extend Spain's state of emergency by another two weeks until May 9.
Russia reports 5,326 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 57,999
A total of 5,326 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia in past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 57,999 as of Wednesday, official data showed.
The death toll in the country now stands at 513. So far, 4,420 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
(Cover: A deliveryman waits to get takeaway in Moscow, Russia, April 7, 2020. /Xinhua)
Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, recorded 139 more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, among which 123 were from Cebu City Jail, Mayor Edgardo Labella announced on Wednesday.
The spike of infections in prison came after the mass testing done in the city, following the death of an inmate last week. Last Saturday, a male inmate from the city jail died after contracting the coronavirus.
According to local media, the prisoner died before his test result was released on Monday, together with another inmate and two jail officers. The four were the first confirmed cases in the prison.
So far, 312 infections are identified in Cebu.
While in the Philippines, 6,710 cases were registered and 446 patients have died, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
Damilola Odutola, a Nigerian doctor based in New York, tested positive for coronavirus over two weeks ago. Fortunately, he has recovered from the disease. In this video, he shares his thoughts about the current situation in New York.
Pakistani PM awaits the coronavirus test result
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has finished the test for coronavirus and is waiting for the result, which is expected to be released later in the day, local media reported on Wednesday.
Last week, Khan met Faisal Edhi, head of the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan, who was later tested positive for the coronavirus.
The current number of COVID-19 cases in central China's Wuhan City dropped to under 100 for the first time on April 21, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, at a press conference on Wednesday.
The city also reported zero death for seven consecutive days.
On Tuesday, the Chinese mainland reported 23 COVID-19 new cases, imported mainly from bordering countries, Mi said, adding that efforts should be maintained to prevent a resurgence of cases in China.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology provided the World Health Organization with the whole genome sequence of the virus in the early period of the epidemic, thereby laying a good foundation for the rest of the world to form their testing methods and vaccine design, said Yuan Zhiming, a researcher at the Institute.
Japan's Nagasaki reports 33 COVID-19 cases on cruise ship docked for repair
Japan's Nagasaki prefecture said on Wednesday that it detected 33 coronavirus cases on the Italian cruise ship Costa Atlantica docked for repairs.
Those who tested positive but are asymptomatic will stay on board for monitoring, and others will be transferred to medical institutions, Nagasaki Governor Hodo Nakamura said in a press conference.
A foreign crew member of the ship was first tested positive for the virus on Monday. Local medical institutions then tested 57 other members who had close contact with the known case.
Costa Atlantica is carrying 623 crew members and no passengers, according to local media.
AP
Latest updates on global coronavirus pandemic
Global: 2,561,044 total confirmed cases, 175,984 deaths.
U.S.: 823,786 total cases, 44,805 deaths. President Trump said Tuesday the coronavirus hospital ship USNS Comfort will leave New York City to get "ready for its next mission." Trump said the federal government will work with New York state to double its testing capacity to 40,000 people per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director warned on Tuesday that a second wave of the coronavirus is expected to hit the U.S. next winter at the start of the influenza season, and is likely to be even more "devastating."
France: 117,324 total cases (up 2,667) and 20,796 deaths (up 531). The number of intensive care unit (ICU) patients has been decreasing for 13 consecutive days to 5,433.
Italy: 183,957 total cases (up 2,729) and 24,648 deaths. The number of ICU patients has been decreasing for 18 consecutive days to 2,471.
Spain: 204,178 total cases (up 3,968) and 21,282 deaths (up 430). The government is allowing children under the age of 14 to be outside starting April 27. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will submit parliament legislation on Wednesday to extend the country's lockdown until May 11.
Brazil: 43,079 total cases (up 2,498) and 2,741 deaths (up 166). A total of 56.7 percent of the confirmed cases have now fully recovered.
Canada: 38,420 total cases (up 1,591) and 1,591 deaths (up 144).
Turkey: 95,591 total cases (up 4,611) and 2,259 deaths (up 119).
The Chinese mainland reported 30 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 23 from abroad and seven domestic, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 42 new asymptomatic patients. No new deaths were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,788. The cumulative death toll is 4,632, and 991 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On Tuesday, Chinese health authorities said 28 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,151.
The latest numbers for the total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,029 (650 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (24 recovered)
Taiwan: 425 (217 recovered, 6 deaths)
U.S. CDC director warns second wave of COVID-19 likely 'more devastating'
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield warned Tuesday that a second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more dire because it is likely to coincide with the start of the flu season, according to The Washington Post.
"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," Redfield was quoted as saying. "When I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean."
"We are going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time," he said, adding that the two simultaneous respiratory outbreaks would put unimaginable strain on the health-care system.
Redfield's comments came as several U.S. states are preparing to reopen their economies.
The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan, nearly half-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package Tuesday, with funding earmarked for devastated small businesses, overwhelmed hospitals, and a ramp-up of testing nationwide during the pandemic.
The essential job-saving measure, which passed by unanimous consent after more than a week of negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote could occur as early as Thursday.
The effort is the government's latest massive cash infusion to prop up a collapsing economy amid struggles to contain a pandemic that has killed 43,000 Americans and left some 22 million people jobless.
"This is a significant package," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, one which was cobbled together "on a crash timeline in these most unusual circumstances."
The measure builds on the 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars rescue legislation – the largest-ever federal intervention in the U.S. economy – signed into law last month.
President Donald Trump called on Congress to swiftly send him the bill, which would re-fund a program that has already helped more than 1.6 million businesses, so he can sign it into law.
"I urge the House to pass the bill, and they'll be voting on it, I imagine, very soon," he said.
Late last month, with many shops and restaurants nationwide forced to shutter due to the pandemic, the government launched the PPP to provide 350 billion U.S. dollars in what were essentially grants as long as businesses use the funds to pay their workers.
Banks were flooded with requests, and the money quickly ran out.
The new tranche would include 320 billion U.S. dollars in small business funding, plus 75 billion U.S. dollars for hospitals and 25 billion to expand coronavirus testing, McConnell said.
It also provides 60 billion U.S. dollars in disaster recovery loans and grants, he added.
"We have taken a giant step forward" towards providing more relief for small businesses and for first responders in hospitals, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.
Schumer claimed Democratic victory for obtaining funding for testing, and he praised Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows for agreeing to include it.
"We will not get America moving again until we have a national, well thought out, well executed testing program -- and this administration doesn't have one," Schumer said.
State funding later
Republicans wanted to pass a measure to fund just the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, but ultimately testing and hospital funding was included.
Schumer said considerable PPP money will be reserved for minority-run small businesses and those without access to large financial institutions.
The deal leaves out a key Democratic demand: extra funding for state and local governments battling the pandemic.
Trump said he wants such funding included in the next coronavirus rescue package, and congressional leaders said the forthcoming bill was already in the works.
The next measure will be "bigger, bolder, better" than the interim deal, Schumer said.
With the 100-member Senate having postponed its full sessions until May 4 due to coronavirus, Tuesday's vote occurred during a pro forma session, which usually features few lawmakers but can pass legislation if there is unanimous consent.
The measure passed, but McConnell made clear any subsequent aid package, including funding for state and local governments, would only be considered "when the Senate is back in session, with full participation" in Washington.
A vote in the House, also on recess, this week could be complicated.
The House is unlikely to pass the job-saving package by unanimous consent as the Senate did.
Number two Democrat Steny Hoyer said it likely will have to convene a House session where more than half the members return to Washington to attend.
The Chinese ambassador to the U.S. on Tuesday called for a "serious rethinking" of the very foundation of the China-U.S. relations as the world needs to work together to tackle the challenges in the coronavirus pandemic.
"I should be hoping for more than just a pause in tension but really a serious rethinking of the very foundation of these important relations," Cui Tiankai said in response to a question whether the two countries should seek a "technical pause" on rivalry during a Bloomberg New Economy webcast.
"This virus has had a huge impact on China, the United States and other countries in the world, and we should seriously think what the threat really is to China-U.S. relations and to the world? What are human society's strengths and shared vulnerabilities? What is our common interests?" Cui said. "So based on these thinking, how should we define the China-U.S. relations?"
"I hope both countries would learn from the pandemic and develop their bilateral ties based on a more realistic, forward-looking foundation," said the ambassador.
Photo from Chinese embassy to the United State
'Anything-but-China'
Cui also cautioned against what he called the "anything-but-China" mindset as China is doing its best to help other countries to fight the coronavirus.
As the COVID-19 began to spread outside China, China extended a helping hand, but its kindness was described as geopolitically-motivated, Cui said.
When China adopted new measures for quality control to make sure donated equipment met international standards, some again accused China of blocking exports of medical supplies, he continued, adding that behind the narrative trap is what he calls the "anything-but-China" or the "ABC" mindset.
"Some politicians are so preoccupied in their efforts for stigmatization, for groundless accusations," Cui said, urging the public to pay more attention to the views of scientists instead of politicians.
Over the last few months, Chinese President Xi Jinping has spoken over the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump in part to discuss the virus and other bilateral issues, the Chinese diplomat said. "The conversation has always been positive and instructive."
President Trump initially praised China's response to COVID-19 in a tweet on January 24, saying: "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!"
But recently, the U.S. has accused China of being responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and said Beijing should face the consequences.
The ambassador emphasized that China has shared everything learned from the COVID-19 with the world, including the United States.
And China is lending its support to many countries in need, including the United States.
"So far, China has supplied the United States with more than 1.4 billion facial masks. And then in addition to that, there is on going communication via video conferences between the two countries including doctors, medical professionals and public health workers. It is all open and transparent," Cui said.
"A few months ago, nobody knew much about this virus. So there was a process of discovery and learning, and we're still learning. But we're doing our best to be transparent. We are discovering. We are learning and at the same time sharing. The lack of transparency is not in terms of science or medical treatment, but in terms of some of the political developments, especially in the United States," he added.
"The purpose of keeping transparency is to let people know the facts and the truth based on science. But there is so little attention being paid to the views of scientists now. Some politicians are so preoccupied in stigmatization, making groundless accusations," said Cui.
"I think you would have to really make a distinction between some of the people who are politically motivated on the one hand, and the Chinese and American people on the other hand ... I think we have had a longstanding friendly relationship between the two peoples ... When China first confronted this COVID-19, there was a lot of support and understanding from the American people, American business and American institutions. So I think the two nations are still helping each other. I can see a deep-rooted, friendly sentiment between the two peoples," said Cui, responding to a question about a rumor the U.S. military was responsible for bringing the coronavirus to Wuhan.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Mikko Huotari, executive director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies and Susan Shirk, chair of the 21st Century China Center School of Global Policy & Strategy also participated in the live event.
Rudd believes the best that can be hoped for is a tactical pause in U.S.-China hostilities. Shirk suggested U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to have regular phone calls to kick-start high-level dialogue on more coronavirus cooperation.
"We always stand for dialogue ... When you have a new administration, you have a new president in the White House, you've got a new secretary of state who would want a new (policy) with their own name on it maybe. So we've been trying to meet that requirement to adjust, but also to a new standard for more dialogue," Cui noted.
"We need more dialogue in this room and to address the current priority, our joint efforts to confront this (pandemic) now ... Business leaders and even governors from the U.S. are trying to facilitate the flow of medical supplies from China to the United States," he added.
A worker is seen on a production line manufacturing masks at a factory in Shanghai, China, January 31, 2020. /Reuters
Trust issue?
Asked whether there has ever been any fundamental trust between China and the United States since 1970s, Cui said building and enhancing mutual trust should always be the common goal of both countries.
He said mutual trusts between the two countries has its "ups and downs" and there's no complete trust between the U.S. and its allies, but he said "striving to build and enhance mutual trust" should always be the shared goal of the two.
"We have to make our best efforts to build that trust, to improve, to have better mutual confidence. But in order to achieve that, I hope our friends in America, perhaps also in Europe, can think hard about some of the basic issues," Cui said.
"First, China has a right to develop and modernize. This right is inalienable. Number two, China has to develop and modernize its own path. And this China path is based on China's conditions rooted in Chinese cultures to meet the needs of its people. Number three, China's development is not to challenge or replace the United States in the world. This has never been our intention. And there's still such a gap in terms of economic, military and scientific power between China and the United States. We are fully aware of the gap, and China's development has not been as expansive ... It's clear both countries benefited from a normalized and developing China-U.S. relationship.
"So it's clear if our two countries can cooperate with each other, both will benefit. If we have a confrontation, both will lose ... It's much more hopeful for us to build up our mutual trust," Cui concluded.
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Oil prices sank to their worst loss in weeks as worries about the economic carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic swept markets worldwide.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump returned to a divisive issue at a time of national crisis, saying he will sign an executive order on Wednesday "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States" because of COVID-19.
The price of crude oil plunged another 25 percent Tuesday for June contracts. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq are all in negative territory for the year.
Global demand for oil has dropped to levels not seen in decades. The cost for a barrel of U.S. oil to be delivered in June plunged 43 percent to 11.57 U.S. dollars. A day earlier, it fell below zero for the first time.
At his daily coronavirus task force briefing on Tuesday, Trump offered few details about which immigration programs might be affected by the order.
He said he would restrict immigration for 60 days to protect jobs for American workers with the possibility of extending it.
The night before Trump tweeted: "In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!"
While a hard stop on immigration would normally affect millions of people each year, much of the immigration system has already ground to a halt because of the pandemic.
Travel to the U.S. has been restricted from a number of countries, including China, Mexico and Canada.
Critics saw his announcement as a move to take advantage of a crisis to implement a long-sought policy goal, and as an effort to distract from his response to the pandemic.
"It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad. We must first take care of the American worker," Trump told reporters at the White House.
He said there would be some exemptions in the order and he could renew it for another 60 days or even longer.
An administration official said the order would include exemptions for people involved in responding to the coronavirus outbreak, including farm workers and those helping to secure U.S. food supplies.
Trump won the White House in 2016 in part on a promise to crack down on immigration.
The U.S. Department of State issued roughly 462,000 immigrant visas in fiscal year 2019, which began on October 1, 2018. The visas allow an immigrant to obtain lawful permanent resident status, informally known as a green card. The status allows a person to live and work in the United States and apply for citizenship after a five-year period.
'Honest and open'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he had a productive talk with the president on Tuesday at the White House.
He said the meeting focused on New York's need for more coronavirus testing and how to get it, and he also stressed the severity of states' budget problems to the Republican president.
The Democratic governor described the conversation as "honest and open."
Trump has at times played down the testing issue, which health experts cite as an essential step to reducing exposure and enabling a safe reopening.
"The president is communicative about his feelings and I'm communicative about what I think," Cuomo told MSNBC after their talk. He said testing volume needed to increase tenfold and leaders needed to discuss how the federal government can help.
"I stayed focused on what we were there to talk about and for me the substantive agenda was testing – 'Who does what? How do we get it up the scale?' – and somebody has to stand up for funding for the states."
Speaking at the WH briefing, Trump said he was proud of the relationship his administration has forged with New York, and the federal government will work with New York to help secure additional testing capability.
Protesters demand reopening
While Cuomo was still taking a go-slow approach, Georgia and South Carolina were among the states pushing for reopening.
The easing of sweeping restrictions in mostly Southern U.S. states follows protests against rules imposed during the pandemic that shut down businesses and largely confined residents to their homes.
A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed a majority of Americans believed stay-at-home orders should remain in place until public health officials determine lifting them is safe, despite the damage to the U.S. economy.
Deaths from COVID-19 topped 44,228 nationwide as cases climbed to 820,104, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
Governors are under pressure from businesses and some constituents to relax stay-at-home orders that have thrown over 20 million people out of work in the past month alone.
In Wisconsin, the pressure came from Republican lawmakers who filed a lawsuit against Democratic Governor Tony Evers, challenging his stay-at-home order that runs until May 26.
Even as states move ahead with plans to reopen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned a second wave of the coronavirus will be far more dire because it is likely to coincide with the start of flu season.
"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with The Washington Post.
A city worker sprays disinfectant inside a bus as a measure to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Workers listen as Vice President Mike Pence talks on the PA at the GE Healthcare manufacturing facility Tuesday April 21, 2020, in Madison, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
An employee fills an order for blueberries for drive-thru customers on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Florida. Customers are ordering their blueberries online and then picking them up by car. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
A man holds a flag as he attends a rally to protest stay-at-home orders put into place due to the COVID-19 outbreak Tuesday, April 21, 2020, outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
People protest what they say is a lack of personal protective equipment for employees as they close down the drive-thru at a McDonald's restaurant, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, in Oakland, California. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
A giant dinosaur wearing a protective mask reminding people to wash their hands, is seen above Ripley's Believe It or Not, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Medical personnel from Montgomery County, Maryland, check patients arriving for COVID-19 drive-in testing in Silver Spring, Maryland, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Latest COVID-19 news in the U.S.:
* A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported after the study of 368 patients.
* U.S. health regulators on Tuesday OK'd the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states. The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor's orders.
* Health officials in Wisconsin said they have identified at least seven people who appear to have contracted the coronavirus from participating in the April 7 election, the first such cases following in-person voting that was held despite widespread concern about the public health risks.
* U.S. hog farmers have endured an estimated 5 billion U.S. dollars in losses for the industry amid restaurant closures.
* Sales at restaurants open at least a year plunged almost 45 percent during the most recent quarter, according to the owner of Olive Garden and other national chain restaurants.
* Hertz is laying off about 10,000 employees in North America with vacations and business travel on hold. The layoffs cross all divisions within the company, and began last week for non-union employees. Hertz anticipates approximately 30 million U.S. dollars in costs tied to the layoffs.
* McDonald's is offering U.S. medical workers and first responders one free meal a day starting Wednesday, through May 5. Workers in uniform or with a badge can get a sandwich, side and a drink. McDonald's is splitting the cost of the program with its franchisees.
* The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled for the first time since World War II. Organizers concluded there was "no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020," meaning kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals.
(With input from Reuters)
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The global confirmed cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 2.5 million and the death toll surpassed 171,000 as of 22:50 BJT, according to real-time data released by Johns Hopkins University.
According to the data, the top five countries with the highest number of confirmed cases were U.S., Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday suggested Chinese citizens both at China and abroad to avoid cross-border movement amid the COVID-19 outbreak, asking citizens to fully assess the risks of cross-infection caused by current international travel.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 200 countries and regions have reported confirmed cases worldwide, with more than two million confirmed cases outside China and more than 100,000 deaths.
In order to control the spread of the virus, many countries have taken measures to strengthen exit and entry points and enforced strict quarantine and other epidemic prevention policies. International flights have been sharply curtailed and cut off in some countries.
The foreign ministry also noted that in cases of emergency, overseas Chinese nationals may contact Chinese embassies and consulates locally for consular protection and assistance.
In this photo provided by Moscow Mayor Press Service, an aerial view of the new infectious diseases hospital on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, Friday, April 17, 2020./AP
Russia's first specialist hospital starts treating COVID-19 patients
The first hospital in Russia that specialized in treating COVID-19 patients received its first 20 patients after a month of construction, the government said on Tuesday.
The hospital, located about 60 kilometers southwest of Moscow, has 800 beds and can add another 100 if necessary. The hospital now has more than 500 medical staff, and plans to increase the number to about 1,000 in the future.
The hospital will be able to complete more than 10,000 COVID-19 tests per day.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Iran reported 1,297 new COVID-19 cases with 88 new deaths in past 24 hours, raising total number of confirmed cases to 84,802 and the death toll now stands at 5,297.
Cameroon reported 147 new cases, bringing the total number to 1,163 with 42 deaths.
United Arab Emirates confirmed 490 new cases with three new deaths, bringing the total to 7,755 and the death toll to 46.
Switzerland's and Liechtenstein's total number of confirmed cases climbed to 28,063, including 1,187 deaths.
Lebanon's total number stands at 677 with 21 deaths as of Tuesday, the first zero increase in a single day since 21 February.
Morocco reported 140 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,186 with 144 deaths.
Japan recorded 278 new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 11,431, including 275 deaths.
Boris Johnson to call Donald Trump and the Queen
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and meet Queen Elizabeth later this week, according to his spokesman.
The spokesman added that Johnson is still not "formally doing government work."
The British leader is now recovering at his country residence after he was hospitalized with COVID-19.
"All available evidence suggests the virus has an animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed in a lab or somewhere else," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a Geneva news briefing Tuesday.
Fadela Chaib refuted recent comments that the virus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, central China, saying the available evidence showed that the virus was not manipulated by humans in a lab or somewhere else.
Chaib underlined that the WHO is combating two pandemics. "We have the pandemic with the virus, but we are also combating 'infodemic'. And when you have a new virus, like this one, it is to be expected that a lot of spurious theories about the origin of the virus be relayed."
It was not clear, Chaib added, how the virus had jumped the species barrier to humans but there had "certainly" been an intermediate animal host. "It most likely has its ecological reservoir in bats but how the virus came from bats to humans is still to be seen and discovered."
She pledged that the WHO welcomes all countries to support efforts to find the origin of the virus, noting that several working groups, including Chinese experts, are actively trying to find the origin of this virus.
VCG
Chaib, asked about the impact of Trump's decision last week to suspend funding to the UN agency over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, said: "We are still assessing the situation about the announcement by President Trump... and we will assess the situation and we will work with our partners to fill any gaps."
(With input from Reuters)
UK updates death toll to 13,121, much higher than previously reported
UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) released updated data on COVID-19 death toll, showing that as of April 10, the death toll in England and Wales was about 13,121, which is 3,833 higher than the previously reported figure of 9,288. About 84 percent of those deaths occurred in hospitals.
Spain reports 3,968 new COVID-19 cases, total exceeds 200,000
Spain reported 3,968 new COVID-19 cases and 430 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 204,178, becoming the second country in the world to have more than 200,000 confirmed cases, according to the country’s health ministry. Its death toll now stands at 21,282.
Singapore will tighten COVID-19 safety measures and extend its "circuit breaker," or partial lockdown, period until June 1 to "decisively" bring down community cases, according to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday.
The country reported 1,111 new cases of COVID-19 infection as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the health ministry.
This increase brings the city state's total confirmed cases to 9,125.
China's new COVID-19 cases below 10 for three straight days
The number of China's newly confirmed imported and domestic cases remained below 10 for the third straight day on Monday. The number of severe cases in central China's Hubei Province has dropped below 20 for the first time since January, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
However, the number in other provinces fluctuated in the past week with occurrence of cluster cases. The national health body said it will continue to focus on routine prevention and control, pool superior resources and technical strength, and do the best to treat every patient.
The situation of epidemic prevention and control in China is generally good, especially the medical treatment of patients has achieved remarkable results, and more and more patients have been cured and discharged. More than 77,000 cured patients have now been discharged, with a cure rate of more than 94 percent, the commission added.
Number of coronavirus cases in Russia exceeds 50,000
Russia reported 5,642 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 52,763, according to local authorities.
Italy to ease COVID-19 lockdown from May 4
Italy is expected to gradually ease its lockdown restrictions from May 4, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday.
Italy was put under lockdown in early March due the coronavirus pandemic. The current measures are due to expire on May 3.
"I wish I could say: let's reopen everything. Immediately. We start tomorrow morning ... But such a decision would be irresponsible. It would make the contagion curve go up in an uncontrolled way and would nullify all the efforts we have made so far," Conte said in a Facebook post.
"We must act on the basis of a national (reopening) plan, which however takes into account the territorial peculiarities."
So far, Italy has reported 181,228 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 24,114 deaths.
Latest COVID-19 development in the world
South Korea reported nine more cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of infections to 10,683. Its daily caseload has hovered around 10 for a fourth straight day.
India registered 1,336 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total to 18,601 as of Tuesday morning at 8. So far, 590 patients have died.
In addition, local media reported that a total of 53 journalists have tested positive for the coronavirus in Mumbai, and most of them belong to TV channels.
Indonesia will ban the mass exodus tradition, locally known as "mudik," at the end of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, in May.
Thailand said on Tuesday 19 new confirmed cases and one new death were recorded. The Southeast Asian nation has a total of 2,811 cases and 48 deaths. Nearly 75 percent, or 2,108 sufferers, have recovered.
New Zealand reported one new death, a 70-year-old female. She's the 13th victim of the new coronavirus in the country. As of Tuesday morning, a total of 1,107 cases were registered in the country and 1,032 patients have recovered.
Australia's economic output is likely to shrink by around 10 percent in the first half of 2020 and the unemployment rate is likely to be around 10 percent by June, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Philip Lowe said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country has already reached a turning point for the coronavirus, as infection numbers have slowed down.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,785 to 143,457, Robert Koch Institute (RKI) data showed on Tuesday. The reported death toll rose by 194 to 4,598, according to the tally.
WHO official praises China for sharing experience to combat COVID-19
In an effort to jointly fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, China has sent multiple medical teams to different countries to share its experience, and it's very important that China shares its experience and provides help to other countries, said Takeshi Kasai, the World Health Organization's regional director for the Western Pacific, on Tuesday.
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Answer Bank: Tips for safe grocery shopping amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Grocery shopping was usually a very common activity for the public, but now has turned into a risky task during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some tips for a safe shopping process:
1. Maintain at least a one-meter distance from others.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
3. Sanitize the handles of trolleys and baskets before using them.
4. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling and storing purchased goods.
China's National Health Commission also suggested making a shopping plan in advance and avoiding the peak hours at the store. You should also wear a mask throughout shopping. It is recommended to take the stairs if you're going to lower floors, and when going to higher floors, take the escalator.
In general, the novel coronavirus has poor survivability on surfaces, so the risk of transmission through food or packaging is very low. There has been no report of COVID-19 transmission caused by food or food packaging so far, according to the WHO.
CMG
COVID-19: China donates medical supplies to ASEAN Secretariat
The People's Republic of China mission to ASEAN on Tuesday morning donated a batch of medical supplies to the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, including 75,000 masks, 35 thermometers, and other medical supplies.
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Palestinian Territories Guo Wei (R) and Palestinian Minister of Health Dr. Mai Kila at a ceremony to deliver Chinese aid to the Palestinian government. Noor Harazeen/CGTN
Chinese medical aid arrives for Palestine and Jordan
A medical aid plane from China landed in Jordan with tons of medicines, quick medical test equipment for COVID-19 and ventilators for both Jordan and Palestine.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaia had announced that the People's Republic of China promised to send emergency medical aid to the Palestinians and Jordan to strengthen health services for Palestinian patients.
"Our country is waiting for the arrival of medical assistance from China to fill the deficit faced by the Palestinians in the health sector," the prime minister said in a press conference.
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U.S. to temporarily suspend immigration into the country due to 'invisible enemy'
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday night that the U.S. will temporarily suspend immigration into the country.
"In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States," Trump wrote in a Twitter post.
Trump had previously labeled the coronavirus as an "invisible enemy" during a news briefing at the White House in March.
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Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that social distancing measures in the city will be extended for an additional 14 days into early May as the city continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The measures include a ban on public gatherings of more than four people and the closure of six types of venues are due to expire on Thursday midnight.
She made the remarks at a press conference, stressing that the anti-epidemic measures cannot stop at present, or all the efforts that Hong Kong has made thus far could be wasted.
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said no new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were recorded in Hong Kong on Monday, the first time in more than 45 days, and the total case tally remained at 1,025.
After weeks of a surging number of imported cases as well as local clustered outbreaks, Hong Kong has daily increases in the single digits for more than a week.
Lam also appealed to the public to be patient for a little longer in the battle against the virus.
(With input from Xinhua)
Fauci urges caution in reopening U.S. states amid anti-quarantine protests
Anthony Fauci, a top expert on infectious disease in the United States, urged caution in reopening states, after a series of anti-quarantine protests over the weekend.
"Clearly this is something that is hurting from the standpoint of economics and the standpoint of things that have nothing to do with the virus, but unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery economically is not going to happen," Fauci, directer of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
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Japan says it will pay for cost of postponing Olympics: report
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe committed Japan to covering the cost of postponing the Tokyo Olympics which "amounts to several hundred millions of dollars," in line with the existing contract, according to Kyodo news agency on Tuesday citing the International Olympic Committee.
Global COVID-19 death toll topped 170,000 on Monday evening, according to statistics released by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. to add 75 mln barrels of oil reserve amid worst plunge in history
President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. would take advantage of the historic drop in oil prices to buy 75 million barrels to replenish the national strategic stockpile after U.S. crude oil futures collapsed below 0 U.S. dollars on Monday for the first time in history.
"We are filling up our national petroleum reserves ... You know, the strategic reserves. And we are looking to put as much as 75 million barrels into the reserves themselves," Trump told reporters at his daily coronavirus press conference.
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The Chinese mainland reported 11 more COVID-19 cases on Monday, four of which were arrivals from abroad while seven were domestic cases, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 37 new asymptomatic patients. No new deaths were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,758. The cumulative death toll is 4,632, and 992 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On Monday, Chinese health authorities said 39 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,123.
The latest numbers for the total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,025 (630 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (22 recovered)
Taiwan: 422 (203 recovered, 6 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments in Europe
Italy: The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 24,114 lives in locked-down Italy as total active infections fell for the first time since the pandemic broke out in the northern regions on February 21, according to the latest data released on Monday by the country's Civil Protection Department. The total number of cases, including active infections, fatalities and recoveries rose by 2,256 to 181,228.
France: France on Monday announced it had become the fourth country worldwide to register over 20,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus, after recording 547 new fatalities in the epidemic. France has 114,657 confirmed cases, but officials say the real figure is much higher due to a lack of testing.
The UK: 449 more people tested positive for COVID-19 died in hospitals in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 16,509, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday. As of Monday morning, 124,743 people had tested positive for the virus, marking a daily increase of 4,676, said the department.
Ireland: A total of 77 COVID-19-related deaths were reported on Monday, the highest figure ever recorded in a single day since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, according to the statistics released by the Irish Department of Health. To date, there are 687 deaths, said the department in a statement on Monday night, adding that another 401 new confirmed cases were reported on the same day, bringing the total number to 15,652.
(With input from Xinhua, AFP)
The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the U.S. hit 782,159, with 41,816 fatalities, as of Monday afternoon, according to statistics released by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The state of New York suffered 14,604 deaths, the highest in the country.
Speaking at a White House briefing on Monday, Trump touted that the U.S. has tested more people than any other country and he's working with state governors to make sure they have the resources needed to ramp up testing.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would visit the White House to discuss the response to the pandemic, Trump added. He also urged Americans to continue social distancing during the pandemic.
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The U.S. oil futures were down below zero dollars a barrel, their worst level since NYMEX opened oil futures trading in 1983. /Reuters
U.S. crude oil futures collapsed below zero U.S. dollars on Monday for the first time in history, amid a coronavirus-induced supply glut, ending the day at a stunning minus 37.63 U.S. dollars a barrel as desperate traders paid to get rid of oil.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, also slumped, but that contract was nowhere near as weak because more storage is available worldwide.
While U.S. oil prices are trading in negative territory for the first time ever, it is unclear whether that will trickle down to consumers, who typically see lower oil prices translate into cheaper gasoline at the pump.
As billions of people around the globe stay home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, physical demand for crude has dried up, creating a global supply glut.
Traders fled from the expiring May U.S. oil futures contract in a frenzy on Monday with no place to put the crude, but the June WTI contract settled at a much higher level of 20.43 U.S. dollars a barrel.
"Normally this would be stimulative to the economy around the world," said John Kilduff, partner at hedge fund Again Capital LLC in New York. "It normally would be good for an extra two percent on the GDP. You're not seeing the savings because no one is spending on the fuels."
The May U.S. WTI contract fell 55.90 U.S. dollars, or 306 percent, to settle at a discount of 37.63 U.S. dollars a barrel after touching an all-time low of minus 40.32 U.S. dollars a barrel. Brent was down 2.51 U.S. dollars, or nine percent, to settle at 25.57 U.S. dollars a barrel.
"It's like trying to explain something that is unprecedented and seemingly unreal," said Louise Dickson, oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy. "Pricey shut-ins or even bankruptcies could now be cheaper for some operators, instead of paying tens of dollars to get rid of what they produce."
Refiners are processing much less crude than normal, so hundreds of millions of barrels have gushed into storage facilities worldwide. Traders have hired vessels just to anchor them and fill them with the excess oil. A record 160 million barrels is sitting in tankers around the world.
U.S. crude stockpiles at Cushing rose nine percent in the week to April 17, totaling around 61 million barrels, market analysts said, citing a Monday report from Genscape.
The spread between May and June at one point widened to 60.76 U.S. dollars, the widest in history for the two nearest monthly contracts.
Investors bailed out of the May contract ahead of expiry later on Monday because of lack of demand for the actual oil. When a futures contract expires, traders must decide whether to take delivery of the oil or roll their positions into another futures contract for a later month.
Usually, this process is relatively uncomplicated, but this time there are very few counterparties that will buy from investors and take delivery of the oil. Storage is filling quickly at Cushing in Oklahoma, which is where the crude is delivered.
"The storage is too full for speculators to buy this contract, and the refiners are running at low levels because we haven't lifted stay-at-home orders in most states," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "There's not a lot of hope that things are going to change in 24 hours.”
Prices have been pressured for weeks with the coronavirus outbreak hammering demand while Saudi Arabia and Russia fought a price war and pumped more. The two sides agreed more than a week ago to cut supply by 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd), but that will not quickly reduce the global glut.
Saudi Arabia is considering applying oil cuts as soon as possible, rather than starting from May, a Wall Street Journal reporter said on Twitter, citing sources.
Brent oil prices have collapsed around 60 percent since the start of the year, while U.S. crude futures have fallen around 130 percent to levels well below break-even costs necessary for many shale drillers. This has led to drilling halts and drastic spending cuts.
Weak global economic data also pressured prices. The German economy is in severe recession and recovery is unlikely to be quick as coronavirus-related restrictions could stay in place for an extended period, the Bundesbank said.
Japanese exports declined the most in nearly four years in March as U.S.-bound shipments, including cars, fell at their fastest rate since 2011.
U.S. oilfield services giant Halliburton Co on Monday reported a first-quarter loss of one billion U.S. dollars on charges and outlined the largest budget cut yet among top energy companies.
Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
Iran confirmed 1,294 new cases and 91 more deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 83,505 and fatalities, 5,209.
The Philippines reported a total of 6,459 confirmed cases, with 428 deaths. Forty employees at the largest novel coronavirus testing agency have contracted the disease.
Portugal reported 657 new cases and 21 more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20,863, with 735 deaths.
Saudi Arabia recorded 1,122 new cases and six more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 10,484, with 103 deaths. Seventy-three percent of COVID-19 patients are non-Saudi nationals.
The Netherlands confirmed 750 new cases, pushing the total to 33,405. The death toll stands at 3,751.
India's total confirmed cases rose to 17,656, including 559 deaths. Of all patients, 2,842 have recovered and were discharged from hospitals.
Japan reported 234 new cases, bringing total infections to 11,041, with 251 deaths.
China cancels IELTS, TOEFL, GRE and other study abroad tests in May
The National Education Examinations Authority, an agency under China's Ministry of Education, on Monday announced it is canceling IELTS, TOEFL, GRE and other exams for studying abroad in May in compliance with the epidemic containment work.
The test fees will be fully refunded to applicants. Details of new schedules and relevant arrangements will be communicated in due course, the agency said.
U.S. oil prices dived to 22-year lows at just 11 U.S. dollars Monday after crashing almost 40 percent in a market flooded with crude and slammed by evaporating demand in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Just before 1200 GMT, the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery tanked to 11.04 U.S. dollars – the lowest level since 1998.
Trade, however, was also technically driven as investors closed out their positions ahead of the May contract expiry Monday. The June contract was down 11.9 percent at 22.06 U.S. dollars.
"The real problem of the global supply-demand imbalance has started to really manifest itself in prices," said Rystad Energy analyst Bjornar Tonhaugen.
"As production continues relatively unscathed, storage is filling up by the day. The world is using less and less oil and producers now feel how this translates in prices."
The European benchmark contract, London Brent North Sea oil for June delivery, was down 6.1 percent at 26.38 U.S. dollars per barrel.
Signs that the coronavirus may have peaked in Europe and the United States failed to lift Asian and European financial markets generally.
Traders are instead becoming more and more concerned that oil storage facilities are reaching their limits, as stockpiles continue to build owing to the crash in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Analysts said this month's agreement between OPEC and its peers to slash output by 10 million barrels a day was having little impact because of the virus lockdowns and travel restrictions that are keeping billions of people at home.
(With input from AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the peak of the epidemic in Russia has not yet arrived, and the government will continue to take all measures to reduce the number of people infected with COVID-19 in the country, said in a video conference with epidemic prevention experts on Monday,
Putin stressed that Russia is close to completing the first phase of the epidemic prevention work, which is to slow its spread, and the country's nonworking day and home quarantine measures have effectively slowed the spread of the virus.
Russia reported 4,268 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing total number to 47,121, and death toll stand at 405, according to official data.
Third batch of medical aid from China arrives in Iraq
The third batch of medical aid from China arrived on Monday in Baghdad, about 10 days after the second batch of aid provided by China reached the war-torn country.
The latest batch of Chinese aid includes medical protective equipment such as protective clothing, masks and gloves.
Jasim al-Falahi, Iraq's deputy health minister, has said that the first batch of the Chinese aid played a great role in increasing Iraq's capacity in the investigation and diagnosis of the COVID-19 cases, and the second batch had further helped Iraq increase the capacity in diagnosing.
The Iraqi Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed 26 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 1,539 in the country.
The 26 new cases during the past 24 hours were five in the capital Baghdad, 17 in Basra, and one each in Najaf, Wasit, Babil and Dhi Qar, the ministry said in a statement.
So far, 82 patients have died from the disease while 1,009 others recovered, said the statement.
A view of the Chaoyang District in Beijing, China. /VCG
Beijing's Chaoyang District has been classified as a high-risk area for the COVID-19 pandemic after the recent occurrence of a novel coronavirus cluster, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said on Monday at a news conference held by the Beijing municipal government.
According to Pang, an area is defined as "high-risk" for the pandemic if the total number of confirmed cases exceeds 50 or a novel coronavirus cluster occurs there in a period of 14 days.
On April 14, a cluster of novel coronavirus cases was confirmed in the district, where an imported case infected three of his family members.
Spain’s COVID-19 cases exceed 200,000
Spain reported 4,266 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, increasing the total number to 200,210, making it the second country in the world with over 200,000 cases, according to the country’s health ministry.
The death toll in the country also climbed by 399 to 20,852.
Visitors to Beijing from Tianjin and Hebei no longer required 14-day home observation
Visitors to Beijing from Tianjin city and Hebei Province, and people who have stayed in these regions for 14 consecutive days, are no longer required to undergo a 14-day home observation, Beijing's authorities said on Monday.
Consulate of South Korea in Wuhan reopens on Monday
The consulate of South Korea in Wuhan reopened on Monday, according to South Korean foreign ministry.
Eight consulate staff and their family members, all of whom were evacuated to South Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have ended their two-week quarantine and returned to Wuhan, said the ministry.
G77, China voice support for WHO in COVID-19 fight: statement
The Group of 77 (G77) and China on Sunday issued a statement expressing their support for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Group of 77 and China is deeply concerned at the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most serious public health crises in modern history," the statement said, adding that "the first priority is to save lives."
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Imported COVID-19 cases in entry cities have caused local clusters
The number of confirmed cases imported from abroad in China has been on the decline in the past week, but the risk of importing across the land border has been on the rise, National Health Commission said on Monday.
Locally COVID-19 cases related to imported cases have been reported in the cities of entry, leading to clusters of outbreaks, the Commission added.
Russia reports 4,268 new COVID-19 cases, total at 47,121
Russia reported 4,268 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 47,121, and the death toll at 405, official data showed on Monday.
A total of 2.05 million COVID-19 tests were performed in Russia, and 135,000 people are under medical observation.
Answer Bank: Tips for traveling by private car during the COVID-19 pandemic
Although taking private vehicles can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection compared to public transport, we can never let our guard down during the pandemic.
Here are some tips from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention that you can follow when traveling by private car:
- Ventilate the car while it's running.
- Equip the car with masks, disinfectant wipes and other personal protective equipment.
- Disinfect your hands before entering the car after leaving a public place.
- After driving a suspected COVID-19 patient, ventilate the car and disinfect areas touched by the patient.
- After driving a confirmed COVID-19 patient, disinfect areas touched by the patient and fellow passengers should quarantine for 14 days.
Designed by Li Yueyun
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, April 20, 2020. /AP
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that the country will end its level 4 lockdown at 11:59 p.m. on April 27 and then move into level 3 for an initial period of two weeks.
Ardern said that the Cabinet considered lifting the lockdown on April 23, but decided against it to lock in gains by the measures and have some additional certainty.
According to Ardern, New Zealand has reported one of the lowest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the world. The transmission rate of the virus, which is the number of cases one infected person can transmit to, is at 0.48 in the country, while the average is 2.5 overseas, said the prime minister.
"New Zealand will move out of Alert Level 4 lockdown at 11.59 p.m. on Monday, April 27, one week from today," Ardern told a news conference.
The announcement means businesses deemed safe can reopen, along with some schools, while limits on local travel are also relaxed and gatherings of up to 10 people allowed for events such as weddings or funerals. Though restrictions will be loosened slightly, social distancing rules will remain.
"We will then hold in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before reviewing how we are tracking again, and making further decisions at Cabinet on the 11th of May," she said.
New Zealand entered a four-week lockdown in late March, which included closing the island nation's borders, countrywide stay-at-home orders and shuttering all non-essential businesses and services.
The draconian measures made the South Pacific country one of the most successful in containing the virus, with around 1,100 known cases among the five-million population, including 12 deaths and 974 recovered patients. It had seven confirmed new infections on Monday.
A medical staffer tests a shopper in her car who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket car park in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 17, 2020. /AP
"We have done what very few countries have been able to do," Ardern said. "We have stopped a wave of devastation."
She added, "I couldn't feel prouder of the start we have made together but I also feel a huge responsibility to ensure that we do not lose any of the gains we have made either."
(With input from AFP, Reuters)
Many U.S. governors plead for more COVID-19 tests before reopening the economy, but President Donald Trump says testing is a state matter. "Testing is local. You can't have it both way," Trump said.
U.S. crude falls below $15 a barrel as virus throttles demand
U.S. crude oil plunged nearly 20 percent to below 15 U.S. dollars per barrel on Monday, hitting the lowest level in more than a decade.
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The latest news about the pandemic in the U.S.:
The number of coronavirus deaths in the United States rose by 1,997 in the past 24 hours to reach 40,661 on Sunday, a tally from Johns Hopkins University showed. The total number of cases has exceeded 755,000.
Deal on additional funding for small businesses:
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Republicans are "close" to getting a deal with Democrats on another legislative package to help alleviate economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The deal will involve approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic. At a White House briefing, the president suggested there could be a resolution by Monday.
More: Trump says getting close to deal with Democrats on coronavirus stimulus
Mitt Romney excluded from congressional task force:
According to CNN, President Trump admitted on Sunday that he excluded Sen. Mitt Romney from the congressional task force focused on reopening the country.
Trump replied yes, when he was asked if the decision to shut Romney out of the task force shows that he still holds a grudge against Romney, the only GOP senator to be left off a congressional task force.
In February, Romney voted to impeach the president on a charge of abusing his power.
"I'm not a fan of Mitt Romney, I don't want his advice," said Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the daily coronavirus disease task force briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., April 19, 2020. /Reuters
Production of swabs:
At the press conference, Trump also said he is planning to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) again to help with the production of swabs needed to conduct coronavirus tests.
He said the administration is close to finalizing a deal with a company that will convert its plant to produce 10 million swabs per month, but that he would use the DPA to force another company to do the same.
Recalled coronavirus testing kits in Washington:
The Washington State Department of Health was alerted by the University of Washington School of Medicine to discontinue use of a recently procured batch of COVID-19 specimen collection kits that the university believed may have a quality control issue, according to a statement released on Sunday.
As a result, the authorities recalled approximately 12,000 kits sent to local health jurisdictions, tribal nations and state agency partners across the state.
The quality control issue has been observed in a small number of tubes of viral transport media (VTM), as some of the vials of VTM showed an unusual color, said the department.
The VTM is the fluid that preserves a specimen during transport, such as one collected via nasal swab from a person being tested for COVID-19.
(With inputs from agencies)
Poorer nations get short end of stick amid coronavirus pandemic
Residents in Ecuador's largest city of Guayaquil have to leave the bodies of their loved ones in the deserted streets, as funeral parlors and cemeteries are overwhelmed by the surge in deaths due to the novel coronavirus. People in masks are taking to the streets of southern Bogota, Colombia, to demand government aid because the national quarantine has emptied their pockets. The Dharavi slum in India, which houses a million residents, has become the country's epidemic epicenter.
These worrying developments are playing out while the world is gazing at the soaring death toll in New York City, which now resembles a ghost town.
As the coronavirus engulfs low- and middle-income countries, their people stand to lose the most. Inadequate healthcare systems, high population densities, a large informal economy, the slow spread of information and insufficient government finances are creating a cascade of suffering that is already beyond imagination.
In some ways, what the denizens of these countries face is reminiscent of the plight of the poor in developed countries: They have access to only the most basic healthcare facilities and resources, if at all, and can't afford to stay home.
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The Chinese mainland reported 12 more COVID-19 cases on Sunday, eight of which were arrivals from abroad while four are domestic cases, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 49 new asymptomatic patients. No new deaths were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,747. The cumulative death toll is 4,632, and 990 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On Sunday, Chinese health authorities said 22 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,084.
The latest numbers for the total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,025 (602 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (20 recovered)
Taiwan: 420 (189 recovered, 6 deaths)
Hubei, the Chinese province hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, will hold this year's national college entrance exam, or Gaokao, on July 7 and 8, according to authorities.
Senior high school students who are expected to graduate this year in Hubei are set to return to classes on May 6.
With the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, this year's Gaokao was postponed for one month to July 7 and 8. However, the dates for Hubei and Beijing were not included in the list due to their special circumstances.
On April 12, Beijing announced students in the city would take the Gaokao on July 7-10. With Hubei's time now settled, test dates across China have been determined.
The delay will allow the 10.71 million students taking the exam enough time to catch up on missed preparation work.
"The delay of one month surely gives more time to prepare for the exam," a high school principal in Chongqing told Xinhua. "Before the winter vacation, the third-year students still had about 10 percent of the content left to review; teachers are under great pressure due to the delay."
Many parents supported the delay of the exam, as senior high school students are gradually returning to classrooms across the country.
Although senior high school students have been given priority to return to class before other grades, the preparation time is still nearly two months shorter than that of previous years, leading to anxiety among some parents. However, with the postponement of the exam, parents can breathe a sigh of relief.
Some teachers, on the other hand, have expressed concern. Yuan Lihong, a third grade teacher in Harbin, told Xinhua: "Students' independent review ability has a great impact on the quality of sprint preparation. Those students with strong self-discipline and high learning initiative are more likely to stand out, while those with poor self-discipline and weak independent learning ability may get worse scores."
(Top image: Senior high school students prepare for the Gaokao while wearing face masks in Qingdao, Shandong Province. /VCG)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Republicans are "close" to getting a deal with Democrats on another legislative package to help alleviate economic damage done by the coronavirus pandemic.
The deal will involve approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. At a White House briefing, the president suggested there could be a resolution by Monday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed hope a final package could be reached and passed by Congress in the coming days. "I think we're very close to a deal today," Mnuchin told CNN's "State of the Union," putting forward a new target number of 300 billion U.S. dollars, beyond the 250 billion U.S. dollars under discussion last week.
Mnuchin said the White House has also agreed to add 75 billion U.S. dollars to hospitals and first responders, and 25 billion U.S. dollars to ramp up virus testing – clear wins for Democrats.
Democrats joined the optimism about the pace of negotiations. "We're on a very good path" and a deal could be reached soon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Fox. That marked a notable quickening of her timeline from last week, when she suggested the interim bill could clear Congress "before the end of the month."
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer was more direct, saying "I'm very hopeful we could come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning."
U.S. officials said Friday that the massive business loan program has aided 1.6 million enterprises to date. Democrats are stressing that some money in the interim package should be set aside for businesses in rural and minority areas where there is often less access to banks.
Critics have savaged the administration for lagging on testing efforts and say testing should be massively expanded, an essential for trying to safely reopen the economy.
A health worker starts the process to test people in a car as they use a newly approved saliva-based coronavirus disease test at a testing site during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Edison, New Jersey, U.S., April 15, 2020. /Reuters
Regarding the critics, Trump said he is planning to use the Defense Production Act again to help with the production of swabs needed to conduct coronavirus tests.
He said the administration is close to finalizing a deal with a company that will convert its plant to produce 10 million swabs per month, but that he would use the DPA to force another company to do the same.
The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 755,000 infections. The country has reported over 40,000 deaths due to the coronavirus, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
At the press conference, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday the United States has enough testing nationwide to allow any state to start lifting lockdown orders forced by the coronavirus if they have met other criteria.
"We believe we have the testing today around the country that would allow any state in America to move to phase one (of the recovery plan) if they have met the other criteria," Pence said at a briefing. Those criteria include 14 days of declines in infections and enough hospital capacity to treat everyone who gets sick, he said.
(With input from AFP)
As of Sunday afternoon, there are more than 755,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and the death toll has surpassed 41,000. The state of New York has the highest numbers with over 129,000 positive cases and close to 14,500 confirmed deaths in New York City alone.
However, there are signs that recent stringent measures by the state government to slow the spread of the virus, such as mandating the use of masks in public, as well as procurement of personal protective equipment and ventilators primarily from China, are effective.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday the state's epidemic is "on the descent," after around 6,000 new cases were registered the previous day, marking a consecutive four-day decline, according to New York State's health department.
In a bid to help reopen the state's economy, Cuomo also announced Sunday that authorities plan to test thousands of residents this week for COVID-19 antibodies, so that scientists can extrapolate on the findings to work out the number of possible infections in the state.
However, with a lack of previous experience in large-scale testing and the state's inability to conduct a universal test, finding out the true scale of the pandemic in New York remains a difficult task.
Children in Spain may be allowed out of their homes for the first time in more than a month as the government seeks to ease lockdown restrictions, but also extend the confinement period.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday he would seek to extend the restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, but added that the regulations would be eased on youngsters.
He said children would be permitted "to get out of their houses for a period on a daily basis", although the details still need to be agreed with experts.
The move follows pressure from regional governments, parents and some teachers to ease the restrictions.
Spain is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID pandemic, having recorded over 195,000 cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
The country has however seen a decline in new infections and deaths.
Sanchez said: "We have left behind the most extreme moments."
Source(s): Sky News
S. Korea relaxes some social distancing rules as new virus cases fall
South Korea extended its social distancing policy for another 16 days on Sunday but offered some relief for churches and sporting fixtures, as it reported just eight new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months.
The slightly relaxed guidelines mean high-risk facilities like churches will no longer have to close, while sports matches such as soccer can resume without an audience.
"It is safest to maintain the intensive social distancing, but it isn't easy realistically. We need to find a middle ground," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a televised meeting of government officials.
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South Korean Christians practice social distancing while attending a drive-in worship service following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Seoul, South Korea, April 5, 2020. /Reuters
UK registers 5,850 new COVID-19 cases, total to 120,067
The United Kingdom reported 5,850 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 120,067, data from the Department of Health and Social Care showed on Sunday.
Another 596 people died from COVID-19 in hospitals in the UK as of Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 16,060.
Health ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) began a virtual meeting on Sunday to work on a joint response to the coronavirus pandemic, the official account of G20 Saudi Arabia said on Twitter.
G20 members will be joined by guest countries and international and regional organizations including the World Health Organization, the World Bank Group and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to a G20 statement.
Saudi Arabia holds the G20 presidency this year.
Taiwan reports 22 new COVID-19 cases, total number at 420
Taiwan reported 22 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, increasing the total number to 420.
According to the island's epidemic monitoring agency, 21 of the new infections are crew members of a naval vessel.
On Saturday, the agency said three cadets aboard the vessel tested positive for COVID-19.
Spain reports 4,218 new COVID-19 cases, total to 195,944
Spain reported 4,218 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 195,944, the Spanish health ministry said on Sunday.
The COVID-19 death toll in Spain in the past 24 hours rose by 410 to 20,453, said the ministry.
COVID-19 cases in Russia surpass 40,000 mark
Russia recorded 6,060 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total in the country to 42,853, official data showed on Sunday.
The death toll from the coronavirus in the country has climbed to 361.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the country's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, saying the coronavirus situation in Russia is fully under control.
"All levels of government work dynamically, in an organized, responsible manner. The situation is under full control. Our entire society is united in the face of a common threat," Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin's website.
According to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University, to date, Russia has registered over 36,790 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 313 deaths.
China's newly imported COVID-19 cases drop below 10
For the first time in a month, the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases imported from overseas has dropped below 10 in China, according to National Health Commission.
However, the local clusters of imported cases continued to rise in some provinces. The Commission urged that screening, diagnosis, reporting, isolation and closed-loop management should always be done well to resolutely prevent community transmission.
As the coronavirus continues to spread globally, panic buying over COVID-19 pandemic has led to a variety of household products flying off the shelves at your local stores, including hand sanitizers, which many people clearly now view as a necessity.
According to market research from Nielsen, an American research firm, when the first American death from COVID-19 took place during the last week of February, hand sanitizer sales in the U.S. went up by 300 percent compared to the same week a year earlier.
Because of the shortage of hand sanitizers, many stores across the globe are now putting a limit on certain cleaning products per customer. However, when stores run out of hand sanitizers, can we make our own hand sanitizes?
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not encourage the production and use of homemade hand sanitizers because of concerns over the correct use of the ingredients and the need to work under sterile conditions to make the product. However, here are some recommendations:
– When washing hands, you can use plain soap or antibacterial soap. Plain soap is as effective as antibacterial soap at removing germs.
– If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an FDA-approved alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60 percent alcohol by looking at the product label.
(Cover image designed by Sa Ren)
India extends suspension of foreign visas till May 3
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, the country's Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to extend the suspension of all existing visas given to foreign nationals till May 3, after the government announced to extend the nationwide lockdown until the same day.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said human beings are facing "a crisis unlike any other" and urged all nations to unite together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guterres made the remarks on Saturday in a video message for the "One World: Together at Home" concert.
He said "we must unite" and called on global citizens to salute the bravery and sacrifice of health workers and others through the universal language of music.
He also called for a global ceasefire to help people in war-torn regions receive lifesaving aid to fight the coronavirus pandemic and expressed thanks to the World Health Organization and other humanitarian agencies for their lifesaving work.
Chinese FM: Supporting WHO means to safeguard multilateralism
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that at the critical moment when the world is combating the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) and its director-general is to safeguard the philosophy and principle of multilateralism.
He made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that the support is also an act to secure the United Nations' status and role and maintain international solidarity in the face of the disease.
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The Chinese mainland reported 16 more COVID-19 cases on Saturday, nine of which were imported from abroad while seven are domestic cases, according to the National Health Commission. It also reported 44 new asymptomatic patients.
No new deaths were reported on the same day.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,735. The cumulative death toll is 4,632, and 999 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 33 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,062.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,023 (568 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (17 recovered)
Taiwan: 398 (178 recovered, 6 deaths)
Iran partially reopens capital as coronavirus deaths hit one-month low
Iran allowed some businesses in the capital Tehran to re-open on Saturday as the country's daily death toll from the new coronavirus fell to 73, its lowest in more than a month.
So-called low-risk businesses – including many shops, factories and workshops – resumed operations in Tehran, a week after re-opening in the rest of the country, state television said.
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Latest on coronavirus pandemic around the world
Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask the parliament to extend the country's lockdown curbs by 15 days, until May 9. Spain's death toll from the coronavirus rose at a slower pace on Saturday but surpassed 20,000. It increased by 565 deaths, down from 585 on Friday, while the number of coronavirus cases rose to 191,726 from 188,068.
Italy: As many as 482 more people died of COVID-19, raising the country's death toll to 23,227, official data showed on Saturday, while the total number of confirmed cases rose to 175,925, a single-day increase of 3,491.
France: As many as 642 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 19,323, the fourth highest in the world, although the number of people in hospitals declined for a fourth day.
UK: Another 888 people who tested positive for COVID-19 had died in hospitals in Britain as of Friday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 15,464. As of Saturday morning, 114,217 people had tested positive for the virus, marking a daily increase of 5,526.
Morocco: Lockdown measures will be extended to contain the spread of the coronavirus for another month until May 20, the government said on Saturday. The country reported 121 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total to 2,685.
Singapore: As many as 942 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, the highest daily increase so far. This increase brings the city state's total confirmed cases to 5,992.
Turkey: The number of COVID-19 cases surged to 82,329 after 3,783 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced. The coronavirus death toll surpassed 1,890, with 121 new deaths in the country.
(With inputs from Xinhua and Reuters)
A delay by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in quickly making COVID-19 test kits available was the result of "a glaring scientific breakdown" at the CDC's central lab, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.
A report, citing scientists and federal regulators, said that CDC facilities which assembled the testing kits "violated sound manufacturing practices, resulting in contamination of one of the three test components used in the highly sensitive detection process."
Though the contaminated component was "not critical to detecting the novel coronavirus," CDC officials took over a month to remove the unnecessary step from the test kits, which aggravated national delays in testing for the virus, and in turn hampered the efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The malfunction was said to be first found in late January, when the CDC sent the first batch of test kits to 26 local public health labs across the country. False positive results were reported in 24 of them before they analyzed samples taken from patients, which raised concerns about the kits.
Benjamin N. Haynesm, a spokesman of the CDC, acknowledged substandard "quality control" in its manufacturing of the test kits in a statement on Friday.
The agency said the problems might be caused by "a design and/or manufacturing issue or possible contamination."
A senior federal scientist who reviewed the development of the kits and internal test documentation told The Post that the false positive results happened during the testing of negative control samples which contained highly purified water without genetic material.
The scientist concluded the false positives were caused by contamination that occurred at the CDC. "The bottom line is, if you have a negative sample, and it's coming up positive, the only way for that to happen is cross contamination. ... There is no other explanation for it."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also concluded that the issue is a consequence of substandard manufacturing practices rather than its design after examination, saying the CDC did not make its test consistent with its own protocol.
"It's critical that the tests used work, because false results can also contribute to the spread of COVID-19," the FDA was quoted as saying.
"It's really a terrible black mark on the CDC, and the impact was devastating to the country," James Le Duc, a virologist and former CDC officer who now heads the Galveston National Laboratory in Texas, told The Post.
The issue is now under assessment by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of CDC, and more will be shared when it is completed, said CNBC citing an email with Haynesm.
As of Saturday evening, the U.S. had reported more than 732,000 cases of COVID-19, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. had reported more than 732,000 cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday evening, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
The death toll from the pandemic in the U.S. has risen to 38,664, of which 13,202 deaths took place in New York City, the highest in the country.
Local media reported that 4,347 members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) have tested positive for novel coronavirus, in addition to this, 5,324 uniformed members of the NYPD were "on sick report."
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced at a press conference at the White House that Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to reopen on April 20, while the restrictions in Montana will also begin to lift on Friday.
The U.S. Defense Department said earlier it would extend travel restrictions to June 30 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
(Cover: Tents line a sidewalk on Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco, Saturday, April 18, 2020. /AP)
Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, warned the country was 'far from victory' in its fight against the coronavirus. /Mariscal/POOL/AFP
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced an extension of the country's COVID-19 lockdown through May 9.
The restrictions have been in place for more than a month, as the country continues its battle against the disease.
Spain is one of the hardest hit nations by the COVID-19 pandemic, having recorded over 191,000 cases and fatalities exceeding 20,000.
Spain is one of only three countries that have recorded more than 20,000 COVID-19 deaths. The others are the United States and Italy.
The Health Ministry said the number of deaths in the country increased by 565 on Saturday, down from a rise of 585 on Friday.
Spain began easing the lockdown restrictions earlier this week, but Sánchez warned the country is "far from victory" in its fight against COVID-19.
Medical workers are seen at the Boufarik Hospital in the province of Blida, Algeria, on March 3, 2020. Algerian Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that three new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the total number in the country to eight. The three new cases were recorded in the family circle of the previous four cases in the province of Blida. (Xinhua)
Algeria will extend a lockdown by 10 days until April 29 as it tries to limit the spread of COVID-19 amid increases in deaths and confirmed cases, the prime minister's office said on Saturday.
The government had imposed a full lockdown in the Blida area, south of the capital Algiers, and a night curfew in the country's remaining 47 provinces until April 19.
"All other preventive measures will remain in place," the office said in a statement, referring to measures including the suspension of flights and public transport and closure of universities, schools, restaurants and cafes.
Algeria is one of 52 countries in Africa that have reported cases of COVID-19. The North African country has so far reported 2,418 infections and 364 deaths.
Africa's overall cases have surpassed 20,000, with over 1,000 fatalities.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend a past joint press conference. The U.S. and Canada have registered combined figures of over 743,000 COVID-19 cases and over 38,000 deaths. /CFP Photo
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his country reached an agreement with the United States to extend the current border restrictions between the two countries by an additional 30 days.
The extension has been prompted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 156,000 people globally.
"This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe," Trudeau said in his COVID-19 brief on Saturday.
"It's another example of the excellent collaboration between our two countries," he said.
The U.S. is the country worst affected by the pandemic, having recorded more than 706,000 cases and over 37,000 deaths.
Canada on the other hand has registered over 37,000 cases and fatalities exceeding 1,300.
Trudeau's announcement of the extension of the border closure comes following his remarks earlier this week that reopening the border would not be happening "anytime soon."
Source(s): CBC
Moon, Trump hold phone talks on coronavirus: Yonhap
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump held phone talks on coronavirus, reported Yonhap on Saturday citing the South Korean government.
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Schools not reopening this term in nearly half of U.S. states
About half of all states in the U.S. have issued orders schools to be closed for the rest of the academic year.
States first began taking precautionary measures in March, with most governors originally intending to lift restrictions in a few weeks, but many have since encouraged remote learning.
The closures are affecting about 25 million of the nation's 50.8 million public school students, according to local media.
The medical supplies donated by China to Austria to fight COVID-19 reached Vienna International Airport recently. Austrians thank China for the“great gesture”in this special period. So far, Austria has launched 36 flights between the two countries to ship medical stuff.
French aircraft carrier reports 1,046 confirmed COVID-19 cases, nearly half are asymptomatic
A total of 1,046 sailors of the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle have tested positive for the new coronavirus, and nearly half of them are asymptomatic, French media reported on Saturday, citing the French Navy.
Local media said the number was the "final assessment" after the country's defense ministry said on Friday that 1,081 have contracted the virus.
Between 20 and 30 seamen are currently hospitalized, according to local media.
Latest coronavirus developments in Europe
UK hospital COVID-19 death toll has risen to 15,464 with another 888 deaths as of 1600 GMT on Friday. The latest number of people tested positive for the virus is 114,217.
Also, Buckingham Palace has announced that there'll be no traditional gun salute at Queen Elizabeth II's birthday next Tuesday due to the coronavirus crisis.
Confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have risen by 1,140 to 31,589. The death toll increased by 142 to 3,601.
In Switzerland, 1,111 patients have died after contracting the new coronavirus and the number of people showing positive tests for the disease has increased to 27,404.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 3,609 to 137,439, according to data from Robert Koch Institute on Saturday. The death toll has risen by 242 to 4,110, the tally showed.
Ukraine reported on Saturday 444 additional COVID-19 cases in the country, bringing its total tally to 5,106. So far, fatalities have reached 133, while 275 patients have recovered.
Latest coronavirus developments in Asia
Indonesia reported 325 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking its total number of infections to 6,248. Fifteen new deaths were also registered, taking the total to 535.
The Philippines on Saturday reported 10 new coronavirus deaths and 209 additional infections. So far, the country's total infections have risen to 6,087, while deaths have reached 397.
Singapore confirmed 942 more coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking the total in the city-state, which is under a partial lockdown, to 5,992. It has reported 11 deaths from the disease so far.
Thailand reported 33 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the nation's total to 2,733 cases. Another 1,787 people have recovered and 47 have died.
The Maldives said on Saturday afternoon that six new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, now the country's total infections are 34 and 16 patients have recovered.
Three cadets aboard a naval vessel tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Saturday, according to Taiwan's epidemic monitoring agency.
The three men, all in their 20s, boarded the naval vessel on Feb. 21 and returned to Taiwan on April 15 after nearly 30 days of sail and a short stop at Palau from March 12 to 15, the agency said in a press release.
They showed symptoms from early April to April 13 during the voyage and visited the hospital after landing on Taiwan, the statement said.
The authorities are approaching more than 700 cadets, seamen and officers aboard the three naval vessels in the same mission with the three confirmed patients, according to the agency.
They will be sent to specific locations for tests and quarantine and the results will be available by Sunday, the agency said.
The new cases raised the total number of COVID-19 patients in Taiwan to 398, 343 of whom were imported. A total of 178 confirmed patients have recovered and six died.
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia, the agency also announced that Taiwan will adopt stricter quarantine rules for travelers from the region from April 21.
Travelers who have been to Southeast Asia since April 7 are required to be quarantined at registered hotels in Taiwan if they live with people aged above 65 or below 6, or with patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Those whose residences in Taiwan do not have independent bedrooms or private toilets will also stay in hotels.
The epidemic risk rating for whole Wuhan City, in central China's Hubei Province was downgraded to low, the provincial government said on Saturday.
It comes after the last district out of 13 in Wuhan City was moved out of medium risk.
So far, all 76 cities and towns in the virus-hit province are at low risk.
According to the latest coronavirus figures from Wuhan health commission, a total of 50,333 COVID-19 cases were reported in Wuhan, with 46,342 recoveries and 3,869 fatalities as of Friday.
Spain's coronavirus deaths hit over 20,000, but daily increase slows
The death toll of the new coronavirus registered in Spain rose by 565 on Saturday, taking the country's total to 20,043.
The latest daily increase of fatalities were down from a rise of 585 in the previous day.
Meanwhile there're currently 191,726 confirmed cases in the country following a rise of 3,658 cases in the past 24 hours.
Latest coronavirus developments in the Middle East
Iran reported 73 news deaths in the past 24 hours, reaching a total of 5,031 fatalities. Infection cases are now at 80,868.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Israel has increased to 13,107, with 125 new infections on Saturday. The death toll has risen by seven since Friday evening, reaching 158.
Lebanon said there're 672 people tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday noon. Its death toll remains at 21. Also, a total of 94 patients have recovered.
Kuwait said on Saturday afternoon that the country registered 93 new cases and one new death, taking the country's cumulative cases to 1,751 and death toll to five.
Oman has so far confirmed 1,180 COVID-19 cases, including six fatalities and 176 recoveries. The country's health official has warned peak could come at the last week of April but Oman has adequate medical supplies, adding there's no need to panic.
At least 21 navy personnel at "INS Angre," a shore establishment at Mumbai city in southwestern state of Maharashtra, have tested positive for the coronavirus, reported India Today on Saturday.
"INS Angre" works as a base depot for ships and units based in Mumbai.
Most of the cases are asymptomatic and the first case of them has been traced to a single sailor who was tested positive on April 7.
Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine – containment zone and INS Angre too is under lockdown, according to a statement. The Indian Navy has said all actions as per established COVID-19 protocol are being taken.
There are no cases of infection on board ships and submarines.
According to latest figures issued by the authorities on Saturday morning, India has confirmed 14,378 cases and the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 480.
(Cover photo: A doctor holds a plastic bag full of swab specimen during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India, April 16, 2020. /AP)
Answer Bank: Can mothers with COVID-19 breastfeed?
It is natural for mothers to be worried about their newborns, especially in a crisis like the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Mother-to-child transmission of the novel coronavirus during pregnancy is unlikely, but after birth a newborn is susceptible to person-to-person spread, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, can mothers with COVID-19 breastfeed their babies?
Fortunately, the answer is yes. And the World Health Organization has provided some tips to prevent person-to-person between moms and babies during breastfeeding:
- Practice respiratory hygiene during feeding, such as wearing a mask where available.
- Washing hands before and after touching the infant.
- Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces they have touched.
The Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Saturday approved to allocate 137.5 billion HK dollars (about 17.7 billion U.S. dollars) to prop up businesses and aid residents struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The package includes a plan under which the government will pay 50 percent of workers' salaries for six months, with the monthly subsidy for each worker capped at 9,000 HK dollars.
This is the second anti-epidemic fund the government has committed to allocate for the pandemic relief.
Together with the first round of relief measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund worth 30 billion HK dollars and the relief measures in the 2020-21 Budget costing 120 billion HK dollars, the SAR government has committed a total of 287.5 billion HK dollars, accounting for 10 percent of Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam welcomed the passage of the funding in a statement. "The pandemic has caused an unprecedented impact on Hong Kong's economy in the past three months," Lam said, adding that various sectors have suffered a hard blow with many businesses facing pressure to close down and massive staff layoffs being anticipated.
The government needs to take resolute and exceptional measures to prevent the situation from deteriorating and relieve the imminent need of the businesses and the employees, she added.
As of Friday, Hong Kong has a confirmed total number of 1,021 cases with 532 patients discharged from hospitals.
Russia registers 4,785 new COVID-19 cases, total at 36,793
Russia registered 4,785 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 36,793, as of 11:15 a.m. local time on Saturday, reported authorities.
Moscow alone has 20,754 infections.
Over 1.81 million nucleic acid tests have been conducted in the country.
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeds 10,000 in Japan
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan surpassed 10,000, reported NHK on Saturday.
The figure now stands at 10,098, excluding cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year.
Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for the whole country until May 6 over concerns surrounding COVID-19.
Tokyo remains the hardest-hit area. The city reported 181 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the city to 2,975, NHK reported.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated unity in the fight against the deadly coronavirus on Friday during his phone call with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The senior Chinese diplomat called on China and France – both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) – to play a role at this "crucial time that will decide the destiny of mankind."
Wang also expressed confidence to the French government under the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron, "the series of measures taken by the French government are making positive effects," he said.
Bonne, on his part, first appreciated medical supplies dispatched by the Chinese government. The French official also voiced firm support to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its chief Tedros Adhanom.
The French side would like to strengthen cooperation with China in international epidemic control and explore a plan for the world to work together, he said.
The same day, Wang also spoke to officials from Senegal and Cyprus.
China to send more supplies, medical experts to Africa
Mentioning the deep brotherhood China shared with the people of Africa, Wang told Senegalese Foreign Minister Amadou Ba China is now planning to dispatch another round of medical supplies, along with experts, to the virus-hit hard African countries.
Earlier, China has sent out two groups of medical experts to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, respectively, under the request of the WHO and the African Union. In addition, China has been actively sharing information with African medical workers, with a total of 14 video conferences made so far.
"China has kept its promise, treating Africans staying in the country as family members," Wang said in the phone call according to a news release.
Ba appreciated China's assistance during this hard time. He touched on the severe situation Africa is going through right now, and hoped for continuous support from China.
China will share its COVID-19 experience thoroughly
In his conversation with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, Wang vowed to share its experience of known COVID-19 cases thoroughly, while actively providing support to the country.
Wang also discussed the recent distorted remarks that looked to discredit China's assistance to the international community, and said those statements "will not win support."
Christodoulides spoke highly of China's efforts, calling it "a model for the world in epidemic prevention."
The Cypriot official told Wang that his country hopes to strengthen its friendship with China.
Latest on coronavirus pandemic around the world
Mexico registered 578 new cases and 60 more deaths on Friday, raising its total to 6,875 cases and 546 deaths. Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Thursday that the country might have almost 56,000 infections.
Canada reported 1,821 new cases and 114 more deaths. The country now has 21,927 total cases and 1,309 deaths.
Brazil reported 3,257 new cases, as its nationwide total mounted to 33,682. The country's death toll rose to 2,141. Some 552 of Brazil's nursing staff have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, and at least 30 of them have died.
Sweden now has confirmed 13,216 total cases and 1,400 deaths, with 676 new cases and 67 deaths reported on Friday.
United Arab Emirates added 477 new cases to its total, a new record daily rise. It now has 6,302 cases and 1,188 deaths.
France reported 405 new cases on Friday, bringing its total to 109,252. The death toll is at 18,681, up 761 from a day before.
Ireland saw 709 new cases on Friday. A total of 13,980 people have been infected in the country, and the death toll increased to 530.
Austria detected 102 new cases, as its nationwide total rose to 14,553.
Italy detected 3,493 new cases among the 65,705 tests conducted on Friday, a 5.3 percent positive rate. It now has 172,434 total cases and the death toll stands at 22,745. Number of recovered patients is 42,727.
U.S. coronavirus cases top 700,000, death toll at 36,773
The U.S. total number of coronavirus cases surpassed the 700,000 mark on Friday, reaching 700,282, Johns Hopkins University's tally showed.
The death toll now stands at 36,773, with 13,202 reported in New York City.
Beijing to expand scope of nucleic acid testing, strictly check people from key epidemic areas
Beijing vowed to further improve the capability and expand the scope of nucleic acid testing, and strictly check all people who come from the key epidemic areas, local authorities said on Friday.
The authorities will strengthen the management of all home-based or centralized medical observation, adhere to the principles of early detection, early reporting, early quarantine and early medical treatment, and take effective epidemic prevention measures.
Beijing will continue its epidemic prevention and control efforts, as people are leaving Wuhan to return to Beijing, and strengthen the epidemic prevention management on people coming from abroad.
The Chinese mainland reported 27 more COVID-19 cases on Friday, 17 of which were imported from abroad while 10 are domestic cases, according to the National Health Commission. It also reported 54 new asymptomatic patients.
No new deaths were reported on the same day.
The total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,719. The cumulative death toll is 4,632, and 1,017 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said 50 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,029.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,021 (532 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (17 recovered)
Taiwan: 395 (166 recovered, 6 deaths)
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.2 mln: Johns Hopkins University
Global confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 2.2 million, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The updated figure topped 2,234,109 with 153,379 deaths as of 6:38 a.m. BJT (2238 GMT), the CSSE said.
The United States registered the most cases and deaths, which stood at 699,105 and 36,727, respectively.
Alibaba's founder Jack Ma said on Friday in a virtual interview with China Media Group that under the current situation of COVID-19, the internet economy is supporting the world and the internet is the technology of the future.
"No country or enterprises can be isolated from the internet," Ma said, adding that every one of us must grasp the future and improve the country's economic system through future technologies and ideas.
The importance of vaccine development to combat COVID-19
Considering the uncertainty of the epidemic at the beginning of the virus outbreak, the Jack Ma Foundation set a donation program of 100 million yuan (about 14.26 million U.S. dollars) on January 29 to support the research and development of a vaccine for COVID-19.
Within that donation, 20 million yuan (about 2.85 million U.S. dollars) was donated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
"In my opinion, the epidemic will not end within a short time and it can only vanish by relying on technological breakthroughs, innovation and medical research. So, we have to make long-term preparation," Ma suggested.
Most medical experts think that a vaccine in the fight against any epidemic is of great importance, while a few of them also have conservative suggestions that vaccines are not playing a key role in fighting the virus, but only effective in sci-fi films because of the difficulties and uncertainties in developing effective vaccines. However, in an attempt to end the epidemic, more money and support should be given to researchers and their studies.
Only through the breakthrough in research and development of medicine can science and technology be innovative.
E-commerce will be the key for enterprises to survive
While there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of the pandemic, one thing is certain: It will change the way we do business in the long-term.
People are gradually moving from brick and mortar shopping to online, and the habit is unlikely to disappear when the pandemic is over. Implementing ecommerce technology could be the key to retaining customers and leveraging the change in consumer behavior moving forward, which also means people should find innovative ways to adapt to the current situation.
As Ma has suggested in a recent interview, e-commerce will be the key for enterprises to survive, for countries to prosper, and for the world economy to get boosted. The virus is a signal for the world, raising alarms for countries around the world to step up their moves to reinforce their economic system.
Under the current situation, maybe we can't allow all things to grind to a halt, but it's the time to adapt, to evolve and move forward. In the fight against the COVID-19, Ma hopes to influence more people in the world and awaken more social conscience.
Staff prepare meals at a catering company in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 10, 2020. /Xinhua
Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has fired or disciplined 18 officials for dereliction of duty in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the provincial discipline inspection authority said in a statement Friday.
Chen Yuanfei, vice mayor of Harbin, was given an administrative demerit. Fu Songbin, vice president of Harbin Medical University, was given an intra-Party warning and an administrative demerit, said the statement.
Harbin has reported 26 new confirmed cases and 19 asymptomatic infections since April 9, which revealed that the relevant officials of the city and the university did not effectively fulfill their responsibilities in the battle against the epidemic, according to the statement.
COVID-19: Death toll rises to 14,576 in UK
At least 14,576 people with COVID-19 have died in UK hospitals, though new official data indicates the "true death toll could be much larger," health authorities said on Friday.
The UK has confirmed 5,599 new infections in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 108,692.
(Cover: Reuters)
A soldier is seen onboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle docked at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, May 28, 2019. /Xinhua
At least 1,081 on board French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for the coronavirus, French media reported on Friday, citing the country's defense ministry.
According to the ministry, 2,010 people were tested as of Friday with 1,081 sailors positive.
So far, 24 members have been admitted to hospital while one individual is receiving intensive care.
Last week, the aircraft carrier was brought home 10 days earlier from its Atlantic deployment after some sailors showed symptoms.
120 people in Iranian military confirmed with COVID-19
At least 120 people in Iran's military, including 40 soldiers, have contracted COVID-19, three died, according to local media reports on Friday citing a military official.
As of Friday, Iran has recorded a total of 79,494 cases of COVID-19, with 4,958 deaths. So far 54,064 people have recovered.
(Cover: VCG)
Spain reports 5,252 new COVID-19 cases on Friday
Spain reported 5,252 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 188,068, data from the Spanish health ministry showed on Friday.
COVID-19: Moscow's epidemic will reach a peak in 2-3 weeks
Moscow's COVID-19 situation will reach a peak in two to three weeks, a local official said on Friday.
Since the outbreak, the entire Moscow region has been the most severely affected area in Russia.
The medical system in Moscow has experienced a "burden" with the current epidemic and local hospitals are sorting out the number of beds to cope with the possible peak period.
As of Friday, Russia has reported a total of 32,008 COVID-19 cases with 273 deaths, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
Russia reports 4,069 new COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours
Russia reports 4,069 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 32,007, official data showed on Friday.
Chinese mainland on Friday refuted Taiwan's health authorities' so-called warning email to the World Health Organization (WHO), saying Taiwan's authorities are exploiting the virus for "Taiwan independence."
Taiwanese health authorities said in statement on April 11 that it alerted the WHO to the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus.
The statement said it learned from "online sources" that there had been at least seven cases of atypical pneumonia, a term the mainland commonly used to refer to SARS, in Wuhan, and it emailed the WHO on December 31, 2019 to warn the UN body of the "human-to-human transmission" risk and requested more information.
The statement also accused the WHO for ignoring the email.
The head of Taiwan's health authorities, Chen Shih-chung, also showed reporters a printout of the email on the same day. It read: "News resources today indicate that at least seven atypical pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan."
"The samples are still under examination, and cases have been isolated for treatment. I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us."
At the press conference, Chen accused the mainland authorities for a "cover-up" and the WHO for "dereliction of duty."
The WHO has rejected the accusation, saying the December email it received made no mention of human-to-human transmission.
"We have asked how they communicated this to us, because we are only aware of that one email that makes no mention of human-to-human transmission, but they haven't replied," the WHO replied to Reuters regarding Saturday's accusation.
Commuters wear face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus spread during morning rush hour traffic in Taipei, April 8, 2020. /Reuters
In a statement sent to reporters on Friday, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the so-called warning email only repeated information released by Wuhan health authorities and said not a word about "human-to-human transmission."
On December 31, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued a statement confirming 27 viral pneumonia cases tied to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which was shut down the next day, Zhu noted.
Later Taiwanese health authorities sent a querying to the National Health Commission (NHC) for information about the atypical pneumonia and the NHC replied in a message and asked them to see the information released by Wuhan authorities, she added.
Zhu said, therefore the claim that Taiwan issued warning to the WHO earlier than the mainland is not true.
According to two statements issued by Taiwan's health authorities on January 4 and January 6, they both said "there was no evidence indicating human-to-human transmission and medics getting infected," she continued to say.
But on March 15, Zhu said they started to tell a different story, saying they had warned the WHO about the infection in the December email.
File photo of Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office /Xinhua
They are playing the politics game to seek "Taiwan independence" by exploiting the virus, Zhu said.
The mainland has been sharing information and data timely with an open, transparency and responsible attitude, but the Taiwanese authorities are playing the politics game to attack the mainland and the WHO, the spokeswoman said.
And the email is a strong proof that Taiwanese authorities do have an open channel to communication with the WHO, which is contradictory to the accusation that they can't get information from the organization, she said.
Zhu then outlined some details about information-sharing with the Taiwanese health officials.
The mainland invited Taiwan's experts to visit Wuhan from January 12 to 14 and shared information about the infected patients and their isolation and treatment, she noted.
By April 13, the mainland has shared the coronavirus information with the Taiwanese authorities and doctors for a total of 127 times, she added.
Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party DPP authority chose to avoid the facts and refused to tell Taiwanese residents a full story, which Zhu said show DPP's intention to seek "Taiwan independence."
She stressed that the WHO members are sovereignty states and Taiwan-related questions involving the WHO must be dealt with according to the one-China principle.
The Wuhan epidemic prevention and control headquarters held a press conference on Friday concerning the revised number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities in the city.
Officials from the headquarters answered questions raised by reporters.
1. Why revise the number of confirmed cases and death toll?
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most widespread public health emergency with the fastest spread capability since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Wuhan, as the epicenter of the outbreak, has taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures to prevent and control the disease under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and State Council, as well as the Hubei provincial authorities.
The pandemic has, by and large, been contained. The city has also lifted outbound travel restrictions. It is now easier to have a sweeping check on the exact number of COVID-19 patients.
Information regarding the number of confirmed cases and death toll should be transparent, realistic and published in a timely manner.
In the early stage, due to limited hospital capacity and the shortage of medical staff, a few medical institutions failed to connect with local disease control and prevention systems in a timely manner, which resulted in delayed reporting of confirmed cases and some failures to count patients accurately.
According to China's Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Article 38, information concerning infectious disease should be released in a timely and accurate manner.
According to the Regulation on the Urgent Handling of Public Health Emergencies Article 25, the release of information should be timely, accurate and thorough.
According to the Regulation on the Implementation of the Statistics Law Article 19, if the statistical data are incomplete or have obvious errors, they shall be supplemented or corrected by the object of statistical investigation according to law.
According to Regulations on the Registration of Information on People's Death Article 14, health institutions shall establish a data revision system, Article 15, health institutions shall establish a system supporting data comparison, verification and update.
Given this, the number of total confirmed cases, and the death toll of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan should be revised.
2. How was the revision carried out in Wuhan?
Wuhan epidemic prevention and control headquarters attaches great importance to the revision of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities, based on the principles of being responsible for history, the people and the dead. The city commits to seeking truth and has taken the initiative to make corrections.
Since the second half of March this year, Wuhan has established a big data and epidemiological investigation team for special purposes, and deployed personnel from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, public security, civil affairs, justice, statistics and other departments to form a special working group.
The city has made full use of the epidemic prevention and control big data information system, the funeral information system, the medical administration and management of the COVID-19 information system and COVID-19 nucleic acid detection system to compare, check and complete the confirmed cases and deaths information.
The city also has collected data offline on all epidemic-affected locations based on requirements of full coverage and no omission, including fever clinics, hospitals, temporary hospitals, isolation places, and epidemic-related communities, and special places including prisons and nursing homes managed by public security, justice and civil affairs departments, to collect all personal information of patients.
Data was collected via medical institutions, communities, police stations, patients' companies and their families in an effort to make sure no one was missed and the data was correct.
3. What are the corrections to the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Wuhan?
As of April 8, the originally published number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Wuhan was 50,008. A total of 217 of these cases were redundant because some patients went to more than one hospital. Therefore, these cases should be removed. Moreover, there were another 542 newly-added confirmed cases that were either reported late or were not reported, making the corrected number 50,333.
4. What are the corrections to the number of COVID-19 confirmed deaths in Wuhan?
As of April 16, the originally published number of COVID-19 deaths in Wuhan was 2,579. A total of 164 of these deaths were either redundant or not related to COVID-19 and thus should be removed. Meanwhile, there were 1,454 newly-added deaths. Some of them did not happen in a hospital and thus were not inputted into the disease control and prevention information system. The others were either reported late or not reported by medical institutions. Therefore, the corrected number of COVID-19 confirmed deaths in Wuhan is 3,869.
5. What is the significance of correcting the numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths?
Life security and physical health are part of the fundamental need as well as universal pursuit of our people. All statistics about the COVID-19 pandemic do not just represent people's life security and physical health, but also concern the government departments' public credibility. The faster we can correct the numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths, the better we can safeguard people's interests, make scientific decisions over pandemic control and prevention, respond to social concerns, and pay respect to every life.
Read more: Wuhan revises numbers of COVID-19 cases and fatalities
(Cover image via VCG)
The city of Wuhan in central China revised its number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) confirmed cases and deaths on Friday.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan as of the end of Thursday was revised up by 325 to 50,333, and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869.
In a notification, the Wuhan municipal headquarters for the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control said the revisions were made in accordance with related laws and regulations as well as the principle of being responsible for history, the people and the dead.
This ensures that the information on the city's COVID-19 epidemic is open and transparent, and the data is accurate, read the notification.
Four reasons for the data discrepancies were listed in the notification:
– A surging number of patients at the early stage of the epidemic overwhelmed medical resources and the admission capacity of medical institutions. Some patients died at home without having been treated in hospitals.
– During the height of their treatment efforts, hospitals were operating beyond their capacity and medical staffs were preoccupied with saving and treating patients, resulting in belated, missed and mistaken reporting.
– Due to a rapid increase of designated hospitals able to treat COVID-19 patients, including those administered by ministries, Hubei Province, Wuhan City and its districts, those affiliated to companies, as well as private hospitals and makeshift hospitals, and a few medical institutions were not linked to the epidemic information network and failed to report their data in time.
– The registered information of some of the deceased patients was incomplete, and there were repetitions and mistakes in the reporting.
An official of the headquarters told the news media that a group for epidemic-related big data and epidemiological investigations was established in late March.
The group used information from online systems and collected full information from all epidemic-related locations to ensure that facts about every case are accurate and every figure is objective and correct, the official said.
"What lies behind epidemic data are the lives and health of the general public, as well as the credibility of the government," said the official, adding that the timely revision of the figures, among other things, shows respect for every single life.
Read more: Q&A about confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Wuhan
Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Pudong District, Shanghai, China /VCG
Due to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, China's economy posted its first contraction in decades, contracting 6.8 percent year-on-year at 20.65 trillion yuan (about 2.91 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2020, data from China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday.
The latest Reuters poll trimmed China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for Q1 from more than three percent to negative 6.5 percent, while Goldman Sachs forecast that the world's second largest economy is set to record a nine percent plunge.
"The overall economy is good, the 6.8-percent shrink does not break through the expected bottom line," Chen Fengying, a research fellow with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations told CGTN.
Economy heavily ravaged
China's economy has been ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak. The primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in Q1 all registered a decline in added value when compared to the same period in 2019, of 3.2 percent, 9.6 percent, and 5.2 percent, respectively.
The total value added of major industrial firms declined by 8.4 percent year-on-year in Q1, though the output of natural gas and non-woven fabrics secured a gain of 9.1 percent and 6.1 percent respectively in the same period.
Data from the NBS also showed that China's fixed-asset investment (FAI) descended 16.1 percent year-on-year to 8.41 trillion yuan in the first quarter, narrowing by 8.4 percentage points compared with the decrease in the first two months.
Investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, and real estate development in Q1 fell by 19.7 percent, 25.2 percent, and 7.7 percent respectively.
In the January-March period, national per capita disposable income dropped by 3.9 percent in real terms after deducting price factors to 8,561 yuan, with urban households posting a real decrease of 3.9 percent to 11,691 yuan and rural counterpart by 4.7 percent to 4,641 yuan.
As the outbreak of COVID-19 shut almost all public places down across China, people nationwide have hidden away in their homes since the end of January this year to avoid any possibility to contact with others and gradually switched to online activities.
Thus, the catering sector is more severely hit with its revenues in Q1 falling 44.3 percent compared with the same period last year, but online sales only saw a 0.8 percent year-on-year decrease. Online sales of physical goods expanded 5.9 percent to 1.85 trillion yuan, accounting for 23.6 percent of the total retail sales in Q1.
China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 4.9 percent year-on-year in Q1, with the core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, ticking up 1.3 percent year-on-year.
The total import and export of goods during the same period were 6.57 trillion yuan, declining by 6.4 percent year-on-year, with exports down 11.4 percent and imports down 0.7 percent.
V-shaped rebound
Despite the domestic economy contracting and the worse international situation, China has seen a V-shaped rebound in economic performance, especially in March, and the economic fundamentals are still positive, according to Chen.
Data from the NBS showed that FAI in March was up 6.05 percent from February. And, investment in e-commerce services in Q1 increased by 39.6 percent. In the health sector this fell only by 0.9 percent, 15.2 percentage points lower than the total investment.
China's job market also improved slightly in March, with the surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas standing at 5.9 percent, 0.3 percentage points down from the previous month.
Consumers buy vegetables in a supermarket in Yantai, Shandong, China on March 10, 2020. /VCG
Meanwhile, in the first three months, the country's total retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of consumption growth, in Q1 tumbled by 19 percent from a year ago at 7.86 trillion yuan, slightly rebounding from a drop of 20.5 percent in the first two months, while the sales in March fell by 15.8 percent, 4.7 percentage points narrower than that in January-February period.
China's high-tech manufacturing in Q1 increased by 8.9 percent year-on-year. Also, the operating income of Internet and related services grew by 10.1 percent, and online sales of goods reached over 1,800 billion yuan with an increase of 5.9 percent, according to NBS data.
"A series of economic data shows that the Chinese economy has transformed to high-quality development. There have been still online sales and online payments, which have saved our economy during the time when we were staying at home," Chen told CGTN.
"The epidemic control is a key condition for the resumption of production, and China is now the only country in the world that has this condition. It is expected that April and May will see better performance," she added.
Uncertainties still exist
"There is no need to worry about investment, and foreign capital will come into China, for Chinese people are beginning consumption," said Chen, stressing that the most uncertain factor in the second half of the year is international trade.
"The impact of trade on China's employment is still very large... Trade cannot be guaranteed if the pandemic cannot be controlled well in the world. So we cannot be happy now," Chen told CGTN.
Migrant workers produce home textile supplies in a workshop in Hangzhou, China, April 17, 2020. /VCG
"But now, it is not just a problem in China, but also a problem in the world. China's V-shaped rebound would have been stronger if the international situation of the pandemic had not deteriorated. We have to control imported cases to ensure a strong rebound," Chen told CGTN.
"Another big problem is how to solve the problem of poverty. As many orders have been canceled [in factories] in coastal cities, migrant workers [in those factories] may lose their jobs and they would become poor. The goal of overall poverty reduction is more worrying. Training and re-employment are what we need to care about," Chen said.
China's annual growth target, which used to be released in March at the National People's Congress, has not been officially published as the annual meeting was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"The annual economic growth is sure to maintain moderate positive growth," Chen told CGTN, adding that, "China has seen a V-shaped rebound. We should look at the month-to-month growth rather than the year-on-year growth."
AIIB doubles COVID-19 crisis response to 10 bln USD
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is doubling available funds under its COVID-19 crisis recovery response to 10 billion U.S. dollars due to high demand.
The decision came after funding requests substantially exceeded the five billion dollars originally allocated for emergency relief. Clients are requiring immediate assistance in health infrastructure and pandemic preparedness, for example, to alleviate the pressure on health care.
The Chinese mainland reported 26 more COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 15 of which were imported from abroad, according to the National Health Commission, which also reported 66 new asymptomatic patients.
No new deaths reported on the same day.
The total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,367. The cumulative death toll is 3,342, and 1,038 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said 52 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,944.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,017 (485 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (16 recovered)
Taiwan: 395 (155 recovered, 6 deaths)
Latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic
Canada's total number of cases reached 30,092 on Thursday. The death toll increased to 1,193.
Sweden reported 613 new cases, totaling 12,540 as of Thursday. The death toll rose by 130 to stand at 1,333.
France registered 2,641 new cases, bringing its total number of cases to 108,847. The virus claimed 753 more lives on Thursday, raising the death toll to 17,920. Over 320,000 patients have recovered.
Italy reported 3,786 new cases and 525 more deaths. The country has 168,941 cases now and 22,170 people have died.
Singapore's total number of cases rose by 728 on Thursday to 4,427. Ten people have died in the country.
Japan confirmed 574 new cases on Thursday, raising its total number of cases to 9,296. The country's death toll is at 190. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the whole country until May 6.
COVID-19 cases in U.S. top 650,000: Johns Hopkins University
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 650,000 by 6 p.m. local time on Thursday (2200 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The fresh figure reached 658,263 with 32,186 deaths, according to the CSSE.
New York state topped the charts of cases and deaths, which stood at 223,231 and 14,198, respectively. New Jersey reported 75,317 cases and 3,156 fatalities. Other states with over 20,000 cases included Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, and Louisiana.
U.S. President Donald Trump has released guidelines to "open up America again" amid COVID-19 outbreak. He said state governors will be empowered to choose whether to open or remain closed, depending on their own situation.
The guidelines are aimed at easing social distancing requirements and allowing areas with declining COVID-19 cases to return to providing normal commerce and services. CGTN has summarized the three-phase plan:
Phase 1
Vulnerable people are to shelter in place.
Telework if possible and others return to work in phases.
Schools will remain closed.
Gatherings limited to less than 10 people.
Minimize non-essential travel.
Phase 2
Vulnerable people are to remain sheltered in place.
Employers should continue encouraging telework.
Schools will be re-opened.
Gatherings limited to less than 50 people.
Non-essential travel may resume.
Larger venues like restaurants, bars and gyms may reopen with social distancing.
Phase 3
Vulnerable people can go out but should practice social distancing.
No restrictions on work.
Larger venues should practice limited social distancing and proper sanitation.
Each phase is set to last a minimum of 14 days, with some parts of the country expected to return to normalcy after a month of evaluating if the process has not caused any uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Trump walked back earlier remarks regarding his desire and ability to force U.S. states to adhere to his orders to reopen. "You're going to call your own shots," Trump told governors, according to an audio recording obtained by the Associated Press.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 5.2 million more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week. That brings the total number of Americans out of work to 22 million in the past four weeks, which means one in seven American workers is now jobless.
Earlier on Thursday, several U.S. governors of Midwestern states said they are coordinating to reopen the Midwest regional economy.
On the release of the guidelines, renowned U.S. medical expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that the dominant issue for reopening is the "health and safety of the American public."
Pressure on the WHO escalates
Days after Trump announced decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), Republican lawmakers stood together and called for the UN agency chief to step down in direct response to Trump's criticism against WHO's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Seventeen of Trump's fellow Republicans on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee wrote a letter to Trump supporting his announcement this week that he was withholding funding for the WHO, and saying he should condition the resumption of contributions on the resignation of Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Trump drew immediate condemnation on Tuesday from many world leaders and health experts, as well as U.S. Democrats, by saying he would halt U.S. funding of the Geneva-based WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
"At times, the WHO is the only organization working on the ground in the worst places in the world, and the U.S. should continue to support this important work," said the letter, led by Representative Mike McCaul, the committee's senior Republican.
"However, it is imperative that we act swiftly to ensure the impartiality, transparency, and legitimacy of this valuable institution," the letter said.
(With input from Reuters)
(CGTN's Omar Elwafaii contributed to the report)
China's medical experts arrive in Ethiopia
A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Thursday to assist the country in combating COVID-19. It is the first batch of anti-epidemic medical experts sent by the Chinese government to Africa and will work in Ethiopia for 15 days.
The team comprises 12 medical experts specializing in various areas including infectious disease, respiratory disease and intensive care. They also brought medical supplies and traditional Chinese medicine that has approved by clinical practice to the Ethiopia.
Latest on coronavirus in some European and Asian countries
UK's death toll has reached 13,729 and 103,093 people have tested positive.
Swiss said on Thursday its death toll has reached 1,017, and 26,732 people have tested positive.
The Netherlands said on Thursday that confirmed cases rose by 1,061 to 29,214, with 181 more deaths, making its total death toll to 3,315.
Germany on Thursday morning reported 2,866 new COVID-19 cases, with total tally reaching 130,450. The death toll rose to 3,569, up 315 from a day ago.
Russia reported 3,448 new confirmed cases on Thursday, pushing the total number to 27,938. The death toll stands at 232. Also local media said Kremlin has decided to postpone Russia's annual Victory Day Parade which is due to take place on May 9.
Belarus reported 476 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the country's tally to 4,204. To date, 40 patients with chronic diseases have died from COVID-19.
The Philippines on Thursday reported 13 more deaths and 207 new infection cases. The total death number has hit 362, with 5,660 cases. It leads Southeast Asia in the number of infection cases.
Malaysia detected 110 new confirmed cases on Thursday, raising the cumulative total to 5,182. One more death was reported, taking the total number of fatalities to 84.
Indonesia said on Thursday 380 new confirmed cases were identified, with 5,516 cases in total. The latest fatalities are 496. Officials have foreseen a peak between May and June with around 95,000 infections.
CMG
India's largest slum reports 86 COVID-19 cases
Dharavi, India's largest slum, located in the country's financial capital of Mumbai, has reported 86 COVID-19 cases and nine deaths, according to local media reports on Thursday.
Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Dharavi on April 1, local media became concerned that Dharavi might become "a ticking time-bomb" under the current epidemic situation.
Japanese PM expands state of emergency to whole country
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday declared a state of emergency for the whole country until May 6 over concerns surrounding COVID-19.
"Areas where a state of emergency should be carried out will be expanded from the seven prefectures to all prefectures," Abe told a special meeting of medical experts called to discuss the disease.
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Europe COVID-19 cases almost at 1 million, coming weeks 'critical': WHO
Europe is currently in eye of the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of cases nearing a million, the World Health Organization's (WHO) European regional director said on Thursday.
"Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million," the WHO's Hans Kluge told reporters in an online briefing.
This meant that about 50% of the global burden of COVID-19 was in Europe, Kluge said. More than 84,000 people in Europe had died in the epidemic, he said.
"The storm clouds of this pandemic still hang heavily over the European region," Kluge said. While some countries were entering a period where they may be able to ease restrictions gradually, "there is no fast track back to normal."
COVID-19 latest development in Middle East
Iran reported 1,606 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 77,995. Iran also reported 92 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the death toll to 4,869. So far, 52,229 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Kuwait reported 119 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 1,524, among the newly infected patients, there are four Kuwaiti citizens who returned from Britain and the U.S., the health ministry said in a statement.
Israel on Thursday recorded a total of 12,591 COVID-19 cases with 140 deaths in the country, the total number of recoveries are now at 2,624.
Lebanon confirmed a total of 663 cases of COVID-19 and 85 cases of recovery in the country on Thursday.
Foreign investment still optimistic about China, no mass outflow: MOFCOM
Foreign investment remains optimistic about the Chinese market despite the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, said the country's commerce ministry.
China has not and will not experience a large-scale withdrawal of foreign capital, said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Gao Feng at an online press conference on Thursday.
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Spain's coronavirus death toll rises to 19,130
The total number of people who have died from the new coronavirus in Spain rose to 19,130, the Spanish health ministry said on Thursday.
Over the past 24 hours, 551 people died from COVID-19, up from 523 the previous day, the ministry said.
The overall number of coronavirus infections in the country rose to 182,816, from 177,633 on Wednesday.
Resumption of coronavirus-hit private enterprises, SMEs quickens pace in China
The work resumption of the coronavirus-hit private enterprises and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has quickened pace, thanks to the positive results of virus containment and supportive measures targeting businesses, officials said at a press conference on Thursday.
Major and large-scale enterprises have all resumed work, medium-sized enterprises have basically resumed work, and a majority of small firms have resumed work, said Lin Zeyan, director of Research Office, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.
91.39 percent of private enterprises have resumed operation, and 49.99 percent of them have resumed 50 percent of the production capacity, according to a report in mid-April, Lin introduced.
"We can clearly see that the recovery of the entire industry and the entire industrial chain is almost simultaneous. Among them, the resumption rate of tertiary industry enterprises reached 89.97 percent, an increase of 8.21 percentage points from the end of March," said Lin.
Major and large-scale enterprises have played an active role in driving the overall resumption of industrial chains. "Large-scale enterprises have basically returned to normal, and 57.84 percent of them have recovered over 80 percent of the production capacity," Lin added.
As of Tuesday, 99 percent of major industrial enterprises have resumed work and production, and 94 percent of employees have returned to work, said Xu Kemin, director of the Department of Industrial Policy of the MIIT.
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Beijing says people violating home quarantine rules will be sent to centralized isolation
Beijing's municipal government is stepping up measures to contain the coronavirus spread and people who violate the home quarantine rules will be sent to a centralized isolation for 14 days.
A government official announced the new move at a press conference on Thursday, adding all the expense during the centralized isolation won't be covered by the government.
Currently, people coming from other parts of China to Beijing are required to conduct a 14-day home isolation if they have a fixed residence in the city.
While for all international arrivals to Beijing, nucleic acid test and centralized quarantine are compulsory.
Portugal revives 'teleschool' to reach every student in COVID-19 lockdown
It might not be the most modern technological outlet, but televisions are still a fixed feature in almost every household, even in these times, when everything from news to entertainment reaches citizens on smartphones and laptops. But what about low-income families that don't have computers or stable and unlimited internet connections?
During this time of mandatory isolation, millions of children and teenagers are studying from home, and most schools had to adapt quickly to the new reality of online classes, but still, some students can be left out, with their education put at risk.
To tackle this situation, the Portuguese government opted for the revival and adaptation of an old program that can reach every student at home, the "teleschool." This means that besides online classes, students will also have classes transmitted on public television. The project is going on screen on April 20.
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COVID-19: China's locally confirmed severe cases drop below 50
The number of domestic severe cases of COVID-19 in China has dropped below 50, and the country reported a total of 12 new cases on Wednesday, which are all clustered cases from abroad, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said during a regular press conference on Thursday.
Mi noted that it is necessary to strengthen health monitoring and management of inbound personnel, ensure a seamless and hermetic management for coronavirus, and prevent the epidemic from rebounding.
China dismisses claim new coronavirus originated at Wuhan lab
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian dismissed claim that the new coronavirus raging through the world originated at a laboratory in Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province, where COVID-19 was first reported.
Addressing a daily media briefing on Thursday, Zhao said the origin of this new virus is for the scientists and medical experts to find out, and the claim itself is groundless.
"Officials of the World Health Organization have repeatedly said there's no evidence the virus was made in a lab, and many experts have also said the claim lacks scientific ground."
Pledging China's continuous participation in international cooperation, Zhao urged all parties to work together in the battle against the infectious disease.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that "there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food or food packaging (currently)."
However, precautions are suggested to ensure people's safety. Contactless delivery is a must, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Contactless delivery means that the food is placed at a designated area instead of being delivered right to the front door, ensuring no physical contact with whoever placed the order. Don't exchange paper money and have everything paid by credit card or otherwise electronically.
It's suggested to avoid ordering raw or uncooked food, such as sashimi, since these food haven't been sterilized by high temperature. Reheating the food also makes it safer to eat.
Chinese medical experts on Thursday set off to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to support the African countries' fight against COVID-19, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
The two medical teams were established by China's National Health Commission, and the medical experts were dispatched by the health commissions from Sichuan Province and Tianjin Municipality.
They will share experience, provide guidance and technical advice on epidemic prevention with medical and health institutions in the two countries, Zhao said at a regular press conference of the ministry, ahead of the experts' departure.
China and Africa are good brothers and China has kept in mind the valuable support from Africa when the country was facing a hard period in prevention and control work, said Zhao.
China is willing to strengthen cooperation with African countries to win against the virus, he added.
The death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 878 as the number of confirmed cases hit 16,640, according to the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Read more:
(Cover photo: Ethiopians have their temperature checked for symptoms of the new coronavirus, at the Zewditu Memorial Hospital in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 18, 2020. /AP)
Gion district is quiet in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, April 15, 2020. /AP
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to declare a nationwide state of emergency in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus in the county, reported Kyodo news, citing a government official.
The Japanese government is due to hold a meeting with a panel of experts on Thursday to consult about whether to expand the country's partial state of emergency, chief spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.
On April 7, Abe declared a month-long state of emergency in Japan covering Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures for a period of about a month.
The declaration empowers governors to enact specific measures to cope with virus spread including calling for closures of school and some business.
(With input from agencies)
California to give cash payments to undocumented immigrants impacted by coronavirus
California will give cash payments to immigrants living in the country illegally, governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday, using a mix of taxpayer money and charitable contributions to give 150,000 adults 500 U.S. dollars each during the coronavirus outbreak, CNBC reported.
According to the report, California has an estimated two million immigrants living in the country illegally.
"Never seen anything like it," read the headline of a New York Times article on April 8 as the U.S. entered its fourth week of national emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. On April 12, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration in all 50 states in the country – for the first time in U.S. history.
From January 3, when China began to inform the United States of the coronavirus outbreak, to March 13, when the U.S. announced the national emergency, around 70 days had passed. How did things get here in the U.S.?
A COVID-19 vaccine could be the only factor that may deliver "normalcy" again, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday, hoping for just that before the end of the year.
"A safe and effective vaccine may be the only tool that can return the world to a sense of 'normalcy,' saving millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars," he noted during a video conference with the 50 or so African countries that are members of the UN.
"We need an ambitious effort to ensure that international stakeholders operate through a harmonized, integrated and leveraged approach to maximize the speed and scale needed for the universal deployment of such a vaccine by the end of 2020," said Guterres.
Guterres said his appeal on March 25 for two billion U.S. dollars in donations for a comprehensive UN humanitarian response to the pandemic had so far raised about 20 percent of that amount.
Through the World Health Organization, the UN has been able to equip 47 African countries with COVID-19 tests, he said.
The UN chief additionally praised the efforts of a number of African governments to mitigate the results of the pandemic.
Read more:
Countries race to make COVID-19 vaccine
(With input from agencies)
Death toll from COVID-19 in U.S. tops 30,000: JHU
The death toll from the coronavirus in the U.S. climbed to 30,826 as total infections topped 637,716, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) on Wednesday.
U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad said Wednesday that he doesn't believe Beijing is deliberately blocking exports of masks and other medical supplies to fight the coronavirus.
He also told a small group of reporters that the shipment of 1,200 tons of such products to the U.S. could not have been possible without Chinese support.
Talking about a slowdown in the provision of supplies, the ambassador pointed out that it appeared to be caused by China's implementation of stricter quality standards following complaints it was sending shoddy equipment abroad.
"I am hopeful that because of the collaboration and work on fighting the virus, and also of course the phase one of the trade agreement, that there will be a better relationship going forward," Branstad said.
Over 28,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. and the total confirmed cases have surpassed 636,000, meaning the U.S. has the largest number of both coronavirus fatalities and infections so far.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the country has likely "passed the peak" of the coronavirus pandemic and he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday.
(Cover image: U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad at an event in Johnston, Iowa, March 4, 2019. /AP)
More than 640 COVID-19 cases are linked to the Sioux Falls plant of the meat packing giant Smithfield Foods in South Dakota, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The Sioux Falls plant with a total of 3,700 employees is now the largest single-source of cases in the U.S., said the report.
Smithfield Foods announced on Wednesday the closure of two more meat processing plants in Missouri and Wisconsin after a massive coronavirus outbreak closed the South Dakota factory.
The Chinese mainland reported 46 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 34 of which originated overseas, according to the National Health Commission, which also recorded no new deaths and 64 new asymptomatic patients on the same day.
The total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,341. The cumulative death toll is 3,342, and 1,032 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation. The total number of recoveries hit 77,892 after 76 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,016 (459 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (16 recovered)
Taiwan: 395 (137 recovered, 6 deaths)
G20 agrees to debt relief for poorest countries amid pandemic
G20 finance ministers and central bankers on Wednesday agreed to "support a time-bound suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries that request forbearance."
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, who currently chairs the group, said this means "poor countries don't need to worry about repaying over the course of the next 12 months."
Trump says U.S. likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases
President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States has passed the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, and he will announce guidelines for reopening the economy on Thursday.
"It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," he added.
At the press conference, he also threatened to adjourn the House and Senate to allow him to appoint officials whose nominations, he claimed, are being blocked by Democrats in Congress.
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The U.S. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, said the agency will continue its relationship with the World Health Organization, despite U.S. President Trump's announcement to cut funding to WHO.
"The CDC and The WHO have a had a long history of working together in multiple outbreaks around the world," Redfield said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," after anchor George Stephanopoulos asked if he agreed with Trump's statement that the WHO failed in handling the crisis.
This follows Trump's remarks on Tuesday that WHO has "failed its duty" on addressing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'd like to do the postmortem on this outbreak once we get through it together," Redfield said in the interview.
According to STATNews, the U.S. provided roughly 15% of the WHO's total funding over the current two budget period.
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France's Defense Ministry says 668 personnel aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for COVID-19.
Among those who tested positive are two of four U.S. sailors on board.
A provisional assessment published on Wednesday by the ministry said "31 are today hospitalized at the Sainte-Anne army training hospital in Toulon, including one in intensive care."
France is one of the European countries most affected by COVID-19, having ecorded more than 130,000 cases and over 17,000 deaths.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that he regretted President Trump's decision to pull funding for the agency and called for world unity to fight the new coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. President Donald Trump's move to halt funding to the WHO over its handling of the pandemic prompted condemnation on Wednesday from world leaders, as recorded global infections passed the two million mark.
"The United States of America has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. "We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in the funding to the WHO."
Ghebreyesus reminded Trump that the "WHO is not only fighting COVID-19. We are also working to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health and many other diseases and conditions."
The United States is the largest donor to the WHO, providing more than $400 million in 2019, roughly 15 percent of its budget.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for unity. /Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
Trump's decision has led to international condemnation. The European Union said Trump has "no reason" to freeze WHO funding at this critical stage and also called for measures to promote unity instead of division. Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas tweeted "Placing blame doesn't help," adding "The virus knows no borders. We must work closely against COVID-19."
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian says the country is "seriously concerned" about the U.S. government's decision to suspend funding. Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warned against politicizing the issue, adding that he believed WHO had "acted effectively" in its handling of the pandemic.
Tedros added: "WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted."
But he said now was the time for the world to be united in its common struggle against the outbreak, which he described as a "dangerous enemy."
Mike Ryan, WHO's top emergencies expert, said that there would be opportunities in coming weeks and months to discuss WHO's budget with its other 193 states.
"We are laser-focused on doing a very important job and that is suppressing this virus and saving lives," Ryan said.
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The number of COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed two million on Wednesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The United States now has the most cases, with more than 609,000 confirmed infections.
The CSSE has recorded 128,011 global coronavirus deaths.
U.S. retail sales in March dropped off 8.7 percent, the biggest plunge on record, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the New York Times on Wednesday.
'There is no time to waste': WHO chief
There is no time to waste. World Health Organization (WHO)'s singular focus is on working to serve all people to save lives and stop the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday said on Twitter.
EU to host May 4 donor conference for coronavirus vaccine research
The European Union will host an online conference on May 4 for governments and organisations to pledge money to support the search for a vaccine to the novel coronavirus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
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Iran's COVID-19 cases rise by 1,512 to 76,389
Iran reported 1,512 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 94 deaths on Wednesday, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 76,389 and death toll to 4,777.
Iran recorded that 49,933 people recovered and a total of 299,204 COVID-19 tests were performed in the country.
China's FDI inflow falls 10.8% in first quarter amid COVID-19
China's foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow fell 10.8 percent from a year earlier to 216.19 billion yuan (30.62 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced Wednesday.
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Spain’s confirmed COVID-19 case total rises to 177,633
Spain reported 5,092 new cases of COVID-19 and 523 new deaths in last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 177,633, and the death toll to 18,579, according to the country’s health ministry.
Airline revenues to nosedive by 55% in 2020: IATA
Airline passenger revenues are set to plunge by 55 percent, or $314 billion, in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the International Air Transport Association said Tuesday.
It marks a sharp worsening of the forecast for the aviation industry, as just three weeks ago the decrease was predicted to be 44 percent, or $252 billion.
(With input from AFP)
In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Zhong Nanshan, China's top respiratory expert, said it's the right decision for China to order testing and quarantine for all who enter the country from abroad, no matter whether they are foreign or Chinese, describing the effort as "One world, one fight."
Germany to extend coronavirus restrictions until May 3: report
Germany's government will extend coronavirus restrictions measures until at least May 3, local media reported on Wednesday.
Germany currently has 132,210 coronavirus infections and 3,495 deaths, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. Forces Japan declares nationwide public emergency
The U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) on Wednesday declared a public health emergency for all forces in the country amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The order expands on the previous declaration which only applied to the Kanto Plain region.
Germany says WHO is one of best investments after Trump cuts funding
Strengthening the World Health Organization is one of the best investments, Germany's foreign minister said on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday halted funding to the Geneva-based organization.
"Apportioning blame doesn't help. The virus knows no borders," Heiko Maas said on Twitter.
(With input from Reuters)
Russia reports 3,388 new COVID-19 cases, total at 24,490
Russia reported 3,388 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,490 with 198 deaths, the country's coronavirus response center said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has halted funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its response to the coronavirus pandemic and accused the UN health body of being biased after speaking highly of China's efforts in containing the outbreak.
Trump's decision has drawn criticism from global figures, including U.S. business magnate Bill Gates, who has called the move dangerous. On Wednesday, the China director for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also reiterated that halting funds to the World Health Organization at this moment is very dangerous.
"Our foundation's stance is very clear. We feel at this moment of global crisis, halting funding for the WHO is very dangerous. Since the pandemic began, the WHO's work has helped slow the spread of the pandemic. If its work is stopped now, no other organization can substitute it. The world needs the WHO now more than ever. So we are very worried about this," said Li Yinuo, director of China Country Office at Gates Foundation.
Also responding to Trump's announcement, the head of an international organization that supports immunization in poor countries has stressed the importance of the WHO in controlling the pandemic.
"The WHO's role globally is absolutely critical as a quality setter, as a standard setter for the world," said Dr Seth Berkeley, CEO of Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization. The Gates Foundation is a major funding partner of Gavi.
He said that role is important for his 20-year-old organization, which aims to stress immunization in poor countries.
"We need that, because otherwise we'd have to test examples for every single country, or standard for vaccines that are different for every country, and that will make it very difficult for decisions to be made. So we think the WHO plays a very important role in trying to do this for the global community, particularly those for the poorest countries that do not have capacities themselves and therefore rely on a body to make sure that the vaccines, drugs, diagnosis that are provided meet standards that are reasonable for use in the settings."
No other organization can replace the WHO in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and "the world needs it now more than ever," Bill Gates himself said in a tweet.
"Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," Gates said.
Coronavirus death toll in New York City surpasses 10,000 in revised virus count: NYT
New York City's coronavirus-related death toll soared past 10,000 on Tuesday after health officials said they were now counting people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have died of it, New York Times reported.
As of April 13, there were 6,589 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 3,778 "probable" deaths, the New York City Health Department's daily report showed. The total number of confirmed and "probable" deaths is 10,367.
Wuhan: Leishenshan Hospital closes as coronavirus epidemic wanes
Wuhan's Leishenshan Hospital, one of the two temporary hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, ceased operations on Wednesday as the epidemic waned.
The hospital will be mothballed after thorough disinfection and won't be dismantled immediately.
Leishenshan Hospital was built in 10 days and treated a total of 2,011 people, including more than 1,000 patients in severe and critical conditions. Over 1,900 people have since recovered and been discharged from here.
Wuhan City, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic in China, has reported zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 among symptomatic carriers in the week following the lifting of its lockdown on April 8, said local media.
According to the report, a total of 225,999 people in Wuhan were tested for coronavirus during the week, finding 130 asymptomatic cases, a 0.0575-percent positive rate. None of these cases have turned into confirmed cases.
The city has also observed 542 people who had close contacts with an infected person, and found no asymptomatic or confirmed cases among them.
The World Health Organization (WHO) logo /Reuters
China urged the United States on Wednesday to fulfill its obligations to the World Health Organization (WHO), after U.S. President Donald Trump halted funding to the body over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the situation with the pandemic, which has infected nearly 2 million people globally, was at a critical stage and that the U.S.' decision would affect all countries of the world, especially the weak countries.
As the most authoritative and professional international institution in the field of global public health security, the WHO plays an irreplaceable role in responding to the global public health crisis.
Especially since the outbreak of COVID-19, the organization, under the leadership of Tedros Adhanom, has fulfilled its responsibilities and played a central role in promoting international anti-epidemic cooperation and has won recognition from the international community.
Zhao urged the U.S. to fulfill its obligation and support the WHO's leading role in promoting world cooperation. He stressed that China will continue to support the WHO and play its role in promoting global health and fighting the pandemic.
China donates $20M to WHO to fight COVID-19
China has always supported the WHO in its leading role in the global fight against COVID-19, Zhao said.
The country has donated 20 million U.S. dollars to the UN body and will continue to provide support and assistance to the organization within its ability, he said.
Tedros calls U.S. 'generous' friend, urging international unity to fight COVID-19
Speaking after Trump's announcement, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.S. "has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so."
"We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in the funding to the WHO," Tedros said at press conference in Geneva.
He said, the "WHO is not only fighting COVID-19. We are also working to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health and many other diseases and conditions."
The United States is the largest WHO donor, providing more than 400 million U.S. dollars in 2019, roughly 15 percent of its budget.
Speaking to CGTN on Wednesday, a WHO spokeswoman defended China's measures to control the outbreak, calling it "bellwether" for other countries.
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said China deserves praise for its fight against the coronavirus outbreak since the country has seen some major success in combating and controlling it.
No country is an exact model for other countries, but transparency and information from the experience of China has been given to clinics, public health and experts around the world, allowing them to consider what to do in their, she said.
UN chief says 'not the time' to reduce WHO resources after Trump announcement
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus."
"Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences," he said.
EU 'deeply regrets' Trump's decision, says it is unjustified
The European Union (EU) joined worldwide condemnation of Trump's decision, saying on Wednesday it was unjustified during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Deeply regret U.S. decision to suspend funding to WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.
Russia slams 'selfish' U.S. move
U.S. President Donald Trump's freeze on funding for the World Health Organization is a selfish response to the global coronavirus pandemic, a senior Russian official said Wednesday.
"We see yesterday's announcement by Washington on freezing funding of the WHO as most concerning," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency TASS. "It is a sign of the very selfish approach of the U.S. authorities to what is happening in the world due to the pandemic," he added.
"Such a blow to this organisation just when the international community is looking towards it... is a step worthy of condemnation and every reproach," the diplomat said. He said Russia is urging the U.S. to "cease further attacks on the WHO and take a responsible course."
Iran Zarif: Trump's defunding is killing people
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also joined the condemnation, linking the move to killing people.
"The world is learning what Iran has known & experienced all along: U.S. regime's bullying, threatening & vainglorious blathering isn't just an addiction: it kills people," Zarif wrote on Twitter.
"Like "maximum pressure" against Iran, the shameful defunding WHO amid a pandemic will live in infamy," he added.
German FM slams Trump's decision to halt WHO funding
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday also criticized Trump's decision.
"Blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders. We must cooperate closely against COVID-19," said Maas on his Twitter account. "One of the best investments is that the United Nations, especially the underfunded WHO, to strengthen, for example in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines."
'We need advice we can rely on,' says New Zealand PM
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, "At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that. We will continue to support it and continue to make our contributions."
Bill Gates says Trump's decision is as dangerous as it sounds
The President's decision to withhold funding to the WHO pending a review of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic is "as dangerous as it sounds," Bill Gates said Wednesday.
"Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever," Gates said in a tweet.
"Our foundation's stance is very clear. We feel at this moment of global crisis, halting funding for the WHO is very dangerous. Since the pandemic began, the WHO's work has helped slow the spread of the pandemic. If its work is stopped now, no other organization can substitute it. The world needs the WHO now more than ever. So we are very worried about this," said Li Yinuo, director of China Country Office at the Gates Foundation.
Democrats blast Trump's move
Senator Patrick Leahy (Vt.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that the move "makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in."
"The White House knows that it grossly mishandled this crisis from the beginning, ignoring multiple warnings and squandering valuable time, dismissing medical science, comparing COVID-19 to the common cold, and saying 'everything will be fine,'" Leahy, who also serves on the subcommittee overseeing foreign operations, added. "Not wanting to take responsibility as the deaths continue to mount, he blames others."
Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), an outspoken critic of the president, said in a tweet that the announcement felt like a "distraction."
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called it a "grade school caliber attempt to deflect attention from his China fawning and his ongoing negligence since."
Medical workers step over bodies as they search a refrigerated trailer at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, April 3, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. /AP
Doctors, scientists urge Trump to reconsider
American Medical Association President, Dr Patrice Harris called it "a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier" and urged Trump to reconsider.
Dr Amesh Adalja from Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security said, "The move sends the wrong message" during the middle of a pandemic.
The WHO collects information about where the virus is active in every county in the world, which the United States needs to help guide decisions about when to open borders, he said.
U.S. health care advocacy group Protect Our Care said the withdrawal was "nothing more than a transparent attempt by President Trump to distract from his history downplaying the severity of the coronavirus crisis and his administration's failure to prepare our nation."
"To be sure, the World Health Organization is not without fault but it is beyond irresponsible to cut its funding at the height of a global pandemic," said Leslie Dach, chair of Protect Our Care.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)
Latest on coronavirus pandemic around the world
The U.S. has recorded 2,228 deaths in the past 24 hours, a sharp increase after two days' decline. At least 25,757 people have died from the coronavirus.
Italy on Tuesday reported 2,972 new coronavirus cases, the lowest daily increase in a month. It has 162,488 total confirmed cases, with 21,067 deaths.
France has over 100,000 confirmed cases. It reported 5,497 new cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 103,573. To date, 15,729 people have died from COVID-19.
Ireland saw 832 new cases on Tuesday. A total of 11,479 people have been infected, and the death toll is 406.
Turkey on Tuesday detected 4,062 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 65,111. The death toll increased by 107, standing at 1,403.
Canada has reported a total of 27,064 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. Quebec and Ontario both reported record daily increases in the number of deaths. The coronavirus has claimed 903 lives.
Brazil registered 1,832 new cases on Tuesday, as its national total mounted to 25,262. The death toll is 1,532, with a 6.1-percent fatality rate.
The Chinese mainland reported 46 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 36 of which were imported from abroad, according to the National Health Commission, which also announced one more death and 57 new asymptomatic patients.
The total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,295. The cumulative death toll is 3,342, and 1,023 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said 78 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,816.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,012 (434 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (15 recovered)
Taiwan: 393 (124 recovered, 6 deaths)
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 600,000 Tuesday evening, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The country has seen 602,989 cases with 25,575 deaths as of 6:50 p.m. (2250 GMT), according to the CSSE.
According to the tally, the hardest-hit state, New York, saw 202,630 cases and a death toll of 10,834. New Jersey followed with 68,824 cases and 2,805 deaths. Other states with over 20,000 cases included Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and Louisiana.
U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic while a review of its response to the global crisis is undertaken.
Trump, at a White House news conference on Tuesday, said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable."
Calling the UN body "China-centric," Trump said the WHO had promoted China's "disinformation" about the virus and claimed that likely led to a wider outbreak than otherwise would have occurred.
He also accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the crisis, saying the U.S. "has a duty to insist on full accountability."
The WHO had used "America's generosity," Trump argued, adding that his government will conduct a "very thorough investigation" over the next 60-90 days and review any mistakes the organization has made.
But the president, who has quit the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO and a global accord to tackle climate change, said the U.S. would continue to engage with the organization.
The WHO, which rejected the "China-centric" charge, has been appealing for more than one billion U.S. dollars to fund operations against the pandemic as it leads the global response against the disease.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 14, 2020. /AFP
The U.S. president has been increasingly critical of the WHO as questions over his administration's response mount.
Tuesday's announcement drew immediate condemnation. American Medical Association President Dr. Patrice Harris called it "a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier" and urged Trump to reconsider.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 25,575 on Tuesday, out of more than 602,989 known infections, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
According to the tally, the hardest-hit state, New York, saw 202,630 cases and a death toll of 10,834. New Jersey followed with 68,824 cases and 2,805 deaths. Other states with over 20,000 cases include Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and Louisiana.
Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and the U.S. economy has been crippled as citizens have stayed home and businesses been ordered to close, casting a shadow over Trump's hopes of being re-elected in November.
Reopen 'very soon'
Trump also announced that some states could lift coronavirus shutdowns "very soon," and he will later share details of a reopening plan.
Facing a tough reelection in November, Trump is eager to get the world's biggest economy back on its feet as quickly as possible.
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But a threat on Monday to invoke his "total" power to force state governors to follow his directives on reopening prompted an outcry.
"We don't have King Trump, we have President Trump," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on CNN.
Bodies outside Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., April 3, 2020. /AP
Trump responded on Twitter by likening skeptical governors to rebellious sailors in the movie "Mutiny on the Bounty."
But at Tuesday's briefing he clarified that he will not be "authorizing" each governor to reopen their state, saying it isn't his call and the power is already theirs.
He also said he will not pressure any governor to open but indicated that numerous states with less dense populations could open "very, very soon, sooner than the end of the month ... We'll open it up in beautiful little pieces."
The president was expected to unveil a new task force on Tuesday for managing the national reopening. But it did not happen. Instead, Trump said he would be talking to large groups of business leaders, Congress members and all 50 governors in conference calls this week.
Asked about testing capacity, Trump sidestepped, saying, "It's up to the governors to do tests not to the federal government ... The individual governors have testing ... If they're not satisfied with their testing, they shouldn't open."
Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease adviser, on Tuesday, again publicly cautioned against Trump's aggressive calls to reopen the country, saying the May 1 target is "overly optimistic."
In an interview with the Associated Press, Fauci echoed many governors in saying that health officials must first be able to test for the virus quickly, isolate new cases and track down new infections before social-distancing restrictions can be eased safely.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)
(Cover: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 14, 2020. /AFP)
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Second batch of Chinese medical supplies arrives in South Africa
The second batch of Chinese medical supplies arrived in South Africa on Tuesday, the Chinese embassy confirmed.
The shipment includes 11,000 N95 masks, 50,000 surgical masks, 3,000 sets of protective suits, 500 portable infrared thermometers, 3,000 goggles, 11,000 pairs of surgical gloves and 11,000 pairs of medical shoe covers.
The embassy also said a third and larger shipment of medical supplies from China to South Africa is also under preparation.
South Africa's health minister reported 143 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 2,415. The country's COVID-19 death toll stands at 27.
G7 ministers reaffirm close coordination to fight COVID-19 pandemic
Finance ministers and central bank governors of Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations on Tuesday reaffirmed their close coordination to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its impacts.
"Ministers and Governors reiterated their pledge to do whatever is necessary to restore economic growth and protect jobs, businesses, and the resilience of the financial system," they said in the statement, saying they would continue to work closely together in other forums, such as the G20, the IMF, the World Bank and the Financial Stability Board (FSB).
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First imported COVID-19 patient in Suifenhe recovers
On Tuesday evening, one imported COVID-19 patient who returned to China through the border city of Suifenhe recovered from the coronavirus. The 21-year-old man, who wants to remain anonymous, is the first imported case to have recovered amid the current outbreak at the China-Russia border.
After two rounds of nucleic acid testings, the man finally walked out the Ankang Hospital in the nearby city of Mudanjiang, and he is now free to go.
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Latest COVID-19 development in the world
Poland will gradually lift lockdown measures imposed to contain the novel coronavirus starting from this coming Sunday, the government said on Tuesday. As of Tuesday, Poland has reported 7,049 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, and 251 deaths.
The Slovakian government said it will unveil a plan next week to gradually ease coronavirus restrictions, but will proceed cautiously to avoid worsening the situation. The latest cases in Slovakia is 835 with two deaths.
Portugal reported 514 news cases and 32 more deaths, with its total number of infections hitting 17,448 and 567 deaths.
Singapore confirmed 334 more coronavirus infections on Tuesday, taking its tally to 3,252.
Most of the new cases were linked to outbreaks in migrant workers' dormitories.
Georgia will lock down four big cities, including its capital Tbilisi, for 10 days from April 15 and the emergency situation in the country would be extended until May 10.
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. The country has already detected 17 confirmed cases among prisoners, including three deaths, and 79 prison personnel had also tested positive.
On the same day, Turkish Airlines announced cancellation of international flights from May 1 to 20, and domestic flights would remain suspended until April 20.
Saudi Arabia recorded 435 new cases, bringing its nationwide tally to 5,369. So far, 73 people have died.
South Africa reported a rise of 143 coronavirus cases, taking the total to 2,415. The death toll stands at 27.
Kenya said on Tuesday afternoon that eight new cases were detected and its total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 216.
Latest on coronavirus in the UK
- Hospital death toll reaches 12,107: The COVID-19 death toll in hospitals across the UK hit 12,107 as of 1600 GMT on April 13, up by 778 from the day before, the health ministry said. And 302,599 people have been tested so far, 93,873 positive.
- The death toll in the UK could be 15 percent higher compared to official number, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday, which could run some 15 percent higher than official figures.
ONS data, which is released weekly, recorded all deaths where coronavirus is registered on the death certificate, including those from nursing homes and other locations, while government data only include patients who died in hospitals.
- UK economy could shrink by 35 percent by June: UK's economy could shrink by a massive 35 percent in the April-June period, and unemployment rate could more than double to 10 percent due to the government's coronavirus shutdown, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Pakistan extends lockdown amid COVID-19, some industries to reopen in phases
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced a two-week extension of the nationwide shutdown to curb the COVID-19 spread, but said some industries would reopen in phases.
The first industry to reopen would be construction, Khan said in a televised address to the nation.
Pakistan, which has already completed a three-week lockdown, has reported 5,716 cases with 96 deaths.
Coronavirus to cut global economy by 3 pct in 2020: IMF
The coronavirus pandemic is pushing the global economy into a deep recession this year, cutting world output by 3 percent, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday.
If the virus is contained and economies can begin operating again, 2021 should see a rebound of 5.8 percent, according to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook.
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UK PM Johnson continues recovery at Chequers
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is continuing his recovery at Chequers, and his medical team has advised him not to immediately return to work, said Johnson's spokesperson on Tuesday.
The prime minister's special adviser Dominic Cummings is back at work at 10 Downing Street, the spokesperson added.
Ireland's Sinn Féin leader says she tested positive for COVID-19 but is recovering
Ireland's Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has confirmed that she received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19, having been tested on March 28, according to a statement on Tuesday.
"I am on medication and responding very well, and I fully expect to be back at work next Monday," McDonald said in the statement.
A total of 992 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Ireland on Monday, bringing the tally in the country to 10,647, according to the Irish Department of Health.
IMF approves debt relief for 25 poor countries
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday announced immediate debt relief for 25 poor countries to help them free up funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
"This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement.
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People practice social distancing as they wait to enter a supermarket during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madrid, Spain, April 11, 2020./Reuters
The global COVID-19 death toll has exceeded 120,000 as of 18:00 BJT on Tuesday, and the total confirmed cases nearly 2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The top five countries for overall deaths were the U.S., Italy, Spain, France and UK.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 is easing in some parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks are still growing in Britain and Turkey, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
"The overall world outbreak, 90 percent of cases are coming from Europe and the United States of America. So we are certainly not seeing the peak yet," WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris told a briefing in Geneva.
Spanish deputy Prime Minister says recovered from COVID-19
Spanish deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo, 62, who tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25, Tuesday announced on Twitter that she had recovered.
Latest COVID-19 developments from Middle East
Iran reported 1,574 new cases with 98 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 74,877 and death toll to 4,683. The government on Sunday lifted a ban on travel between cities within Iranian provinces, while restrictions on trips between provinces will end on April 20.
Kuwait confirmed 55 new cases with one death, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 1355, including three deaths.
Israel recorded 282 new confirmed cases, total tally now at 11,868. The death toll stands at 117 with one new death reported on Tuesday.
Lebanon reported nine new cases, the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 641 and death toll rose to 21 in the country.
Graphics: How is COVID-19 spreading in Africa?
The COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the world and Africa is not spared.
Since the continent reported its first case in Egypt in mid-February, some 15,000 cases and 800 deaths have been confirmed, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Monday.
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Spain reports 3,045 new COVID-19 cases, total exceeds 170,000
Spain reported 3,045 new COVID-19 cases with 567 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 172,541 and death toll to 18,056, according to the country's health ministry.
Germany reports 2,082 new COVID-19 cases, total exceeds 125,000
Germany reported 2,082 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with 170 new deaths, raising the total number to 125,098, including 2,969 deaths, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
A lower number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany in recent days are likely due to less testing over the Easter holiday, the head of the Robert Koch health institute said.
"We can therefore not yet conclusively assess whether the number of cases is actually falling," Lothar Wieler said during a regular news conference, adding that Germans must wait and remain disciplined with social distancing measures.
111 Africans in Guangzhou test positive for COVID-19
A total of 111 African people in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, had been tested positive for COVID-19 by Monday, local authorities said.
Among them, 19 were imported confirmed cases, Chen Zhiying, executive vice mayor of Guangzhou, said late Monday.
All of them, including asymptomatic cases, were being treated, he said.
A total of 4,553 African people in the metropolis had undergone nucleic acid testing since April 4, Chen said.
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Russia reports 2,774 new COVID-19 cases, total at 21,102
Russia reported 2,774 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 21,102 with 170 deaths, the country's coronavirus response center said. This is the third consecutive day with more than 2,000 new cases recorded.
China cautions on asymptomatic cases after 67 became confirmed cases on Monday
China cautioned on asymptomatic cases in the country as it saw 67 asymptomatic cases turn into confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, said Mi Feng, spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The number was among a total of 89 new cases detected on the Chinese mainland on Monday, and 66 of 67 cases related to people coming from overseas.
Mi said China will highlight the work of epidemiological investigation and medical management of asymptomatic people and their close contacts.
Asymptomatic patients refer to those who tested positive for the disease but show no clinical symptoms.
Once they develop relevant symptoms, like fever or their CT scans show features of COVID-19, they become confirmed COVID-19 patients.
So far, there're still 1,005 asymptomatic patients under medical observation on the Chinese mainland.
Read more:
Experts explain how to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients
Will asymptomatic patients cause a second wave of COVID-19 in China?
The last four COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit at Wuhan's Leishenshan Hospital were transferred out on Tuesday as the hospital prepares to end operations.
The four patients have been transferred to Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University for further treatment. The hospital designated for treating severe and critical coronavirus patients in the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak in China has now released all patients as of Tuesday.
Leishenshan Hospital will conduct thorough disinfection and close operations on Wednesday.
Since receiving its first group of COVID-19 patients on February 8, Leishenshan Hospital has treated a total of 2,011 patients, including more than 1,000 severe and critical patients. Over 1,900 people have since recovered and been discharged from the hospital.
(Cover: Recovered patients waving goodbye to medical workers before leaving the Leishenshan hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 4, 2020. /Xinhua)
India on Tuesday extended until May 3 a nationwide lockdown for its 1.3 billion people as the number of coronavirus cases crossed 10,000 despite a three-week shutdown.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation, said the challenge was to stop the virus from spreading to new parts of the country, but held out hope that some restrictions could be eased next week in the least-affected areas to allow essential activities.
"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 latest government data showed the number of people infected with coronavirus had reached 10,363, with 339 deaths.
A man in Hyderabad, India, watches on his mobile phone Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the nation in a televised speech about the COVID-19 situation, April 14, 2020. /AP
"The nation has benefited greatly from social distancing and lockdown. If we only look at it from the economic standpoint it looks expensive – we've had to pay a huge cost, but before the lives of Indians this has no comparison," he stressed.
Modi offered no immediate relief to the millions of people who have lost their jobs because of the shutdown of the 2.9-trillion-U.S.-dollar economy, but said he felt their pain, with poor families struggling to afford food, and many migrant workers unable to reach their villages.
Neighboring Pakistan is also due to take a decision on its lockdown due to end on Wednesday.
The World Bank has said economic growth in India and other South Asian countries is likely to be the slowest for four decades this year because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Latest on coronavirus around the world
U.S. reported 581,679 cases, the most in the world, as well as the highest death toll of 23,604, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. 671 people had died in New York in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the country's hardest-hit state to 10,056.
Spain's overnight death toll from the virus fell to 517 on Monday from 619 on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to 17,489, the health ministry said. Overall cases rose to 169,496 from 166,019.
The number of fatalities from coronavirus in Italy rose by 566 on Monday, 135 more than on Sunday, bringing the total death toll to more than 20,000. The number of officially confirmed cases climbed to 159,516.
Some 574 people have died in France from COVID-19 in 24 hours, the health ministry said on Monday, bringing the total to 14,867. More than 98,000 infections recorded across the country so far. President Emmanuel Macron announced he was extending lockdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak until May 11.
Germany has reported 123,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday morning, an increase of 2,537 within the past 24 hours.
In UK, the death toll from COVID-19 rose to 11,329 on Monday and the government signaled that there would be no easing of lockdown measures this week. Total cases have also risen to 88,621.
Iran reported 1,617 new infection cases overnight, bringing the total number to 73,303 in the country, of whom 4,585 have died.
In Turkey, the number of the COVID-19 cases have climbed to 61,049 after 4,093 new ones were reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll from the novel coronavirus in the country reached 1,296.
Brazil's total number of COVID-19 cases rose to 23,430, and the death toll climbed to 1,328, for a mortality rate of 5.7 percent, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
China approved clinical trials for two types of inactivated vaccines for COVID-19 on Tuesday, announced China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council.
The vaccines are developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products of China National Pharmaceutical Group and a Beijing-based unit of Sinovac Biotech.
Yin Weidong, CEO of the Sinovac Biotech, who also participated in the research and development of the SARS vaccine, Inactivated Hepatitis A Vaccine, and New Human Influenza Vaccine (H5N1), told CGTN that they are working with China's disease control system on the next step of research plans.
"The direction is clear, the application stage can be carried forward as soon as the first two clinical trials get approved. Once the clinical trial is successful, vaccines can be produced, and the production capacity can reach more than 100 million yuan a year," he added.
At the company's lab, he showed us the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine, which took hundreds of researchers' nearly three months to develop. At this lab, researchers are checking how much antibody is produced in the blood of animals that have been given the vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization, inactivated vaccines are made from microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, other) that have been killed through physical or chemical processes. After immunization, the vaccine antigens cannot replicate in the vaccinated person or cause disease.
Chinese scientists have been racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines via five approaches – inactivated vaccines, genetic engineering subunit vaccines, adenovirus vector vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines, and vaccines using attenuated influenza virus as vectors.
The adenovirus vector vaccine against COVID-19 developed by China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences has previously been approved and is currently in the second phase of clinical trials.
(CGTN's Liu Yang, Guo Meiping, Liu Hui, Zhao Jing contributed to the story.)
The Chinese mainland reported 89 more COVID-19 cases on Monday, 86 of which were imported from abroad, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission also reported 54 new asymptomatic patients. No new deaths were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,249. The cumulative death toll is 3,341 and 1,005 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 75 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,738.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,009 (397 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (13 recovered)
Taiwan: 393 (114 recovered, 6 deaths)
The U.S. has now reported a total of 581,679 coronavirus cases and 23,529 deaths as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins' latest tally.
CCTV has confirmed that the earlier published number of 682,619 total cases in the U.S. was a mistake, and the university has made the correction.
The death toll in New York State has surpassed 10,000, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in his daily press briefing. New York saw 671 more COVID-19 deaths on April 12, totaling 10,056 patients who have died from COVID-19 in the state.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that his administration was close to completing a plan to reopen the U.S. economy, and he will work with states on the plan but the president will call the shots.
(Cover: A quiet section of Canal Street during the coronavirus pandemic in New York, U.S., April 13, 2020. /AP)
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide topped 1,918,855 on Tuesday with 119,483 deaths as of 8:25 a.m. BJT on Tuesday (0025 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
According to the running tally, the United States reported 581,679 cases, the most in the world, as well as the highest death toll of 23,604.
Earlier, the CSSE mistakenly reported 2,019,320 global cases as of 7:15 a.m. BJT on Tuesday (2315 GMT on Monday), with U.S. recorded 682,619 cases. CGTN confirmed with the CSSE developer that this was due to statistical errors.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced he is extending the nationwide lockdown to May 11 to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Since March 17, France's 67 million people have been ordered to stay at home except to buy food, go to work, seek medical care or get some exercise on their own. The lockdown was originally scheduled to end on Tuesday.
"I fully understand the effort I'm asking from you," Macron stated in a televised address that while there has been progress the battle against the virus has not been won.
"Over the next four weeks, the rules must be respected," Macron said.
"When will we be able to return to a normal life? I would love to be able to answer you. But to be frank, I have to humbly tell you we don't have definitive answers," he added.
A mobile phone showing French President Emmanuel Macron in a national address against the backdrop of an almost empty motorway in Strasbourg, France, April 13, 2020. /Reuters
Schools and shops would progressively reopen on May 11, Macron said. But restaurants, hotels, cafes and cinemas would have to remain shut longer, he added.
International arrivals from non-European countries will remain prohibited until further notice.
Macron, whose government has faced criticism over a shortage of face masks and testing kits, also said that by May 11, France would be able to test every citizen with possible COVID-19 symptoms and give nonprofessional face masks to the public.
The French president also said he had asked his government to present this week new financial aid for families and students in need.
Acknowledging his country had not been sufficiently prepared early on to face the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, Macron appeared to seek a humble tone in contrast to the war-like rhetoric of his previous speeches. "Were we prepared for this crisis? On the face of it, not enough. But we coped," he said.
"This moment, let's be honest, has revealed cracks, shortages. Like every country in the world, we have lacked gloves, hand gel, we haven't been able to give out as many masks as we wanted to our health professionals."
(With input from Reuters)
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that while it was “happy to see slowdown in COVID-19” in the hardest-hit European countries, lifting restrictions on movement must be based on protecting human health: "we can't replace lockdown with nothing."
The warning from Geneva on Monday comes as Spain, once of the countries worst hit by COVID-19, started to reopen sectors of its economy this morning, sending some employees back to work for the first time since the country introduced strict lockdown measures.
With other European countries eyeing similar options as rates for hospitalization and confirmed cases decreased in some nations over the weekend, the executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Michael J. Ryan was unequivocal:
"By no means does that mean it is over. Now is the time for vigilance. Now is the time to double down. Now is the time to be very, very careful."
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
"In the past week, we've seen a welcome slowing in some of the hardest-hit countries in Europe, like Spain, Italy, Germany and France," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as he opened the briefing.
"Some countries are considering when they can lift these restrictions; others are considering whether and when to introduce them. In both cases, these decisions must be based first and foremost on protecting human health," he added.
"We know that COVID-19 spreads fast, and we know that it's deadly, 10 times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic… However, while COVID-19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly. In other words, the way down is slower than the way up."
He stated that called for a very careful easing of measures and more testing:
"That means control measures must be lifted slowly... it cannot happen all at once. Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including significant capacity for contact tracing."
Michael J. Ryan went on to warn that countries could not simply unlock their economies and go back to normal overnight:
"You can't replace lockdown with nothing. You must replace lockdown with a very deeply educated, committed, empowered and engaged community. We are going to have to change our behaviors for the foreseeable future."
He added that from the WHO's perspective, testing and isolating victims was still the only way to move away from lockdown measures. The way out was "to find the virus. The only way we find the virus is to identify those people who may be infected and test and isolate."
Although Ryan commended health care services around the world for their work fighting the virus, he added that front line workers would have to remain on emergency footing for the foreseeable future:
"We're going to have stay in that capacity and health workers are going to have to continue to have protective equipment and we're going to have to continue to have intensive care beds on standby because as we come out of these lockdown situations, we may see a jump back up in cases, and we don't want to lurch from lock down to nothing."
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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded. Here you can read the essential information about the crisis.
CDC director says U.S. 'nearing the peak' of coronavirus pandemic
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC's Today show on Monday that U.S. was "nearing the peak" of the coronavirus pandemic, which would possibly hit it this week.
"I think we'll sometime, hopefully this week, we'll be able to say — you'll know when you're at the peak when the next day is less than the day before," Redfield said. "We are stabilizing across the country in terms of the state of this outbreak."
The U.S. has so far registered over 22,000 deaths and its total cases have surpassed 557,000, making it the country with the largest number of both coronavirus fatalities and infections.
UK coronavirus death toll grows by 717 to 11,329
As of Sunday, the COVID-19 death toll in the UK from the past 24 hours rose by 717 to 11,329, according to the latest figure from UK's health ministry.
According to the ministry, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK reached 88,621 on Monday, with an increase of 4,342 in the past 24 hours.
Sailor dies after contracting COVID-19 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier
A sailor who tested positive for COVID-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier has died of coronavirus, according to a statement by the U.S. Navy.
The sailor, who had been admitted to an intensive care unit in Guam last week, died from coronavirus related complications, said the statement.
The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is seen while entering into the port in Da Nang, Vietnam, March 5, 2020. /Reuters
Johnson tested negative for COVID-19 before leaving hospital: Downing Street
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had tested negative for the coronavirus before being discharged from hospital on Sunday, Downing Street said on Monday, adding that Johnson is now focused on his recovery, not on government work.
China denies discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou
The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied on Monday instances of discrimination against Africans in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and called U.S. accusations of mistreatment of Africans in the city an attempt to harm Beijing's relations with African nations.
The U.S. on Saturday accused Chinese authorities of "xenophobia" towards Africans, after reports claimed African people living in Guangzhou were moved out of their rented flats and turned away from hotels over suspicions aroused by coronavirus cases among Nigerians.
"The abuse and mistreatment of Africans living and working in China is a sad reminder of how hollow the PRC-Africa partnership really is," claimed the U.S. State Department.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response that China treats all foreigners equally and asked the U.S. to stop its provocation and focus on curbing its domestic coronavirus outbreak.
"China always opposes discriminatory measures targeting any race or nationality, and we highly value the health and safety of foreign nationals living in China," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing.
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ADB triples COVID-19 response package to 20 bln USD
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Monday it has tripled the size of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic to 20 billion U.S. dollars and approved measures to streamline its operations for quicker and more flexible delivery of assistance.
The Manila-based bank said the package expands ADB's 6.5-billion-U.S.-dollar initial response announced on March 18, adding 13.5 billion U.S. dollars in resources to help ADB's developing members counter the severe macroeconomic and health impacts caused by COVID-19.
The new package includes about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in concessional and grant resources, the ADB said.
This pandemic threatens to severely set back economic, social, and development gains in Asia and the Pacific, reverse progress on poverty reduction, and throw economies into recession, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said in a statement.
Will there be lung damage following recovery from COVID-19?
Recently, as more and more COVID-19 patients have fully recovered and discharged, everyone has begun to pay attention to whether the disease will have long-term effects on the body and whether there will be lung damage.
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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iran reached 73,303 on Monday, with an increase of 1,435 in the past 24 hours, according to the latest figures from Iran's health ministry. The death toll from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours rose by 111 to 4,585.
Spain has reported 3,477 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 169,496, data from Spanish health ministry showed on Monday. The death toll from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours increased from 16,972 to 17,489.
A freight train departing from Manzhouli City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region passes through China-Russia border on February 19, 2020. /Xinhua
China has reduced the number of people crossing its borders by 90 percent as part of its efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, said Liu Haitao, an official with the National Immigration Administration, at a press briefing on Monday.
The immigration officer said that the borders that have been closed since the outbreak will remain closed as the number of cases continues to rise in the countries along China's borders.
China is working to limit all non-essential crossings, and will strengthen law enforcement cooperation with immigration administrations of neighboring countries and establish a mechanism for information sharing, added Liu.
On Monday, an official with China's National Health Commission said it has dispatched a team of experts to the Chinese city of Suifenhe to support its prevention and control of imported COVID-19 cases.
The city, located at the China-Russia border in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is building a temporary hospital as the pressure mounts to restrain the flow of imported novel coronavirus cases.
Read more:
A closer look at Suifenhe's temporary hospital on the China-Russia border
China beefs up border controls over imported virus cases from Russia
Over 70% of imported cases confirmed during quarantine for medical observation: NHC official
Initial analysis showed that over 70 percent of the imported cases were confirmed during quarantine for medical observation, an official for the National Health Commission said at a press briefing on Monday.
Recently, some newly confirmed cases imported from abroad were detected and diagnosed on the day of their entry, but most of them were confirmed during intensive medical observation, said the official.
Number of domestic COVID-19 patients in severe condition is below 100
The number of domestic COVID-19 patients in China who are in severe conditions is under 100 for the first time as of Sunday, Mi Feng a spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press briefing on Monday.
According to the latest NHC report on coronavirus, there are 121 COVID-19 patients in severe condition on the Chinese mainland by the midnight of Sunday, including 38 imported cases.
Mi said China now faces global and domestic challenges as 10 new locally transmitted cases were detected in two Chinese Provinces, the largest daily increase since March 11, while the world has seen a continuing four-day increase of over 80,000 cases each day.
China brings 2,744 overseas nationals home since March
Since March, China has arranged 16 charter flights to bring 2,744 overseas Chinese nationals back home, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration said at a press conference on Monday.
According to the official, 1,278 Chinese nationals, including 1,067 students studying abroad, were flown back home from the UK, the U.S., Italy and Spain since April.
WHO releases timeline of its actions against COVID-19
The World Health Organization on April 8 made public a timeline of its fight against COVID-19 following an accusation by U.S. President Donald Trump that it was too slow to sound an alarm about the novel coronavirus.
It was on April 7 that Trump first unleashed a tirade against the WHO.
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, however, praised the organization as "absolutely critical" to wiping out COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
The WHO defended itself on April 8 by arguing that it had alerted the world to the COVID-19 threat in a timely manner and that it was "committed to ensuring all member states are able to respond effectively to this pandemic."
The agency also claimed that it exerts limited power over individual governments and that it has worked at full stretch in handling the public health threat.
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Dr Erik Blutinger from New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital gave people a glimpse of what doctors and nurses are facing inside an emergency room. He warned the volume of patients was increasing rapidly while walking through hallways lined with COVID-19 patients.
The U.S. has a death toll of over 20,000, the world's highest, with about half of the deaths occurring in the New York metropolitan area.
Latest on COVID-19 developments around the world
New Zealand reported 15 new confirmed cases on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases and probable infections to 1,349, including five deaths.
Argentina recorded 66 new confirmed cases with five new deaths in past 24 hours, bringing the total cases to 2,208 and death toll to 95. The president announced to continue to increase support for the country's economy and people's well-being.
UK reported 5,288 new cases, raising the total number to 84,279 with 10,612 deaths. It became the fifth country in the world to have more than 10,000 deaths.
Uruguay recorded 12 new cases in one day, with a total of 512 confirmed cases, and 77 health workers have been infected so far.
South Korea reported 25 new cases, with fewer than 40 new cases confirmed for five consecutive days, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,537. There were three new deaths, bringing the total to 217.
Netherlands confirmed 1,174 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25,587. There were 94 new deaths, bringing the total to 2,737.
Belgium reported 1,629 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 29,647 with 3,600 deaths.
60 imported COVID-19 cases confirmed on an Aeroflot flight to Shanghai
Nucleic acid tests for 51 people came back positive after Aeroflot flight SU208 arrived in Shanghai from Moscow on Friday. A second round of nucleic acid testing was conducted on other suspected cases on the flight by the disease control department, with nine more people testing positive, bringing the total number of confirmed cases from the plane to 60.
All confirmed cases have been sent to designated medical institutions for intensive quarantine treatment. All other passengers on the same plane have been placed under intensive medical observation.
Shanghai reported 11 confirmed imported cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 279 in the city, according to local health authorities.
As the global pandemic continues, there have been some voices suggesting that China should take responsibility for what has happened around the world, accusing China for allowing the epidemic to happen and lacking data transparency, thereby worsening the global crisis. What to make of such an argument? Daryl Guppy, a national board member of the Australia China Business Council, shares his views on the issue. The views expressed in this video are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of CGTN.
Fauci: Earlier COVID-19 action would have saved more American lives
Anthony Fauci, one of the leading health experts on the U.S. coronavirus task force, said on Sunday that earlier COVID-19 mitigation efforts would have saved more American lives.
The expert, who has advised six successive presidents, made the remark in a CNN interview when he was asked if lives could have been saved in the U.S. with earlier mitigation.
"If we had, right from the beginning, shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different," said Fauci.
However, he further added that making that decision was complicated, saying there was a lot of "pushback" about shutting things down back then.
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The Chinese mainland reported 108 more COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 98 of which were imported from abroad, according to the National Health Commission.
The commission also reported two new deaths and 61 new asymptomatic patients.
Read more: Will asymptomatic patients cause a second wave of COVID-19 in China?
The 10 cases of local transmission were registered - seven in northeastern Heilongjiang Province with seven, and three in southern Guangdong Province.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,160. The cumulative death toll is 3,341, and 1,064 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 88 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,663.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,004 (360 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (13 recovered)
Taiwan: 388 (109 recovered, 6 deaths)
Chinese border province reports 49 imported COVID-19 cases linked to Russia
Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province reported 49 imported COVID-19 cases from Russia on Sunday, according to local health authorities.
All are Chinese nationals, bringing total confirmed cases in the province to 493.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 550,000 on Sunday afternoon, according to the data released by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. now has 21,994 deaths, making it the hardest-hit country.
The state of New York has recorded 189,020 cases, the most in the country, with a death toll of 9,385.
According to AP, more than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
The latest number is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago, according to the report.
President Donald Trump addresses the coronavirus response daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., March 19, 2020. /Reuters
The Trump administration views May 1 as a target date for relaxing stay-at-home restrictions across the United States, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Sunday.
However, he cautioned that it was still too early to say that target would be met.
"We see light at the end of the tunnel," he told ABC. However, there were many factors to take into account in finally determining when it would be safe to lift restrictions, he said.
"I think it's too early to be able to tell that."
President Donald Trump had earlier wanted the world's largest economy to be "raring to go" by Easter Sunday, but most of the country remained at a standstill and churches took celebrations online to halt the spread of the virus that has killed more than 20,000 people nationwide.
Trump has cast the decision on when to ease the lockdown as the biggest of his presidency as he faces competing pressures from public health experts and businesses along with some conservative allies who want a swift return to business as usual.
Anthony Fauci, the veteran pandemic expert who has quietly sought action to stem infections, said in a televised interview that parts of the country could begin easing restrictions in May, but was cautious.
"I think it could probably start at least in some ways maybe next month," Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN.
"We are hoping by the end of the month we can look around and say, OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on?" Fauci said.
"If so, do it. If not, then just continue to hunker down."
Empty Time Square is seen in New York City, U.S., April 11, 2020. /AFP
Unlike in most Western countries, lockdown decisions are primarily up to local governments, not the president, and leaders of a number of hard-hit, densely populated states have vowed to act as long as necessary.
"We want to reopen as soon as possible," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters. "The caveat is we need to be smart in the way we reopen."
Neighboring New Jersey's governor, fellow Democrat Phil Murphy, said that an economic recovery depended on a "full health-care recovery."
"If we start to get back on our feet too soon, I fear, based on the data we're looking at, we could be throwing gasoline on the fire," Murphy said.
The United States, which has 4.25 percent of the world's population, accounts for almost a fifth of the world's nearly 110,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the disease was first reported in China late last year.
The New York Times, in an extensive article published Sunday, described Trump as failing to act quickly in part due to confidence in his gut instincts and his distrust of civil servants he brands as a conspiratorial "deep state."
Fauci, who has advised six successive presidents, acknowledged when asked about the article that the U.S. could have saved more lives by shutting down public spaces when the disease's seriousness became clear early in the year.
"But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then," Fauci told CNN, without naming Trump.
Trump last week zeroed in on the World Health Organization to explain early difficulties, saying the UN body was overly reliant on China when illnesses first emerged in Wuhan.
Trump had been hoping to campaign on a strong economy as he seeks re-election in November. Instead, some 17 million people have lost their jobs in a matter of weeks and his presumptive Democratic rival, Joe Biden, has been hammering him over his virus response.
(With input from Reuters and AFP)
Latest developments on coronavirus pandemic
Japan on Sunday reported 369 new cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 7,292 with 135 deaths so far.
Iran reported 1,657 new cases and 117 more deaths on Sunday. The country now has 71,686 total cases and 4,474 deaths. As many as 43,894 patients have recovered.
India's number of infections increased to 8,447. The death toll is at 272 and 765 patients have recovered.
Saudi Arabia confirmed 429 new cases on Sunday. The country has seen record daily increase in total infections for four straight days. It has reported 4,462 total cases and 59 deaths.
Qatar added 251 new cases to its total, which now reached 2,979.
Switzerland as of Sunday has 25,135 reported cases and 858 people have died. The country's unemployment rate is approaching three percent.
The Netherlands registered 1,188 new cases on Sunday, raising its total to 25,587.
Serbia recorded 250 new cases. Total reported cases now at 3,630.
Portugal detected 598 new cases, bringing its total to 16,585 with 504 deaths.
Belgium on Sunday reported 1,629 new cases and 268 deaths. The country now has 29,647 total cases and 3,600 fatalities.
Boris Johnson thanks NHS for life-saving efforts after leaving hospital
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the National Health Service staff for saving his life after being discharged from hospital, where he'd been for the past week because of the coronavirus, on Sunday.
"It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life," he said on Twitter. "The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past."
Screenshot of Boris Johnson's tweet
UK reports over 10,000 deaths from coronavirus
The National Health Service (NHS) reported 657 more deaths in England from the coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the overall death toll in UK to 10,532.
The global COVID-19 death toll has passed 110,000, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
As of Sunday, more than 1.79 million people around the world have been infected with the novel coronavirus.
The United States now has the most cases, with 530,006 confirmed infections.
Boris Johnson discharged from hospital
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from hospital after spending a week in the hospital because of the new coronavirus and will continue his recovery at Chequers, according to the Downing Street.
"On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas' for the brilliant care he has received," Downing Street said.
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As New York City deals with a mounting coronavirus death toll and dwindling morgue space, officials have hired laborers to bury the dead on Hart Island. Aerial video taken Thursday captured workers digging graves on the one-mile, limited-access strip off the Bronx.
The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is facing increasing pressure in dealing with imported cases of COVID-19. During the past two weeks, the city's reported 23 out of over 100 imported cases are foreign nationals. As CGTN's He Weiwei reports, Guangzhou City had about 86,000 foreign residents by the end of 2019, and officials in Guangzhou called for the public to treat all foreigners equally, and oppose any discriminatory words and actions.
China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan has said it is of great importance for China to test all travelers entering the country amid the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic and take quarantine measures to prevent infections originating from abroad from spreading domestically.
Zhong made the remarks while answering media questions in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
He pointed out that the number one task in China right now is epidemic containment. "It's the right decision for China to order testing and quarantine for all who enter the country," he said.
Healthcare workers push a patient on a wheel stretcher at the emergency entry at Severo Ochoa Hospital during the coronavirus outbreak in Leganes, near Madrid, Spain, April 11, 2020. /Reuters
COVID-19 cases in Spain climb to 166,019
A total of 4,167 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Spain on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 166,019.
The death toll from the novel coronavirus in the country stands at 16,972.
Beijing's senior high school students to return to campuses on April 27
Senior high school students in Beijing are set to return to classes on April 27, according to local officials on Sunday.
Meanwhile, senior students in middle school are scheduled to return to campus on May 11.
If there are changes in the development of the epidemic, as well as the containment situation, relevant arrangements will be adjusted, the officials noted.
(Cover via VCG)
Myanmar extends quarantine period to 28 days
Health authorities in Myanmar said on Sunday that the quarantine period in the country will be extended from 14 days to 28 days to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The authorities noted that a 21-day quarantine period can control up to 98.7 percent of the virus's spread.
As of Sunday, Myanmar has reported a total of 38 COVID-19 cases with three deaths.
Russia records 2,186 new coronavirus cases, total at 15,770
Russia on Sunday reported 2,186 new coronavirus cases, up 1,667 from a day before, and the total number of cases has now reached 15,770, according to Russia's crisis response center.
The country's death toll stands at 130 and 1,291 patients have recovered.
With 10,158 confirmed cases , Moscow is where the virus has hit the hardest in Russia.
South Korea to test all U.S. arrivals for novel coronavirus
South Korea on Sunday announced that it will test all arrivals from the U.S. for the novel coronavirus starting from April 13 midnight.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the imported cases have been increasing steadily, 49.7 percent of which are from the U.S. in the past two weeks.
Answer Bank: Tips for COVID-19 protection during flights
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has changed air travel completely. A number of airlines are stepping up precautionary measures in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak that continues to spread around the world. From airlines cutting domestic flights and eliminating onboard amenities to employers putting restrictions on personal and business travel, measures are being taken on all sides of the travel industry to curb the spread of the virus.
As the global cases of COVID-19 continue to mount, many Chinese living or studying overseas are in fear of the local situation, especially in the U.S. and Europe, due to the severe shortage of face masks and other essential supplies. In view that China has gradually contained the spread of the virus, many of them have considered returning back home.
However, if you must travel, the following tips are recommended by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help you protect yourself and others during flights:
1. Avoid contact with passengers showing symptoms of illness, such as coughing and shortness of breath.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Clean hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, especially after using the toilet, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
4. Wear surgical or N95 masks throughout the flight.
In light of the ever-evolving situation, taking preventive measures is of great importance to all travelers.
Latest coronavirus developments in Asia
South Korea reported 32 more cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 10,512 and death toll to 214. Notably, the recovery rate in South Korea has topped 70 percent as a total of 7,368 patients have fully recovered.
Thailand detected three new cases and deaths on Sunday, reaching a total of 2,551 cases and 38 fatalities.
Myanmar said seven more confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported on early Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 38 in the country.
India's death toll reached 273 and the total number of confirmed cases stood at 8,356. According to local media, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend the country's nationwide lockdown to the end of April.
Cambodia registered two new cases on Sunday – a foreign couple, raising the total number of the confirmed cases in the kingdom to 122.
COVID-19 curbs: Guangzhou says it treats foreigners equally
All foreign nationals in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong Province, are treated equally like the Chinese nationals when it comes to enforcing the measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, a municipal police official said at a daily press briefing on Sunday.
"We highly value the safety of foreigners and protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law. We treat them the same like Chinese nationals without discrimination in the enforcement of anti-virus measures," Cai Wei, an officer of the city's public security bureau told the media.
He also urged foreign nationals in Guangzhou to abide by Chinese laws and local regulations, warning those not being cooperative could face punishment and investigation.
Rumors and criticisms have emerged recently, accusing the city of mistreating foreigners, especially Africans during the coronavirus pandemic, which the municipal government has dispelled.
According to its mayor, Guangzhou has registered 479 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 119 were imported and 13 were infections related to the imported ones.
Of the 119 imported cases, 25 are foreigners and 94 Chinese.
Germany reports 2,821 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, total to 120,479
Germany reported 2,821 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 120,479 as of Sunday, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.
That was lower than an increase of 4,133 cases reported on Saturday, and marked the second decline after four days of increases. The reported death toll rose by 129 to 2,673 in the country.
Heilongjiang says temporary border closure with Russia in Suifenhe to continue
The government of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province said on Sunday that Suifenhe-Grodekovo checkpoint at the border between China and Russia will remain closed.
The border has been closed since April 7 on consensus from both China and Russia.
Suifenhe, as well as Heilongjiang Province as a whole, has been challenged with reducing the risk of imported coronavirus cases from neighboring Russia in recent weeks.
Most of the imported cases registered are Chinese nationals returning from Russia.
In the wake of the influx, Suifenhe City has implemented strict virus prevention and control measures since last week, with non-essential business and services suspended citywide and only one member of each household allowed to go out for supplies every three days.
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China's border city Suifenhe on high alert as coronavirus cases in Russia surpass 10,000
As the fear of further outbreak increases, China and Russia have both beefed up measures in an attempt to contain the spread.
On April 8, China and Russia decided to temporally close the entire border between the two countries.
Four Chinese provinces and autonomous regions border Russia: northeast China's Heilongjiang and Jinlin provinces, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Given the reduction of international flights, some people are forced to return to China via its land border, leading to increasing pressure on the local port inspection, detection and quarantine capacity.
In March, the Russian government instructed its national aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, to cancel all scheduled and charter air services with other countries, the only exception being flights bringing home Russian nationals.
Dr. Zhong Nanshan shares views about fighting COVID-19
Dr. Zhong Nanshan, China's top respiratory expert, shared his views about fighting COVID-19 in an exclusive interview with People's Daily.
- At the current stage of development, it will take about two weeks to reach the global tipping point.
- China's successful outbreak control is a feat in the history of epidemic prevention and control.
- The imported cases are less likely to cause a second outbreak in China, and Chinese community residents have a strong sense of self-protection.
- Other major countries are still in the first phase of the outbreak, with high rates of human-to-human transmission, and now is not the time to take off masks.
Spain sets out back-to-work guidelines as coronavirus death rate slows
Spain's government on Saturday set out guidelines for people returning to work under a loosening of lockdown restrictions, while the country reported its lowest one-day increase in deaths from the coronavirus since March 23.
Most Spaniards have been confined to their homes since mid-March with only businesses in sectors deemed strategically important allowed to operate normally.
However, from Monday, some other industries such as construction and manufacturing will be allowed to restart, enabling thousands to return to work.
Under guidelines issued by the prime minister's office on Saturday, companies returning to work must provide appropriate protective equipment and ensure employees have space to be at least two meters apart.
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More than 75% of Saturday's new imported cases on Chinese mainland linked to Russia
China on Saturday reported 97 more imported COVID-19 cases, at least 72 of which are from Russia, according to the National Health Commission.
Two major clusters were detected – one in Shanghai with 51 cases and one in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province with 21 cases. Both clusters were composed of Chinese nationals.
Moreover, the construction of a temporary hospital in Suifenhe City, Heilongjiang Province, has been completed, and the medical team has been set up.
The Chinese Embassy in Moscow reminded Chinese citizens in Russia to strictly abide by Russia's home quarantine rules to avoid the risk of infection during long-distance travel.
A team of 10 Chinese medical experts arrived in Moscow on Saturday afternoon to help Russia fight the COVID-19 outbreak. They brought with them urgently needed medical supplies donated by China, including surgical masks, medical masks, N95 masks and protective suits.
China has 99 more COVID-19 cases on its mainland, 97 of which are imported from abroad, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
The commission also reported no new deaths and 63 asymptomatic patients who are currently under observation.
The two cases of local transmissions were registered in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 82,052. The cumulative death toll is 3,339, and 1,086 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said 50 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,575.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 1,000 (336 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 385 (99 recovered, 6 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments in the world
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has approved an extension of the kingdom's curfew until further notice due to the rate at which the coronavirus is currently spreading.
France's death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose to 13,832 on Saturday. Total number of confirmed cases in France has risen by 3,114 to 93,790.
But France said the number of patients in intensive care fell for the third day in a row to 6,883 from 7,004 a day before, down nearly 2 percent.
Italy said on Saturday that the county has registered 152,271 COVID-19 cases, including 19,468 deaths. While 32,534 patients have recovered.
U.S. COVID-19 death toll has topped 20,000 and surpassed Italy as the country with the most fatalities in the world. To date, all U.S. states are now under disaster declaration.
Also U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt Saturday reported 103 more crew members contracting the new virus, bringing the total number of infections on the carrier to 550.
Over 22,000 healthcare workers infected with COVID-19: WHO
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit over 22,000 healthcare workers across 52 countries and regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Saturday.
According to its daily situation report, 22,073 COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers have been reported to the WHO as of Wednesday, April 8.
The report said the number is probably under-represented as there is so far no systematic reporting of infections among healthcare workers to the WHO.
Preliminary results suggest healthcare workers are being infected both in the workplace and in the community, most often through infected family members.
To protect frontline healthcare workers, the WHO stressed the correct use of personal protective equipment like masks, goggles, gloves, and gowns. Noting the risk of burnout among healthcare providers, the WHO called for respecting their rights to decent working conditions.
The United States COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 20,000, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
The tally came soon after the U.S. surpassed Italy to become the country with the most COVID-19 deaths globally.
The World Health Organization warned earlier this month that the U.S. could become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, a status held by Europe.
As the toll continues to rise in the U.S. New York City announced that schools would remain shut down for the rest of the academic year.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking at a meeting. /UN
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday sent a message of hope to the world that the fight against COVID-19 will be won.
In his address, the 70-year-old urged the world to unite in efforts to curb the further spread of the virus, especially during important occasions in the religious calendar.
Guterres address came as the world is celebrating the Easter holiday away from places of worship as various governments have imposed ban on public gatherings.
"This is a time like no other. We are all seeking to navigate a strange, surreal world. A world of silent streets, shuttered storefronts, empty places of worship and a world of worry. We are worried about our loved ones who are equally worried about us. How do we celebrate at a time like this?" the UN chief said.
He also called upon the world to unite in prayer for health workers around the world and everyone affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Let us spare a special thought for heroic health workers on the front lines, battling this awful virus, and for all those working to keep our cities and towns going. Let us remember the most vulnerable of the vulnerable around the world. Those in war zones and refugee camps and slums and all those places least equipped to fight the virus," he said.
Globally, over 1.7 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 with more than 103,000 people killed. Over 388,000 have recovered.
The World Health Organization has warned governments against rushing a return to normalcy, saying it could start a new wave of the COVID-19 disaster.
"Together we can and will defeat this virus – with cooperation, solidarity and faith in our common humanity," Guterres said in his address.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom warned countries against rushing a return to normalcy, saying it "could lead to a deadly resurgence."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of possible tough times ahead for Africa as countries continue to report new cases of COVID-19.
So far, 52 countries on the continent have recorded cases of the disease, with a total of nearly 11,000 COVID-19 cases, and over 500 deaths. Over 1,000 people have recovered.
"I want to take a moment to highlight Africa, where we are seeing the spread of the virus to rural areas. We are now seeing clusters of cases and community spread in more than 16 countries. We anticipate severe hardship for already overstretched health systems, particularly in rural areas, which normally lack the resources of those in cities," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
Tedros reiterated a call by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Rebecca Moeti, to have countries localize their responses and strengthening their existing public health care infrastructure.
At the same time, Tedros also warned countries against rushing a return to normalcy, saying it "could lead to a deadly resurgence."
"The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly. WHO is working with affected countries on strategies for gradually and safely easing restrictions," he said.
Global COVID-19 cases have so far surpassed 1.7 million, with nearly 105,000 deaths reported. Over 390,000 have recovered.
Tedros called for a unified fight against the virus, noting that: "every single person has a role to play in ending this pandemic."
The Cook County jail in Chicago has become the largest-known source of COVID-19 infections in the country. According to local media, 276 inmates and more than 115 staff members tested positive, and two people have died. At the moment, the jail holds nearly 4,500 inmates. U.S. health authorities are concerned over its overcrowding and unsanitary conditions.
25,000 medical workers in Spain infected with COVID-19
In Spain, a total of 25,000 medical workers are infected with COVID-19, local media reported on Saturday.
NYC public schools will remain closed for rest of the academic year: mayor
Public schools in New York City will be closed for the rest of the academic year, the city's mayor Bill de Blasio briefed media on Saturday.
According to a tally from Johns Hopkins University, the city has recorded 5,820 deaths from COVID-19.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro greeted the Chinese medical team with fist and palm salute and expressed his gratitude to China for helping the country fight COVID-19 at the presidential palace. He said China is a strong support for Venezuela in the face of the global challenge of the pandemic. The eight-member team of Chinese medical and scientific experts arrived in Venezuela on March 31 and they brought along anti-epidemic supplies such as respirators, portable color ultrasound, nucleic acid testing kits and masks.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Saturday more extensive physical distancing measures. He's calling on citizens to stay away from bars, clubs, and restaurants nationwide. Previous restrictions only applied to urban areas, including Tokyo.
If you're just joining us, here are the latest updates
- Iran's number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has risen to 70,029 on Saturday, with an increase of 1,837 in the past 24 hours, according to the latest figure from Iran's health ministry; Ali Larijani, the country's parliament speaker has been in self-quarantine at home and in stable condition, according to the Tasnim News Agency.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided on Saturday to extend a nationwide lockdown to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, local media reported, saying Indian government is likely to extend the lockdown for two weeks.
- Switzerland's death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 831 as of Saturday, said the country's public health ministry. The number of confirmed cases has increased to 24,900.
Boris Johnson 'continues to make very good progress'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson "continues to make very good progress" in his recovery from COVID-19, according to the Downing Street on Saturday.
Johnson left intensive care at London's St Thomas' Hospital on Thursday evening, three days after being admitted due to his then-worsening condition.
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Boris Johnson up and walking in COVID-19 recovery as UK deaths near 9,000
NHC issues list of medics supporting Hubei and Wuhan
The National Health Commission on Saturday issued a list of medical workers supporting central China's Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan during the nationwide fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, calling on all members with Chinese disease control system to learn from them thus finally winning people's war against the epidemic.
Beijing to randomly verify arrivals' nucleic acid test certificate: Official
Beijing will step up efforts to crack down illegal acts of providing false nucleic acid test certificates and improve information sharing with other provinces and cities, local authorities said Saturday.
Beijing will check at random and verify the nucleic acid test certificates for the arrivals, Zhou Weiming, an official with Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, told a press briefing on epidemic prevention and control.
Beijing said on Friday that arrivals at the Chinese capital city who need to stay at hotels should hold a health certificate verifying a negative local nucleic acid test result within seven days, as well as a health code to prove they are free of coronavirus.
India has dispatched a team of 150 doctors to Dharavi, the country's largest slum located in the financial capital of Mumbai to screen the residents for COVID-19, according to local media reports on Saturday.
The densely populated slum is housing over one million people and 28 cases of COVID-19 with three deaths have been reported so far in Dharavi.
An earlier report said there had growing concerns over possible outbreaks in the country's slums after its largest slum reported its first COVID-19 case on April 1.
On Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with state chief ministers over COVID-19 situation as the country has so far 7,447 confirmed cases and 239 deaths.
India declared a 21-day total lockdown on March 25 that is expected to end on April 14. Local media reported that the country is likely to extend the lockdown for another two weeks.
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India declares 21-day 'total lockdown' as coronavirus cases rise
(Cover: People in Mumbai, India, rushed to stock up on essentials following Modi's address, March 25, 2020. /AFP)
A network of local volunteers are preparing makeshift face masks to distribute among medical staff and local associations in Madrid, Spain, April 8, 2020. /AP
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed 1,700,000 on Saturday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The United States now has the most cases, with more than 500,000 infections confirmed.
The CSSE has recorded over 100,000 global coronavirus deaths.
Spain reports 4,830 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours
Spain reported 4,830 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 161,852, data from the Spanish health ministry showed on Saturday.
The death toll from the coronavirus rose by 510 to 16,353.
Hong Kong reports 11 new COVID-19 cases, 1,000 in total
On Saturday, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government confirmed 11 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the number of total infections in the region to 1,000.
The new cases include two students, said the SAR government.
Russia reports 1,667 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 13,584
A total of 1,667 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Russia on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,584.
So far, 1,045 patients have recovered from the disease in the country and the death toll now stands at 106.
Tokyo confirms over 190 new coronavirus cases
Tokyo set a new record for a single day increase with over 190 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, Japanese media reported.
As the lockdown is lifted, transportation in the central China city of Wuhan is gradually resuming under strict preventive measures. The city's outbound expressway has reopened as well as railway, flight and ferry services. Wuhan Tianhe Airport saw more than 200 flights on Wednesday, the first day after the lockdown was lifted. About 270 trains set out or passed from Wuhan on the same day. Public transportation stations are taking strict measures, including scanning health codes, body temperature checks and registration for every passenger. As for transportation in the city, two out of eight passenger ferry lines have reopened with adjusted schedules and frequency. Capacity has downsized to four hundred from eight hundred previously to ensure safety. Taxis are also getting back on track and require disinfections, no-touch payments and ventilation.
36 of 53 severe COVID-19 cases improved with remdesivir
Gilead Sciences announced results from a cohort analysis of 53 patients hospitalized with severe complications of COVID-19 who were treated with antiviral drug remdesivir on an individual compassionate use basis.
The research, published Friday in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that clinical improvement was observed in 36 of 53 patients (68%).
Measurement of its efficacy will require ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled trials of remdesivir therapy, the research added.
U.S. reports over 500,000 COVID-19 cases: Johns Hopkins
The U.S. reported 500,399 confirmed cases with 18,637 deaths by 9:25 p.m. local time Saturday (0125GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Russia did not deport Chinese nationals: Chinese ambassador to Russia
Chinese ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said on Friday that Russia didn't deport Chinese nationals amid the COVID-19 outbreak and the claim spreading online that Russia is deporting 1.5 million Chinese citizens is pure rumor.
China and Russia have displayed a high level of bilateral relation in joint efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic, Zhang added, urging Chinese nationals to comply with current orders for combating COVID-19 in Russia and stay rational.
A total of 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 42 of them from abroad, three new deaths and 34 asymptomatic cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,953. The cumulative death toll is 3,339, and 1,092 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 70 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,525.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 989 (309 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 382 (91 recovered, 6 deaths)
Latest on COVID-19 around the world
The United States has reported 496,535 cases with 18,586 fatalities. Los Angeles' stay-at-home and business-closure orders were extended to at least May 15.
Spain has reported 605 new coronavirus deaths, continuing a downward trend, and 4,566 new cases. The death toll in the European country with the most reported cases now stands at 15,843 with a total of 157,022.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday extended a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus until May 3. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 18,849 lives in the country, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 147,577 as of Friday, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department.
France on Friday reported 987 more COVID-19 deaths registered in hospitals and nursing homes over the last 24 hours. The new deaths, including 554 in hospitals and 433 in nursing homes, bring the total toll in France to 13,197.
The UK health secretary has announced that 8,958 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital, an increase of 980 since yesterday. The number of people currently in hospital with symptoms is 19,304.
The global death toll from COVID-19 has passed 102,000.
According to Johns Hopkins University, as of Friday, nearly 1.7 million people have tested positive for the virus, with the U.S. far and away ahead of any other country.
Although the number of ICU patients in New York, the U.S. epicenter of the virus, has dropped, the city continues to see a spike in deaths.
While some countries are considering lifting COVID-19 restrictions, the World Health Organization warns of a resurgence in global infections.
Officials are urging people to continue to follow COVID-19 guidelines as many hope to celebrate religious holidays such as Passover and Easter.
In Europe, the UK experienced a record spike in deaths in just 24 hours and Italy has extended its nationwide lockdown to May 3rd.
Meanwhile, Spain has reported COVID-19 deaths are slowing down but the country continues to have the third highest death toll.
It's also been 100 days since the WHO was informed of COVID-19.
The organization learned about the first infection on December 31, 2019 and activated emergency measures on January 1, 2020.
Within days, the WHO published its first news about the virus.
China reported the first known COVID-19 death on January 11.
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Trend of COVID-19 depends heavily on 'intervention': Zhong Nanshan
At the invitation of Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan and South Korean health experts exchanged experiences in containing the spread of COVID-19 via a webinar on Friday afternoon, with topics including asymptomatic cases, imported cases and the trend of the global pandemic.
Most asymptomatic cases are infectious
The asymptomatically infected people actually involve two groups, one comprises people who have come into contact with COVID-19 patients, the other involves travelers from places with severe outbreaks, said Zhong. When they are infected, they have the virus in their upper respiratory tract.
Currently, most of the infected appear to be infectious as many asymptomatic people will develop symptoms over a period of time. However, some preliminary studies show a very small number of people whose nucleic acid test is positive but who don't have any symptoms over a long time. It is unclear whether they are contagious.
"We prefer to treat the asymptomatically infected people as potentially infectious ones and isolate them appropriately. It's safer," said Zhong, adding that the proportion of these cases now is very small.
China has issued a circular on the management of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to strengthen the detection, reporting and treatment of such cases.
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Confirmed cases of COVID-19 exceed 1.5 mln globally: WHO
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally has exceeded 1.5 million, reaching 1,521,252, according to latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures on Friday.
While according to the Johns Hopkins University, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 1.61 million globally, with the death toll surpassing 97,000.
Taiwan reports two new COVID-19 cases, one death
The total number of the COVID-19 cases in Taiwan has increased by two to 382, the island's epidemic monitoring agency said on Friday.
The two new patients were believed to have contracted the virus during overseas trips, the agency said in a press release.
Among its confirmed cases, 328 were imported. A total of 91 patients have recovered.
The agency also announced that public spaces such as major tourist sites, parks, temples and night markets will exercise crowd control from Friday.
Sailors wear face masks aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Atlantic Ocean, April 8, 2020. /AP
Fifty cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the Ministry of the Armed Forces said on Friday.
Three sailors were evacuated from the vessel to the hospital in Toulon, southern France, home port of the carrier, it said.
On Wednesday, the ministry said the ship had to stop its mission in the North Sea and head home after the discovery of around 40 suspected COVID-19 cases on board.
The aircraft carrier, which is equipped with its own intensive care facilities, has 1,760 personnel on board. The nuclear-powered carrier is continuing its journey to Toulon, where it is due to dock in the coming days.
(With input from agencies)
Passengers take taxis in front of the Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 8, 2020. /Xinhua
The Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday said local governments should take timely and effective measures to investigate and correct the phenomenon of individual employers refusing to hire or dismiss workers from Hubei without reason.
The Legislative Affairs Commission (LAC) of the NPC also stressed that all local governments should strictly implement labor laws and regulations, open up employment channels for workers, effectively eliminate barriers to working mechanisms in the process of returning to work, and create a fair employment environment.
Meanwhile, local governments should increase efforts to publicize laws, guide employers to recruit workers in accordance with the law, and earnestly safeguard workers' right to fair employment.
Here are the latest on COVID-19 you need to know
Russia reports 1,786 more coronavirus cases on Friday, which took the national tally of confirmed infections to 11,917. Moscow, as the country's hardest-hit area has registered 7,822 cases.
Malaysia extends the movement control order that includes comprehensive restrictive measures for two more weeks till April 28 to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced Friday.
Yemen confirms on Friday its first COVID-19 case in a southern province under the control of the government, said the supreme national emergency committee.
Tokyo authorities outline which businesses will be subjected to restrictions to curb COVID-19 spread. Places such as live music venues, night clubs, internet cafes, pachinko parlors, sports clubs, game centers, cinemas and universities will be required to halt their activities.
Spain reports 4,576 new COVID-19 cases over past 24 hours
Spain reported 4,576 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 157,022, data from Spanish health ministry showed on Friday.
The death toll from the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours rose by 605 to 15,843.
Hong Kong reports 16 new cases of COVID-19, total to 989
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, 15 of them had a history of overseas travel, according to the HKSAR government.
A total of 989 confirmed cases were recorded in HKSAR, 293 people were recovered.
COVID-19: People checking in Beijing hotels asked to offer negative nucleic testing results
Starting from April 12, people coming to Beijing should provide negative results of nucleic testing for COVID-19 prior to checking in hotels in the area, said an official for Beijing culture and tourism bureau at a press briefing on Friday.
The testing should be conducted within seven days, said the official, adding that the visitors are also required to register their contact people in Beijing and receive hotel's health management.
China to enhance testing capacity at border areas: NHC official
China will enhance medical detection and treatment capacity at border areas and port cities as the number of imported COVID-19 cases entering China through land ports has been increasing recently, said Mi Feng, National Health Commission (NHC) spokesperson at a regular press briefing on Friday.
Xi urges tightening in safety supervision during work resumption
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday gave important instructions on work safety supervision as the resumption of work and production is underway amid coronavirus outbreak.
Xi urged companies to keep in mind their responsibilities and to enhance safe production, noting that people's safety and health are a top priority.
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China's General Administration of Customs announced on Friday that, starting April 10, it will inspect 11 items of medical supplies for export, including medical masks, medical protective gowns, and ventilators.
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic: Yemen reports first case
Yemen reported its first coronavirus case in the southern province of Hadramout on Friday.
Brazil on Thursday reported 1,930 new cases and 141 more deaths. The country has confirmed 17,857 cases in total and 941 deaths. The fatality rate has increased to 5.3 percent.
Canada reported 1,465 new cases and 89 deaths on Thursday, as the country now has a total of 20,765 cases and 524 deaths.
South Korea registered 27 new cases, with 10,450 cases in total reported so far. The death toll has increased by four to 208. The former epicenter of Daegu reported zero new cases.
India's total number of cases rose to 3,441 on Friday, with 199 deaths. 504 patients have recovered.
Mexico reported 260 new cases on Thursday, raising the national total to 3,441. The death toll rose to 194.
Australia has confirmed 6,152 cases as of Friday, an increase of 100 on the day before. 52 people have died.
Columbia on Thursday reported 169 new cases, raising the total number to 2,223. The death toll in the country has increased to 69.
Argentina added 99 new cases to its total on Thursday, which has reached 1,894. Fourteen more patients have died, bringing the death toll to 79.
Global COVID-19 cases exceed 1,600,000: JHU
Global COVID-19 cases reached 1,600,427 as of 10:00 a.m. BJT on Friday, Johns Hopkins University's latest tally showed. Death toll surpassed 95,000.
The U.S. recorded 1,783 deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, as the death toll has now reached 16,478, Johns Hopkins University's latest tally showed.
There are 456,828 total reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Thursday, and 25,410 patients have recovered.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in a press briefing on Thursday that the country is testing more than 100,000 people a day for the virus. President Trump said that more than two million tests have now been conducted in the country.
A total of 42 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 38 from abroad, one new death and 47 asymptomatic cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Thursday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,907. The cumulative death toll is 3,336, and 1,097 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 85 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,455.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 973 (293 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 380 (80 recovered, 5 deaths)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to chair daily briefings from his private residence while self-isolating before he is hospitalized on April 6, 2020. /AP
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been allowed to leave the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he has spent the last three nights but will remain at St Thomas' hospital in London after contracting COVID-19.
In a statement released by 10 Downing Street the UK government confirmed, "The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery."
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been chairing daily government meetings while the prime minister has been in hospital.
And in a news conference on Thursday afternoon Raab said that "he's (Johnson) still in intensive care but he continues to make positive steps forward and he's in good spirits,"
Raab continues to deputize for the prime minister as the UK remains in lockdown with schools, bars and restaurants closed in the strictest peacetime measures implemented in the country's history.
During a televised interview Raab went on to say "I think it's important, particularly while he's (Johnson) in intensive care, to let him focus on the recovery. We in the government have got this covered."
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Johnson had been given oxygen but was not on a ventilator during his time in intensive care, where only the most severely ill patients are treated.
Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 on 27 March and spent 11 days self-isolating at his private residence above 11 Downing Street before he was taken to St Thomas' hospital with a high temperature and was admitted to the intensive care unit.
Raab was joined at the news conference by the England's chief medical officer, Chris Witty, and Patrick Vallance, chief scientific advisor, who confirmed that 7,978 people have now died from the virus, a rise of 881 on the day but a smaller increase than the 938 seen in Wednesday's data.
The UK government has been criticized for not testing enough people sooner, as they continue to work with scientists and businesses to source more testing kits. The number of patients that are now in critical care, according to the latest statistics, has risen by 43 percent in the last seven days with a 5 percent rise in the last 24 hours.
Government Spending
With Johnson absent and the death toll still mounting, the British government is wrestling with two major issues: How to finance a vast increase in state spending to support the shuttered economy, and when to start easing lockdown measures.
With the economy facing potentially the worst hit since World War II, the government said it had expanded its overdraft facility with the Bank of England (BoE).
The central bank has agreed temporarily to finance government borrowing in response to COVID-19 if funds cannot immediately be raised from debt markets, reviving a measure last widely used during the 2008 financial crisis.
The BoE said it was a short-term measure and both it and government said any borrowing from the Ways and Means facility – effectively the government's overdraft with the Bank – would be repaid by the end of the year.
The government has made pledges costing tens of billions of pounds to support businesses and workers hit by the virus. On Thursday, the government said an additional 1.2 million claims for welfare payments had been filed since March 16.
The UK released this graph highlighting the highest number of patients needing critical care are in London.
Peak of the outbreak not yet reached
Raab said the peak of the virus outbreak had yet to be reached and that the government would not be able to say more about the duration of the lockdown until late next week, once experts have had chance to analyze data on how well it is working. It was introduced last month.
"The measures will have to stay in place until we've got the evidence that clearly shows we've moved beyond the peak," he said.
While Johnson's condition was improving, the likely length of his recovery remained unknown, with some political commentators saying there was a power vacuum in his absence.
Raab said on Thursday he had the power to make "necessary decisions" in the prime minister's absence and that government will continue to follow the strategy set out by Johnson. He said cabinet could take decisions collectively.
The United Kingdom is entering what scientists say is the deadliest phase of the outbreak, with deaths expected to continue to rise over the Easter weekend.
But in a sign the shutdown measures were working, health officials have said the number of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions had begun to show signs of flattening.
Police said they would be taking tougher action to do just that before the four-day Easter holiday weekend because many people were continuing to ignore the ban on social gatherings.
(With input from Reuters)
Nature magazine apologizes for linking the coronavirus to China's Wuhan
Nature Magazine published an editorial titled "Stop the coronavirus stigma now" on April 7, not only apologizing for previous news reports that linked the coronavirus to China's Wuhan but also sending a reminder to those who had erroneously been associating the virus with China's Wuhan and with China in their news coverage.
The apology is very meaningful, as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spurred global racism and discrimination, especially towards the Asians.
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Italy records 100 coronavirus deaths of doctors
A total of 100 doctors in Italy have died after contracting the new coronavirus so far, Italy's National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO) said on Thursday.
The number includes currently-employed and retired doctors as well as those recruited to provide help fight the coronavirus outbreak.
To date, Italy has detected nearly 140,000 confirmed cases and over 17,000 deaths.
Mass Ramadan events in Iran may stop due to COVID-19
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested Thursday that mass gatherings may be barred through the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Iran reached 66,220 on Thursday, with an increase of 1,634 in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education said.
The Iranian health official urged people to adhere to the principles of social distancing, particularly when the low-risk businesses are scheduled to reopen on Saturday.
(With input from agencies)
Over 400 USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors test positive for coronavirus
416 sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to CNN citing a U.S. Navy official.
As of Thursday, the U.S. has a total of 432,438 COVID-19 cases and 14,808 deaths, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University.
China rejects 'unfair' accusation of initial coronavirus cover-up
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Thursday rejected U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks accusing China of an early stage coronavirus cover-up and slow reporting.
Responding to Pompeo's latest comments about China withholding information and having caused consequences, Spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has always shared information and data on the coronavirus in an open, transparent and responsible manner, and such accusation is not fair.
Zhao urged the U.S. government to stop playing the blame game and focus on containing the outbreak.
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China sends medical team to Kazakhstan for COVID-19 control
The Chinese government has sent a team of medical experts to Kazakhstan at the invitation of its government to help the country battle the COVID-19 outbreak.
The team left Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Thursday for Kazakhstan. Organized by the National Health Commission, the team consists of 10 experts selected by Xinjiang.
The experts specializing in various areas including respiratory disease, intensive care, infectious disease and traditional Chinese medicine are from several hospitals and a local center for disease prevention and control in Xinjiang.
The Chinese experts will share China's experience in COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis and treatment with their Kazakh counterparts, and provide training for Kazakh medical staff, public health officials and community workers.
The medical team took with them medical supplies donated by Xinjiang, including 49,600 disposable medical masks, 4,800 N95 masks, 2,000 protective suits and two non-invasive ventilators.
(With input from Xinhua)
What to do if you are in or have recently visited a coronavirus-hit area?
For those who are in or went to an area during the past 14 days where COVID-19 is spreading, the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested the following protection measures.
1. Follow basic protective measures.
2. If you're feeling uncomfortable with mild symptoms like a headache and slightly runny nose:
Stay at home until you recover, as avoiding contact with others and going to medical facilities can help the facilities operate more efficiently and also protect you and others from COVID-19 and other viruses.
3. Fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing can be signs of a respiratory infection or other serious conditions:
Seek medical advice quickly. Call in advance and inform the medical staff of your recent travel history or contact with travelers.
Calling in advance enables the medical staff to quickly guide you to contact the appropriate medical facility. It also helps to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and other viruses.
World faces 'worst economic fallout since Great Depression': IMF chief
International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday warned the body's 170 member countries of an expected drop in per capita income due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"In fact, we anticipate the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression," Georgieva said.
Downing Street: UK PM 'continues to improve in intensive care'
Downing Street said on Thursday that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to improve as he spent the third night in ICU.
"The Prime Minister had a good night and continues to improve in intensive care. He's in good spirits," a PM spokesperson said, adding the PM has been receiving standard oxygen treatment and is able to contact people if required.
Tokyo Disneyland will remain closed until at least mid-May
The opening of Tokyo Disneyland has been postponed again.
The Tokyo Disneyland issued a notice on Thursday that in accordance with the expansion of COVID-19 outbreak and government requirements, it decided to extend the temporary closure time. Tokyo DisneySea will also stay closed for the time being.
Tokyo Disneyland said it will judge when the two parks should reopen in mid-May and issue a notification then. Previously, the two parks were scheduled to reopen after April 20.
Meanwhile, several Disney hotels in Tokyo will be closed for an extended period until mid-May.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Iran reported 1,634 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday which brings the total infections to 66,220. So far, 32,309 people have recovered, and 4,110 people died.
Kuwait reported 55 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 910 on Thursday, the health ministry said in a statement.
Brunei recorded a total of 135 cases of COVID-19. Local educational authorities said on Thursday that it will let the students stay at home and learn from online teaching system.
Thailand reported a total of 2,423 cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday. Since January, 80 medical staff in the country have been diagnosed with the COVID-19.
China is willing to provide medical material support to other countries within its ability
The COVID-19 outbreak is a challenge for all mankind and needs global cooperation to battle it and China is willing to provide medical supplies to the epidemic affected countries, regions and people within its ability, China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng said at a regular press conference on Thursday.
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COVID-19: Chinese medical team returns from aid mission in Italy
The third batch of the Chinese medical team which includes 14 medical experts aiding Italy to fight against COVID-19 has returned to the country on Thursday afternoon.
In Italy, the Chinese medical team has inspected designated hospitals for COVID-19, exchanged views with local medical experts and shared the counterparts on the diagnosis and treatment procedures including the application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of COVID-19 as well as treatment of COVID-19 patients in severe and critical conditions.
Spain reports 5,756 new coronavirus cases, total now at 152,446
Spain reported 5,756 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total tally to 152,446.
The death toll has risen to 15,238 from 14,555, its health ministry said on Thursday.
Speaking earlier on the day, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the country's latest coronavirus data is encouraging and is close to the beginning of a decline in the epidemic.
"The fire starts to come under control," he told the parliament before a vote on the extension of a state of emergency by another two weeks until April 26.
On Wednesday, Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa also said the country has "reached the peak of contagion."
(With input from agencies)
COVID-19: Chicago bans citywide liquor sales after 9:00 p.m.
Chicago will ban all liquor sales citywide after 9 p.m. each evening as part of the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, according to a statement released by Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot's press office.
The measure will take effect from Thursday evening and the statement noted that the new public health order will give the enforcement authority to "further curb non-compliance, with potential penalties for liquor sales after 9:00 p.m. including $500 fine, arrest and revocation of liquor and other licenses."
As of Thursday, the U.S. has reported a total of 432,132 cases of COVID-19 with 14,817 deaths, according to latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
Russia on Thursday reported a record one-day rise of 1,459 new cases of coronavirus, pushing its national case total to 10,131.
The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country rose by 13 to 76, the national coronavirus crisis response center said.
The Chinese mainland will suspend students at various academic levels from going to Taiwan for further studies because of the current COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures and cross-Strait relations, China's Ministry of Education said on Thursday.
However, students who have already studied at universities in Taiwan can continue their studies there.
Mainland students enrolled in Taiwan colleges and universities are now unable to return to the island amid the COVID-19 outbreak, due to the entry restrictions on mainland residents issued by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration on February 6.
The ministry said it's urgent to solve this problem and protect the students' legitimate rights and interests.
Currently, over 8,300 mainland students are enrolled in Taiwan colleges and universities.
Boris Johnson 'improving' as he fights COVID-19 in intensive care
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's condition is improving and he is able to sit up in bed and engage with clinical staff, finance minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday as Johnson remained in intensive care battling COVID-19.
Johnson was admitted to St Thomas' hospital on Sunday evening with a persistent high temperature and cough and was transferred to intensive care on Monday.
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Studies show coronavirus in New York came mainly from Europe: NYT
Researchers suggested the coronavirus was circulating in New York in mid-February as genetic analysis showed that the virus came to the area mainly from Europe, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Harm van Bakel, a geneticist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who co-wrote a study awaiting peer review, was quoted as saying that the majority of the travelers who brought in the virus were European.
A separate team at NYU Grossman School of Medicine came to strikingly similar conclusions, despite studying a different group of cases, said the report.
Both teams analyzed genomes from coronaviruses taken from New Yorkers starting in mid-March.
As of Wednesday, over 14,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. as the number of infections surged to 420,000, data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University showed.
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A total of 401 people in a prison in Cook County, Chicago, tested positive for the coronavirus, said the Cook County jail on Wednesday.
The prison, which houses 4,700 inmates, said 251 prisoners and 150 staff members had contracted the virus.
Among them, 22 have been hospitalized and 33 were taken to a rehabilitation facility.
One inmate has "apparently" died of the coronavirus, the jail said.
On Wednesday, the U.S. recorded nearly 2,000 COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row, according to Johns Hopkins University, bringing the total number of U.S. fatalities to over 14,000.
China's Heilongjiang reports 40 new imported COVID-19 cases
Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province reported 40 new COVID-19 cases from overseas on Wednesday, the provincial health commission said Thursday.
All the new confirmed cases were Chinese nationals returning from Russia.
Meanwhile, Heilongjiang reported an increase of 23 imported asymptomatic patients from Russia also on Wednesday, all of them Chinese nationals.
Death toll from COVID-19 tops 14,000 in the U.S.
Over 14,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. as the number of infections in the country surged to 420,000, data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University showed on Wednesday.
At a White House news briefing on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would like to reopen the U.S. economy but that the death toll needs to be on the downslope before that can happen. He did not give a timeframe on when he would like the economy to reopen.
UN chief defends WHO after Trump's threat
The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres underscored on Wednesday the importance of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He made the remark after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to freeze U.S. funding to the WHO.
Guterres pointed out that thousands of WHO staff were in the field, fighting the virus on the front lines, supporting member states and serving the most vulnerable among the global population with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving assistance.
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Serbian president says son infected with coronavirus
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on social media Wednesday that his son Danilo, 22, has contracted the coronavirus.
The country has recorded 2,666 COVID-19 cases and 65 fatalities from the virus, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 63 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 61 from abroad, and 56 asymptomatic cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,865. The cumulative death toll is 3,335, and 1,104 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 91 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,370.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 960 (264 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 45 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 379 (67 recovered, 5 deaths)
The head of the World Health Organization has defended its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, following U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing: "Please, unity at national level, no using COVID-19 for political points. Second, honest solidarity at the global level and honest leadership from the U.S. and China."
He revealed he had suffered several personal attacks in recent months including a death threat.
But he said his concern was saving lives. "Please quarantine politicizing COVID-19," he warned at the regular WHO briefing about COVID-19.
"The focus of all political parties should be to save their people. Please don't politicize this virus," he added. "The worst is yet to come if we don't rush to ensure unity."
He said leaders should come together across party lines – and religious beliefs – at national and international level.
"That's what we want, we don't care about personal attacks. We care about the lives lost every single minute, unnecessarily, because we're not understanding the power of unity to fight a common enemy," he said.
He added that countries shouldn't waste time pointing fingers at each other, a clear response to the U.S. president's recent criticism of the organization.
He recalled the campaign to eradicate smallpox when the U.S. and USSR came together at the height of the Cold War, as he issued his plea to global leaders not to allow the virus to exploit their differences.
"The U.S. and China should come together to fight this virus. The G20 should come together to fight this virus. This virus is dangerous. We will have many more body bags in front of us if we don't behave," he said.
The WHO chief asked for more interdependence and solidarity among countries, which he said was needed now more than ever before. "We have lost more than 60,000 citizens of the world. Even one person is precious, whether they're young or old. More than one million cases. What are we doing? Is this not enough? It's more than enough. Even the death of one person is a disaster, one we can prevent."
He called for governments to stop "playing with fire," reminding leaders that the virus was dangerous and presented many unknown factors. "Even high-income countries were surprised. And we're worried about Africa now," he said.
He also thanked the U.S. for its generosity and support to the organization until now and said he had no doubt the U.S. would continue to contribute to the WHO.
On Tuesday, Trump told a news conference the U.S. was "going to look at" whether to "put a hold on money sent to the WHO."
Chinese State Council said on Wednesday that asymptomatic coronavirus patients can spread the virus and all local medical institutions need to report online detection of such cases in two hours.
The Council sent out a notice saying that local governments need to conduct more coronavirus nucleic acid testing on those who may have been exposed to the transmission of the virus.
The notice clarified that asymptomatic patients are those who show no clinical symptoms, like fever, coughing and throat pain, but test positive for the coronavirus.
President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Washington, DC, U.S., April 7, 2020. /AP
The majority of people, 55 percent of Americans, say the federal government has done a poor job preventing the coronavirus spread in the U.S., up eight points compared to a week ago, a new CNN poll showed on Wednesday.
The poll results have reversed previous popularity rhetoric by President Donald Trump, who bragged about the transient surge in his approval ratings earlier as the outbreak emerged in the country.
The poll was done through phone calls between April 3-6, 2020, sampling a random selection of 1,002 respondents in the nation as they answered a set of questions regarding COVID-19 measures and the administration's implementation.
Overall, 44 percent approves versus 51 percent disapproves of Trump's approval ratings, which varied little compared to results of three previous CNN polls.
However, over half of the respondents feel President Trump could be doing more to contain the outbreak, and 80 percent feel the worst is yet to come, according to the survey.
Health workers wait in line to get food near the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 7, 2020. /Reuters
The ratings on how the federal government led by Trump has performed on containing the virus has seen a 12 percent rise in terms of disapproval within a month, according to the poll.
The sharp increase has implied that Americans have started to become disgruntled about how the administration has handled the outbreak as the number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities climbed in a faster rate.
Several other new polls, including a Monmouth University poll and Reuters and Ipsos poll, have also shown similar results, which added the evidence to the form of a trend of disapproval on the administration's performance in virus containment.
Read More:
How Trump trails world leaders, governors on COVID-19 approval ratings
The poll also focused on the effects of policy implementation. For COVID-19 prevention, the poll shows that most Americans, over 90 percent, are aware that social distancing matters in virus containment.
However, they are not very positive about how other people are following the rules, as less than one-third, 28 percent, have said that they think their neighbors are restricting doing it.
When it comes to the possibility of infection and getting medical treatment, the poll shows that 46 percent have expressed worries over their families and themselves being infected by the virus, despite president's ratings in health care policy reached its best since 2017.
To some or more extent, they are not sure if they would able be treated, as the degree varies with interviewees' socio-economic status and partnership.
Only about a third of the polled crowd said they are "very confident" to receive medical treatment if infected.
The U.S. has now reported over 460,000 total coronavirus cases. The death toll in the country stands at 16,478 so far.
On April 8, Wuhan officially lifted its extreme virus control measures and resumed outbound transportation. By this time, 76 days had passed since the city's lockdown on January 23. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has left China's epicenter with millions of people isolated from the outside world. As the disease is being brought under control this spring, Wuhan is gradually returning to normal. This documentary reviews the ordinary and extraordinary moments during the 76-day lockdown. Every person who has fought in the pandemic deserves to be forever remembered.
U.S. stocks open higher on hopes coronavirus outbreak nearing peak
U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday for the third straight session on the hopes that the coronavirus outbreak in the country is nearing its peak and Congress' plan to introduce more aid will help improve the economy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 239,61 points, or 1.06 percent to 22,893.47.
The S&P 500 rose 25.59 points, or 0.96 percent to 2,685.00.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 88.46 points, or 1.12 percent, to 7,975.72.
828 more coronavirus patients die in England, death toll now at 6,483: NHS England
England's death toll from coronavirus rose by 828 to 6,483 as of 5 p.m. GMT on Tuesday, Sky News reported citing NHS England.
The health service said that 46 of the 828 patients, aged 35 to 96 years old, had no known underlying health conditions.
Read more: The UK's coronavirus timeline: How it evolved from 'low risk' to now
Global trade will plunge by up to a third in 2020 amid pandemic: WTO
Global trade growth is expected to plummet by up to a third in 2020 due to the new coronavirus pandemic, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Wednesday, adding the numbers would be "ugly."
"World trade is expected to fall by between 13 percent and 32 percent in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts normal economic activity and life around the world," the WTO said in a statement.
Mauro Ferrari, president of European Union's (EU) top science organization, the European Research Council (ERC), has resigned in frustration to the EU's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Professor Ferrari started a four-year term as ERC's leader on January 1, and submitted his resignation to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday afternoon.
Ferrari said in a statement to the Financial Times that he proposed setting up a special ERC program to combat COVID-19, but the ERC Scientific Council, its governing body, unanimously rejected the idea.
"I have seen enough of both the governance of science, and the political operations at the European Union. I have lost faith in the system itself," Ferrari wrote.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday that the decision to close the China-Russia border is made by governments from both sides, as coronavirus infections in Russia have surpassed 10,000.
Suifenhe in Heilongjiang and Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia "temporarily" closed borders with Russia starting from April 7 as part of efforts to stop infected travelers crossing the border from Russia, according to local governments' statements.
On Thursday, Russia reported a record one-day rise of 1,459 new cases of coronavirus, pushing its national case total to 10,131. The number of coronavirus-related deaths rose by 13 to 76, the national coronavirus crisis response center said.
Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has reported a surge of imported coronavirus cases, mostly from Russia. By the end of April 8, the province reported a total of 127 confirmed imported cases, and two third of them are in severe condition, according to official data.
Suifenhe, with the population of only 70,000 people, is building a temporary hospital with over 600 hospital beds. It is expected to open on April 11.
An aerial view of an temporary hospital in Suifenhe, Heilongjiang Province, April 8, 2020. /CCTV
Meanwhile, the Heilongjiang provincial government has sent a working team as well as a 141-member medical expert team to the small city to help contain a possible outbreak.
The city government also announced restrictions on the movement of citizens starting from 6 a.m. on April 8.
People must stay in their residential compounds and only one person per family can leave once every three days to buy necessities, and must return on the same day, according to a government statement.
When was asked whether the decision to close the border are made by the Chinese side, Zhao said both Chinese and Russian authorities agreed to the suspension of people's flow.
Asked about whether China is considering sending charter flights to take its nationals back home, Zhao said the governments from both sides are still discussing the issue, without more information.
China sent 25.2 tonnes of medical supplies including face masks and protective suits to Moscow on April 2 to help fight the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation and likened the fight against the coronavirus to its battles against medieval invaders.
Putin said the next few weeks would be decisive and he demanded the absolute concentration of resources and the strictest observance of doctors' recommendations and preventative measures to control the outbreak.
Read more:
China closes land border with Russia to prevent imported COVID-19 cases
How volunteers kept Wuhan running during the 76-day lockdown
As Wuhan lifts its quarantine starting from midnight on Wednesday, Hu Jing, a volunteer at Donghulu residential compound in Wuchang district of Wuhan is now busier than ever.
She had to get in touch with all residents heading out of Wuhan, informing them they need to have their travel documents ready and green health code at hand for security check. She reminded that permission must be obtained from the neighborhood community in the respective city they are traveling to, or else if they leave, it would be hard to come back.
For the 55,000 people estimated to be leaving Wuhan by train on Wednesday after a 76-day lockdown, now is the time that they have longed for. But to make their much-anticipated return an orderly process, volunteers like Hu have been on high alert, weary that ease in travel restrictions would lead to a resurgence of infections.
During the 11-week coronavirus lockdown, they are the ones who kept the city supplied and running. With travel restrictions and public transport shutdown, basic needs like going to the hospital, buying groceries and purchasing medicines are left unattended, until volunteers from all walks of life mobilized to offer their help.
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Volunteers with bags of groceries bought for residents under lockdown. /Photo courtesy of Hu Jing
Latest on coronavirus outbreak in Middle East
Iran's death toll from coronavirus has climbed to 3,993 with 121 more deaths. The country reported 1,997 new cases, bringing the total number to 64,586.
United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi announced on Wednesday that it will introduce 1,244 local government bidding projects worth 15 billion dirham (roughly 4.08 million U.S. dollars) in total to improve productivity and strengthen the supply chain impacted by the pandemic.
Qatar reported 153 new cases. A total of 2,210 cases have now been confirmed.
Kuwait registered 112 new cases, raising the total number to 855.
Pakistan reported 68 new cases, bringing the nationwide total to 4,072. Death toll in the country is 58.
Oman detected 48 new cases, with 419 total cases reported so far.
British PM Boris Johnson remains in ICU, responding to treatment
Downing Street said on Wednesday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care unit and is responding to doctors' treatment.
A spokesperson for Johnson confirmed the PM is not working now, but he has the ability to contact those he needs to. The spokesperson also said Johnson is "clinically stable" and in "good spirits."
Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital, across the River Thames from Parliament, late on Sunday after suffering symptoms including fever and cough for more than 10 days.
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The media report outside St Thomas' Hospital after Boris Johnson was moved to ICU, London, Britain, April 7, 2020. /Reuters
CCTV Photo
A team of Chinese medical experts have landed at Myanmar's Yangon International Airport around 10:30 a.m. local time. They will stay in Myanmar for 15 days to share coronavirus epidemic control and prevention experiences and work with the country's health commission.
The medical team comprises of 12 experts in areas of medicine including respiratory, infectious disease, severe illness, nursing, testing and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The team also brought with them supplies for epidemic control weighing 5.3 tons, including 8,500 N95 medical masks, 60,000 disposable medical masks, 5,500 protective gowns and coronavirus nucleic acid testing kits.
CCTV Photo
Myanmar's Minister of Health and Sports Myint Htwe and the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai welcomed the team. Htwe said that it was a big success that China was able to quickly contain the COVID-19 epidemic and Myanmar should learn from China's experience.
Ethiopia declares state of emergency due to worsening coronavirus epidemic
Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on Wednesday due to the worsening coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced in a Twitter post.
The Prime Minister called upon all to follow the ensuing measures considering the gravity of COVID-19.
According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, 52 coronavirus cases have been reported in Ethiopia as of Wednesday. Two patients have died.
Spain reports 6,180 new cases, total now at 146,690
Spain reported 6,180 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total number of COVID-19 cases to 146,690.
The death toll in Spain has risen to 14,555 from 13,798, its health ministry said on Wednesday.
Beijing to set cap of 1,000 people per day returning from Wuhan
The Beijing authorities said on Wednesday that the city will receive around 1,000 people per day returning from Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province.
All returnees from the province should conduct nucleic acid tests seven days prior to traveling, or they won't be allowed to purchase train tickets or get through highway check points, Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
All trains will be running at 50 percent capacity.
According to Chen, around 11,000 people have been stranded in Hubei due to the coronavirus outbreak and they will return in batches after the outbound travel restriction was lifted today.
All returnees from Wuhan will also be put under a 14-day quarantine upon arrival and will receive another nucleic acid test after finishing isolation.
Since March 25, when other cities in Hubei Province removed their travel bans, nearly 61,000 people have returned to Beijing from the region.
Russia reports record daily increase in new coronavirus cases
Russia on Wednesday reported 1,175 new cases of COVID-19, a record daily rise in the country's total cases, according to Russia's crisis response center.
There are now 8,672 total cases in Russia, with 5,841 in Moscow. Death toll in the country is at 63, and 580 patients have recovered.
As many as 900,100 coronavirus nucleic acid testings have been conducted in Russia, while 180,000 people are currently in isolation for medical inspection.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Impact on refugee and migrant camps
Poor sanitation, cramped living conditions, pervasiveness of illnesses, and lack of access to medical care and clean water – attributes that are generally characteristic of refugee and migrant camps and makeshift settlements for displaced people – constitute a potential humanitarian catastrophe threatening tens of millions of people from Bangladesh to Syria and across Africa.
Camps across the world have previously experienced outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and other respiratory infections, and the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and Ebola epidemics did not lead to large-scale infections or mass deaths of refugees.
But the latest coronavirus, which has exceeded all previous outbreaks and already claimed more than 81,000 lives, is undeniably a far greater threat looming over the exposed refugees.
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Total active domestic coronavirus cases on Chinese mainland falls below 500
The number of active domestic coronavirus cases on the Chinese mainland has dropped to under 500 as of Tuesday, National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Among all the active and asymptomatic cases, the percentage of imported cases is growing, said Mi. Sporadic related cases to these imported cases have also been surfacing.
Mi stressed that as Wuhan has lifted its outbound travel restrictions, the country needs to continue emergency response and normalized epidemic control and prevention to precisely contain the coronavirus at key areas and points of risk.
The airport in Wuhan, the central Chinese city hard-hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, started resuming domestic passenger flights early Wednesday after almost 11 weeks of lockdown.
The flight MU2527, the first flight since the city's lockdown was lifted, departed from Wuhan at 7:25 a.m. Wednesday.
April 8 marked the end of a 76-day lockdown in Wuhan due to the coronavirus outbreak. At 7:45 a.m. BJT, Flight MF8095 operated by Xiamen Airlines landed at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. The first plane to land in Wuhan after a months-long lockdown was given a "water salute," a tradition used for ceremonial purposes.
The first train from Wuhan to Beijing has arrived
The first train from Wuhan to Beijing since travel restrictions ended arrived at Beijing West Railway Station at 14:24 on Wednesday.
Travel restrictions on Wuhan, which has been under lockdown since January 23 due to the coronavirus outbreak, were lifted on Wednesday.
Beijing West Railway Station has opened a special channel and arranged staff to look after passengers. All passengers need to pass a temperature test before they can leave the station.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
The UK reported 3,634 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 55,242, including 6,159 deaths.
France registered 10,328 deaths, becoming the fourth country globally to report over 10,000 deaths. The total confirmed cases have exceeded 110,000.
Brazil's total number of confirmed cases rose to 13,717, with 667 deaths, a mortality rate of 4.9 percent.
Argentina recorded a total of 1,715 confirmed cases, with 60 deaths. The government will build a large temporary hospital to treat patients with mild symptoms.
Colombia reported 201 new cases, 1,780 in total, with 50 deaths. The government has extended the national mandatory quarantine policy.
Canada confirmed 1,231 new cases, with 58 deaths. The total confirmed cases hit 17,897, with 381 deaths.
Iraq reported 91 new cases, and the total climbed to 1,122, with 64 deaths. A nationwide curfew has been extended until April 18.
What does Wuhan tell us?
CGTN's Zou Yue, a Wuhan native, believes the experiences that came with paying a high price fighting COVID-19 in Hubei Province, could – and should – be a lesson for the rest of the world, regardless of ideological and political differences.
Wuhan's outbound passenger trains are gradually back to service after the city lifted its outbound travel restrictions on Wednesday. The first train setting off from the city in central China for a destination within Hubei Province, the D9301 to Jingzhou, departed from Hankou railway station at 6:25 a.m. BJT. At 7:06 a.m. the first train heading to a destination outside the province left for Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
First train, plane leave Wuhan as city ends lockdown
The first bullet train left Wuhan in central China at 7:06 a.m. BJT (2306GMT) on Wednesday after the city lifted a months-long lockdown imposed to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.
Eighteen minutes later, at 7:24 a.m. BJT (2324GMT), the first plane took off from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to Sanya in south China with 46 passengers on board, marking the resumption of outbound flights and train services in the city since January 23.
A total of 62 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 59 were from abroad, and 137 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
Three new domestic cases were reported, including two in Shandong Province and one in Guangdong Province, the NHC said.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,802. The cumulative death toll is now at 3,333, while 1,095 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 112 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,279.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 935 (236 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 44 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 376 (61 recovered, 5 deaths)
Wuhan returnees to Beijing to undergo nucleic acid testing twice
People returning from Wuhan to Beijing are required to undergo nucleic acid testing before leaving the city in central China and after arriving at their destination, and strictly implement medical observation measures, authorities in the Chinese capital have announced.
Travel restrictions on Wuhan, which has been under lockdown since January 23 due to the coronavirus outbreak, were lifted on Wednesday.
Beijing will beef up its nucleic acid detection ability, optimize the detection process of coronavirus among returnees to the city, and increase medical personnel and equipment to ensure the safety of people.
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world has hit 1,414,738, with 81,259 fatalities, as of 7:10 a.m. BJT on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has at least 387,547 cases and 12,291 deaths. President Donald Trump meanwhile has threatened to withdraw funding from the World Health Organization.
New York state overtook Italy on Tuesday in the number of overall cases, becoming second in the world only to Spain. The state, which has 138,836 reported cases, lost 731 lives to COVID-19 from Monday to Tuesday, bringing its death toll to 5,489.
Spain has 140,510 COVID-19 cases. It reported 743 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total number in the country to 13,798.
The death toll in Italy continued to rise – 604 on Tuesday, making 17,127 in total. The country's total number of cases has reached 135,586.
France has officially registered more than 10,000 deaths, becoming the fourth country to cross that threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States.
This is the moment that Wuhan, China, reopened. The city was under lockdown for the last 76 days amid a tight coronavirus quarantine. Home to over 11 million people, the Chinese city celebrated its reopening with a midnight light show.
As the rest of the world tackles the coronavirus pandemic, China has been sending medical support across the globe to help other countries.
Many families have been apart since the lockdown began, and now that travel restrictions have been lifted many reunion are happening across the city.
Hubei to uphold first-level emergency response as Wuhan ends lockdown
Before the city was reopened, Central China's Hubei Province said on Tuesday it will stick to first-level emergency response in tackling COVID-19, even as its capital, Wuhan, lifts travel restrictions.
Provincial colleges, primary and secondary schools, secondary vocational schools, technical colleges and kindergartens will continue to postpone the start of new semester, said the notice.
Hu Shuguang, Wuhan's Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said epidemic control and prevention remain top priority in Wuhan, and people should stay alert.
Hu stressed that reporting no new case doesn't mean there's zero risk of the virus in Wuhan. The epidemic control and prevention task remains critical.
As for now, many residents are celebrating, while remaining alert for signs of the virus.
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Crew on U.S. Naval Ship Comfort tests positive for coronavirus
One crew member of the United State Naval Ship Comfort has tested positive for the coronavirus and is under quarantine, a Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Navy spokesperson Lt. Marycate Walsh said the crew member had no contact with patients and “there is no impact to Comfort’s mission.”
The hospital ship is currently docked in the New York City harbor. It had originally been designated to alleviate pressure from New York City hospitals to treat non-coronavirus patients. U.S. President Donald Trump permitted the ship to receive coronavirus patient if needed on Sunday.
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
Japan reported 242 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the total number to 4,340, with 97 deaths. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures including Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
Iran reported 2,089 new cases. As of Tuesday, 62,589 total cases have been confirmed, with 3,872 deaths.
Russia registered 1,154 cases, bringing its total to 7,497. Fifty-eight people have died and 494 patients recovered.
Portugal confirmed 712 new cases, adding to a total of 12,442.
Switzerland has 22,242 total cases and 641 deaths. It has seen less than 1,000 new cases for five straight days.
Belgium reported 1,381 new cases. A total of 22,194 cases have been registered, with 2,035 deaths.
Malaysia reported 170 new cases, bringing the total number to 3,963.
Saudi Arabia detected 147 new cases, totaling 2,752. It has ordered a nationwide curfew from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Malawi reported its first death from the coronavirus. The country has confirmed eight cases in total.
British Queen wishes PM Johnson 'speedy recovery'
British Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday sent a message to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fiancée Carrie Symonds and his family, wishing the PM a "full and speedy recovery," said Buckingham Palace .
Chinese nationals flying back to China from 26 countries, including Italy, U.S. and Spain, are now required to register their health information before boarding, according to a joint notice released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the General Administration of Customs.
Effective April 8, the rule asks passengers to provide information on health condition and recent travel records before boarding.
UK PM Johnson stable overnight and in good spirits: Spokesman
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable overnight in intensive care after his conditions deteriorated, and he remains in good spirits, his spokesman said at a regular briefing on Tuesday.
The spokesman told reporters the PM was receiving standard oxygen treatment for COVID-19, and was not on a mechanical ventilator.
According to Downing Street, Johnson is "stable" in hospital and has not been diagnosed with pneumonia.
UK Cabinet Minister goes into self-isolation
UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is self-isolating after a family member displayed COVID-19 symptoms. He does not have symptoms himself.
China's successful experience worth learning: WHO official
Dr Gauden Galea, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in China, said international and regional organizations can learn from China's successful experience during its fight against COVID-19. He stressed that cooperation and solidarity are of vital importance.
Dr Galea made the remarks at a press briefing on Tuesday, noting that China's successes include providing a supply of medical resources for Hubei and its capital Wuhan, necessary protective equipment and sending medical teams to Wuhan.
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Central China's Hubei Province said on Tuesday it will stick to first-level emergency response in tackling COVID-19, even as its capital, Wuhan, lifts travel restrictions at midnight on Wednesday.
According to a notice issued by Hubei's headquarters for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents are advised not to leave their communities, Wuhan or Hubei unless it is necessary.
Provincial colleges, primary and secondary schools, secondary vocational schools, technical colleges and kindergartens will continue to postpone the start of new semester, said the notice.
Hours before the notice was issued, Hu Shuguang, Wuhan's Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said epidemic control and prevention remain top priority in Wuhan and people should stay alert.
Hu said that important milestones have been achieved in Wuhan's fight against the coronavirus, as the city's epidemic situation is, in general, continuously improving. Since March 18, when the city reported zero new cases for the first time, the city has only twice reported one new infection on two separate days.
Hu stressed that reporting no new case doesn't mean there's zero risk of the virus in Wuhan. The epidemic control and prevention task remains critical, said Hu.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a sovereign-backed loan of 2.485 billion yuan (about 355 million U.S. dollars) to help upgrade China's sustainable public health infrastructure and provide emergency equipment and supplies amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The project, to be supported by AIIB's first emergency assistance loan, aims to strengthen public health emergency response capacity in the Chinese municipalities of Beijing and Chongqing, according to the bank.
The loan will support the upgrade of the two cities' respective centers for disease control and prevention, enhance the treatment capacity of medical institutions in dealing with epidemic emergencies and provide emergency equipment and supplies to front line public health workers to help contain the outbreak of COVID-19, it said.
"AIIB's response underscores the importance of building resilient public health infrastructures and maintaining robust systems for members to effectively mitigate risks to their populations associated with outbreaks of communicable disease," said Konstantin Limitovskiy, AIIB vice president in charge of investment operations.
Headquartered in Beijing, the AIIB began operations in January 2016. It is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
Spain records 5,478 new cases, total at 140,510
Spain has reported 5,478 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 140,510.
Meanwhile, the death toll rose from 13,055 to 13,798, its health ministry said on Tuesday.
More than 55,000 expected to leave Wuhan by train on April 8
More than 55,000 outbound travelers are expected to leave Wuhan by train on Wednesday after the city lifts its travel restrictions, according to China Railway Wuhan Group.
HKSAR extends travel ban for non-residents
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will extend entry restrictions to all non-Hong Kong residents until further notice as the virus continues to spread in the city.
All transit services at Hong Kong International Airport will also continue to be suspended indefinitely.
The restrictions which began on March 25 and meant to last for 14 days is due to expire on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the government is also working on how to proceed other measures that are due to expire in the coming weeks.
The HKSAR has ordered the temporary closure of six types of venues and put specific operation restrictions on restaurants and cafes.
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Hong Kong to ban gatherings of over four people, close six types of entertainment venues
"We'll make further arrangements public soon," Lam said.
The HKSAR government is also ramping up aid to those severely affected by the coronavirus and a second round of relief package is widely expected by the public to be focused on ensuring employment, Lam said.
As of Monday, 914 coronavirus cases and four deaths were detected in HKSAR.
The city is seeing an increase in cases imported from aboard, most of which are local residents returning from overseas.
Over 10,000 coronavirus infections reported in 52 countries across Africa
A total of 10,075 coronavirus infections have been reported in Africa as of Tuesday morning, data from Africa's Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed.
Since the first reported case on February 14, as many as 52 African countries have registered infections, leaving only Lesotho and Comoros with no confirmed cases.
According to African Union's published information, 43 of the 55 members of the union have closed their borders, with seven of them halting international flights. Other countries have also implemented restrictions on exit and entry.
Chinese people will appreciate and miss deceased nurse Zhang Jingjing and will always appreciate and remember the contributions made by medical workers in the fight against the COVID-19, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a regular briefing on Tuesday.
Zhang, a medic from east China's Shandong Province, joined the team treating COVID-19 patients in Hubei Province in January. She passed away on Monday from cardiac failure.
Boris Johnson not on ventilator but had oxygen support
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had some oxygen support, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday.
The PM is not on a ventilator, Gove told LBC radio.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases jump by 3,834 overnight
Germany's confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 3,834 in the past 24 hours to 99,225 on Tuesday, rising again after four consecutive days of drops, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.
The reported death toll rose by 173 to 1,607.
People line up in front of a bank on the day pensions are paid to retired people in Berlin, Germany, March 31, 2020./ AP
Guangzhou dispels rumors of coronavirus outbreak among Africans
The authorities of Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong Province, Tuesday dispelled rumors that around 300,000 African people in the city's Yuexiu District had contracted the new coronavirus, calling the widespread rumors on Chinese social media platforms "irresponsible."
The rumors circulated online also claimed that the outbreak among the Africans had led to the lockdown of a local community.
"There's no such thing as 'lockdown' of Yaotai Community," Yan Qiang, an official with Guangzhou's Yuexiu District said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Yan said the community has tightened controls over the mobility of people and transport. "People and cars are free to come in or go out as long as they have municipal health codes and also finish other procedures including temperature check and wearing masks," he said.
The official also quashed the rumor that there were 300,000 African people in the district. "A total of 3,462 foreign nationals now reside in Yuexiu District. Top five countries with the most number of people here are 350 from the U.S., 308 from Mali, 227 from Nigeria, 208 from Canada and 200 from Australia."
According to Guangzhou coronavirus press briefing held on Tuesday, a total of 111 imported cases were detected in the city as of Monday, out of which 25 were foreign nationals.
Chinese embassy in the UK offers to help young students back home
The Chinese Embassy in the UK is asking Chinese nationals who are minors and in urgent need of repatriation to reach out, according to a notice on the embassy's website on April 7.
According to the notice, minors aged between 5 and 18 years old, with unaccompanied parents in the UK, host family guardians who are too old to take care of them, or who have studied in the UK for a long or short period can return home.
It also warned returning students that they would have to bear all the possible risks in the process of returning home, and consciously accept the flight process and the quarantine arrangements after arriving in China.
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Answer Bank: How to protect your pets if you have COVID-19
Panic struck the public recently when a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for the coronavirus. According to local news, the tiger is believed to have been infected by a zoo employee who was "asymptomatically infected with the virus" while caring for it, drawing people's attention to the topic of how to protect your pets or animals if you are sick with COVID-19.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), testing for companion animals will only be done if animal and public health officials agree that there's a link to a known human case of COVID-19. There will not be widespread testing done for general companion animal population.
Although there have been no reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19 in the United States, people should still be on alert as a previous case showed a dog in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tested "weakly" positive for SAR-CoV-2 during quarantine and then died three days after returning home.
It's recommended that people who have COVID-19, or are suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms, should limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. The following protective suggestions of pets are appropriate for those who have COVID-19:
1. Have another family member take care of your pets while you are sick.
2. Avoid contact with your pets, including petting, snuggling, kissing or licking and sharing food.
3. If you must take care of your pets or be around them, wash your hands before and after you interact with them.
Meanwhile, if you observe that your pets or animals have developed any COVID-19 symptoms, it's encouraged that you consult your veterinarian.
Latest COVID-19 developments in Asia, Latin America and Oceania
Asia:
Japan is set to announce a state of emergency on Tuesday. A total of 4,100 coronavirus cases and 97 deaths were detected in Japan as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday approved the extension of lockdown and home quarantine measures until the end of April.
Indonesia's health minister approved a large-scale social distancing proposal for Jakarta. The Jakarta administration can now take any restrictive measures deemed necessary to curb the virus spread.
South Korea reported 47 new confirmed cases, taking the nationwide tally to 10,331. Also, six more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 192.
Thailand reported 38 new coronavirus infections and the death of a 54-year-old man on Tuesday. Thailand's tally currently stands at 2,258 infections and 27 deaths. 824 patients have recovered so far.
Latin America:
Mexico recorded its biggest daily jump of coronavirus cases of 296, bringing the country's total to 2,439. So far, 125 COVID-19 patients have died.
Colombia will extend its nationwide quarantine until April 27 which was originally set to last 19 days and end before midnight on April 13. The country has over 1,500 confirmed cases and 46 deaths linked to the coronavirus so far.
Panama has registered 112 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total to 2,100 confirmed cases and 55 deaths.
Oceania:
New Zealand reported 32 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable infections to 1,160. Only one fatality was identified in New Zealand.
Also, the country's health minister, David Clark, was demoted after going on a beach trip, a move breaking the nationwide lockdown rules.
As of Tuesday morning, Australia registered 5,844 cases, out of which 42 were fatal. The South New Wales State is the hardest hit with over 2,600 cases detected.
Fiji confirmed on Tuesday one more new COVID-19 case, bringing the total number of 15 cases. All of those 15 patients remain in stable condition.
UN Security Council to hold first coronavirus talks Thursday: diplomats
The UN Security Council will hold its first meeting on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, after weeks of divisions among its five permanent members, diplomats said Monday.
Last week, nine of the 10 non-permanent members formally requested a meeting featuring a presentation by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The meeting is to be held behind closed doors at 3:00 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
It's not yet clear what form the meeting will take, or what could be accomplished: will the member nations show unity in the fact of a global crisis and a willingness to cooperate, or proceed with a settling of scores?
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76 days in Wuhan: The dawn is at hand
Nearly 76 days or 1,814 hours – these figures will be given a special meaning starting midnight on April 8, for China and the world, especially for the residents of Wuhan City, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, has been under lockdown since 10 a.m. January 23. And after days of sacrifices and persistence, a dawn is finally at hand. People will be allowed to leave the city and the province from Wednesday.
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A total of 32 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, all from abroad, and 30 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). No new death was reported for the first time since the NHC started publishing daily updates on the coronavirus in January.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,740. The cumulative death toll is now at 3,331, while 1,033 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 89 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,167.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 914 (216 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 44 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 373 (57 recovered, 5 deaths)
EU official thanks China for donation to aid COVID-19 fight
The European Union's Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič has thanked China for its donation to Italy to aid in the fight against COVID-19.
China sent a plane-load of medical equipment to Rome as the country continues its efforts to curb further spread of COVID-19.
The donations included 2 million surgical masks, 200,000 N95 masks and 50,000 testing kits.
"We are grateful for China's support and, as President von der Leyen stated, we need each other's support in times of need," Lenarčič said on Monday.
The donation comes after March talks between EU President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
In their phone conversation, Premier Li reaffirmed China's position to stand firmly with Europe and also reiterated China's readiness to facilitate Europe's purchase of medical supplies via commercial channels.
Italy is one of the worst affected countries globally, having registered over 16,000 deaths, with more than 132,000 confirmed cases. Some 22,837 patients have fully recovered.
Globally, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 1.34 million, with the death toll exceeding 74,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Global COVID-19 cases surpass 1.3 million, over 74,000 dead
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world hit 1,341,907, with 74,476 fatalities, as of 7:10 a.m. BJT on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. has confirmed having at least 364,723 cases.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to ICU
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened Monday, just a day after he was admitted for what were said to be routine tests.
Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas' Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
"Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital," his office said in a statement.
Downing St, said Johnson was conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment, but was in the intensive care unit in case he needed it later.
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Benin record its first COVID-19 death on Sunday, the country's health minister Benjamin Hounkpatin announced on Monday.
Hounkpatin made the announcement in a press conference in Porto-Novo, noting that the patient was a 43-year-old woman who had been suffering from sickle cell disease.
The woman returned to the West African country from a COVID-19-affected country and had spent several days in a private clinic in Cotonou, the economic capital of the country.
Benin is one of over 50 African states that have recorded cases of COVID-19. The country has reported 22 confirmed cases according to the John Hopkins University.
Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases have surpassed 9,000, with over 400 deaths. Over 800 patients have recovered.
Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of Defense Hamed Bakayoko. /PHOTO Courtesy: Hamed Bakayoko - Facebook.
Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of Defense Hamed Bakayoko has tested positive for COVID-19.
The minister made the announcement on Monday, saying he was in isolation although he had not exhibited symptoms of the disease.
"I was declared positive for the COVID-19 test following a sample taken yesterday Sunday," Bakayoko wrote on Facebook.
"I urge you to take seriously the observation of all barriers to protect yourself and protect others."
Cote d'Ivoire is one of over 50 African states that have recorded cases of COVID-19. The West Africa country has 261 confirmed cases according to the John Hopkins University.
Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases have surpassed 9,000, with over 400 deaths. Over 800 patients have recovered.
France's Health Minister Olivier Véran gives a COVID-19 update on Monday, 6 March, 2020.
France has recorded its highest death toll from COVID-19 since the outbreak began.
Health Minister Olivier Véran announced that the country has recorded 833 deaths in 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 8,911.
France is one of the COVID-19 worst affected countries in Europe, with only Italy and Spain having recorded more deaths.
"We have not yet reached the end of the ascent of this epidemic," Véran said in his address.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, with figures rising each day.
Globally, more than 1.3 million cases have been recorded, with over 72,000 deaths. More than 273,000 people have fully recovered.
The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has surpassed 10,000, becoming the third country to hit the figures after Italy and Spain.
The country has recorded more than 347,000 cases, with close to 19,000 recoveries.
Earlier on Monday, New York Governor announced a shutdown extension in the state in efforts to curb further spread of the disease.
New York is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., having recorded more than 130,000 cases.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday extended a shutdown in the state until April 29 in efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
New York is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, having recorded more than 130,000 cases and over 4,750 deaths.
Governor Cuomo said schools and non-essential businesses would remain closed until the end of the month as the battle against COVID-19 went on.
He called upon the state's residents to adhere to the set guidelines in order to keep themselves safe and avoid further spread of the disease.
"Now is not the time to be lax. Now is not the time to be playing Frisbee in the park. I want to be, frankly, more aggressive on the enforcement because all the anecdotal evidence is that people are violating it at a higher rate than before," Governor Cuomo said in his address.
The governor also announced a raise in the maximum fine for violating social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000, saying: "If it's not about your life, you don't have the right to risk someone else's life."
The U.S. has recorded the biggest number of COVID-19 cases, having surpassed 337,000. Close to 9,700 deaths have been reported, with 17,727 recoveries.
A driver of a car is tested for COVID-19 at Chessington World of Adventures theme park. /AP Photo/Matt Dunham
The number of COVID-19 deaths in the UK have surpassed 5,000 after the country recorded an increase of 439 in a day.
The UK has confirmed more than 51,000 cases as the disease continues to spread across the globe.
The report on the latest figures comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was in good spirits after spending the night in hospital with COVID-19.
The 55-year-old was admitted at the St Thomas’ Hospital in London on Sunday evening with "persistent symptoms", including a temperature and a cough.
"Last night, on the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I'm still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I'm in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe," Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The UK is one of the most affected countries in Europe, with only Spain, Italy, Germany and France having recorded more COVID-19 cases in the continent.
Johnson also called upon fellow UK citizens to remain at home in efforts to curb further spread of COVID-19.
"I'd like to say thank you to all the brilliant NHS staff taking care of me and others in this difficult time. You are the best of Britain," he said. "Stay safe everyone, and please remember to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives."
Sao Tome and Principe confirms first four COVID-19 cases
The Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Jorge Bom Jesus, has announced that there are four cases of COVID-19 in his country.
The only coronavirus-free African nations are now Comoros and Lesotho.
U.S. stocks opened higher on Monday. Here is how things look:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 641.10 points, or 3.05%, at the open to 21,693.63.
The S&P 500 opened up by 89.63 points, or 3.60%, to 2,578.28.
The Nasdaq Composite gained 287.09 points, or 3.89%, to 7,660.17 at the opening bell.
Wuhan reports 34 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, 673 still under medical observation
Wuhan reported 34 new asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, along with one death and 69 recovered cases, according to local health authorities.
The city has detected 50,008 confirmed cases as of midnight on Sunday, with 2,571 deaths. A total of 46,863 patients recovered and were discharged for hospitals. Forty-three people were released from quarantine on Sunday while 673 are still under medical observation.
British PM Johnson in good spirits in hospital: spokesman
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a "comfortable night" in hospital, is in good spirits and continues to carry out work as leader of the government, but will remain under observation in the hospital, his spokesman said on Monday.
The PM's only symptoms are a fever and cough.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Germany reported 95,391 confirmed cases, increase of 3,677 over the past 24 hours, including 1,434 total deaths. Merkel said current lockdown measures will extend to April 19, called upon people to avoid gatherings and outings during the upcoming Easter holiday.
Russia confirmed biggest daily increase as 954 new cases reported, bringing total to 6,343, including 47 deaths.
Thailand reported 51 new cases, total infections stand at 2,220, with total death toll at 26.
Belgium recorded 1,123 new cases with 185 more deaths in past 24 hours, bringing total to 20,814 with 1,632 deaths.
Romania reported 251 new cases, rising total to 3,864 with 151 deaths. The president said the country is to extend state of emergency by another 30 days.
Japan's total number of confirmed cases exceeded 4,000, death toll rose to 95.
Australia confirmed 5,795 cases in total with 39 deaths, more than 19.3 million COVID tests were conducted nationwide.
Israel reported 181 more cases with two new deaths, total to 8,611, including 51 deaths. Some cities with high infection rates were closed and traffic restrictions were tightened.
The worldwide COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 70,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
There are now nearly 1.29 million confirmed cases globally.
France heading for worst recession since World War II amid COVID-19
France is likely to see its deepest recession since the end of World War II this year because of the coronavirus crisis, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned on Monday.
"The worst growth figure in France since 1945 was -2.2 percent in 2009, after the financial crisis of 2008. We will probably be very far beyond -2.2 percent this year," Le Maire said.
The government estimated last month in an emergency budget update that the economy would contract one percent this year, but has since indicated that it would have to revise that figure.
France imposed a nationwide stay-at-home order from March 17 after shuttering all non-essential businesses. Officials have said the lockdown will last until at least April 15.
Iran reports 2,274 new COVID-19 cases, total surpasses 60,000
A total of 2,274 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Iran on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 60,500.
Iran also reported 136 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the death toll to 3,739, according to local health authorities.
So far, 24,236 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Spain records 4,273 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 135,032
The pace of new coronavirus deaths in Spain has slowed for the fourth day. The death toll in the country rose by 637 to 13,055, its health ministry said on Monday.
It has reported 4,273 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 135,032.
So far, Spain has reported that 19,400 medics have been infected with coronavirus and 20 percent of them have recovered.
Spanish government preparing for large-scale COVID-19 testing
The Spanish government is preparing large-scale COVID-19 testing, which will mainly target people working in certain institutions, such as nursing homes and supermarkets, as well as security and transportation personnel.
The government will conduct large-scale population testing and prepare infrastructure to isolate the infected.
The Spanish Ministry of Health will distribute a total of one million kits in the autonomous regions and ask them to prepare quarantine infrastructure.
Japan's PM Abe begins state of emergency preparations
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins preparations to declare a state of emergency due to the coronavirus.
It is expected to be effective till May 6 and cover seven prefectures, the Kyodo news agency reported.
China dispatched 11 charter flights between March 4 and April 3 to bring 1,827 Chinese nationals home from overseas amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Han Guangzu, a civil aviation official said Monday.
Most of them are students, Han said at a press conference.
Chinese envoy calls for China-U.S. cooperation against COVID-19
Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., on Sunday called on China and the U.S. to work together against the coronavirus, as COVID-19 continues to sweep across the world.
"We will always remember that in our most difficult days, our friends in so many places – many of them Americans, many of them New Yorkers – offered us a helping hand. We stand ready now to repay their kindness and help them make it through too," Cui said in an article published in the New York Times.
"There has been unpleasant talk between our nations about this disease. But this is not the time for finger-pointing. This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support," Cui said.
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'Failure could set the world on fire': Kissinger tells U.S. to take lead in defending liberal world order in post-coronavirus era
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger issued a dire warning that the world will never be the same after the coronavirus pandemic and the failure to resolve the crisis could "set the world on fire."
Kissinger, who served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, wrote in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal on Friday that the coronavirus has "struck with unprecedented scale and ferocity" and it will alter the world order forever.
The former secretary admitted the shortfalls of the U.S. handling the coronavirus. The infections are doubling every fifth day, with no cure or vaccine, tests are not enough to identify the extent of infection and hospitals are overwhelmed, he said.
But Kissinger said the Trump administration has done "a solid job in avoiding immediate catastrophe," but the ultimate test faced by Trump's government is to stop the spread as quickly as possible to regain the American people's trust.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in Asia
India reported 4,067 cases of COVID-19 and 109 deaths up to Monday morning. 292 people have recovered from the disease so far.
Japan confirmed a total of 3,872 cases with 94 deaths on Monday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in Japan.
Thailand recorded 51 more cases on Monday, taking the country's total to 2,220 cases with the death toll at 26.
South Korea confirmed 47 new cases in a single day, with total infections reaching 10,284 and the death toll 186.
Shelves usually stocked with an abundance of over-the-counter pain relief medicine lay empty at a Target in Abington, Pennsylvania, March 18, 2020. /AP
U.S. announces anti-malarial drug trial for COVID-19 in Detroit
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday announced that anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine will be used in a drug trial covering 3,000 patients at a hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
Pence, who made the announcement at a White House briefing, said the results will be tracked in a formal study and that the U.S. is "more than prepared" to make hydroxychloroquine available to doctors' offices and pharmacies in the Detroit area.
As of early Monday, the U.S. has reported 337,620 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 9,643 deaths. So far, 17,530 people have recovered from the disease, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University.
UN chief voices concern about domestic abuse during COVID-19 lockdown
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed concern about violence against women under COVID-19 lockdown.
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Chinese Embassy in U.S.: Young overseas students have priority to fly back home
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. said on Monday it has conducted a survey on arranging charter flights to bring home Chinese students studying abroad. The embassy said the flights will give priority to young overseas students.
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Cured patients wave goodbye to medical workers before leaving the Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 4, 2020. /Xinhua
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that China has moved into "mitigation stage" following two months of epidemic work to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
China's experience is helping countries currently at the start of the COVID-19 cycle to plan their responses better, the WHO said in its latest report.
China to mitigate risk over long term
"It is far too early to declare this outbreak under control," Gauden Galea, the WHO representative to China, said in an interview with WHO/Europe on April 3.
China has passed one of the peaks, and is doing the best to help prevent a resurgence, he added.
Dr Gauden Galea, WHO Representative to China. /WHO
As China gradually lifts its temporary containment measures, including school closures, transport bans and workplace shutdowns, Galea said the next phase of the country's public health response will focus on "mitigating the risk of COVID-19 across the general population over the long term."
He said the role that everyone plays is very important to fighting the disease over the next phase.
China's tailored measures 'very effective'
One important lesson for everyone to learn from China's experience is that responses to the pandemic must be tailored carefully to the local context, said Galea.
One size doesn't fit all. Action that has worked in some countries may not be transferable to others, the representative said.
China has been "implementing a differentiated, location-specific response to limiting transmission, so that public health measures are tailored to the differing realities on the ground," Galea said, calling the strategy "very effective."
He also called on countries worldwide to share experiences and updates, and learn from each other to "develop the widest possible range of measures to fight this virus in different contexts."
Health challenges in China down the line
There will be a range of longer term health priorities for China once it enters the recovery phase, said Galea.
Boosting mental health, reliable management of chronic diseases as well as a better understanding of risk factors that may be linked to COVID-19 such as tobacco use and hypertension are expected to be among the top priorities.
Tiger at NYC zoo tests positive for coronavirus
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City has tested positive for the new coronavirus, in what is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the U.S. or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said Sunday.
The 4-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia — and six other tigers and lions that have also fallen ill — are believed to have been infected by a zoo employee who wasn't yet showing symptoms, the zoo said. The first animal started showing symptoms March 27, and all are doing well and expected to recover, said the zoo, which has been closed to the public since March 16 amid the surging coronavirus outbreak in New York.
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Trump: 'We're starting to see light at the end of the tunnel'
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope on Sunday that the country was seeing a "leveling-off" of the coronavirus crisis in some of the nation's hot spots, saying Americans were starting to see "the light at the end of the tunnel."
New York, the hardest-hit state, reported on Sunday that for the first time in a week, deaths had fallen slightly from the day before.
But there were nearly 600 new deaths for a total of 4,159 among 122,000 confirmed cases of the disease. Across the United States, over 321,000 people have tested positive and more than 9,100 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
"Maybe that's a good sign," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing, referring to the drop in fatalities in New York.
By calling the virus a monster that needed to be stopped, Trump said the U.S. has tested and received results for 1.67 million Americans.
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U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Deborah Birx (not pictured), a White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, April 5, 2020, in Washington. /AP
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds a news conference on Japan's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, at his official residence in Tokyo, March 28, 2020. /Reuters
Japan's Abe to declare state of emergency as COVID-19 cases surge
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is planning to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in Japan, due to the recent surging COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and other large cities, government sources said on Monday.
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Queen tells UK to show 'British resolve' during pandemic
Queen Elizabeth II urges people to rise to the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak, in a rare special address to Britain and nations around the world on Sunday.
In what royal officials described as a "deeply personal" speech, the monarch says that she has faith that people will respond, despite the difficulties. The broadcast, which aired at 1900GMT, is one of only fifth special addresses that the queen has made, outside of her annual Christmas day message, in her 68-year reign.
The queen personally thanks frontline healthcare staff and other key workers for their efforts during the crisis.
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A total of 39 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 38 from abroad, one new death and 78 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Sunday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,708. The cumulative death toll is now at 3,331, while 1,047 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 114 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 77,078.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 890 (206 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 44 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 363 (54 recovered, 5 deaths)
Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for tests
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has been admitted to hospital for tests.
He was taken to a London hospital on Sunday evening with "persistent symptoms," according to the BBC.
Johnson tested positive for the virus ten days ago.
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Germany registers over 100,000 COVID-19 cases
Germany has become the fourth country in which confirmed cases of COVID-19 have topped 100,000, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University reported on Monday. The country's death toll is over 1,570.
Global cases have now jumped to over 1,270,000, said CSSE.
Former Libyan PM dies from coronavirus: reports
Former Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has passed away, reported local media. He tested positive for the coronavirus in Cairo just a few days ago.
UK COVID-19 death toll rises to 4,934, total at 47,806
UK reported 5,903 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 47,806 as of 9 a.m. on Sunday, according to the country's Department of Health and Social Care.
The death toll rose to 4,934 with 621 new reports.
Latest COVID-19 development around the world
Singapore reported 120 new cases, the biggest jump in cases so far, with the total now at 1,309. The country announced the closure of all workplaces with non-essential services.
Germany's total number climbed to 91,714 with 5,936 new cases reported as of Sunday, and the death toll rose to 1,342.
South Sudan registered its first confirmed case, the 51st country in Africa.
Philippine reported 152 more confirmed cases with eight new deaths, bringing total to 3,246, including 152 deaths. Lockdown on the main island of Luzon extended for two weeks.
Japan confirmed 244 more cases on Sunday, bringing total to 3,743 with 85 deaths.
Russia recorded 658 new cases, raising total to 5,389 with 45 deaths. Moscow will strengthen quarantine measures and strictly supervise the implementation.
Switzerland and Liechtenden's total number rose to 21,100, including 559 deaths.
Belgium reported 1,260 new cases with 164 more deaths, raising the total to 19,961, including 1,447 deaths.
Iran reports 2,483 new COVID-19 cases, total now at 58,226
A total of 2,483 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Iran on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 58,226.
Iran also reported 151 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the death toll to 3,603, according to local health authorities.
So far, 22,011 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
The number of daily new novel coronavirus cases has surpassed 100,000 for the first time, according to the data from Johns Hopkins University.
The cumulative number of infections has also exceeded 1.2 million.
Spain records 6,023 new COVID-19 cases, 130,759 in total
The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to fall on Sunday in Spain and the number of deaths in a 24-hour period fell for the third consecutive day, according to the Spanish Ministry for Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services.
A total of 6,023 new coronavirus cases were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 130,759.
The death toll in Spain has hit 12,418 from 11,744, the ministry said.
A couple applaud medical staff from their balcony in Barcelona, Spain, April 4, 2020. /AP
Chinese Customs releases $1.44 billion worth of supplies for export
China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Sunday said it has examined and released 10.2 billion yuan (1.44 billion U.S. dollars) of supplies exports for the coronavirus containment since March 1.
Jin Hai, chief of the GAC's Department of General Operation, made the statement at a press conference briefing the latest on medical supply management.
The press conference was also joined by officials from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Medical Products Administration.
As of Saturday, China had signed commercial procurement contracts for medical supplies with 54 countries and three international organizations, according to the MOFCOM.
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COVID-19: Second migrant camp under lockdown in Greece
A second migrant camp in Greece was placed under lockdown after a 53-year-old man tested positive for the new coronavirus, the migration ministry said on Sunday.
The man lives with his family at Malakasa camp along with about 1,800 asylum seekers. He has been hospitalized in Athens and is in good condition.
All asylum seekers and staff who had close contact with the patient will be isolated for 14 days.
It came after local authorities quarantined Ritsona camp in central Greece after 20 people tested positive on Thursday.
More than 110,000 people live in migrant facilities across the country, according to Reuters.
Beijing largely curbs spread of COVID-19, containment to be normal
Beijing is likely to be in a state of epidemic containment for a long time, and it will become the normal situation, said Xu Hejian, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal CPC Committee, on Sunday.
Xu stressed that people should still adhere to the strategy of external input prevention and internal rebound prevention, the scientific and accurate analysis of epidemic trends, and also adhere to strict and precise prevention.
The spread of the epidemic was basically stopped nationwide and in Beijing also, and the containment of the epidemic was generally controllable and predictable. People must speed up the resumption of production and work and spare no effort to resume normal production and life, Xu added.
U.S. doctor with 'flu' in Jan tests positive for COVID-19 antibody
A post from a U.S. pediatric emergency medicine physician revealing he tested positive for novel coronavirus antibodies has stirred up wide discussions on Twitter in the last two days.
The positive antibody test result suggests he had the novel coronavirus months before he even realized.
Dr Peter Antevy, who works for a hospital in South Florida, wrote on his Twitter account, saying he had developed a severe flu-like illness in the first week of January and almost went to seek help.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stated that "low-risk economic activities" will resume in the country from April 11 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The move will be implemented "under the supervision" of the Iranian Health Ministry, according to Rouhani.
The resumption of low-risk activities in Tehran province will be allowed as of April 18, he added.
The president on Sunday also denied that there are differences between the ministry of health and the ministry of industry over dealing with the issues around COVID-19 in the country, according to official IRNA news agency.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during the cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, April 1, 2020. /Reuters
Over the past few days, media reports suggested that while the ministry of industry urged for the resumption of economic activities in the country, the ministry of health opposed the idea and insisted on maintaining the social distancing plan which began in Iran on March 27.
Rouhani said that both the health of the Iranians as well as the economy of the country should be taken into account while deciding on the management of the novel coronavirus.
Everyone is working together, including the armed forces, to combat the pandemic, he said, adding that the authorities have decided to ease some restrictions implemented in the country over the past days.
Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Sunday updated the confirmed COVID-19 cases to 58,226, of whom 3,603 have died.
(With input from Xinhua)
622 people infected with COVID-19 on Ruby Princess cruise ship in Australia
A total of 622 passengers and crew of the Ruby Princess cruise ship that docked in Sydney have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 as of Sunday, and 10 have died, according to New South Wales police.
Ruby Princess arrived in Sydney on March 19 with 2,700 tourists and 1,100 crew members on board. The local health authorities found COVID-19 among the 2,700 passengers who were allowed to disembark without being tested.
Police said they have opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
Canada on Saturday confirmed 1,552 more cases, raising the national total to 14,018. Death toll rose by 46 and now stands at 233.
Brazil now has 10,278 infections. Fatality rate in the country is 4.2 percent, with 431 reported deaths.
Chile reported 424 more cases and five more deaths on Saturday, with 4,161 cases and 27 deaths in total. Government has implemented a stay-at-home order and residents can leave their homes no more than two times per week.
Mexico confirmed 202 more cases and 19 more deaths on Saturday; both are the highest reported numbers so far. Total number of infected cases reached 1,890 and 79 have died.
South Korea added 81 new cases to its total, which has reached 10,237. Six more deaths were reported, and 183 people have died.
Panama has registered 1,801 total cases as of Saturday, 128 more than a day before. Forty-six people have died.
Columbia confirmed 139 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,406. Death toll in the country rose to 32.
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world have topped 1,202,236 as of 10:50 a.m. BJT (0200 GMT) on Sunday, with the death toll rising to 64,753, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. reported the most cases in the world with at least 311,301 confirmed. The death toll reached 8,488 in the country.
New York 'finally' gets 'good news' as China donates 1,000 ventilators
A donation of 1,000 ventilators are set to arrive in New York City on Saturday local time from China, said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
"We finally got some good news today," said the governor on Twitter. "The Chinese government helped facilitate a donation of 1,000 ventilators that will arrive in JFK (Airport) today."
Both on Twitter and at a press briefing on Saturday morning, Cuomo expressed thanks to Chinese business magnates and Alibaba co-founders Jack Ma and Joe Tsai, Jack Ma Foundation and The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation.
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Opinion: 'Mask diplomacy' a tool to bash China
In this dire moment, China has provided assistance to 120 affected countries and four international organizations. Thousands of factories in China urgently resumed production to make desperately-needed test kits, masks and protective gear. To meet global needs, the country is churning out over 100 million masks every day, a five-fold increase from before the outbreak.
However, China's goodwill has been maliciously interpreted by some as an exercise in "mask diplomacy."
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A total of 30 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 25 from abroad, three new deaths and 47 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,669; the cumulative death toll is now at 3,329, while 1,024 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 213 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,964.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 862 (186 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 44 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 355 (50 recovered, 5 deaths)
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world have topped 1,192,028 as of Sunday with the U.S. reporting over 300,000 cases, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The global death toll reached 64,316.
The U.S. reported 308,533 confirmed cases with 8,376 deaths by 7:40 p.m. local time Saturday (23:40GMT), according to the CSSE. The state of New York, the country's hardest-hit area, recorded over 113,000 cases and more than 3,500 fatalities. Other states with over 10,000 cases include New Jersey, Michigan, California, Louisiana, Florida, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
Spain's confirmed coronavirus case tally reached 124,736 on Saturday, surpassing Italy's 124,632. Spain reported 809 new deaths, bringing the tally in the country to 11,744.
Italy reported 681 deaths, bringing the total to 15,632 since the outbreak of the new coronavirus epidemic in northern Italy on February 21. It was the lowest daily rise in deaths since March 23.
In France, the death toll jumped by 441 in 24 hours to 7,560, the country's top health official Jerome Salomon announced on Saturday. Of these, 5,532 died in hospitals while 2,028 died in nursing homes.
Latest coronavirus development in the Europe and Middle East
Switzerland's death toll rose to 540 from 484, total infections jumped to 20,278 from 19,303 on Friday.
Netherlands reported 164 new deaths, taking the country's total fatalities to 1,651. Its total number of infections has increased to 16,627 over the past 24 hours.
Malta declared a public health emergency in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected 213 people but so far without any deaths.
Ukraine said its death toll has risen to 28 and total confirmed cases have reached 1,096. Its health officials has predicted peak on April 14.
Portugal passed the 10,000 mark of coronavirus cases on Saturday, reaching 10,524. Now total death toll stands at 266
Kuwait on Saturday recorded its first death from COVID-19. Total number of people diagnosed with the disease increased by 62 in the past 24 hours to 479 cases.
Lebanon reported 12 new cases, taking nationwide tally to 520. So far, 17 patients have died.
Israel reported 3 new death cases from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 43. Total number of confirmed cases in Israel has reached 7,589.
United Arab Emirates reported 241 infections and one death over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 1,505 and the death toll to 10.
And Saudi Arabia has locked down seven parts of the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Residents are only allowed to go out under extreme circumstances.
UAE proposes new opening dates for Expo 2020 Dubai
The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday proposed October 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022, as the new opening dates for Expo 2020 Dubai due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
A final decision on a change of dates can only be made by a two-thirds majority vote of BIE Member States, as stipulated by Article 28 of the 1928 Paris Convention, following a recommendation of the Executive Committee, the BIE noted.
The Expo 2020 Dubai was originally set to start from October 20, 2020, and last until April 10, 2021, and it would have been attended by more than 190 countries.
Global coronavirus deaths hit 60,000: Johns Hopkins
The global death toll from the new coronavirus has hit over 60,000, reaching 60,115 as of 1300 GMT, Saturday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Countries with the most fatalities include Italy with 14,681 deaths and Spain with 11,744 deaths.
They are the only two nations that have crossed the 10,000 mark in number of deaths.
Spanish PM to extend state of emergency until April 25
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced he would ask for a national state of emergency to be extended until "24 hours on April 25."
"The cabinet on Tuesday will again ask for authorization from parliament to extend for a second time the state of alert until Saturday April 25 at midnight," Sanchez said in a televised speech.
UK coronavirus death toll hits 4,313, up 20% from a day earlier
The United Kingdom's death toll from the coronavirus rose by 20 percent to 4,313 as of 1600 GMT Friday, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
As of 0800 GMT Saturday, a total of 183,190 people have been tested for the virus, 41,903 of whom were positive, the department said.
COVID-19: U.S. makes efforts to develop blood-related therapies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement on Friday that it is taking the lead on a national effort to facilitate the development of, and access to, two investigatory therapies derived from human blood.
These two therapies are called convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin, and are antibody-rich blood products made from blood donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19, according to the FDA.
The FDA urged American people who have fully recovered from COVID-19 for at least two weeks to consider donating plasma.
The products can be administered to individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the FDA is launching the efforts to bring blood-related therapies for COVID-19 to market as fast as possible.
Every April 4/5 is the traditional Qingming or Tomb Sweeping Festival for Chinese people. It's the time of the year people mourn their loved ones who have passed. But this year, Qingming Festival has been given a deeper meaning as it is also National Mourning Day for those who sacrificed their lives fighting against COVID-19. Let's hear what Wuhan residents have to say on this day.
Iran reports 2,560 new cases of COVID-19, total at 55,743
2,560 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 55,743.
Iran reported 158 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 3,452, according to local health authorities.
So far, 19,736 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Spain records 7,026 new cases, total now at 124,736
Spain has reported 7,026 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 124,736.
The death toll in Spain rose by 809 to 11,744, its health ministry said on Saturday.
This is the second straight day for Spain to have recorded a drop in its number of new fatalities, in comparison to 932 the day before.
Germany recorded over 6,000 new cases of coronavirus
Germany has recorded 6,082 new cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the country's total to 85,778 as of Friday, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
The latest death toll in Germany stands at 1,158.
What is a 'state of emergency'?
The leaders of at least 70 countries have declared states of emergency to invoke extra powers to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The virus outbreak has now been confirmed in over 200 countries, has sickened more than a million people and killed more than 51,000 people globally.
Under the situation of a state of emergency, governments are empowered to enforce measures that would normally not be permitted, which might include the right to impose curfews, lock down cities and prevent mass gatherings.
Here is a breakdown of how different governments exercise their emergency power.
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Latest COVID-19 development in Asia
Japan reported a total of 4,013 cases of COVID-19 in the country as of Saturday afternoon, including 712 cases from the Diamond Princess. Tokyo on the same day reported 118 new coronavirus cases, which is the first time the daily increase has topped 100 in the city, according to an NHK report.
Philippines reported 76 more cases on Saturday, taking the country's total to 3,094 cases.
Laos reported 0 new case for three constructive days, so far the country confirmed 10 total cases of COVID-19.
Thailand recorded a total of 2,067 cases with 20 deaths of COVID-19 as of Saturday. Thailand has suspended all incoming passenger flights for three days to fight coronavirus.
Malaysia reported 150 new cases, with total confirmed cases now at 3,483 and the death toll stands at 57.
Nepal confirmed three new cases in a single day, total infections reached nine as of Saturday. The Nepali government has enforced a nationwide lockdown which will last until April 7.
Sri Lanka reported a total of 159 cases of COVID-19 and five deaths on Saturday.
Italy records 77 coronavirus deaths of doctors
A total of 77 doctors in Italy have died after contracting the new coronavirus as of Saturday morning local time, according to Italy's National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO).
Also 11,252 medical workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, accounting for nearly 10 percent of total infections in the country, another data from Italian Higher Health Institute (ISS) showed.
So far, Italy has a total of 119,827 confirmed cases of COVID-19 behind the U.S. And 14,618 patients in Italy have died because of the disease, the highest death toll in the world.
China says no need to stockpile grain over coronavirus fear
China Saturday called on citizens not to stockpile grains in light of the coronavirus fear because the country has sufficient supply for people's daily, Wei Baigang, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, told a press conference.
According to Wei, China's grain output has steadily increased for five consecutive years and it reaped record bumper harvest in 2019 with 663.84 million tonnes, up by 5.94 million tonnes or 0.9 percent from 2018.
"At present, our country's food stock is sufficient, and stocks-to-use ratio is far higher than the 17- 18 percent level proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)," Wei said.
He also noted the per capita food output in China has been above the world average since 2010. In 2019, the number stood at around 470 kg.
In response to question regarding the impact of some countries including Vietnam and Kazakhstan putting restriction on grain export, Wei said China won't be affected since China only has a very small portion of grain import, and for last year, it only accounted for nearly 2% of China's total grain consumption.
"The main purpose [of importing grain] is to adjust the demand structure and better meet people's personalized and diversified consumption needs."
Medical workers take part in training for treating COVID-19 patients at a comprehensive hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, April 3, 2020. /Xinhua
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed 1.1 million on Saturday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The United States now has the most cases, with more than 277,000 infections and over 7,000 deaths confirmed.
The CSSE has recorded over 58,900 deaths from the coronavirus worldwide. Italy tops the chart with over 14,000 deaths followed by Spain with over 11,000 deaths.
Globally, over 226,000 patients have recovered from the disease, said the CSSE.
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
Brazil reported 1,146 new cases on Friday, as the national total surged to 9,056. The country is seeing a four percent fatality rate among coronavirus patients, with 359 deaths.
Japan registered 13 new cases on Saturday as of 11 a.m. local time, raising the nationwide total to 3,142. The death toll stands at 78.
South Korea reported 94 new cases on Friday. The country now has 10,156 total cases, 177 deaths, and 6,325 recoveries.
Chile has confirmed 3,737 infections so far, with 333 reported on Friday.
Mexico has registered a total of 1,688 cases, up from 1,510 the previous day. The country's death toll also rose from 50 to 60.
Australia added 230 infection cases to its national total, that now reaches 5,454. Twenty-eight people have died from the disease.
President Xi Jinping attends national mourning for COVID-19 victims
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and six other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee observed three minutes of silence on Saturday to mourn the martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the victims of the disease.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said at a White House press conference that the U.S. presidential election will take place on November 3.
"The general election will happen on November 3," Trump said.
Trump also made clear his opposition to allowing voters to vote by mail while concerns rose that in-person voting poses risk of coronavirus infections.
Trump believes that it could lead to fraud.
"I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in in voting," the president said. "It should be, you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself."
He added that people "should vote at the booth and have voter ID."
Former Vice President, also Democratic front runner, Joe Biden has said on Sunday that all states should prepare for the possibility of voting by mail considering the outbreak of the pandemic.
"I don't want to go that far ahead, but that is possible" as "it's an easier way for people to vote," Biden said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Several U.S. states have postponed their primary elections because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
A total of 19 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 18 from abroad, four new deaths and 64 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Friday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,639; the cumulative death toll is now at 3,326, while 1,030 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 180 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,751.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 845 (173 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 43 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 348 (50 recovered, 5 deaths)
The U.S. recorded a new daily high of 1,480 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total number to over 7,400, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 276,995 COVID-19 cases have been reported as of Friday after an increase of over 32,000 infections since the previous day, according to Johns Hopkins University's data. 9,772 people have recovered.
The state of New York, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, has reported over 100,000 cases with over 3,200 deaths, according to the center.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a press briefing that the government is now recommending Americans to wear cloth face coverings on a voluntary basis as many people have proven to be asymptomatically infected. But he added that he would not be wearing one.
(Cover: AP)
Global COVID-19 cases pass one million mark: WHO
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has topped the one million mark , including more than 50,000 deaths, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing on Friday, noting the profound social and economic consequences of the pandemic.
The WHO chief highlighted the significance of financing health response, calling it an essential investment in saving lives, as well as in the longer-term social and economic recovery.
"We are in a shared struggle to protect both lives and livelihoods," Tedros said, suggesting countries to ease the burden on their populations through social welfare programs to ensure people have food and other life essentials in the short term.
The Chinese national flag was flown at half-mast at downtown Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Saturday to mourn people who died in the fight against COVID-19.
Public recreational activities were suspended across the country to express deep condolences of the people of all ethnic groups for the martyrs and compatriots.
Xi Jinping: China to continue COVID-19 support for Namibia, Laos
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday pledged continued support for the COVID-19 battle in Namibia and Laos during separate phone conversations with presidents of the two countries.
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Latest COVID-19 development in Europe and Asia
Slovakia reported 24 new cases, total now at 450
Portugal recorded 852 daily jump of new infections, the country so far has 9,886 cases.
Serbia said its coronavirus cases rose to 1,476 by 305 as of Friday afternoon at 3, death toll rose to 89 by eight.
The Netherlands recorded 1,026 new cases and 148 new deaths in the past 24 hours. The country's total cases now are 15,723, total death tolls are 1,487.
Belgium reported 1,422 infections and its total tally is 16,770. Its death toll rose to 1,143 by 132.
Japan reported 325 more cases on Friday, taking the country's total to 3,101 cases.
Bangladesh detected six new cases and its nationwide tally now is 61. So far, 26 people have recovered and six have died.
Vietnam Friday night said four new cases were identified in the country and it's total number now is 237.
Malaysia reported 217 new cases, taking the country's total number to 3,333. Also three people have died and the nationwide death toll is 53 for now.
Thailand is reportedly mulling a 24-hour curfew if coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country. Currently there're nearly 2,000 cases.
U.S. economy shed 701,000 jobs in March
U.S. shed 701,000 non-farm payroll employment in March and the unemployment rate surged to 4.4 percent in the wake of the coronavirus, the Labor Department reported on Friday.
It was United States' worst job loss since March 2009 during the depths of the global financial crisis, and the biggest single-month jump in jobless rate in more than 45 years.
"The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and efforts to contain it," the report said.
The leisure and hospitality sectors – among the first to feel the impact of the travel restrictions – lost 459,000 jobs.
Other notable declines were in healthcare and social assistance, professional and business services, retail trade, and construction sectors, the report said.
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British Queen to address the nation on April 5
British Queen Elizabeth II will address the nation in a televised broadcast at 8:00 p.m. BST (1900 GMT) on April 5, Sunday, amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Buckingham Palace.
The UK reported 684 more COVID-19 deaths on Friday, up 23 percent on the previous day and the death toll now stands at 3,605.
As of Friday, the UK has reported a total of 38,168 cases.
Hong Kong shuts bars as COVID-19 cases increase to 845
Hong Kong started to implement a new measure Friday to temporarily close bars and other liquor-selling premises as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased to 845.
The new measure, which is due to last for 14 days starting from 6 p.m. local time on Friday, is applicable to bars, pubs and other premises exclusively or mainly used to sell liquor for on-site consumption.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government had previously implemented a series of social distancing measures such as the prohibition of group gatherings of more than four persons, limits on restaurant services and closure of karaoke lounges, mahjong parlors and nightclubs.
At a daily press briefing on Friday afternoon, Under Secretary for Food and Health Chui Tak-yi reiterated that the measures aim to reduce social contact and remind members of the public to reduce going out and having gatherings.
(With input from Xinhua)
Boris Johnson to continuously stay in coronavirus isolation
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will continuously stay in self-isolation as he still had "mild" symptoms of COVID-19 including a high temperature after he tested positive for the virus, according to local media reports on Friday.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: How close are we to a cure?
While medical workers struggle to care for the rising tide of COVID-19 patients and politicians try to convince nearly half of the world's population to stay at home to slow the pandemic, everyone is waiting for one thing: a cure.
The approaches have varied dramatically. Some teams are looking at the effects of existing medicines as potential treatments, some are experimenting with repurposing common drugs. Others are using cutting-edge technologies to fashion radically new types of vaccines.
The WHO has selected four drugs or combinations for a large scale global trial involving patients from Argentina to Thailand.
These are the experimental antiviral treatment remdesivir; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; those two drugs plus interferon beta, an immune system medication; and the malaria drug chloroquine.
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Prince Charles opens Nightingale hospital via videolink
The Prince of Wales on Friday opened the new NHS Nightingale at the ExCeL Centre in east London via videolink, calling it an "unbelievable feat of work."
The hospital, built in fewer than two weeks, was transformed from East London's ExCeL Exhibition Centre and will provide 4,000 beds for intensive treatment of COVID-19 patients.
It's UK's newest and largest temporary hospital built in light of the coronavirus spread in the country.
Xinhua file photo
German Chancellor Angela Merkel ends self-quarantine, returns to chancellery
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ended her self-quarantine and returned to the chancellery on Friday after testing negative for COVID-19 several times, according to Reuters.
Merkel had been quarantined and working from home after she was informed that the doctor who gave her a pneumococcal vaccination was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Germany has reported a total of 84,794 COVID-19 cases with 1,107 deaths on Friday, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University.
Iran reports 2,715 new cases of COVID-19, total at 53,183
2,715 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 53,183.
Iran reported 134 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 3,294, according to local health authorities.
So far, 17,935 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Spain reports 117,710 coronavirus cases, surpassing Italy
Spain reported 7,472 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the country's total to 117,710.
Spain has now surpassed total number of infections in Italy, which currently has 115,242 cases.
According to the Spanish health ministry, 932 deaths were also reported, bringing its death toll to 10,935.
The ministry noted a consistent downward trend in rate of both new infections and fatalities.
The rate of infections up by 6.8 percent, compared with 7.9 percent on Thursday and 20 percent in the middle of last week.
The daily rise in deaths also slowed to 9.3 percent on Friday, down from 10.5 percent on Thursday, and a big drop from the 27 percent increase on March 25.
On Friday, some Spanish media also reported the government is mulling an extension of national state emergency until April 26, which was originally due to end on April 11.
(With input from AFP)
OPEC+ to hold video conference meeting on April 6
The meeting of the OPEC+ group of oil producers has been planned for April 6 and will be held as a video conference due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Reuters report on Friday.
The meeting would discuss stabilizing prices on oil markets, the report said.
South Korea reports first death of doctor from COVID-19
A South Korean physician who contracted the new coronavirus died early Friday in the city of Daegu, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
It was the first death of a medical professional from COVID-19 in the country.
The 60-year-old was a private practitioner and two patients he saw in February have tested positive for the coronavirus. The physician was diagnosed on March 19 and is believed to have caught the virus from a patient.
The total number of infections in South Korea stood at 10,062 at midnight Thursday. The country's death toll reached 174, most of them elderly.
Coronavirus cases in Russia rises by 601 to 4,149, death toll stands at 34
Russia has reported 601 new cases of the novel coronavirus, 448 of which are in its capital Moscow, meaning that the total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 4,149 as of Friday at 10:30 a.m. local time.
The death toll in Russia now stands at 34 and 281 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the extension of Russia's nationwide "non-working week" until April 30, which was originally scheduled from March 28 to April 5.
Singapore to close most work places and schools in new move to curb COVID-19 spread
Singapore announced on Friday stricter measures including closing most work places and schools in an attempt to contain the coronavirus spread.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the announcement in a televised address to the nation on Friday.
He said essential services including supermarkets, hawker centers, clinics and public transportation will still continue.
"If a person can work from home, he should do so," Lee said.
Schools will be closed starting Wednesday, but preschools and student care centers will continue providing limited services for parents who still need to work.
Lee said movement and gathering of people will also be tightened.
"Stay at home as much as possible. Avoid socializing beyond your household and only go out only to do essential things," he added.
The latest tally from Singapore shows a total of 1,114 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The country's death toll is five.
China warns of local outbreak as imported coronavirus cases spike
China warned of another local outbreak as imported COVID-19 cases continue growing in the country, Mi Feng, a spokesman of the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a press conference on Friday.
"The risk of sporadic cases and local outbreak still exists," Mi said.
"Communities, families and individuals should continue to do the job of protection to prevent the spread of the epidemic caused by imported cases."
In NHC's latest report, 31 new cases – 29 from abroad – were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Thursday midnight. Two local cases detected on Thursday were related to imported cases, Mi added.
U.S. coronavirus death toll surpasses 6,000: Johns Hopkins
The COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 6,000 in the United States, the latest data from Johns Hopkins University showed on Friday.
The country has confirmed a total of 242,182 cases of COVID-19 so far, while 9,228 patients have recovered.
Trump tells Americans to 'wear face masks if they wish' as reports say WH to issue new guidelines
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Americans should wear protective face masks if they wish, but insisted that he was not considering making it mandatory for all Americans to cover their faces.
As of Thursday evening, the United States had a total of more than 243,000 declared cases and over 5,900 fatalities, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, New York mayor Bill de Blasio urged all of the city's residents to cover their faces when outside and near others to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"Let's be clear. This is a face covering. It could be a scarf. It could be something you create yourself at home. It could be a bandana," de Blasio told reporters, as the city recorded almost 50,000 confirmed cases, including 1,562 deaths.
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Latest COVID-19 updates:
South Korea has reported over 10,000 cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Friday; the total number of infections has reached 10,062, with 174 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Germany has recorded over 80,000 confirmed cases; the country's armed forces will deploy 15,000 soldiers to help civilian institutions deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Japan's health ministry has reported 235 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the country to 3,329; Tokyo saw a new record daily increase of 97.
Italy has added 4,668 cases, bringing the case tally to 115,242; over 10,000 medics have been infected nationwide, according to the National Institutes of Health and the Italian Association of Doctors.
Washington governor extends state's stay-at-home order through May 4
Washington Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday he will extend the state's stay-at-home order through May 4 in a bid to limit the spread of the COVID-19, which has killed more than 260 people in Washington state and infected over 6,500.
A total of 31 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 29 from abroad, four new deaths and 60 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Thursday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,620; the cumulative death toll is now at 3,322, while 1,027 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 163 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,571.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 802 (154 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 41 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 339 (50 recovered, 5 deaths)
The marquee for the Iowa Theater, closed in response to the coronavirus outbreak, is seen on John Wayne Drive, Wednesday, April 1, 2020. /AP
In just 24 hours, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. hit a new daily high of 1,169, taking the total to nearly 6,000, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
According to the CSSE, the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has topped 240,000 as of 6:21 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday (2221 GMT).
The state of New York, as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, has reported nearly 1,400 deaths, according to the center.
The confirmed coronavirus cases around the world topped one million on Thursday and the number of deaths soared past 50,000.
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Global COVID-19 cases top one million; Spain and UK see record deaths
China will hold a national mourning Saturday for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease, according to the State Council.
During the commemoration, national flags will fly at half-mast across the country and in all Chinese embassies and consulates abroad. Public recreational activities will be suspended in the country.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Chinese people nationwide will observe three minutes of silence to mourn the diseased, while air raid sirens and horns of automobiles, trains and ships will wail in grief.
Trump tests negative for coronavirus again, says wearing masks okay
U.S. President Donald Trump said he underwent a second coronavirus test on Thursday, using a rapid diagnostic that produced a result in less than 15 minutes, and it determined that he has not been infected.
At his daily White House news briefing, Trump said Americans should wear protective face masks if they wish. "If people want to wear them, they can. In many ways, the scarf is better. It's thicker," he said, adding that a new guideline on masks is coming.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide exceed one million
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has risen above one million, according to the new tally from Johns Hopkins University on Thursday afternoon.
A total of 1,002,159 people have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus across the world, with a death toll of 51,485, while more than 200,000 patients have recovered, showed the tally updated by the university's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
The United States now has the most cases, with more than 242,000 infections confirmed.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has topped 240,000 as of 6:21 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday (2221 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The fresh figure reached 242,182 with 5,850 deaths, the CSSE said.
The state of New York, as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, has reported nearly 1,400 deaths, according to the center.
Russia's Putin says extends non-working week until April 30
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the country's non-working week will be extended until April 30.
U.S. jobless claims climb to record 6.6 million
U.S. unemployment claims continued last week as 6.6 million claims were filed, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases top 33,000 in the UK
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK has risen by 4,244 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total in the country to 33,718 with 2,921 cumulative deaths as of Thursday, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.
COVID-19: Saudi Arabia imposes 24-hour curfew in Mecca and Medina
Saudi Arabia on Thursday imposed a 24-hour curfew in the cities of Mecca and Medina starting Thursday. The residents of the two cities will be allowed to get necessary supplies between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. within their neighborhoods, Saudi Press Agency reported.
A total of 1,720 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country as of Wednesday, with 16 deaths.
China's top respiratory expert wins first 'Being Edinburgh' award
China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan has won the University of Edinburgh's first-ever "Being Edinburgh" award, the university said in a statement on Thursday.
"The relevance of Zhong's achievements and his ongoing work as part of the Chinese response to COVID-19 resonated with our community, especially alumni living and working in China, and students whose families and friends were caught up in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic," read the statement.
Zhong not only showed academic and professional excellence, but also dedication and integrity, said Grace Guan, the university's regional director for East Asia.
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Colleagues and families of deceased medics in Wuhan mourn their loss. /CGTN
Fourteen people who died fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in central China's Hubei Province have been honored as martyrs, local authorities said Thursday.
The identification was made in line with the country's relevant regulations on commending martyrs, said the provincial government in a statement.
The names of the 14 martyrs are as follows: Wang Bing, Feng Xiaolin, Jiang Xueqing, Liu Zhiming, Li Wenliang, Zhang Kangmei, Xiao Jun, Wu Yong, Liu Fan, Xia Sisi, Huang Wenjun, Mei Zhongming, Peng Yinhua and Liao Jianjun.
They have been described as role models for frontline medics and epidemic prevention workers.
The COVID-19 outbreak is a major public health emergency that has spread rapidly, caused the most extensive infection and is the most difficult to contain in the country since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Martyrs are the highest honorary title which the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the country award to citizens who bravely sacrifice their lives for the nation, society and the people.
Iran has reported 2,875 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to over 50,000, according to the country's health ministry. The cumulative death toll now stands at 3,160.
Malaysia has reported 208 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 3,116, the highest in Southeast Asia.
Russia has tallied 3,548 cases in 76 regions as of Thursday, surging by a record of 771 from the previous day, according to official data.
Austria's confirmed coronavirus cases have exceeded 10,000, said the country's health ministry.
Total deaths from COVID-19 top 10,000 in Spain
During the past 24 hours, Spain has registered 950 more deaths due to COVID-19, making the total to more than 10,000, said the country's Health Ministry on Thursday.
The country has confirmed a total of 110,238 cases after a rise of 8,102.
China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday reminded foreigners in China that they should abide by Chinese law on epidemic prevention and treatment, noting that foreigners who disrupt the epidemic prevention order and endanger public health and safety will be held legally responsible under the law.
The ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the response after several foreigners in China recently failed to comply with quarantine measures, with some beating up medical staff, aroused online discussions.
"We have noticed several online reports on this issue," said Hua. "It is very sad to see such reports."
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, China has actively provided assistance to foreign nationals in China for epidemic prevention and livelihood protection, added Hua.
"Chinese and foreign citizens in China are treated equal" when it comes to measures and regulations on containing the pandemic, she said. "Foreigners who defy epidemic prevention measures and disrupt public order, thus endangering public health and safety, will be held accountable according to law."
According to the police in south China's Guangzhou, a 47-year-old Nigerian COVID-19 patient refused to cooperate with treatment procedures and assaulted and injured a nurse at a hospital in the city.
Guangzhou police said on Thursday that it has decided to file a criminal case and launch an investigation against the patient, identified as Okonkwonwoye Chika Patrick.
Tokyo confirms over 95 new COVID-19 cases in single day
Tokyo on Thursday confirmed more than 95 additional COVID-19 infections, marking the biggest single-day increase for the city since the pandemic began, NHK reported, citing relevant officials.
China holds 40 videoconferences with other countries to share COVID-19 experience
China's National Health Commission on Thursday said it had set up a database of experts for international cooperation and held more than 40 videoconferences with more than 100 countries and regions to share China's experience fighting COVID-19.
Recently, more than 20 videoconferences have been scheduled at the request of many countries.
Tagging China as 'non-transparent' should be avoided: WHO official
Asian countries including China are contributing "fantastic" scientifically based research publications about the COVID-19 outbreak "on a daily basis," and should not be tagged as "non-transparent," said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program.
"I think we need to be very careful not to be profiling certain parts of the world as being uncooperative or non-transparent. We need to look at transparency across the board. We need to look at solidarity across the board," he said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
He took an example of the information on virus shedding, saying he read reports on the topic from Germany, Singapore and the U.S., but China alone provided four reports.
"We thank all of those countries for sharing that early data with us," he added.
His comments refuted some media reports which accused China's figures on COVID-19 of being "opaque."
He also urged all countries to unite at this time to enhance cooperation.
A total of 35 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, all from abroad, six deaths and 55 asymptomatic cases were reported on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,589; the cumulative death toll is now at 3,318, while 1,075 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 140 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,408.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 765 (147 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 41 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 329 (45 recovered, 5 deaths)
Coronavirus death toll surpasses 5,000 in U.S.: Johns Hopkins
The coronavirus death toll has surpassed 5,000 in the U.S., data from Johns Hopkins University showed on Thursday. Here's the latest information about the pandemic in the U.S.
Cases on aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt:
There have been 93 COVID-19 cases discovered on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to the U.S. Navy.
Speaking in Washington, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said that almost 1,000 of the crew had been removed, and that number would rise to 2,700 within a couple of days, and more after that.
Around 1,000 crew are needed to be retained on board just to maintain the vessel, said the navy.
Supplies from Russia arrived in the U.S.:
A Russian plane with medical supplies arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday. The military plane Antonov-124 landed in New York and according to Moscow carried "medical masks and medical equipment."
The supplies which included ventilators were delivered after Russian President Vladimir Putin's talk with Donald Trump on Monday.
Vaccine development 'on track':
Anthony Fauci, one of the leading health experts on the task force team, said the U.S. is still in phase one of the vaccine development.
The first human trial testing of a potential vaccine is "on track" with public distribution still projected in 12 to 18 months, according to Fauci.
China brings 1,457 Chinese nationals back home since March
China has sent nine chartered planes since March to bring 1,457 Chinese nationals, including overseas students, back home amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said at a press conference on Thursday.
Ma said Chinese embassies and consulate hotlines are open 24 hours for Chinese students overseas and have been collecting and distributing health supplies for overseas students.
Chinese, UK medical experts exchange experience in the fight against COVID-19
Visiting medical experts from east China's Shandong Province recently held a video conference with British colleagues led by Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jonathan Van-Tam, to exchange experience in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, disease diagnosis and treatment.
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U.S. sets new single-day record with 884 COVID-19 deaths
The U.S. had 884 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest since the outbreak began, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death toll in the country surpassed 4,700.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he won't issue a national stay-at-home order because different states have different levels of coronavirus cases, despite over 213,000 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the country.
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti urged citizens to wear face masks when going outside to combat the spread of the coronavirus. As of Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles had a total of 3,518 total COVID-19 cases with 513 new cases.
Israel's Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, and his wife tested positive for coronavirus, his office announced after midnight Wednesday, saying they were both in good condition.
The 71-year-old minister is the most senior Israeli official to be diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The death toll in the country rose Wednesday to 26, and the number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus increased to 6,092.
In the next few days, the world will see confirmed COVID-19 cases reach one million and the death tally climb to 50,000, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) noted on Wednesday.
"As we enter the fourth month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing.
So far, more than 820,000 cases have been confirmed in 205 countries and regions with 40,777 deaths, according to the organization.
Tedros said the organization, as well as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, are calling for debt relief to help developing countries address the social and economic consequences of the pandemic.
"Many countries, developing countries, cannot really support their societies especially during lockdowns, especially those community members who work for their daily bread. That is why we call on the international community to have debt relief to support those countries," Tedros told reporters.
"We are proposing an expedited process to support countries so their economies are not getting into crisis, (and) their communities are not getting into crisis," Tedros said.
Latest developments on COVID-19 around the world: Global cases surpass 930,000
Global COVID-19 cases have reached 932, 605 as of Thursday morning BJT and the death toll risen to 46,809, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In the next few days, the world will see confirmed COVID-19 cases reach one million and death tally climb to 50,000, the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) noted on Wednesday.
U.S. became the first nation with more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Over 4,700 people died from the infections.
Italy reported a total of 110,574 cases of COVID-19 with the death toll reaching 13,155 as of Wednesday, according to the health authority. The country's lockdown measures will be extended to April 13.
UK government has confirmed 563 new deaths in hospitals on Wednesday, taking the total to 2,352. A total of 29,474 have tested positive.
Spain's death toll surged over 9,053 Wednesday. According to government figures, there have now been 102,136 documented cases of coronavirus in Spain.
France: A total of 509 patients have died of coronavirus in French hospitals on Wednesday, according to the health authority. A total of 56,989 people have been tested positive for coronavirus since the start of the epidemic.
Austria reported 10,482 cases of COVID-19 with the death toll rising to 146. Unemployment in Austria has jumped by 66% to the highest level since records began in 1946.
Switzerland reported 17,139 cases of COVID-19 with the death toll rising to 378, according to the country's public health ministry.
Denmark reported a total of 3,107 cases and 104 deaths as of Wednesday, according to the health authority. The country's lockdown measures were extended to April 13.
The United Nations has postponed a crucial climate summit scheduled to be held in Glasgow, UK, in November due to disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The decision to delay the negotiations was taken after a virtual meeting held between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UK government on Wednesday.
In light of the ongoing worldwide effects of COVID-19, holding an ambitious, inclusive 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in November 2020 is no longer possible, said a joint statement released early morning on Thursday.
"The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting COVID-19. That is why we have decided to reschedule COP26," said Alok Sharma, president-designate for the climate talks.
More than 30,000 delegates, environment campaigners and activists were expected to attend the climate negotiations at the Scottish city of Glasgow from November 9-20.
Nearly five years after the landmark Paris agreement, governments were supposed to announce their ramped-up targets to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the agreement, governments should curtail their continually rising emissions to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
"COVID-19 is the most urgent threat facing humanity today, but we cannot forget that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the long term," said Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary
"Soon, economies will restart. This is a chance for nations to recover better, to include the most vulnerable in those plans, and a chance to shape the 21st-century economy in ways that are clean, green, healthy, just, safe and more resilient.”
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 37,200 worldwide as of April 2, leading to travel restrictions, to control the transmission of the virus. Even the COP26 venue in Glasgow has been converted into a health center for treatment and isolation of infected patients.
According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), rescheduling will ensure all parties can focus on the issues to be discussed at this vital conference and allow more time for the necessary preparations to take place.
"The current alarming situation we are facing also underlines the need for urgent action to halt the imminent loss of lives from the climate crisis and to rebalance our relationship with nature," said Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of WWF's global climate and energy practice.
(Cover Image: Outgoing Bank of England governor Mark Carney, and COP26 Finance Adviser to Britain's prime minister, makes a speech to launch the private finance agenda for the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 at Guildhall in London, February 27, 2020. /AP)
Italy will extend coronavirus lockdown restrictions imposed last month to April 13 to counter the spread of the virus, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Wednesday.
The country reported a total of 110,574 cases of COVID-19 with the death toll reaching 13,155 as of Wednesday.
Overall, the increase in the number of people hospitalized and deaths have slowed down, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli told a televised press conference late Wednesday afternoon.
The number of people recovered rose by 1,118 cases to a total of 16,847 since the pandemic broke out in the northern regions of the country on February 21.
Talking about the medical supplies, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Wednesday that the country has received 30 million coronavirus face masks from abroad and 22 million from China alone.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States will soon have more ventilators than it needs, and there will be enough to eventually send to other countries.
The president made the remarks at a daily briefing after many state governors complained they do not have enough ventilators to meet the urgent need. On the same day, the U.S. became the first nation with more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, according to updated figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Asked to comment on claims that China, by shipping aid overseas, "is taking on a global leadership role" in the battle against COVID-19, Trump said if China is helping other countries, that is "positive."
"We have 151 countries right now that are under siege by the virus," said Trump, adding that some of the countries "aren't highly sophisticated" in tackling the crisis. "If China can help them, I'm all for it," Trump said. "I would love China and other countries if they have additional supplies, medical supplies, to give to other countries."
During the press conference, Trump also said he is considering a plan to halt flights to coronavirus hot zones in the country.
"We're certainly looking at it, but once you do that, you really are clamping down an industry that is desperately needed," Trump told a White House news briefing.
The U.S. authorities will evacuate passengers from a stranded cruise ship due to dock in Florida after being barred from several South American countries because of a coronavirus outbreak aboard.
Trump said the country was "sending medical teams on board the ship" and taking people off, with foreigners being sent home. "We're taking the Canadians off and giving them to Canadian authorities," he said. "Same thing with the UK."
(With input from agencies)
Wimbledon Tennis Championship cancelled amid coronavirus concern
The Wimbledon Tennis Championship in June has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an official statement.
Latest on global coronavirus pandemic
Japan recorded its highest number of daily new confirmed cases on Wednesday. As of 22:30 local time, 265 more people have tested positive, raising the national total to 2,494, with 67 deaths.
Singapore has 1,000 total cases, with 74 reported on Wednesday. The oldest patient is 102 years old.
Russia has reported 2,777 cases as of Wednesday. The death toll hit 24. Russian president Vladimir Putin has decided to work remotely after meeting with doctor Denis Protsenko at Kommunarka Hospital in Moscow, who was later diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Vietnam has registered 218 cases, with no death.
Switzerland on Wednesday reported 963 new cases, making it 17,139 in total.
The Netherlands saw a rise of 1,019 new cases, adding to a total of 13,614. The death toll increased by 134 to 1,173.
Ethiopia has decided to postpone its general election originally scheduled on August 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new date is yet to set.
Life on the road alone: A Chinese trucker amid the coronavirus outbreak
Qu Shenghua returned home Monday night from his 14-day quarantine – the first time he came back home in 70 days though he had dropped by several times.
A former heavy truck driver, Qu resumed his decade-long occupation when he learned in late January that people in Wuhan – the then ground zero city of the deadly coronavirus – were confronted with a scarcity of food and other daily necessities given the abrupt lockdown.
"I talked with my wife about my decision. She wanted to go with me but I objected because I didn't know when I would return home and she had to stay to look after the children," Qu told CGTN. He departed on January 26, the second day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar, without informing his mother who only learned from the news that he went to Wuhan.
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U.S. stocks open low due to significant coronavirus hit
Wall Street stocks fell sharply in early trading Wednesday due to weak jobs data and a downcast warning from U.S. President Donald Trump about the rising coronavirus death toll in the U.S.
About six minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 21,174.95, down 3.4 percent or around 740 points.
The broad-based S&P 500 fell 4.0 percent to 2,496.85, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 2.7 percent to 7,490.27.
Latest on coronavirus outbreak in UK
The United Kingdom has confirmed 29,474 total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, 4,324 more than the day before, according to the National Health Service (NHS).
The death toll rose by 563 to 2,352 in total by 1600 GMT on March 31.
According to a Downing Street spokesman, more than 2,000 of the 1.3 million full-time NHS England staff have been tested for COVID-19.
The British government is working with the industry to address a shortage in the chemicals required for coronavirus testing kits, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Wednesday.
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the Edinburgh Festival will not take place in August for the first "in more than 70 years" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People wearing face masks walk across the Millennium footbridge backdropped by the dome of St Paul's Cathedral in London, March 10, 2020. /AP
Former Somali Prime Minister dies of COVID-19 in London
Former Somali Prime Minister Nour Hassan Hussein Nour Adde has died of COVID-19 in the UK, his family said on Wednesday.
Adde's son Mohamed Nour Adde issued a statement saying his father passed away in King's College, London, where he had been receiving treatment in recent weeks.
AI tool predicts which coronavirus patients could get worse
Scientists in China and the U.S. have developed an experimental Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to help doctors predict which newly infected COVID-19 patients could go on to develop severe lung disease.
"Based on the machine-learning algorithm, the tool is designed to prevent as many mild cases as possible from progressing into severely and critically ill patients, so that to save lives and ease the overwhelmed healthcare systems worldwide," Jiang Xiangao, first author of the study and vice president of Wenzhou Central Hospital told CGTN in an exclusive interview.
The study, conducted by researchers at Grossman School of Medicine and the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University, as well as physicians at China's Wenzhou Central Hospital and Cangnan People's Hospital, was published online March 30 in the journal Computers, Materials & Continua.
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Five things to know about stimulus packages
Major economies in the world have recently scrambled to launch a slew of fiscal and monetary stimulus packages to shore up their economy and avert a recession in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, what is a stimulus package and how effective can it be? Here are five things you need to know.
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China rebuts Pompeo's accusation, states people's health as its upmost priority
China rebutted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's untrue accusation, stating that China does not need to gain anything by lying or hiding information of the COVID-19 pandemic. Safeguarding people's life and health is its upmost wish, it said.
The remarks, made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Wednesday, came after Pompeo accused China of spreading disinformation, saying Beijing's expulsion of journalist aims to cover up the real situation.
Hua rejected claim, pointing out the conspiracy and lie made by Pompeo was inconsistent with the message delivered by leaders of the two countries in their phone call. China always attaches importance to the personal security and health of its people, Hua reiterated.
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Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,036
A total of 3,036 COVID-19 patients have died in Iran, the country’s health ministry reported on Wednesday.
Iran has reported 47,593 total coronavirus infections as of Wednesday.
Latest on coronavirus pandemic in Asia
Indonesia reported 149 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as the national total increased to 1,677. As many as 157 patients have died.
Malaysia has reported 2,908 cases in total, with 142 on Wednesday. 45 people have died, while 645 patients have recovered from the disease.
Thailand's capital Bangkok announced that it is prohibiting all stores and vendors from operating between midnight and 5:00 a.m. starting Thursday. The country has reported 1,771 cases in total as of Wednesday, with 850 in Bangkok.
The Philippines has 2,311 confirmed cases as of 4:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The country's death toll is at 96. A total of 50 patients have recovered.
A doctor at India's Delhi State Cancer Institute tested positive for coronavirus. The hospital has since been shut and disinfected. India has reported 1,637 cases, with 38 deaths.
Brunei reported two new cases on Wednesday, bringing the nationwide total to 131. The death toll remains at one. 52 people have recovered.
Spain becomes third country with over 100,000 coronavirus cases
Spain has reported 7,719 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 102,136 and making it the third country after the U.S. and Italy to have over 100,000 cases.
Spain's death toll rose by 864 to 9,053 according to its health ministry on Wednesday.
This is the largest daily increase in fatalities in the country so far.
China to arrange extra return flights for Chinese students in UK
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Wednesday that the ministry is coordinating with the civil aviation sector to arrange extra flights to the UK on Thursday to help Chinese students facing difficulties return to China.
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, said in an interview on Tuesday that there are 220,000 Chinese students studying in the UK, including 15,000 elementary school students living with British families.
There are 168 flights operating between China and the UK weekly during normal times. That number has decreased to more than 20, according to Liu.
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COVID-19 Global Roundup: Postponed elections perplex domestic politics
As the global pandemic continues to rage across the world, efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus have now extended to taking far-reaching steps that may, as some would argue, deeply impact the very bedrock of democratic institutions.
Concerns that throngs of people heading to the polls would run entirely opposite to "social distancing" have materalized decisions to postpone upcoming elections, whether municipal-, state-level or nationwide, in some countries.
But as consequential as it sounds, deferral of elections due to health crisis is not unprecedented. In 2018, the Ebola outbreak pushed the Democratic Republic of Congo to delay its presidential race. In 2001, the UK general election was pushed back because of the spread of foot and mouth disease across the country.
On top of the overriding role that coronavirus fears retain in the discourse regarding electoral deferalls, the low voter turnout is, among other considerations, another vital component that determines the future course of elections. The February parliamentary election in Iran saw low turnout amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The impact of pushing back elections could be tremendous, especially on sophisticated, gigantic democracies with intricate electoral rules as well as divergent voices addressing the subject.
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Italy's coronavirus lockdown measures to be extended to April 13: health minister
Italy will extend its anti-coronavirus lockdown restrictions imposed last month to April 13, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Wednesday.
"We must not confuse the first positive signals with an 'all clear' signal. Data shows that we are on the right path and that the drastic decisions are bearing fruit," Speranza told the upper house Senate.
Speranza said the "battle (against the virus) is still very long."
The restriction measures including closures of schools and none-essential business activities and venues are originally due to expire on April 3.
Italy now has 105,792 cases and 12,148 deaths related to the new coronavirus.
Germany reports 5,453 additional coronavirus cases, 149 more deaths
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen to 67,366 and 732 people have died of the disease, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday.
The cases rose by 5,453 compared with the previous day while the death toll climbed by 149, according to the tally.
According to local media, 187 military personnel have contracted the coronavirus so far and the first case in German military was reported back on February 27.
Germany is now the third European country with the largest cases after Italy and Spain.
COVID-19 recovery rate on Chinese mainland is 93.5%
The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients on the Chinese mainland is 93.5 percent as of the end of March, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday at a press conference in Beijing.
According to the latest report, a total of 76,238 patients have recovered and been released from hospitals on the Chinese mainland and there're 2,004 remaining patients nationwide as of March 31.
Speaking at the conference, Mi also noted that over a third of current domestic cases are in severe or critical condition.
Vietnam declares COVID-19 nationwide epidemic
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday signed a decree declaring COVID-19 a nationwide epidemic.
Vietnam has reported a total of 204 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday while 55 patients have recovered and discharged from the hospitals.
Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Italy's total number of confirmed cases climbed to 105,792 with 4,053 new cases, while total death toll hit 12,428 with 837 more deaths on Tuesday.
France reported 7,578 new cases and 499 deaths, bringing the totals to 52,128 infections and 3,523 deaths.
Paraguay confirmed a total of 65 cases and three deaths.
Argentina reported 88 new cases in last 24 hours and three new deaths, pushing the totals to 1,054 cases and 27 deaths. The nationwide quarantine has been extended for 11 days until April 12.
Brazil confirmed its largest daily increase of 1,138 new cases, raising the total number to 5,717. Death toll climbed to 201, with a fatality rate of 3.5 percent.
Afghanistan reported 22 new cases, bringing the total number to 196. The capital Kabul has been closed for at least three weeks from March 28.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths pass 4,000: John Hopkins University
The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States passed 4,000 early Wednesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 36 new COVID-19 cases (35 originating from abroad and one case from south China's Guangdong Province), seven deaths and 130 asymptomatic cases were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,554; the cumulative death toll is now at 3,312 while 1,367 asymptomatic patients are under medical observation.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 186 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,238.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 714 (128 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 41 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 322 (39 recovered, 5 deaths)
Spain hit a new record with nearly 850 people dying in 24 hours. And 9,000 more people tested positive in the past day. The country's national health system is under huge pressure.
Hong Kong February retail sales hit record plunge of 44%
Hong Kong's retail sales plummeted by the most on record in February as travel restrictions kept tourists away and residents took social-distancing measures as a way to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Retail sales in February dropped by 44 percent from a year earlier, to 22.7 billion Hong Kong dollars (2.93 billion U.S. dollars), recording the 13th consecutive month of decline, government data showed on Tuesday.
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Captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt pleads for help as coronavirus infection spread onboard
The commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier carrying more than 4,000 crew pleaded for urgent help as 33 sailors on board were found positive for novel coronavirus, according to local media reports on Tuesday.
Captain Brett Crozier wrote in a letter to U.S. Navy leadership that decisive action is required to save the lives of the ship's crew, CNN reported.
South Korea's total confirmed number of COVID-19 rises to 9,887
South Korea reported 101 new cases of COVID-19 as of midnight on Tuesday, bringing the total number in the country to 9,887 with 165 deaths, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All people entering South Korea, regardless of nationality, will be quarantined for two weeks starting Wednesday. Asymptomatic Korean citizens and long-term resident foreigners must be quarantined at home, and foreigners without a permanent residence in the country must be quarantined in temporary facilities.
According to an amendment to the country's infectious disease prevention law, violators of the home quarantine can be sentenced to up to a year in prison or fined up to 10 million won (about 8,200 U.S. dollars), and foreigners can be deported or barred from entering the country.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stands behind U.S. President Donald Trump looking at a chart of possible projected COVID-19 deaths by day during the daily coronavirus briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 31, 2020. /Reuters
Trump warns Americans of a tough 2 weeks ahead in coronavirus fight
U.S. President Donald Trump and his top healthcare advisers urged Americans on Tuesday to follow strict social distancing measures ahead of a "tough two weeks" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which could see at least 100,000 deaths in the United States.
"This is going to be a very painful, a very, very painful two weeks," Trump told a press conference at the White House.
White House coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx displayed charts demonstrating data and modeling that predicted an enormous jump in deaths to 100,000 to 200,000 people from the virus.
Trump said 2.2 million people could die, according to the modeling, if no mitigation efforts had been put into place.
(With input from agencies)
Prince Albert II of Monaco released from medical quarantine
Monaco's Prince Albert II, also head of state of the Principality of Monaco, was released from medical quarantine on Tuesday and is in good health, officials said.
Prince Albert II was diagnosed with COVID-29 on March 19 with mild symptoms and was immediately placed in medical quarantine.
A total of 52 confirmed cases have been reported in Monaco, including one death.
Global confirmed COVID-19 cases top 855,000: Johns Hopkins
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world surpassed 855,000 on Wednesday with 42,032 deaths, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
The United States now has the most cases, with more than 186,000 infections confirmed.
Globally, over 177,857 patients have recovered from the disease, the statistics noted.
Hospitals around the world are being stretched to the limit amid the spread of COVID-19.
So part of the solution in many countries involves temporary installations - some more makeshift than others.
In Mexico - one new facility gives literal meaning to the term 'pop-up.'
Temporary structures to augment care during the outbreak - include this inflatable hospital in the state of Hidalgo.
As the U.S. scrambles to contain COVID-19, parts of China are getting back to work.
Here's what the U.S. could learn from China's COVID-19 response.
Fauci: If there's a second wave of coronavirus, U.S. 'will be much better prepared'
Anthony Fauci, one of the White House's leading health experts on the coronavirus task force, said the U.S. could see a "second wave" of coronavirus, but insisted the country will be “much, much better prepared” for that possible outbreak.
Fauci made the remarks in a CNN interview as the country confirmed over 164,000 cases and reported more than 3,000 deaths.
The expert said a broad use of masks is being considered during the coronavirus pandemic, once supply is sufficient for health care workers.
Here are latest COVID-19 updates from around the globe:
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday confirmed the country's first COVID-19 death. Belarus has confirmed 152 cases as of Monday.
Sierra Leone confirmed its first COVID-19 case, a 37-year-old man who had a travel history to France, local media reported citing President Julius Maada Bio.
Armenia is extending emergency restrictions for another 10 days to curb the spread of the coronavirus, said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The country has reported 532 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday.
Russia has registered a total of 2,337 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, including a daily record of 500 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to official data.
The Netherlands reported 845 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,595, according to the country's national institute for health.
Saudi Arabia registered 110 new cases of coronavirus, pushing the total to 1,563, said the spokesperson for the country's heath ministry.
Timeline: Coronavirus outbreak as it unfolds
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has escalated into a pandemic affecting at least 200 countries and regions.
The disease was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan by the end of last year. It soon gripped the whole country while forcing Wuhan, a metropolis of 11 million resident, into lockdown.
But China moved fast and mobilized the whole nation to contain the outbreak. Thanks to its efforts, rise of new infections nationwide is grinding to a halt, and life is slowly returning to normal.
As the pandemic picks up pace elsewhere, how could China's battle against the outbreak inspire other nations?
CGTN has been tracking the COVID-19 outbreak since its very beginning. Enter our interactive page on PC to learn more about the full record.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang promises assistance for coronavirus-affected countries
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday vowed to provide assistance to countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance exchanges during separate phone talks with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad.
The number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 800,000 worldwide with over 39,000 deaths reported. Ireland recorded 2,910 cases and 54 deaths while Algeria confirmed 584 cases and 35 deaths.
Premier Li expressed sympathy for the suffering of the two countries. He assured the two leaders that China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity to other countries and regions affected by the pandemic.
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Denis Protsenko, the head doctor at a hospital treating Moscow's coronavirus patients, has tested positive for the virus, state-run broadcaster Russia 24 has reported.
He was photographed shaking hands with President Vladimir Putin six days ago.
Putin is being regularly tested for coronavirus, reported RIA news agency citing the Kremlin.
"Everything is OK," said the report.
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced a new facility on Tuesday in which foreign central banks can temporarily swap their holdings of U.S. Treasury securities for overnight dollar loans, as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the global U.S. dollar funding markets.
The Fed noted it would allow a repurchase agreement facility for foreign and international monetary authorities (FIMA) that have accounts at its New York branch. The FIMA repo facility will last for at least six months beginning April 6.
The new operation can avoid selling U.S. Treasury debt for bargain prices. It "should help support the smooth functioning of the U.S. Treasury market by providing an alternative temporary source of U.S. dollars," the Fed said in a statement.
It is the seventh liquidity facility that the Fed has established amid cash crunch and increased demand of companies and governments around the world for greenbacks caused by the uncertainty around the pandemic.
"Stabilizing foreign dollar markets, in turn, will support foreign economic conditions and thereby benefit the U.S. economy through many channels, including confidence and trade," the Fed said.
The Fed had already opened up U.S. dollar swap lines with 14 other central banks where dollars are exchanged for foreign currencies.
Along with the swap lines, the repo facility will "help support the smooth functioning of financial markets ... and thus maintain the supply of credit to U.S. households and businesses," according to the Fed statement.
At Tuesday's opening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained by 0.4 percent, or 80 points, while the S&P 500 dropped by 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.3 percent.
Philippine Interior Secretary Eduardo Año tests positive for coronavirus
The Philippine Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año has said he tested positive for coronavirus.
He is one of the top officials tasked with implementing the country’s campaign to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
He said he is not showing symptoms of the virus, like coughing, fever, or difficulty in breathing.
Spain has recorded 9,222 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 94,417; the cumulative death toll has hit 8,189, up from 7,340 on Monday, according to the country's health ministry.
Iran, in the past 24 hours, has registered 3,111 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally to 44,606 with 2,898 deaths, according to the country's health ministry.
COVID-19: zero infections among over 40,000 medics supporting Hubei
None of the more than 40,000 medical workers dispatched to central China’s Hubei Province to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak has tested positive for the virus, Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Ma was briefing the media on the progress of the work of the central leading group on responding to the new coronavirus outbreak.
Over 63,000 patient have recovered in Hubei Province so far, with the recovery rate topping 93 percent, said the official.
COVID-19: Indonesia declares national health emergency
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday declared a national health emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak.
A total of 1,414 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the country, with 122 deaths reported.
Thirty-five overseas Chinese students infected with COVID-19, 11 recovered
Thirty-five Chinese students studying abroad have tested positive for COVID-19, of whom 11 have recovered, said an official with the Chinese Ministry of Education at a press briefing on Tuesday.
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7,000 medical workers fly home after supporting Hubei
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Tuesday arranged 51 flights from 11 domestic airlines to transport around 7,000 medical workers supporting Hubei out of the province.
The medical workers were from 71 medical teams from 20 Chinese provinces and municipalities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.
From March 17 to 31, a total of 235 civil flights were arranged and brought back home around 32,000 medical workers from other provinces supporting Hubei.
China sent a total of 42,000 medical workers to Hubei to combat the epidemic and none of them caught the coronavirus.
South Korea postpones college entrance exam to December
South Korea's college entrance exam has been postponed to December 3 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the country's education ministry announced on Tuesday.
The exam was originally scheduled for November 19. This is the fourth time that the country has postponed the national exam since 1993.
Latest COVID-19 developments worldwide
Asia:
Vietnam announced it will implement social distancing measures for 15 days starting from April 1.
Indonesia said on Tuesday it has decided to ban all arrivals and transits by foreigners, but foreigners with stay permits and some diplomatic visits will be exempted.
Pakistan reported 119 new cases on Tuesday, taking the national total to 1,836. Among all the cases, 20 were fatal.
Thailand detected 127 new cases and one more death as of Tuesday morning. There have been 1,651 confirmed cases and 10 deaths so far.
Uzbekistan has reported 150 confirmed cases with two deaths.
Myanmar on Tuesday registered its first COVID-19-related death, a 69-year-old national who had travel history to Australia and Singapore. The country has 14 confirmed cases so far.
Europe:
Germany on Tuesday confirmed that coronavirus cases have risen to 61,913 in the country and death toll is 583.
The Czech Republic said total cases rose by 184 to 3,001 as of Monday. The country's death toll is 23.
Latin America:
Mexico has declared a health emergency. It also extended suspension of non-essential activities to April 30. The country has 1,094 confirmed cases and 28 deaths.
Africa:
Botswana late Monday announced its first three cases of coronavirus.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday ordered an immediate 14-day nationwide lockdown in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus which has so far infected 33 people in the country.
The U.S. is setting up a 68-bed field hospital for COVID-19 patients in New York's Central Park. It is expected to be operationalized on March 31.
Japan expands entry ban to 73 countries and regions
Japan on Tuesday expanded its entry ban of foreign nationals and people who've been to 49 countries and regions in the last 14 days as it fights to prevent the coronavirus spread.
So far, Japan's restriction applies to 73 countries and regions in total, accounting over a third of all countries in the world.
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also urged Japanese citizens not to travel to those 73 countries and issued a "Level 3" travel warning against some 49 countries and regions across Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, South America and Africa.
Coronavirus infection cases in Japan have reached 2,007 with 59 deaths as of 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Over 70 violators of quarantine orders in Hong Kong to face charges
Chief Executive Carrie Lam of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Tuesday that over 70 people violated the quarantine orders and will face charges, urging the society to strictly follow quarantine orders.
Lam said the medical system is under pressure with a large increase in COVID-19 cases. She cautioned that the government will arrest those who violate quarantine orders and charge them, adding that the government has no plan to loosen any control over the arrivals from the Chinese mainland although the number of cases there has dropped.
As of Tuesday, a total of 682 cases were reported in the HKSAR, with 124 people discharged from hospitals.
China's national college entrance examination has been postponed to July 7-8 due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday.
This is the first time in 17 years that China has adjusted the date of the college entrance examination.
According to the announcement, standard Chinese language and mathematics tests will be on July 7, which are mandatory exams for all students.
On the morning of July 8, students would either take the test for social sciences (history, political science and geography) or natural sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), depending on their high-school subjects. Foreign language shall be the final subject.
Further arrangements will be announced to the public later.
The examination postponement could be regarded as an adjustment due to the coronavirus outbreak, said Li Jiasheng, a senior high school teacher at Beijing No.4 High School, the Paper reported.
"It gives us more time to make up for the suspension of classes due to the outbreak."
New Zealand extends state of emergency for another week as cases hit 600
New Zealand Tuesday announced an extension of its national emergency for another seven days to ensure the government has all the powers needed to curb the spread of the virus.
The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary.
"Extending the State of National Emergency ensures we have all the resources, support and powers we need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities," Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said in a statement.
As of 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, the country had reported 600 confirmed cases and one death.
South Korea reports 125 new COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths
South Korea reported 125 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total infections to 9,786, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country's death toll rose by four to 162, over half of whom are aged 80 or older.
Among the confirmed cases, 15 came from overseas, raising its total number of imported cases to 518.
Amid persistent concerns over infections through the so-called community spread, the government said online classes will start on April 9 and the college entrance exam in November might be postponed.
Trump 'happily surprised' at 'terrific' supplies from China
"China sent us some stuff, which was terrific. Russia sent us a very very large planeload of things, medical equipment, which was very nice," U.S. President Trump told reporters during the daily coronavirus response briefing on Monday.
"Other countries sent us things that I was very surprised at, very happily surprised," he told reporters.
The president also noted that he believes the next 30 days are important for flattening the curve to stop the spread of the coronavirus as more than 160,000 people in the United States have contracted the fast-spreading respiratory virus that causes COVID-19.
"And this is a very vital 30 days, we're sort of putting it all on the line, these 30 days, so important, because we have to get back," said Trump.
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A total of 48 new COVID-19 cases, all originating abroad, and one death were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Monday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
As many as 44 suspected cases, all originating abroad, were also detected on Monday, the NHC added.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,518, with the cumulative death toll of 3,305. The number of imported cases has reached 771.
In the past 24 hours, Chinese health authorities said 282 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 76,052.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 682 (124 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 39 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 306 (39 recovered, 5 deaths)
Latest COVID-19 developments in hard-hit countries
The U.S. has so far reported more than 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,953 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. The highest number of cases and related deaths were reported in the state of New York: 66,497 cases and 1,218 deaths.
The U.S. Navy's hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, with 1,000 beds, arrived at a Manhattan port on Monday to help treat non-COVID-19 patients and ease the pressure on area hospitals.
Italy is the second country with total cases surpassing 100,000. The hardest-hit European country reported 101,739 cases and 11,591 deaths as of Monday. The Italian health authority said the nationwide lockdown in place since March 10 would be extended until at least April, nine days beyond its original deadline.
The UK government announced a new plan to commit 75 million pounds to chartered flights to bring home tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
France has so far confirmed 44,550 cases and 3,024 deaths.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has tested negative in her third coronavirus test, but she will continue to lead the government from home. There are now over 66,000 confirmed cases in Germany.
Across the U.S. some Americans are going out without any type of face mask in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, while others are wearing medical-grade respirators.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says they, "currently do not recommend that the general public wear N95 respirators to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including coronavirus (COVID-19)." Furthermore, the CDC website states that, "For the general American public, there is no added health benefit to wear a respiratory protective device (such as an N95 respirator), and the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low." But studies of influenza pandemics show surgical masks do protect people a bit more than no masks at all.
CGTN went to Washington D.C. to ask people if they think masks are helpful in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
A 1,000-bed floating hospital run by the U.S. Navy has arrived in New York harbor to alleviate hospitals currently overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.
The USNS Comfort traveled up the Hudson River to Pier 90 where it will dock and take patients within 24 hours.
It will will help ease pressure on New York hospitals.
While it won't be treating coronavirus patients, officials are working to keep the ship free from COVID-19.
Every member of the crew was screened before boarding and they will not be allowed to disembark while in New York. There will also be strict limits on who is allowed onboard.
The captain of the ship says they are going to create a "bubble" around the ship, to keep the patients and crew healthy.
New York City has also built a temporary 3,000-bed hospital at the Javits Convention Center. A field hospital has been set up in Central Park.
The state has seen more than 66,000 coronavirus cases and New York City alone has had 790 deaths due to the coronavirus so far.
After a two-month shutdown of all shopping centers in Wuhan, some of them reopened on March 30. CGTN reporters Wang Kailin and Huang Yichang went to different shopping centers in Wuhan to see the shopaholics.
Developing countries will need a 2.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar support package this year to face the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a UN report said on Monday.
Needed measures will include a 1-trillion-U.S.-dollar liquidity injection and a 1-trillion-U.S.-dollar debt relief package, according to the paper.
Another 500 million U.S. dollars will be needed for emergency health services and related programs, on top of capital controls, the report added.
Crunching Numbers: U.S. in urgent need of masks, China steps up to meet global demand
Now, people across the U.S. are sewing face masks. Factories in the U.S., which usually mass-produce hoodies and T-shirts, are re-manufacturing masks to alleviate shortages to fight coronavirus.
As of March 29, cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the U.S. topped 142,000. In early March, the U.S. excluded Chinese face masks and some other medical equipment from tariffs and began to take steps to tackle the dire shortages.
On Sunday, 130,000 N95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks and other medical supplies from China arrived in the United States. The plane landed at John F. Kennedy airport carrying these goods for distribution in the country's three hardest-hit states: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
How desperately do Americans need face masks? Click here for more.
It's official: Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for July 23, 2021
The postponed Summer Olympics in Tokyo have been confirmed to happen on July 23, 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Monday.
"The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the government of Japan today agreed new dates for the games of the XXXII Olympiad, in 2021. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be celebrated from 23 July to 8 August 2021. They also agreed on new dates for the Paralympic Games, which will be celebrated from 24 August until 5 September 2021," said the IOC in an official statement.
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The Olympic rings displayed in Tokyo. /VCG
UK PM Johnson's adviser Cummings isolating with coronavirus symptoms
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings is in self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms, just days after Johnson himself tested positive for coronavirus, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
On the same day, Prince Charles got out of seven days of self-isolation after testing positive for the virus, his spokesman said. The Prince of Wales is in good health.
According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, the UK has 19,788 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, with 1,228 deaths.
Dominic Cummings, special adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a cabinet meeting to address the government's response to the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at Downing Street in London, Britain March 12, 2020. /Reuters
Xiamen Airlines cancels cross-strait flights from March 30 to May 2
Xiamen Airlines (XiamenAir) will cancel cross-strait flights from March 30 to May 2, due to COVID-19 prevention and control work, according to a statement by the company on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will go into quarantine as one of his advisers was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the prime minister's office said on Monday.
It was not immediately clear if Netanyahu was in close contact with his adviser, Rivka Paluch, during the last two weeks.
However, "to remove any doubts," his office said, Netanyahu and his close team will stay in quarantine "until the epidemiological investigation is concluded."
Earlier, the office said Netanyahu and Paluch were not in the same room lately.
Netanyahu was leading efforts to halt the coronavirus spread in Israel while struggling to finalize a new coalition government with his former opponent, leader of the centrist Blue and White party Benny Gantz.
Netanyahu is also facing a criminal trial set to begin on May 24. He is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases.
Spain's COVID-19 death toll rises to 7,340
Spain's coronavirus death toll rose to 7,340 on Monday from 6,528 the previous day, according to the country's Health Ministry.
The number of total cases in Spain jumped to 85,195 from 78,797 on Sunday.
Fernando Simón, director of Spain's Health Ministry's Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies, has tested positive, health official Maria Jose Sierra said on Monday
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The closed San Miguel market during the coronavirus pandemic in Madrid, Spain, March 29, 2020. /Reuters
Number of COVID-19 cases in Iran surpasses 40,000
Iran's health ministry said a total of 3,186 new coronavirus cases were reported in the country, bringing the cumulative number to 41,495 on Monday.
The death toll has increased to 2,757, with 117 more deaths reported.
A total of 13,911 patients have recovered.
China steps up efforts to control imported COVID-19 cases
From March 19 to 29, a total of 443 visitors, who had already shown fever symptoms, were discouraged from boarding flights to China, according to an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as the country steps up efforts to control imported COVID-19 cases.
During this period, a total of 1,626 passengers who were found with fever symptoms after boarding have been quarantined in cabins, according to Jin Junhao, deputy inspector of the aviation administration's transportation department.
These passengers were later transferred to relative quarantine departments after landing, Jin added.
After many countries ordered medical supplies for epidemic prevention from China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday that China is willing to maintain close communication with countries to solve the problems that emerged from the process, and hopes that other countries won't politicize the issue.
According to Hua, China has not received any complaints from buyers of foreign countries who purchased medical supplies from China through diplomatic channels.
For countries that have reported issues, Chinese embassies in such countries have conducted immediate investigations and responded to the problems, said Hua.
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China dispatches a team of medical experts to Venezuela
China has dispatched a team of medical experts to Venezuela to help fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The team is formed by China's National Health Commission, with experts selected by Jiangsu Province's health commission. They departed China on Sunday and are scheduled to arrive in Venezuela on Monday.
Germany reports a total of 57,298 COVID-19 cases
Germany has reported a total of 57,298 cases of COVID-19 with 445 deaths according to the statistics released by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Monday.
RKI indicates that the highest number of cases, 13,989, are in the country's southern state of Bavaria.
Trump says keeping U.S. coronavirus deaths to 100,000 would be sign of a 'very good job'
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that, if his administration keeps the death toll from coronavirus to 100,000, it will have done "a very good job."
It took a month for the U.S. to move from its first confirmed death, on February 29, to its 1,000th. But in two days this week that number doubled, to over 2,600 on Sunday.
As he announced the extension of federal social distancing guidelines to April 30, Trump also said if the distancing restrictions measures had not been introduced, the country's death toll could have reached 2.2 million.
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Man jailed for three months for ignoring quarantine order in Hong Kong
A 31-year-old man has received a three-month prison sentence for violating a home quarantine order in Hong Kong amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
He is also the first person in Hong Kong to be jailed for violating the order.
Named by local media as Sing Kin Kung-kai, he pleaded guilty at Fanling Magistrates' Court on Monday morning to providing false or misleading information to officials.
Earlier this month, he gave a false address to avoid being sent to a quarantine camp after returning to Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland, where he visited a friend.
Medical experts join video meeting with Chinese in Pakistan
The medical experts' team dispatched to Pakistan on Sunday joined a video meeting with a group of Chinese nationals, sharing COVID-19 prevention tips and treatment information.
The meeting included representatives from Chinese companies in Pakistan, students as well as overseas Chinese.
Organized by China's National Health Commission, the team of experts consists of personnel selected by the Health Commission of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They left for Pakistan on March 28.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 1,597 on Sunday, among which, 14 were fatal.
First aircraft carrying medical supplies from China arrives in U.S.
The first plane carrying medical supplies from China's Shanghai City arrived at New York City on Sunday to bolster its fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to local media reports.
The flight is part of a massive U.S. government-led airlift of emergency medical supplies to the United States, mostly from Asia.
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. retweeted related news which noted that 12 million gloves, 130,000 N-95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks, 50,000 gowns, 130,000 hand sanitizer units, and 36,000 thermometers from China have arrived in the United States.
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Shopping malls in Wuhan resume operations, with some precautions
Shopping malls in central China's Wuhan City have resumed operations on Monday, though with some precautions. Customers are required to wear masks, be screened for their body temperatures and scan a health QR code before they're allowed entry.
Cleaning and disinfection work will be done more frequently and the central air conditioning system was also replaced with a newer operating model, according to the staff from Wuhan International Plaza, one of the malls that have reopened.
A shopping mall in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, resumes operation, March 30, 2020. /CMG
Customers wearing masks in front of a shopping mall in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 30, 2020. /CMG
A shopping mall in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, resumes operation, March 30, 2020. /CMG
China warns against politicizing defective masks incident as Dutch continues probe
Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands Xu Hong said it's inappropriate to politicize a report about imported defective masks from China while an investigation continues.
"The reason why China supports the Netherlands and other countries to fight the pandemic is very simple: We are trying to save more lives. There is no 'geopolitical consideration' as few claimed," Xu said.
"It is normal if some problems arise during the cooperation. These problems can be solved in an objective manner, but should not be politicized," he added.
The Chinese ambassador's remarks came on Monday after the Dutch health department last week recalled nearly half of the shipment of 1.3 million masks, known as FFP2, manufactured in China, citing quality problems.
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Answer Bank: Self-protection in elevators during COVID-19 pandemic
Confined spaces such as in elevators are easy conduits for viral transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it's hard for people who live in high-rise buildings to skip taking elevators.
Here are some tips from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention that you can follow to better protect yourself when taking an elevator:
- Wear a face mask before entering an elevator.
- Avoid taking crowded elevators or the ones with people coughing inside, one of the coronavirus symptoms.
- Avoid touching elevator buttons directly with your hands.
- Clean your hands thoroughly afterward.
Aerial photo taken on March 16, 2020 shows a scene of the Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China. /Xinhua
COVID-19: Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing discharges first recovered patient
Xiaotangshan Hospital, a renovated hospital formerly used to quarantine and treat SARS patients in Beijing has discharged the first recovered COVID-19 patient on Monday, according to local media reports.
The hospital screened 2,002 international travelers arriving in Beijing from March 16 to March 28 and found 43 people who tested positive for COVID-19.
As of March 29, Beijing has reported a total of 161 cases of COVID-19 that originated from abroad.
South Korea reports 78 new coronavirus cases, total at 9,661
South Korea reported 78 more cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the country's total to 9,661, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
The country's death toll rose by six to 158 as health authorities warned the mortality rate for elderly patients may rise further.
The mortality rate of patients aged 80 and above stood at 17.51 percent as of Sunday, compared with an average of 1.59 percent for all infections, according to the data compiled by KCDC.
So far, 5,228 patients have recovered and been released from isolation in South Korea.
Australia curbs gatherings, locks down travelers, in new coronavirus measures
Australia's two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, will restrict public gatherings to two people from midnight, state leaders said on Monday, as part of a wave of new measures designed to slow the spread of coronavirus which has infected more than 4,000 across the country.
The two eastern states account for the majority of Australia's total COVID-19 infection cases and death toll, which stands at 16.
"It is only in exceptional circumstances that you should leave home," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in Sydney on Monday.
"We will get through this. We are in a position now which allows us to control the spread as much as possible."
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Two airports in Hubei Province resume civil flights on Sunday
Two airports, Xujiaping airport in Enshi City and Wudangshan airport in Shiyan City, both in central China's Hubei Province resumed civil flights on Sunday after shutting down two months ago due to the coronavirus outbreak.
According to airport authorities, the Wudangshan airport resumed eight routes operated by six airlines which linked 14 cities on its first day of resumption.
Ten flights flew out of Xujiaping airport on Sunday, going to three major Chinese cities including Nanjing, capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province.
A total of 31 new COVID-19 cases (30 originating abroad and one in northwest China's Gansu Province) and four deaths (all in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan) were confirmed on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
Additionally, 17 suspected cases were also registered in the past 24 hours, all from people coming from overseas.
So far, the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,470, while the cumulative death toll at 3,304.
The number of cases arrving from overseas has reached 723 in total.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 322 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of recovered cases to 75,770.
The latest total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 641 (118 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 38 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 298 (39 recovered, 3 deaths)
Trump extends 'social distancing' guidelines to April 30
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will extend "social distancing" guidelines until April 30.
During a White House briefing, Trump also expressed the hope that the U.S. can be on its way to recovery by June 1.
Global coronavirus cases surpass 700,000: Johns Hopkins
The number of coronavirus cases detected worldwide reached 718,685 at around 6:00 BJT on Monday, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The U.S. is at the top on the list with 139,675 people infected, followed by Italy, where 97,689 confirmed cases have been recorded.
According to JHU, the latest global death toll is 33,881.
Although Illinois was one of the earliest states to implement a statewide stay-home order, as our reporter Liu Xiaoqian finds out, people are still roaming the streets of Chicago.
In Lakeview, one of the largest residential neighborhoods, metro service is used by very few and many restaurants have suspended their businesses. However, there are still people jogging and walking their dogs against the snow.
Many small grocery stores and retail chains remain open. Some employees say the shortage of protective supplies like masks and gloves are making them uncomfortable dealing with a large volume of customers.
In the meantime, It's impossible for them to simply go home because manning the store is often their only source of income.
Chinese medical team arrives in Laos to help fight COVID-19
A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Lao capital Vientiane by a chartered plane Sunday morning to assist Laos in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Somdy Douangdy, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and chair of the Task Force Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and Chinese Ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong received the Chinese medical experts at the Wattay International Airport in Vientiane.
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Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
According to live data of John Hopkins University, more than 10,000 cases have been confirmed in 10 countries. In addition to China, there are the U.S., Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Iran, UK, Switzerland and Belgium as of 1000GMT on Sunday.
Iran reported 2,901 new cases in last 24 hours, including 123 more deaths, bringing total number of confirmed cases to 38,309.
Spain confirmed 6,549 more cases with 838 deaths, total to 78,797 including 6,528 deaths.
Belgium reported 1,702 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,836 with 431 deaths.
Myanmar's total confirmed number rose to eight. The country issued a notice to suspend the entry of all commercial flights from March 30 to April 13, and all approved landing permits have been suspended.
Portugal's total number climbed to 5,862 with 792 new cases, including 119 deaths.
Madagascar reported six new cases, bringing the total to 43. President Rajoelina tested negative.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein recorded a total of 14,336 confirmed cases with 257 deaths, including 1,123 new cases confirmed in a single day.
U.S. reported more than 120,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,000 deaths. A total of 17 states and territories issued disaster declaration in response to outbreak.
Two female Chinese national ice hockey players confirmed with COVID-19
Two ice hockey players with China women's national team have been tested positive of COVID-19 with minor symptoms, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association said on Sunday.
The national team took training in the U.S. in preparation for Women's World Hockey Championships in Poland which were slated for late March, and participated in the inaugural WHL U.S. Challenge Cup tournament in Kent, Washington between February 14 to 18.
After the Championships were canceled in Poland due to worsening coronavirus pandemic, the team of 11 flew back to Beijing on March 13 and had been in quarantine since then.
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IOC President: athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics will compete in 2021
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Sunday that those athletes who have already qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games will retain their qualification for 2021.
Bach said that after negotiations with Japan, the Tokyo Olympic Games has been postponed, but it is still officially the 32nd Olympic Games.
Five American scientists published an article in Nature said that COVID-19 is not "artificial virus". One of the authors, Robert F. Garry from Tulane University's School of Medicine, said that Huanan Market in Wuhan is not the origin of the virus.
Spread of local COVID-19 epidemic in China basically blocked: official
The local spread of COVID-19 in China has been basically blocked and the number of confirmed cases in the country has dropped below 3,000, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission at a regular briefing on Sunday.
So far, a total of 693 confirmed cases imported from 42 countries have been reported, among which cases from seven countries account for 83.4 percent of the total, said Mi, adding that the possibility of a new spread caused by imported cases is still high.
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South Korea to quarantine all entrants from overseas for two weeks
South Korea will require all entrants from overseas to enter quarantine for two weeks beginning April 1 to help prevent imported COVID-19 cases, the prime minister said on Sunday.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a meeting to discuss measures against COVID-19 that all entrants from overseas, regardless of nationality, will be placed under a mandatory quarantine for two weeks starting from Wednesday midnight.
He added the compulsory two-week quarantine will be enforced to curb entry for non-vital purposes, such as travel.
7,098 people stranded in Hubei return to Beijing: official
From March 25 to 28, a total of 7,098 people stranded in virus-hit Hubei Province arrived in Beijing after Hubei lifted outbound travel restrictions in all areas except the capital city Wuhan starting from March 25.
The people returned to Beijing by 12 high-speed trains, said an official at a regular press conference on Beijing's COVID-19 containment on Sunday.
Medical supplies sent to Europe via China-Europe freight trains
A China-Europe freight train carrying medical supplies left Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, on Saturday morning. The cargo includes 130,000 masks, 752 protective suits and 2,000 forehead thermometers. It's the largest batch of such supplies sent from China by China-Europe express trains in recent months. The goods are expected to reach Lodz in the Netherlands after 12 days.
All of the test kits donated by China to the Philippines to combat coronavirus are of high quality and have no accuracy problems, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement on Sunday. The Chinese government has donated 2,000 BGI PCR-type test kits and 100,000 Sansure PCR-type test kits.
The response came after reports a Philippine Department of Health official questioned the accuracy of the donated test kits.
The statement from the embassy added that the test kits, which are being used in Philippine test laboratories and have helped accelerate the testing process, have been assessed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to be at a par with World Health Organization-provided kits.
The embassy added that China firmly rejects any irresponsible remarks and any attempts to undermine cooperation between China and the Philippines in fighting against the coronavirus outbreak.
Latest developments on COVID-19 worldwide
U.S.: The United States reported a total of 121,117 cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday evening, with 2,010 deaths.
Italy: At least 10,023 people have died from coronavirus, a rise of 889 since Friday. The number of confirmed cases in the country increased to 92,472 from 86,498.
Spain: Spain's death toll has risen to 5,690 and a total of 72,248 cases reported.
France: The death toll in France has risen to 2,314, up from 1,995 on Friday, French health authorities have said. The number of confirmed cases in France has reached 37,575, from 32,964 on Friday.
Iran: Iran has reported 139 more coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total to 2,517. At least 3,076 more cases were also recorded, bringing the total number of infected people to 35,409, Iranian Health Ministry said.
UK: The number of people to have died with the coronavirus in the UK has reached 1,019 and a total of 17,089 cases were confirmed, according to government figures.
South Korea: South Korea reported 105 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number to 9,583. On the same day, eight new deaths reported, raising the death toll to 152.
Turkey: The death toll in Turkey has risen from 16 to 108, the health minister has announced. The country now has 7,402 cases, an increase of 1,704.
Mexico: A total of 848 cases confirmed in Mexico with a daily rise of 131 on Saturday. Death toll in the country reached 16.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said on social media on Saturday that she has been given the "all clear" from her doctor.
She tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago.
Justin Trudeau entered self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the virus.
Trump: CDC to issue 'strong travel advisory' for parts of NY, Connecticut, New Jersey
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that Centers for Disease Control will issue a "strong travel advisory" for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut; he also noted that a quarantine will not be necessary.
A total of 45 new COVID-19 cases (44 originating abroad and one in central China's Henan Province) and five deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,439, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,300.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 477 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 75,448.
The latest numbers of total confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 582 (64 new cases, 112 recovered, 4 deaths)
Macao: 37 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 283 (30 recovered, 2 deaths)
The Center for Health Protection in Hong Kong said the newly reported cases in the city involve 40 males and 24 females between the ages of seven and 76. Among them, 47 had history of travel during the incubation period and 26 are overseas students.
Global deaths from COVID-19 top 30,000: John Hopkins University
The Death toll from COVID-19 around the world reached 30,475 on Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The total number of global confirmed cases surpassed 659,300, with the U.S. reporting the most cases at 121,117.
The United States had a total of 121,117 cases of novel coronavirus as of Saturday evening, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University.
So far, 2,010 people have died from the virus in the country while 961 have recovered.
CNN reported that at least 215 million Americans are under stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday backed away from issuing a mandatory two-week quarantine on New York, certain parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, instead calling for a "strong travel advisory" to stem the outbreak.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had advocated a quarantine, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told the media that locking down states "isn't legal."
Employees wearing protective masks, used as a measure against COVID-19, process potatoes in a vegetable store in the village of Vinsady in the Stavropol region of Russia, March 27, 2020. /Reuters
Russia will temporarily close its borders starting from March 30 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said a document published on the website of the Russian government on Saturday.
According to the document, the measure will come into force at all vehicle, rail and pedestrian checkpoints, and also apply to Russia's maritime borders.
The ban does not apply to diplomats and their families, couriers and couriers of diplomatic relations, as well as members of official delegations leaving the country.
The country has reported 1,264 confirmed COVID-19 cases with four deaths.
Iraq's deputy minister of trade tests positive for COVID-19
Iraq's deputy minister of trade has tested positive for COVID-19, according to local media.
Iraq reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bring its total to 605 including 42 deaths.
Wuhan restarts freight trains to Europe amid pandemic
In about 15 days, the China-Europe Railway Express, which departed from the central China city of Wuhan on Saturday, will reach its destination in Duisburg, Germany, making it the city's first outbound freight train to the continent in two months since the coronavirus outbreak.
Having gradually recovered from COVID-19, China's once hardest-hit city now has so much to offer to the rest of the world.
"When the epidemic here in Wuhan was brought under control, resumption of train service was in high demand," said Gao Ruorui from Wuhan-Europe International Logistics, the agency in charge of business for the freight train.
On the train, 19 out of 50 containers carry locally-manufactured medical supplies. Auto parts, electronics and optical fibers are also being transported.
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Here are latest updates on COVID-19 around the world
Spain has counted 8,189 new cases and 832 new deaths in 24 hours as confirmed coronavirus cases now surge to 72,248; up to 12,285 patients have recovered
Iran has reported 3,076 new cases in 24 hours, raising the total number to 35,408; the death toll from the infections now stands at 2,517
Germany now has a total of 48,582 confirmed coronavirus cases and 325 deaths after 6,294 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours
France has used a military helicopter for the first time to transport critically-ill COVID-19 patients as the number of confirmed cases has risen to 32,964
Belgium has confirmed 1,850 new cases of coronavirus and 64 new deaths in 24 hours; the country's total has reached 9,134 confirmed cases and 353 deaths
The UK has reported 2,546 more cases with 260 new deaths, bringing total number of infections to 17,089 with 1,019 deaths.
Abe warns Japan's COVID-19 situation could worsen
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday warned that the COVID-19 situation could worsen if people let down their guard and do not take proper containment measures. He also called for strengthening the development of medicines and vaccines to tackle the COVID-19.
In a bid to maintain the operation of all aspects of society and protect people's lives, the Japanese government will launch an urgent economic response to support private enterprises and workers, added Abe.
According to the latest figures, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Japan has now risen to 1,585 cases.
On Saturday, Japan's health ministry and local governments said that more than 60 new infections were confirmed in Tokyo, logging the highest rise per day so far.
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People wearing protective face masks queue as they wait for the opening of a drugstore in Tokyo, Japan, March 27, 2020. /Reuters
Screenshot of data released by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, March 28, 2020.
The number of COVID-19 cases around the world has exceeded 600,000 with over 27,800 deaths globally, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University said on Saturday.
Cases have surpassed the 30,000 mark in seven countries, namely the U.S., Italy, China, Spain, Germany, France and Iran.
As for fatalities, Italy tops the chart with 9,134 deaths. Other countries with over 1,000 fatalities are Spain, China, Iran and France.
Globally, over 131,800 patients have recovered from the disease, said the CSSE.
Prices fall for necessities including meat, poultry, eggs and vegetables
Prices of such necessities as grain, oil, meat, poultry, eggs and vegetables have fallen back since March, with wholesale vegetable prices falling 16.5 percent on March 27 from the end of February and pork prices dropping 7.4 percent from their mid-February highs, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday.
Retail sales in mid-March were up seven percent from mid-February, sales on some e-commerce platforms were up more than 30 percent, and sales at department stores were back up to about 50 percent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, small-scale taxpayers in central Hubei Province were exempted from VAT from March to May, while the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate of small-scale taxpayers in other provinces was reduced from three percent to one percent. Enterprises with monthly income of less than 100,000 yuan and quarterly income of less than 300,000 yuan are exempted from VAT.
China sends medical experts to Pakistan for fight against COVID-19
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that China has sent a group of medical experts to Pakistan to help the country cope with COVID-19.
The team, formed by the National Health Commission, departed for Pakistan on Saturday afternoon, said ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang in a statement.
On Friday, nearly two tons of medical supplies from China were successfully handed over to Pakistan to help the country fight COVID-19, according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.
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China shares COVID-19 control experience in WHO video conference
The World Health Organization (WHO) held a video conference on Friday for member states to share information about the pandemic.
Health ministers of dozens of countries took part. China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore each gave a presentation on how they have been working to control the epidemic within their borders.
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Over 500 NYPD employees test positive for coronavirus
512 New York Police Department employees have tested positive for coronavirus, including 442 uniformed members of the forces and 70 civilian members, according to CNN.
In addition, 4,122 employees called in sick, the report noted.
Latest coronavirus developments around the world
UK reported a total of 14,543 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, the death toll is now at 759 in the country. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating after developing mild symptoms. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock is also under self quarantine at home after testing positive for coronavirus.
Italy reported 86,498 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday evening, the cumulative death tally reached 9,134. The whole country has been under lockdown since March 10 to curb the spread of the virus.
U.S. reported a total of 104,007 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday evening, the death toll stands at 1,693 with 450 deaths reported in the New York City, while 870 patients have recovered.
Australia confirmed 3,378 total infections in the country, with a death toll of 14. Victorian police said people who violate the "social distancing" guidelines will be given fines of more than 1,600 Australian dollars.
South Korea said the total cases has risen to 9,478 with 144 deaths, a total of 4,811 have recovered in the country.
Premier Li Keqiang urges global cooperation to fight COVID-19 pandemic
As the epidemic is currently spreading worldwide and has become a global challenge, no country can be left alone, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday night, calling for the international community to strengthen cooperation with joint response.
Li made his remarks during a phone conversation with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU).
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The construction of the first temporary hospital in the U.S. state of New York was completed on Friday, according to the state's governor Andrew Cuomo.
The hospital, converted from Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, which usually hosts events, is now home to 1,000 hospital beds that will be used to treat patients infected with coronavirus.
It will start receiving patients next Monday.
Cuomo also said New York plans to build eight temporary hospitals to meet an expected surge in coronavirus patients.
Cuomo reiterated the state's goal to get to 140,000 hospital bed capacity from the current 53,000 available.
New York has at least 44,000 cases of coronavirus, the most in the U.S., according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, the number of U.S. coronavirus infections climbed above 100,000 on Friday, the highest number in the world.
WHO: COVID-19 cases hit 509,164 globally, death toll at 23,335
A total of 509,164 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 23,335 deaths have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Friday, the World Health Organization's daily report said.
In the past 24 hours, 46,484 new infections and 2,501 deaths were reported, according to the organization.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization launched a Crisis Committee to review the impact of the outbreak on the aviation, shipping, and tourism sectors and proposed innovative solutions for recovery.
A total of 54 new COVID-19 cases, all from overseas, and three more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Friday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,394, with the cumulative death toll of 3,295.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 383 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 74,971.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 518 (111 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 34 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 267 (30 recovered, 2 dead)
People queue to enter a tent erected to test people for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York City, March 27, 2020. /Reuters
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved a 2.2-trillion-U.S.-dollar aid package – the largest in American history – to help individuals and companies cope with an economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak and provide hospitals with urgently needed medical supplies. The massive bill, also passed by the Republican-controlled Senate late on Wednesday, was signed into law on Friday by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The number of U.S. coronavirus infections climbed above 100,000 on Friday, the most in the world. There have been over 1,500 confirmed deaths from the virus in the U.S.
The coronavirus pandemic has driven the global economy into a crash that will require massive funding to help developing nations, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned on Friday.
"It is clear that we have entered a recession" that will be worse than that after the 2008 global financial crisis, she said in an online press briefing. The warning came as the IMF and the World Bank released a joint statement calling for global governments to put debt repayments on hold, to help developing nations.
Lastly, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating after developing mild symptoms. He confirmed the test result on Twitter, saying he will continue to lead the government's response to the virus. So far, over 14,743 cases have been confirmed in the UK, with 759 deaths.
The chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat on Friday disclosed that he is under quarantine, together with another AU staff member, after a colleague tested positive for coronavirus.
"I can confirm that one of my collaborators in my Office at the African Union (AU) Commission has tested positive for COVID19," the chairperson of the 55-member pan-African bloc's executive arm disclosed in a Twitter post on Friday.
"The staff member is in a stable condition. As a precautionary measure, I am under quarantine as are some other collaborators in my office," Mahamat added.
The staff member of the AU Commission, who is said to be a 72-year-old male Mauritian, is one of four new confirmed COVID-19 cases announced by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health on Friday.
Latest coronavirus developments around the world
Singapore has detected 49 new cases, taking the country's total to 732.
Japan said a total of 1,507 cases were identified as of Friday night. The death toll rose by four to 51.
Malaysia reported 130 new cases, with 2,161 in total.
The UK confirmed cases hit 14,579 on Friday morning, with a death toll of 759.
The Netherlands said on Friday that 1,172 new cases and 112 more deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours. The total tally is 8,603, with 546 deaths. Some 2,500 people have recovered so far.
Russia recorded its biggest daily rise of 196, taking its total infections to 1,036. The death toll stands at four. One staff member within the presidential administration is infected, but had not come into contact with President Putin.
The Russian government has ordered all cafes and restaurants to close for a week starting Saturday.
Saudi Arabia said the total cases has risen to 1,104 by 92. So far, three people have died.
COVID-19 pandemic hits 200 countries, regions: WHO
A total of 200 countries and regions have reported cases of COVID-19 as of 22:06 CET (2106 GMT) Thursday, the latest data on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO) showed.
The number of cases worldwide has climbed to 465,915, including 21,031 deaths, according to the WHO.
According to the latest tracking of Johns Hopkins University, the global cases have surpassed 551,000, with the death toll hitting 24,906.
Shanghai to put all international arrivals in centralized isolation for 14 days
All international arrivals to China's Shanghai will be put into centralized isolation for 14 days starting Saturday midnight, according to the municipal government.
Before the new rule, arrivals could be isolated at home.
China's capital Beijing has already taken similar measures earlier this week, requiring all international arrivals in the city be subject to quarantine in designated places and receive a nucleic acid test.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he's contracted coronavirus
Health Secretary of United Kingdom Matt Hancock confirmed he's tested positive for the new coronavirus, hours after UK Prime Minister said he's also infected with the virus.
"I've tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I'm working from home & self-isolating. Vital we follow the advice to protect our NHS & save lives," Hancock wrote in a Twitter post.
Twitter screenshot of @MattHancock
Hong Kong to ban gatherings of over four people, close six types of entertainment venues
Authorities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will ban gatherings of over four people in an attempt to contain the coronavirus spread after the city registered 65 new cases on Friday, its biggest daily increase.
The new measure, announced by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam at a press briefing on Friday afternoon, will come into effect on Sunday and last for two weeks.
The ban will apply to both indoor and outdoor assemblies, with exceptions made for several events including funerals, weddings and work-related gatherings.
Lam also said six types of venues including cinemas, gyms, and amusement game centers will close from 6:00 p.m. on Saturday for 14 days.
Restaurants, bars and cafes are also ordered to halve the maximum number of customers they can host, with a cap of four people at each table and with tables placed at least 1.5 meters apart from each other.
Hong Kong now has a total of 518 confirmed cases.
HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks at a press briefing in Hong Kong, March 27, 2020. /AP Live screenshot
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating after developing mild symptoms.
He confirmed the test result on Twitter, saying he will continue to lead the government's response to the virus.
So far, over 11,600 cases have been confirmed in the UK, among which 578 were fatal.
It was not immediately clear how many Downing Street staff and senior ministers would now need to isolate given that many have been in contact with Johnson in recent days and weeks.
Earlier this week, Charles, Prince of Wales was also infected, making him the first UK royal family member to test positive for the coronavirus.
Twitter screenshot of @BorisJohnson
Coronavirus cases in Spain exceed 64,000 with 4,858 deaths
Spain's health department on Friday said 7,871 new coronavirus cases were detected in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 64,059, with the country's death toll rising by 769 to 4,858.
The Spanish health authority said that at least 9,444 medics in the country have contracted the virus.
It is the second hardest hit European country following Italy where over 80,000 coronavirus cases were registered.
Zhong Nanshan says China unlikely to have second coronavirus outbreak
Renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan has told a CCTV reporter that he doesn't think there'll be a second outbreak of the coronavirus in China under the current measures.
"Based on China's prevention and control measures, new cases may be confined to a very small population," Zhong said. "I don't believe there will be a big outbreak under such strong measures."
China has increased its containment measures in an attempt to prevent further spread from imported cases as the domestic situation has gradually cooled down.
And in its latest move, China has announced a temporary suspension of foreigners' entry to the country.
Coronavirus cases in Iran exceed 32,000 with 2,378 deaths
Iran reported 2,926 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total to 32,332, according to health authorities in the country.
At least 2,378 people have died from the coronavirus so far.
A total of 11,133 patients have recovered since the first cases were detected in Iran on February 19.
Spread of coronavirus essentially curbed in Wuhan
The spread of coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, has essentially been curbed, health authorities in Hubei Province said on Friday at a press conference.
According to the risk-level evaluation, Wuhan City now is regarded as medium-risk area for coronavirus with five districts downgraded to low-risk areas.
However, officials warned that the risk of a resurgence of virus cases still remains.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Arrests for those who flout social distancing rules
Anyone caught breaking Singapore's social distancing rules can land themselves in prison from Friday after the city-state made it an offence for a person to intentionally stand close to another person as part of its coronavirus defense.
Singapore has won international praise for its fastidious approach in tackling the virus, which has included using police investigators and security cameras to help track suspected carriers.
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South Africa reports first two COVID-19 deaths, total cases surpass 1,000
South Africa on Friday reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus but did not reveal details about the victims.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to more than 1,000, from 927 a day earlier, making it the hardest hit country on the African continent so far.
Close contacts of COVID-19 patients under monitoring up 78% in China
The number of people under medical observation for coming in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient has increased in the week ending on Thursday as imported cases continue to grow in China, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
Close contacts refer to people who have had physical interaction with a confirmed coronavirus patient or were at proximity of them.
The number of close contacts under medical observation has surged by 78% percent between March 19 and March 26, Mi said.
Cui Tiankai thanks Doctor Zhang for sharing advice with Chinese in U.S. amid outbreak
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai thanked China's disease expert Zhang Wenhong in a written letter for sharing his experience and advice on the COVID-19 pandemic with the Chinese people in the U.S., saying that the exchange helped Chinese overseas tackle the virus in a more scientific way.
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Overseas arrivals transiting through Shanghai to undergo quarantine
Passengers on international flights transiting through Shanghai to other Chinese destinations will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the municipal government announced on Friday.
The measure, effective on the same day, does not apply to travelers to the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui passing through Shanghai. Authorities in the three provinces will dispatch teams to Shanghai Pudong International Airport to directly transport travelers to their respective destinations instead.
Latest development on coronavirus around world
The total confirmed cases around world has surpassed 530,000 with the death toll hitting 24,075, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Japan: Four more coronavirus infections have been reported in Japan as of Friday afternoon, bringing the total number to 1,405. The number of fatalities from the virus is 57, including 10 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
South Korea: South Korea reported 91 new cases of the novel coronavirus Friday, bringing the nation's total infections to 9,332. The total number of imported cases climbed by 13 to reach 144. The death toll rose by eight to 139.
Thailand reported 91 new coronavirus cases and one fatality, bringing the total to 1,136 cases and five deaths, a health official said on Friday.
Germany has registered 5,780 new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number to 42,288, Robert Koch Institute said on Friday. Meanwhile, the number of deaths rose from 198 to 253.
Mexico has registered 585 cases of coronavirus, up from 475 the previous day, a health ministry official said on Thursday. A total of eight people have died from the virus in Mexico.
New Zealand reported 76 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number to 338.
Xi Jinping, Donald Trump hold phone talks
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, at the invitation from the U.S. side.
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Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Felimon Santos, the country's highest rank for military officers, tested positive for COVID-19, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced Friday.
Local media reported that early this week, a senior military officer and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Rappler, Santos said on March 24, that he was on home after coming into contact with another senior AFP officer who later tested positive for the virus.
Lorenzana is also self-quarantining after being near Santos on March 21 and 22.
Meanwhile, The U.S. military has canceled large-scale exercises involving thousands of troops in the Philippines in May due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"In light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding COVID-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries' forces, it is prudent to cancel Balikatan 2020," U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson said.
The Philippines has reported a total of 707 confirmed cases and seven more people have died, bringing the death toll to 45, the Department of Health reported on Thursday.
Answer Bank: What steps can my family take to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19 during home isolation?
As the spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) accelerates globally, many countries across the globe have suggested people need to be isolated at home as much as possible in a bid to help slow the virus outbreak, especially for those who have visited high-risk epicenter areas.
Terrifying though the coronavirus may be, it can be turned back if we take preventive measures at home.
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COVID-19 pandemic: Latest updates from U.S.
The United States now has more reported coronavirus cases than any other country in the world.
The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. territories, as well as all repatriated cases, CNN reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is preparing new coronavirus guidelines that would characterize U.S. counties as high-risk, medium-risk or low-risk.
Trump refuses to cancel August Republican Convention
Trump said on Thursday that he would not cancel the Republican National Convention in August in Charlotte, North Carolina, because of the coronavirus.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he believed the country will have rebounded from the coronavirus outbreak by then. "We're not going to cancel," Trump said, adding "I think we're going to be in great shape long before then."
New York: Trial of sharing single ventilators between two patients begins
New York is the worst-hit region in the country, with over 37,000 confirmed cases 365 deaths so far. "The next few months will be painful and stress our health care system like never before," Mayor Bill de Blasio's tweet said on Thursday.
An expected shortfall of ventilators - machines that support respiration for people who have lost the ability to breathe on their own - is substantial, as a surge of cases overwhelm New York hospitals, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference.
At least one New York hospital has begun a trial of sharing single ventilators between two patients.
25 confirmed cases on aircraft carrier
According to CNN, there are now 25 sailors who have tested positive for coronavirus aboard aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
There are about 5,000 personnel on board the carrier, the report said.
Chinese mainland reports 54 new imported COVID-19 cases
The Chinese mainland reported 54 new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Thursday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 595, according to the National Health Commission Friday.
Of the 54 new imported cases, 17 were reported in Shanghai, 12 in Guangdong Province, and four in Beijing and Tianjin. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Zhejiang Province and Fujian Province each reported three cases. Two cases were reported in the provinces of Shandong and Yunnan. The provinces of Liaoning, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi each reported one, according to the commission.
WHO: COVID-19 cases hit 462,684 globally, death toll at 20,834
A total of 462,684 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Thursday, with 20,834 deaths, the World Health Organization's daily report said.
In the past 24 hours, 49,219 new infections and 2,401 deaths were reported, according to the world health body.
A total of 55 new COVID-19 cases, 54 arrivals from overseas, and five more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Thursday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
Only one domestic case was reported in China's Zhejiang Province. Central China's Hubei Province reported zero new case of COVID-19.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,340, with the cumulative death toll of 3,292.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 537 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 74,588.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 453 (110 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 33 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 252 (29 recovered, 2 dead)
Latest COVID-19 pandemic figures by Johns Hopkins University shows:
- 529,093 cases confirmed globally
- 23,956 deaths reported
- 122,135 patients recovered
So far, 200 countries and territories have reported cases according to WHO.
The United States has surpassed China to become the country with most COVID-19 cases in the world, with 82,404 cases as of 2200 GMT.
Italy: The coronavirus death toll in Italy rose by 662 to 8,165 on Thursday. A total of 6,153 confirmed cases were reported in 24 hours, bringing the total to 80,539. Local media reported that 6,205 medical workers were infected, about nine percent of the total number in the country.
Britain: Another 115 people have died in the United Kingdom after testing positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 578.
Spain extended its lockdown to at least April 12, as the death toll rose to 4,089.
American economy: The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits surged to a record of more than three million last week. The United States "may well be in recession" but progress in controlling the outbreak will determine when the economy can fully reopen, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said.
Italy recorded 6,153 new cases in last 24 hours, its biggest rise in last five days./AFP
Italy recorded 6,153 new cases in last 24 hours, its biggest rise in last five days.
After more than two weeks of a nationwide lockdown, the Italian government decided to expand the mandatory closure of nonessential commercial activities to heavy industry in the eurozone's third-largest economy, a major exporter of machinery, textiles and other goods.
Italy has also become the first western developed nation to idle most of its industry to halt the spread of the coronavirus, a potential cautionary tale for other governments, such as the Trump administration, that are resisting such drastic measures.
Most infections were registered in the hard-hit northern region near Milan. Europe now accounts for 70% of known fatalities.
Source(s): Bloomberg, Daily Sabah
The G20 countries will inject over five trillion U.S. dollars into the global economy as part of targeted fiscal policy, economic measures and guarantee schemes to counteract the social, economic and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a G20 Leaders' statement published on Thursday.
China will temporarily suspend entry of foreigners with valid visas and residence permits from March 28, due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement released on Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration.
The suspension is a temporary measure that China is compelled to take in light of the outbreak situation and the practices of other countries, the statement noted. China will stay in close contact with all sides and properly handle personnel exchanges with the rest of the world under the special circumstances. The above-mentioned measures will be calibrated in light of the evolving situation and announced accordingly, it added.
According to the statement, foreigners who come to China to engage in necessary economic, trade, scientific and technological activities and for urgent humanitarian needs may apply for visas at Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.
Entry by foreign nationals with APEC Business Travel Cards will be suspended as well. Policies including port visas, 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy, Hainan 30-day visa-free policy, 15-day visa-free policy specified for foreign cruise-group-tour through Shanghai Port, Guangdong 144-hour visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, and Guangxi 15-day visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups of ASEAN countries will also be temporarily suspended.
Entry with diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas will not be affected. Foreign nationals coming to China for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities or out of emergency humanitarian needs may apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates. Entry by foreign nationals with visas issued after this announcement will not be affected.
Among the 55 new coronavirus cases the Chinese mainland reported on Thursday, 54 were imported cases, bringing the total number of imported cases to 595, according to the National Health Commission on Friday.
Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed again that China had to make the decision considering the pandemic outbreak, when answering a reporter's question at a regular press briefing on Friday.
He said that China came up with these temporary measures after looking into those taken by other countries.
China is willing to keep close contact with all other sides and manage personnel exchanges between itself and other countries in a smooth way, the spokesperson said as mentioned in the earlier statement.
Chinese Foreign Ministry briefs on G20 special summit
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is holding a media conference about the G20 special summit on COVID-19.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the G20 summit via video conference from Beijing. The summit focused on coordinating a global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The video conference, the first of its kind in G20 summit history, was President Xi's first international meeting since the pandemic began.
More than 480,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported around the world and 21,000 people have died of the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Click here for the live coverage of this event.
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits surged to a record of more than three million last week as strict measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic brought the country to a sudden halt, unleashing a wave of layoffs that likely ended the longest employment boom in U.S. history.
The weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday offered the clearest evidence yet of the coronavirus' devastating impact on the economy, which has forced the Federal Reserve to take extraordinary steps and the U.S. Congress to assemble a record two trillion U.S. dollars stimulus package.
Economists say the economy is already in recession. Weekly claims are the most timely labor market indicator. With nearly half the country's population under some form of a lockdown, economists are bracing for further increases in jobless claims.
"With partial lockdowns across the country leading to a sudden stop in economic activity, the U.S. economy will experience the largest economic contraction on record with the most severe surge in unemployment ever," said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics in New York.
Job seekers speak with potential employers at a City of Boston Neighborhood Career Fair on May Day, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., May 1, 2017. /Reuters
"We expect jobless claims will continue to climb as more economic activity shuts down."
Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose 3.00 million to a seasonally adjusted 3.28 million in the week ending March 21, eclipsing the previous record of 695,000 set in 1982, the Labor Department said.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims would rise to one million, though estimates were as high as four million.
The Labor Department attributed the surge to COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. More than 1,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19, according to a running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
"During the week ending March 21, the increase in initial claims are due to the impacts of the COVID-19 virus," the department said. "States continued to cite services industries broadly, particularly accommodation and food service. Additional industries heavily cited for the increases included the health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment and recreation, transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing industries."
Mounting layoffs and a sinking economy have prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to push for businesses to reopen by Easter. Given rising infections and a mounting death toll, many health experts, economists and politicians have argued against such a move.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Thursday in an interview on NBC's Today Show that the economy "may well be in recession" but progress in controlling the spread of the coronavirus will dictate when the economy can fully reopen.
The U.S. dollar was trading lower against a basket of currencies. Prices of U.S. Treasuries rose and major U.S. stock indexes opened higher.
Graphic by CGTN's Li Wenyi
Payrolls seen declining
The pandemic has prompted governors in at least 18 states to order residents to stay mostly indoors. "Non-essential" businesses have also been ordered closed. According to economists, a fifth of the workforce is on some form of lockdown.
Unadjusted claims for California and Washington state, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Massachusetts increased by more than 100,000 last week. Pennsylvania reported unadjusted claims increased more than 300,000.
The four-week moving average of initial claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, jumped 2,647,034 to a record 2.90 million.
A message about protection from COVID-19 is seen on an electronic billboard in a nearly empty Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 20, 2020. /Reuters
Last week's claims data likely will have no impact on March's employment report as it falls outside the period during which the government surveyed employers for nonfarm payrolls, which was the week to March 14.
The unprecedented surge in jobless claims is all but certain to signal that a record streak of 113 months of U.S. employment growth, dating to September 2010, came to an end this month.
"Jobs will decline in March," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania. "There are numerous reports of laid-off workers unable to file for unemployment insurance because so many people are trying to file at the same time. Millions of job losses are likely in coming weeks."
Thursday's claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid increased 101,000 to 1.80 million, the highest since April 2018. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims rose 27,500 to 1.73 million.
The continuing claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed households for March's unemployment rate. Continuing claims increased 110,000 between the February and March survey week, suggesting the unemployment rate will probably rise this month from the current 3.5 percent.
G20 leaders hold first video conference on COVID-19 pandemic
The Group of 20 (G20) major economies are holding their first video summit on coordinating a global response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is chairing the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is joining the summit via video conference from Beijing, marking his first major multilateral event since the beginning of the virus outbreak.
The summit comes at a time when the pandemic rages across the world. The meeting aims to advance a coordinated global response to the outbreak and its human and economic implications.
More than 480,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported around the world and 21,000 people have died of the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Iran reported 2,389 more cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the country's total to 29,406. At least 2,234 people have died from the virus. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been urged to allocate one billion U.S. dollars to support the county's health ministry to battle for the coronavirus outbreak.
Germany reported a total of 36,508 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, and the death toll has risen to 198 in the country.
Malaysia confirmed a total of 2,031 COVID-19 cases with 23 deaths on Thursday. Malaysia's king and queen are currently under 14-day quarantine after seven palace employees tested positive for novel coronavirus.
DR Congo reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 which brings the total number to 51 in the country.
Spain reported 8,578 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 56,188, with 4,089 deaths.
Japan reported a total of 1,373 cases in the country. At least 46 people have died.
COVID-19: Russia to build 16 infectious disease centers by May 16
Russia will build 16 infectious disease centers by May 16 as the country's COVID-19 cases rose to 840 on Thursday, according to a Sputnik report citing Russia's defense ministry.
Russia to suspend all int'l flights from Friday
Russia on Thursday decided to suspend all international flights, including scheduled and charter flights, from Friday, and only evacuation flights from countries severely-hit by COVID-19 will take place.
Germany's confirmed COVID-19 cases rise to 36,508
Germany reported 4,995 new cases of COVID-19 with 50 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 36,508 in the country, including 198 deaths, according to statistics from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.
Latest on the coronavirus crisis in the U.S.: Over 1,000 deaths, nearly 70,000 cases
The number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus rose to 1,041 in the United States as of Wednesday, with 68,960 confirmed cases nationwide, according to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. Senate passes $2 trillion stimulus package
The U.S. Senate passed the nation's largest-ever rescue package late Wednesday, a two trillion U.S. dollar lifeline to suffering Americans, depleted hospitals and an economy all ravaged by a rapidly spreading coronavirus crisis.
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Top health official warns of a 'second cycle' of outbreak
Americans need to prepare for a second cycle of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, warned Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a White House press briefing earlier.
Washington orders all non-essential businesses to close
Washington has ordered all non-essential businesses in the U.S. capital to close for a month starting on Wednesday night.
"This Mayor's Order requires temporary closure of the on-site operation of all non-essential businesses and prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people.
AP
Answer Bank: How to prepare raw food safely amid COVID-19 pandemic
"The chance of the coronavirus contaminating vegetables, meat and fruit by direct contact, or droplets is very low," Feng Luzhao, a researcher of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a press conference.
However, it's suggested that people pay more attention when preparing meals to avoid any infection.
According to the CDC's official website, you need to cook meat, eggs and vegetables thoroughly before eating. Since the coronavirus can be killed at a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius over 30 minutes, and the temperature can reach 100 degrees Celsius or even higher during cooking.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
Italy reported 5,210 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing total number of cases to 74,386, including 7,503 deaths.
UK's total number of cases rose to 9,529 on Wednesday, with 463 deaths. Parliament will temporarily close for one month until April 21.
South Korea reported 104 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Thursday local time, raising the total number of cases to 9,241. The death toll rose to 131.
Uruguay reported 28 more cases, bringing the total number of cases to 217. The government announced that only its own citizens and persons with the right of abode in Uruguay would be allowed to enter, adding that citizens and foreigner residents are prohibited from traveling abroad for tourist purposes until April 13.
Mexico confirmed 70 new cases with one new death, bringing the total number of cases to 475 infections and 6 deaths.
Argentina's total number of cases rose to 502 with 117 new cases reported. The capital Buenos Aires has closed a number of processing lanes.
New Zealand recorded 78 new confirmed and suspected cases on Thursday, the first day of the national lockdown, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected cases to 283.
Israel reported 199 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 2,369. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country could be shut down if the outbreak is not controlled.
VCG
The U.S. Senate passed the nation's largest-ever rescue package late Wednesday, a two trillion U.S. dollar lifeline to suffering Americans, depleted hospitals and an economy all ravaged by a rapidly spreading coronavirus crisis.
The monster deal thrashed out between Republicans, Democrats and the White House includes cash payments to American taxpayers and several hundred billion dollars in grants and loans to small businesses and core industries. It also buttresses hospitals desperately in need of medical equipment and expands unemployment benefits.
The measure cleared the Senate by an overwhelming majority and was headed next to the House of Representatives, which must also pass it before it goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Details expected in the bill:
- Direct payments to people: About 250 billion U.S. dollars in direct payments to people. Those who made up to 75,000 U.S. dollars based on 2018 tax returns are eligible to receive checks of 1,200 U.S. dollars. Couples who made up to 150,000 U.S. dollars are eligible to receive 2,400 U.S. dollars with an additional 500 U.S. dollars per child.
- Aid to hospitals and businesses: Roughly 100 billion U.S. dollars are expected to assist hospitals; 350 billion U.S. dollars to assist small businesses; and 500 billion U.S. dollars in aid for corporations, such as airline companies and cruise lines.
- Aid to state and local governments: 150 billion U.S. dollars are expected in coronavirus stimulus bill to aid state and local governments.
- Additional unemployment insurance: Some 250 billion U.S. dollars for expanding unemployment insurance.
Read more: White House, Senate reach $2 trillion deal on coronavirus relief package
(With input from AFP)
WHO: over 400,000 COVID-19 cases reported globally
A total of 414,179 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Wednesday, with 18,440 deaths, the World Health Organization's daily report said.
Outside China, the number of confirmed cases raised to 332,331, among which nearly 240,000 were reported in six of the hard-hit countries with over 20,000 cases each, namely Italy, the United States, Spain, Germany, Iran, and France.
COVID-19: China has provided emergency assistance to 83 countries and organizations
The Chinese government has provided 83 countries and international organizations with emergency assistance to battle the novel coronavirus, Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui said on Thursday.
Luo made the remarks at a press conference on China's cooperation with the international community in fighting COVID-19.
China is working closely with the rest of the world, by providing assistance and experience, said Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission.
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The White House and the U.S. Congress have hammered out an agreement to help American businesses and citizens during the outbreak of COVID-19. We breakdown what's in the bill and how much is being paid to companies and people.
Hubei reports zero new COVID-19 case, 6 more deaths
Central China's Hubei Province reported zero new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the provincial health commission.
According to the latest report, six more deaths were registered on Wednesday, and 391 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery the same day.
Among the 3,431 patients in hospitals, 1,201 are still in severe condition.
A total of 67 new COVID-19 cases, all of which imported, and six more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
Chinese health authority Thursday said that no new domestically transmitted cases of the COVID-19 were reported on the Chinese mainland on Wednesday.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,285, with the cumulative death toll of 3,287.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 401 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total recovered cases to 74,051.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 410 (106 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 30 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 235 (29 recovered, 2 dead)
WHO urges countries to use 'a second window of opportunity' to stop COVID-19 transmission
Calling it "a second window of opportunity", the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday urged countries to use this critical window to suppress and stop transmission of COVID-19.
This window of opportunity was created by those countries and regions which introduced unprecedented "lockdown" measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted at a daily briefing, reminding that these measures will not extinguish epidemics on their own.
Tedros recommended six key actions to enable the more precise and targeted measures. Click here for more.
Global cases of COVID-19 exceed 460,000: Johns Hopkins
The global confirmed cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 460,000 and the death toll hit 21,162, according to real-time data released by Johns Hopkins University.
According to the data, the countries with the highest number of confirmed cases outside China were Italy with 74,386 cases, the U.S. with 65,285 cases, Spain with 49,515 cases, and Germany with 37,323 cases.
U.S. President Donald Trump in a past event.Coronavirus cases have risen to over 60,000 in the United States according to the latest reports./Reuters
The U.S. has confirmed 60,115 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday and the death toll stands at 809, according to Johns Hopkins University. 7970 new cases and 132 new death were recorded within 24 hours.
According to reports, thousands of new coronavirus cases are being identified across the country each day, including in large clusters in the New York City area, along the Gulf Coast and in the Pacific Northwest.
As of Wednesday afternoon, over 60,000 cases had been recorded across every state, plus Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories, have tested positive for the virus, according to a New York Times database.
The explosion of new cases, which is expected to continue in the days ahead, comes as more state and private labs begin testing for the virus after weeks of delays and test kit shortages. New York State, which has been especially aggressive in testing, announced more than 5,100 new cases on Wednesday. That state accounts for more than half of the country's known coronavirus cases.
The outbreak looks vastly different in the United States than it did a few weeks ago. At the start of March, with extremely limited testing available, only 70 cases had been reported in the country, most of them tied to overseas travel.
As the number of known cases reached into the hundreds, then the thousands, then the tens of thousands, life across the country has changed in swift, profound ways. School playgrounds and college quads now stand deserted. Nail salons, department stores and barber shops have been forced to close. Baseball's spring training, college basketball tournaments and concert tours have been called off.
Source: New York Times
China, Germany to advance cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine development
Leaders from China and Germany said in a recent phone call that the two countries would strengthen cooperation in developing a potential cure for COVID-19, the deadly pneumonia-like disease.
China is willing to share its clinical experience and its preventive measures with Germany, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday.
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Latest coronavirus development in Asia
Singapore records largest daily increase of 73 cases, bringing national total to 631. Over half of new cases – 38 out of 73 – were imported. According to local media, most cases were from the UK.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared a national emergency over coronavirus late Tuesday. Duterte now has special temporary powers to manage the crisis including tapping private hospitals to fight COVID-19.
India said there're a total of 606 confirmed cases, among which 10 are fatal and 42 cases have been cured.
Vietnam reported seven new cases, taking nationwide tally to 141.
Brunei government said five more cases were identified; total number in the country now stands at 109.
Latest facts, figures of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Thailand announces state of emergency
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Wednesday an emergency decree, effective from March 26 until April 30, which provides stringent measures for authorities to contain the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the country.
Saudi king orders closure of three cities
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered on Wednesday a complete closure of three cities to curb the COVID-19 spread, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The cities are Riyadh, Mecca and Medina, and no one can leave or enter them.
The orders would take effect from Thursday, and will start from 3 p.m. local time in the three cities. Meanwhile, a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. has been imposed on the rest of the country.
Spain records steepest increase of the death toll
Spain registered 738 fatalities from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours in the steepest increase of the death toll since the pandemic hit the country, the health ministry reported on Wednesday.
The number of reported deaths from the virus rose to 3,434 on Tuesday, the ministry said. The overall number of cases soared to 47,610 on Tuesday.
Mali, Libya, Guinea-Bissau report first cases
The Malian government on Wednesday reported the country's first two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The two cases are Malian nationals who returned from France on March 12 and 16 respectively.
On the same day, President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo confirmed the country's first two confirmed cases.
Libya's National Center for Disease Control has also confirmed the country's first case of the coronavirus in a statement.
Putin announces delay to constitutional amendment vote
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday announced that the vote on constitutional amendments which was scheduled for April 2 will be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As of March 25, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Russia stands at 658, with no fatalities.
Europe scrambles to get shelter, care for homeless amid COVID-19
While authorities in Europe struggle to convince people to stay at home to prevent a further spread of COVID-19, others have no choice but to sleep on the streets.
The homeless have been hit hard by the global health emergency and authorities, charities and social workers have been scrambling to afford them care and keep them safe.
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As Chinese health officials reported no new local cases on Monday, the restrictions in Wuhan City will be eased on April 8. But residents are required to register an online mini program on their phones to get their Health QR codes, and only those with green codes will be able to walk around freely. So, what exactly is this QR code?
After a a suspension of over two months, Wuhan's bus companies restored operations on 117 of their routes Wednesday morning. They account for 30 percent of the city's total bus transport capacity, according to the municipal transport bureau. Local residents are happy to see the buses back on the streets.
Guests at Trump National Golf Club birthday party get coronavirus: reports
Mayor of California's Rancho Palos Verdes, John Cruikshank, and former Mayor Susan Brooks have both tested positive for the novel coronavirus, reported local media.
Cruikshank was among the city officials who attended a birthday party for Brooks on March 8 at Trump National Golf Club.
Other city officials have opted to self-quarantine for 14 days as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ahead of the party, Brooks sent out a warning to the 65 guests planning to attend her 70th birthday party, asking invitees feeling under the weather with any flu-like symptoms to "please stay home and rest."
However, a week later, a man who'd been at the celebration had tested positive for COVID-19, as well as his wife.
Now, five guests in all, including Brooks herself, have tested positive, while another 11 who have yet to be tested have reported being ill.
Social distancing 'most effective' at slowing coronavirus pandemic
A combination of physical distancing measures including quarantine, shutting down schools and workplace distancing is most effective in controlling the coronavirus pandemic, showed a study released on Tuesday.
While a combination of quarantine and workplace distancing was found to be the second-best option, quarantine and school closure was the next best option.
Researchers used simulation to investigate various early intervention steps required to control the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore. Only quarantine was least effective, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in the medical journal The Lancet.
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Coronavirus: Blow to globalization and a push for self-sufficiency
"In sickness and in health." Societies and economies have never been so close and interconnected as today, and coronavirus has made those connections even clearer. Globalization now faces its biggest challenge after the rise of populism, protectionism, accompanied, to some extent, by Brexit. Is globalization 5.0 in question?
The novel coronavirus is creating international dysfunction at unprecedented levels. If in the beginning, challenges were to be expected worldwide from its impact on the Chinese economy and disruption in the supply chain, but now the global economy and people's livelihoods everywhere are at risk.
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Zhong Nanshan shares experience with European experts on coronavirus control
Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan joined a video conference with several European experts on Thursday afternoon, sharing China's experience in fighting the novel coronavirus, which has affected over 400,000 people in the world.
Experts from countries including Germany, Italy, the UK and Romania also exchanged views on measures and strategies that have been taken in their countries to contain the virus.
They also discussed virus diagnosis and medical treatment plans as well as the protection experience of medical staff.
At the meeting, Zhong warned foreign experts that COVID-19 has a high fatality rate and is highly contagious, even for asymptomatic virus-carriers. And patients who are in the early stage are likely to infect more people.
Zhong also noted the importance of keeping waste pipes unobstructed as the novel coronavirus may spread through drainage systems.
Britain's Prince Charles, is showing mild symptoms of the virus and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland. /Victoria Jones /AFP
Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, COVID-19, his office said on Wednesday.
The 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of the virus and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland, his Clarence House office said. It added that his wife Camilla, 72, has tested negative.
Clarence House said the prince "otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual."
The tests were carried out by the National Health Service in Scotland.
"It is not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus, owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks."
Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II remains at her home in Windsor.
Charles, last saw his mother, the 93-year-old monarch, on the morning of 12 March – before the earliest time he would have been infectious. A royal source cited by Reuters said the earliest Charles would have been infectious was 13 March.
"Her Majesty the Queen remains in good health," the palace said. "The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare."
Since the the prince's last public engagement on 12 March, he has had several private meetings and participants at those sessions have been made aware of his condition.
Iran reports 2,206 new coronavirus cases, total at 27,017
2,206 new coronavirus cases were reported in Iran in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 27,017.
So far, 2,077 deaths have been reported in the country and 9,625 patients have recovered.
Spain becomes the fourth country with over 40,000 COVID-19 cases
Spain has become the fourth country with to have over 40,000 COVID-19 cases, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
As of Wednesday afternoon, a total of 42,058 cases were detected in Spain, among which 2,991 were fatal.
The other three countries with more cases than Spain are China, Italy and the U.S.
First batch of around 800 people stranded in Hubei arrive in Beijing
First batch of around 800 people stranded in Central China's Hubei Province due to the coronavirus outbreak have arrived in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.
These people were transferred by two designated trains which respectively arrived in Beijing at 15:20 and 16:16, a Beijing official said at a municipal press conference on Wednesday.
The whole process of their return to the Chinese capital was well organized and monitored, the official added.
According to the official, over 20,000 Beijing students, teachers and faculty members are still in Hubei. Faculty members who have a fixed residence in Beijing can apply to return to Beijing, but others will have to wait for schools to reopen before making further arrangements.
While planning to bring people back to Beijing from Hubei, the Beijing authority is also monitoring emerging imported COVID-19 cases.
As of Wednesday noon, a total of 145 imported cases were registered in Beijing, among which 11 have recovered, from 17 countries including the UK, Spain, the U.S. and France.
On the same day, Beijing reviewed the list of 25 "high risk" countries and regions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Latest on coronavirus in Germany: Confirmed cases hit over 30,000
The total number of coronavirus cases in Germany has reached 31,554 following an increase of 4,118 as of Tuesday, the head of Germany's Robert Koch Institute said.
The country's latest death toll stands at 149.
COVID-19 'patient zero' may remain an unsolved mystery
Three months after the first known cases of COVID-19 emerged, there is still no clear-cut answer as to who "patient zero" is, or where it came from.
Also known as the index case, patient zero refers to the first human infected in an outbreak.
As of Wednesday, COVID-19 has spread to more than 196 countries, killing more than 16,000 people worldwide.
Tracking down patient zero could be key to understanding the novel virus behind the ongoing global health crisis and how to curb further transmission. But in many hard-hit countries, no one knows how the virus got there or who contracted it first.
The search for patient zero in each affected country has proven a herculean task. This is largely due to the long incubation period and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19. Infected individuals who are not showing symptoms can cruise through screenings at ports of entry undetected and infect others unknowingly, making the route of transmission hard to trace in most cases.
Here's what we have learned so far about the first patients in four countries according to scientists and various media reports.
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Answer Bank: Can pets carry coronavirus on their fur?
Panic struck locals when a dog in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tested "weakly" positive for SAR-CoV-2 during quarantine and then died three days after returning home. Later on, the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) indicated that the level of infection in the dog was low.
To the best of current scientific knowledge, there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can spread from the skin or fur of pets to humans.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., there is no evidence to suggest that any animals, including pets, livestock or wildlife, might be a source of COVID-19 infection at this time.
However, because all animals can carry germs that can make people sick, it's always a good idea to practice healthy habits around pets and other animals. The following protective measures are recommended to keep us healthy around our pets and other animals:
1. Wash your hands after handling animals, their food, waste or supplies.
2. Practice good pet hygiene and clean up after pets properly.
3. Take your pets to a veterinarian regularly and ask about their health.
Chinese mainland detects zero new and suspected cases domestically on Tuesday
The Chinese mainland detected zero new COVID-19 cases, nor any suspected cases, domestically on Tuesday, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).
According to the latest national report, all 47 new cases and 33 suspected cases identified on Tuesday originated from abroad.
Those cases were registered in 12 provinces and municipalities including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong and Fujian provinces.
Risk level for coronavirus in Wuhan adjusted to medium
The risk level for coronavirus in Wuhan City in central China's Hubei Province has been adjusted from high to medium level, local authorities said on Wednesday.
Seventy-five counties and cities are now deemed low-risk areas in the province.
White House, Senate reach deal on coronavirus relief package
The White House and U.S. Senate leaders early Wednesday reached a deal on a massive relief package worth 2 trillion U.S. dollars to curb the coronavirus pandemic, according to local media reports.
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COVID-19: China sends third team of medical experts to Italy
China has sent its third team of medical experts to Italy to help the virus-hit country battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The medical team comprising 14 experts from southeast China's Fujian Province left for Italy on Wednesday morning.
The team is also carrying epidemic prevention supplies donated by Fujian Province, including 30 ventilators, 20 monitors, 3,000 protective gowns, 20,000 N95 masks, 300,000 medical masks, 3,000 face shields and traditional Chinese medicines.
Infectious disease expert W. Ian Lipkin tests positive for coronavirus
W. Ian Lipkin, the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, who traveled to China weeks ago to study the coronavirus outbreak before going into quarantine for two weeks, said on Fox Business Network Tuesday that he has tested positive for the virus.
Trump seeks medical device support from South Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump asked South Korea to send medical equipment to the United States to help the country battle COVID-19 during a phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.
Moon said the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might be required. In response, Trump said he would take immediate action on that "within today," Yonhap reported, citing presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok.
As of Tuesday evening, U.S. has reported 54,812 cases of COVID-19 with 348 cases of recovery, while the death toll stands at 706, according to the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University.
South Korea has confirmed 9,137 cases with 3,730 cases of recovery and a death toll of 126 on Wednesday.
Xi Jinping to attend G20 virtual summit on COVID-19
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the G20 Summit via video conference from Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Wednesday.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will chair the meeting aimed at advancing a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications.
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COVID-19: New Zealand announces state of national emergency
New Zealand's government declared a state of national emergency on Wednesday to tackle the outbreak of novel coronavirus, according to local media reports.
New Zealand has reported a total of 102 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday evening.
Britain's parliament is set to suspend sitting for at least four weeks from Wednesday as part of the government's efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Parliament was due to close for a three-week Easter break from March 31, but a motion on Wednesday's order paper proposes that it starts a week early, as fears grow that politicians and staff are being put at risk by continuing to work there.
It had already closed to visitors and reduced the number of lawmakers allowed in the House of Commons chamber to allow them to sit more spaced out in accordance with guidance on social distancing.
House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle also said on Monday that any votes which took place would be adapted to avoid the usual process which can see hundreds of lawmakers crammed into a narrow room together as they are counted through.
The motion, put forward by House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg, states: "That this House, at its rising today, do adjourn until Tuesday 21 April 2020."
The upper chamber, the House of Lords, is expected to approve emergency legislation on Wednesday giving authorities sweeping powers to tackle the growing coronavirus outbreak.
Chinese FM Wang Yi urges G20 solidarity in COVID-19 fight
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that China and Indonesia should jointly push the Group of 20 (G20) to strengthen solidarity and coordination in the global battle against COVID-19.
In a telephone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, Wang said that the outbreaks of the coronavirus disease across the world have presented the international community with a grave common challenge.
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Trump pulls back from calling coronavirus 'Chinese virus’
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had decided to stop calling the coronavirus the "Chinese virus" which an indignant China had firmly opposed, during an hour-long appearance Tuesday on Fox News.
Hubei reports zero new COVID-19 case, 3 more deaths
Central China's Hubei Province reported zero new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the provincial health commission.
According to the latest provincial report, three more deaths were registered on Tuesday, and 487 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery the same day.
Among the 3,828 patients in hospitals, 1,368 are still in severe condition, according to the local government.
A total of 47 new COVID-19 cases, all of which imported from abroad, and four more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,218, with the cumulative death toll of 3,281.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 491 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 73,650.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 628 (102 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 26 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 216 (29 recovered, 2 dead)
Over 53,200 coronavirus cases in U.S., at least 703 deaths
The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has exceeded 53,200 with at least 703 deaths as of 7:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday said anyone who has left New York should self-quarantine for 14 days.
Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow said he and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus.
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WHO: COVID-19 cases hit 372,757 globally, death toll 16,231
A total of 372,757 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET (0900 GMT) Tuesday, with 16,231 deaths worldwide, the World Health Organization's daily report said.
In the past 24 hours, 39,827 new infections and 1,722 deaths were reported, according to the organization.
Microscopic view of Coronavirus, a pathogen that attacks the respiratory tract. /Getty Images
The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide topped 400,000 as of 1:39 p.m. local time on Tuesday (1739 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The fresh figure reached 407,485 cases with 18,227 deaths,while more than 104,200 people have recovered from the virus, the CSSE said.
Medical workers in protective suits check a document as they treat patients suffering with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an intensive care unit at the Casalpalocco hospital, a hospital in Rome that has been dedicated to treating cases of the disease, Italy, March 24, 2020. /Reuters
Italy reported 743 new corona-virus deaths on Tuesday ending a two day streak of declining totals.
The total of confirmed cases in the country come to 69,176 and a death toll to 6,820, said the Civil Protection Agency.
On Monday 602 people died following 650 deaths on Sunday and 793 on Saturday - the highest daily figure since the disease came to light on Feb. 21.
The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose with an 8.2 % increase in line with Monday's growth rate from a previous 63,927 to 69,176, according to the Agency.
Lombardy remains the hardest hit northern region with a total of 4,178 deaths and 30,703 cases. That compared with 3,776 deaths and 28,761 cases reported up to Monday.
Egypt's Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, speaks during a news conference at the inauguration of the standing step pyramid of Saqqara after its renovation, south of Cairo, Egypt March 5, 2020. /Reuters
Egypt has declared a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for two weeks starting on Wednesday to counter the spread of coronavirus and those who violate the measure will be penalised under the country's emergency laws, the prime minister said.
A closure of schools and universities, which were shut on March 14 for two weeks, will be extended for a further two weeks, Prime Minster Mostafa Madbouly said.
Most public services and government offices will close their doors to the public during the curfew period and a measure to limit the number of government employees going to work will be prolonged until mid-April.
The government has also allocated one billion Egyptian pounds ($63.69 million) to the health ministry to help it provide supplies, a statement from the cabinet office said.
Egypt has confirmed 366 cases of coronavirus, including 19 deaths.
It has taken a series of measures to prevent the spread of the illness, including ordering all cafes, shopping malls, sports clubs and nightclubs to shut from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. since March 19.
It has also grounded commercial flights and shut mosques and churches.
China's Hubei Province will resume the inbound and outbound operations of railway stations outside of Wuhan starting Wednesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a three-week nationwide lockdown starting midnight IST to control and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Latest on COVID-19 development around the world
Germany reported 4,764 new cases and 28 new deaths, bringing the total to 27,436 infections and 114 deaths.
Spain confirmed 6,584 more confirmed cases, bringing total number to 39,673, including 2,969 deaths and 3,794 recoveries.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein's recorded total number rose to 8,836, including 86 deaths. The average age of infections is 51.
Japan confirmed 32 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,172 in the country, including 42 deaths.
Singapore will close all entertainment places until April 30, and ban activities involving more than 10 people as the total number of infections rose to 558.
Philippines reported 90 new cases with two new deaths, bringing the total number to 552 infections and 35 deaths. Philippine Airlines suspended all international flights from March 26 to April 14.
Saudi Arabia reported its first death case on Tuesday. A total of 767 infections were confirmed of which 205 are new.
Rwanda recorded 17 new infection cases on Monday, 16 of which had a history of overseas travel; the total cases confirmed climbed to 36.
Dow Jones opens up over 1,200 points
U.S. stocks opened sharply higher on Tuesday as hopes build that Congress will pass a virus economic relief package.
The Dow Jones Industrial average jumped more than 1,200 points at the open.
Abe: Japan, IOC decide to postpone 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach agreed on Tuesday to postpone the Tokyo Olympics until no later than the summer of 2021, NHK reported.
"I proposed to postpone for about a year and president Bach responded with 100-percent agreement," Shinzo Abe told reporters.
Abe said he had secured agreement from the head of the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Games and then hold them "in a complete form as a testament to mankind's defeat of the new virus."
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Egypt to impose curfew amid COVID-19 outbreak
Egypt will impose a curfew starting Wednesday to prevent people from going out between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
Meanwhile, Egypt will adopt a series of more stringent epidemic control measures, including closure of all shops from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and a full close on weekends. All entertainment venues will be closed, and restaurants will only be allowed to provide delivery services.
Madbouly said the Egyptian government will take more drastic measures to protect people's health at the appropriate time depending on the epidemic situation.
U.S. could become new coronavirus epicenter, says WHO
Noting that the World Health Organization is seeing a "very large acceleration" in coronavirus infections in the United States, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris on Tuesday cautioned that the U.S. could potentially become the virus' new epicenter.
Over 46,000 cases were confirmed in the U.S., and 533 deaths have been reported so far.
Xiangyang Airport, Enshi Airport and Shennongjia Airport in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, will resume flights starting Wednesday, the Hubei Airport Company said on Tuesday.
The move came on the heels of the Hubei Health Commission's Tuesday announcement that residents of Wuhan, the city hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak in the province, will be allowed to travel outside the city starting April 8.
People in Wuhan will be allowed to travel outside the city and the province if they follow a green health code, meaning no contact with anyone infected with or suspected of having COVID-19, the commission said, adding that other cities in the province will lift travel curbs on March 25.
Meanwhile, colleges and universities, primary and secondary vocational schools, technical colleges and kindergartens in the province will remain closed.
China reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Tuesday, with the vast majority brought in from overseas.
On Monday, one new case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Hubei, and seven new deaths were reported in the region – all in Wuhan.
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Wuhan to lift restrictions on outbound travelers starting April 8
Iran reports 1,762 new coronavirus cases, total at 24,811
A total of 1,762 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Iran in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number to 24,811.
So far, the death toll stands at 1,934 in Iran.
China bars entry to four foreigners accused of violating epidemic prevention and control policy
Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection has barred entry to four foreigners suspected of violating Beijing's epidemic prevention and control policy who planned to re-enter China during the stipulated quarantine period after leaving the country.
Starting from March 16, all people entering Beijing are required to undergo intensive quarantine observation. Through big data screening, the border inspection in Beijing found that some people violated the policy, and even went to and from severely affected countries to engage in purchasing activities on behalf of others.
Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection also investigated and dealt with a number of Chinese nationals by barring them from leaving the country for refusing to follow epidemic prevention and control policy.
The Chinese center for disease control and prevention (CDC) said China has set up three lines of defense against the possible impact of COVID-19 imported cases, including surveillance at entry points and quarantine observation.
The CDC's first line of defense is customs screening; the second line of defense is placement into isolated observation for 14 days; the third line of defense is the transfer of symptomatic patients to a hospital to be reviewed by a medical doctor.
So far, imported cases from China have largely been stuck in the first and second phases, while no one has yet to reach the third phase, suggesting that the three lines of defense are well positioned to prevent the re-emergence of COVID-19 imported cases.
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Wuhan to lift restrictions on outbound travelers starting April 8
In a bid to resume the outbound movement of people, the health commission of central China's Hubei Province announced on Tuesday that residents of Wuhan, hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, will be allowed to travel outside the city starting April 8.
People in Wuhan will be allowed to travel outside the city and the province if they hold a green health code - meaning no contact with any infected or suspected COVID-19 cases, the commission said, adding that other cities in the province will lift travel curbs on March 25.
Meanwhile, colleges and universities, primary and secondary vocational schools, technical colleges and kindergartens in the province will remain closed.
China reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Tuesday, with the vast majority brought in from overseas.
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380 of 427 imported coronavirus cases in China are Chinese nationals
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that 380 of 427 imported coronavirus cases reported in China as of end of Monday are Chinese nationals.
Laos confirms first two COVID-19 cases
Health Ministry official in Laos confirmed the country's first two cases of COVID-19 during a press conference on Tuesday.
Finland's former president Martti Ahtisaari, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the president's office said on Tuesday.
"The infection was confirmed on Monday, March 23. President Ahtisaari is doing well, considering the situation," the office said in a statement.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Tuesday that the government will issue an emergency decree, which will be effective on Thursday, to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the emergency rule, the government is setting up ad hoc committees to steer the stringent measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the prime minister.
Nevertheless, no curfew has been declared yet.
On Tuesday, 106 new cases of COVID-19 infection were reported in Thailand, totalling to 827, including four fatalities.
The prime minister said the emergency decree will empower authorities to impose curfews, travel bans, and close down buildings without warrants.
Security officers will also have the power to censor and shut down media if deemed necessary.
Shanghai to halt intl. flights at Hongqiao airport after Wednesday
Starting from Wednesday midnight, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport will halt all international, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan inbound and outbound flights, according to the Shanghai municipal authority.
Flights scheduled prior to the deadline will be moved to Pudong airport, but Hongqiao airport will remain operational for backup landings.
The decision was made to focus efforts on preventing imported coronavirus cases as Shanghai now stands as one of the hot spots of imported cases in China.
Answer Bank: When should you go to hospital amid COVID-19 pandemic?
Amid the global spread of coronavirus, people around the world are being asked to stay indoors, observe social distancing and avoid crowds. But what happens when you start feeling sick? Medical professionals recommend you to seek medical help and visit a hospital if you exhibit any or a combination of the following:
1. High fever over 39°C
2. Dyspnea, including aggravated chest tightness and shortness of breath after activity
3. Decreased consciousness, including excessive sleepiness, delirium and day/night confusion
4. Diarrhea
UN expert terms coronavirus-related expressions of xenophobia 'irresponsible'
A UN expert on Monday said that adopting an alternative name for the coronavirus with geographic references and expressions of xenophobia is "irresponsible" and "discriminatory."
"It's dismaying to witness state officials – including the President of the United States – adopting alternative names for the COVID-19 coronavirus," Tendayi Achiume, UN's special rapporteur on racism, stressed in a media statement.
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German coronavirus cases rise by 4,764 cases to 27,436
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen by 4,764 to reach 27,436, the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said on Tuesday.
The death toll now stands at 114, an increase of 28 from the 86 published on Monday.
Latest on coronavirus in Asia and Oceania
Japan: The total number of people infected with COVID-19 stood at 1,141 as of 11:00 a.m. The death toll currently stands at 52, including those from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach will hold a telephone conference on Tuesday night to discuss the fate of 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
India: Confirmed cases have reached 492, among which 451 are Indian nationals.
Thailand: 106 new cases and three new deaths were recorded. The country now has 827 cases and four fatalities since the outbreak began.
Singapore: 54 new cases were detected, the biggest one-day surge, bringing the national total up to 509 cases.
New Zealand: 40 new cases were detected, bringing the total number to 142. The country will activate the highest alert of level four midnight on Wednesday after which all people are required to self isolate.
Fiji: The country's fourth case was detected. The patient is a 28-year-old Fijian man returned from Australia.
Australia: A total of 1,823 cases of novel coronavirus were reported as of Monday with New South Wales being the hardest hit state with 818 cases. Death toll now stands at seven.
Also the Ruby Princess cruise ship registered the death of a 70-year-old female passenger. The ship docked in Sydney Harbor last Thursday after returning from New Zealand.
China to punish foreigners who violate border quarantine rules
Foreign nationals, like Chinese nationals, will be punished if their behavior amounts to the crime of impairing frontier quarantine measures while arriving in China, an official with the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Tuesday.
"No matter it's a Chinese citizen, a foreign citizen, or a stateless person, their acts will comply with Chinese laws and judicial standards, and they will be held criminally responsible," the official said.
China has tightened border quarantine against infectious diseases with a guideline issued on March 16 warning arrivals that they could face criminal penalties if they do not abide by relevant rules.
The guideline listed six kinds of behaviors that could constitute the crime of impairing frontier quarantine measures, targeting individuals who spread or risk spreading a "quarantinable infectious disease" identified by the State Council such as plague, cholera, yellow fever and COVID-19.
Trump says Asian-Americans not responsible for virus, need protection
Under fire for calling the coronavirus the "Chinese virus," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Asian-Americans were not responsible for spreading the disease and needed to be protected.
"It is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world," the president tweeted on Monday. "They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus.... is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER!"
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Macao tightens restrictions on non-resident arrivals
Macao will ban all visitors from the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Taiwan who have traveled overseas from entering the region starting Wednesday, Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Anyone who has visited Hong Kong and Taiwan within 14 days before their entry to Macao is required to undergo a 14-day medical observation at a place designated by health authorities, added Ho.
Senior IOC official Pound says Tokyo Olympics will be postponed amid mounting public pressure
As the Japanese government is facing growing pressure to rip up years of planning for the Tokyo Olympics, veteran International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound revealed on Monday that the Games would be postponed until 2021, with details yet to be worked out.
"On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided," Pound told USA Today. "The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know."
"It will come in stages. We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense," added Pound, the longest-serving IOC member.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping holds phone talks with world leaders over COVID-19
Viruses know no national boundaries or races, and only by working together can mankind win the battle against them, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night.
Both leaders voiced support for the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
China is ready to provide support and help for Britain, said President Xi, adding that he is confident that Britain will surely prevail over the epidemic under Johnson's leadership.
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A customs officer answers questions for inbound passengers on a flight at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, March 18, 2020. /Xinhua
Authorities in Beijing are increasing their COVID-19 preventive and screening measures, requiring all people arriving from overseas to undergo nucleic acid testing and concentrated medical observations starting March 25, Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.
Previously, only four types of arrivals were subjected to the test: those with COVID-19 symptoms, those with an epidemiological history, those showing signs of infection, and those with necessity to test.
According to the report, those who enter the city and have traveled from overseas to China in the past 14 days will also be subject to centralized quarantine and testing for COVID-19.
The move came as the Chinese mainland recorded 78 new COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths on Monday. Of the new confirmed cases, 74 were imported infections, up from 39 a day earlier.
Beijing reported 31 newly confirmed imported cases on Monday as the total number nationwide stands at 427.
Read more:
COVID-19: 78 new cases, seven more deaths on Chinese mainland
What's life like under quarantine in Beijing for overseas returnees?
South Korea reports 76 more COVID-19 cases, 9,037 in total
South Korea reported 76 more cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking its total infections to 9,037, the country's health authorities said.
Meanwhile, nine new deaths were registered, and as of Monday, a total of 120 people have died.
On Monday, 341 more patients were discharged after recovery, taking its total number of recovered cases to 3,507.
Washington governor issues stay-at-home order to fight COVID-19
Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Monday issued a two-week stay-at-home order to fight the COVID-19 spread.
Effective immediately, all Washingtonians must stay at home unless they are pursuing an essential activity, said Inslee.
Melania Trump tests negative for COVID-19
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump tested negative for COVID-19, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a briefing on Monday.
The president, Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence have all been tested for coronavirus, and all were negative.
Staff members conduct disinfection at an airport in Shangri-la of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 17, 2020. /Xinhua
Seventy-eight new COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission.
Of the new confirmed cases, 74 were imported infections.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland has reached 81,171, while the cumulative death toll now stands at 3,277.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 456 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 73,159.
The 74 imported cases were detected in 12 provinces and municipalities, including 31 in Beijing, 14 in Guangdong and nine in Shanghai.
The total number of imported cases in the country now totals 427.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 356 (101 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 25 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 195 (29 recovered, 2 dead)
Hubei reports 1 new COVID-19 case in 6 days, patient is a doctor in Wuhan
Central China's Hubei Province reported one new case of coronavirus in six days and the patient is a doctor from Wuhan University's Renmin (People's) Hospital, according to the Wuhan health commission.
The city confirmed the doctor has worked recently in a hospital and it has not ruled out nosocomial, or hospital-acquired, infection.
According to the latest provincial report, seven more deaths were registered on Monday in the capital city of Wuhan, and 444 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery on the same day.
Among the 4,200 patients under treatment in hospitals, 1,203 were still in severe condition and another 336 in critical condition, according to the local government.
COVID-19 cases in U.S. top 43,000, death toll crosses 500
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 43,000 by 6:16 p.m. local time Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
On Monday, more than 100 deaths were reported in a single day, marking the first time since the outbreak that the number of daily deaths in the country rose to triple digits.
Global number of COVID-19 cases surpasses 330,000: WHO
The number of COVID-19 cases has hit 332,930, with 14,510 deaths, according to the latest report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"The pandemic is accelerating," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing from the organization's Geneva headquarters.
So far, 189 countries and regions have been affected by the coronavirus.
Here's the latest coronavirus development in the past 12 hours.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered a three-week lockdown, urged people to "stay at home," with few exceptions. Death toll in the county hit 303.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's initial test for coronavirus came back negative, and she will undergo further tests.
France's coronavirus death toll increased by 186 in a day, raising total to 860.
Italy reported 4,789 more cases, bringing the total to 63,927, while the death toll rose by 601 to 6,077. In addition, Italy's "patient one," a 38-year-old male, was discharged on Monday. He had attended at least three dinners, played soccer and ran with a team while contagious and without heavy symptoms. He was tested positive for the virus on February 20.
EU institutions in Brussels reported their first death from COVID-19 – a male employee of the European Parliament.
2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed by one year because of the coronavirus, International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound said. But official announcement is yet to be made. Previously, Norway said it would pull out of the Games if the event was not postponed.
The U.S. military said it will set up army hospitals in New York and Seattle within 72 hours, with each housing 248 beds and 11 ventilators.
Myanmar reported first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus – two Myanmar nationals who recently returned from the U.S. and the UK.
Belize reported it's first case of COVID-19 – a woman, 38, from San Pedro Town, who returned from the U.S.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Johnson says people will only be allowed to leave home for “very limited purposes.” Johnson also said the police will enforce the lockdown, according to the Guardian.
Myanmar has reported their first two coronavirus cases. Authorities say they are imported cases from the U.S. and the UK.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a media statement on the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, March 22, 2020. Michel Kappeler/Pool via REUTERS
Angela Merkel's initial test for coronavirus came back negative, a government spokesman said on Monday, adding that the German chancellor would undergo further tests.
Merkel went into quarantine on Sunday after coming into contact with a coronavirus-infected doctor. German Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz said earlier on Monday that Merkel was healthy but working from home.
A woman wearing a face mask walks on a downtown street Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, March 16, 2020. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe).
South African health authorities have announced 128 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's total number of recognized cases to 402.
The spike in cases represents a 46% increase over a 24-hour period in a country that has become the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The latest announcement from South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases marks the first time COVID-19 has been detected in the country's Northern Cape province. Two cases have now been confirmed in that massive, sparsely populated territory.
South Africa has deployed one of the most aggressive testing regimens on the continent, with nearly 13,000 people tested since the outbreak began.
The country has yet to record any deaths from the novel coronavirus.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gestures during a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquaters on March 2, 2020 in Geneva. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images
The coronavirus pandemic that's spread to nearly every country in the world is picking up pace, the World Health Organization said Monday, as global cases eclipsed 350,000 and deaths soared past 15,000.
"The pandemic is accelerating,”WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing from the organization's Geneva headquarters. “It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases.”
Tedros said he'll be asking the G20, the international group of government and central bank leaders, to ramp up production of personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses and to avoid placing export bans on the life-saving gear. WHO had already been asking suppliers of protective gear to prioritize sending the equipment to regions most affected by the virus and discouraged stockpiling of protective gear by the general public.
"We need unity among the G20 countries who have more than 80% of the global GDP,” he said. “If we don't prioritize protecting health workers, many people will die because the health worker who could have saved their lives is sick.”
World health officials estimate more than 26 million health-care workers may end up treating COVID-19 patients. On Friday, WHO officials warned the outbreak could overwhelm health systems around the world in just a few weeks.
(Source: CNBC)
Tokyo Olympics 2020 banner.PHOTO/GettyImages
The president of Norway's national athletics foundation NIF followed Canada on Monday in declaring that she doesn't want to send any Norwegian athletes to the next Summer Olympics if it's not postponed.
NIF President Berit Kjøll, backed by Norway's government minister in charge of culture and sports, Abid Raja, cited the threat and global disruption from the Corona virus, along uncertainty among athletes themselves who currently can't train on an equal footing for the summer games. Most all sports facilities are shut down in Norway, travel is difficult if not impossible and sporting events leading up to the Olympics, scheduled to being in Tokyo in July, have been cancelled.
Kjøll said she had hoped the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would have postponed the Summer Olympics and Paralympics already. Since that sill hasn't happened, she said she was asking NIF's board for a formal decision to not send any Norwegian athletes in Tokyo in July.
"I'm certain that the IOC, Japanese officials and Tokyo's Olympic organizing committee will act responsibly and set a new date for (a summer Olympics in) Tokyo as quickly possible,” Kjøll said at a press conference in Oslo on Monday.
Several Norwegian athletes, including sand volleyball player and medal candidate Anders Moi, called a postponement “sensible,” with most expecting a new Olympics in the summer of 2021.
(Source: Norway News)
Latest on COVID-19 in Europe
Spain's death toll climbed to 2,182 after 462 deaths in 24 hours, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 33,089. There are nearly 4,000 health workers infected with the coronavirus in Spain, more than one in 10 of total confirmed cases.
The Netherlands reported 545 more infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 4,749 with 213 deaths. The average age of death is 82.
France reported that the death toll rose by 112 on Sunday to 674, with the number of confirmed infections increasing by 1,559 to 16,018. Two more doctors have died after contracting coronavirus.
Hungary reported 36 new cases and one new death for a total of 3,401 cases and 7 deaths. The government is weighing the option of a national lockdown to combat the outbreak.
Belgium confirmed 343 new cases and 12 new deaths for a total of 3,743 cases and 88 deaths.
U.S. stocks plunge despite Fed announcing market support
U.S. stocks on Monday opened low again, even though the Federal Reserve introduced tools to support the market during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 145.62 points, or 0.76%, at the opening to 19,028.36. The S&P 500 opened lower by 14.21 points, or 0.62%, at 2,290.71.
McDonald's closes all stores in UK and Ireland due to coronavirus
McDonald's announced that it will temporarily close all of its 1,270 restaurants in the UK and Ireland from 7 p.m. local time on Monday to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
In a statement on Sunday night, Paul Pomroy, UK and Ireland CEO of McDonald's, said: "Over the last 24 hours, it has become clear that maintaining safe social distancing whilst operating busy takeaway and Drive Thru restaurants is increasingly difficult."
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The U.S. Federal Reserve on Monday mounted an extraordinary new array of programs to offset the "severe disruptions" to the economy caused by the coronavirus outbreak, backstopping an unprecedented range of credit for households, small businesses and major employers.
The new programs mean the Fed will lend against student loans, credit card loans, and U.S. government backed-loans to small businesses, and buy bonds of larger employers and make loans to them in what amounts to four years of bridge financing.
A new "Main Street Business Lending Program" that will extend credit to small and medium-sized businesses will also be announced "soon," the Fed said.
Existing purchases of U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities will be expanded as much as needed "to support smooth market functioning and effective transmission of monetary policy to broader financial conditions and the economy."
"It's their bazooka moment," said Russell Price, chief economist at Ameriprise Financial Services in Troy, Michigan. "It's their we'll do whatever it takes moment which should be a sign to financial markets and investors that the Fed will provide any and all liquidity necessary to support the economy through this period."
Stock futures rose, reversing earlier losses, and U.S. Treasury yields also ticked higher.
The move also helped lower risk premiums in key corporate credit markets that have been disrupted in the outbreak, analysts said.
In a statement the Fed said the effort, approved unanimously by members of the Federal Open Market Committee, was taken because "it has become clear that our economy will face severe disruptions" as a result of the health crisis.
Nearly a third of the U.S. population is subject to new rules that close non-essential businesses and discourage people from leaving their homes in order to slow the spread of the virus.
China says U.S. accusation of info cover-up is simply a hoax
China restated on Monday that it has been sharing information with the world on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a transparent and timely way and the accusations of cover-up by the United States is simply a hoax.
Geng Shuang, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that the U.S. government conceived the plan of defaming China for allegedly hiding up information on the spread of the epidemic, at a press conference on Monday.
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Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Russia registered 71 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's total to 438.
Vietnam announced on Monday afternoon that two more people had tested positive for the COVID-19, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 118.
Australia's total number of confirmed cases soared from 1,098 on Sunday morning to 1,479 Monday morning and then to 1,709 Monday afternoon.
Israel confirmed a huge daily increase of 167 new cases as 5,268 tests took place in one day for an overall total at 1,238.
UK government opened the first part of a 330-billion-pound loan guarantee scheme for businesses on Monday that's aimed at helping small and medium-sized firms borrow up to 5 million pounds to deal with coronavirus stoppages.
Uzbekistan will lock down its capital city Tashkent from Tuesday as 46 confirmed cases were registered in the city of more than 2.5 million. The government has already shut down public transit in the capital and ordered most businesses to switch to remote working.
Iran's death toll climbed to 1,812 with 127 new deaths; total confirmed cases rose to 23,049 of which 1,411 are new.
Greece recorded a rise of 94 infections which brought the total to 624, with fatalities increasing to 15. It suspended flights from Britain and Turkey, as a lockdown took effect in the country.
Germany reported a total of 22,672 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, with the death toll rising to 86. The government has agreed to an economic rescue package worth hundreds of billions of dollars, according to AFP.
Warm weather likely to weaken indirect transmission of coronavirus
The rising mercury in many countries is likely to weaken the indirect transmission of the novel coronavirus, controlling a major source of the ongoing pandemic.
High temperatures lower the coronavirus' ability to cause infections, which might reduce the spread of the COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus, shows a series of studies released recently.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 341,000: Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 has now infected more than 341,000 people worldwide and caused more than 14,700 fatalities, but at least 98,866 patients have recovered, according to the latest real-time data released by Johns Hopkins University.
In addition, the data shows that more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States and the death toll stands at 471 in the country.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Committee says postponement being considered
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Committee said on Monday that postponement of the Games was being considered due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to local media reports.
On the same day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said for the first time that the Games might be postponed if it cannot be held in its "complete form". Both Canada and Australia have said they will not send athletes to compete at the Games due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
As of Monday, Japan has confirmed a total of 1,814 cases of COVID-19 with 49 deaths, according to health authorities.
Beijing diverts all international flights to set first entry points
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has announced that all international passenger flights bound for Beijing will be diverted to 12 designated first points of entry into China starting from Monday.
The measure is conducive to strictly controlling the importation of foreign epidemic diseases into the capital and improving the health protection of passengers on international flights. It is also instrumental in improving the efficiency of customs clearance for incoming passengers. The CAAC said Beijing Capital International Airport has more than 200 international passenger flights coming from 33 countries each week.
China to ban entry for foreigners who not meet requirements
China's National Immigration Administration said on Monday that foreigners who do not meet the entry requirements, do not truthfully answer the inspectors' questions, do not truthfully fill in information or do not go through the required procedures will not be allowed to enter the country.
Hong Kong will ban the entry of all non-residents to the city for 14 days starting from Wednesday to contain the spread of COVID-19, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam declared on Monday.
The announcement came amid growing pressure to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Hong Kong. The city reported 317 confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. on Sunday, with the majority of newly-confirmed cases having traveled abroad.
According to Lam, the Hong Kong airport will also stop all transit flights, and anyone entering from Macao or Taiwan must undergo 14 days of quarantine.
She urged people to strictly comply with the law, warning that the government will "tackle these cases severely" for people who breach the quarantine orders.
Lockdown imposed in Indian capital till month-end to curb COVID-19 spread
India has declared a lockdown in its capital Delhi from Monday until March 31 in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Announcing the decision on Sunday evening, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the lockdown had been decided as a precautionary measure.
The number of positive cases in the country has reached 421.
So far, seven people have died of COVID-19 in India.
Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai says U.S. started coronavirus blame game, refutes cover-up accusation
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said it is Washington that first started the coronavirus blame game, as the war of words between the two giant economies continued.
It is "very harmful" for diplomats and journalists to speculate the origin of COVID-19, it is a job for the scientists, Cui said in an interview with AXIOS and HBO on March 17, calling on Washington's politicians to stop spreading conspiracy theories.
The interview script was made public on March 23 on the website of the Chinese Embassy.
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Graphics: How delays in U.S. response influenced COVID-19 spread
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States climbed above 30,000 on Sunday. The dramatic increase indicates how much the virus has spread throughout the country, but also stems from more availability of test kits after weeks of delay.
Like other countries that were hit late but are now overwhelmed with cases, such as Italy and Iran, the U.S.' failure to control the virus, in part, is the result of limited testing capacity.
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COVID-19 Global Roundup: The impact of coronavirus on prisons
With the global pandemic infiltrating every corner of the world, many are beginning to worry about the dire consequences of its arrival in prisons. Given that prisons are crammed with inmates confined to limited space and suffer from poor sanitary conditions, the penetration of coronavirus could deal a fatal blow to sites that are meant to house people convicted of crimes.
Succumbing to such fears, a prison riot in Colombia's capital Bogota broke out late on Saturday, which left 23 prisoners dead and 83 injured, the justice minister said on Sunday, as detainees protested sanitary conditions amid the global outbreak of coronavirus.
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Answer Bank: Are people who smoke cigarettes more at risk of COVID-19?
A study published on the medRxiv website found significantly higher ACE2 gene expression in former smoker's lungs compared to non-smoker's lungs, which means ACE2 may be a potential invasive receptor of SARS-CoV-2 and smokers may be more susceptible to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Considering that SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-nCov share the same receptor, the study analyzed five large-scale bulk transcriptomic datasets of normal lung tissue and two single-cell transcriptomic datasets to investigate the disparities related to race, age, gender and smoking status in ACE2 gene expression and its distribution among cell types, and they found ACE2 gene expression is significantly higher.
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Huangshi becomes Hubei's first city to resume normal life
Huangshi City in Hubei Province, one of the worst-hit areas by the novel coronavirus, has become the first city in the province to resume normal life, according to a notice issued Sunday night by the local disease prevention and control department.
Starting Monday, all forms of personal and public transportation, which have been strictly restricted for the past two months, have resumed, and most businesses are allowed to reopen to the public.
Control points across the city will be removed, except for those at major transportation areas, including train stations and highway entrances.
Meanwhile, the city will also step up its "health file" for residents and arrange patrols to prevent people from gathering, the notice added.
Mahathir tests negative for coronavirus, still under quarantine
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad tested negative for the novel coronavirus but is still under home quarantine after coming into contact with a politician who was infected with the virus, according to his aide.
The 94-year-old also posted a video clip of him staying at home on social media.
"I am under quarantine. Imprisoned at home. It's very boring but I try to lessen the boredom by doing a bit of reading, writing etc. Also watching videos," Mahathir said in the video clip.
Latest on coronavirus in Asia and Oceania
South Korea on Monday reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since its peak on February 29. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said there were 64 new cases on Monday, taking the national tally to 8,961. The death toll rose by one to 110.
Japan confirmed a total of 1,814 cases with 49 deaths, according to health authorities. Prime Minister Abe said inbound passengers from the U.S. to Japan should quarantine for 14 days.
Thailand reported 122 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, raising the total number to 721.
Vietnam's health ministry reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 113.
The Philippines reported 16 new cases, bringing the total number to 396. A total of 33 people have died from the infection.
Cambodia reported two new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 86, health authorities said.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has declared a nationwide state of emergency in the country after the nation confirmed its first coronavirus case.
Australia saw a significant spike in the number of coronavirus cases on Monday morning with the amount of people infected jumping from 1,355 to 1,630, with 48 cases confirmed on the cruise ship Ruby Princess.
New Zealand raised nationwide alert by one level to alert level three. The nation reported 36 more cases on Monday morning, taking its tally across the 100 mark to 102.
Following Canada, Australia tells athletes to prepare for 2021 Tokyo Olympics
Australian Olympic officials Monday said "it was clear" that the Tokyo Games could not go ahead as scheduled and told its athletes to instead prepare for the event in 2021.
The decision was announced shortly after Canada said it's not sending athletes to Tokyo Games, which is due to held in July despite both the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government shifting their tones on the timing of the Games.
Australian Team Chef de Mission for Tokyo Ian Chesterman said it's clear the Games can't be held in July.
And Australian officials said they want to prioritize the health of athletes amid the pandemic and "an Australian Team could not be assembled in the changing circumstances at home and abroad."
Click here to read the full statement from Australian Olympic Committee.
Canada will not send athletes to Tokyo Olympics
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) called for the Tokyo Olympic Games to be postponed by one year.
They said that they will not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.
China sends team of medical experts on COVID-19 to Cambodia
A team of Chinese medical experts on COVID-19 left for Cambodia on Monday to help contain the coronavirus outbreak in the Southeast Asian country.
The team of experts, organized by the National Health Commission, consists of personnel selected by the Health Commission of southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Cambodia has registered 84 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday night.
Africa gets supplies from China's Jack Ma to combat COVID-19
As African countries shut borders amid fears of the disease's impact on fragile health systems, Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma pledged to donate over one million testing kits to the continent.
Tanzania, Liberia, Benin and Somalia recently reported their first cases. So far, the continent of 1.3 billion people has registered only around 1,100 cases spread across 43 countries, with 39 deaths, a tiny fraction of the more than 305,000 people infected and more than 13,000 deaths worldwide.
"We cannot ignore the potential risk to Africa and assume this continent of 1.3 billion people will blissfully escape the crisis. The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a coronavirus pandemic in Africa," Ma's foundation said in a statement.
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New Zealand raises alert level, prepares for nationwide lockdown
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the nationwide alert was raised by one level to alert level three effective immediately, and the country would prepare to enter level 4 – the highest alert after two days.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, Ardern also explained measures including requiring schools in the country to close from Tuesday and all non-essential services to be shuttered.
But supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open, Ardern added, assuring the country was well supplied.
New Zealand reported 36 more cases on Monday morning, taking the country's tally across the 100 mark to 102. And among the 36 cases, two are related to community transmission.
Abe says Tokyo Olympics postponement possible
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament on Monday that the Tokyo Olympic Games could be postponed because of the global spread of the coronavirus, adding that canceling the Games is impossible.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Sunday after an emergency meeting that it is stepping up its "scenario planning" for the Tokyo 2020 Games – including a possible postponement – as the coronavirus pandemic spreads.
Abe said the IOC decision on Sunday was in line with the view that the Tokyo Games should be held in its complete form.
Trump declares major disaster in California
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in California to help the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with “mass care,” emergency aid, unemployment assistance and disaster legal services, according to White House.
A total of 39 new COVID-19 cases, all originating abroad, and nine more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Sunday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,093, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,270.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 459 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing to 72,703 the total number of recovered cases.
The 39 imported were registered in nine provinces and municipalities including 10 respectively in Beijing and Shanghai as well as six each in Fujian and Guangdong provinces.
Total number of imported cases is now 353.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 317 (100 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 21 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 169 (28 recovered, 2 dead)
Hubei reports zero new COVID-19 cases for 5th consecutive day
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the country, reported zero new infections for the fifth straight day. According to the provincial health commission, nine new deaths were recorded as of midnight on Sunday.
On the same day, 447 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
WHO: COVID-19 cases top 292,000 globally, death toll over 12,000
At least 292,142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 23:59 CET (2259 GMT) Saturday, with 12,784 deaths worldwide, according to a daily report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.
According to the report, the European region is the most affected area with over 151,293 confirmed cases and at least 3,438 deaths.
U.S. Senate fails to advance trillion-dollar rescue package
A trillion-dollar Senate proposal to rescue the reeling U.S. economy crashed to defeat Sunday after receiving zero support from Democrats, who said the Republican proposal failed to sufficiently help millions of Americans devastated by the coronavirus crisis.
The bill, which proposed up to two trillion U.S. dollars in funding for American families, thousands of shuttered or suffering businesses and the nation's critically underequipped hospitals, failed by a 47-47 vote when it needed 60 to pass.
A volunteer fills a container with hand sanitizer at the Foundry Distilling Co., Friday, March 20, 2020, in West Des Moines, Iowa. /AP
Trump declares major disaster in Washington state
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday declared that a major disaster exists in the state of Washington and ordered federal assistance to supplement the state, White House said in a statement.
New York was declared as a "major disaster" zone on Friday.
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Latest developments on coronavirus around the world
U.S.: President Donald Trump said the National Guard will be sent to New York, California and Washington states to help fight the coronavirus outbreak. Total number of infection cases passed 30,000.
First U.S. senator infected: Rand Paul of Kentucky becomes the first known senator to test positive for coronavirus.
First U.S. ambassador infected: U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso Andrew Young said Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Germany: Chancellor Angela Merkel is in self quarantine after a doctor who gave her a vaccination tested positive for the coronavirus.
The country also announced to ban public gatherings of more than two people.
France: Nationwide tally rose to 16,018, death toll jumped by 112 in a day to 674. Among the victims was a hospital doctor.
Italy: Death toll at 5,476 after a rise of 651; total number of infections jumped by 5,560 to 59,138.
Spain: Opera singer Placido Domingo said on Sunday he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation.
Saudi Arabia: A 21-day curfew to be imposed from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. starting Monday evening.
Syria: First coronavirus case confirmed.
Egypt: Number of infections rose to 327 after a 33-case rise. Four new deaths were also registered, bring the total to 14.
Mozambique: First case of novel coronavirus infection – a 75-year-old man who had recently returned from Britain.
New Jersey is joining the list of U.S. states imposing "stay-at-home" orders. Public gatherings are banned and only essential businesses can stay open. The state of Illinois just began a similar policy after its COVID-19 cases hit nearly 600. CGTN's Dan Williams has more from Chicago.
Mozambique is the 43rd country in Africa to confirm a case of COVID-19. /Getty Images
Mozambique has registered its first case of COVID-19, the country's Health Minister Armindo Tiago said on Sunday.
Tiago told a press conference that the patient is a 75-year-old man who had recently returned from Britain midway through March.
The confirmation comes days after Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced new measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. The regulations are due to take effect as from Monday, March 23 and will be in place for a period of 30 days.
Some of the measures include the closure of all public and private schools, a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all Mozambicans and foreigners entering the country, a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people (except those of national interest).
Others are the suspension of issuance of visas to foreigners and the cancellation of those already issued.
Mozambique becomes the 43rd country in Africa to confirm at least one case of COVID-19. The continent's cases have surpassed 1,000, prompting drastic measures by governments.
Many countries have imposed travel restrictions and limited public gatherings in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.
Russia will temporarily restrict all flights to and from foreign nations from Monday, except for those between foreign capitals or necessary for evacuation, according to the order of the Russian government.
An exception is made for regular flights connecting the Russian capital with 146 foreign capitals and charter flights that are necessary to carry repatriated individuals to their home nations, including Russia.
Emirates to suspend all passenger flights from March 25
Dubai carrier Emirates Airline announced on Sunday it will suspend all passenger flights from March 25 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
"Today we made the decision to temporarily suspend all passenger flights by 25 March 2020," the airline said on Twitter.
Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Iran reported 1,028 new cases and 129 deaths, total to 21,638 confirmed cases in the country, including 1,685 deaths.
Spain confirmed 384 new deaths, up 30 percent in 24 hours. The government decided to extend the state of emergency for another 15 days as the total number rose to 28,572.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein's recorded total number rose to 7,014, including 60 deaths.
Eritrea confirmed it's first case on Saturday, the disease has spread to 42 African countries so far.
Israel reported 62 new cases, bringing the total to 945, with one death. About 510,000 people were registered as unemployed in March, a four-fold increase to 16.5%.
Belgium reported 586 new cases and eight new deaths in the past 24 hours. A total of 3,401 cases were confirmed and 75 died in the country.
India confirmed 26 new cases, bringing the total to 341. The central and state governments have decided to suspend public transport in the 75 districts worst affected by the outbreak until March 31.
Singapore reported 23 new cases on Sunday, including 18 imported cases, meaning the total rose to 455. The government announced that all foreigners holding short-term visas are prohibited from entering or passing through Singapore.
Spain death toll spikes, French emergency powers, UK elderly urged to stay at home: COVID-19 daily bulletin
- Spain warned that "the worst is yet to come" after the country's death toll topped 1,700 and the number of confirmed cases rose to more than 28,000.
- Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ordered the closure of all businesses until 3 April with the exception of those required to maintaining the nation's supply chain.
- France's National Assembly voted for an emergency bill granting the government special powers to restrict freedom of movement and issue decrees for the requisition of certain goods and services over a period of two months.
- Up to 1.5 million vulnerable people in the UK who are at risk from COVID-19 should not step out of their homes for at least 12 weeks, the British government has announced.
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From nudge to shove: How the UK's COVID-19 strategy shifted over 7 days
The UK response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been met with a mix of curiosity and anger from experts at home and overseas, with accusations of passivity in Chinese media as recently as last Sunday, but over the past seven days the approach has rapidly accelerated from suggestions to orders and herds to isolation.
That journey, still slower and more incremental than in countries like Spain, Italy and France, will reshape life in Britain for years to come.
While there isn't a one-size fits all response — the UK does not have an epicenter, unlike China or Italy, which poses different challenges — the evidence from Asia has been that moving early and hard while testing extensively, isolating and tracing contacts of infected people is effective in slowing the spread of the virus.
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Ex-prisoner who recovered from COVID-19 bears no legal responsibility for Wuhan-Beijing trip
Beijing's Public Security Bureau on Sunday said it will not press charges against an ex-prison inmate, surnamed Huang, who left Wuhan, a city that has been on lockdown since January 23, and "snuck" into Beijing without any trouble.
Huang, 61, was discharged from Beijing's Ditan Hospital on March 15. She arrived in Beijing on February 22 after being released from Wuhan Women's Prison a day earlier. On February 24, she was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19.
Considering that Huang had been in prison, and was therefore unaware of the prevention and control measures of the epidemic in Beijing, the bureau decided not to bring charges against her, according to a statement by the bureau's Dongcheng branch.
Huang did not go out after returning to Beijing and did not put others at risk of infection, the statement added.
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Coronavirus may have existed in Italy since November: local researcher
As COVID-19 spreads across the world, many are interested in the origin of the virus behind this deadly disease. Fingers have been pointed at China, the U.S. and other places.
Recently, a pharmacological researcher provided another possible lead to National Public Radio (NPR), a U.S. media outlet.
Dr. Giuseppe Remuzzi, director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Italy, said he heard from general practitioners in the country's Lombardy region that "they remember having seen very strange pneumonia, very severe, particularly in old people in December and even November."
"This means that the virus was circulating, at least in [the northern region of Lombardy and before we were aware of this outbreak occurring in China," he told NPR.
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Chinese diplomat continues to question the real origin of COVID-19
Chinese diplomat Zhao Lijian on Sunday retweeted several tweets, with one of which suggested that COVID-19 has been in the United States for some time.
"I really think COVID-19 has been here in America for awhile," wrote Twitter user "the Lizard King," who said on description that she is a "mama."
"Do you guys remember how sick everyone was during the holidays/early January? And how everyone was saying they had the 'flu' and the flu shot 'didn't work'?"
Tensions between Beijing and Washington have mounted drastically after U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite a chorus of criticism coming from both other American officials and the Chinese government, Trump has repeated his frequent practice of racist virus-designation.
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Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong increase to 317
Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 44 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number to 317 in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Of all newly confirmed cases, 29 patients had overseas travel history, said an official for the CHP.
HK International Airport suspends interchange services to mainland
Hong Kong International Airport has issued a notice to suspend its interchange services to the Chinese mainland on Sunday amid of COVID-19 outbreak.
The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has imposed a mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Passengers who do not enter Hong Kong will have to arrange connecting flights with airlines to the Chinese mainland or elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport will not provide land and water interchange connections to the mainland.
19 provinces in China have recorded imported COVID-19 cases
As of Saturday, 19 provinces in China had recorded imported COVID-19 cases, nine of which reported their first imported case during the past week, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press briefing on Sunday.
China has reported 46 new coronavirus cases, all but one was imported as of midnight Saturday.
The indigenous COVID-19 case came from south China's Guangdong who was infected by a patient from abroad, said Mi.
Latest coronavirus developments in Asia
Thailand reported 188 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, its largest daily increase since the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the total number of infections to 599.
Japan reported a total of 1,060 cases as of Sunday morning, the death toll stands at 37.
South Korea on Sunday reported 98 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 8,897. South Korea began novel coronavirus tests on all arrivals from Europe.
India reported a total of 315 cases as of Sunday; four deaths have been reported so far.
Shanghai requires coronavirus testing for all inbound passengers
Mandatory coronavirus testing will be required for all inbound passengers to Shanghai in an effort to curb the spread of local imported infections, authorities said on Sunday.
PM Morrison: 80 percent Australia cases are imported, mostly from the U.S.
Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed around 80 percent of Australian coronavirus cases came from those who caught disease overseas or were in contact with someone who returned from abroad.
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As the world battles COVID-19, everyone should be more aware of the importance of self-protection. In this episode, we talk about how to disinfect properly and avoid putting yourself in a dangerous position, as mishandling disinfectants may cause unexpected harm.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson responds to coronavirus criticism
In a series of five tweets, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded to criticism from U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on the way China dealt with the coronavirus epidemic.
In a Friday morning tweet aimed at her Chinese counterpart, Ortagus wrote, "@SpokespersonCHN is right: This is a timeline the world must absolutely scrutinize," accusing China of having "ordered #COVID19 virus samples destroyed" by January 3.
Her tweet was an answer to Hua's earlier tweet. "China has been updating the U.S. on the coronavirus and its response since January 3. On January 15 the U.S. State Department notified Americans in China U.S. CDC's warning about the coronavirus. And now blame China for delay? Seriously?" Hua wrote on Thursday.
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Singapore to ban short-term visitors from entering the country
Singapore will not allow short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the country as a measure to prevent the spread of imported cases of the coronavirus, according to local authorities on Sunday.
In addition, only work pass holders providing essential services, such as in healthcare and transport, will be allowed to enter or return to Singapore.
The measure will take effect from 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday, the authorities said.
An inmate at a federal jail in New York City has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first confirmed case in the U.S. federal prison system, according to AP on Saturday.
The inmate has returned from the hospital and is in isolation at the jail, the report said.
Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has topped 20,000 as of 1:30 p.m. local time on Saturday (1730 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that New York City has become the hotspot of COVID-19, with over 6,200 cases.
Cuomo said that 55 percent of people in New York state who tested positive for novel coronavirus are between the ages of 18 and 49.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the state of New York over the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, wife test negative for coronavirus
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife have tested negative for coronavirus, his spokeswoman announced Saturday evening.
A total of 46 new COVID-19 cases, 45 of them imported from abroad, and six more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,054, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,261.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 504 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 72,244.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 273 (100 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 18 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 153 (28 recovered, 2 dead)
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the country, reported zero new infections for the fourth straight day. According to the provincial health commission, five new deaths were recorded as of midnight on Saturday.
On the same day, 490 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
Latest developments on coronavirus around the world
Italy: The death toll from coronavirus infection in Italy rose by 793 to 4,825. The total number of cases rose to 53,578 from 47,021, an increase of 13.9 percent. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered all businesses, except those considered essential to the supply chains, to close operations until April 3.
U.S.: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States rose to 25,493 as of 7:30 p.m. local time on Thursday (2330 GMT) with at least 307 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. Vice President Mike Pence said during a news conference on Saturday that he and his wife would be tested for the coronavirus.
UK: The number of COVID-19-related deaths has risen to 233. The number of confirmed cases rose by 1,035 to 5,018 in a day on Saturday.
France: At least a total of 14,459 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in France as of Saturday, with a death toll of 562.
Spain: Spain's death toll from the coronavirus epidemic soared on Saturday to 1,326, according to the country's Health Ministry latest data. The number of registered cases in the country rose to 24,926. The Spanish government warned on Saturday that "the worst is yet to come."
A total of 266,073 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 23:59 CET (2259 GMT) Friday, with 11,184 deaths worldwide, according to a daily report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday.
In the past 24 hours, 32,000 new infections and 1,344 more deaths have been reported worldwide, according to the international organization.
WHO regional directors in Europe, the Western Pacific and Africa have called for global solidarity in fighting COVID-19.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Italy rose by 793 to 4,825 on Saturday, according to officials.
The figures represent the the highest day-to-day rise in the number of deaths since the virus broke out a month ago. On Friday, 475 deaths were recorded in a single day. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Italy rose to 53,578 from a previous figure of 47,021.
Italy has already surpassed China as the country to register most deaths globally from the virus despite extensive measures to prevent the disease from spreading.
The northern region of Lombardy is the country's worst affected area clocking up 47 percent of all the country's infections.
The death toll in the region rose by 546 in a day to 3,095, officials said on Saturday.
The overall number of people who have died due to the coronavirus in Europe has surpassed 5,000.
Will the coronavirus pandemic make 'work from home' popular?
Non-essential staff at the UN headquarters began working from home earlier this week. Tech giants and small companies have also put in place remote work policies as the U.S. states of California and Illinois issue stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. Italy, France, Canada and numerous countries plagued by the outbreak are also joining life under lockdown in an unprecedented "working from home" movement that is changing the landscape.
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Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church shuts down churches nationwide over COVID-19 epidemic
Pope Tawadros II of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church announced on Saturday that Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church is shutting down all churches nationwide to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reported.
The ongoing pandemic spreading around the world is the worst health crisis Egypt has faced in centuries, said Pope Tawadros II.
Vietnam bars entry to all foreigners from Sunday
Starting Sunday, Vietnam will temporarily ban the entry of all foreigners into the country, except for entrants on diplomatic or official purposes or other special cases allowed, as part of its efforts to control the COVID-19 outbreak, the Vietnamese government announced.
By Saturday, Vietnam had confirmed 92 infections, but no deaths.
Two weeks of lockdown: Will the dawn of victory light Italy's darkest hour?
"This is our darkest hour," said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte two weeks ago when the country put Lombardy under lockdown to try to contain COVID-19, a large region in northern Italy that includes Milan and Bergamo.
One day later, the lockdown was extended to a national level, and on Thursday Conte announced that the lockdown would have to be extended beyond the current end-date of April 3 as Italy's daily death toll spiked.
Two weeks into the lockdown and with the number of cases increasing daily, it's important to review the country's strategy, as Italy becomes the hardest-hit country in Europe.
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COVID-19 cases exceed 20,000 in five countries
Here are the five countries where COVID-19 cases have exceeded 20,000 cases:
China has reported 81,416 confirmed cases, 3,261 deaths (including four in Hong Kong and two in Taiwan) and 71,876 recoveries.
Italy has recorded over 47,000 cases as the country's death toll surpassed that of China with at least 4,032.
Spain's health ministry says the number of coronavirus cases has risen to 24,926 from 19,980 and COVID-19 deaths in the country have risen to 1,326 from 1,002.
Germany has reported over 20,000 cases, local media said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman announced Friday that the government would re-evaluate its coronavirus containment measures.
Iran has confirmed 966 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country's total number of cases to 20,610, said the country's health ministry.
Hong Kong university entrance exams delayed amid coronavirus
Authorities in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said they will postpone the university entrance exams, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the decision at a press conference on Saturday, after the city's cases jumped to 273.
The exam was slated for March 27 and is now being pushed back to April 24.
Angola, East Timor and Zimbabwe report first cases
Angola has recorded two cases of COVID-19, the Minister of Health Silvia Lutukuta announced at a press conference Saturday morning in Luanda.
The patients are two men in their 30s, who entered Angola from Portugal on March 17 to 18, according to the minister.
Zimbabwe reported its first confirmed case after a man from Victoria Falls, who had traveled to the United Kingdom, tested positive.
The patient is under observation in the town, the Minister of Health and Child Care Obadiah Moyo said in a statement.
East Timor also detected its first case in a patient who had just returned from abroad.
The country's health authorities said the patient posed little risk to the public as he immediately consulted with doctors after showing symptoms of the sickness.
Beijing reports 14 new imported COVID-19 cases
Beijing reported 14 new imported cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Friday, a local official said Saturday.
Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing Center of Disease Control and Prevention, said seven of the confirmed cases were from the UK, two the United States, two from Spain, and three others from France, the Netherlands and Italy.
On Saturday, Beijing said that its district-level designated medical institutions have suspended admittance and treatment of COVID-19 patients starting from Friday midnight.
The medical institutions that no longer undertake COVID-19 cases will resume their normal services from midnight Sunday following terminal disinfection, according to an official for the local health commission.
COVID-19 cases top 20,000 in Iran as death toll rises to 1,556
In the past 24 hours, Iran reported 966 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 20,610, Iran's health ministry said on Saturday.
The country's death toll from the COVID-19 stands at 1,556 after 123 new deaths.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Scientists worry about coronavirus spread in Africa
Although coronavirus in the African region has received scant global attention, the continent is not spared from the reach of the virus. At least 38 of Africa's 54 countries now have COVID-19 cases and more are emerging.
So far, the official numbers seem to suggest that sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than one billion people, has been lucky. The interactive map of reported COVID-19 cases run by Johns Hopkins University shows big red blobs almost everywhere – except sub-Saharan Africa.
But now the numbers are rising quickly. South Africa, which reported its first case two weeks ago, now has 202, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the continent to more than 700 cases. Regional power South Africa warned of a new crisis once the virus begins to spread at home and into crowded low-income communities.
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China's imported coronavirus cases up to 269 in 10 days
The number of imported coronavirus cases China has detected increased from 85 to 269 between March 11, the day the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak as a "pandemic," and March 21, according to Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission on Saturday.
Friday marked the third day in a row in which no new local infections were reported. However, the country reported a record rise in imported coronavirus cases on Friday, said Mi, stressing the need to prevent a possible rebound.
China's imported coronavirus cases rose 216 percent in the past 10 days, as the world's confirmed cases increased 98 percent in the same period, according to Mi.
As governments in Italy, the United States and elsewhere grapple with the pandemic, people have been asked to self-isolate or stay at home for 14 days to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. China Media Group reporter Wang Meng explains from Tokyo, Japan what one needs for self-isolation.
Latest developments on coronavirus in Asia
Thailand has 89 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking its tally to 411. At least 44 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
India has confirmed a total of 258 cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday morning, according to local health authorities.
Singapore reported its first two deaths of novel coronavirus – a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man.
South Korea has reported 147 more cases of novel coronavirus, taking the country's total to 8,799 as of Friday midnight. So far, 102 people have died from the virus in the country, mostly elderly. A total of 2,612 people have been discharged from hospital.
Japan confirmed 1,016 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday evening, and the death toll in the country from the coronavirus currently stands at 43. Among the confirmed cases, the majority are in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, according to reports.
China's medical supplies donation to Philippines arrives in Manila
China has donated a total of 100,000 test kits for novel coronavirus and other medical supplies to the Philippines to help the country battle COVID-19. China's cargo flight, which carried the medical supplies, arrived in Manila on Saturday morning.
Along with the test kits, there were 10,000 personal protective equipment, 100,000 surgical masks and 10,000 N95 masks.
"We firmly believe that with our joint efforts in fighting the virus hand in hand, the China-Philippines relationship will be further deepened and strengthened," Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said in a speech at the ceremony.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin thanked China for its "tremendous help" amid concerns that the Philippines is running low of supply of COVID-19 test kits.
As of Friday, the country had reported 230 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths.
Brazil's Senate on Friday approved a presidential decree declaring a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, allowing the government to waive fiscal targets and free up budget resources to fight the virus that has killed seven and infected 621 in the country.
The decree passed the lower house on Wednesday. Faced with the deepening coronavirus crisis, lawmakers buried political differences and quickly approved the decree unanimously.
The decree, which is valid until December 31, sets up a congressional committee of six senators and six lower house representatives to monitor the measures taken by the government to deal with coronavirus and the cost to the treasury. The senators voted remotely under new social distancing procedures adopted after two of them tested positive for coronavirus, including senate president Davi Alcolumbre.
It was the first remote vote by the Senate using an online system in which the senators took turns to speak and vote via internet or smart phones and appeared on screens in a command center in the Senate.
(With input from Reuters)
Italy's coronavirus deaths surge by 627 in a day
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has leapt by 627 to 4,032, officials said on Friday, an increase of 18.4 percent – by far the largest daily rise in absolute terms since the contagion emerged a month ago.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for the state of New York due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, local media reported on Friday.
The move allows federal assistance to the state, which has the largest number of known confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the nation.
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Chinese striker Wu Lei reportedly among Espanyol players to test positive for COVID-19
Wu Lei, arguably the biggest name in Chinese football, is one of four Espanyol players who tested positive for COVID-19, according to several Spanish media outlets.
The Spanish first division's bottom club announced on Tuesday that six members of their team had been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Espanyol did not name the players or coaching staff who contracted the illness, but Spanish radio station Cadena COPE revealed on Friday that Wu was on the list of infected players.
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COVID-19 cases in U.S. exceeds 18,500, over 220 deaths
The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 18,500 as of 7:00 p.m. local time on Friday (2300 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
Washington, New York, and California topped the chart with 74, 42 and 19 deaths reported respectively, the CSSE said.
On Friday, the U.S. announced restrictions to non-essential travel across the U.S.- Mexico border, except for trade, to curb the spread of COVID-19.
A member of the U.S. vice president’s staff has tested positive, according to Mike Pence’s press secretary, adding that the person did not have close contact with Pence or U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump said a national lockdown was unnecessary at this stage. However New York, California, Illinois and Connecticut have ordered residents to stay indoors except for essential activities.
Hubei reports zero new COVID-19 cases for third day
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the country, reported zero new infections for the third straight day. According to the provincial health commission, seven new deaths were recorded as of midnight on Friday.
On the same day, 561 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
A total of 41 new COVID-19 cases, all of them imported from abroad, and seven more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Friday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 81,008, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,255.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 590 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 71,740.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 256 (98 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 17 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 135 (26 recovered, 2 dead)
A total of 234,073 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 23:59 CET Thursday, with 9,840 deaths worldwide, according to a daily report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday.
In the past 24 hours, 24,247 new infections and 1,061 more deaths from COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, according to the international organization.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom delivers his address in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom has urged the rest of the world to draw inspiration from Wuhan in the fight against COVID-19.
Speaking at the organization's press briefing on Friday, Tedros said the success achieved by the Chinese city was proof that the world can be victorious over COVID-19.
"Wuhan provides hope for the rest of the world that even the most serious situation can be turned around. We must exercise caution. The situation can be worse but the experience of cities and countries that have pushed back this virus give hope and courage to the rest of the world. Everyday, we are learning more about the virus and the diseases it causes," he said.
Tedros' remarks come as central China's Hubei Province reported no new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day.
The COVID-19 outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan in December 2019. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus that has since spread across China and abroad with confirmed cases around 250,000 globally.
Last week, WHO announced that Europe is currently the epicenter of the virus. Italy in particular has caused global concern due to the COVID-19 figures it records daily.
On Friday, Italy said it had recorded 627 new COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours, taking its number of fatalities to over 4,000. The country has recorded more than 47,000 COVID-19 cases in total.
The country is however hopeful that a team of Chinese medics deployed by the Chinese government will help it defeat COVID-19.
On March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the coronavirus situation in the U.S. was a "national emergency." However, over the past month, Trump has regularly sought to downplay the coronavirus threat. Here's a look back at how the U.S. president has spoken about COVID-19 since January 2020.
China announces to help 82 countries fight COVID-19
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Friday that the Chinese government has offered help to 82 countries, the World Health Organization and the African Union in the fight against COVID-19.
The medical supplies China has sent include test kits, masks and protective clothing and many countries have already received them, said Spokesperson Geng Shuang.
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The United States said Friday it was suspending all routine visa services around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. The State Department said in a travel advisory that U.S. embassies and consulates would still consider emergency visas if they have adequate staff.
"In response to significant worldwide challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of State is temporarily suspending routine visa services at all U.S. Embassies and Consulates," read an announcement on the website of the State Department.
Embassies and consulates will cancel all routine immigrant and non immigrant visa appointments as of March 20, according to the statement.
The U.S. has reported 14,250 confirmed cases so far and at least 200 deaths.
Latest situation in France: Nice under curfew, military helps more
Nice under curfew: Nice, the fifth largest city in France, will operate a curfew from 8:00 p.m. on Friday in response to coronavirus, reported local media citing Mayor Christian Estrosi.
The mayor has tested positive for the virus.
Empty restaurant terraces line a deserted street in Nice, southern France, March 15, 2020. /AP
Military helps cope with coronavirus:
France will use a helicopter warship to transfer coronavirus patients in a critical condition from the Mediterranean island of Corsica to hospitals in the southeast of the country, its armed forces minister said on Friday.
"Following a decision from the president, the Tonnerre helicopter carrier will soon dock to evacuate patients in intensive to health facilities that can take care of them," Florence Parly, the armed forces minister, said on Twitter.
Earlier this week patients were moved by a military plane from hard-hit eastern France to hospitals in Marseille and Toulon.
"The French army is also preparing to put in place a field hospital with 30 more intensive care units near the main Mulhouse hospitals" in eastern France, reported France 24.
Latest figures: 10,891 confirmed cases and 371 deaths have been reported in France so far.
Bavaria becomes first German state to impose lockdown
Germany's largest state Bavaria on Friday became the first region in the country to order a lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak.
"From midnight tonight for a provisional period of two weeks, there will be fundamental restrictions on going out," said state premier Markus Soeder.
"We are not locking Bavarians in but we are winding down public life almost completely," Soeder said at a press conference, adding that restaurants would be closed and residents would no longer be allowed to meet in groups outside.
A total 16,290 cases have been confirmed in Germany, with 44 deaths reported.
Five Chinese students test positive for coronavirus in Frankfurt
Five Chinese nationals are among 18 students who have tested positive for the new coronavirus at a language school in Frankfurt, Germany, the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt said on Friday.
The Chinese students, who have shown mild or no symptoms, are self-quarantining at home.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that a global recession "is a near certainty" and current national responses to the coronavirus pandemic "will not address the global scale and complexity of the crisis."
Iran, Spain report more coronavirus cases
1,237 new coronavirus cases were reported in the past 24 hours in Iran, bringing the total number to 19,644.
At least 1,433 deaths have been reported so far and 6,745 patients have recovered in the country.
The number of confirmed cases in Spain has jumped to 19,980 and 1,002 deaths were reported.
Timeline of China-U.S. communication on COVID-19 epidemic
Some senior U.S. officials have accused China of lack of transparency in reporting the COVID-19 situation within its borders. Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared on Friday highlights of the COVID-19 communication between Beijing and Washington in the past two months.
Jan. 3: China began to regularly brief the U.S. on the coronavirus situation and control measures.
Jan. 4: The departments for disease control and prevention from the two sides held phone talks, and both agreed to keep close communication.
Jan. 25: U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted, "China has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency."
Jan. 27: Chinese and U.S. health ministers held phone talks.
Jan. 29: China told the U.S. that the country can join the WHO coronavirus team.
Feb. 7: Leaders of both countries held a phone conversation.
Feb. 8: The two countries continued to discuss the U.S. participation in the China-WHO investigation team.
Feb. 11: Experts from both sides exchanged views on the new coronavirus.
Feb. 16-24: Members of the China-WHO coronavirus team, including two experts from the U.S., visited Beijing, the city of Wuhan and Guangdong and Sichuan provinces.
Mar. 12: The U.S. embassy was invited to attend a meeting held by China and the WHO.
Mar. 13: President Trump told reporters that China's information sharing is helpful to epidemic control.
South Korea's COVID-19 death toll climbs to 100, mostly elderly
The coronavirus death toll in South Korea has hit 100 and the majority of the victims are elderly patients with underlying diseases, South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has said.
South Korea reported its first death from the novel coronavirus on February 20.
The country's total number of infections stands at 8,652 after 87 new cases were detected on Thursday.
Latest on coronavirus in Germany: Confirmed cases near 14,000
The total number of coronavirus cases in Germany has reached 13,957 following an increase of 2,958 as of Thursday, the head of Germany's Robert Koch Institute said at a press conference on Friday.
The country's latest death toll stands at 31.
Germany has introduced temporary border controls with several countries including Austria, Switzerland and France since March 16.
Restrictions were also expanded to include flights from Italy, Spain, Austria, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland.
The German government has urged residents to stay at home and cut holidays at home and abroad. It also rolled out other measures to contain the spread of the virus including banning gatherings in churches and mosques and ordering non-essential shops as well as playgrounds to shut.
Niger confirms first case of coronavirus
Niger confirmed its first case of the coronavirus infection on Thursday, a 36-year-old Nigerian man who had recently traveled to Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, the country's health minister said in a statement.
The patient is now being isolated at a hospital and is in stable condition.
On the same day, the government also announced all classes at schools will be suspended starting next Monday.
On March 17, Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou said activities involving above 50 people will be prohibited.
The coronavirus has affected 36 countries in Africa with South Africa and Egypt among the hardest hit.
COVID-19: From spirits to sanitizers, distilleries and perfume plants lend a hand
Hand sanitizers have become a must-have accessory amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They are now one of the most sought-after products, with price gouging driving prices up and panic buying sweeping them off shelves in supermarkets.
Responding to shortages, perfume makers and distilleries are lending a hand by shifting productions to make sanitizers instead.
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12,000 medical workers supporting Hubei have left the province
As of Friday, 12,000 medical workers who headed to support Wuhan from other parts of China have finished their work and left Hubei in batches, an official from the National Health Commission said at a press conference held in Beijing on Friday.
Guo Yanhong said the majority of these medical workers used to work in temporary hospitals and designated hospitals treating non-critical patients in Hubei.
But experts and teams for critically-ill patients will continue their work in Hubei until all patients are recovered, the official added.
China sent a total of 42,000 medical workers to Hubei to combat the epidemic and none of them caught the coronavirus, Guo told reporters.
Also, as the situation cools down in Hubei, where no new cases have been recorded for two consecutive days, 43 hospitals in the capital city of Wuhan have resumed normal operations accepting non-COVID-19 patients.
No new domestic confirmed and suspected cases in China for first time
China reported no new domestic cases, confirmed or suspected, for the first time since the new coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, according to Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission.
Latest developments on coronavirus in the world
Thailand has 50 new coronavirus infections, taking its tally to 322.
India said 195 cases had been identified as of Friday morning at 11:00 local time, of which 163 were Indian nationals. The death toll in the country is five for now while 15 have recovered.
Siri Lanka has recorded 50 cases as of Thursday night and a temporary stay-at-home order will be put in place from Friday at 18:00 to Monday (March 23) morning at 6:00.
Kyrgyzstan reported three new cases – patients who returned from Saudi Arabia on the same flight. The country's total is now six.
Kazakhstan reported five more cases as of Friday morning at 10:00, taking the total number in the country to 49. Five of the new cases had recent international travel history linked to France, Germany and Belarus.
Saudi Arabia announced all civil flights and public transport – buses, metro, trains, as well as taxis – will be halted for two weeks starting Saturday morning at 6:00, while freight transport won't be affected.
Afghanistan said on Friday that its nationwide tally rose to 24 by two.
U.S. state of California has asked around 40 million residents to stay home. It's the first statewide order in the country. California is the most populous state in the country.
Argentina has ordered people to stay in their homes with limited exceptions. Police will be patrolling the streets and people without a valid reason to go out will be penalized. The country's borders will also be closed till the end of March.
Australia has registered a total of 839 confirmed cases so far with seven fatal. Hardest hit New South Wales has reported 382 cases. Australia is to ban all non-resident entry from Friday night at 9.
Also, test results for three passengers at Princess Cruises-operated Ruby Princess ship, which finished its tour Thursday on Sydney, came out positive.
Australian authorities have urged ship crew members and passengers to self-isolate. There're 1,100 crew and 2,700 passengers on board.
Tonga and Samoa have both declared a state of emergency, though both have no confirmed cases so far.
All foreign nationals are banned from entering Tonga in a restriction effective until 17 April.
Samoa will shut down its borders for all arrivals except returning citizens starting Friday midnight. The country's public transport will also be temporarily halted with nightclubs, restaurants and cinemas also closed.
Can online teaching make up for coronavirus school closures?
With the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in China dwindling in recent weeks, the rate of resumption of work has also inched up gradually, but the commencement date of the new semester for most schools has yet to be determined.
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Czech president thanks China for support in fighting COVID-19 pandemic
Czech President Milos Zeman on Thursday thanked China for its support in his country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the nation on Thursday, Zeman said one of the key challenges which the country now faces is the shortage of medical supplies.
"I would therefore like to thank the People's Republic of China, which was the only country that has helped us deliver these supplies," he said.
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U.S. needs practical COVID-19 response, not empty talk and scapegoating
Editor's Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."
In recent days, many politicians in the United States have called the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) "the Chinese virus." The wording has been widely criticized by the international community, which describes it as racist and xenophobic.
As more and more shortcomings in pandemic prevention and control in the U.S. have been revealed, more and more people have become aware that many U.S. politicians did little to prevent or at least slow the spread of the virus. Instead, their words appear to contain little more than boasting and searching for scapegoats
On January 30th, when the arduous fight against COVID-19 was underway in China, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the outbreak "will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America." On February 28th, President Donald Trump described the COVID-19 outbreak as Democrats' "new hoax" at a campaign rally in South Carolina. On March 4th, amid the difficulties the American people face concerning tests for cases of COVID-19, he claimed that "the Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we are doing."
On March 6th, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly labeled COVID-19 "the Wuhan virus." President Trump eventually expressed his determination to respond to the pandemic by boasting on March 11th that he will make "the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history." On March 16th, when asked about how he had responded to the pandemic, he gave himself "10 out of 10" without hesitation.
U.S. politicians should be aware that battling a virus is a matter of science, and no victory can be achieved through boasting or scapegoating. All 50 states in the U.S. as well as Washington DC have reported COVID-19 cases. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said, "Losing two months is close to disastrous, and that's what we did."
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Chinese vlogger records his trip home from Tehran
Liu Weilong's backpacking trip began in Iran on January 17, a few days before coronavirus broke out across China. He didn't expect the virus could spread so quickly around the world when the epidemic reached Iran, making the country the worst-hit in the Middle East region.
Since then, Liu, as one of the few people in Iran wearing a mask on the streets, he has been treated differently.
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Asian countries suspend visas, international flights to curb COVID-19
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to climb across the world, some Asian countries have rolled out stricter measures to fight the pandemic.
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COVID-19: Monaco Grand Prix canceled for first time since 1955
The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, a glittering fixture on the world motorsport calendar for 65 years, was canceled on Thursday, the latest event to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc on global sports events.
The race, due to be held in the Principality on May 24, was axed completely while the Grand Prix in the Netherlands and Spain were postponed.
"The situation is no longer tenable," said a statement by the Automobile Club de Monaco. "After careful consideration as to the gravity of this crisis worldwide, it is with great sadness that the board of directors has taken this decision."
It will be the first time since 1954 that there has not been a Monaco Grand Prix, part of motor racing's fabled "Triple Crown" which also includes the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and Indy 500.
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From thousands of infected patients a day to hundreds and now to zero, China reached a key milestone in the battle against COVID-19 with no new cases reported for a second day in both Wuhan City and Hubei Province as a whole. Local residents are overjoyed with the news, with many expressing gratitude to medical workers from other provinces.
Global death toll of coronavirus tops 10,000
The global death toll of the novel coronavirus has reached 10,030, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University on Friday.
Italy, where 3,405 deaths were recorded, accounted for nearly 34 percent of total deaths.
Italy's death toll has also surpassed the number in China.
Answer Bank: Are athletes less likely to be infected by coronavirus?
As the novel coronavirus spreads globally, it has also caused serious impact on the sporting world as well.
As of Thursday, there have been 14 confirmed or reported cases spanning seven different teams in NBA, according to CBS Sports. Spanish football club Valencia also confirmed on Monday that 35 percent of its players and staff members have tested positive for the virus.
Professional athletes give people the impression that they are strong and healthy and ought to have a better constitution compared to an ordinary man on the street.
However, athletes might have lower immunity, due to their rigorous and strenuous training schedules.
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Countries that have reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases so far
The spread of the novel coronavirus is gradually slowing down in China, where it was first reported, whereas global spread is on the rise.
As of Thursday, China has reported a total of 81,300 confirmed cases, the National Health Commission said in a report issued today.
According to latest data from Johns Hopkins University, as of 10:40 local time on Friday, besides China, which now remains at the top of recorded cases list in the world, six other countries have so far reported infections numbers above 10,000.
They are:
Italy: 41,035
Iran: 18,407
Spain: 18,077
Germany: 15,320
U.S.: 14,250
France: 11,010
Among them, four are European countries.
WHO: COVID-19 cases hit 209,839 globally, death toll over 8,770
A total of 209,839 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 00:00 CET Thursday, with 8,778 deaths worldwide, according to a daily report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) early on Friday.
In the past 24 hours, 16,556 new infections and 828 more deaths from COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, according to the international organization.
It took over three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases, and only 12 days to reach the next 100,000, WHO said.
California issues statewide stay-at-home order over virus spread
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday night issued a statewide order for all residents to "stay at home" amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
"We need to bend the curve in the state of California," Newsom said. "There's a social contract here, people, I think, recognize the need to do more. They will adjust and adapt as they have."
"Home isolation is not my preferred choice … but it is a necessary one. This is not a permanent state, it is a moment in time."
The order will remain in place till further notice.
Several cites in the state including Los Angeles had already required residents to "shelter in place" unless for necessary outings.
Three Chinese fencers diagnosed with COVID-19 after returning from Hungary
Three Chinese fencers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are receiving treatment in a hospital after returning from a tournament in Hungary, the Chinese Fencing Association announced on Friday.
The three unnamed athletes, who are the first cases of infections among members of Chinese national teams, returned home on March 16 after competing the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Fencing Grand Prix in Budapest and tested positive for the virus at airport.
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Photo of Trump's notes shows 'Chinese' written over 'Corona'
A photo of U.S. President Donald Trump's notes for his Thursday press briefing with the COVID-19 task force show that the word "Corona" was crossed out and replaced with "Chinese," CNN reported.
This picture came as Trump stepped up his efforts to scapegoat China for the spread of the coronavirus, said CNN.
According to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. topped 13,000 as of 5:30 p.m. local time on Thursday (2130 GMT).
Read more:
WHO official warns against use of 'Chinese virus'
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force at the White House, Washington, U.S., March 19, 2020. /AP
Fighting COVID-19 with cutting-edge technologies
China's efforts in fighting the COVID-19 has achieved encouraging results as the Chinese mainland reported zero domestically transmitted cases on Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak. Even the World Health Organization lauded China's efforts, with a senior official saying that the country's experience in containing the spread of the virus can "serve as a lesson for other countries" now facing the pandemic.
Let's have a look at some cutting-edge technologies that China used in this battle.
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Trump replaces G7 in-person meeting with video conference
U.S. President Donald Trump will cancel an in-person meeting of G7 leaders at Camp David in June because of the coronavirus and will hold a video conference instead, the White House said on Thursday.
The decision comes as nations around the world seal their borders and ban travel to stop the virus' spread.
Trump held a video conference with the leaders of the world's major industrialized countries earlier this week and plans to repeat that in April, May and June, when the physical meeting at the presidential retreat in Maryland was scheduled to take place.
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Hubei reports no new COVID-19 case for the 2nd day
For two consecutive days, central China's Hubei Province reported no new COVID-19 cases. According to the provincial health commission, two new deaths were recorded as of midnight on Thursday.
On the same day, 703 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
Members of medical assistance team from eastern Zhejiang Province at the ICU of Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2020. /Xinhua
A total of 39 new COVID-19 cases, all of them imported from abroad, and three more deaths were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Thursday midnight, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,967, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,248.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 730 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 71,150.
The latest numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan are as follows:
Hong Kong: 208 (98 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 17 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 108 (26 recovered, 1 dead)
Global Update: Italy deaths surpass China and Wuhan reports no new infections
COVID-19 deaths in Italy have surpassed China's.
The death toll reached at least 3,405, officials announced on Thursday.
According to a Johns Hopkins University database updated several times daily, Italy now reports at least 156 more deaths than in China.
China's a population more than 23 times larger than Italy's.
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U.S. President Donald Trump called on U.S. health regulators and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite potential therapies aimed at treating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a news conference along with his coronavirus taskforce, Trump pointed out efforts from the private sector to develop experimental antiviral drugs to combat the virus. He is now calling for the FDA to streamline its regulatory approval process.
"We have to remove every barrier," Trump said.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn joined Trump in describing several approaches being tested to combat COVID-19 but did not offer any treatment announcements.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration remains focused on the financial response to the pandemic, which has erased the Wall Street gains made over the past three years.
Trump said the government should take an equity stake in companies needing bailouts.
"There’s a lot of executive power," Trump said, regarding his authority to curb the impact on businesses. " If we don't have to use it, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing."
The president continued to criticize China.
"[This] could have been stopped. Could have been stopped," he told reporters. He also slammed Chinese officials who he says "didn't decide to make it public” in time to stop the global spread of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the disease caused by the new coronavirus COVID-19 and warned against ascribing the virus to a certain country, ethnicity, individual, group and even animal, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said on Thursday.
To prevent stigmatization, the WHO, as an authoritative public health institution in the world, has an objective principle that we should follow, Cui said.
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U.S. stocks fall again despite latest central bank moves
Wall Street stocks fell again at the start of trading on Thursday despite central banks unveiling new stimulus measures amid the coronavirus outbreak.
According to CNBC, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 708 points, or 3.5% and the S&P 500 slid 3.1% while the Nasdaq Composite traded 1.8% lower.
'Inappropriate': China urges rectification for doctor that sounded early alarm on COVID-19
China's top supervision body on Thursday urged the local police station that held Dr. Li Wenliang accountable for raising the early alarm of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to ratify their decision, citing "inappropriate handling on the matter."
The National Supervisory Commission pushed for the punishment for relevant officers and hoped local authorities will release the results as fast as possible.
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Passengers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, China, March 19, 2020. /Xinhua
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday urged provinces to adjust their prevention measures and focus more on cross-border transition as the domestic situation for COVID-19 outbreak continues to ease.
Noting that the number of domestic transition cases reduced to zero on Wednesday, for the first time since the outbreak, Li instructed government at all levels to ease unreasonable restrictions that hinder the resumption of work so more people can return to work and get their incomes as soon as possible.
Given the pandemic status of COVID-19, Li instructed that more efforts should be put on the prevention of cross-border transmission.
A National Health Commission official said at a press conference on Thursday that imported coronavirus cases accounted for 84.55 percent of the new confirmed cases in China in recent weeks.
As of midnight Wednesday, Beijing has reported a total of 64 imported COVID-19 cases, the most in the country, accounting for 34 percent of the total imported cases of COVID-19 nationwide, according to Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, on Thursday.
For measures to prevent cross-border transmission, Li called for enhanced health checks for international flights that come from severely infected regions, and comprehensive prevention and control measures for both Chinese and foreign nationals arriving in China.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced on the same day that it would divert some international flights originally bound for Beijing to other Chinese cities such as Tianjin, Hohhot, and Taiyuan, as an epidemic prevention and control measure. Some of the flights include Air China's CA 910 from Moscow, CA 934 from Paris, CA 926 from Tokyo, and Hainan Airlines' HU 7976 from Toronto.
While suggesting the reduction of unnecessary outbound activities, the Premier urged governments to protect the health and personal safety of citizens abroad with necessary assistance and support.
Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Iran reported 149 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,284 on Thursday. At least 1,046 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran and the total confirmed cases reached 18,407. So far, 5,979 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Russia reported the first death of COVID-19 in Moscow on Thursday – a 79-year-old woman who had a chronic disease. Russia on the same day announced 14-day quarantine period for people entering the country to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Israel reported 96 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total to 529 in the country.
Germany reported a total of 10,999 confirmed cases in the country as of Thursday morning.
Japan confirmed 15 new cases on Thursday afternoon, bringing the total to 936 in the country, including 32 deaths.
Beijing has slammed derogatory remarks of an American official over how China has managed the coronavirus outbreak.
Former EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier tests positive for COVID-19
Former EU chief negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier said he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Barnier announced this in a Twitter post on Thursday, and also said he is fine.
China opposes U.S. stigmatization: Insulting others useless for anti-virus battle
China has expressed strong opposition to the remarks of some U.S. high-ranking officials which attacked Beijing over the new coronavirus outbreak.
Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Thursday that U.S. comments have shown no respect for science, adding that "insulting others is useless for the anti-virus battle."
China has continuously shared updates on the epidemic situation within its borders and bought the world time, Geng noted.
The development of China-U.S. ties requires efforts from both sides, stressed the spokesperson, adding that China hopes the U.S. will work with it to manage differences on the basis of mutual respect.
Read more:
WHO official warns against use of 'Chinese virus'
Beijing opposes Trump's usage of 'Chinese virus'
Trump repeats the usage of 'Chinese virus' despite floods of rebuke
Italy will remain under lockdown beyond previous deadlines due to expire later this month and in early April, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday.
In comments to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Conte said measures taken to close schools, universities and impose severe restrictions on movement would have to be prolonged.
Under current measures, Italy's 60 million people are only allowed to travel for work, medical reasons or emergencies under an order that runs until April 3, while most shops, except those selling food and pharmacies, are supposed to remain closed until March 25.
An aircraft carrying medical aid from China to help Spain combat COVID-19 arrives at Zaragoza airport in northern Spain, March 17, 2020. /Xinhua
Local governments of Chinese cities and provinces have donated epidemic prevention supplies, such as medical masks, protective clothing and nucleic acid testing kits, to sister cities in 16 countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday.
The countries include South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Pakistan, Iraq, France, Switzerland and Germany. The donations were made through international friendship cities and other channels, Geng said.
Meanwhile, Chinese local enterprises have donated epidemic prevention supplies to local governments, Red Cross and other organizations in countries including South Korea, Iran and Italy, he added.
On the same day, medical supplies provided by the Chinese military to Iranian armed forces arrived in the country, reported Xinhua, citing the Defense Ministry. The supplies include nucleic acid detection kits, protective suits and masks.
The virus knows no borders, said a spokesperson of the Chinese Defense Ministry.
The Chinese military will work with the military of countries around the world to jointly address global security challenges and contribute to building a community of shared future for mankind.
84.55% of new coronavirus cases in China are imported in recent week
Imported coronavirus cases accounted for 84.55% of the new confirmed cases in China in a recent week, said Mi Feng, spokesperson of the National Health Commission, on Thursday.
No new novel coronavirus infections were reported on Wednesday in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Outside Wuhan, Hubei has seen no new domestic cases for 14 consecutive days, according to Mi.
Chinese ambassador condemns Eduardo Bolsonaro's inappropriate remarks about China
Chinese Ambassador to Brazil Yang Wanming has strongly condemned Brazilian Senator Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of President Jair Bolsonaro, for his inappropriate remarks about China and COVID-19 on social media and demanded his apology to the Chinese people.
Yang said on Twitter that the Chinese side strongly rejects Eduardo Bolsonaro's post saying that China is to blame for the COVID-19 and freedom would be the solution, adding that it will hurt the China-Brazil friendly relationship.
In addition, the Chinese embassy published a message via Twitter in which it said that Eduardo Bolsonaro's remarks are extremely irresponsible, adding that he has no international perspective, no knowledge of China or the world.
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Latest on COVID-19 around the world
New Zealand has so far confirmed 28 cases, and closed its borders to all foreigners from midnight on Thursday.
Australia has recorded over 600 infections and six deaths. Qantas Airways said it was temporarily laying off 20,000 employees, about two-thirds of its workforce, as the travel ban was announced.
Fiji confirmed its first coronavirus case on Thursday which was an imported case with a recent history of overseas travel.
Philippines' president is placing himself in quarantine after attending a meeting with the health secretary who has been in contact with confirmed cases; he'll remain in quarantine until the results of his test are known.
India reported 18 new confirmed cases, brings the total to 169.
Pakistan reported 12 more confirmed cases, bringing total number to 301, including two deaths and two recovered.
Japan confirmed three new cases and one more death on Thursday, bringing the total to 924 in the country, including 32 deaths.
Austria recorded a total of 1,646 confirmed cases, with 314 new cases in the past 24 hours.
North Macedonia's total number of cases has risen to 35, four more than the previous day, and the country is under a 30-day state of emergency.
Australia, NZ, ban non-resident arrivals over coronavirus outbreak
Australia and New Zealand became the latest countries to ban all non-resident arrivals in an unprecedented move to contain the spread of coronavirus.
"A travel ban will be placed on all non-residents, non-Australian citizens coming to Australia, and that will be in place from 9:00 p.m. tomorrow evening," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in a televised briefing in Canberra on Thursday, adding "the overwhelming proportion of cases in Australia have been imported."
On the same day, New Zealand announced the same measure. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she's not willing to tolerate risk at the country's border and wants the coronavirus infections to slow down. The ban will enter into effect on Thursday at midnight in the country.
From Tom Hanks to Trudeau's wife: Celebrities hit by coronavirus
Hollywood star Tom Hanks has caught it, and so has French World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi and now veteran Afro jazz star Manu Dibangola - the new coronavirus has hit even the rich and famous as it continues its relentless march across the globe.
Here is a roundup of some well-known personalities who have tested positive for COVID-19 around the world.
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Hubei eases restrictions, prepares for resumption of normal activities
Hubei epidemic prevention and control authority on Thursday said the province will recognize the "health code" of other provinces in a bid to facilitate the resumption of production and work in the province.
According to a notice issued by the authority on Thursday, people who possess "health code" issued by other provinces no longer need to provide additional health statements and paperwork to get through checkpoints or into the community.
It also allows the return of people from outside Hubei to access the province after applying for a local "health code."
Thursday's decision came as the situation gradually cools down in the epicenter, where recorded zero new cases on Thursday.
Hubei authority introduced the "health code" mobile-phone-based monitoring system last week to start allowing people to travel within the province, which has been isolated for nearly two months with its public transports halted and human mobility restricted.
On the same day, authority in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province also eased measures to allow residents in zero-infection communities to go out of their apartments and conduct personal activities inside the community, but separately in time and buildings.
And village without infection cases could orderly resume people's living and agricultural productions, Wuhan authority added.
Answer Bank – are children less susceptible to COVID-19 than adults?
As the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) accelerates, cases of children infected with COVID-19 are of great concern to the public. Although previous studies show the coronavirus raging across China tended to tread gently with children, experts suggest the risks are unexpected, and the prevention and protection of children should not be ignored.
What are the risks for children infected with COVID-19? This is the pressing question for pediatric infectious disease specialists and concerned parents alike.
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Latest COVID-19 developments in Latin America: More first cases and deaths emerged
Nicaragua registered its first case of coronavirus infection, a 40-year-old Nicaraguan man who picked up the virus during a recent visit to Panama.
El Salvador registered the first case of infection.
Costa Rica saw its first death, an 87-year-old man, on Wednesday.
Jamaica reported its first death and two new cases on Wednesday. The deceased was a 79-year-old male that returned recently from New York. The country has registered a total of 15 cases so far.
Cuba also said a patient died on Wednesday, the first victim in the country where 10 cases were identified.
Several other countries announced a rise in infection numbers.
Mexico said confirmed cases rose from 93, a day earlier, to 118.
Panama detected 23 additional cases, taking its total number to 109. Also, a night curfew from 21:00 to 5:00 will be imposed starting Wednesday night.
Uruguay said cases rose to 79 by 29 as of Wednesday night. The majority of the cases are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms.
Columbia reported 27 new cases, total now at 102 as of Wednesday night.
Another mayor in Italy dies of COVID-19, government to ban all outdoor exercise
Raimondo Balicco, mayor of the city of Mezzoldo in Italy's Lombardy region died in his home in the early hours of Wednesday after his condition deteriorated, reported local media. He had been recuperating for two weeks after contracting COVID-19.
The Italian government threatened on Wednesday to ban all outdoor exercise as the coronavirus death toll soared to 2,978 and frustration grew over the number of people defying a nationwide lockdown order.
Trump signs second coronavirus response bill
U.S. President Donald Trump signed another coronavirus response bill on Wednesday.
Among the new law's sweeping provisions, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act assures paid leave for those diagnosed with or caring for someone affected by COVID-19, free testing for all, including the uninsured, and bolstered food assistance programs.
It will also provide additional Medicaid funding, food assistance, and unemployment benefits.
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Beijing seeks mandatory 14-day quarantine of all overseas arrivals
Beijing will further tighten measures on people entering the city from abroad by transferring all overseas arrivals to the central observation point for a 14-day quarantine at their own expense, as a preventative measure to control the spread of the coronavirus, said local authorities in a statement on Thursday.
Beijing reported 21 new imported cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, including seven from those who traveled from Spain, seven from the UK, two from Austria, three from Hungary, one from Brazil and one from Luxembourg, bringing the total to 64 in the city.
Exceptions can be made for elderly over the age of 70, minors that are 14 or under and the pregnant. In these cases, the quarantine can be done at home after a health assessment.
China's Wuhan reports zero increase in novel coronavirus infections
No new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported on Wednesday in Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, marking a notable first in the city's months-long battle with the microscopic foe.
The Health Commission of Hubei Province, with Wuhan as its capital, said the virus' death toll climbed by eight in the province – six from provincial capital Wuhan, and two respectively from Xiangyang City and Ezhou City.
Also, no increase was observed in the province's number of suspected cases, which fell to zero on Tuesday, in another indication that large-scale transmissions have been suppressed at the epidemic ground zero.
Total confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease in Wuhan and Hubei remained 50,005 and 67,800 on Wednesday.
And a total of 57,678 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals in Hubei as of Wednesday.
(With input from Xinhua)
CGTN infographic
IOC president Bach: Too early to decide fate of Tokyo 2020
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach stressed it's too early to decide the fate of 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in a teleconference with representatives of athletes on Wednesday, according to former Olympic champion Yang Yang.
About 200 representatives from the international federations, athletes and Athletes Commissions of related Olympic organizing committees attended the two-hour teleconference with IOC members of relevant departments. Yang joined as chair of the Athletes Commissions of Beijing 2022.
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South Korea reports 152 new COVID-19 cases, totaling 8,565
South Korea reported 152 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 8,565 in the country, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
Seven more deaths were confirmed, making it 91 in total. The country has recorded 1,947 recovered patients so far.
Second member of U.S. Congress tests positive for COVID-19
Representative Ben McAdams of Utah's 4th congressional district has tested positive for COVID-19 as the second member of U.S. Congress who got infected after Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart.
"Today I learned that I tested positive," he said in a statement released on Twitter. "I am still working for Utahns and pursuing efforts to get Utahns the resources they need as I continue doing my job from home until I know it is safe to end my self-quarantine."
McAdams returned to Utah from Washington on March 14, developed flu-like symptoms, and was quarantined the next day. A new coronavirus test was conducted on Tuesday to confirm the diagnosis.
A total of 34 new cases of the novel coronavirus, all imported, were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Wednesday.
It's the first time that zero domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported.
From thousands of infected patients a day to hundreds and now zero – the day has finally arrived when central China's Wuhan City can announce that it has no more new COVID-19 infected cases.
"Hubei has no new confirmed cases, no new suspected cases or existing suspected cases by Wednesday," said Mi Feng, spokesperson for China's National Health Commission (NHC).
Good news for Wuhan
Local residents were clearly overjoyed when they heard the news.
"I'm glad to hear that there isn't any new case today," said Liu Song, a food delivery worker.
"Many thanks to those medical workers from other parts of the country who came to support Wuhan and Hubei," said a resident named Zhang.
For people under lockdown for almost two months, knowing the city has come this far is a cause for celebration.
"Wuhan residents have supported the government's resolution in fighting the outbreak. They also appreciate all the support from across the country," said Xu Yikun, a community volunteer. "Another thing I noticed is that residents have a strong desire to return to work," he added.
On Thursday, Wuhan announced that groceries, pharmacies and food markets in infection-free communities will be allowed to reopen. Residents may also undertake minor activities within their communities.
Zhang, 50, said even though his life was manageable during the lockdown, there's one thing he misses the most. "I want to go back to work once the lockdown is over. It's been a long time. I need to go back to the company and handle the business."
Even food delivery guys – one of the few professions still working amid the outbreak – are delighted with the latest news.
"I've been working throughout the lockdown. I hope the lockdown is lifted soon," said Liu.
Although residents say they don't know when the city will lift its lockdown and when the fight against COVID-19 will end, they remain hopeful that the day they're all waiting for will come soon.
COVID-19 situation in China
CGTN infographic
CGTN infographic
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,928, with the cumulative death toll of 3,245.
The NHC said 819 patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 70,420.
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 192 (95 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 15 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 100 (22 recovered, 1 dead)
(Sun Tianyuan contributed to the story.)
WHO official warns against use of 'Chinese Virus' expression, viruses know no borders and ethnicity
"Viruses know no borders and they don't care about your ethnicity, the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank. So it's really important we be careful in the language we use lest it leads to the profiling of individuals associated with the virus," said Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme Mike Ryan in response to Trump's usage of the "Chinese Virus" on Wednesday.
Ryan said that the 2009 (H1N1) pandemic started in North America, and people don't call it the North American flu. So when it comes to other viruses, the same approach must be used, avoiding connecting a virus with a region.
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Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Italy reported 4,207 new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 35,713, including 2,978 deaths and 4,025 recovered. The country also ordered all arrivals to isolate for 14 days.
The UK has ordered all schools in the country to close starting Friday after health authorities confirmed a death toll of 104 and a total of 2,626 infected cases.
London's underground system will shut up to 40 stations from Thursday.
Iceland recorded 30 confirmed cases, bring the total in the country to 250 as of 6:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Portugal has declared a 15-day state of emergency starting on Wednesday midnight.
Chile declared a 90-day state of catastrophe to step up the government's action to combat the COVID-19 epidemic that has so far infected 238 people.
Panama on Wednesday registered 109 total cases, up from 86 one day earlier.
Honduras said the number of confirmed cases has increased from 9 a day earlier to 12.
Australia has recorded 596 infections nationwide, with hard-hit areas of New South Wales state, Victoria state and Queensland.
New Zealand on Thursday confirmed eight new cases linked to overseas travel, taking the total number of infections to 28.
Mauritius and Djibouti confirmed first cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday including three Mauritius citizens back from abroad and a Spanish national who arrived in the Horn of Africa country.
Saudi Arabia saw its highest daily rise of 67 on Wednesday, 238 in total.
Pakistan, Costa Rica both announced the first deaths in the country.
Latest coronavirus development in the U.S.
First Congress member tests positive: U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a Florida Democrat, said on Wednesday he has tested positive for the coronavirus after developing symptoms.
Infection number over 7,700: According to Johns Hopkins University data, a total of 7,769 infections were detected in the U.S. with 118 deaths as of Wednesday night. New York State is hardest hit, accounting for nearly one-third of the nationwide confirmed cases.
NYSE goes electronic: The New York Stock Exchange will close its trading floor and move to fully electronic trading on Monday. Two people at the NYSE have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Defense Production Act to be invoked: U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday announced that he will invoke the 1950 wartime law which will expand the country's response to the outbreak including allowing the production expansion of masks and protective gears.
Relief package passed by Senate: A coronavirus relief package has passed by the U.S. Congress, sending it to Trump. It includes provisions for free testing for the virus and paid emergency leave.
U.S. stock halted for the fourth time in a month: The U.S. stock trading is halted for the fourth time this month as S&P 500 dropped by seven percent on Wednesday. Dow fell by 6.3 percent, erasing nearly all the gains since Trump's inauguration.
U.S.-Canada border closure: President Donald Trump said on Twitter that the U.S. will temporarily close its northern border with Canada to non-essential traffic, adding trade won't be affected.
As countries around the world implement strict lockdown measures in efforts to fight COVID-19, grocery stores shelves are running empty.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends people have at least two weeks supply of food.
While chips, cookies and other snacks might be tempting, nutritionists say it's important to have plenty of water and stock healthy foods that can boost your immune system and overall wellbeing.
Screen capture of the press conference from the Office of the Prime Minister, Mauritius.
Mauritius has confirmed its first 3 cases of COVID-19 in a press conference held by the Mauritian Prime Minister Wednesday evening.
The Prime Minister said the three were citizens who had traveled back from abroad.
With the spread of the COVID-19 infection in Africa, Mauritian authorities have extended travel restrictions to the Republic of Mauritius as follows:
Firstly, all foreign nationals will not be allowed entry to or transit through the Republic of Mauritius as from Mar. 19th, for a period of 14 days.
Secondly, all passengers including Mauritian nationals and residents will not be allowed entry to or transit through the Republic of Mauritius as from Mar. 22nd, for a period of 14 days.
More than 600 cases have been confirmed in 34 African countries so far.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Tourism-Mauritius.mu
Schools in UK to close from Friday./Getty Images
Schools across Britain are to be shut down as part of emergency measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on Tuesday said classrooms in England will close from Friday until further notice for all pupils except children of key workers and the most vulnerable.
It comes after the regional governments of Scotland and Wales announced they would do the same from Friday at the latest. Northern Ireland then announced it has closed all of its schools with immediate effect.
The UK is following in the footsteps of several other European countries including Italy, Denmark and Ireland.
At a Downing Street conference Boris Johnson said schools would not be shut for children of key workers such as police officers to ensure their parents are still able to go to work. The Prime Minister said the Government would ask nurseries and private schools to comply with the same measure. Westminster's top scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the decision was not being taken because Covid-19 is dangerous to children, but because it is an extra step to stop others being infected.
Source: Metro UK
Microscopic view of Coronavirus, a pathogen that attacks the respiratory tract. Analysis and test, experimentation. Sars./Getty Images
The Djibouti Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday disclosed it has confirmed its first case of COVID-19.
The ministry said a Spanish national who arrived in the Horn of Africa nation on Saturday tested positive for COVID-19.
"The patient was a member of the Spanish Special Forces who arrived at Djibouti Ambuli Airport on March 14."
"With the consent of the French military base in Djibouti, all soldiers on the aircraft were immediately isolated in the French military base," said the MoH statement.
Djibouti, which lies on a key location connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, hosts a number of foreign military bases and is the main sea outlet for landlocked Ethiopia.
Dow Jones plunges 1,200 points amid the COVID-19 crisis
Wall Street's main indexes slumped at the opening on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,200 points and the S&P 500 dropped 92.69 points amid the COVID-19 crisis.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that the U.S. will temporarily close its northern border with Canada to non-essential traffic due to the novel coronavirus, adding that trade won't be affected.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he would close the country's borders to anyone not a citizen, an American or a permanent resident, and even then they must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.
Trudeau said the exemption for Americans, despite the rapid rise of cases in the U.S., was due to "the level of integration of our two economies."
The United States has seen about 6,500 coronavirus cases and more than 110 deaths while Canada has seen about 600 cases and eight deaths.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the border is vital to the daily life of people on both sides.
"Nearly 200,000 people cross that border every day, and that border and that traffic that goes across that border is literally a lifeline for both the Canadians and the Americans on both sides of that border," Freeland said.
France-bound donated medical masks from China arrive in Belgium
A batch of one million donated medical masks arrived in Belgium on Wednesday, en route to France, the medical supply was mobilized by two Chinese charities to help combat the spread of the COVID-19, according to Xinhua report.
China donates medical supplies to Philippines, Cambodia in COVID-19 fight
China has decided to donate 100,000 more test kits and other urgently-needed medical supplies to the Philippines to help the southeast Asian country fight COVID-19 spread.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said Wednesday the assistance includes another 100,000 test kits, 100,000 surgical masks, 10,000 N95 masks, and 10,000 sets of personal protective equipment.
On Wednesday, Cambodia's Ministry of Health Spokeswoman Or Vandine said China has donated 2,016 fast test kits for COVID-19 in a bid to help the country fight the virus.
"Last night, we received 2,016 test kits," she told reporters. "They are very important for us at this time to use for the fight against the COVID-19."
Latest coronavirus developments in the world
Iran: Iran reported 147 new deaths from the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 1,135. At least 1,192 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran, and the total number of confirmed cases reached 17,361. So far, 5,710 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Japan: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased to 890, NHK reported citing local officials. As of Wednesday, a total of 29 people have died of the coronavirus in the country.
Spain: Spain reported a total of 13,716 cases of COVID-19 in the country on Wednesday, and its death toll now risen to 558.
Moldova: Moldova has reported its first death from novel coronavirus. The deceased patient is a 60 year-old female. Moldova on Tuesday imposed a state of emergency to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus while the county's total confirmed cases of COVID-19 now stands at 30.
Gambia: The Gambian health authorities on Tuesday evening confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country. The infected patient is a woman in her 20s who returned from Britain recently.
The amount of global confirmed COVID-19 cases has topped 200,000, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
After U.S. President Donald Trump said to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, movie theaters across the country prepare to close. The second largest cinema chain Regal Cinema said on this Monday that they would begin to close all theaters this Tuesday, while the biggest circuit, AMC, plans to limit audiences to 50 each screening.
Screenshot of the data from the website of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, March 18, 2020. /CGTN
The tally of confirmed cases in the COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed 200,000, according to the latest statistics of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
By 7:33 a.m. local time (1133 GMT) Wednesday, the number of confirmed infections outside China reached 120,532, with Italy leading the rank by 31,506 cases, followed by Iran (16,169) and Spain (13,716).
The fast-spreading disease has also claimed 8,007 lives so far. Outside China, Italy suffered the most deaths of 2,503, followed by Iran (988) and Spain (558), according to the center.
Read more: Battling the novel coronavirus: What we know so far
COVID-19 impact on aviation goes 'beyond' worst-case scenario
On March 4, Brian Pearce, chief economist at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said airlines were in a "crisis zone." On that day, U.S. President Donald Trump hadn't escalated travel restrictions inside the country and to European countries, and the European Union hadn't yet taken the unprecedented and stern decision of shutting down all Schengen Area Borders between 30 countries. These alone serve as an indicator of a deeper crisis in the airline industry, which IATA admitted on a media briefing.
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A flight schedule board shows numerous canceled flights due to the coronavirus at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, March 18, 2020. /AP
Latest coronavirus developments in Hong Kong and Macao
Hong Kong SAR: Hong Kong on Wednesday reported 14 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of confirmed cases in the city now stands at 181. In the past 24 hours, three patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital. The total number of recovered patients in Hong Kong is 94.
Macao SAR: One imported case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Macao on Wednesday afternoon. The newly infected patient is a 31-year old male from Philippines; he is currently under quarantine and receiving treatment in a local hospital. As of Wednesday, Macao has reported a total of 15 cases of COVID-19 which includes 10 instances of patient recovery.
COVID-19: China will share the anti-epidemic information with around 10 European countries
China will held video conference Thursday with around 10 European countries' government officials and public health experts to share about anti-epidemic information and exchanging prevention and control experience of COVID-19, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, European countries and regional organizations have given strong support to China. At present, the situation of epidemic prevention in Europe has entered a critical stage, and China is willing to share the anti-epidemic experiences to European side in accordance with the concept of a community of shared future for mankind, Geng said.
Meanwhile, Geng noted that China would provide support and assistance within its ability according to the needs of European countries.
Taiwan reports 23 more COVID-19 cases, total hits 100
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan has increased by 23 to 100, the island's epidemic command center said Wednesday.
As many as 21 of the newly confirmed patients had recently traveled outside Taiwan, according to the center.
In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Taiwan authorities announced Wednesday that no one but its own residents shall be allowed to enter the region starting Thursday.
COVID-19 might fundamentally change Western society
Editor's note: Andrew Korybko is a Moscow-based American political analyst. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the West has led to a spree of emergency decisions by dozens of governments that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago. From the shutting down of basically every business, except the most essential ones like pharmacies and grocery stores, to mandatory quarantines for entire countries, Westerners have never experienced such extreme measures even in wartime.
These necessary policies, however, have had far-reaching unintended consequences in the social, economic and political realms.
Westerners are used to going about as they please, but now most of them are forced to remain at home except to go to the few remaining essential businesses that remain open. Many people now fear for their livelihoods because they've been living check-by-check and weren't able to save up enough of their earnings for the proverbial "rainy day" – or in this case, at least "two rainy weeks."
Still others are concerned that their governments might exploit these emergency decisions for self-interested political reasons in the future.
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Expert: Fight against COVID-19 should not rely on 'herd immunity'
Renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan said the fight against the COVID-19 should not be reliant on 'herd immunity', adding that the production of an effective COVID-19 vaccine is at present the top priority.
Zhong made the remarks at a press conference in Guangzhou on Wednesday, noting that, so far, there is no targeted therapeutic COVID-19 drug and international cooperation is still needed for new experiments.
Click here for the live coverage of the presser.
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CGTN
Latest development on coronavirus in the world
Asia
Sri Lanka announced a two-week suspension of all flights arriving into the country, effective on Wednesday midnight.
Vietnam said there're currently 67 cases in the country.
Thailand reported a spike in cases, with its total rising by 35 to 212.
Kyrgyzstan confirmed its first coronavirus cases with three citizens testing positive after arriving from Saudi Arabia, becoming the latest country to hit by COVID-19.
Kazakhstan, Georgia have both registered a total of 35 confirmed cases so far.
India said one of its serviceman stationed in northern border has tested positive for the virus. It's the first infection in Indian military. Latest number of infections in India is 147.
Europe
Russia said 21 additional cases were identified, bring the total to 114 as of Tuesday night.
Moldova announced a 60-day state of emergency due to end on May 15 with all its borders closed, flights halted, and school classes, shopping, as well as all community activities called off.
Americas
In the U.S., the White House has submitted an emergency funding request to the Congress for an additional 45.8 billion U.S. dollars in light of the outbreak in 50 states.
Barbados recorded first two cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, both had U.S. travel history.
Colombia declared state of emergency from March 20 to May 31 and requested forced home isolation of elderly above 70.
Chile reported 45 new cases on Tuesday, total now at 201.
Mexica said there're 93 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday night at 7.
In Uruguay, confirmed cases rose by 21 to 50.
Brazil has identified 291 cases as of Tuesday afternoon at 4.
Oceania
Australia said a sixth person, a 86-year-old man, died of the coronavirus. The country now has at least 513 confirmed cases.
Africa
South Africa reported 23 new cases, total stands at 85 as of Tuesday midnight.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Global powers unleash trillions of dollars to stem coronavirus crisis
Around the world, bad news was relentless.
With the highly contagious respiratory disease racing across the world to infect more than 196,000 people so far, governments on every continent have implemented draconian containment measures from halting travel to stopping sporting events and religious gatherings.
While the main aim is to avoid deaths – currently at over 7,800 – global powers were also focusing on how to limit the inevitably devastating economic impact.
Click here for more.
Taiwan halts overseas arrivals starting March 19
In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Taiwan authorities announced Wednesday that no one but its own residents shall be allowed to enter the region starting Thursday.
Taiwan residents from other regions shall be subjected to a 14-day quarantine or medical surveillance upon their arrival.
As of midnight on Tuesday, Taiwan had reported 77 confirmed cases of coronavirus with one death, according to China's National Health Commission.
Answer Bank: What should you do during home isolation?
Countries including China have suggested that some people need home isolation during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), to prevent the spread of the disease and more infections. So under what circumstance do people need to be quarantined at home?
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India shuts down Taj Mahal amid COVID-19 outbreak
India's iconic monument of love – Taj Mahal was closed down Tuesday amid a COVID-19 scare, officials said.
"As a precautionary measure in wake of outbreak of novel coronavirus, the world-famous tourist attraction Taj Mahal at Agra has been closed for tourists until the end of this month," a local government official said.
"According to federal government guidelines to contain the virus, all other monuments at Agra including Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra have also been closed for tourists until March 31."
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Coronavirus dog in HK dies 2 days after release
A pet dog that tested "weak positive" several times for coronavirus died on Monday, two days after its release, local media reported, citing the dog's owner.
The dog was released on Saturday after finally testing negative for the virus.
Its owner has rejected a necropsy to ascertain the cause of death.
Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said three tests were conducted on the dog in February and March, all showing a "low-level" infection of coronavirus.
The animal never displayed any virus-related symptoms.
The AFCD said in a statement last week that the results "indicate that the virus likely spread from the infected persons and subsequently infected the dog."
Read more:
Facts Tell: Why would Trump label COVID-19 a 'Chinese Virus'?
Why would U.S. President Donald Trump describe COVID-19 as a "Chinese Virus"? Some experts said this might cause people to think about disease in dangerous ways.
Chinese Embassy in UK refutes reports on student's death from coronavirus
The Chinese Embassy in the UK on Wednesday refuted false reports on a Chinese student's death in the UK due to coronavirus infection.
Rumors said a Chinese student, who died from the infection, had asked to be hospitalized but didn't get any medical assistance while under home quarantine.
The embassy said in a statement that they had not been notified of such a case from the relevent UK departments, urging overseas Chinese nationals to be rational and calm to protect themselves amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Brazilian president says second test for coronavirus negative
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said his second test for COVID-19 came back negative in a Twitter post late Tuesday.
The 64-year-old, who had recently met with U.S. President Donald Trump, confirmed his first test result last Friday, dispelling rumors that he had contracted the virus.
Hubei reports 1 new COVID-19 case, 11 deaths
One new COVID-19 case was confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Tuesday. A total of 11 more deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
It is the 7nth consecutive day of single-digit new cases in the province.
The new patient was a domestically-transmitted case in Hubei's capital city, Wuhan and was reported from an outpatient clinic. The patient works for a local market and might have contracted the virus through direct exposure at the market or contact with people who work there, according to the health commission.
On the same day, 896 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province and a total of 56,883 have recovered as of Tuesday in Hubei.
Also on Tuesday, the province saw zero suspected case.
CGTN infographic
South Korea reports 93 more COVID-19 cases, total at 8,413
South Korea reported 93 more cases of the COVID-19, taking the country's total to 8,413 as of Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
It was the fourth day that daily increase was below 100 in the country.
The death toll now has risen to 84 by three, according to the KCDC. And 1,540 people have recovered so far.
A total of 13 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday, with 11 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,894, while the cumulative death toll is 3,237.
The Chinese health authorities said 922 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 69,601.
Another 12 cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported: three in Beijing, five in Guangdong Province, three in Shanghai, and one in Sichuan Province.
The total number of imported cases in China stands at 155.
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 167 (92 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 13 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 77 (22 recovered, 1 dead)
Adidas joins Nike in announcing store closures over coronavirus
German sportswear maker Adidas on Tuesday joined rivals in announcing store closures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Adidas and Reebok-owned stores in Europe, North America and Canada will be closed temporarily, the company said in an emailed statement. Stores will be closed March 18-29 in Europe. In the United States and Canada they will be closed March 17-29.
"At Adidas, the health and safety of our employees, customers and partners have the highest priority," the group said, adding that affected staff would be paid for their planned working hours despite the closures.
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All 50 states in U.S. report coronavirus, death toll tops 100
All 50 states in the United States have reported cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, with West Virginia announcing its first confirmed infection, according to local media.
At least 6,420 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in the country as of 7:33 p.m. local time Tuesday (2333 GMT), and 108 deaths reported from the virus, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that a couple of employees of the State Department were tested positive for the coronavirus but the State Department will continue its operations.
Four National Basketball Association players were tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, according to the Athletic. One of the world's most high-profile athletes, Kevin Durant, is on the list.
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World Bank adds 2 billion U.S. dollars to funds available for coronavirus response
The World Bank on Tuesday said it had increased to 14 billion U.S. dollars the amount of fast-track financing available to members to respond to the global coronavirus pandemic, adding two billion U.S. dollars to an initial package announced on March 3.
The change will give the World Bank's International Financing Corp (IFC) a total of eight billion U.S. dollars to support private companies and their employees hurt by economic impacts of the virus, the bank said.
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WHO: global cases of coronavirus exceeds 180,000
The confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world have reached 184,976, with 7,529 deaths, World Health Organization (WHO) data showed in a live tracking.
As of 16:00 CET (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, a total of 159 countries and regions have detected COVID-19.
CGTN infographic
CGTN infographic
In the past 12 hours:
Italy announced 3,526 new cases, bringing its total to 31,506. Death toll rose by 345 to 2,503.
The U.S. said all 50 states have coronavirus cases, death toll tops 100 nationwide.
Turkey reported its first death on late Tuesday, an 89-year-old male. There are 98 confirmed cases in the country.
Tunisia will impose a curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. from Wednesday. The country has detected 24 cases.
Argentina registered its highest daily rise in reported 14 new cases, taking the nationwide tally to 79. Two people have died.
Gambia announced its first confirmed coronavirus case in a short tweet from the Health Ministry, a 20-year-old woman who had recently returned from the UK.
Indonesia announced the suspension of all short-stay visa exemptions and visas on arrival for 30 days, starting on March 20.
English Heritage said all staffed sites, including Stonehenge, will be closed from March 18 to May 1.
Poland said confirmed cases in the country jumped by 61 to 238, including five deaths, as of Tuesday midnight.
New Zealand confirmed eight new cases, all related to overseas travel, bringing the total to 20.
The COVID-19 has begun to infect political leaders worldwide as they usually meet with a high volume of people on a regular basis. As of Wednesday, over 60 officials from 16 countries have confirmed infection.
Two employees at WHO headquarters infected with COVID-19
Two cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
"We have two staff members who have confirmed symptoms of COVID-19, and both have returned home and are quarantined. Everyone in the office had a test. We are awaiting further information”, spokesman said.
WHO requires that all but those who must be present telecommute, adding that reports of the outbreak have begun to hold only online press conferences.
In Switzerland, a total of 2,200 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed and 14 deaths have been recorded so far.
China advises suspension of overseas travel as pandemic spreads
The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised Chinese citizens on Tuesday to suspend any travel to countries currently on high alert as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads.
The countries include Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Iran and South Korea.
China's first batch of anti-epidemic aid arrives in Serbia
The COVID-19 nucleic acid testing kits donated by China arrived in Belgrade with the coordination and cooperation of the Chinese embassy in Serbia and the Serbian government.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Brnabic expressed thanks to China through the media, stressing that this is the first batch of foreign epidemic prevention and control supplies Serbia has received.
The Serbian president declared a state of emergency in a televised speech on Sunday.
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China dispatched a second group of medical experts to Italy to help fight against the COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The medical group, with 12 experts from Zhejiang Province, is carrying 30 respirators, 200,000 masks and nine tons of supplies to assist Italian local authorities in the treatment and prevention of the disease.
Upon arrival, the expert group will share and exchange its experience of prevention and control of COVID-19 with local hospitals and experts. The group will also provide diagnosis and treatment guidance to local Chinese in Italy.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that he "secured support" from G7 leaders to hold the Games in their "complete form." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said the country will continue preparations to host the Games as scheduled this summer.
Here are the latest on Japan's situation:
Olympic torch relay: The organizing committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games announced steps on Tuesday to stem the spread of the coronavirus along the torch relay route, including cancelling some events and restricting public access to others.
Any spectators who are feeling unwell will be asked not to watch from the roadside and torch-bearers with high temperatures will be barred from taking part, according to the committee. The torch relay's kick off ceremony in Fukushima prefecture will take place without spectators.
Read more: Anxiety grows in the Tokyo Olympics as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirms G7's support
JFA chief tests positive: Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima has tested positive for coronavirus, a JFA source said Tuesday.
Latest figures: The number of coronavirus infections in Japan increased to 821 on Monday with 17 new cases confirmed.
In addition, 712 people from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have been infected, and 14 cases have been confirmed among people who returned from China on chartered flights.
Greek singer Sakis Rouvas wears the uniform of the torch relay runners as he holds the torch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during a presentation of the torch relay within in Greece, in Athens, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. /AP
Favipiravir 'very effective' against COVID-19, clinical trials show
A medicine called "Favipiravir" has been tested "very effective" against the world-sweeping COVID-19 caused by novel coronavirus, an official from China's sci-tech department in Beijing announced on Tuesday.
"A clinical trial was conducted in Shenzhen, which involves 80 patients," said Zhang Xinmin, head of China National Center for Biotech Development.
The medicine can shorten the recovery time from 11 days to four days for mild and regular cases, the trial showed.
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Beijing reports nine more imported COVID-19 cases
Beijing Center for Diseases Prevention and Control reported nine more imported cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, including the husband of a patient who was confirmed with the virus on 13 March as an imported family cluster outbreak.
The patient, a woman identified by her surname Li, is a resident of Massachusetts; she arrived in Beijing with family, said Beijing authorities in a statement issued online.
Beijing police have launched a criminal investigation into Li who traveled to China from the U.S. while showing symptoms, and was confirmed infected after arriving.
China says Trump's 'China virus' tweet smears China
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said U.S. President Donald Trump's "Chinese virus" tweet smears China, saying Beijing strongly opposes Trump's usage of the words.
Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks after President Trump branded the COVID-19 as "Chinese virus" in a tweet and claimed it has affected U.S. industries.
The World Health Organization and the international community are clearly against linking the virus to specific countries and regions, Geng said, adding they all oppose creating stigma.
The U.S. should first take care of its own matters, Geng said.
China supplies 14 kinds of detection kits to 11 countries
On the basis of ensuring the detection needs of China, 14 kinds of COVID-19 detection kits developed by a number of Chinese universities have obtained the certification of the European Union, qualifying them to enter the European market.
China has not only donated a batch of reagents, but also started to supply to 11 countries including Italy, the UK and the Netherlands, the Ministry of Education's Department of Science and Technology said on Tuesday.
People with history of travel to some affected countries must undergo quarantine
All persons who have traveled to or lived in South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, France, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Austria within 14 days before entering Shanghai shall be quarantined at home or at a government designated facility for 14 days, the local government said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Shanghai will adjust the list of key countries and regions in a timely and dynamic manner according to the trend of the global epidemic.
Beijing reopens SARS hospital to receive imported COVID-19 cases
Beijing has reopened Xiaotangshan Hospital, which housed SARS patients in 2003, to receive international arrivals for further screening, quarantine, and treatment of mild cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
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Medical assistance teams begin leaving Wuhan
Medics who had come from other cities and provinces to help central China's Wuhan City started their trips back home on Tuesday.
Shaanxi National Emergency Medical Assistance Team left Wuhan at 6 a.m. The team comprising 43 members arrived in Wuhan on February 4 and stayed at Keting and Qingshan temporary hospitals to fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
They took care of at least 1,235 patients during 43 days.
The No. 6 Medical Team from Sichuan Province is also expected to leave Hubei Province in the afternoon.
Latest on COVID-19 around the world
United States: The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 4,400 as of Monday night, with 78 deaths, according to the statistics from Johns Hopkins University. Washington, California and New York are the hard-hit states. White House on Monday suggested people avoid group gatherings over 10.
Canada: At least 436 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths were reported in the country as of Monday afternoon. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he will be closing the country's borders to anyone that's not a citizen, American or permanent resident.
France: France has 6,633 confirmed cases while 148 people have died from COVID-19, the Health Ministry announced on Monday. The French president announced measures to "severely restrict movements for the next 15 days at least," starting at midday Tuesday.
Australia: A total of 449 cases were confirmed in Australia on Tuesday, according to local health authorities. Australian airline Qantas said it will reduce international flights by about 90 percent.
Thailand: As many as 30 more cases of COVID-19 were reported on Tuesday, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 177.
India: India confirmed 125 cases of the disease as of Tuesday morning: 103 Indian citizens and 22 foreign nationals.
Costa Rica: A total of 41 cases have been confirmed in the country. In order to curb the spread of novel coronavirus, Costa Rica has declared a state of emergency on Monday and suspended all schools until April 4.
Brazil: As many as 34 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Brazil on Monday, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 234. Rio Governor Wilson Witzel on Monday said he would announce a state of emergency due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
Dominica: Dominica reported its first death and first locally transmitted case of COVID-19. The total number of confirmed cases in the country stands at 21. Dominica has suspended flights to and from Europe, South Korea, Iran and other countries for 30 days from March 16.
Venezuela: As many as 16 new infections of novel coronavirus were reported on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33. President Nicolas Maduro said a nationwide quarantine will be implemented from March 17.
Shanghai announces steady progress in COVID-19 vaccine development
The development of an mRNA-based vaccine to treat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is progressing steadily with preliminary trials on primates and clinical trials expected to start in mid-April, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission told a press conference on Monday.
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All overseas returnees to Wuhan must undergo quarantine
The epidemic control team of central China's Wuhan City has announced that all overseas returnees to the city shall be centrally quarantined for 14 days at their own expense starting Tuesday.
In Wuhan, only one new case of the COVID-19 was confirmed as of midnight on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission.
On Tuesday morning, medics who had come from other cities and provinces to help Wuhan started their trips back home.
Philippine Airlines to halt all international flights from March 20
Philippine Airlines said on Tuesday that all international flights will be suspended from midnight March 20 to April 12 due to coronavirus concerns. Domestic flights will also be suspended from now until April 13.
South Korea adopts zero tariffs on imported masks
The South Korean government on Tuesday decided to implement a zero-tariff policy on imported masks as well as melt-blown non-woven fabric, according to local authorities.
This tariff policy will be in effect from March 18 till June 30.
Imported masks were until now taxed at 10 percent, and melt-blown non-woven fabric used in the manufacture of masks at eight percent. Both were reduced to zero.
CMG Photo
HK to place arrivals from all foreign countries under home quarantine
Travelers arriving in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from any foreign country from Thursday will be put under home quarantine, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said, as she extended a red travel alert to cover all overseas countries.
She added that the new restrictions would not apply to arrivals from the Chinese mainland, Macao or Taiwan.
She urged citizens to keep "social distancing" and said that it is nearly impossible for schools in the region to reopen before April 20, and Hong Kong must continue to prevent local transmissions.
Philippines becomes first country to suspend stock market due to coronavirus
The Philippine Stock Exchange suspended trade indefinitely on Tuesday. Philippines is the first country to shut financial markets, Reuters reported citing the safety of traders and staff in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move, which was announced by the exchange overnight and takes effect Tuesday, is part of a broader quarantine ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to curb the outbreak.
South Korea reports 84 more COVID-19 cases, total at 8,320
South Korea reported 84 more cases of the COVID-19, taking the country's total to 8,320 as of Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
So far, 81 people have died from the virus in the country, mostly elderly.
A total of 1,401 people have been discharged from hospitals, according to the KCDC.
U.S. reports over 3,800 COVID-19 cases as efforts mount to curb spread
More than 3,800 cases of COVID-19 with at least 80 deaths have been reported so far in the U.S., according to local media.
The White House urged people to avoid groups of more than 10 in a set of new guidelines designed to fight the spreading coronavirus.
New York directed schools to close statewide by Wednesday until April 1. The city's mayor Bill de Blasio said they are considering everything in terms of "curfew" or other possibilities.
Currently, there are 37 known cases of COVID-19 within the Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded its worst one-day point drop in history, nearly 3,000 points, and its worst performance on a percentage basis since October 19, 1987.
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Over 55,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Europe
Europe, the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing a serious situation as more than 55,000 cases have been confirmed, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Italy reported 3,233 more cases on Monday, bringing its total number to 27,980. The country is the most affected in Europe, with 349 more deaths, 2,158 in total.
France reported 6,633 confirmed cases and 148 deaths, the Health Ministry announced on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Monday evening, urging people to stay at home and said the nation is "at war" against the coronavirus. He added that all reforms will be suspended and its European borders will be closed as of Tuesday noon.
Germany reported a jump in coronavirus cases by more than 1,100 to 6,012, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said on Monday evening. The total death toll stands at 13.
The Spanish government said it would close its land borders from Tuesday as a total of 9,942 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday morning, with 342 deaths. Meanwhile, the president of Spain's Catalonia region tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
Hubei reports 1 new COVID-19 case, 12 deaths
One new case of the COVID-19 and 12 more deaths were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Monday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The newly-confirmed case was reported in hard-hit Wuhan.
On the same day, 893 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province after full recovery.
A total of 21 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Monday, with 13 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,881, while the cumulative death toll is 3,226.
The Chinese health authorities said 930 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 68,679.
Another 20 cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported – nine in Beijing, three in Guangdong Province, three in Shanghai, while Zhejiang, Shandong, Yunnan and Shaanxi Provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region all reported one case each.
The total number of the imported cases in China stands at 143.
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 157 (88 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 11 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 67 (22 recovered, 1 dead)
Latest on coronavirus outbreak around the globe: WHO says cases outside China hit 86,434
Confirmed cases of coronavirus outside China rose by 13,874 to 86,434, death toll by 848 to 3,388, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest daily situation report.
As of 10:00 a.m. CET (0900 GMT) on Monday, the total number of infections around the world stood at 167,511, with 6,606 deaths.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted nearly 3,000 points after a dismal day of trading, as fears grew over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Losses excelled in the last hour, after U.S. President Donald Trump advised Americans to avoid large gatherings. The nearly 13% one-day plunge is the worst Dow drop since 1987.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the U.S. "may be" headed toward a rescission as the economy struggles to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The president is pledging federal support for struggling airlines, saying he's "going to back the airlines 100%."
Trump and his coronavirus task force released guidelines to try and blunt the damage. Officials are recommending over the next two weeks Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10, discretionary travel and social visits be avoided and schooling be done at home.
On Sunday, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it would be slashing interest rates to near zero and would buy $700 billion in bonds in order to prop the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, the first test shots of an experimental coronavirus were administered by U.S. researchers on Monday. It took place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute located in Seattle, Washington, one of the state's worst hit by the virus.
With U.S. movie theaters shutting down, Universal Pictures said, on Monday, it will make current and upcoming films available for on-demand rental, becoming the first major studio to take such a step during the outbreak. The studio said films currently in theaters – like "Invisible Man," "The Hunt," and "Emma" – will be available for rental on-demand beginning as early as Friday.
U.S. health officials have advised healthy Americans against wearing face masks. Still, around the world, many are. Manufacturers have stepped-up production, but it's still not enough to meet demand. CGTN's Dan Williams tells us how one Chicago hospital is dealing with the shortfall.
More than half of African countries have reported cases of COVID-19 so far (Monday 16 March,2020), the latest being Liberia, Tanzania and Benin.
While the continent's figures are still relatively low compared to other regions, soaring numbers have raised concern among health authorities.
30 countries have confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the total number of cases in the continent surpassing 400. This has prompted various governments to take drastic measures including the imposition of travel restrictions.
Many African countries have urged their citizens against non-essential foreign travel and have since stopped flights to affected regions in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.
In the latest figures, Egypt tops the list with 150 cases, more that double the numbers recorded by South Africa at second.
Only seven countries in the continent have recorded 10 or more cases so far, though the recent spike has heightened concerns that the figures could rise rapidly.
Here's a look at Africa's COVID-19 numbers;
Former Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tom Frieden, gives his thoughts on how he hopes the CDC and the American government respond to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has phone call with U.S. Secretary Mike Pompeo
China has strongly condemned some U.S. politicians' stigmatization of China and its COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control efforts, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.
Yang said the efforts of the Chinese people have bought precious time and made important contributions to the global prevention and control work.
China urges the U.S. side to strengthen communication and cooperation with China and the international community to jointly safeguard international public health security.
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U.S. stock trading halted as S&P tumbles
U.S. stock trading was halted as the S&P 500 plunged by over 9 percent on Monday morning triggering the third circuit breaker in two weeks despite the Federal Reserve slashing interest rates to zero amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The Fed on Sunday made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks to douse the volatility, cutting the benchmark borrowing rate to a range of 0-0.25 percent, the most dramatic move since the 2008 financial crisis.
At 9:45 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2,748.64 points, or 11.85 percent, at 20,436.98, the S&P 500 was down 264.65 points, or 9.76 percent, at 2,446.37 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 922.27 points, or 11.71 percent, at 6,952.60.
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Xi, Italian PM hold telephone conversation over COVID-19 pandemic
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday night at the latter's request.
Noting that the Italian government has taken a series of resolute prevention and control measures in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, Xi said China firmly supports Italy and is confident of the country's triumph against COVID-19.
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China to formulate plan to withdraw medics from Hubei gradually
The Central Leading Group on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Outbreak held a meeting on Monday, at which it was decided that follow-up work on epidemic prevention and control should be done in a detailed and orderly manner, and a plan will be formulated to organize the leave of medical personnel in batches from Hubei Province gradually.
All localities should promptly and fully cash the subsidies for front-line personnel in the field of prevention and control. Meanwhile, government should formulate a plan to organize the return to their hometowns of the people stranded in Hubei and Hubei residents who are stranded outside the province, as well as step up efforts to promote employment of migrants' workers from Hubei Province.
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Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Bahrain reported its first death from coronavirus on Monday. It is also the first in the Gulf states.
Turkey reported 12 new cases, marking the highest daily rise since the country announced its first case last week, bringing the total to 18 in the country.
Spain registered over 1,000 new cases over the past 24 hours, raising the number of cases to 9,191.
Somalia, Tanzania and Liberia confirmed their first cases on Monday.
Japan's total number of confirmed cases rose to 833, including 14 people brought back by charter flights, and the death toll rose to 32.
Singapore reported 17 more cases, including 11 imported cases, for a total of 243.
Belgium confirmed its fifth death on Monday, as confirmed cases surged past 1,000.
China donates 2,000 fast test kits to help Philippines fight COVID-19
China donated 2,000 fast test kits for COVID-19 to the Philippines on Monday to help the country curb the fast rise in infected cases, the Chinese Embassy to the Philippines said.
The embassy said in a statement that the high-tech fast test kits, developed by China BGI Group, have a capability to issue results in three hours.
"The kits have not only been widely used in China's battle against the epidemic and proven to be quite effective, but also been exported to more than 50 countries including Japan, Thailand, Brunei, Egypt, Peru and the United Arab Emirates," the statement said.
The embassy reiterated that "China is ready to provide more test kits in the coming days."
"In light of the epidemic situation in the Philippines, the Chinese government and people, greatly sympathizing with the Philippine side, are very willing to lend a helping hand," the statement said.
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A fireman sprays disinfectant along a road in Manila, Philippines, March 11, 2020. /AP
File photo. /VCG
China has opened a temporary flight from Milan, Italy to its eastern city of Wenzhou to bring home overseas Chinese in Italy as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread.
On Monday, an Air China jet carrying 125 passengers, many of whom are children and the elderly, flew to Wenzhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province.
The relevant departments have conducted health checks on all the passengers and adopted medical inspections and centralized observations.
According to Italy's civil protection department, the coronavirus epidemic has claimed at least 368 lives in locked down Italy on Sunday.
Beijing reopens SARS hospital to treat patients with imported COVID-19
Beijing reopened the Xiaotangshan Hospital to screen suspected cases of imported COVID-19 on Monday.
The Xiaotangshan Hospital was built in 2003 to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients and has more than 1,000 beds after renovations in January. The facility will be mainly used for further medical screening of high-risk personnel after quarantine by the Beijing customs.
The hospital has expanded its area according to China's hygiene and epidemic prevention standards, including ward facilities, laboratory testing, disinfection and protection, sewage treatment, and fire safety. In addition, the hospital has completed the hard quarantine of all the passages and the safe and independent operation of each ward.
Iran's COVID-19 death toll increases to 853
Iran's death toll from COVID-19 has reached 853 with 129 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the country's Health Ministry said on Monday, adding that 14,991 people have been infected across Iran.
To contain the outbreak in Iran, one of the worst affected countries outside of China, officials have called on people to stay at home.
Chinese economy withstands COVID-19 shocks
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, voices hyping China's economic recession are frequently heard in the West. "Halting China's economy was hard. Restarting it is harder," The New York Times reported. There are even politicians starting to "learn lessons" about "China-only" supply chains, suggesting weaning the world off the Chinese economy.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, a majority of Chinese cities have hit the "pause" button on their busy production lines. This, undeniably, has exerted negative impacts on the country's manufacturing and service sectors. But figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday indicate that the world's second largest economy has withstood the shocks of COVID-19.
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Curbing imported cases 'top priority for COVID-19 prevention, control': Official
Curbing the imported COVID-19 cases from overseas has been the top priority for prevention and control of the pandemic as the overseas virus situation worsens, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
On Monday's regular briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters that health checks and quarantine measures are being imposed equally to Chinese nationals and foreigners entering China from overseas.
Beijing, the capital of China, reported six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from other countries as of 2:00 p.m. on Monday, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission said.
Four of the imported cases came from Spain and the other two from the United Kingdom, according to the commission.
That brings the total imported cases in the city to 37 as of 2:00 p.m. Monday. There were no new reports of indigenous COVID-19 cases in Beijing during this period.
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Beijing calls Washington's recent summons of Chinese ambassador 'unreasonable'
Beijing on Monday called Washington's recent summon of the Chinese ambassador "unreasonable," urging a "healthy" China-U.S. relations.
"Maintaining the healthy development of bilateral relationship not just benefits the people of both countries, but is something expected by the international community," Geng Shuang, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said in a press briefing.
On Saturday, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai was summoned by the U.S. State Department, after a Beijing official questioned the real origin of "patient zero" in the global pandemic on Twitter.
Read more:
Beijing urges scientific explanation on the origin of COVID-19
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Expert: TCM and Western medicines have own strengths, weaknesses for COVID-19 treatment
The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine have their own strengths and weaknesses in regards to treatment of the COVID-19 cases, Du Bin, professor and doctor at the medical ICU of Peking Union Medical College Hospital said at a presser on Monday.
It's very hard for us to assess the efficacies of TCM from the point of view of western medicine, Du said, adding that they have different philosophies and evaluation systems for success.
Du's remarks came in response to a question from CGTN reporter Zheng Yibing, who asked about the latest situation on the combined use of TCM and modern medicine for COVID-19 patients.
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South Africa's president declares state of disaster over COVID-19
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster on Sunday as he announced a range of measures to contain a COVID-19 outbreak that has so far infected 61 and showed the first signs of internal transmission.
Measures to be taken include travel bans to countries such as Italy, Germany, China and the United States, adding that government has cancelled visas to visitors from high-risk countries from Sunday, with previously granted visas also revoked.
All schools will close from March 18 until after the Easter weekend, and the government will also prohibit gatherings of more than 100 people and cancel large events and celebrations, Ramaphosa said.
Latest on coronavirus around the world
Guatemala announced its first coronavirus death, an 85-year-old man with pre-existing health issues. He arrived in the country from Madrid, Spain, in February.
Peru issued a 15-day nationwide state of emergency as people were ordered to stay home and self-quarantine to help slow the spread. Its president also announced the closure of all borders.
Iran said Hashem Bathaie, a representative of the Tehran Province in Iran's Assembly of Experts, died of COVID-19 Sunday night, becoming the latest Iranian official to die from infection.
New Zealand's PM has banned gatherings of 500 people or more, warning zero tolerance for anyone who violates the country's new self-isolation rules.
U.S. school districts are shutting down across the country, and New York City and Los Angeles have ordered the closure of restaurants, bars, night clubs and theaters.
Turkey reported its highest daily rise of 12 confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 18.
Cambodia reported four new cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 12.
UAE cancels events, flights as the coronavirus fiscal plan announced
Attractions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and the Ferrari World theme park will be closed from March 15-31, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said, while the country's civil aviation authority indefinitely suspended flights to and from Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and Iraq from March 17.
The UAE, which has reported 85 coronavirus infections but no deaths, and other Gulf Arab states are intensifying measures to halt the virus as the number of cases rises. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have taken the most drastic steps, cancelling all international flights.
Dubai, the UAE's regional business and transit hub, said it was cancelling all events planned in March and asked hotels to stop hosting wedding celebrations. Some shops have voluntarily closed to boost containment efforts.
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China tightens regulation on health checks for foreign arrivals
China has decided to tighten regulations on health checks for foreign arrivals, according to a join statement issued by five national departments demanding strengthened efforts on entry inspection and quarantine.
The newly released measure was issued by five departments: China's Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Justice as well as the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
It says people uncooperative with customs during entry, including hiding or forging information about their health statement, and rejecting related quarantine measures, might be convicted or punished for impeding frontier health and quarantine.
The measure was introduced after over 120 cases of coronavirus were diagnosed among foreign arrivals to China in at least eight provinces.
Several imported patients have already been investigated after they or their relatives misreported health conditions and travel history.
Last group from Diamond Princess returns home
The last batch of passengers and crew members who disembarked from the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship finished their quarantine on Sunday.
All 145 people have been quarantined for two weeks at a designated facility in Saitama Prefecture. They will now be allowed to go home as all of them tested negative for the virus on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Japanese health ministry said 15 people from the ship have been newly confirmed to have the virus.
The total number of infections has risen to 712, excluding seven people who tested positive after disembarking the ship.
Answer Bank: Can recovered patients' plasma help me prevent COVID-19?
The plasma of recovered patients of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has been proven effective in treating the new disease because it contains large amounts of antibodies that help fight the virus.
Some people might believe that the plasma can help healthy people to prevent COVID-19 through transfusion, however, the effectiveness of the plasma to some patients doesn't mean it can be used for prevention.
Plasma treatment is adopted when there is a lack of a vaccine or specific medicine during an epidemic outbreak. In the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the plasma treatment is used to save severe and critically ill patients.
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Macao reports one imported case after nearly 40 days of zero infections
China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said on Monday that one new coronavirus case had been identified.
The female Korean patient arrived in Macao on March 14 from Portugal via Dubai and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on March 13.
She was an employee in Macao and traveled with her boyfriend, who's now categorized as someone who had been in close contact.
They left Macao for Portugal on January 30.
According to Macao authorities, the patient had a sore throat and cough before she went to the hospital Sunday afternoon and her clinical situation is now considered normal.
Macao has not reported a single new case for nearly 40 days, and its last patient, the 10th one, was discharged ten days ago.
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Last COVID-19 patient in Macao recovered, zero infection in the region now
Bahamas reports first coronavirus case
Health Ministry of the Bahamas announced the first coronavirus case in the country on Sunday.
The 61-year-old female patient does not have relevant travel history, said the ministry. The patient is receiving care in a designated isolation area of a local hospital.
Coronavirus cases outside China exceeds those in the country for the first time: JHU
The total number of coronavirus cases recorded outside China has surpassed the number in the country, according to live tracking from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
As of Monday morning, a total of 167,457 cases were detected globally, with 81,015 from China and 86,442 recorded outside China.
The hardest-hit nations include Italy, Iran, South Korea and Spain.
According to a latest World Health Organization report, the numbers of cases in China were 81,048 and cases from the rest of the world numbered 72,469. But the data WHO collected was as of 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.
Screenshot of live update on coronavirus from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) as of 8:52 on March 16, 2020. /JHU
China pledges medical supplies to Spain, Philippines over coronavirus
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday pledged to provide medical supplies to Spain as the European country is bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spain has recorded a total of 193 deaths and 6,250 infection cases so far. Italy reported 368 more deaths bringing the total to 1,809, and the nationwide number of positive cases rose to 24,747. France reported a total of 127 deaths, and more than 5,423 cases have been identified.
Governments across Europe have imposed restrictions on the movement of citizens and tightened borders. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now declared Europe the "epicenter" of the pandemic.
The Chinese foreign minister said China has decided to urgently provide a batch of medical supplies based on the needs of Spain and open commercial channels for the country to import urgently needed personal protective equipment and medical materials.
Wang made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha Gonzalez Laya.
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There are now more than 3,000 cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., according to government agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus situation in the country:
U.S. clinical trial for coronavirus vaccine reported to begin Monday
A clinical trial to evaluate a vaccine designed to protect against the new coronavirus will begin on Monday, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed U.S. government official.
The first participant in the trial, which has not been publicly announced yet, will receive the experimental vaccine on Monday, the AP reported.
Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine.
CDC recommends canceling or postponing events involving more than 50 people for eight weeks
The CDC published interim guidance on Sunday recommending "that for the next eight weeks, organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States."
This does not include "day to day operations of organizations such as schools, institutes of higher learning or businesses," according to the center.
U.S. stock futures tumble after Fed slashes rates
U.S. stock futures plunged late Sunday after the U.S. Federal Reserve made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks, cutting the benchmark borrowing rate to a range of 0-0.25 percent and pledged to keep it there "until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events."
U.S. stock-index futures tumbled to limit down levels with the Dow Jones Industrial average futures dropping more than 1,000 points after the Fed's move.
(With input from agencies)
Latest developments from South Korea: Cases rise by 74 to 8,236, expansion of special quarantine procedures for arrivals from Europe
South Korea reported 74 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the country's total cases to 8,236 as of midnight Sunday.
It was the second day the country reported a daily increase below 100.
So far, 1,137 people have recovered from COVID-19, according to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
South Korea Monday also announced the expansion of special quarantine procedures for arrivals from all European countries over concerns about imported cases of the novel coronavirus.
The special screening measures at airports was expanded to all passengers from European countries in addition to the previous six, namely Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands.
Similar measures have also applied to arrivals from Japan, Iran, China and China's Hong Kong and Macao special administration regions since February.
A view of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, October 2, 2019. /VCG
In order to proactively limit the risk of spreading COVID-19, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ordered all staff at its Lausanne, Switzerland headquarters to work from home starting from Monday.
According to a statement by the IOC, all its Lausanne-based staff will work from home starting Monday "until further notice, with the exception of some essential functions."
Following a series of preventive measures announced by the Madrid Regional Government, Olympic Channel Services (OCS) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) staff in Madrid have similarly been encouraged to work from home.
Because of the high number of visitors to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, which regularly hosts more than 1,000 visitors per day, it has been decided to close the museum from Monday, for two weeks. The situation will be reassessed after this period of time.
"The situation around the COVID-19 virus is developing day by day, and many measures are being taken internationally to address the situation. The International Olympic Committee wants to support these concerted efforts to proactively limit the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, while at the same time continuing to work at full speed on the preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which start on July 24, 2020, and in particular the qualification process for athletes and teams. This is the main priority of the IOC," read the statement.
To date, there have been no reported coronavirus cases among IOC staff members.
Hubei reports four new COVID-19 cases, 14 additional deaths
A total of four new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Sunday. A total of 14 new deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
All the four cases were domestically transmitted cases in Hubei's capital city of Wuhan, which also identified 13 out of Hubei's new 14 deaths.
On the same day, 816 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
The province has reported single-digit number of new cases for five consecutive days.
A total of 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Sunday, with 14 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,860, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,213.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 838 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 67,749.
Another 12 cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported – four registered in Beijing, four in Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai and one respectively in Yunan and Gansu Provinces.
The total number of imported cases originating outside China now stands at 123.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 148 (84 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 59 (20 recovered, 1 dead)
Latest on coronavirus outbreak around the globe: WHO says cases outside China hit over 72,000
Confirmed cases of coronavirus outside China rose by 10,955 to 72,469, death toll rose by 333 to 2,531, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest daily situation report.
As of 10 a.m. CET (0900 GMT) on Sunday, the total number of infections around the world is 153,517 with 5,735 deaths recorded.
In the past 12 hours:
U.S.: Federal Reserve slashed rates back to near zero, and said would buy at least 700 billion U.S. dollars in Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities in coming weeks.
Public schools in NYC and South Carolina will be closed from Monday after over 3,200 cases and 65 deaths were identified in the country.
Italy: Death toll jumped by 368 to 1,809. Total number of positive cases reached 24,747 on Sunday, a jump of 3,590.
Germany: Number of infections rose to 4,838 as of Sunday, among which, 12 were fatal. It will close borders with France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg from Monday morning.
France: 5,423 confirmed cases and 127 deaths were recorded so far.
Lebanon: Two-week lockdown was declared as airport, borders and ports to be closed starting Sunday until March 29. There're 100 cases and three deaths reported in the country so far.
South Africa: a "national state of disaster" was announced to cope with the internal transmission of the virus with international travel to hardest-hit countries been prohibited starting March 18.
U.S. Fed cuts rates to near zero amid coronavirus fears
The U.S. Federal Reserve on Sunday cut its benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point to near zero and will increase its bond holdings by at least 700 billion U.S. dollars amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed's policy-making committee, decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate to 0-0.25 percent.
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St Patrick's day will be heavily affected as bars and pubs across Ireland are set to be closed /AP
The Irish, famous for their social drinking culture, face their national day without being able to go to the pub.
The government has called for all pubs and bars to close until 29 March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement the government said: "The LVA (Licensed Vintners Assosiation) and VFI (Vintners Federation of Ireland) outlined the real difficulty in implementing the published guidelines on social distancing in a public house setting, as pubs are specifically designed to promote social interaction in a situation where alcohol reduces personal inhibitions.”
The closure, which comes into effect on Sunday evening, also includes all hotel bars across Ireland.
This is a major blow for the Irish economy on the eve of St Patrick's day on 17 March, the most celebrated day of the year in Ireland.
The statement also said it would be reviewing the social distancing in other public places such as restaurants and cinemas in the coming days.
Algerian women wearing protective masks are pictured in front of El-Kettar hospital's special unit to treat cases of novel coronavirus in the capital Algiers on February 26, 2020. /AFP
Algerian Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed the death of a fourth patient infected with COVID-19.
The ministry said in a statement that this 4rd death, a 84 year-old woman, was recorded on Sunday in Frantz Fanon Hospital in Blida province, 50 km south-eastern Algiers.
The source further added that the total number of confirmed infected cases hit 48 after the health authorities have detected more new infected cases.
The statement said that the epidemiological investigation is still underway to find out and identify all people who were in contact with these infected patients.
It urged Algerians to postpone their travel abroad if possible, and called on Algerian nationals abroad to postpone their visits to Algeria.
The Health Ministry noted that vigilance system remains valid and medical teams are mobilized at maximum level to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
A police officer is seen at the security gate after the reopening of Mitiga Airport in Tripoli, Libya, on December 12, 2019. /Reuters
Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord has declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus and will close all air and sea ports from Monday, Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj said on Saturday.
Serraj also said, in a broadcast address, that his internationally recognized government had earmarked 500 million Libyan dinars ($360.54 million) to combat the disease if it reached Libya, though no cases had been confirmed so far.
Libya, split for years between rival governments that have been fighting a war for nearly a year, lacks adequate isolation and other facilities to combat the virus, the head of its disease control centre told Reuters on Thursday.
A bottle of hydroalcoholic gel is placed at the reception of Hasdrubal Hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia, as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus on March 12, 2020. /Reuters
Tunisia has created a voluntary fund dedicated to fighting the coronavirus outbreak and reducing its economic repercussions, the North African country's Ministry of Finance said Sunday.
Tunisia, whose health sector infrastructure is weak, has announced 18 case of coronavirus and suspended prayers at mosques, closed cafes from 1600 local time each day and banned all cultural, sports and economic gatherings.
SportAccord 2020 cancelled due to COVID-19
SportAccord announced on Saturday the cancellation of the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2020, which had been due to take place from 19-24 April in Lausanne, Switzerland. The event was originally scheduled to be held in Beijing, but due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the host city was changed.
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Germany's borders to Austria, Switzerland, and France to be closed
Germany's borders to Austria, Switzerland, and France will be closed from 8:00 a.m. local time on Monday to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus , according to local media reports.
As of Sunday, Germany has reported more than 5,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide.
A public transport firm in Shanghai has turned to technology to disinfect its buses every day.
Armed with 210 ultraviolet tubes, the company, Yanggao, converted a regular cleaning room into a UV light disinfection chamber, which condenses a 40-minute cleaning process down to five minutes.
The ultraviolet disinfection method is efficient and less time-consuming, as well as requiring less labor and disinfection costs. Secondly, it disinfects thoroughly and kills more than 99.9 percent of viruses. Thirdly, it doesn't corrode buses – it is a purely physical disinfection method.
Latest on COVID-19 around the world
Germany reported one more death, total to nine in the country, and nationwide total of cases reached more than 5,100.
Spain reported 2,000 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 7,753. Of those, 288 died and 382 people were in critical condition.
Belgium confirmed 197 new cases, the largest one-day increase in confirmed cases. A total of 886 cases have been confirmed nationwide, including three deaths.
Japan's domestic total confirmed cases reached 817 with 24 deaths, including 803 cases in the country, and 14 more cases that returned on chartered flights.
Malaysia reported 190 new cases, bringing the total number to 428.
Kuwait reported eight new cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 112 on Sunday.
Lebanon confirmed the number of infections increased to 99, adding that the country is expected to declare a state of emergency later in the day.
South Africa reported the total number of confirmed cases climbed to 51 after 13 more people tested positive.
The Republic of the Congo confirmed the country's first case on Saturday.
Netanyahu corruption trial delayed until May due to COVID-19 crisis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial was delayed on Sunday for two months, until May, due to the coronavirus crisis.
Israel's Justice Ministry said the trial, due to have opened on March 17 with the reading of an indictment against Israel's longest-serving leader in three graft cases, would begin on May 24 "due to developments related to the spread of the coronavirus."
Netanyahu, who is spearheading Israel's tough measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, has denied any wrongdoing in the investigations. Charges against him include bribery, breach of trust and fraud.
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Hong Kong SAR issues red outbound travel alert on Ireland, UK and U.S.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government on Sunday decided to issue the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on Ireland, the UK and U.S. based on public health considerations.
The aforesaid countries have seen a persistent and rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, said the Hong Kong SAR government.
The government urges residents planning to travel to the aforementioned countries to adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel.
Apart from the aforementioned countries, the government also issued the Red OTA on certain European countries (Schengen Area), South Korea, as well as Hokkaido in Japan.
Kazakhstan declares emergency due to novel coronavirus
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to concerns about novel coronavirus.
The decree published by the president's office restricts entry to and departure from Kazakhstan for everyone except diplomats and those invited by the government. It also introduced a nationwide quarantine, according to Reuters.
As of Sunday, Kazakhstan has confirmed a total of eight COVID-19 cases.
(Cover: VCG File photo)
The disposal of medical waste from COVID-19 has to undergo strict treatment protocols to ensure the virus does not spread in the process.
Wuhan City is the epicenter of the outbreak, and the large number of patients meant hospitals got overloaded with medical waste. Medical waste must be disposed of quickly to limit any possibility of viral spread. The city's firefighters took around 20 minutes to load all 30 barrels of waste onto their trucks.
The waste was then taken to a designated site where the environmental protection department handled the disposal process.
Global confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 150,000, says WHO
A total of 152,428 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported globally as of Sunday morning, Xinhua reported, citing World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Fadela Chaib.
UK to move to shielding over-70s in coming weeks: Health secretary
The British government has called for a national effort similar to the one which helped the country survive during the Second World War as it prepares to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Health Minister Matt Hancock said measures the government planned included isolating people aged over 70 for up to four months.
He said the announcement would come "certainly in the coming weeks, absolutely."
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At least 1,209 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,938.
Iran reported 113 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 724, according to local health authorities.
So far, 4,590 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Hong Kong reports 4 more COVID-19 cases, total to 145
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) confirmed four more COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 145, according to the local government.
Russia to suspend trains to Latvia, Ukraine and Moldova
Russian Railways will suspend international passenger trains to Latvia, Ukraine and Moldova from March 17 due to concerns over COVID-19, according to local media reports on Sunday.
Earlier, Russian Railways halted trains to Berlin, Prague and Paris.
(Cover: AP file photo)
When COVID-19 hit Wuhan, alumni from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Germany quickly responded, gathering supplies and shipping them back to Wuhan, where their fellow alumni were waiting to unload and deliver the supplies. They've accumulated hundreds of millions of yuan worth of medical supplies and helped many hospitals survive the medical supply shortage. They've also focused on the needs of female medical workers and made sure they've been well taken care of.
Beijing to implement strict quarantine measures for international arrivals
Beijing will implement strict quarantine measures for international travelers arriving in the city, according to local authorities on Sunday.
From midnight Monday, a 14-day quarantine in a designated facility will be applied to all international arrivals in the city. However, home quarantine is permitted for people with special conditions following a strict evaluation by local authorities.
Beijing reported five new imported cases of COVID-19 on March 14, among which three are from Spain, one from Italy and another from Thailand, an official said at a press conference.
Mayor of Cene in Italy confirmed dead from COVID-19
Giorgio Valoti, mayor of Cene in northern Italy, died at the age of 70, making him the first governor in Italy to die from COVID-19, Italian media reported.
The city of Cene is in Bergamo, Lombardy, one of Italy's worst-hit regions.
Valoti was reportedly ill in hospital on March 7, tested positive for the coronavirus and died of a severe lung infection on Friday.
Latest on COVID-19 in Asia
Uzbekistan: First case of COVID-19 confirmed in the country, the patient is an Uzbek citizen who tested positive for coronavirus after returning from France.
South Korea: South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday declared the city of Daegu and some regions in North Gyeongsang Province as special disaster zones. The country's total confirmed COVID-19 cases reach 8,162.
India: A total of 107 cases have been confirmed in India as of Sunday afternoon.
Indonesia: At least 21 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday, bringing the total cases in the country to 117.
Thailand: 32 new cases reported, 114 in total.
Pakistan: Confirmed cases: 34.
Philippines: 29 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, bringing the local tally to 140, with 11 deaths.
Malaysia: Malaysia reported 190 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number of infections to 428.
444 Filipinos disembark from virus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship
A total of 444 Filipinos disembarked from the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship Grand Princess on Saturday at the Port of Oakland, California.
The Filipinos – 438 crew members and six passengers – will land at the Athletes' Village in New Clark City in the Philippines on Monday local time and receive fortnight quarantine upon their arrival.
Two more charter flights are scheduled on Sunday for the remaining foreign national passengers and non-essential crew aboard the cruise ship.
The Grand Princess drew international concern after California reported its first death from coronavirus – an elderly man who had been on the ship's previous voyage to Mexico.
Here's the latest on COVID-19 in Europe
Italy's total number of confirmed cases has risen to 21,157. As many as 1,441 people have died from the coronavirus.
France reported 839 new cases on Saturday, raising the nationwide total to 4,500. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced the closure of all non-essential public places including restaurants, coffee shops, cinemas and bars from Sunday.
Spain reported more than 1,000 new cases for the second consecutive day. There are now 6,393 cases in the country, with 195 deaths.
Germany has confirmed a total of 3,795 cases as of Saturday. Berlin and other areas have banned activities with more than 50 participants.
The UK reported 342 new cases as the nationwide total reached 1,140. The death toll is at 21. More than 100,000 people have signed a plea for government to take more active measures to contain the outbreak.
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis announced that his country will enter a state of emergency on March 16. A total of 113 cases have been confirmed in the country.
Chinese medics arrive in Italy amid calls for international cooperation
Nine Chinese medical experts and 31 tons of medical supplies arrived in Rome on Thursday night as part of China's efforts to help Italy contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Liang Zongan, a medical expert with Chinese medical team sent to Italy said the team will remodel ICU beds to treat critical patients as soon as possible. And for patients with mild symptoms, they will help build more mobile hospitals or open-space hospitals to receive and treat them, thus alleviating the problem of a shortage of beds for critical patients.
"In this moment of great stress, of great difficulty, we are relieved to have this arrival of supplies," Francesco Rocca, president of Italy's Red Cross said.
An Iranian official has also said China's experience in fighting the disease is proving helpful.
"We hope these kind of communications, sharing knowledge and experiences will continue in the future, not just on combating coronavirus, but also controlling possible outbreaks of other pandemics, as well as sharing experiences on crisis and natural disasters," Kianoush Jahanpour, an Iranian health ministry spokesman said.
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Australia demands 14-day self-quarantine for international arrivals
Australia will impose a 14-day self-quarantine on all international passenger arrivals from midnight Sunday to contain the spread of COVID-19, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a press conference on Sunday.
So far, Australia has recorded at least 236 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
UK's response to COVID-19 may expose significant risks to citizens
Editor's note: Thom Brooks is the Dean of Durham Law School and a professor of law and government at Durham University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
Europe is now the epicenter for the outbreak of COVID-19. With the oldest population second only to Japan, Italy has become especially affected by the virus. Twenty days after the first case was identified, over eight hundred people have died.
What happened in Italy is spreading across the U.S. and Europe. All have a similar trajectory of a one-third daily rise in cases and an increasing number of deaths. Italy was first to quarantine its citizens closing all bars and restaurants with flights for all but exceptional purposes banned.
This lockdown is spreading as quickly as the virus. Spain has the second most cases in Europe and looks set to quarantine its people. Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and others are imposing strong lockdown measures. COVID-19 is growing swiftly within the U.S. as well, where several states have closed schools and banned mass gatherings. New York City's famous Broadway will be closed for performances for a month.
The idea behind these measures is to enforce social distancing to prevent the swift spread of infection. What has been lacking is sufficiently swift testing and a concern that getting persons to self-isolate with virus-free family members could put relatives with underlying health conditions at greater risk.
The one big exception is the UK. While other countries were closing schools and taking action, the British government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson has kept them open. Whereas other European countries have postponed or cancelled sporting events, Johnson has permitted these to continue.
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Boris Johnson (C) meets with staff in a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale, north London. /AFP
Japan's COVID-19 cases rise to 1,484
Japan's total number of COVID-19 cases increased to 1,484 on Sunday, rising by a faster pace than the previous day, NHK reported.
The total number of cases includes 697 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 who returned from China by charter flights.
A total of 29 patients have died of the disease in Japan, with seven from the cruise ship.
The recent spike in Japan's numbers has caused some concerns about the 2020 Olympic Games, while the organizers are moving forward with preparation.
Reuters Photo
S.Korea reports 76 new coronavirus cases, brings total to 8,162
South Korea reported 76 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the country's total to 8,162 with 75 deaths, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
U.S. COVID-19 cases near 2,800 as Trump extends European travel ban
The United State has confirmed at least 2,795 COVID-19 cases, CNN reported citing state and local health agencies, local governments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 58 people have died from the disease as of Saturday.
The U.S. has not reached its peak of the coronavirus outbreak, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease during a press briefing on Saturday.
Trump's administration has also decided to extend its European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland. The new restrictions will go into effect midnight on Monday, according to Vice President Mike Pence.
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Trump's COVID-19 test result was negative, says White House
The U.S. President Trump's COVID-19 test result was negative, the president's physician, Sean Conley, said in a statement on Saturday.
"Last night after an in-depth discussion with the President regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed," Conley wrote in the memorandum. "This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative."
Earlier in the day, Trump confirmed he has been tested for the virus at a White House press briefing.
The White House physician had previously said in a memo that the president "remains without symptoms, testing for COVID-19 is not currently indicated."
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Hubei reports four new COVID-19 cases, 10 additional deaths
A total of four new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Saturday. A total of 10 new deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
On the same day, 1,335 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
A transfer team member helps a patient in wheelchair to go up a slope in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2020. /Xinhua
A total of 20 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Saturday, with 10 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,844, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,199.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,370 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 66,911.
Another 16 cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported, bringing the total number of cases originating outside China to 111.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 141 (81 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 53 (20 recovered, 1 dead)
A total number of 9,751 new COVID-19 cases and 424 more deaths were confirmed outside China on Saturday, World Health Organization's latest figures show.
As of 10:00 a.m. CET on March 14, there were 61,518 reported coronavirus infections and 2,199 deaths globally, outside China.
The Chinese mainland recorded a total of 20 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of midnight on Saturday, with 10 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
Begona Gomez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has tested positive for COVID-19, the prime minister's office said.
Gomez and her husband are doing well and remain at their official residence in Madrid, the Moncloa palace, the Government added. Gomez joined thousands of demonstrators on International Women's Day last Sunday, to protest the gender wage gap. Earlier this week, two of Sanchez's ministers also tested positive for the virus.
This comes as the Spanish Government formally declared a state of emergency on Saturday, as new cases of the lethal virus continued to soar.
The country has been placed in a lockdown, with people ordered to stay at home for the next two weeks. People will only be allowed to go out if they need to buy food and medicine, go to work or hospital.
Spain is the worst affected country after Italy, with 6,251 cases of the virus and 193 deaths.
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The Trump White House announced that the U.S. will broaden its European travel ban in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The U.K. and Ireland are being added to the list of countries not allowed to transport foreign nationals into the U.S.
American citizens, green card holders and others allowed to return to the U.S. would be funneled to 13 airports and subjected to health screenings and quarantines, the Associated Press reports.
And after days of reluctance, President Donald Trump said he had been tested for the coronavirus following several interactions with people who later tested positive for COVID-19. He said he is awaiting the results.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to provide direct relief to Americans suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. It will provide paid sick leave to those impacted and fund testing for all who need it. The Senate will take up the measure in the coming days.
In Europe, Spain followed Italy in locking down the country, in order to slow the spread of the virus. According to a draft government order seen by the Associated Press, Spain planned to impose tight emergency restrictions on people's movement, with plans to close all schools, universities, restaurants, bars and hotels.
France is also taking a next step to combat the spread of COVID-19, announcing plans to shut down tourist attractions, like the Eiffel Tower, and closing all restaurants, cafes, theaters and nonessential shops beginning Sunday.
Map of Morocco. Detail from the World Atlas. Selective Focus.
Morocco will close all schools and universities and other educational and vocational training institutions starting from March 16 until an indefinite date as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus outbreak, the education ministry said on Friday.
Classes will be substituted by distance learning, the ministry said in a statement.
Morocco, which confirmed seven coronavirus cases including one death and one recovery, suspended trips with China, Italy, Spain, Algeria and France.
The New York City reported its first death of COVID-19 on Saturday, said Governor Andrew Cuomo in a tweet.
The deceased patient is an 82-year-old woman with pre-existing respiratory disease.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump said the emergency declaration will open up 50 billion U.S. dollars of government funds to assist states, territories, and localities.
Apple to close retail stores outside Greater China region until March 27
Apple will close retail stores around the world, except those in the Greater China region for two weeks until March 27, to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.
"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote on the company's website.
"The most effective way to minimize risk of the virus's transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance. As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we're taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers," he wrote.
"In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China," he added. "That means team members should work remotely if their job allows."
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Latest developments on COVID-19 around the world
Asia:
Malaysia: 41 new cases detected, total at 238.
Maldives: 10 people have so far tested positive for the virus. A 30-day state of public health emergency has been declared earlier this week.
Indonesia: 96 cases have been identified, death toll in the country stands at five. The country's Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has contracted the virus.
India: "A notified disaster" was declared in the country Saturday where 82 cases have been confirmed and two deaths were reported.
Philippines: 111 confirmed cases, including eight deaths. Night-time curfew will be imposed in Manila starting Sunday.
Singapore: 12 new cases reported, nationwide tally now at 212. Among them, 105 have recovered.
Brunei: Three new cases were reported, bringing the country's total to 40.
Europe:
UK: 1,140 confirmed cases, death toll rose by 10 to 21.
Spain: Total number of cases is 5,753, second-highest number in Europe after Italy, and 136 people died.
Russia: Border closing with Poland and Norway.
Netherlands: Number of confirmed cases rose by 155 to 959, death toll rose by two to 12.
Italy: 17,660 cases and 1,266 deaths, the most for any country outside China, as of Friday.
Africa:
Equatorial Guinea confirmed on Saturday the country's first case of COVID-19.
South Africa: Total number of infections rose from 24 to 38.
For other African updates, click here.
Middle East:
Kuwait: Four new cases reported on Saturday, bringing total number to 104.
Iran: 12,729 confirmed cases and 611 deaths.
Lebanon: Total cases rose to 93, all citizens were urged to stay at home.
President Xi Jinping: China ready to support EU in COVID-19 fight
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent messages of sympathy to President of the European Council Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over the COVID-19 outbreak.
Click here for more.
Spain to impose nationwide lockdown - draft
The Spanish government will put the country under lockdown from Monday as part of state of emergency measures to combat the coronavirus, a draft of an official decree obtained by Reuters showed.
The government will say all Spaniards must stay home except to buy food, go to the pharmacy, to the hospital, or to work or for other emergencies, the draft showed.
Public transport will be curtailed to carry fewer people but will not be suspended, the draft showed.
Spain's Interior Ministry will control all police forces, including local and regional ones, as part of the 15-day state of emergency.
The health and transport ministries will also have nationwide reach, taking over some local or regional powers.
The draft says the lockdown will enter into force on Monday at 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) while all other measures will enter into force as soon as the decree is published in the official journal.
Spain now has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in Europe after Italy, with a total of 5,753 cases and 136 people were killed.
Jack Ma donates two million masks to Europe for coronavirus crisis
Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has pledged to donate two million protective masks for distribution across Europe, with a first consignment arriving in Belgium late on Friday.
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Pierpaolo Sileri, Italy's deputy health minister, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is now under quarantine, according to local media reports on Saturday.
On the same day, Anna Ascani, Italian vice-minister for education, tweeted that she has tested positive for the coronavirus and was showing symptoms.
The new coronavirus has spread to all 27 EU states. Italy is Europe's hardest-hit country with over 17,000 infections and 1,200 deaths.
Italian authorities have expanded coronavirus lockdown to the whole country, and all public gatherings have been canceled.
In the past two months, the world has been experiencing two epidemics at the same time – the COVID-19 epidemic and a fear epidemic. The disease is new, but the fear is not. What makes this outbreak scarier than it really is?
Han and his father were both infected with the novel coronavirus on February 7 in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province. Han's father, who was in severe condition, was sent to Tongji Hospital while Han, exhibiting mild symptoms, went to a temporary hospital.
Temporary hospitals are re-purposed public facilities and were key to containing the spread of the virus. As of February 29, nearly 25,000 patients had recovered in Wuhan. However, some doctors lost their lives on the front line: They are the true heroes in the fight against the coronavirus.
As the epidemic is spreading around the globe, only by cooperating with each other can we defeat the common enemy: COVID-19.
Iran has learned from China's experience in enhancing its capacity to receive and treat confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients. Some Iranian provinces ravaged by the virus announced that exhibition centers, parking lots and factories will be turned into temporary hospitals.
On Saturday, Iran reported 97 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 611, according to local health authorities.
At least 1,365 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Iran, and the total confirmed cases reached 12,729.
So far, 4,339 patients recovered from the disease in the country.
(Cover: AP)
Latest coronavirus developments in Africa
As of Saturday, 21 African countries have recorded 205 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including six deaths and 35 recoveries. This is according to a CGTN tally of data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as national health ministries across the continent.
Egypt: 93 confirmed cases
Algeria: 27 confirmed cases
South Africa: 24 confirmed cases
Senegal: 21 confirmed cases
Tunisia: 13 confirmed cases
Morocco: seven confirmed cases
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Nigeria, Ghana: two confirmed cases each
Cote d'Ivoire, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Sudan, Togo, Rwanda, Mauritania: one confirmed case each
Abe: Japan can contain COVID-19 spread, no need for national emergency
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed confidence in the county's ability to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, adding that there is no need to declare a state of emergency at the moment.
Abe made the remarks at a press conference on Saturday, a day after the Diet passed a bill giving the prime minister the power to declare a state of emergency.
Abe noted that the number of infections in Japan is lower compared with other countries.
He praised Japan for successfully containing the spread of the virus and helping 40 percent of patients recover.
Japan has registered over 1,400 confirmed cases so far including those from the Princess Diamond cruise ship, and 28 have died so far.
All intl flights to Daxing airport moved to Beijing capital airport
Since Friday, all international inbound flights to Beijing's new Daxing International Airport started to be transferred to Beijing Capital International Airport, an official confirmed at a press conference held in Beijing on Saturday.
Beijing Capital International Airport has strengthened screening for imported cases and set up an isolation zone to handle international flights coming from key epidemic areas.
China has recorded scattered imported coronavirus in the past week as locally transmitted cases continue to trend down.
The latest national figures showed the number of new virus cases imported into the Chinese mainland surpassed the number of locally transmitted new infections for the first time on Friday, seven to four.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday also said Europe is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recovery rates of COVID-19 patients continue to increase
The number of locally confirmed cases and suspected cases of COVID-19 in Chinese mainland has continued to decline in the past week, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission said at a press conference on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the virus-hit city of Wuhan had ascended to 72.9 percent in the past week, while the rate has reached 92.7 percent in the rest of Hubei Province and other Chinese provinces has seen a recovery rate of 97.3 percent, he said.
The recovery rate has continued to climb in the past week, he added.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: Multiple countries enter 'state of emergency'
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus to free up 50 billion U.S. dollars in federal aid to combat a disease that has infected over 138,000 people worldwide and left more than 5,000 dead.
Meanwhile, the House overwhelmingly passed an economic relief bill at 1 a.m. on Saturday, dedicating tens of billions of dollars for paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing and other measures to relieve the negative impact of this contagion crisis.
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Answer Bank: How long can the novel coronavirus survive on surfaces?
As the number of confirmed new coronavirus cases continues to grow outside China, concerns and questions about the virus have soared simultaneously.
By now, a total of 122 countries and regions have been infected, reporting over 51,700 cases and at least 1,775 deaths.
Considering that COVID-19 is a new disease, global scientists and researchers are still learning how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes and everything about the contagious disease.
What we know is that it's possible the virus may spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. But how long can the virus last on surfaces? How long can it survive without a living thing as its host?
Click here for more.
Latest on coronavirus pandemic
The Republic of Suriname and Antigua and Barbuda both confirmed their first cases. Suriname has announced it will close its border and airports.
Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced the country will ban foreigners from entering the country starting Sunday, and impose a 14-day quarantine on returning citizens.
Japan reported six more cases, as the nationwide total increased to 731. 21 patients have died.
The Philippines reported one more death, raising the national death toll to six.
Saudi Arabia has announced to suspend all international flights for two weeks starting from 11:00 a.m. local time Sunday.
U.S. House passes coronavirus relief package, Senate to vote next
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a coronavirus relief package early Saturday with a bipartisan vote of 363 to 40.
The package will provide free coronavirus testing, including for those who are uninsured, and two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months' paid family and medical leave.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier sent a tweet expressing his support for the bill. The Republican-controlled Senate will vote on the package when it returns next week.
Brazil ambassador tests positive after dining with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Brazilian ambassador Nestor Forster, who sat at U.S. President Trump's table last Saturday night at Mar-a-Lago, has tested positive for coronavirus, the embassy said on Friday.
Forster is the third person to test positive who visited Trump's South Florida resort over the weekend.
Brazilian president's communications secretary who posed for a photo with Trump that night was tested positive on Wednesday.
Another individual, who attended a Sunday luncheon hosted by Trump Victory, a committee that raises money for the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, has also tested positive, the Washington Post reported citing party officials.
Earlier, President Trump said during a press conference in the Rose Garden that he "most likely" will get tested, but didn't say when.
France confirms 800 new COVID-19 cases in a day
France on Friday confirmed 800 new COVID-19 cases as the nationwide total soared to 3,661, according to the French health ministry.
79 people have died of the disease in France.
AP Photo
Hubei reports four new COVID-19 cases, 13 additional deaths
A total of four new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Friday. A total of 13 new deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
On the same day, 1,390 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
A total of 11 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Friday, with 13 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,824, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,189.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,430 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 65,541.
Another seven cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported, bringing the total number of cases originating outside China to 95.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 137 (78 recovered, 4 dead)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 50 (20 recovered, 1 dead)
Senior Iranian IRGC commander dies of COVID-19
Nasser Shabani, a senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has died of COVID-19, local media reported citing the IRGC.
At least five members of the IRGC have died after contracting the coronavirus, according to IRGC spokesperson Ramezan Sharif.
U.S. reports 48 deaths from COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat coronavirus on Friday. At least 2,033 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the United States, CNN reported citing state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 48 people have died so far.
Trump said his administration would free up to 50 billion U.S. dollars, which he described as "a large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease" in a Rose Garden press conference.
Asked by reporters on why he hasn't been tested for coronavirus, Trump said that he "most likely" will get tested but didn't say when.
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South Korea reports 107 new coronavirus cases, total at 7,979
South Korea reported 107 more cases of coronavirus, taking the country's total to 8,086 on Friday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Graphics: How is Iran responding to COVID-19?
Iran reported its first two confirmed cases on February 19 in the holy city of Qom. The virus soon spread across the country.
Most of the patients are in the capital Tehran, followed by the nearby province of Mazandaran.
How did the virus spread? How has government response been like? Click here for more.
Latest coronavirus developments around the world
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to grow in regions outside China with a total of 122 countries and regions reporting over 51,700 cases and at least 1,775 deaths.
These new countries and regions reported their first coronavirus cases in the last 12 hours:
Uruguay,
Guatemala,
Venezuela,
Mauritania
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday demanded all UN staff telecommute and work remotely from March 16 to April 12 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Meanwhile, Europe has become the "new epicenter" of the COVID-19 pandemic, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined apart from China. Spain declared a state of emergency, while a host of other countries announced strict new measures. France closed schools and stepped up funding to help businesses. Poland announced it will ban foreigners from entering the country for 10 days from Sunday. Bulgaria closed schools and restricted travel to 14 countries on Friday. Switzerland closed schools and banned public and private gatherings.
Here are the latest figures in Europe:
Italy: 17,660 cases, 1,266 deaths
Spain: 4,231 cases, 121 deaths
France: 2,876 cases, 79 deaths
UK: 798 cases, 11 deaths
Switzerland: 1,009, six deaths
A total number of 7,488 new COVID-19 cases and 335 more deaths were confirmed outside China on Friday, World Health Organization's latest figures show.
As of 10:00 a.m. CET on March 13, there were 51,767 reported coronavirus infections and 1,775 deaths globally, outside China.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Europe is now the epicenter of the COVID-19.
Trump declares national emergency
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday. The emergency declaration will open up 50 billion U.S. dollars of government funds to assist states, territories and localities, Trump said.
Trump also announced a partnership with the private health sector to create more test kits and that drive-through testing centers will be open in certain areas where people can get swabbed for the virus without having to leave their automobile.
The U.S. president also said the government is waiving interest on student loans owed to federal agencies until further notice and that the U.S. will also buy "large quantities" of oil for reserves.
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has tested negative for COVID-19.
He made the announcement on Friday afternoon on social media.
Bolsonaro was tested for COVID-19 on Thursday after his Press Secretary Fabio Wajngarten tested positive for the virus.
Bolsonaro and Wajngarten visited the U.S. state of Florida last week, where they met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the G7 extraordinary Leaders Summit through his Twitter account.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries will hold an extraordinary leaders summit by video conference on Monday to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
"Following my call with Donald Trump and all G7 leaders, we agreed to organize an extraordinary Leaders Summit by video conference on Monday on Covid-19. We will coordinate research efforts on a vaccine and treatments, and work on an economic and financial response," Macron wrote on Twitter.
The meeting comes as the world continues to record COVID-19 cases, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting more new cases outside China in recent weeks.
UK reports 208 new cases, 798 in total
The UK reported 208 cases on Friday, bringing the total in the country to 798 as of 9:00 a.m. on Friday.
So far, 10 patients infected with the new coronavirus have died.
Earlier, a London Underground driver tested positive for the virus.
More African countries report first COVID-19 cases
Sudan on Friday reported its first confirmed coronavirus case, a man in his 50s, who died on Thursday and had visited the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.
According to Reuters, Guinea also detected the country's first case, a female employee of the European Union delegation in Guinea.
The delegation spokesperson Halimou Sow told Reuters that she tested positive for the virus and had self-isolated upon returning to Guinea from Europe.
Guinea's government has not yet commented on the matter.
Earlier, Ethiopia reported its first case of coronavirus.
Hubei's government says only Wuhan City remains at high epidemic risk
The government of Hubei, the province at the center of the coronavirus outbreak in China, has lowered the epidemic risk ratings of several cities and regions, leaving only the capital of city Wuhan as "high risk" at Thursday midnight, according to the local newspaper Hubei Daily.
After the latest adjustment, there're now 63 cities and counties marked as "low risk" and 12 others as "medium," the newspaper said.
The situation has stabilized in Hubei Province as new daily cases have trended downward stably since the end of February.
Since March 2, only Wuhan City has reported new cases each day, with only five identified on Thursday.
Following days of steep declines, U.S. stocks opened in the green, staging a big comeback after the worst day since the 1987 crash.
Here's how things look:
The Dow up 5.6% or 1,190 points higher.
The S&P 500 opened up 4.9%.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 5.7%.
Spain declares 15-day state of emergency amid coronavirus spread
Spanish President Pedro Sanchez on Friday declared a "state of emergency" across Spain after the country's total confirmed cases rose to 4,209 and the death toll reached 120.
The state of emergency – or "state of alarm" – will allow the government to take wide-ranging measures including prohibiting access to certain areas or places and confining the movement of people or vehicles.
Currently, the new measures can last for 15 days before the government requires the parliamentary approval to extend them.
Ethiopia confirms its first case of coronavirus
Ethiopia has confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus.
The patient is a 48-year-old Japanese national who came to Ethiopia on March 4 from Burkina Faso, said the country's Minister of Health Lia Tadesse on Twitter on Friday.
Iran reports 1,289 more COVID-19 cases, 11,364 in total
Iran's Health Ministry on Friday reported 1,289 more cases of COVID-19 in the country, taking the nationwide tally to 11,364.
In addition, 85 more deaths from the coronavirus were registered as of Friday noon, the health ministry said, bringing the death toll to 514 in the worst-hit country in the Middle East.
So far, 3,529 patients have recovered.
English Football League to suspend all games until April 4
The English Football League has agreed to suspend all fixtures until April 4.
It comes as Premier League chiefs meet to discuss the response to the coronavirus global outbreak, as Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Read more:
London Underground driver tests positive for coronavirus
A London Underground driver has tested positive for new coronavirus, PA media reported.
The man, who works on the Tube's Jubilee Line, has been off work this week after returning from holiday in Vietnam, the news agency quoted sources as saying.
A Transport for London spokesman said the driver was receiving support from health services and he was not working in a customer-facing area, according to local media.
The UK has recorded 590 confirmed cases and ten deaths so far.
Six MPs in the UK parliament have been in self-isolation. Nadine Dorries, a health minister, tested positive for the disease on Tuesday evening.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Thursday that up to 10,000 people may already have coronavirus in Britain and many families should expect to lose loved ones before their time as the government moves to the next stage of its phased plan to tackle the outbreak.
China to cut reserve requirement ratio by 0.5-1 percentage points for qualified banks
China's central bank announced Friday it will cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 0.5-1 percentage points for qualified banks on March 16.
The People's Bank of China also said it will release a total of 550 billion yuan (78.76 billion U.S. dollars) to support the economy.
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Kazakhstan confirms first coronavirus cases
Kazakhstan on Friday confirmed the country's first coronavirus cases.
Two Kazakh citizens tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from Germany, Health Minister Yelzhan Birtanov said on Friday.
The patients are currently at a specialized hospital in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city, he told a briefing.
China and South Korea on Friday established a cooperation mechanism to fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic and held their first video conference on the same day.
The mechanism, led by foreign ministries from the two countries, also involves health, education, customs, immigration and aviation departments.
COVID-19 Global Roundup: World leaders at risk of being infected
The novel coronavirus has begun to infect political leaders worldwide, hampering their ability to operate in a time of crisis and showing that even the highest echelons of government aren't beyond the disease's reach.
Click here for more.
Kenya confirms its first coronavirus case
Kenya has confirmed its first coronavirus case, the country's Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe said on Friday.
The patient, who was diagnosed on the night of March 12, had travelled back to Kenya from the United States via London, Kagwe told a news conference.
Japan's Diet passes emergency coronavirus law
Japan's Diet on Friday passed a bill that will allow the prime minister to declare a state of emergency to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak, according to HNK news.
The bill, which amends a 2012 law drawn up after a flu epidemic in 2009, was approved by upper house lawmakers after the lower house passed the legislation on Thursday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would have to declare a state of emergency in order to use the new powers.
Abe has requested schools to close and organizers of events to cancel large gatherings but so far has not had the power to make them comply.
Japan has registered nearly 1,400 confirmed cases so far including those from the Princess Diamond cruise ship, and 26 have died so far.
(With input from Reuters)
Answer Bank: Can latitude influence the spread of coronavirus?
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) becomes a global pandemic, there are some geographical patterns of the outbreak areas that have been discussed.
"To date, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) ... has established significant community spread in cities and regions only along a narrow east west distribution roughly along the 30-50 degree (lines of latitude) corridor at consistently similar weather patterns," according to a team of U.S. and Iranian researchers of the Global Virus Network (GVN).
Their research suggests that latitude could influence the spread of the virus. The study was published on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) but it hasn't been peer-reviewed yet.
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Australia Home Affairs minister tests positive for coronavirus
Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton has been tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Twitter.
Latest on the global COVID-19 pandemic
India reported its first death from COVID-19 on Friday: A 76-year-old man with underlying health conditions who had visited Saudi Arabia.
Ghana reported its first two cases. The two patients traveled to Ghana from Norway and Turkey.
Trinidad and Tobago confirmed its first case: A 52-year-old man who traveled from Switzerland.
Argentina declared a state of emergency and suspended all incoming flights from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, the United States and countries across Europe.
Panama also declared a state of emergency as nationwide COVID-19 cases increased to 27.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that starting Monday, the country will advise against organized, non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people. There are 140 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
Japan's total number of cases rose to 690 on Friday, excluding 697 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. 19 patients have died. Japan's Olympics minister insisted they were not considering cancelling or postponing the Games, despite U.S. President Trump's suggestion officials should consider delaying the event for one year.
China demands transparency from the U.S. on epidemic situation
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Thursday said it is the U.S. that lacks transparency in the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Robert Redfield, director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), openly admitted on Wednesday that some COVID-19 deaths have been misdiagnosed as influenza in the country.
Zhao posted several tweets, demanding a further explanation from the U.S.
U.S. excludes some Chinese medical products from tariffs
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said it granted on Thursday exclusions from import tariffs for some medical products imported from China, including face masks, stethoscope covers and blood pressure cuff sleeves.
The exclusions were granted as the United States grapples with a coronavirus outbreak. The products were included in a fourth round of tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by U.S. on September 1 last year.
China's medical experts and supplies arrive as Italy struggles to contain coronavirus
A team of Chinese medical experts, along with 31 tons of medical supplies, arrived in Italy late Thursday evening as the country struggles to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has infected over 12,000 and killed over 1,000 people.
The nine-member medical team, arranged by the National Health Commission and the Red Cross Society of China, is the third Chinese expert team sent abroad following teams sent to Iran and Iraq.
Francesco Rocca, the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said Italy welcomes China's support and assistance.
Hubei reports five new COVID-19 cases, six additional deaths
A total of five new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Thursday. Six new deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
On the same day, 1,255 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
A total of eight new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Thursday, with seven more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,813, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,176.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,318 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 64,111.
Another three cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported, bringing the total number of cases originating outside China to 88.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 131 (75 recovered, 3 dead)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 49 (20 recovered, 1 dead)
Latest on the COVID-19 in U.S.
The state of Kansas announced its first death from COVID-19 on Thursday, as the U.S. nationwide death toll increased to 41. Over 1,600 cases have been confirmed in the country.
A female diplomat from the Philippines mission to the United Nation tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the first reported case at the New York-based UN headquarters, according to a note sent to UN missions.
Three states, New York, Montana and Virginia, have declared states of emergency due to the coronavirus.
U.S. stocks closed on Thursday with their worst day since the 1987 "Black Monday" crash, as Wall Street officially fell into a bear market.
Multiple American sports associations announced cancellation or suspension of events.
Disneyland in Los Angeles and Broadway theaters in New York are all shut until next month. Several Hollywood movies, including Disney's Mulan, have postponed their opening dates.
CNN earlier reported that President Trump was in close physical proximity with the Brazilian president's press secretary, who tested positive for the coronavirus, on Saturday night.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's wife tests positive for coronavirus
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has tested positive for COVID-19, CTV reported, citing the prime minister's office.
"Following medical recommendations, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive. Also following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," said a statement Thursday.
South Korea reports 110 new coronavirus cases, total at 7,979
South Korea reported 110 more cases of coronavirus, taking the country's total to 7,979 as of Thursday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
So far, 67 people have died from the virus in the country, mostly elderly.
A total of 177 people have been discharged from hospitals, according to the KCDC.
During an interview with China Central Television, Li Junhua, China's ambassador to Italy, remarked on the recent deployment of a Chinese medical team to Italy.
He said the Chinese medical staff is not only experienced in diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients, the team will provide expertise regarding other measures that could help Italy recover faster from the pandemic.
He said China has confidence because the country has gone through it over the past two months.
Germany reports two more deaths from COVID-19; total cases rise to 2,369
Germany reported two more deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to five, according to the disease control agency, Robert Koch Institute, on Thursday.
Also Germany's total confirmed cases stood at 2,369, as 802 new cases have been detected on Thursday, the agency's statistics showed.
France will close from Monday all nurseries, schools and universities to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address, calling the outbreak the nation's worst public health crisis in a century.
To prevent the economy from nosediving during the crisis, Macron said France would offer help for businesses and would work with European partners on a major package to relaunch the economy, "whatever it costs."
Macron said, however, that municipal elections scheduled for this weekend would go ahead, after advice from public health specialists.
On Thursday, the French health ministry said the death toll in France from the coronavirus outbreak had risen to 61 from Wednesday's 48.
It added that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in France had also risen to 2,876 from 2,281, with 129 people in very serious, life-threatening condition.
A total of 44,067 COVID-19 cases and 1,440 deaths have been confirmed outside China, World Health Organization's latest figures show.
As of 10:00 a.m. CET on March 12, there were 125,048 reported coronavirus infections globally. As many as 4,613 people have died from COVID-19.
Two women walk in front of Milan cathedral, which has been closed following the explosion of COVID-19 cases in Italy. /AFP
Italy's COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 1,000, health officials announced on Thursday.
In the last 24 hours, the country experienced a rise in COVID-19 deaths by 189, climbing to 1,016. The figures represent a 23 percent hike.
Italy is the worst affected country in Europe, with the number of cases surpassing 15,000 as of Thursday.
On Tuesday, Roberto Stella, head of the medical association in the northern Italian province of Varese, died in Como, where the 67-year-old was hospitalized for respiratory failure due to coronavirus.
To curb the spread of the virus, the Italian government has taken drastic measures including the banning of all public gatherings and sporting events. It has also shut down all schools and universities, as well as shops. Only food stores and pharmacies remain operational.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom, there are now close to 125,000 COVID-19 cases globally.
118 countries and territories have reported cases, with only 77 yet to confirm any case. 55 countries and territories have reported 10 cases or less.
Tedros laid out a four-pronged strategy in the fight, preparation and readiness; detection, prevention and treatment; reduction and suppression; innovation and improvement.
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a Liberal Party caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 2, 2019. /Reuters
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is self-isolating as a precautionary measure while his wife awaits results of a COVID-19 test.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is reported to have exhibited flu-like symptoms after returning from the U.K. where she had travelled for a speaking engagement.
The Prime Minister's Office says she sought medical advice immediately and was tested for COVID-19 before being placed on isolation before the results are released.
"The doctor's advice to the Prime Minister is to continue daily activities while self-monitoring, given he is exhibiting no symptoms himself. However, out of an abundance of caution, the Prime Minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie's results," said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
"The Prime Minister will spend the day in briefings, phone calls, and virtual meetings from home, including speaking with other world leaders and joining the special COVID-19 cabinet committee discussion."
Earlier, PM Trudeau outlined the Canadian government’s response to COVID-19, which included the establishment of an over $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund.
"Our message to Canadians is clear: to every worker and business, in every province and territory, we have your back and we will get through this together," said PM Trudeau.
Xi Jinping holds phone talks with UN chief on coronavirus
Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday on the coronavirus epidemic.
Xi expressed his gratitude to Guterres for the UN chief's support for China's epidemic prevention and control efforts.
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Latest on the COVID-19 around the world
UK: 590 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus following an increase of 134 in the last 24 hours. Ten people have died.
Philippine: President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered halting all transport in and out of Manila as well as quarantine measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Japan: As many as 676 people have been infected with the coronavirus as of 10:30 pm on Thursday, apart from 14 returnees on charter flights and 697 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. A total of 26 people have died from the virus in Japan so far.
India: As many as 74 cases have been confirmed cases so far.
Pakistan: One additional case related to Iran has been detected, bringing the total in the country to 21.
Azerbaijan: The country reported its first death, an Azeri woman who was quarantined after returning from Iran.
Maldives: Government on Thursday declared a state of public health emergency for the first time in its history in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Czech: A 30-day state of emergency has been declared over the novel coronavirus, including a ban on gatherings of more than 30 people and restrictions on public places such as restaurants, libraries and gyms. The country is also partly closing borders to prevent people from vulnerable locations from entering the country.
According to the WHO, there are 2,269 cases of COVID-19 in France, 2,140 cases in Spain, 1,567 cases in Germany and 182 cases in Austria as of March 12. CGTN stringers hit the streets of Austria, France, Germany and Spain to find out how people are dealing with the virus.
Chinese, U.S. experts discuss treatment of severe COVID-19 patients
A team of Chinese experts, led by China's top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan, on Thursday held a video conference with medical experts from Harvard University and intensive care specialists from the United States on the treatment of serious COVID-19 patients. The U.S. experts included George Q Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School (HMS).
The Chinese experts shared their experience in rapid testing of the virus and how to deal with community transmission. The participants also discussed mutual cooperation on clinic research.
The two sides have held at least two video conferences since the outbreak began. At their first conference call on February 4, a joint scientific research team on the virus was set up.
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Public access to Capitol Complex suspended until April
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that public access to the Capitol Complex will be suspended through the end of March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Basketball: FIBA, Euroleague suspend all competitions
The sporting world is seeing more chaos amid the coronavirus pandemic as the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Euroleague Thursday announced suspending all competitions.
The development comes after NBA suspended all regular season games as Utah Jazz's all-star center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
FIBA said it is suspending all competitions indefinitely from Friday to protect the health and safety of players, coaches, officials and fans.
FIBA will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and will evaluate the options for continuation.
The suspension includes games in the Basketball Champions League, which is a rival competition to the better known Euroleague, and the second-tier FIBA Europe Cup. The Champions League is part-way through its playoffs.
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Premier Li calls for targeted approach to contain coronavirus
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for a region-specific, multi-level targeted approach to epidemic prevention and control on Thursday as he presided over a meeting on anti-coronavirus efforts.
The meeting stressed continuing to take epidemic prevention and control measures in Hubei Province and its capital Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
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S&P 500 falls 7%, triggers second circuit breaker in a week
The S&P 500 fell more than 7 percent at the open on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban, triggering this week's second circuit breaker for another 15-minute halt.
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Carnival suspends cruises for 60 days due to COVID-19
U.S. travel company Carnival Corporation announced on Thursday it was suspending voyages on its Princess Cruises worldwide for 60 days in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"In proactive response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global spread of COVID-19 and in an abundance of caution, Princess Cruises announced that it will voluntarily pause global operations of its 18 cruise ships for two months," the company said in a statement.
Latest development on coronavirus around the globe
Asia:
The Philippines reported three additional cases with the total now reaching 52. President Rodrigo Duterte and his aide will be tested for coronavirus to "ensure that we are fit and healthy to engage the public and perform our duties."
Japan said there were 643 people infected with the coronavirus as of 18:00 on Thursday, apart from 14 returnees on charter flights and 697 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. 24 people have died from the virus in Japan so far.
Brunei reported 14 new confirmed cases, total in the country now stands at 25.
Vietnam identified five more cases, all related to a previous confirmed case. Total number now stands at 44.
Singapore said there are a total of 187 cases in the country as of Thursday noon. The country also announced it is closing mosques for at least five days to prevent virus spread.
Malaysia's health ministry reported nine new cases on Thursday. Nationwide tally now stands 158 with 32 recoveries.
Europe:
Austria reported its first death, a 69-year-old man who had recently traveled to Italy.
Poland recorded its first death, a 57-year-old female patient. There are 46 other confirmed cases in the country so far.
Germany now has 2,078 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
Belgium said there are currently 399 coronavirus cases in the country.
Spain said cases in the country rose to 2,968, up from 2,140 on Wednesday, while death toll rose to 84 from 47. The entire cabinet of Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez conducted tests for the coronavirus after the Minister for Equality Irene Montero tested positive for the virus.
Middle East:
United Arab Emirates reported 11 new cases, all with international travel history. The country now has 85 cases, among which 17 have recovered.
Iran has 10,075 cases with 429 deaths, according to the latest figures on Thursday.
Africa:
Algeria's health ministry said a 67-year-old man died overnight on Wednesday from COVID-19.
South Africa reported four more cases, bringing total in the country to 17.
Oceania:
Australia's latest figure of confirmed cases is 140. It also unveiled an $11.4 billion economic stimulus plan to stave off an economic recession caused by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ireland closes schools until March 29 over COVID-19
Ireland on Thursday announced that all schools and colleges will be closed until March 29 and recommended the cancellation of mass gatherings in an attempt to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"Schools, colleges and childcare facilities will close from tomorrow," Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
Indoor events of more than 100 people and outdoor events of over 500 "should be cancelled," he added.
Iran's Health Ministry on Thursday reported 1,075 more cases of COVID-19 in the country, taking the nationwide tally to 10,075.
In addition, 75 more deaths from the coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, bringing the death toll to 429 in the worst-hit country in the Middle East.
"We have identified 1,075 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, meaning that there are 10,075 infected people in the country. The death toll is 429," Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told the state television.
Several senior Iranian officials were among the victims, including Fatemeh Rahbar, a newly elected member of the Iranian Parliament and an adviser to Iran's foreign minister.
On Thursday, Iran reached out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loan, the first time since 1962.
Our central bank requested access to the IMF's Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter, urging the fund's board to respond to the request "responsibly."
A nurse wears protective gear in a ward dedicated for people infected with the new coronavirus at a hospital in Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2020. /AP
Spanish minister tests positive for coronavirus
Spanish Minister of Equality Irene Montero has tested positive for the new coronavirus, a government statement said on Thursday.
She has been quarantined along with her partner, Deputy Prime Minister and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias.
Chinese experts head to Italy to assist battle against COVID-19
A team of nine experts on Thursday set out for Italy from Shanghai to help the hardest-hit European country battle the novel coronavirus.
The plane took off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
A total of 31 tons of medical materials, including equipment for intensive care and medical protection materials, were also carried by the plane to the country.
Australia unveils stimulus package of $11.4 billion over COVID-19
Australia on Thursday put forward a stimulus package valuing 17.6 billion Australian dollars (about 11.4 billion U.S. dollars) to stave off an economic recession caused by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The package includes cash payments for small businesses and welfare recipients to counter the impact of the disease, which has infected more than 126,000 people worldwide.
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With WHO officially declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, China now perhaps has the most knowledge and experience about the virus. Here are five things that China did to turn the situation around.
Top Chinese COVID-19 expert calls for strengthened int'l communication
Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory disease expert and head of a top-level panel of scientists to help control the new coronavirus outbreak, has called for strengthened international communication on COVID-19 amid the global spread of the virus.
Zhong made the appeal at a press conference in south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday. He warned that many countries are not taking the virus seriously at the moment.
The expert also stressed the need to strengthen control of imported COVID-19 cases to China, especially asymptomatic patients, through quarantine and nucleic acid testing.
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Answer Bank: What's the difference between epidemic and pandemic?
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on Wednesday, but before WHO had been using the term "epidemic." What does this mean?
According to the WHO official website, there are six classification stages describing the evolution process of a novel virus, from phase 1 with "no reports of animal influenza causing human infections" to phase 6 of "a pandemic."
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China has passed peak of coronavirus epidemic: health commission
China has passed the peak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, said Mi Feng, a spokesman of the National Health Commission on Thursday.
The number of new cases is declining, and the epidemic remains in check, said Mi.
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Latest on the COVID-19 around the world
U.S.: Suspends travel from Europe, except for the UK; 43 states now have coronavirus; Tom Hanks infected; NBA suspends season
El Salvador: Imposes mandatory 21-day quarantine; denies entry to all foreigners
Argentina: Cancels international sporting events scheduled for March
Australia: Reports 126 confirmed cases of the COVID-19; unveils a stimulus plan valuing 11.4 billion U.S. dollars to cushion the COVID-19 impact
Japan: A total of 641 confirmed cases, with 16 deaths
South Korea: Confirms 114 more cases and six more deaths, with total number of cases hitting 7,869
Philippine: President Rodrigo Duterte will undergo testing for COVID-19 while he does not have symptoms.
Robert Redfield, the director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) openly admitted on Wednesday that some COVID-19 deaths have been misdiagnosed as influenza in the U.S.
Redfield made the comments at hearing at U.S. House of Representatives on COVID-19 outbreak, in response to questions over the current severe shortage of detection agents for the novel coronavirus in the U.S.
There are more than 1,200 cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., according to state and local health agencies and the CDC.
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Trump suspends travel from Europe in response to COVID-19 outbreak
Slanders on Xinjiang's COVID-19 infections 'fictitious and ludicrous': official
China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday strongly blasted all fabricated slanders and attacks over the COVID-19 situation in the region, saying it is fully confident in defeating the pandemic.
Elijan Anayit, spokesperson for the Information Office of the People's Government of Xinjiang, made the remarks at a press conference in Urumqi, the autonomous region's capital.
The official's remarks came after some "East Turkistan" forces spread rumors about Xinjiang, saying the vocational education and training centers are at risk of virus infection.
Slamming accusations that the region's infection numbers are being hidden, the official added that the "East Turkistan" forces are just making up lies to smear Xinjiang, which is ridiculous and ludicrous in every way.
Presently, all 73 patients confirmed with COVID-19 infection have been cured and discharged from hospitals, and there have been no new confirmed cases for 23 consecutive days, said the official.
(CGTN's Sun Ye also contributed to the story)
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Three cured patients of COVID-19 pose for a group photo with medical staff at the No. 6 People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, February 11, 2020. /Xinhua
The State Council, China's cabinet, has set up an investigation team to probe the deadly quarantine hotel collapse in southeast China's Fujian Province which has killed 29 and left 42 injured.
On Thursday, the last person trapped under the debris of the collapsed hotel in Quanzhou City was retrieved and found dead.
The hotel collapsed on Saturday night in Licheng District, trapping 71 people underneath. Of them, 27 were dead when rescuers found them, while two others died after medical efforts failed.
A preliminary investigation found serious problems in Xinjia Hotel's construction, reconstruction, examination and approval stages, a local official told the media.
An earlier report said the authorities will continue to investigate these stages, and why the hotel was chosen to be turned into a quarantine facility.
China confident in winning the battle against poverty despite COVID-19 impact
China is confident it will win the battle against poverty despite the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, said Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development at a press briefing on Thursday.
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638 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Japan
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan rose to 638 on Thursday, NHK reported, citing local health authorities.
As of Thursday, 15 people have died of the novel coronavirus in Japan.
On the same day, a Japanese official said this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will go ahead as scheduled despite the WHO declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
(Cover: File photo via AP)
Juventus defender Rugani tests positive for COVID-19 as European football plunges into chaos
Italy and Juventus defender Daniele Rugani became the first top-flight player to test positive for COVID-19 as the escalating concerns about the spread of the deadly virus led to more mayhem in European football on Wednesday.
Juventus, whose star-studded squad boasts five-time world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo, confirmed in a statement that Rugani has fallen victim to the coronavirus and "is currently asymptomatic," but the club is "currently activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including those who have had contact with him."
Rugani has spent the last seven years at Juventus apart from a two-year loan spell at Empoli. He has played just three league games this season, most recently against Brescia on February 16 and SPAL on February 22.
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NBA suspends season after player tests positive for novel coronavirus
NBA announced on Wednesday that it will suspend games "until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for novel coronavirus.
"The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic," the association said in a statement.
U.S. actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks announced on Wednesday that he and his wife actress and singer Rita Wilson have tested positive for COVID-19. They are believed to be the first Hollywood celebrities to announce their diagnosis to the public.
The couple, both 63 years old, is currently in Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley film, in which the two-time Oscar winner Hanks plays Presley's iconic manager Colonel Tom Parker.
The following is Hanks' announcement:
"Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks' will be tested observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?
We'll keep the world posted and updated.
Take care of yourselves!"
(Cover image: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at the screening of Sony Pictures Releasing's "Inferno" held at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 25, 2016. /VCG)
Trump suspends travel from Europe in response to COVID-19 outbreak
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, adding restrictions will not apply to the UK.
The announcement came as confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. rolled past 1,000.
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South Korea, on Thursday, reported 114 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total in the country to 7,869, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 15 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Wednesday, with 11 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,793, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,169.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,318 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 62,793.
Another six cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported, bringing the total number of cases originating outside China to 85.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 129 (67 recovered, 3 dead)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 48 (17 recovered, 1 dead)
Hubei reports eight new COVID-19 cases, 10 additional deaths
A total of eight new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Wednesday. Ten new deaths were also reported, according to the provincial health commission.
The newly confirmed cases and seven out of the 10 deaths originated in the provincial capital of Wuhan.
On the same day, 1,242 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
COVID-19: Washington, DC declares a state of emergency
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC on Wednesday declared a state of emergency and a public health emergency after six new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the U.S. capital, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10.
In addition, local media reported that political rallies for Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders had to be canceled over concerns of the novel coronavirus.
(Cover: AP)
Italy to close all shops and venues as death toll soars
Italy will close all restaurants, bars and shops across the country in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Wednesday.
Only pharmacies and supermarkets will be allowed to remain open, Conte added.
On Wednesday the death toll in Italy, Europe's worst affected country, jumped to 827. Confirmed cases across Italy rose to 12,462 from a previous 10,149, said the country's Civil Protection Agency.
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Confirmed COVID-19 cases outside China rise to 37,371
There have been 37,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside China, with 1,130 deaths, statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed Thursday.
As of 0900 GMT Tuesday, a total of 118,326 cases were reported globally, with 4,292 deaths.
Most of schools were closed in the New York and New Jersey area in response to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.
Classes at Columbia University in the New York were suspended on Monday and Tuesday.
The schools will allow students to prepare to shift to remote classes for the rest of the week.
CGTN talked to some students at Columbia University and got their reaction to classes being canceled because of COVID-19.
Europe: Merkel warns 60-70% of Germany could get the virus, Hungary declares state of emergency
Hungary declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. The government announced that it was to close university campuses and ban large gatherings. Hungary has reported 13 confirmed cases.
The UK reported 83 new coronavirus infections, as the nationwide tally increases to 456. Six people have died from COVID-19.
Germany reported one more death. Three patients in total have died from the disease. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the authorities believed 60 to 70 percent of the population could become infected.
Poland has decided to close all schools until March 25 after 25 cases were confirmed in the country.
Spain's total number of cases rose to 2,124 as of 15:00 local time on Wednesday. 49 people have died from COVID-19.
Albania reported its first victim from the coronavirus: A 73-year-old Albanian woman. 10 cases have been confirmed in the country.
U.S. stocks resume downward slide over coronavirus fears
U.S. stocks resumed their downward slide on Wednesday, falling sharply in opening trading amid rising fears over the coronavirus outbreak.
According to CNN:
The Dow opened 700 points, or 2.9 percent, lower.
The S&P 500 kicked off 2.6 percent lower.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.5 percent.
The global community should make full use of the window of opportunity bought by China to curb the spread of COVID-19, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday. He said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that China's quick response in face of the epidemic earned a precious window of opportunity for the global community.
Pierpaolo Sileri, Italy's deputy health minister, appreciated China's experience of fighting against COVID-19, saying the information China has shared with the world will help Italy contain the epidemic.
Latest on Japan: Olympics preparations continuing 'as scheduled'
Olympics: Preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are going ahead "as scheduled," according to Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori on Wednesday, while acknowledging they are "concerned" about the spread of the new coronavirus.
It comes as Haruyuki Takahashi, a member of the Tokyo Games organizing committee's executive board, warned that postponing the Games for two years might be the best option, saying he will propose the delay during a board meeting later this month.
Tokyo Disneyland extends closure: The operator of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea said on Wednesday that the parks will remain closed through early April over fears of a coronavirus outbreak. Oriental Land also said the openings of new zones and attractions, scheduled for April 15, will also be pushed back to mid-May.
Latest figures: As of 20:00 local time, the number of infections reached 613, including 14 people brought by chartered flights. The death toll in Japan from the virus currently stands at 31.
Berlin suspends all events with over 1,000 participants
Authorities in the German capital of Berlin on Wednesday said all events with over 1,000 participants are banned until the end of the Easter holidays.
Earlier, the city canceled all vents in large halls, such as state theatres, opera houses and concert halls.
Germany on Wednesday confirmed its third death related to the coronavirus. The country has reported 1,296 cases of the virus so far.
China vows to enhance global cooperation on epidemic control
China's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that China is willing to enhance global cooperation in, and make contributions to, COVID-19 prevention and control work as the disease continues to spread worldwide.
China's epidemic control work has achieved positive results thanks to the concerted efforts of the Chinese people, but as the disease spreads it becomes imperative for the international community to work together to win this fight, said spokesperson Geng Shuang.
China will strengthen coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), Geng noted.
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Total number of COVID-19 infections reaches 9,000 in Iran
The total number of people infected by the novel coronavirus in Iran reached 9,000 on Wednesday, according to health authorities.
On Wednesday, 958 new cases and 63 deaths were reported in the country.
A total of 2,959 patients have recovered and 354 deaths have been reported so far.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around the world
In Europe:
Germany: 1,565 cases, 2 deaths. A staff member of European Central Bank with its headquarters in Frankfurt tested positive. Almost a hundred people who had close contact with the patient will be working from home.
Ukraine: One case. Ukrainian capital Kiev has announced to temporarily shut schools until the end of March.
Belgium: 267 cases; first death reported on Wednesday.
Spain: 1,695 cases, 36 deaths.
Iceland: 81 cases; Lithuania: 3 cases; Estonia: 13 cases; Serbia: 12 cases; Croatia: 16 cases; Belarus: 11 cases.
In Asia:
Japan: 1,264 cases, 19 deaths (includes 696 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship). Two community transmissions happened in the city of Nagoya infecting 81 people.
Indonesia: 27 cases; first death reported on Wednesday.
Kuwait: 72 cases; Bahrain: 189 cases.
In Africa:
South Africa: 13 cases.
As Wuhan regains its old way of life, quarantining and disinfecting are still very important. Professional teams have been called in to help with disinfection efforts. In downtown Wuhan's Hanxi residential area, community workers are about to begin another round of disinfection work. They can't miss a single spot.
Beijing on Wednesday further tightened its prevention and control measures for foreigners as more imported novel coronavirus cases arrived in the city.
Everyone, including those not from the hard-hit countries, is required to undergo a 14-day quarantine at home or designated place, according to local authorities.
People who entered Beijing on business trips have to stay in designated hotels before he is cleared from a nucleic acid testing.
The capital city reported six new imported novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases on Tuesday, local health authorities said Wednesday. Five of the confirmed cases are from Italy, and one is from the United States, according to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.
Member of Italian parliament tests positive for coronavirus
Claudio Pedrazzini, member of Italian Chamber of Deputies, became the first person from the Italian parliament to test positive for the novel coronavirus, Italian media reported on Wednesday.
Pedrazzini is from the region of Lombardy, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. Pedrazzini said that besides having a mild fever, he's in good condition.
The Chamber of Deputies has since informed Italy's Health Ministry about Pedrazzini's infection and told other members who had close contacts with Pedrazzini to avoid attending conferences.
Italy has expanded lockdown to the whole country with all public gatherings cancelled. It is the worst-hit country outside of China, with 631 deaths and over 10,000 infected.
UK cuts main interest rate from 0.75% to 0.25% due to coronavirus fears
The Bank of England (BoE) on Wednesday announced a cut from 0.75% to 0.25% to its interest rate, creating the lowest borrowing costs in the history of UK.
The BoE has also announced it will free up billions of pounds to support small- and medium-sized companies and implement new steps to help commercial banks lend more money to firms.
The decision came after a sixth person died from the coronavirus in UK, which has reported a total of 382 COVID-19 cases so far.
China sends anti-epidemic expert team to Italy to help fight COVID-19
China on Wednesday sent a medical expert team to Italy to help fight the epidemic and bring humanitarian relief supplies to support Italy in fighting against COVID-19.
The expert group was led by a vice president of the Red Cross Society of China and an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Five other experts from Sichuan Province are also participating.
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Hubei Province to resume work, production in orderly manner
Central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday announced resuming work and production in an orderly manner.
A statement released by the provincial command center for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus said work shall resume in the province based on different situations. It said companies which produce medical supplies and agricultural products, deal with public services and play vital role in domestic or international trade can resume work in Wuhan City.
However, limitations on public transportation shall remain and authorities have further postponed the opening of schools, the statement said.
164 Chinese nationals from Iran arrive in Chengdu by chartered plane, all in quarantine
A total of 164 Chinese nationals from Iran arrived in Chengdu early Wednesday on a chartered plane, and are now in quarantine for medical observation, according to local health authorities.
In accordance with the established prevention and control regulations and procedures, the staff of Chengdu customs conducted temperature detection and health screening for all passengers and crew, and then the passengers got off the plane and went through entry quarantine.
None of the 164 passengers had fever symptoms. Among them, 21 passengers who reported respiratory tract symptoms were transferred to designated medical institutions by special ambulances for further observation. The remaining 143 passengers were transferred to designated hotels by special channels for 14 days of intensive quarantine medical observation.
South Korea reports 242 more cases of coronavirus, total now at 7,755
South Korea reported 242 more cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 7,755, according to health authorities.
Six more deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 60.
A total of 288 people were discharged from hospitals.
Wang Yi: China-Italy ties to make new progress amid COVID-19 fight
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, saying bilateral friendship will be deepened amid the fight against COVID-19.
Noting the severe situation in Italy, Wang said that as a good friend and comprehensive strategic partner of Italy, China fully understands the challenges Italy is confronting.
The epidemic knows no border and is a common enemy of mankind, Wang stressed, calling for solidarity of the international community to combat the virus.
Hubei reports 13 new COVID-19 cases, 22 deaths
A total of 13 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Tuesday, and 22 new deaths were reported, according to the provincial health commission.
All of the newly confirmed cases came from the provincial capital Wuhan; 19 out of the 22 deaths were also in Wuhan.
On the same day, 1,471 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province after full recovery.
As many as 24 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday, with 22 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,778, while the cumulative death toll is 3,158.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 1,578 patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 61,475.
Another 10 cases of infections contracted outside China were reported, lifting the total number of imported cases to 79.
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 120 (3 dead, 65 recovered)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 47 (1 dead, 17 recovered)
UK health minister tests positive for coronavirus
Nadine Dorries, UK's junior health minister, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Dorries was being treated for the infection. According to local media, Dorries has met hundreds of people in parliament in the past week and attended a reception with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
UK Health Minister Matt Hancock tweeted about Dorries, saying: "Really sorry to hear Nadine has tested positive for coronavirus. She has done the right thing by self isolating at home, and both NHS and PHE staff have been brilliant. We all wish her well as she recovers."
4,105 new coronavirus cases confirmed outside China, Mar. 10
4,105 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in regions outside China on March 10, with 186 new deaths, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the report, 113,702 cases have been confirmed globally, with 4,012 deaths as of 09:00 GMT, March 10.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on March 9 that the threat of a pandemic has become "very real," however, this would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.
Checking the temperature of a driver coming from Italy at the Brenner Pass border between Italy and Austria, March 10, 2020. /Reuters
Italy reported 977 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 10,149 in the country, according to the ministry of health.
A total of 631 deaths have been reported in Italy, and 1,004 people have recovered.
Italy extended quarantine to the entire country on Monday. All public gatherings, including sporting events and classes, will be halted till April 3.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around the world
U.S.: American Airlines and Delta Airlines will cut international and domestic flights amid decreased travel demand during the novel coronavirus outbreak.
UK: The death toll from COVID-19 in the UK has climbed to six and a total of 373 people have tested positive for novel coronavirus, according to local media reports on Tuesday.
France: As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases in France stands at 1,606, while the cumulative death toll is now 30.
Italy: Measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus have been extended to the entire country.
DR Congo: The Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Tuesday
Spain: Spain has reported 1,648 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths. On Tuesday, Spain suspended all direct flights from Italy for two weeks.
Lebanon: Lebanon has registered its first death from COVID-19, according to local health authorities.
U.S. stocks open higher, bouncing after the worst day since 2008
Wall Street stocks rebounded early on Tuesday after suffering their worst drop since 2008 on Monday.
About 15 minutes into Tuesday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 24,484.20, up 2.7 percent or around 630 points. The broad-based S&P 500 surged 2.5 percent to 2,814.92, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 2.6 percent to 8,159.77.
Stocks bounced back after the White House indicated it will propose a payroll tax cut to ease the burden from the coronavirus fallout.
(With input from agencies)
A staffer wearing a mask cleans the terrace of a shopping mall in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain, February 26, 2020. /AP
Spain on Tuesday decided to suspend all direct flights from Italy for two weeks, starting March 11, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, said the government's official gazette.
As of Tuesday, Spain has reported 35 deaths and 1,648 confirmed coronavirus, making it one of Europe's worst-hit countries. The Spanish capital, Madrid, has reported 782 confirmed cases so far.
Apart from suspending flights, Spain has shut down schools in several regions, closed the lower house of the parliament for at least a week after a lawmaker tested positive for the coronavirus, hoping to stem a growing outbreak.
Italy, a country witnessing the worst of Europe's COVID-19 outbreak, has recorded more than 9,000 coronavirus infections and at least 463 deaths. The Italian government has extended the country-wide emergency measures, including travel restrictions and ban on public gatherings.
Hong Kong to impose quarantine on travellers from Italy, parts of France, Germany, Japan and Spain
People arriving at Hong Kong who have been to Italy, and parts of France, Germany, Japan and Spain in the past 14 days will be arranged to stay in a quarantine center for quarantine, regardless of whether or not they are Hong Kong residents, said Hong Kong's Department of Health on Tuesday.
The quarantine measures will take effect midnight Saturday, the department noted.
Meanwhile, the quarantine measures announced earlier for those who have been to South Korea and Iran in the past 14 days remain unchanged.
(Cover: VCG file photo)
Last two temporary hospitals in Wuhan close, finalizing phaseout
The last two temporary hospitals, Jiangxia and Wuchang, in Wuhan, the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak, closed on Tuesday, signaling the end of the project. An overwhelming majority of the patients have recovered and were discharged while the rest were transferred to designated hospitals. Since receiving the first batch of patients on February 5, the temporary medical facilities have treated more than 13,000 patients.
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Can history shed light on Wall Street's coronavirus panic?
Black Monday returned after 32 years when the Dow Jones industrial average ended the opening day down more than 2,000 points and Wall Street triggered an automated circuit breaker that put trading to a halt. The massive rout triggered by the coronavirus panic swept from London to Tokyo.
In addition to the dramatic financial volatility, the spread of the coronavirus led the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to cut the 2020 global growth to as low as 1.5 percent. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a recession will occur if global growth falls below 2.5 percent a year.
With confirmed coronavirus cases soaring past 110,000 globally, it's difficult to predict the exact losses to the already slowing economy. But a closer look at how epidemics throughout history affected the economy may shed light on the current situation.
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Hong Kong reports three new COVID-19 cases, totaling 119
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bring the total to 119, local health officials said during a media briefing on Tuesday.
One of the newly confirmed cases had a travel history to Egypt before the confirmed infection, an official said.
Read more: 19 new COVID-19 cases, 17 more deaths reported on Chinese mainland
No spectators at Tokyo Olympics torch-lighting ceremony as organizers tighten measures against COVID-19
The lighting ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic flame will be held without any spectators, announced the Greek Olympic Committee on Monday as the organizers tightened measures against COVID-19.
The ceremony which serves as the iconic start to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to take place in Olympia on March 12. However, this will be the first time since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that no spectators will be allowed at the prestigious event.
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China shares bounce back from Monday's rout thanks to upbeat sentiment
China shares recovered some ground from Monday's rout on Tuesday, thanks to rosy market sentiment over the country's resilient economy and strong control over coronavirus outbreak.
Worldwide stock markets took a pounding on Monday as oil plunged 30 percent after an all-out, aggressive price war erupted between two of the world's biggest producers, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield tumbled down through 0.5 percent to a record low, about half the level of just a week ago, though it rose back to be last at 0.6662 percent on Tuesday amid the stimulus chatter.
But it merits attention that China suffered a minor defeat compared to other major economies. For instance, the Dow had ended the day with its biggest point drop in history, closing Monday down 2,014 points, or 7.8 percent, marking its most lackluster day since the 2008 financial crisis.
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881 new coronavirus cases, 54 new deaths reported in Iran
A total of 881 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Iran as of Tuesday, and 54 new deaths were reported, according to local health authorities.
The total number of confirmed cases in Iran now stands at 8,042, and the cumulative death toll is 291.
Primary, high schools in Macao to resume by April 20
China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government on Tuesday announced that kindergartens, primary and high schools in the city are expected to resume no later than April 20.
If the epidemic continuously remains stable, the government will further announce the specific resumption dates at the end of March.
Registration must for travelers flying into Beijing from countries severely hit by COVID-19
Passengers flying into Beijing from the countries severely hit by COVID-19 can leave by private cars or designated buses after registering with their respective jurisdictions, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.
The travelers also need to undertake 14-day self-quarantine upon arrival.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday arrived in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to inspect the prevention and control work. After leaving Huoshenshan Hospital, President Xi visited Donghu New Town community to learn about community-based efforts in the epidemic prevention and control and the measures being taken to ensure the supply of daily essentials. He conveyed his regards and expressed gratitude to community residents and frontline workers.
China calls on its citizens in Italy to regard COVID-19 in scientific, rational manner
The China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday appealed Chinese citizens in Italy to understand the COVID-19 in a scientific, rational manner, strengthen their own protection, and conform to Italy's measures on epidemic prevention and control.
The ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, adding that Beijing attaches great importance to its citizens' safety and health in Italy.
Xi Jinping inspects Wuhan, encourages frontline medics
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Tuesday arrived in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, to inspect prevention and control work.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around Asia
Japan: Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill that would enable Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency if needed, Kyodo News reported.
South Korea: South Korea reported 131 more cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 7,513, according to health authorities.
India: Six new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in India on Tuesday, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 53.
Mongolia: Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga has resumed work after a 14-day quarantine was lifted by the State Emergency Commission on Tuesday, the presidential press office said.
At a daily briefing held on March 9, 2020, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around the world
Panama and Burkina Faso reported first cases. Panama's first patient is a 40-year-old woman from Spain. A couple in Burkina Faso tested positive for the coronavirus. The wife lived in France.
In South America:
Argentina reported five new cases on Monday, the nationwide tally is now at 17.
Brazil now has 30 confirmed cases and 930 suspected cases.
In Asia Pacific:
South Korea reported 131 more cases of coronavirus, raising the total to 7,513.
Pakistan confirmed nine new cases, bringing the total to 16.
Vietnam confirmed two more cases. There are now 32 cases in the country.
Japan reported 26 new cases, with the total climbing to 1,210
Thailand's total number of cases increased to 53, with three more reported on Tuesday.
Australia reported 20 new cases, raising the national tally to 100. A total of 22 people have recovered and three have died.
In Europe:
Bosnia and Herzegovina added two more cases on Monday, with five cases reported so far.
Iceland has confirmed a total of 60 cases as of Monday.
HKSAR mulls new travel restrictions over COVID-19
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will implement further travel restrictions involving places badly hit by the coronavirus in a bid to prevent cases from entering the region, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday.
"Whether it is putting that country or area under a 'red' outbound travel alert, or imposing port health requirements or quarantine requirements on arrivals from that country or region, or even more drastically restricting the entry of arrivals from that country, then as a matter of respect and courtesy, we will reach out to that particular consul general and that's exactly what we are doing today," Lam told reporters, adding an announcement would be made later in the day.
But Lam did not specify which countries exactly will be put on the list.
She said several factors including number of confirmed cases and measures taken by the country will be taken into consideration.
She also called for Hong Kong residents to avoid unnecessary outbound visits.
Hong Kong already requires people arriving from the Chinese mainland to isolate for 14 days.
It also barred non-residents from entering Hong Kong if they have been in South Korea in the previous 14 days, with a "red" travel alert issued on February 25 for Hong Kong residents to avoid non-essential trips to the country.
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that coronavirus lockdown measures were being extended to the entire country, with travel to be restricted to reasons of work, health, and emergencies. Let's check out how people in Milan are dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
China's inflation remains high but slows pace in Feb, producer prices fall hit by COVID-19
China's consumer inflation continued to rise in February as logistics was disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak but the growth rate declined, while producer prices fell due to the temporary halt of the coronavirus-hit production activity, the country's statistics authority said on Tuesday.
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President Xi Jinping arrives in Wuhan for epidemic inspection
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Wuhan Tuesday morning for an inspection of the epidemic prevention and control work in Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan.
Xi is expected to meet patients, frontline medics, community workers, police as well as volunteers during his inspection.
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U.S. reports over 700 coronavirus cases, 26 deaths
The United States reported four more deaths from the coronavirus on Monday, as the death toll increased to 26. Over 700 cases have been confirmed in the country, according to state and local health agencies, governments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most of the fatalities in the country are from the state of Washington. Among the latest four deaths, three are from a nursing home in Seattle and one is from California.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday declared a state of emergency amid the coronavirus outbreak, as his state reported six more cases adding on the existing five.
According to a White House spokeswoman, President Donald Trump has not received coronavirus testing. Earlier in a press briefing, Vice President Pence told the media that he had also not been tested for the virus.
The S&P 500 fell 7 percent upon opening on Monday, triggering an automatic 15-minute pause in trading.
Costa Fortuna cruise ship passengers start to disembark in Singapore
The Italian cruise ship Costa Fortuna docked in Singapore on Tuesday, and passengers have started to disembark.
The ship was previously turned away by Thailand and Malaysia.
Doctors on board the ship will perform health checks on the passengers. Those who recently traveled to northern Italy and exhibit symptoms of respiratory illness will be taken directly to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, local authorities said in a statement on Monday.
Those without symptoms will be taken to the airport for their flights.
Among 2,000 passengers on the ship, 64 are from Italy. Singapore is a home-port for Costa Fortuna. All passengers who boarded the ship on March 3 were in good health condition.
CCTV Photo
As the spring season arrives in Wuhan, the bitterly fought battle against COVID-19 is becoming a memory. Now all but one of the city's temporary hospitals have closed down. With recovering coronavirus patients being discharged and sent elsewhere, families, doctors and nurses alike are telling stories of victory.
Major Asian stock market indices after 'Black Monday'
The Shanghai Composite Index opened at 2,918.93 points, down 24.36 points, or 0.83 percent.
The Shenzhen Component Index opened at 11,016.92 points, down 91.63 points, or 0.82 percent.
The Hang Seng Index opened at 25,285.68 points, up 245.22 points, or 0.98 percent.
The S&P/ASX 200 index opened at 5,808.80 points, up 48.20 points, or 0.84 percent.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average opened at 19,348.00 points, down 350.76 points, or 1.78 percent.
The Straits Times Index opened at 2,766.19 points, down 16.18 points, or 0.58 percent.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index opened at 1,942.85 points, down 11.92 points, or 0.61 percent.
An electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 and other Asian country's index at a securities firm in Tokyo, March 9, 2020. /AP
Mongolia confirms first COVID-19 case
Mongolia's National Emergency Commission (NEC) on Tuesday reported the first COVID-19 case in the country.
The patient is a French national working in Mongolia, who returned from France and transited through Moscow, said the NEC in a statement.
The Mongolian government has identified 42 people the patient had met and another 142 individuals who the patient had close contact with.
South Korea reports 131 more cases of coronavirus, total now at 7,513
South Korea reported 131 more cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 7,513, according to the health authorities.
Hubei reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, 17 deaths
A total of 17 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Monday, and 17 new deaths were reported, according to the provincial health commission.
All of the newly confirmed cases came from the provincial capital Wuhan; 16 out of the 17 deaths were also in Wuhan.
On the same day, 1,152 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province after full recovery.
As many as 19 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Monday, with 17 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,754, while the cumulative death toll is 3,136.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 1,297 patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 59,897.
Another two cases of infections contracted outside China were reported, lifting the total number of imported cases to 69. One of the two returned from the UK and is registered in Beijing. The other one reported in southern Guangdong Province, is a Chinese student who returned from Spain via Hong Kong and tested positive for the virus at Shenzhen Bay Port.
It was the third consecutive day that China detected zero new cases domestically outside Hubei Province.
CGTN infographic
CGTN infographic
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 115 (3 dead, 60 recovered)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 45 (1 dead, 15 recovered)
Trump says coronavirus 'blindsided the world'
The U.S. has a great economy, but the novel coronavirus blindsided the world, President Donald Trump said at a news briefing on Monday.
After financial markets fell by 7.6 percent, the worst single day since December 2008, Trump tried to calm fears and told reporters he is seeking "very substantial relief" to the payroll tax. Trump also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they're "not going to miss a paycheck" and "don't get penalized for something that's not their fault."
Trump said he would hold a press conference Tuesday to outline the proposals, saying they would be "discussing a possible payroll tax cut or relief, substantial relief, very substantial relief, that's big, that's a big number."
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Coronavirus-hit Grand Princess cruise ship docks at Port of Oakland
The Grand Princess cruise ship that carries thousands of people, including 21 COVID-19 patients, docked at the Port of Oakland Monday after being held off at sea for days, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told a media briefing on Monday.
All 25 children aboard are "all healthy," and the 21 people who have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 "are being dealt with in proper isolation," Pence told reporters.
The U.S. has made arrangements with Canada and the UK to take their nations' passengers back through charter flights, he said, and on Tuesday, remaining passengers "will be transported again through carefully controlled environments to military bases in Georgia and Texas," where they will be tested, isolated and quarantined as appropriate.
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Latest COVID-19 developments around the world
The World Health Organization (WHO) Monday said the coronavirus is closer to being a pandemic but outbreaks in countries can still be controlled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures.
"Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference.
In its latest daily report, the WHO said 104 countries and regions have reported confirmed cases with 109,577 cases globally and 3,809 deaths.
Confirmed cases outside China have surged, reaching 28,673 as of 10 a.m. CET (0900 GMT) on March 9.
Europe:
Italy extends quarantine to entire country, all public gatherings including all sports and schools to be halted till April 3. Over 9,000 people have been infected in the country, and 463 have died so far.
Germany reported its first two deaths as confirmed infections in the country reached 1,151.
The UK said a fifth patient has died, who was in his/her 70s and had underlying health conditions. The number of cases has jumped to 321.
In France, there're 30 deaths and 1,412 confirmed cases. Franck Riester, the French culture minister, has been infected, local media said.
North America:
Canada reported its first coronavirus-related death after a male patient passed away Sunday night in British Columbia. Canada now has 77 total cases.
The U.S. has detected over 580 cases and 22 deaths. Also the Grand Princess cruise ship has docked at the port in Oakland, California, to unload passengers, which might take two to three days. Twenty-one people on board have already infected with the virus.
Middle East:
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has canceled the Persian New Year speech, initially scheduled on March 20, due to the virus outbreak.
Iraq reported six more cases, lifting the country's total to 67. Seven people have died and nine recovered.
Italy has extended their COVID-19 quarantine measures to the entire county.
Public gatherings are banned, all sporting events are suspended and people will only be able to travel to work or family emergencies.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte says these new rules will take effect on Tuesday, March 10.
Outside of China, Italy has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak.
As of Monday, the death toll reached 463.
The U.S. has joined a long list of nations hit by shortages of face masks amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Should healthy people even wear a mask in the U.S.?
What are U.S. health experts and government officials saying?
Watch their answers here.
Companies in China and Argentina say they have developed new COVID-19 tests that can detect the virus in an hour or less.
According to Shanghai Daily, the National Medical Products Administration in China, approved a rapid testing kit that will give results in 29 minutes.
The kit was developed by a research team from Xiamen University and it can be used for "clinical cases, suspected cases and the screening of high-risk groups."
Argentina's portable kit has a test strip similar to a pregnancy test and detects the presence of coronavirus through saliva.
The firm previously developed tests for dengue and it believes this kit could reach the market and cost no more than about two dollars.
As the coronavirus spreads worldwide, countries are trying to contain the outbreak.
Will these tests become the new normal?
Authorities are not just battling COVID-19. Since the outbreak, an "infodemic" of misinformation, conspiracy theories and rumors has spread as quickly as the virus, leading to a rise in reports of xenophobia and discrimination. CGTN's Dan Williams reports.
As schools close to avoid further spread of COVID-19, many teachers are moving their classes online.
Two teachers from Beijing, who got stuck in the U.S. after the outbreak, are now using a local library as their virtual classroom.
Global stock markets plunged on Monday as oil prices nose-dived by more than 30 percent – the biggest daily drop since the Gulf War in 1991 – after Saudi Arabia shocked the world by launching a price war against Russia.
The drop comes as the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus reached nearly 110,000 worldwide.
Chief market analyst of CMC Markets, Michael Hewson, told CGTN Europe the key question is, how long can Saudi Arabia and Russia sustain these oil prices?
Latest coronavirus development around the world
Asia: Malaysia confirmed 18 more novel coronavirus cases, bringing total to 117 in the country.
Japan reported 514 confirmed cases in the country, including nine deaths.
The Philippines has declared a public health emergency with 10 new cases for a total of 20 on Monday.
Brunei confirmed its first case on Monday.
Europe: Germany confirmed 265 new cases on Monday, pushing the total number of cases to 1,112.
Spain confirmed 907 cases in total on Monday, including 25 deaths.
Switzerland reported a total of 312 confirmed cases, including two deaths.
Sweden reported 45 more cases for a total of 248.
Belgium confirmed 39 more cases, bringing its total number of cases to 239.
Middle East: Iran reported 595 more cases on Monday, bringing the total number to 7,161 in the country.
Qatar announced that all schools will close from March 10 as a total of 15 people had been confirmed so far.
The United Arab Emirates confirmed 14 more cases, rising to 59 overall.
Premier Li Keqiang sounds alert over imported COVID-19 cases amid rapid spread overseas
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for enhanced prevention measures to avoid cross-border transmission and imported cases of COVID-19 as the country's fight against the outbreak shows a sound trend while the epidemic spreads rapidly overseas.
Li, also the leader of the central leading group of China's COVID-19 response, made the remarks when chairing a group meeting on Monday.
He instructed ports and customs to strengthen their prevention measures and to implement testing, treatment and quarantine to overseas visitors that are confirmed, suspected or are close contacts of confirmed cases in order to ensure safe personnel exchanges.
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2020 Boao Forum for Asia delayed amid COVID-19 outbreak
The Boao Forum for Asia said on Monday that the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2020, which was intended to be held from March 24 to 27, will be delayed in order to cooperate with the measures of world governments battling against COVID-19.
In the spirit of being responsible for the health and safety of the participants, the forum decided to postpone the annual meeting in 2020 after consulting with the Chinese government, the forum said in a statement on its official website.
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Japan prepares to alter law to allow emergency declaration amid COVID-19 outbreak
Japan is set this week to revise a law allowing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency for the COVID-19 outbreak if the disease poses a "grave danger" to lives and if its rapid spread could have a huge impact on the economy.
Abe said the bill is designed to keep the impact on people's lives to a minimum while preparing for a worst-case scenario, adding that Japan is now at a critical juncture in terms of whether the outbreak will spread further or come to an end.
Japan has more than 1,200 coronavirus cases including about 700 from a cruise ship, NHK reported. 16 people have died, including seven from the Diamond Princess ocean liner.
China sets up emergency response center to curb COVID-19 cases from abroad
China's Foreign Ministry officially established an emergency response center on Sunday to prevent the cases of the COVID-19 coming from outside its borders, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
To prevent and control the import of COVID-19 from overseas, the center will carry out round-the-clock operation, coordinate with domestic departments and local governments, and guide overseas embassies and consulates, read the statement.
It will strengthen the anti-epidemic protection capacity of overseas compatriots, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, added the statement.
Politicizing COVID-19 comes back to haunt the U.S.
Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The daily column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.
"China was not forthcoming… that's why we weren't getting all the information, that you had a CDC kit testing not go out right," U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said during an interview with Fox News.
It's old news for the U.S. to blame China for America's problems.
For some time, many in the U.S. have relished the opportunity to politicize COVID-19. The Washington Post accused China of carrying out political retribution by using the epidemic as cover. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross saw the disease as an opportunity to "accelerate the return of jobs to North America." His colleague, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, used a diplomatic trip in late January to brand China as the "central threat of our times," just as the country was mobilizing to contain the outbreak.
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China rebuts Pompeo's denigration of COVID-19 fight, says it bought the world time
China Monday rebutted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's attempt to denigrate China's efforts in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, saying its contribution to outbreak prevention has been well recognized around the world.
Pompeo attributed the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in the U.S. to the non-transparency of the Chinese government regarding information-sharing, accusing China if "putting the U.S. behind the curve."
The comments were rejected by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang who insisted that China has been very open and transparent in releasing information to the international community.
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China to donate $20 million to WHO for COVID-19 fight, vow to strengthen international cooperation
The Chinese government has decided to donate 20 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support it in carrying out international cooperation in fighting the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and for helping developing countries improve their response capacities, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Monday.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Chinese government, saying the body will continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to push for substantial progress in international cooperation on epidemic prevention and control.
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S. Korea confirms 96 more COVID-19 cases, 7,478 in total
South Korea confirmed 96 more COVID-19 cases from midnight Sunday to 4:00 p.m. local time Monday, raising the total to 7,478, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Expert: Global COVID-19 outbreak will at least continue into June
Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan said on Friday that the global novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is expected to last at least until June.
Zhong made the remarks at a symposium on the prevention and control of the COVID-19, adding that south China's Guangdong Province, an area with numerous international contacts should strengthen the border inspection measures to fight the COVID-19.
Lasted development on coronavirus in Asia
South Korea sees lowest new virus infections for nearly two weeks with a total of 248 cases detected on Sunday. Nationwide tally now is 7,382 with 51 deaths.
Japan has recorded 485 cases as of 1:00 p.m. on Monday, apart from 696 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees by chartered flights. Fourteen have died, including seven from the cruise ship.
India said 42 people have tested positive for the virus so far.
Philippine President Duterte has issued proclamation declaring a state of public health emergency in the country.
Singapore said Costa Fortuna cruise will dock in the country on Tuesday, passengers to undergo health check when disembarking. Latest infection number in the country is 150.
Embassies close in DPRK as diplomats evacuated over virus
Several embassies in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) closed on Monday as many diplomats were flown out following weeks of tight quarantine restrictions imposed by Pyongyang over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The DPRK so far has not confirmed a single infection but it has imposed strict rules, including closing its borders and putting thousands of its nationals into quarantine.
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Shanghai Disneyland remains closed, parts of the resort will reopen
Shanghai Disneyland Resort said on Monday it will reopen part of the shops and restaurants at Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel from March 9. Disneyland park will remain closed, with no set reopening date.
Passenger flow will be limited and hours of operations will also be shortened to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, depending on the business, wrote a statement posted on the park's official WeChat account.
Disneytown will reopen parts of the area in stages. Disney-owned stores and some shopping and dining outlets will be reopened. Other Disneytown experiences, including Mickey Playground, are scheduled to reopen later this year.
Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will control the number of rooms open to guests. A reopening date for the Toy Story Hotel is undetermined.
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China receives over 29 bln yuan worth of donations
A total of 29.29 billion yuan (around 4.23 billion U.S. dollars) of social donations for coronavirus epidemic prevention and control had been received by philanthropic organizations and Red Cross Society at all levels across China as of midnight Sunday.
Zhan Chengfu, vice minister of civil affairs, revealed the number at a press conference held in Beijing on Monday, adding 522 million material supplies were also received.
Among all the donations, 23.978 billion yuan (around 3.46 billion U.S. dollars), and 466 million supplies have already been allocated, Zhan added, accounting for around 82 percent and 90 percent of the total volumes respectively.
World football, tennis, Bahrain Grand Prix among sports events hit by COVID-19
The escalating COVID-19 outbreak brought more disruption to the sporting world on Sunday, with matches canceled and news of a player revolt over the idea of having to play without spectators despite the deadly virus.
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Answer Bank: What are the differences between flu and COVID-19?
The novel coronavirus is "a unique virus with unique characteristics," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on March 3. However, it does share some differences and similarities with influenza, as covered in Friday's WHO Situation Report. Being aware of them may help the public take appropriate actions.
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53 community workers died on duty during epidemic prevention, control
Fifty-three community workers in China have died from coronavirus diseas (COVID-19) prevention and control work as of March 8, Chen Yueliang, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs said at a press conference on Monday.
92.5 percent of them were members of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Chen told reporters an assessment to honor them as martyrs will be made, and as well as setting up pensions for their family members.
China reports zero new domestic COVID-19 cases outside Hubei for second consecutive day
Forty new cases of novel coronavirus were detected in the past 24 hours as of Sunday in China. Thirty-six of the cases were from Hubei Province, while another four cases originated overseas.
It was the second consecutive day the country detected zero new cases domestically outside Hubei Province, the number on Saturday was three.
According to China's National Health Commission, those four cases from Sunday were registered in northwest China's Gansu Province, but authorities are yet to provide information on which countries the passengers returned from.
Chinese experts arrive in Iraq to help fight coronavirus outbreak
A team of Chinese experts have arrived in Iraq to help fight the spread of COVID-19. As the epidemic continued raging in the Middle East, Egypt reported the first death from the novel coronavirus on Sunday.
The seven-member Chinese team, which was sent by the Red Cross Society of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad Saturday evening.
They will stay in Iraq for a month to offer help in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, which is nearly under control in China after over a month-long nationwide campaign to stop its spread.
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South Korea reports 248 new coronavirus cases, one new death
The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported one more death and 248 new coronavirus cases on Sunday.
The total number of confirmed cases surged to 7,382, and the death toll is now at 51, according to the KCDC.
Meanwhile, 166 people were discharged from hospitals.
CGTN's Nathan King is headed to the U.S. state of Michigan where the large midwest state will hold a Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday.
But as the COVID-19 crisis in the United States intensifies, travelers have become more concerned about sanitation.
Nathan shows us how he's traveling with bleach wipes and a mask - if needed.
Hubei reports 36 new COVID-19 cases, 21 deaths
A total of 36 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak as of midnight on Sunday and 21 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
All of the newly confirmed cases came from the provincial capital Wuhan.
No new confirmed or suspected cases were reported in regions outside Wuhan in Hubei.
On the same day, 1,422 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province after full recovery.
Forty new cases of novel coronavirus infection were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Sunday, with 22 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,735, while the cumulative death toll is now 3,119.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 1,535 patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 58,600.
Another four cases of infections contracted outside China were reported, bringing the total of imported cases to 67.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 114 (three dead, 59 recovered)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 45 (1 dead, 15 recovered)
Latest developments on coronavirus around the world
As of 9GMT on Sunday, over 100 countries have now reported confirmed cases of novel coronavirus, with 3,610 cases reported outside of China in just one day, according to the latest situation report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Asia:
Singapore has reported 12 additional coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 150, according to a statement from the country's Ministry of Health.
Europe:
Italy became the worst-hit country outside of China. It reported 133 new deaths and confirmed 1,492 more new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 7,375, according to health officials.
France confirmed a total of 1,126 cases, with the death toll increasing from 11 on Saturday to 19 on Sunday.
Spain reported 647 cases cross the country on Sunday.
In UK, a third death was reported on Sunday. The patient was over 60 years old and had significant underlying health conditions. A total of 278 cases are confirmed in the country.
North America:
The U.S. confirmed a total of 521 cases and 21 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least eight U.S. states have declared states of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Middle East:
Iran reported 49 new deaths on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 194.
In Saudi Arabia, authorities announced the suspension of all public and private schools and universities across the country from Monday until further notice.
Around 16 million people have been placed under quarantine in Northern Italy - to try and control the rapid spread of COVID-19 in what is Europe's worst outbreak. The whole of the Lombardy region is under lockdown, plus fourteen other areas in neighbouring regions.
The unprecedented decree, that affects more than a quarter of Italians, forbids anyone from leaving or entering the new red zones except for exceptional circumstances until at least 3 April. People there felt shock and panic as the decision was leaked by the media in advance.
A local journalist, Alberto Manyani, told CGTN that thousands of people crowded train stations in Lombardy trying to escape to southern Italy in scenes that may only lead to spreading the disease.
The number of COVID-19 cases in China appears to be stabilizing but there are 26-thousand cases in more than 100 countries outside China.
The Austrian chancellor said earlier today that he expected more European countries to seriously think about introducing Italian-style lockdowns at some point to contain the coronavirus.
In Iran, people have been submitting themselves to hospital after drinking methanol-rich alcohol hoping to prevent coronavirus infection.
CGTN's Guy Henderson emphasized the message that rumors can be very dangerous.
Egypt confirmed its first death as a result of the coronavirus in the country after a German citizen died from the disease on Sunday, according the health ministry officials.
The 60-year-old German citizen showed symptoms of a high fever when he arrived from Luxor to Hurghada, according to Dr. Khaled Mujahid, an adviser to Egypt’s Minister of Health. The patient then went to Hurghada General Hospital on Friday to receive medical care.
Necessary tests confirmed he had tested positive for the new coronavirus on Saturday and he was then placed in intensive care.
Latest coronavirus development around the world
Asia: Singapore confirmed 12 more novel coronavirus cases, bringing total to 150 in the country.
Japan reported 454 confirmed cases in the country, including seven deaths.
Vietnam confirmed its 30th infection.
Malaysia announced six more cases, bringing the total number to 99 so far.
Indonesia reported two more cases, rising to six overall.
Europe: Greece reported seven more cases for a total of 73. Spain now has 613 cases with 17 deaths.
Switzerland reported its second fatality, pushing the total number of cases to 281.
Russia confirmed three more, raising the total number of cases 17.
Germany confirmed 847 cases in total on Sunday.
Sweden reported seven more cases, bringing its total number of cases to 168.
The Netherlands reported 77 cases, increasing its total number to 265 in the country.
Middle East: Saudi Arabia reported four more confirmed cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 11.
Kuwait confirmed three more cases, taking its total to 64.
Iran reported 743 more cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 6,566 in the country.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Wuhan City has transformed stadiums and convention centers into temporary hospitals to treat patients with mild symptoms.
Twelve-thousand patients have been treated at temporary hospitals since February 5. But with the number of recovered patients growing, 11 of 14 temporary hospitals have now been officially closed.
There were zero deaths at temporary hospitals, thanks to the dedication of 15 medical teams from all over China. There are around 100 patients at the three temporary hospitals which are still operating.
Graphics: How is South Korea responding to COVID-19 after MERS?
South Korea has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world outside of China, with 7,134 confirmed cases as of Sunday, including 50 deaths.
Up until February 18, South Korea had appeared to have managed to control the spread of the virus. However, the situation changed with the advent of patient No. 31, a 61-year-old South Korean female. The woman is believed to have caused a wide community spread in Daegu city, in the southeast of the country.
Since then, the number of cases has skyrocketed.
Days before patient 31's diagnosis, she traveled to crowded spots in Daegu, as well as in the capital Seoul. One hot spot is the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church.
The surge in cases has centered around the cluster from the church. Contact tracing also hinted at transmission linked to nearby Daenam Hospital where coronavirus cases are being tested and treated.
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Trump 'not concerned at all' after CPAC guest tests positive for COVID-19
"No, I'm not concerned at all. No, I'm not. We've done a great job" and "we'll have tremendous rallies" – that was the response from U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday to the news that an attendee at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Trump insisted he wasn't concerned that the virus was getting closer to the White House, despite both the president and Vice President Mike Pence having attended the conservative conference in late February.
Just a few hours after Trump made the remarks, it was confirmed that a man in his 50s who lives in Washington, D.C. had tested positive for the virus.
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Saudi Arabia announces temporary lockdown of Qatif region
Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced a temporary lockdown of its eastern Qatif region, home to a large Shi'ite Muslim population, due to a coronavirus outbreak.
State media reported that no one would be allowed to enter or exit Qatif and local authorities will suspend work in all public and private sectors in the region, except vital institutions.
Commercial supplies will be kept flowing to the region, with proper precautions, according to the report.
It came after the kingdom suspended classes at schools, universities and various educational institutions in Qatif on Saturday.
So far, 11 coronavirus infections have been reported in Saudi Arabia.
Bangladesh confirms its first three cases of coronavirus: health officials
Bangladesh on Sunday confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus in the country, said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.
Two of the patients are Bangladeshi, who just returned from Italy. The third is their relative in Dhaka.
The three are currently in isolation at a hospital. All are said to be in stable condition.
Coronavirus: Third fatality reported in Hong Kong
A 76-year-old coronavirus patient died in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday, according to local authorities.
It is the third fatality in the region. A total of 113 cases have been confirmed so far. Of that number, 58 of the patients have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital.
743 new COVID-19 cases push Iran's total to 6,566
Iran confirmed 743 new cases of COVID-19 and 49 deaths on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 6,566, according to the health ministry.
A total of 2,134 patients have recovered, and 194 people have died in Iran. The worst-hit region is Tehran, with 1,805 cases confirmed. The other severely affected provinces were Qom with a total of 685 cases, Gilan with 496 cases, Isfahan with 564 cases and Mazandaran with 620 cases.
COVID-19 hits more than 100 countries and regions: WHO
Over 100 countries and regions have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday morning, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Fadela Chaib told Xinhua.
Germany has confirmed a total of 847 COVID-19 cases in the country; northern Italy has quarantined 14 provinces and regions including up to 16 million people amid outbreak; a total of 7,313 people were infected in South Korea as of Sunday; Japan reported 454 confirmed cases including seven deaths in the country; Bulgaria and Moldova confirmed their first cases of coronavirus.
Moldova reports it's first COVID-19 case
Moldova reported it's first confirmed COVID-19 case, a 48-year-old female Moldovan citizen who arrived in the capital Chisinau from Italy’s Milan on Saturday, according to country’s health ministry.
The patient had a fever and cough, as well as symptoms of other illnesses, and was in a serious condition. Moldova issued an orange warning due to the virus on Sunday.
South Korea reports 179 more COVID-19 cases
South Korea reported 179 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of people in the country with the virus to 7,313, Yonhap reported on Sunday.
A total of 103 countries and territories were either enforcing or planning to impose entry restrictions or stricter quarantine measures on people from South Korea over COVID-19 concerns, the country’s foreign ministry data showed on Sunday.
Virus-hit U.S. cruise ship to dock in Oakland on Sunday
A U.S. cruise ship, the Grand Princess, stranded due to the coronavirus outbreak off the coast of San Francisco, will dock in Oakland, the vessel's owner said Saturday.
The Grand Princess cruise ship has recorded 21 COVID-19 infections on board – 19 crew and two American passengers – out of 45 people tested.
"Grand Princess will proceed to the Port of Oakland on Sunday to begin disembarking guests who require acute medical treatment and hospitalization," the Princess Cruises tour company said.
"Guests who are California residents will go to a federally operated facility within California for testing and isolation, while non-Californians will be transported by the federal government to facilities in other states."
The ship's crew will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship, the company added.
The ship was currently off San Francisco coast and 3,533 people are currently aboard, consists of 2,422 passengers and 1,111 teammates, representing 54 nationalities.
There are 11 Chinese crew members and nine Chinese passengers onboard, and the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco confirmed, saying they all "remain healthy and in stable condition."
The ship was barred from docking at San Francisco port due to coronavirus infections on the ship and it's also linked to the first COVID-19 death in California.
Xinjiang discharges only coronavirus patient
The only patient infected with the novel coronavirus in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China was discharged from hospital on Sunday.
Up to now, Xinjiang hasn't reported any new or suspected COVID-19 cases for the 18th consecutive day.
Xinjiang reported earlier a total of 76 cases of COVID-19 while 73 people have been recovered and discharged from hospitals and three other patients were dead.
Six dead after quarantine hotel collapses in SE China city, 43 rescued
Six people were killed and dozens others were trapped when a hotel collapsed in Quanzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province on Saturday.
The collapsed hotel had been transformed into a quarantine facility amid the coronavirus outbreak for people who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients.
ShePower: Couples who are putting weddings on hold during the outbreak
Epidemics know no borders, but sometimes love can be the cure-all.
In the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, many women chose to take off their wedding dresses and head to the frontline to help fight the virus.
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Travel industry strives to survive the downturn
Zhu Jingjing never thought she'd become an internet celebrity of sorts. A guide at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, she's now taken her guided tour online with live broadcasts on Taobao, the e-commerce platform.
"We did a lot of testing to make sure our camera film as much detail as possible," said Zhu.
But despite being a novice, her debut turned out to be a massive success. On February 23, eight museums across China launched what's known as cloud tourism, attracting some 10 million viewers in a day. Such enthusiasm for virtual tours stood in stark contrast with the scarcity of human traffic at popular tourist destinations.
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'Wuhan Livingroom' temporary hospital shuts down
"Wuhan Livingroom" temporary hospital, one of the largest temporary hospitals in Wuhan, closed on Sunday as the coronavirus infection rate has slowed in the city.
A total of 1,760 patients received the treatment in the "Wuhan Livingroom" temporary hospital in the past month and, on Saturday, the final 84 patients were either discharged or transferred to another hospital.
All medical equipment and supplies in the temporary hospital will be sealed up after disinfection.
Latest developments in Asia
Singapore's national tally is 138 as of Saturday night after eight additional cases were recorded on the day.
Japan said a total of 1,159 cases were found in the country as of 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, that includes 696 infections from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 from returnees by chartered flights. The death toll in Japan now is 50.
Malaysia's state media said the country has confirmed 10 additional cases, taking the total to 93; the new cases were close contact of a previously infected patient.
South Korea remains Asia's worst hit country apart from China with 7,134 infections and 50 deaths.
Vietnam said on Sunday morning that the country now has 21 people infected with the virus.
India's NDTV said a total of 39 people are infected after five more from a family in Kerala tested positive for the virus. Three of the five had recently returned from Italy.
WHO prioritizes 9 areas for global research on COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) prioritized nine key areas for research and development in its recently published global roadmap on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
"The roadmap will focus on the current life-saving research, as well as some long-term projects on vaccines and therapeutics development, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed at a daily media briefing on March 6.
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Answer Bank: How should people with lung issues deal with COVID-19?
During the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a special group of people who are much more susceptible to the virus than others - patients with chronic lung diseases like asthma.
So how can these people avoid getting infected? Dr. Zhi Xiuyi, director of Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center at the Beijing-based Capital Medical University, offered his suggestions.
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Italian PM signs decree that puts large parts of the north on lockdown
Some 16 million of people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree to strictly limit movement in and out of large areas of the north.
Lombardy, Italy's richest region, as well as 14 provinces in four other regions, including the cities of Venice, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Rimini are targeted.
"There will be no movement in or out of these areas, or within them, unless for proven, work-related reasons, emergencies or health reasons," Conte told a news conference in the middle of the night after hours of confusion over his plans.
The move aims to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe and will stay in force until April 3.
The decree also required museums, theaters, cinemas and other entertainment venues nationwide to be shut.
The novel coronavirus has infected over 6,000 people and killed 233 in Italy so far, making it the hardest hit country in Europe.
Twitter screenshot
Stanford University suspends in-person classes over COVID-19
Stanford University has become the second university in western United States to cancel on-campus classes over growing concerns about the rapidly evolving coronavirus epidemic in the country.
Stanford provost Persis Drell said late Friday that beginning on March 9, campus classes at the university will move to an online format to replace in-person instruction where it is "feasible."
"Any winter quarter final exams that were scheduled to be administered in person will need to be administered in take-home format," she said in a message to all Stanford staff and students.
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Two dead after quarantine hotel collapses in E China's Quanzhou
Two of the 50 people pulled from under the debris of a collapsed hotel in Quanzhou City, eastern China's Fujian Province, were found dead, according to local authorities.
Rescuers are still looking for survivors and China's National Health Commission has dispatched two teams of medical experts to support the emergency response work.
About 70 people were inside the hotel at the time of the incident on Saturday night. The hotel had been transformed into a quarantine facility for people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients.
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Latest coronavirus developments in the U.S.
First case in DC.: Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the district's first confirmed case of coronavirus is a male in his 50s, and a DC resident; the source of his contamination remains unclear.
"He has no history of international travel and no contacts with a confirmed case," Bowser told reporters, adding the man is now being treated in a local hospital and there's no need to declare a state of emergency.
Speaking at a briefing Saturday night, the mayor also said the DC government is also aware of another unnamed person who recently visited DC and was diagnosed with the virus at a Maryland hospital
Marine tested positive: The Pentagon on Saturday said a U.S. Marine in the DC area has tested positive for the virus. The serviceman recently returned from official travel overseas.
It would be the third case among the U.S. military. The other two are sailors in Italy and South Korea.
CPAC attendee tests positive: One attendee at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland contracted the coronavirus.
Organizers said the person had "no interaction" with U.S. President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, who also attended the event.
Total cases over 440: According to local media tally, there're at least 445 confirmed or presumptive positive cases across 30 states in the U.S. Death toll now stands at 19.
Intl. tourism could take $30-50 billion hit due to COVID-19: UNWTO
The international tourism industry could lose up to 30 to 50 U.S. dollars in 2020 estimated Madrid-based World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Friday as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
This is UNWTO's first assessment regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the global tourism industry. Compared with the previously predicted positive growth of 3-4 percent in the international tourist arrivals in 2020, UNWTO said that arrivals were now projected to fall by one to three percent.
The organization expected the Asia and the Pacific region to be the worst-affected, with "an anticipated fall in arrivals of nine percent to 12 percent." However, it says that estimates for other regions are "currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation." For that reason, the UNWTO also added that "any estimate must be treated with caution and is likely to be updated."
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South Korea reports 367 new coronavirus cases, total at 7,134
South Korea on Sunday morning reported 367 new cases of coronavirus, taking the country's total to 7,134 as of Saturday midnight, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
Most of the country's infections were detected in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the outbreak in South Korea, and its neighboring North Gyeongsang Province.
On Saturday, an apartment complex in Daegu was locked down after 46 residents, one third of its total residents, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
So far, 50 people have died from the virus in the country, mostly elderly.
A total of 103 countries and regions have imposed or are planning to impose entry restrictions or strict quarantine procedures on people from South Korea, according to Yonhap News Agency.
WHO: Now over 20,000 COVID-19 cases outside China, thanks China for donation
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 21,110 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected outside China as of 0900 GMT on Saturday, surpassing 20,000 for the first time.
The numbers were reported by 93 countries and regions outside China, which showed a daily increase of 3,633 cases, according to the WHO daily situation report released Saturday evening.
The trend of the spread has been becoming clearer since February 26, when the number of daily cases reported outside China surpassed those inside the country.
China, who's still battling the virus domestically, on Saturday contributed 20 million U.S. dollars to the WHO's global fight against COVID-19 and for helping developing countries improve their response capacities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Chinese government, saying the body will continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to push for substantial progress in international cooperation on epidemic prevention and control.
China also vowed to join hand with the international community in this endeavor, Chen Xu, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), told the WHO chief in a meeting.
Hubei reports 41 new COVID-19 cases, 27 deaths
A total of 41 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were confirmed in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak as of midnight on Saturday and 27 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
All of the newly confirmed cases came from hard-hit Wuhan.
On the same day, 1,543 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province after full recovery.
Argentina's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed its first death caused by COVID-19, making it also the first COVID-19 death in Latin America.
The fatality is a 64-year-old man from Buenos Aires who earlier traveled to Europe and was later diagnosed with COVID-19.
As of Saturday evening, Argentina has confirmed a total of nine cases of COVID-19 nationwide.
Forty-four new cases of novel coronavirus infection were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Saturday, with 27 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,695, while the cumulative death toll is now 3,097.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 1,661 patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 57,065.
Another three cases of infections contracted outside China were reported, bringing the total of cases originating elsewhere to 63.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 109 (2 dead, 55 recovered)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 45 (1 dead, 13 recovered)
Dozens trapped after coronavirus quarantine hotel collapses in SE China, 45 rescued
Dozens of people were trapped after a hotel collapsed in Quanzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province.
The collapsed Xinjia Hotel had been transformed into a quarantine facility amid the coronavirus outbreak for people who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, according to People's Daily.
As of Sunday morning, a total of 45 people have been rescued so far. Rescue teams are still searching for anyone possibly trapped under the debris.
Latest developments on the novel coronavirus around the world
Italy plans to lock down the entire Lombardy region and area around including Venice in an attempt to contain the virus spread. Italy has recorded 233 deaths and 5,883 infections so far.
Paraguay reported first case on Saturday, a 32-year-old man who arrived from Ecuador. Patient is said to be in "very good" general health condition.
Moldova confirmed the country's first case, a 48-year-old woman who just returned from Italy by plane. She's now in serious condition and she also suffers from several chronic diseases including diabetes.
Maldives Saturday also reported its first two confirmed novel coronavirus cases, who are both employees at a tourist resort and are believed to be infected from an Italian tourist who has returned to Italy and tested positive there.
France now has registered 16 deaths and 949 confirmed cases.
Ireland said on Saturday there're 19 cases in the country.
In the U.S., the capital Washington, DC reported its first case. Earlier, the state of New York declared a state of emergency after 76 cases were detected.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed sincere solicitude for women fighting COVID-19 at the frontline and in other fields on Sunday, the International Women's Day.
Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, also gave holiday greetings to women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life in the country.
Women medical staff have fought day and night at the frontline against the epidemic to rescue COVID-19 patients, showing the noble spirit of benevolence, Xi said.
Women Party members and cadres, police officers, disease control personnel, community workers, journalists and volunteers have fulfilled their duties with loyalty, worked tenaciously, shouldered a lot of hard work and made important contribution to containing the epidemic with actions, Xi noted.
Xi called on the female staff to have firm confidence in winning the battle against COVID-19, keep a high morale, protect themselves in a scientific way and make continuous efforts in fighting the epidemic.
Party committees and governments at all levels should care for women fighting at the frontline and in other fields, and vigorously publicize frontline female role models to encourage and support hundreds of millions of other women to contribute wisdom and strength to win the battle against the epidemic, Xi stressed.
Female medical workers of a 101-member medical team take an oath before setting off for central China's Hubei Province to combat the novel coronavirus pneumonia, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, February 4, 2020. /Xinhua
The Maldives on Saturday reported its first two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus.
The two infected people are employees at a tourist resort and are believed to have caught the disease from an Italian tourist who has returned to Italy and tested positive there.
Both are showing symptoms but are in stable condition in a quarantine facility just outside Malé, the island capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago.
All countries should make containing the outbreak of COVID-19 their top priority, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, pointing to Iran's national action plan to combat one of the world's worst outbreaks after a slow start.
The UN agency stressed that slowing down the epidemic allowed hospitals to prepare and saves lives, while warning that there was no evidence that spread would wane during the approaching summer months in the northern hemisphere.
"We are now on the verge of reaching 100,000 confirmed cases," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a daily news briefing. "(The epidemic) is geographically expanding and deeply concerning."
"We are continuing to recommend that all countries make containment their highest priority," he added. "In a globalized world, the only option is to stand together."
Iran's death toll from coronavirus infections jumped to 124 on Friday, as 17 died and more than 1,000 new cases were diagnosed over 24 hours, the health ministry said.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak in Europe
France now has 716 confirmed cases, the second highest number in Europe. 11 people have died from COVID-19.
The UK's total number of cases increased from 163 to 206 on Saturday.
Germany has reported 684 cases so far.
Switzerland confirmed 18 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 228.
Portugal reported two more cases, bringing the total number to 15.
Russia reported four more cases. All patients have traveled to Italy in the past two weeks.
Iceland announced the country's response to coronavirus has moved into "emergency phase." There are 45 cases in the country.
Spain now has 441 confirmed cases, with eight deaths and 30 recovered patients.
The Netherlands' total number of confirmed cases has risen to 188.
Slovakia reported two more cases, the country's first confirmed patient's son and wife.
Denmark reported four more cases, with 27 in total. 458 people are under quarantine.
Finland has confirmed 19 cases, with four on Saturday.
Sweden reported 24 more cases, bringing the total number to 161.
An Italian girl is Malta's first coronavirus case
Malta on Saturday reported the country's first coronavirus infection, said Health Minister Chris Fearne.
The patient is a 12-year-old Italian girl who lives in Malta with her family. They returned from a vacation in Italy on Tuesday and started self-quarantine. She started showing symptoms on Thursday and was then diagnosed with COVID-19.
She is now receiving treatment in the infectious diseases unit of Mater Dei Hospital.
Iran reports 1,076 new COVID-19 cases, bringing total to 5,823
Iran on Saturday reported 1,076 new COVID-19 cases and 21 more deaths, according to the country's Health Ministry.
As of noon, 5,823 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in Iran. The country has also reported 16,000 suspected cases.
The death toll from the new coronavirus now stands at 145 in Iran, with 1,669 patients already recovered.
Here's the latest on the coronavirus outbreak:
Germany: 150 cases were confirmed in one day, bringing the total number in the country to 684.
Iran: Newly elected lawmaker Fatemeh Rahbar was among the 17 fatalities confirmed on Saturday, Fars news agency reported.
The Philippines: The country has confirmed its first case of community transmission of the new coronavirus. President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to declare a nationwide public health emergency, reported Reuters citing a presidential aide.
Malaysia: 10 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 93.
Thailand: Two new cases reported, bringing the total to 50.
India: Two confirmed cases with the total in the country now at 33.
Vietnam: 18th infection confirmed.
23-year-old Singaporean Jonathan Mok was walking along the Oxford Street in London in late February when a group of thugs attacked him, punching him in the face several times.
"I don't want your coronavirus in my country," shouted his anonymous attackers.
Since the epidemic first broke out, a wave of hate crimes against Asians has cascaded throughout Western countries.
Answer Bank: Will the novel coronavirus disappear in summer?
Going back 17 years to 2003, the SARS epidemic mysteriously subsided by summer after ravaging for more than half a year, starting in winter. Many are hoping that the novel coronavirus, which also surged in winter, could naturally disappear as the weather gets warmer.
However, people's guards cannot be let down as experts pointed out that no evidence suggests the novel coronavirus will disappear in summer.
Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a call interview on February 12 that this assumption was premature. "We haven't been through even a single year with this pathogen."
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448 more COVID-19 cases confirmed in South Korea, total tops 7,000
South Korea reported 448 new cases of the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 7,041, according to health authorities.
The death toll has climbed to 47 in the country.
Latest on coronavirus around the world
The number of cases worldwide has passed 100,000, as the World Health Organization called on countries to make "containment their highest priority."
Asia:
South Korea, the most affected country outside China, confirmed a total of 6,767 cases of coronavirus and 44 deaths.
Japan confirmed 1,045 cases of coronavirus, including 696 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. A total of 12 people died from the infection.
Vietnam reported its 17th novel coronavirus case on Friday night, which is the first Vietnam has had in 22 days.
Malaysia reported 28 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total number to 83.
Europe:
The UK confirmed its second fatality after tests performed on a man who died on Thursday came back positive.
Italy has seen 49 new deaths and 778 infections, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 197.
North America:
The U.S. confirmed over 300 cases and the death toll has risen to 17. A total of 21 people are infected on board the Grand Princess cruise ship, currently quarantined off the California coast. Two people have tested positive for the coronavirus after taking part in a conference in Washington, which Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and dozens of lawmakers also attended.
Canada confirmed 54 cases of the coronavirus, according to health authority.
Central America:
The first case in Central America was confirmed. Costa Rica's government on Friday reported its first case of coronavirus in a 49-year-old woman from the United States.
Oceania:
New Zealand has confirmed its fifth case, a 40-year-old woman who contracted the virus from her husband, who was the country's third case.
Middle east:
At least 124 people have died from the coronavirus in Iran, with 17 new fatalities confirmed on Friday.
The United Arab Emirates announces 15 new coronavirus cases. The total number of cases in UAE now stands at 45.
Iraq announced eight new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the country's total confirmed cases to 46.
Facts Tell: There's no need for China to apologize
Fox News host Jesse Watters asked China to apologize for the coronavirus, and claimed the virus originated in China.
As the rest of his colleagues appeared somewhat embarrassed and tried to laugh off his rant, Watters then insisted that the virus originated from the Chinese eating diseased uncooked animals. This is not the first time Watters prompted controversial comments.
Check the video to see why there's no need for China to apologize.
Japan confirms 71 more coronavirus cases, total hits 1,116
Japan has confirmed 71 more cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total number to 1,116, according to Japan's Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. Twelve people have died of COVID-19 so far.
The number also includes 696 confirmed cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
South Korea reports 483 additional COVID-19 cases, no new deaths
South Korea reported 483 additional coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total number to 6,767 in the country, Yonhap reported.
The latest information indicates the death toll remains unchanged at 44, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Premier Li stresses enhancing intl. cooperation in COVID-19 control
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday stressed enhancing international cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control to prevent cross-border spread of the epidemic.
Premier Li, leader of the central leading group of China's COVID-19 response, made the remarks while inspecting the Capital International Airport in Beijing.
He also inspected the aviation distribution center of SF Holding, China's courier giant, where he emphasized the importance of smooth logistics to advance economic and social progress.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang learns about body temperature monitoring at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2020. /Xinhua
Hubei reports 74 new COVID-19 cases, 28 new deaths
Seventy four new COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths were reported in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, as of midnight on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission.
All of the newly confirmed cases came from hard-hit Wuhan.
On the same day, 1,502 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
Ninety nine new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Friday, with 28 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,651, while the cumulative death toll is now 3,070.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 1,678 patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 55,404.
Another 24 cases of infections contracted outside China were reported, bringing the total of imported cases in the country to 60.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 107 (2 dead, 51 recovered)
Macao: 10 (10 recovered)
Taiwan: 45 (1 dead, 12 recovered)
21 people on Grand Princess cruise ship test positive for coronavirus
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that 21 people aboard a cruise ship that is being held off the coast of California have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Coast Guard had delivered 46 tests to the Grand Princess, which has been held off the California coast since Wednesday. Of the 46 passengers tested, Pence said 21 people, 19 employees and two passengers, had tested positive.
All passengers will be brought into port in the U.S. over the weekend and tested, Pence said. The vice president is leading the administration's response to the outbreak.
The 11 Chinese staff onboard are in a stable condition.
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Italy confirms 4,636 coronavirus cases, 197 dead
Italy confirmed 778 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total number to 4,636 according to health authority, with death toll rising to 197.
It is now the fourth-highest infected country in the world after China, South Korea and Iran.
Infographic: Latest on COVID-19 diagnostic and treatment guidelines
The National Health Commission unveiled the seventh edition of the diagnostic and treatment guidelines for the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) on Wednesday.
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Latest on coronavirus around the world
Europe:
Slovakia reported its first case, a 52-year-old man, whose son had returned from Venice a couple of weeks ago. But his son is not showing any signs of illness for now.
Serbia and Vatican also reported first cases earlier in the day.
Netherlands said an 86-year-old patient with COVID-19 died on Friday, the first death caused by the virus in the country. There're a total of 128 cases now.
France Friday said the number of cases rose by 154 to 577, with two more death. Now the death toll stands at nine in the country.
UK said there're 163 confirmed cases. Sky news also said it understands that a second death occurred on Friday.
Greece Friday reported 14 new cases, taking total in the country to 45.
Germany now has 534 cases, over half of which are in the western region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state.
Belgium Friday doubled its number in the past 24 hours, with the number rose to 109 from 59.
Russia detected six new cases, the total is now at eight.
Asia:
Singapore recorded biggest daily jump of 13 cases on Friday, taking the city-state's total infections to 130. Among all, 82 have fully recovered.
For other Asia update, click here for more.
Latin America:
Peru recorded first confirmed case of coronavirus, the 25-year-old man had traveled to Spain, France and the Czech Republic.
Guatemala declared "state of public calamity" in respond to the coronavirus outbreak in the globe, but there's no single case detected in the country so far.
Trump signs $8.3 billion coronavirus funding bill
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an 8.3-billion-U.S.-dollar emergency funding plan to combat the new coronavirus, which has killed 12 in the country and infected nearly 100,000 in the world.
COVID-19 confirmed cases exceed 100,000 globally: JHU
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 100,000 globally, according to Johns Hopkins University on Friday.
Morphology of inactivated coronavirus revealed in Shenzhen
By obtaining biological samples from clinical cases of novel coronavirus patients, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Southern University of Science and Technology have worked together and used cryo-electron microscopy to observe the morphology of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after inactivation for the first time.
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The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy increased to 3,858 on March 5, 2020, according to the Italy Civil Protection Department. CGTN hit the streets of Milan to find out how people are dealing with the virus.
South Korea to suspend visa waivers, existing visas for Japanese from March 9
South Korea's foreign ministry said it will halt visa waivers for Japan as a countermeasure to travel restrictions imposed by Tokyo.
"From March 9, the visa waivers for Japan and the validity of existing visas will be suspended," Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young said in a media briefing.
Seoul will also impose special procedures, including medical checkups, on all Japanese, the ministry added.
It comes one day after Tokyo rolled out new travel restrictions that require travelers from China and South Korea to be quarantined for two weeks in designated areas upon arrival in Japan. They are also prohibited from using public transportation.
South Korea's foreign ministry has earlier expressed "strong regret" over the decision, saying it hoped Japan would have "sufficiently" consulted Seoul before making the decision.
China's foreign ministry Friday said the restrictions are understandable as long as they are scientific, professional and appropriate and do not exceed reasonable limits.
Egypt records 12 new coronavirus cases on Nile cruise ship, WHO says patients asymptomatic
Egypt's health ministry recorded 12 infections with the new coronavirus aboard a Nile cruise ship heading to the southern city of Luxor from Aswan, state television reported on Friday.
All 12 patients are asymptomatic, the World Health Organization (WHO) later said in a joint statement with Egypt's health ministry.
As of early Friday, Egypt has reported three cases of the coronavirus, one of which it said had fully recovered after receiving treatment.
(With input from Reuters)
Iran confirms 1,234 new COVID-19 cases, bringing total to 4,747
Iran confirmed 1,234 new cases of COVID-19 and 17 fatalities on Friday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,747, according to Iran's health authorities.
The death toll has risen to 124 in the country and 913 people have recovered.
Latest on COVID-19 from around Asia
Japan: A total of 1,067 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Japan as of Friday.
The Japanese government said Friday this summer's Tokyo Olympics will take place according to plan and preparations are underway.
South Korea: The health authorities confirmed a total of 6,593 cases of COVID-19 in the country.
The central bank of South Korea said on Friday that it will quarantine banknotes for up to two weeks as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
India: As of Friday afternoon, India confirmed a total of 31 cases of COVID-19 in the country.
ANI News Agency reported that the country's military hospitals will establish isolation wards to prevent transmission of novel coronavirus.
Bollywood on Friday called off the International Indian Film Academy awards due to the novel coronavirus.
Thailand: A new COVID-19 case was confirmed in Thailand on Friday, which takes the total tally to 48 in the country, 31 people have so far recovered and have been discharged from hospitals.
Bhutan: Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering reported on Friday the first case of COVID-19 in the country.
Malaysia: The health authorities of Malaysia reported 28 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 83.
Last COVID-19 patient in Macao recovered, zero infection in the region now
The last COVID-19 patient treated in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has recovered and was discharged from hospital, an official said at a press conference on Friday, marking the total recovery of all 10 COVID-19 patients in the SAR.
Macao has reported zero new case for 31 consecutive days.
Officials are seen at a press briefing related to the coronavirus in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on March 6, 2020. / CGTN
COVID-19 spreads to more countries in Europe and Africa
Serbia's health minister said a 43-year-old man diagnosed with the virus. He has traveled to Budapest. The minister said the patient now feels well.
Vatican Friday said a patient in its health service tested positive for new coronavirus on Thursday. Outpatients in Vatican clinics had been suspended to sanitize the areas, but emergency services will continue.
Cameroon said a 58-year-old French citizen has been quarantined in its capital Yaounde after confirmed to have infected with the virus. He arrived in Yaounde on February 24.
On Friday morning, Asian country Bhutan also reported its first case of COVID-19 in the country.
The novel coronavirus has spread to every continent except Antarctica.
Answer Bank: What if I have to travel internationally during COVID-19?
With more than 95,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed in more than 85 countries and regions worldwide, people are being advised to avoid public and crowded spaces and reduce their travels.
But what if you have to travel internationally at times like this? What should you pay attention to in order to protect yourself against infection?
Click here for more.
Italy reports 41 deaths from COVID-19, highest jump in one day
Italy on Thursday reported 41 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, its highest single-day total to date, bringing the number of fatalities to 148 in the most affected nation in Europe. The number of confirmed cases rose by 769, reaching 3,858.
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South Korea reports 309 new coronavirus cases, total now at 6,593
South Korea on Friday afternoon reported 309 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total in the country to 6,593, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
So far, 42 people have died in South Korea from the respiratory virus, the KCDC said. The victims were mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses.
According to Yonhap news agency, around 60 percent of confirmed cases were linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in Daegu, epicenter of the virus in South Korea.
South Korean army soldiers spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus on a street in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 6, 2020. /AP
Novel coronavirus vaccine estimated to enter clinical trial or emergency use in April
According to relevant laws and regulations, some novel coronavirus vaccines are estimated to enter clinical trial or emergency use in April, said an official from China's National Health Commission on Friday at a press conference.
Kisses and communion: COVID-19 turns daily rituals upside down
As COVID-19 has spread around the world, it has caused schools to shut down, airlines to suspend flights and public events to be cancelled. But it has also forced a major rethink of common habits and rituals.
Click here for more.
Academic: China is closely tracking virus mutation
An academic from China's top science institution said Friday at a press conference that China is closely tracking the mutation of the virus and actively deploying related scientific research projects.
The mutations seen in the virus have not affected drug development, antibody production and vaccine preparation, he said, adding that all work is under control at present.
Over the past two months, clinical trials on drugs for COVID-19 have been underway in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. Chinese experts hope drugs shown to be effective against the virus in the test tube will also work well on patients.
CGTN conducted a one-on-one interview with Dr. Cao Bin, an expert in respiratory infections at Beijing's China-Japan Friendship Hospital.
First confirmed case reported in Bhutan
Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering reported on Friday the first positive case of COVID-19 in the country.
The patient is a 76-year old tourist from the United States. He left Washington on February 18 and toured India with his partner from February 21 to March 1. He arrived in Bhutan on Monday and was hospitalized after being found to have a fever on Thursday.
The Bhutanese government immediately imposed a two-week restriction on all incoming tourists.
WHO: COVID-19 epidemic can be pushed back with concerted approach
The COVID-19 epidemic can be pushed back, but only with a collective, coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
The number of new COVID-19 cases appears to be declining in South Korea, which is an encouraging sign that the disease can be pushed back when engaged with the entire machinery of government, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing.
He has urged all countries to take actions starting with leadership from the top, coordinating every part of government, including the ministries of health, security, diplomacy, finance, commerce, transport, trade, information and more.
The whole government should be involved, he stressed.
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Japan confirmed a total of 1,057 cases of novel coronavirus, according to the country’s health authority, with 12 deaths reported as of 10:30 a.m. local time Friday.
The numbers includes 696 confirmed cases and six deaths on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Coronavirus testing has begun on cruise ship passengers near California
The coronavirus testing for passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship near California is underway.
The ship was banned by California authorities from docking in San Francisco, after one of its former passengers died from the COVID-19 Wednesday.
Nearly 100 passengers have been identified as needing to be tested, including guests and staff, Grand Princess representatives said in an earlier statement.
Test kits were delivered earlier to the ship via helicopters.
Airmen drop virus testing kits on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California Thursday, March 5, 2020. /AP
Airmen drop virus testing kits on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California Thursday, March 5, 2020. /AP
Hubei Province reports 126 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number in the province to 67,592.
All the 126 new cases are from Wuhan City, with no new cases reported in other regions in the province.
On the same day, 29 more deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,487 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A total of 143 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Thursday, with 30 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 80,552, while the cumulative death toll is now at 3,042.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,681 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 53,726.
Another 16 cases of infections contracted outside China were also reported, bringing the total of imported cases in the country to 36.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 104 (2 dead, 46 recovered)
Macao: 10 (9 recovered)
Taiwan: 44 (1 dead, 12 recovered)
The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported seven more deaths and 518 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.
The total number of confirmed cases surged to 6,284, and the death toll is now at 42, according to the KCDC.
Meanwhile, 108 people were discharged from hospitals.
Latest on COVID-19 from around the world
Ireland: Seven new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Ireland on Thursday, bringing the total to 13.
The government said one of them "is believed to have caught the virus through community transmission."
UK: The first coronavirus-related death in the UK was confirmed on Thursday. So far, there have been 116 confirmed cases across the country.
U.S.: There are 205 cases of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., according to the authorities.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security refused entry into the country to 241 people within the past month because of the novel coronavirus, according to data provided by the department.
Italy said the cumulative number of confirmed cases has reached 3,858. Forty-one more people died, bringing the total number of fatalities to 148.
France: The French Health Ministry has confirmed that seven patients have died from coronavirus in France. So far, 423 cases have been confirmed.
The resignation of Jiang Chaoliang as director of the Standing Committee of Hubei Provincial People’s Congress was accepted, according to a decision announced by the committee on Thursday.
Jiang had already been removed from his position as Secretary of Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on February 13.
Russia cancels St. Petersburg economic forum amid coronavirus spread
Russia has canceled its annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) due to the coronavirus outbreak, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov said on Thursday.
The forum, which was due to be held in St. Petersburg on June 3-6, is usually chaired by President Vladimir Putin and is seen as one of the main international events on Russia's economic agenda.
Russia decided to cancel SPIEF 2020 to protect the health of Russian citizens as well as that of participants in the forum, Belousov's spokesman said.
NW China's Gansu reports 11 new COVID-19 cases from abroad
Northwest China's Gansu Province on Thursday reported 11 new infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from abroad, bringing the total cases in the area to 102, said the local health commission.
All the newly confirmed patients were in stable condition and have been sent to designated hospitals for further treatment, said the bureau.
Latest on COVID-19 from around the world
The U.S. has so far confirmed 161 cases of novel coronavirus. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 49 of these cases are citizens who returned from other countries.
South Korea has confirmed 322 more COVID-19 cases, with the country's total now hitting 6,088.
South Africa has reported its first case: a traveler returning from Italy.
Iran has so far reported 3,513 cases of COVID-19 and 107 deaths. It has temporarily shut down schools, universities and other educational institutes, and cancelled all public events.
Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has sent a letter to Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, expressing hope that the country will overcome the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Switzerland has reported its first COVID-19 fatality, with total number of cases nearing 100.
France has confirmed two more deaths and 92 more cases, bringing the total to 377.
Germany has recorded 489 cases.
Chinese authorities urge care for medical workers
Chinese authorities on Thursday required the timely release of subsidies and allowances for frontline medical personnel and the retention of the holidays they are entitled to, according to a high-level meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.
Since the outbreak, more than 40,000 medical personnel, including those from the military, have joined the epidemic control battle in Wuhan. One in 10 intensive care medical staff in China is working in the city.
Some medics were infected and even sacrificed their lives while saving others. More than 1,700 Chinese medical workers have been infected with the coronavirus, of whom at least ten have died.
The meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which is headed by Li, also demanded efforts to strengthen treatment for patients with severe conditions in order to reduce the death rate.
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FIFA, AFC to postpone Asian World Cup qualifiers
FIFA on Thursday announced that it is considering to postpone the Asian FIFA World Cup 2022 and the Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers due to the novel coronavirus epidemic.
After FIFA discussed with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), both FIFA and AFC agreed that "the well-being and health of all individuals involved in football matches remains the highest priority."
FIFA said it will provide an update in the coming days following consultation with the AFC member associations.
Officials placed on file for investigation for prison COVID-19 outbreak
A procuratorate in east China's Shandong Province on Wednesday placed several relevant officials on file for investigation over a COVID-19 outbreak at a prison in the province, the procuratorate said in a statement.
Wang Wenjie, deputy director general of Prison Administration of Shandong Province, has been investigated and taken compulsory measures on suspicion of dereliction of duty, read the statement.
Shandong Province on February 21 reported 207 coronavirus infections, including seven prison officers, in Jining City's Rencheng Prison, on a day that multiple virus hotspots emerged in prisons across China.
Read more:
Person driving from Wuhan triggers virus outbreak in Chinese prison
IATA: Airlines could lose up to $113 bln in passenger revenue due to coronavirus
Airlines could lose 63 to 113 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for passenger traffic globally in 2020, depending on how the coronavirus spreads, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday.
The last time the industry faced a revenue shock of this magnitude was in 2009 during the global financial crisis, IATA Chief Economist Brian Pearce said at a media briefing in Singapore.
Click here for more.
Iranian schools, universities to remain closed until March 20
The Iranian health minister on Thursday said all schools, universities and educational institutions will remain closed until March 20 as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 3,513 in the country, Iranian state TV reported.
A total of 300,000 teams have been set up in Iran to investigate the outbreak. Each department will screen people at the entrance to each city and quarantine suspected cases for 14 days. The government has also announced compensating the tourism industry.
Moreover, the government will employ electronic means of communication to avoid gatherings. All these measures will be taken through the Ministry of Health in cooperation with a number of non-governmental organizations.
Expert: Wuhan hopefully reports no new COVID-19 cases at end of March
Central China's Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, is expected to report no new cases by the end of March, said Zhang Boli, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, during an interview with People's Daily on Tuesday.
The judgement is based on the overall trend of the outbreak and so not absolute, said Zhang, adding that there might be a few new cases occasionally.
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Japan plans to order two-week quarantine for Chinese, South Korean visitors
Japan planned to adopt a mandatory quarantine term of two weeks for all visitors from China and South Korea, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday.
According to the report, Japan planned to halt visas already issued for visitors from both countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry: Disease is mankind's common enemy
"The ridiculous remarks made by an individual TV host fully exposed his arrogance and ignorance of China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian when he responded a question at Thursday's press conference about a Fox News host's apology demands from China over the novel coronavirus.
"Disease is the common enemy of mankind, and all people who suffer from it are victims. It's hard to know where to start with this 'apology theory,'" he said.
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S. Korea confirms 322 more COVID-19 cases, total hits 6,088
South Korea confirmed 322 more cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Thursday, raising the total number of infections to 6,088, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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A huge screen about precautions against the COVID-19 is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, February 23, 2020. /AP
China says payment of wages unaffected by COVID-19 outbreak
China's Vice Finance Minister Xu Hongcai on Thursday denied having difficulties paying wages amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in China.
Speaking at a press conference, Xu said the overall situation of local finance is generally stable and the funding for epidemic prevention and control has been adequately guaranteed.
As of March 4, funds to the tune of 110.48 billion yuan have been earmarked for epidemic prevention and control by the governments of all levels, of which 71.43 billion yuan has been used already.
The amount does not constitute a big proportion of the total fiscal revenue, he added.
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S. Korean president exchanges letters with DPRK leader
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has exchanged letters with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday citing the presidential Blue House.
In the letter delivered to Moon on Wednesday, Kim voiced his belief that South Korea will overcome the situation and wished for the good health of South Koreans, according to Yonhap.
Click here for more.
Latest developments in major Asian countries outside China
South Korea: The total number of novel coronavirus cases – the largest outside China – has risen to 5,766 on Thursday as authorities reported 145 new infections. Most cases occurred in the southern city of Daegu and the North Gyeongsang province.
Japan: At least 12 deaths and 1,023 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the country. According to local media, Japan plans to quarantine people arriving from South Korea and China for two weeks.
Thailand: On Thursday the country confirmed four more cases, bringing the total to 47. So far, one person died from the infection.
India: The world's second-most populous country has confirmed 29 novel coronavirus cases as of Thursday, according to the health authority. Many cases are linked to travelers from Italy.
UK airline Flybe collapses as virus hits flights worldwide
One of UK's biggest airlines, Flybe, collapsed Thursday with all its flights grounded, the company said, as the coronavirus epidemic takes a heavy toll on airlines around the world.
A statement on Flybe's website said the company had entered administration and could not arrange alternative flights for its passengers.
"All flights have been grounded and the UK business has ceased trading with immediate effect," said the airline, which avoided going bust in January only after being granted a tax holiday by the UK government.
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Beijing Ditan Hospital warns novel coronavirus could attack central nervous system
A doctor in Beijing Ditan Hospital, has warned the novel coronavirus could attack the central nervous system as gene sequencing at the hospital found coronavirus in the cerebrospinal fluid of a 56-year-old confirmed COVID-19 patient with encephalitis.
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Answer Bank: What's ECMO? How about other equipment used to treat COVID-19?
ECMO, a word that we have frequently heard in the treatment for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), refers to a machine which can temporarily replace the functions of the heart and lungs.
The full name for ECMO is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It is known as the "ultimate lifesaver" for patients with severe cardiac and respiratory failure.
The machine operates by pumping venous blood from the body, artificially oxygenating it and then pumping it back into the arteries.
Click here for more.
China to strengthen intl. cooperation on coronavirus battle
China will continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries to fight against the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said on Thursday during a press conference.
Ma said the Chinese government has shared timely information and engaged in close cooperation with the global community.
China's effort to control the source of the virus and contain its spread has bought valuable time for the rest of the world, Ma said, adding that the Chinese government and its people have made huge sacrifices in combating the coronavirus outbreak.
Over 1,300 Chinese nationals have been repatriated since the outbreak, Ma said.
In the same way that China has received support, it will also provide assistance to other countries fighting the novel coronavirus, Ma added.
There are now 158 cases of novel coronavirus across 14 states in the U.S.
There are 158 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, detected and tested across 14 states, according to U.S. media.
Those includes 49 cases from repatriated citizens, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But some among the 158 cases which tested positive in public health labs are pending confirmation from the country's CDC.
So far, 11 people in the United States have died and three states – California, Florida and Washington – have declared a state of emergency.
Additionally, a cruise ship, the Grand Princess has being held off the coast of San Francisco on Wednesday evening as public health officials prepared to screen everyone on the ship.
The liner, bound for San Francisco from Hawaii, had linked to at least two coronavirus cases, one of them fatal.
The U.S. now is also ramping up its COVID-19 testing capacity for the virus.
The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed an 8.3-billion-U.S.-dollar bill to battle the coronavirus, which the Senate will vote on Thursday afternoon.
Bach: IOC not discussing cancellation or postponement of Tokyo 2020
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said they have not discussed either cancelling or postponing the Tokyo Olympics at a key meeting in Lausanne on Wednesday despite the global spread of the deadly coronavirus.
"Neither the word cancellation nor postponement was mentioned today during the Executive Board meeting," Bach told reporters.
"I will not add fuel to the flames of speculation. Our statement from yesterday is very clear – we are fully committed to the success of the Tokyo Games," he said.
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Latest developments on South Korea: 5,766 cases, 35 deaths
South Korea Thursday reported 438 news cases of COVID-19, taking its total to 5,766.
The country's disease prevention and control department also said three more people have died from COVID-19. The death toll now stands at 35.
Army men wearing protective suits spray disinfectant against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2020. /AP
Hubei Province reports 134 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province said on Thursday that 134 new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number in the province to 67,466.
On the same day, 31 more deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,923 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A recovered patient (R) waves to medical staff of the temporary hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Febuary 26, 2020. /Xinhua
A total of 139 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight Wednesday, with 31 more deaths, all from Hubei Province, China's National Health Commission said on Thursday.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,409 and the cumulative death toll, 3,012.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,189 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 52,045.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 104 (2 dead, 43 recovered)
Macao: 10 (9 recovered)
Taiwan: 42 (1 dead, 12 recovered)
The commission also said there were two more cases that originated overseas, bringing the number of these cases to 20 in China.
The two cases were registered in east China's Zhejiang Province.
Pet dog tests positive for 'low-level' of novel coronavirus in HKSAR, likely to be human-to-animal transmission
A spokesperson for Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said on Wednesday that a pet dog had repeatedly tested weak positive for COVID-19 which indicates it has contracted a low-level infection.
The dog had been tested three separate times on February 26, 28 and March 2.
All test results shown "weak positive" but the dog is not developing any virus-related symptoms yet.
The AFCD spokesperson said after consulting relevant experts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), they unanimously agreed that these results suggest the dog has a low-level infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission.
The dog is now under quarantine at an animal keeping facility at the Hong Kong Port of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Coronavirus spreads around the world with over 12,600 confirmed cases
The novel coronavirus continued to spread across the world with more than 12,600 cases confirmed in at least 76 countries outside China as of 9GMT on Wednesday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to WHO's report on Wednesday, at least 214 deaths were reported outside China and the new confirmed cases there have exceeded those reported in China for eight consecutive days.
On Wednesday, Italy confirmed 587 cases, bringing the total number to 3,089 with 107 deaths, according to authorities. The Italian government has ordered the closure of all schools and universities nationwide until March 15.
Japan's health authority on Thursday said the country has confirmed a total of 1,037 cases, including 706 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
The death toll from the infection has risen to 11 in the U.S. as of Wednesday afternoon, including 10 in the state of Washington and one in California. The confirmed cases in the country now are at least 153.
In Canada, at least 34 coronavirus cases were confirmed as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the country's health authority.
Other countries, including Slovenia and Hungary, identified their first cases.
Given the unpredictable nature of the spread of the novel coronavirus, protecting medical personnel around the world has become just as important as helping patients.
CGTN follows one infection-control medic who is responsible for protecting other health professionals.
The U.S. state of Washington has seen a jump in the number of coronavirus deaths. At least 9 people have died and over 30 cases have been confirmed. Most are linked to a long-term care facility located outside of Seattle.
CGTN's Ediz Tiyansan reports.
New York, the biggest city in the U.S., now has 6 confirmed COVID-19 cases. CGTN traveled to the Big Apple to ask everyday New Yorkers what they thought about the virus, what they’re doing to combat the spread, and how they are preparing for the possibility of a health emergency?
Pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry are working to find a vaccine to stem a worsening COVID-19 outbreak. While scientists have made some progress in breaking down the DNA of the virus, the trials for the cure are still a far off.
Novavax, based in the U.S. state of Maryland, announced that they are advancing their development on an experimental vaccine for COVID-19 and the company's president, Gregory Glenn, MD, explains how the process works.
COVID-19 deaths are on the rise in the United States.
Nine people have fallen victim to the virus, all in Washington State.
In Washington DC, the nation's capital, lawmakers are wrestling with the best way to contain the outbreak.
CGTN's Roee Ruttenberg reports.
Latest updates on the situation across the world
UK: The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has risen by 34 in a day to a total of 85.
Singapore reported two new confirmed novel coronavirus cases, taking the total tally to 112.
Switzerland: Number of conformed cases rises to 66 with three recovered so far.
Saudi Arabia: The local authorities have announced the temporary suspension of the pilgrimages to the cities of Mecca and Medina for citizens and residents in the kingdom over coronavirus fears.
France: About 120 schools were closed in an area north of Paris where the main cluster of French cases has emerged and where the two people who died from the virus lived.
Italy: Italy is considering closing schools and universities until mid-March. The final decision will be made soon.
Italy 'still considering' school and university closures
Italy has not yet decided if it will close schools and universities over the novel coronavirus, Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said Tuesday, after ANSA and other Italian news agencies said they will be shut until mid-March.
Azzolina said that a final ruling on schools and university closures will come "in the next hours".
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the novel coronavirus in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020. Denis Balibouse/Reuters
In his opening remarks at a mission briefing on Wednesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), called on all countries to make containment of COVID-19 the top priority.
In the 24 hours leading to his remarks, China reported 120 more cases of COVID-19. Outside of China, 2,075 cases were reported in 35 countries, according to Tedros.
He stressed that the novel coronavirus has serious impact on public health, the economy and social and political issues. Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission, he added.
The report of the WHO-China Joint Mission has been published, Tedros said, and "it calls for all countries to educate their populations, to expand surveillance, to find, isolate and care for every case, to trace every contact, and to take an all-of-government and all-of-society approach."
He said that the WHO will continue to provide evidence-based guidance to help countries and individuals in assessing and managing their risks. "There is no one-size-fits-all approach," he added.
The Italian government is to close all schools and universities in the country until mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak, Ansa news agency reports.
People wearing face masks are seen next to the Olympic rings in front of the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo, Japan, February 26, 2020. /REUTERS
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizing committee told the press on Wednesday that it had stepped up its measures to protect the health of runners and spectators for the torch relay amid the coronavirus spread in the country.
These measures include limiting the number of visitors to venues and monitoring the runner's health, the committee said in a statement.
The committee will review details of specific relay events based on the coronavirus infection status in each prefecture.
Japan's COVID-19 cases topped 1,000 on Wednesday, reaching 1,006 cases, with 706 reported from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Iran reports 586 new coronavirus infections, 15 more deaths
Iran on Wednesday confirmed 586 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 2,922, according to a health ministry spokesperson.
92 people have died from COVID-19 in Iran, said the spokesman. 525 patients have recovered from the disease in the country.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday urged the U.S. to lift sanctions, including a ban on importing medical supplies, if it really wants to help Iran fight the coronavirus.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his administration was willing to help the Iranians. "All they have to do is ask," he said.
Rouhani said that the U.S. offer was a "lie."
"If you are really telling the truth, you should at least lift your sanctions on medicines. This would be the first step. And say that you have done wrong to the Iranian nation so far and offer an apology," he added.
Iranians wear protective masks to prevent against contracting the novel coronavirus, Tehran, Iran February, 2020. /Reuters
EU official tests positive for COVID-19
A European Union official working in the bloc's Brussels administration has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, reported AFP citing a spokeswoman on Wednesday.
The Euractiv news site also reported the case, saying the male official worked at the European Defence Agency and had recently returned from Italy.
There is no official comment from the EU so far.
Latest updates on COVID-19 around world
First death in Iraq: A 70-year-old man who was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus on Wednesday in the northeastern Iraqi province of Sulaimaniyah has died, according to a local health source.
First case in Poland: Poland's Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski on Wednesday said that a patient tested positive for the coronavirus. It is the first positive case in the country.
Updated number of cases in other countries:
Germany: 240
Switzerland: 28
Malaysia: 50
Sweden: 33
Greece: 8
Belarus: 6
Senegal: 2
Expert says no evidence of recurring COVID-19 patients spreading virus
There is no evidence that the people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after recovery can transmit virus to others, said a Chinese expert during a press conference on Tuesday.
Some people tested positive again in central China's Hubei Province after being discharged, but there is no proof so far that they have the ability to transmit the virus to others, said Du Bin, Chairman of the Critical Care Medical Branch of the Chinese Medical Association.
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Wuhan's COVID-19 recovery rate exceeds 50 percent
As of March 3, the recovery rate among confirmed COVID-19 patients in the city of Wuhan has exceeded 50 percent. The national recovery rate also continues to rise for the 19th straight day, the National Health Commission said in a press conference on Wednesday.
A total of 50.2 percent of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan have been discharged from hospitals. In other cities in Hubei Province, 76.8 percent of the patients have recovered. Outside of Hubei Province, the recovery rate is 87.3 percent.
COVID-19 cases in South Korea reach 5,621
South Korea reported 293 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the country's total cases to 5,621, according to local officials.
Research: The novel coronavirus develops into two major types
A recent study conducted by a group of Chinese scientists has found that the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, has developed into two major types that may have a different transmission capacity and pathogenicity.
Population genetic analyses of 103 SARS-CoV-2 genomes indicated that these viruses have evolved into two major types (designated L and S), according to a paper published on National Science Review on Tuesday.
The findings strongly support the urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with COVID-19, said the paper.
China Customs: 75 imported cases of COVID-19 found nationwide
As of midnight Tuesday, out of the 779 suspected cases entering China, seventy five tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Chinese Customs.
All of the imported confirmed cases were properly dealt with, the agency said.
By Tuesday, 73 countries had reported COVID-19 cases, with more than 10,000 confirmed outside China.
WHO: It's excellent to share China's experience with other countries
China has sent a volunteer expert team to Iran to help the country tackle the outbreak. The WHO has expressed its appreciation for the move and says it'll keep in close contact with the Chinese team and help formulate a plan of action, drawing on China's experience.
Japan to reduce domestic flights amid coronavirus outbreak
Japan's two major airlines, Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co., said on Wednesday they will reduce domestic flights from March 6 to 12 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to Kyodo News.
This is Japan's first cutback in air services since the outbreak began.
(Cover: VCG file photo)
Latest on COVID-19 from around the world
South Korea reported 516 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's total to 5,328. The government has proposed an extra budget of 11.7 trillion won (around 9.8 billion U.S. dollars) to curb the virus spread.
The U.S. reported 122 cases, including nine deaths. Amazon, an American multinational technology company, said one of its Seattle-based workers has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Iran so far confirmed 2,336 infections, with 77 deceased. The country said it would temporarily free 54,000 prisoners to prevent the virus spread.
Japan confirmed at least 1,000 cases, including more than 700 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo.
Australia's health ministry confirmed as of Wednesday it has 41 COVID-19 cases.
Malaysia confirmed seven additional cases, totaling 36.
The UK announced three additional cases, total to 12.
Canada reported three new cases, 33 in total.
Hubei Province reports 115 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 115 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the province to 67,332.
On the same day, 37 more deaths were reported in Hubei while 2,389 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A total of 119 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday, with 38 more deaths, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,270 and the cumulative death toll, 2,981.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,652 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 49,856.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 100 (2 dead, 37 recovered)
Macao: 10 (9 recovered)
Taiwan: 42 (1 dead, 12 recovered)
Medical workers prepare to receive suspected patients at a medical center in Daegu, South Korea, March 3, 2020. /Xinhua
South Korea confirmed 293 more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising the total number of infections to 5,621, according to Yonhap News Agency.
So far, the country's death toll has mounted to 33, with most of the fatalities being elderly patients with underlying illnesses, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
South Korea on Wednesday proposed an extra budget of 11.7 trillion won (9.82 billion U.S. dollars) to battle the spread of the novel coronavirus as well as minimize economic fallout from the epidemic.
Yonhap reported the budget bill will be submitted to the country's National Assembly for approval on Thursday.
The country's Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said that 2.3 trillion won (1.9 billion U.S. dollars) will be allocated to supply more medical equipment, hospital beds and facilities for patient treatment.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has canceled his plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Turkey in March to focus on the fight against the coronavirus, according to presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok.
Earlier, Moon declared war against COVID-19, placing all government agencies on a 24-hour alert.
Total COVID-19 cases in Japan hit 1,000
The number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Japan reached 1,000 on Wednesday, Kyodo News reported, citing the country's health ministry.
The tally included more than 700 people who were aboard the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo.
World Bank provides $12 bln in aid for COVID-19 country response
The World Bank Group on Tuesday announced it will provide up to 12 billion U.S. dollars in immediate support for countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus.
"The World Bank Group will help developing countries strengthen health systems, including better access to health services to safeguard people from the epidemic, strengthen disease surveillance, bolster public health interventions, and work with the private sector to reduce the impact on economies," said the World Bank in a statement.
Click here for more.
A man wearing a face mask walks on a street amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2020. /Xinhua
There have been 10,566 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 from 72 countries outside China, with 166 deaths, statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed Wednesday.
As of 0900 GMT Monday, a total of 90,870 cases were reported globally, with 3,112 deceased.
In the past 24 hours, 1,792 newly confirmed cases outside China have been reported. Eight new Member States (Andorra, Jordan, Latvia, Morocco, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, and Tunisia) reported COVID-19 cases.
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IOC chief: Olympic preparations at 'full steam' – but WHO not so sure
COVID-19: Virus kills 9th in Washington, first case confirmed in Argentina
IOC chief: Olympic preparations at 'full steam' – but WHO not so sure
As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) started a crucial executive board meeting on Tuesday to discuss the threat of COVID-19 to the Tokyo Olympics, president Thomas Bach pledged success – but not all authorities are quite so sure the Games will go ahead as planned.
Explaining that the IOC had been consulting with a "task force" including the World Health Organization (WHO), the host city of Tokyo and the Japanese government, Bach said he would like to "encourage all the athletes to continue their preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with great confidence and with full steam."
However, in a later briefing, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus maintained a notably more careful approach to the viability of staging the Olympics in July as planned: "I think deciding now would be too early, it would be good to monitor the situation."
Earlier, Japan's Olympics minister had mentioned the contractual possibility of holding the Games later in the calendar year – but Bach remained upbeat about them starting on time.
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International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach at a news conference after the executive board meeting. /VCG
Cruise Ship in Norway under quarantine, waiting for virus test on 2 passengers
A German cruise ship with 1,200 passengers is under quarantine in southern Norway waiting for the test results of two passengers for the novel coronavirus, reported AP citing officials on Tuesday.
The two passengers had been in contact with a third person a week ago who tested positive for the virus. That person was not on the ship, according to the report.
The results are expected to be released later Tuesday.
Latest on COVID-19 from around the world
UK reported 11 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the national total to 51.
The Netherlands confirmed six new cases, totaling 24 cases on Tuesday.
Australia's total number of cases reached 40 on Tuesday, with 15 recovered cases and one death.
The Czech Republic detected its fifth infection of a girl from Ecuador, who traveled to the country with a confirmed American patient.
Singapore reported two more cases, with the total number of cases at 110 right now.
Spain's number of COVID-19 cases rises to 150, with Madrid reporting 49.
Oman confirmed six more cases on Tuesday: four Iranians and two Oman citizens who all traveled to Iran. There are now 12 cases in the country.
Germany has the second most cases in Europe, 196.
Another person in New York has been diagnosed with coronavirus
A second person in the state of New York tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.
The patient has no known travel history to a virus-hit country. "It would be what we call a community spread case," he said.
A New York City school canceled classes as a precautionary measure after a suspected case of coronavirus turned up within its community on Tuesday.
Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Iran
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called on the Iranian people to fully follow medical rules to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
He also urged all organizations to cooperate with the Ministry of Health and provide it with the required equipment as the ministry is on the front line in fight against coronavirus infection.
Virus-hit officials and lawmakers: Twenty-three members of Iran's 290-member parliament have tested positive, according to Iran's Deputy Parliament Speaker Abdul Reza Misri.
Iran's Emergency Center said on Tuesday that the center's chief Pir Hossein Kolivand has been infected with the virus.
Increasing number of deaths: 77 people have died and 2,336 have been infected by coronavirus.
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Up to a fifth of UK workforce could be 'off sick' at peak of epidemic
UK government warned that up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The announcement was made on Tuesday.
At a conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government was committed to doing "everything possible" to "prepare for all eventualities," as the country reports 39 infections.
In the latest plans, the military could also provide support to emergency services if needed.
The plan includes school closures, reducing large-scale gatherings, and working from home if the epidemic situation worsens.
India cancels visas issued to travelers from four coronavirus-hit countries
Visas issued by India on or before March 3, to first-time travelers from Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan, are now no longer valid, announced the Indian government on Tuesday.
India also decided to cancel the visa-upon-arrival policy for South Korean and Japanese citizens. Travelers from these countries need to apply for a new visa at the closest Indian embassy or consulates, according to the announcement.
Diplomats from these four countries, officials from the United Nations and other international organizations and overseas Indian citizens and flight crew members are exempted from the restriction, but will have to undergo compulsory health examination when entering the country, said the Indian government.
India on Tuesday confirmed one more coronavirus infection in a 69-year-old Italian tourist, according to the country's health ministry. There are now six confirmed cases in India.
Here's the latest on the coronavirus epidemic:
Ukraine has confirmed its first coronavirus case, Ihor Kuzin, acting head of the Health Ministry's Public Health Center, said on Tuesday. A man was hospitalized on Saturday in the western city of Chernivtsi, having traveled to Ukraine from Italy via Romania, Kuzin said.
Iran reported 835 more cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 2,336, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said. A total of 77 deaths have been reported so far.
More cases in other countries:
Germany has reported a total of 188 cases.
Malaysia has confirmed seven new cases, with a total of 36 now.
Norway has confirmed 28 cases.
Sweden has reported 24 infections in total.
Croatia has reported one more case, bringing its total to nine.
Iceland has reported three more cases, with nine in total.
Denmark has reported two more patients, totaling six.
China had allocated a total of 108.75 billion yuan (15.58 billion U.S. dollars) in special funds by March 2 for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus, Fu Jinling, an official with the Ministry of Finance, told a press conference Tuesday.
Decision to cancel or delay the Olympics in IOC hands: Japan's minister
Tokyo's Olympic 2020 contract allows it to postpone the Games until the end of the year, Japan's Olympics minister said on Tuesday, amid concerns over coronavirus disrupting the event.
"The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020. That could be interpreted as allowing a postponement," Seiko Hashimoto said in response to a lawmaker's question in parliament.
However, Japan's government and host city Tokyo remain committed to hosting the Games, due to begin on July 24, she added.
Under the hosting agreement, the right to cancel the Games belongs to the IOC.
At 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, there were 985 coronavirus cases in the country, according to NHK.
Doctor Mei Zhongming. /Wuhan Central Hospital
Mei Zhongming, deputy director of the ophthalmology department at Wuhan Central Hospital, passed away from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday at the age 57.
Wuhan Central Hospital expressed its deep condolences for Mei's passing.
Mei was from the same department as doctor Li Wenliang, who raised the early alarm of the coronavirus outbreak and died of COVID-19 on February 7.
Doctor Jiang Xueqing also passed away on March 1, at the age of 55. This means that three in total doctors have died from the coronavirus at Wuhan Central Hospital amid the city's ongoing fight to contain the epidemic.
Beijing issues 14-day quarantine for people returning from some virus-hit countries
Beijing's government on Tuesday said people arriving in the capital from South Korea, Japan, Iran or Italy will need to quarantine for 14 days.
374 new coronavirus cases reported in S. Korea, total at 5,186
A total of 374 new coronavirus cases were reported in South Korea, bringing the total number to 5,186.
So far, the number of deaths in the country is 29.
FM spokesperson: China continues to support global countries amid COVID-19 spread
China will continue to provide support within its capability for countries around the world amid the COVID-19 epidemic, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said during a press conference on Tuesday.
China has donated coronavirus testing kits to countries including Japan, Iran and Pakistan, and has also dispatched a team of experts to Iran, said Zhao.
As of March 2, a total of 62 countries and seven international organizations have promised to donate supplies to China for its fight against the coronavirus, according to Zhao. Donations from 46 of the countries and 6 of the organizations have already arrived in China. Twelve countries also announced that they would provide cash or other forms of support.
COVID-19 cases outside China surpass 10,000
There have been more than 10,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside China, statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as several countries'official numbers showed on Tuesday.
A number of countries saw an increase of newly confirmed cases on Tuesday, including South Korea with 600, and Italy with 347.
As of midnight on Monday, the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stood at 80,151 and the cumulative death toll was 2,943.
How will the EU deal with its COVID-19 outbreak?
Editor's note: Eelco H. Dykstra is the founder of the Daily Impact Emergency Management (DIEM) Network and a former member of the Netherlands National Council for the Environment and Infrastructure. Dykstra has 30 years of international emergency management experiences in a wide variety of settings, with proven ability to effectively deal with European, U.S., African and Asian approaches to emergency management systems and their respective stakeholders. He shares his views on countermeasures when Europe is seeing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Views expressed in the video are his own and not necessarily those of CGTN.
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East China's Zhejiang reports seven imported cases from Italy
Qingtian County in east China's Zhejiang Province reported seven new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus on Monday, authorities said on Tuesday, adding that all the seven people returned from Italy.
HK to bring home over 500 residents from Hubei
HKSAR's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said during a weekly press conference on Tuesday that Hong Kong will send four chartered planes to bring home 533 residents from central China's Hubei Province.
Lam said the government will fly out about 440 people in Wuhan City in two flights, while people from other cities in Hubei Province will be back in two other flights.
Lam said the chartered flights will arrive in Hong Kong on Wednesday and Thursday.
All of the passengers will be quarantined for 14 days.
Lam added that the region will also tighten measures to curb the import of virus cases and those arriving in Hong Kong from virus-hit areas will have to spend 14 days in quarantine.
S. Korea confirms 477 more cases of COVID-19, total hits 4,812
South Korea confirmed 477 more cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, raising the total number of infections to 4,812, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
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South Korean army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant in Daegu, South Korea, March 2, 2020. /Xinhua
The 43rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council is being held in Geneva while China is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak with "the most comprehensive, the strictest, the most thorough measures" as the authorities said.
As the virus can pass from person to person in close proximity, mandatory 14-day quarantines, roadblocks, checkpoints and even lockdown measures are required in much of the country to contain the spread, which have incurred attacks criticizing that human rights have been ignored during the process.
On the contrary. The fact is, China's experience on human rights protection in the fight proves once again there is no one-size-fits-all approach in human rights protection and countries can find their own models of human rights protection in light of their national conditions and people's needs.
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Beijing orders quarantine for overseas arrivals from virus-hit areas
People arriving in Beijing from areas affected by the novel coronavirus will have to spend 14 days in quarantine, authorities in the Chinese capital announced.
The measures came after a former inmate from central China's Wuhan City, who was infected with the novel coronavirus, traveled to Beijing, leading to the punishment of at least 16 people from both Beijing and Hubei Province.
Authorities said they were tightening measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in the region and curb the import of such cases.
Hubei Province reports 114 more COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 114 more cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 67,217.
On the same day, 31 deaths were reported in Hubei while 2,410 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
128 deaths, 8,774 COVID-19 cases confirmed outside China
In the past 24 hours, 1,598 more cases were reported by 64 countries outside China, with 24 more deaths, according to the report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday.
As of 9:00 a.m. GMT on Monday, a total of 88,948 cases have been reported so far globally, with 8,774 outside China.
Six new member states (Armenia, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iceland and Indonesia) reported COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, said the WHO.
A total of 125 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Monday and 31 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,151 and the cumulative death toll is 2,943.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,742 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 47,204.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 100 (two dead, 36 recovered)
Macao: 10 (eight recovered)
Taiwan: 41 (one dead, 12 recovered)
Italy reports 342 new COVID-19 cases, total reaches 2,036
Italy reported 342 more cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,036, said the country's health ministry.
The country also reported 18 new deaths, bringing the total number to 52.
Confirmed U.S. deaths from COVID-19 increased Monday to six, all of them in Washington state.
The toll includes four new deaths announced by Seattle area officials Monday.
"We now know that the virus is actively spreading in some communities," said Washington State Health Officer, Dr. Kathy Lofy at a press conference.
Lofy said Washington state has at least 18 confirmed cases and 29 pending test results.
14 of those confirmed cases are in the same area as a nursing facility authorities believe might be a hub for the virus.
Several additional employees and residents are being tested.
More cases have been confirmed in other states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The federal agency's official count now totals 91, including "presumptive positive" cases for patients who have tested positive at a state or local lab.
At least 48 of these cases involve people who traveled from Wuhan, China, or were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship; 17 cases are travel-related and 26 are the result of human-to-human interaction, according to the CDC.
Coronavirus infections are now reported in ten states in all: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Florida.
The Tunisian government on Monday confirmed the country's first case of the coronavirus.
The Minister of Health, Abdelatif el-Maki, told a press conference that the patient was a Tunisian man.
Tunisia becomes the fifth country in Africa to confirm a case of the coronavirus after Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal.
The announcement comes after Algeria confirmed two new cases of coronavirus infections, a woman and her daughter aged 53 and 24 years respectively.
Senegal also registered its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a French citizen who has since been placed under observation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently raised its assessment of the risk of the disease spreading to "very high".
Senegal has registered its first confirmed case of the COVID-19, a French citizen who has since been placed under observation.
The patient tested positive for the virus on Monday in Dakar, and has since been admitted at the Institut Pasteur of Dakar.
Senegal is now the fourth African country to have confirmed cases of the COVID-19, after Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria.
Beijing urges avoidance of formalism in community-based COVID-19 control
Chinese authorities on Monday called for efforts to improve care for front-line community workers in urban and rural areas in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, stressing that formalism must be avoided.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the novel coronavirus prevention and control, presided over a meeting of the leading group.
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Global updates on COVID-19
Asia:
Singapore reported two more cases late Monday, the tally in the city-state now is 108.
Japan has 980 cases as of Monday night, including 706 from the Princess Diamond cruise ship. Death toll stands at 12.
South Korea still has the biggest cluster of coronavirus outside China: now 4,335 in total, most of whom are found in the city of Daegu.
North America:
The United States has 89 confirmed cases, two deaths.
Canada says there are 24 cases in the country.
Europe:
Italy has now recorded 1,694 cases, including 34 deaths.
France says two more people died on Monday, with the total in the country reaching 130.
The UK reported four more cases on Monday, totaling 40.
German authorities say there were a total of 158 cases across 10 states.
Russia says a citizen who returned from Italy has tested positive for the virus, making it six in total.
Portugal Monday announced its first two cases, including a doctor who had spent his holiday in Italy.
Andorra reported its first case on Monday, a man back from Milan, Italy.
Middle East:
Jordan became the latest country to report its first case.
Click here for more about other countries in the Middle East.
President Xi Jinping urges fast development of coronavirus vaccine
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Monday for the fast development of effective vaccine and treatment drugs for the novel coronavirus during an inspection tour to two major institutions currently researching COVID-19.
Technology is the major way to conquer the battle against the epidemic, President Xi pointed out as he learned about the progress on a potential vaccine and treatment options. "We need to command more core technologies with our own intellectual property," he stressed.
The coronavirus, first discovered in central China's Hubei Province last December, has infected nearly 90,000 people worldwide, over 80,100 of whom are in China, and killed more than 3,000. So far, there hasn't been any vaccine for the novel coronavirus, although several options are being tested.
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Two patients die of COVID-19 in northern France, country's death toll rises to four
Two patients died of COVID-19 in northern France, putting the death toll in the country to four, local media reported on Monday, citing the mayor Compiegne.
Thirty more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in France, bringing the total number to 130, Health General Director Jerome Salomon said Sunday.
China conducted the first autopsy on a patient who died from novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), the pathology report for which was released on Friday. What important information does the autopsy reveal? CCTV conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Liu Liang who performed the first COVID-19 autopsy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday the EU's disease prevention agency had raised its assessment of the coronavirus risk to "high" as the outbreak has spread to most EU states.
"The ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) has announced today that the risk level has risen from moderate to high for people in the European Union. In other words, the virus continues to spread," she told a news conference in Brussels.
PLA approves first laboratory for COVID-19 diagnosis and confirmation
The clinical laboratory medical center of the 5th medical center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital has been approved by the Logistics Support Department of the PLA Military Commission and the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, becoming the first laboratory for COVID-19 diagnosis and confirmation in the PLA.
"After becoming a laboratory for diagnosis, our test results can be reported directly without sending them to other units for review, which will greatly shorten the waiting time for diagnosis and treatment of patients, and reducing the chance of suspected nosocomial infections", director Li Boan of the 5th medical center clinical laboratory medical center said.
Latest on the situation in the Middle East
Iran onset: 523 more confirmed cases reported on Monday, bring the total number to 1,501 in the country, including 66 deaths.
Seyed Mohammad Mir-Mohammadi, a member of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, died of COVID-19 as other top Iranian officials have contracted the disease.
Iraq: two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the capital Baghdad on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 21.
Oman: One new case was reported on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to six, including two who have recovered, the country's health minister told a news conference.
Kuwait: Ten more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, taking the toll to 56, according to the country's health ministry.
Saudi Arabia: No confirmed cases in the country so far. Saudi Ministry of Health said that it had prepared 25 hospitals with 2,200 beds to deal with novel coronavirus cases that might be detected.
DPRK arranges flight to send out foreign nationals willing to leave
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will arrange a flight on March 6 to send out foreign nationals who are willing to leave the country.
The one-way flight will be operated by Air Koryo and will fly from Pyongyang to Russia's Vladivostok.
According to a CCTV reporter, passengers on this flight will consist of diplomatic mission staff of some European countries and also members of international organizations stationed in the DPRK.
The DPRK has already shut its borders and halted all international flights and trains. It also required foreign nationals on its soil to be in observed quarantine for 30 days.
Hubei Prison bureau reshuffles after ex-prison inmate from Wuhan infected with coronavirus sneaks to Beijing
Hubei Prison Administrative Bureau announced a reshuffle on Monday afternoon as three senior officials were removed from posts including the bureau's chief and deputy head.
It comes after the result of an investigation into how an ex-prison inmate, surnamed Huang, from Wuhan, who's infected with the novel coronavirus, traveled to Beijing was released on Monday.
The incident has caused uproar in China as it is unknown how Huang left Wuhan, a city that been sealed off since January 23, and "sneaked into" Beijing without any trouble.
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South Korea is the nation with the biggest number of COVID-19 infections outside China, reporting at least 4,212 cases and 22 deaths. Seoul city officials have called for charges against Lee Man-hee, the leader of a church linked to the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. CGTN reporter Toni Cheng says local authorities are investigating possible charges including homicide, injury related to people infected with virus, and obstruction of justice.
Answer Bank: How integrative medicine helps in COVID-19 treatment?
To date, there is no vaccine or specific medicine for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). But medics in China have found that integrative medicine could increase recovery rate and reduce fatalities effectively.
China's National Health Commission prescribes the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) alongside Western drugs in its guidelines for the treatment of infected people with the coronavirus.
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S. Korea postpones opening of all schools by two weeks due to COVID-19 outbreak
South Korea will postpone the start of the new school semester by two weeks to March 23, the country's education minister Yoo Eun-hae told a briefing on Monday due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The total confirmed cases in the country is currently at 4,212.
"Two weeks are essential for the coronavirus outbreak to ease," said Yoo, adding that the ministry will provide digital textbooks and online classes so that the students can avoid any study gaps.
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China says it will cooperate with int'l community amid coronavirus spread
China's Foreign Ministry Monday said China will closely cooperate with the international community and share its experience in fighting the new coronavirus as COVID-19 rapidly spreads around the globe.
"The epidemic is a common challenge for all mankind and it requires the international community to work together to cope with it," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, promising China will actively engage in regional and global cooperation and work with the World Health Organization (WHO) to safeguard global public health and security.
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People with surgical masks look on at station Tanah Abang, following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 13, 2020./Reuters
Two Indonesians have tested positive for novel coronavirus after coming into contact with an infected Japanese national, President Joko Widodo said on Monday.
A 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter had become infected after contact with a female Japanese visitor, who lived in Malaysia and had tested positive after returning from a trip to Indonesia, Widodo told reporters at the presidential palace.
"After checks, they were in a sick state. This morning I got a report that the mother and the daughter tested positive for coronavirus," he said. The two patients were being treated at Jakarta's Sulianti Saroso infectious diseases hospital.
South Korea has confirmed 123 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 4,335 with 26 deaths, Yonhap reported on Monday.
A total of 599 new infections have been reported in the last 24 hours.
South Korea will postpone the start of the new school semester by two weeks to March 23 due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the country's education minister Yoo Eun-hae told a briefing on Monday.
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Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around the world
The Czech Republic confirmed its first three COVID-19 cases on Monday: two Czech men and one American woman. They have all been to Italy recently.
The Dominican Republic reported its first coronavirus infection on Sunday in a 62-year-old Italian man.
Indonesia on Monday confirmed its first two cases. A 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter tested positive after being in contact with a Japanese national who lived in Malaysia and tested positive after returning from a trip to Indonesia.
Thailand reported one more case on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 43. The patient is a 22-year-old Thai female who works with another Thai patient.
Algeria confirmed two new cases: a woman and her daughter aged 53 and 24 years old respectively. Three people in the country have contracted the virus.
Ecuador confirmed five new COVID-19 cases in patients who all had direct contact with an elderly woman who resides in Spain and arrived in Ecuador before testing positive for the virus. The total number of cases in Ecuador is six.
Egypt announced on Monday that a foreigner had tested positive for the coronavirus. It is the second case in Egypt.
The U.S. reported a second death from COVID-19 on Sunday, with New York State reporting its first confirmed case.
South Korea reported 4,212 coronavirus cases, with 26 dead.
Japan's total number of cases increased to 962, with 12 fatalities in the country.
Italy reported 566 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total number to 1,694.
962 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased to 962 on Tuesday, NHK reported citing local officials.
A total of 705 patients diagnosed with the disease in Japan are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
As of Monday, 12 people have died of the coronavirus in Japan, with six fatalities from the ship.
China has dispatched over 10,000 military medics to work on the front line of coronavirus epidemic, including 4,000 in Wuhan, according to officials from the Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission.
So far, no infected case has been reported among the medics, according to officials.
U.S. reports second coronavirus death
A second person has died of COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state health officials said on Sunday night.
The patient was a man in his 70s with underlying health issues. He died on Saturday at EvergreenHealth hospital in Kirkland.
New York state earlier also confirmed its first case of COVID-19, a woman who contracted the virus while traveling in Iran, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday. She's currently in self-isolation.
There are now at least 76 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the U.S.
South Korea reports 476 more coronavirus cases, 4,212 in total
South Korea reported 476 more cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the total number to 4,212, according to health authorities on Monday.
According to the latest data, four new deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 22 in the country.
Hubei Province reports 196 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 196 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 67,103.
It marks the first time that daily new infections in the province were below 200 since January 25. Meanwhile, daily new cases outside Hubei were less than 10 for the fourth consecutive day.
On the same day, 42 deaths were reported in Hubei while 2,570 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A total of 202 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight Sunday and 42 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 80,026 and the cumulative death toll is 2,912.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,837 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 44,462.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 98 (two dead, 36 recovered)
Macao: 10 (eight recovered)
Taiwan: 40 (one dead, 12 recovered)
Italian coronavirus cases nears 1,700, 34 dead
Italy reported 566 new cases of novel coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the total number to 1,694, the Civil Protection Agency said, with the death toll rising to 34.
The head of the agency said that of those infected, 83 had recovered.
Trump tweets new U.S. coronavirus screening procedures
U.S. President Donald Trump announced new screening procedures for the novel coronavirus outbreak on Sunday.
In a tweet, President Trump said that in addition to screening travelers "prior to boarding" from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries, they will also be screened when they arrive in America.
The country has recorded its first coronavirus death, and the number of confirmed cases has reached over 60.
Officials in Washington State on Saturday said they were investigating a possible outbreak of the coronavirus at a local nursing home.
There were two cases associated with the long-term care facility Life Care Center of Kirkland - one healthcare worker and the other a resident in her 70s, according to the officials. About 27 residents and 25 staff members at the center had "some sort of symptoms".
More patients discharged from temporary hospitals in Wuhan
A temporary hospital in Wuhan's Qiaokou district suspended operation on Sunday after all its patients were either discharged or moved to other hospitals.
It becomes the first temporary hospital that stops receiving coronavirus patients, local media Changjiang Daily reported.
A total of 34 patients were discharged from the makeshift hospital on Sunday and another 76 patients will be transferred to two other medical units.
The recovered patients can go home after a 14-day quarantine at a designated place.
The hospital started admitting patients from February 11. Since then, it has received 330 patients. 232 of them have been discharged from hospital.
In another temporary hospital, "Wuhan Livingroom" hospital, 132 cured patients were discharged on Sunday, the highest number in a day by far.
There are still over 700 patients in the 1,500-bed hospital. So far, the hospital has handled a total of 1,760 patients. 587 of them were discharged after recovery.
COVID-19: Seoul govt to sue Shincheonji founder
The Seoul city government said on Sunday that it will sue Lee Man-hee, the founder of Shincheonji Church, and the 12 leaders of the sect's branches for violation of the law of infectious disease prevention as well as violation of relevant provisions of the criminal law.
The Seoul city government urged the local procuratorate to investigate Lee and his fellows.
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Everyone disembarked from Diamond Princess cruise ship
Everyone onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship has finally disembarked, said Japan's Health and Labor Minister Katsunobu Katō at a press conference on Sunday.
The Diamond Princess, with over 3,700 passengers and crew members on board, set off on January 20 for a two-week voyage, but was later quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
So far, 705 people out of the 3,711 – nearly one fifth – have been confirmed as infected.
As of 19:30 on Sunday local time, 955 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were reported, including the infected cases on the cruise ship.
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Graphics: How many medical personnel and supplies have come to Wuhan since the coronavirus outbreak?
Wuhan, a city of 11 million residents in central China's Hubei Province, is still under lockdown due to the unprecedented novel coronavirus outbreak.
But it is making headway in the battle against the virus. Recent data shows that the number of daily new confirmed infections, new suspected cases and the mortality rate in Wuhan have all been declining.
This could hardly be achieved without the mobilization of the whole country to contain the epidemic.
How many medical personnel and supplies have come to Wuhan since the coronavirus outbreak? Click here for more.
Iran reported 385 more novel coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of the infections to 978, according to local authorities on Sunday.
The death toll of COVID-19 in the country rises to 54.
The world's first lung transplant for patient infected with the COVID-19 was conducted by doctors from Wuxi City, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Saturday, Dr. Chen Jingyu from Wuxi People's Hospital said on his Weibo.
Two imported cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Beijing
Beijing confirmed two imported cases of COVID-19, both of which were passengers from Iran, local authorities said Sunday.
The two patients were in close contact with another patient, who also arrived from Iran and was confirmed to be infected with the virus on February 26 in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The two infected patients are receiving medical treatment at designated hospitals and are in stable condition, the authorities added.
At least 586 new COVID-19 cases were reported in South Korea in the past 24 hours, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 3,736, according to local health authorities.
Most of the confirmed cases are in the city of Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province, the authorities also said.
On the same day, Yonhap reported that a 45-day-old baby has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, becoming the youngest patient in South Korea.
The COVID-19 death toll in South Korea stands at 18 now.
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One more death in S. Korea amid the surge of COVID-19 patients
Cure rate for coronavirus infection hits 52.1% in China
The cure rate for patients in China diagnosed with novel coronavirus infection has hit 52.1 percent, said Mi Feng, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC), on Sunday.
The country will continue to face the risks from the resumption of work and the epidemic situation overseas, said Mi.
China to bring nationals back if epidemic situation worsens overseas
The Chinese government is paying great attention to the health and security of Chinese nationals in epidemic-hit countries such as South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran, said Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Cui Aimin at the press conference.
Chinese nationals should comply with the local country's prevention and control measures, said Cui.
If the situation gets worse, the Chinese government will take necessary measures to bring them back, Cui told the reporters.
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A man was sentenced to 10 months in prison for impeding the prevention and control work on the novel coronavirus – the first sentence of its kind in east China's Shandong Province.
The man, surname Tian, returned to Chengwu County of Heze City in Shandong Province on January 9 from Hubei, and deliberately concealed his travel history from medics and local authorities after he ran a fever on January 20.
He was categorized as suspected patient on January 25 but refused to cooperate with doctors. He was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus the following day, leading to the isolation of 37 people, including medical workers and patients in the same ward.
The People's Court of Chengwu County, Heze City, handed down the sentence on Sunday morning, saying he severely affected medical institutions' work on epidemic prevention and control, and caused panic within a certain range.
Tian confessed his crime and said he wouldn't appeal the verdict.
Latest development on COVID-19 cases worldwide: More 'firsts' in deaths and infections
In less than 12 hours, three countries – Thailand, Australia and the U.S. have each reported their first death from the novel coronavirus on their soil.
South Korea's surge: On Monday afternoon, South Korea said an 18th person died from the virus. The country's total number is at 3,526, the biggest outside China.
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South Korea reports 376 more virus cases, totaling 3,526
There are several other countries reporting their first infection case as of late Saturday and Sunday:
Armenia: A 29-year-old Armenian citizen returned from neighboring Iran. The patient is in stable condition now and those who had been in contact with him are expected to be isolated.
Ecuador: An Ecuadorian woman in her 70s who returned from Spain on February 14. She had pre-existing medical conditions and is in "intensive care."
Luxembourg: A man in his 40s who recently returned from Italy. The patient was isolated in a Luxembourg hospital and his family members were quarantined.
Ireland: A man who had returned from northern Italy.
Qatar: A 36-year-old Qatarian who recently returned from Iran. He is in stable condition.
South Korea, Iran and Italy hit with stricter travel restrictions
As the cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) soar in South Korea, Iran and Italy, governments worldwide have imposed stricter travel restrictions on travelers from these three countries.
After the United States reported its first death from the disease on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump and top officials said in a White House press briefing that travelers from South Korea and Italy would be subject to additional screening, and warned Americans against traveling to coronavirus-affected regions in both countries.
In addition, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said a ban on travelers from Iran entering the country would be expanded to include any foreign nationals who have visited Iran in the last 14 days.
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Answer bank: Can I catch COVID-19 from my pet?
A pet dog of a COVID-19 patient from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has tested "weak positive" for the novel coronavirus, meaning low levels of the virus were found in the animal's body, the city's health authorities announced on February 28, fueling fears that pets might catch and spread the virus.
The dog, which has been put under quarantine, exhibited no symptoms of the disease, said the city's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, adding that more tests would be conducted to confirm if it had really been infected and if it picked up the virus from a contaminated environment.
The department also said that there's no evidence that pets could contract the coronavirus or transmit it to people. However, the situation is still evolving, scientists say.
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Japan cancels cherry blossom festivals as virus fears grow
As cases of the novel coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, Japan's famous cherry blossom festivals are the latest victim. The country cancelled all of its major cherry blossom festivals in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The traditional spring celebrations in Tokyo and Osaka, which attract millions of people wanting to seeing the white and pink flowers, will not go ahead as planned in April.
The cancellations come as authorities step up efforts to tackle the outbreak in Japan.
Schools are closed and the government is urging people to work from home or commute during off-peak hours and avoid large gatherings.
The operator of Tokyo's two Disney resorts – Disneyland and DisneySea – said on Friday the parks would be closed for around two weeks due to the outbreak of the virus.
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka has also shuttered for a fortnight.
Following U.S. and Australia, Thailand reports its first coronavirus death
Thailand Sunday reported the first death from the novel coronavirus, following the U.S. and Australia who also announced their first deaths hours earlier.
The victim was a 35-year-old Thai retailer who also suffered from Dengue fever. He died on February 29, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said at the news conference on Sunday.
Thailand has so far recorded 42 coronavirus cases.
947 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Japan: Health ministry
A total of 947 people were confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Japan. 705 of them are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to Japan's health ministry on Sunday.
China urges nationals to abide by local regulations after 80 quarantined in Russia
The Chinese embassy in Russia has urged Chinese citizens in the country to abide by local regulations on coronavirus prevention following the isolation of 80 Chinese nationals in Moscow.
The embassy made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday and also dismissed online reports claiming local police took away Chinese citizens for no reason and abused them.
"People taken away by the police are suspected of violating the Russian epidemic prevention regulations and they are not only Chinese citizens, there're also Russians and people from other countries," said the embassy.
Consular staff have visited people quarantined in rehab centers in Tsaritsyno and other places and provided legal aid.
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A man is pictured wearing medical mask in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, January 28, 2020. /Reuters
Iranian couple wearing face masks at Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, February 20, 2020. /Reuters
The number of new COVID-19 cases being officially reported outside China has surpassed the number reported in China for four consecutive days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
As many as 1,318 new cases were reported outside China in one day, while the Chinese authorities reported 435 cases, according to a report issued by the WHO on Saturday.
As of 0900 GMT on Saturday, a total of 85,403 cases had been reported globally, with 6,009 outside China, said the WHO.
As of midnight Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 79,824 and the cumulative death toll is 2,870, according to China's National Health Commission.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,623 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 41,625.
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573 new coronavirus cases, 35 new deaths reported on Chinese mainland
Trump moves to calm fears after first COVID-19 death in U.S.
Australia reports its first COVID-19 death
Australia reported its first coronavirus death, a Perth man who was receiving treatment for the novel coronavirus, local media said on Sunday.
The 78-year-old man and his wife were among 164 Australians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked off in Japan and they were flown back to Perth just over a week ago, according to ABC news.
He has been in isolation at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital upon his arrival to Australia while his wife, who also tested positive for the virus, in stable condition.
South Korea reports 376 more virus cases, totaling 3,526
South Korea reported 376 more cases of the novel coronavirus Saturday, taking total in the country to 3,526. The latest death toll in South Korea still stands at 17.
An employee from a disinfection service company sanitizes the floor of a traditional market in Seoul, South Korea, February 24, 2020. /Reuters
Hubei Province reports 570 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 570 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number in the province to 66,907.
On the same day, 34 deaths were reported in Hubei while 2,292 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
Medical workers help the first batch of patients infected with the novel coronavirus move into their isolation wards at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 4, 2020. /Xinhua
A total of 573 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight Saturday and 35 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 79,824 and the cumulative death toll is 2,870.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,623 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 41,625.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 95 (two dead, 33 recovered)
Macao: 10 (eight recovered)
Taiwan: 39 (one dead, nine recovered)
Latest on COVID-19 cases worldwide
First cases have emerged in several countries in the past 24 hours.
Ecuador: Ecuadorian woman in her 70s who returned from Spain on Feb. 14. She had pre-existing medical conditions and "is in intensive care".
Luxembourg: Man in his 40s who recently returned from Italy. The patient was isolated in a Luxembourg hospital and his family members were in quarantine
Ireland: Man who had returned from northern Italy.
Qatar: 36-year-old Qatarian who recently returned from Iran. He is in stable condition.
Additionally, the U.S. has reported its first death from COVID-19 after a man in his 50s died in the state of Washington. A state of emergency was declared in the state following his death.
The victim is said to have no history of travel contact with known COVID-19 cases, health officials in Washington said.
Read more:
President Trump outlines U.S. preparations for coronavirus
Italy: Officials say by Saturday a total of 1,049 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in the country. Fifty-two percent of the them are under house quarantine, 38 percent have been hospitalized and 10 percent are in intensive care. Apart from that, there have been 29 deaths and 50 people who have recovered.
France: As of Saturday, there are 100 confirmed cases, of which two were fatal and 12 have recovered. Nine are in critical condition.
A man and his wife wear protective face mask, following the outbreak of coronavirus, at a supermarket in Baghdad, Iraq February 29, 2020.REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily
Iraq on Saturday announced five new cases of COVID-19 in the capital Baghdad and Babil province, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 13.
A statement by the Iraqi Health Ministry confirmed five new coronavirus cases, four in the city of Baghdad and one in Babil province.
The five were admitted to hospitals and tested positive and transferred to the quarantine sites in accordance with the international procedures, the statement said.
The latest five cases brought the number of infected people in Baghdad to six, while the other seven cases are five in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, one in Najaf and one in Babil.
Recently, the Iraqi authorities have been taking a series of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus after cases were confirmed in the country.
A man walks with a face mask as a preventive measure, after Pakistan confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, along a sidewalk in Karachi, Pakistan February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
Pakistan has confirmed two more cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of the infected people to four in the country, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza said on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference here, Mirza said that one of the new cases emerged in south Sindh province while the other one is being treated in Islamabad.
The infected man in Karachi of Sindh province has been shifted to the isolation ward of a hospital and his medical treatment is underway, Meeran Yousuf, media coordinator to health minister of Sindh told Xinhua on Saturday, adding that the infected patient is stable.
Talking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, an official in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad confirmed that a man has been tested positive of the disease in the hospital, bringing the total number of the coronavirus infected people in their isolation ward to two.
The official said that the newly infected man is in stable condition and his family members have also been put in quarantine. However, he refused to share more details about the age and travelling history of the patient.
Pakistan started taking measures to avoid penetration of the disease from Iran on Sunday after the situation of the disease turned serious in the country, by closing its border with Iran. Later, the direct flight service was also suspended between the two countries.
The Pakistani government is now launching an awareness campaign by activating a telephone helpline and establishing a web portal to encourage people to report about their condition if they are suffering from fever and flu, enabling the government to trace them and conduct necessary lab tests.
Latest situation in Europe: Some mass gatherings canceled
- France: The French government banned public gatherings with more than 5,000 people on Saturday due to the coronavirus outbreak as France has reported 73 cases so far.
- Italy: Five Serie A matches which had been scheduled to go ahead behind closed doors this weekend have been postponed because of the coronavirus crisis, Italy's soccer League said on Saturday.
The five games are: Udinese vs. Fiorentina, AC Milan vs. Genoa, Parma vs. SPAL, Sassuolo vs. Brescia and most importantly, Juventus vs. Inter Milan.
- Other countries: The number of people infected with coronavirus in the United Kingdom rose to 23 on Saturday, after three more patients tested positive, Britain's health department said.
Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Juventus dribles the ball in the UEFA Champions League game against Olympique Lyon at the Parc Olympique Lyonnaisin Lyon, France, February 26, 2020. /VCG
Latest on the situation in the Middle East: More cases, more measures
- First case in Qatar: The Qatari health ministry on Saturday reported the first case of novel coronavirus infection in the country. The confirmed case is a 36-year-old Qatari man who was among those recently brought home by the Qatari government from Iran, according to a ministry statement.
- Iran onset: The Iranian authorities announced on Saturday that they will forbid people suspected of novel coronavirus infection in Qom from moving out of the city, the center of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The total number of confirmed cases has surged to 593 in the country. On Saturday, the first batch of medical supplies donated by China has arrived, as well as a team of five experts.
- Saudi Arabia's ban: Saudi Arabia announced on Friday the suspension of the entry of Gulf nationals to Mecca and Medina as part of precautionary measures against coronavirus.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement via the Saudi Press Agency that the temporary ban does not cover Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals who have been in the kingdom for 14 consecutive days without showing signs of coronavirus infection and wish to perform Umrah or visit the Prophet's Mosque.
Graphics: Where are the Diamond Princess evacuees?
After more than a month of floating at sea for quarantine, the more than 2,600 passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship finally stepped ashore. Yet it's not the end of the novel coronavirus transmission, as emerging cases represent an ongoing risk.
The last group of crew on the Diamond Princess started leaving the ship after the last passenger disembarked on Thursday. The crew will stay in Japan for another 14 days.
Where are the Diamond Princess evacuees? Click here for more.
Hubei issues assessment report on risk level of coronavirus outbreak
Hubei Province on Saturday issued a risk assessment report on the novel coronavirus outbreak, rating a total of 103 counties, cities and districts in the province according to the three levels of low risk, medium risk and high risk.
Low-risk areas are those with no confirmed cases or no new cases for 14 consecutive days. Medium risk areas are those with fewer than 50 new cases confirmed within 14 days, or more than 50 but with no cluster outbreaks within the same time period. And high risk areas have more than 50 cases with cluster outbreaks within 14 days.
As of Friday, the province had 11 low-risk areas, 34 medium-risk areas and 58 high-risk areas. Hubei will assess and update the risk level of the epidemic in each county and urban area according to the changes and development of the outbreak, and make it known to the public in a timely manner.
Two discharged patients in the north China port city Tianjin were tested positive again for the novel coronavirus on Thursday while under isolation, and were transferred to the city's Haihe Hospital for observation and treatment.
One of the patients was discharged on February 13 and was then put under medical observation at an isolation observation point in Heping District. The other was discharged on February 11, and was isolated at a medical facility in Baodi District.
205 more cases reported in Iran, bringing total to 593
Iran reported 205 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 593, according to Iran's health ministry spokesman. Nine more deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 43. 123 patients have recovered so far.
Iran's government spokesman will hold his weekly news conference online due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday.
Shinzo Abe: Japan to take all measures to curb virus spreading in next two weeks
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday promised to take all measures necessary to curb the spreading of the novel coronavirus in the country in the coming two weeks.
At a press conference, he also reiterated that Japan will reinforce work to ensure a safe Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer for athletes and spectators.
According to Abe, the government will create another emergency package totaling over 2.5 billion U.S. dollars from reserve funds in around 10 days to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"Japan will take all possible steps needed" to cope with the impact of the coronavirus, Abe told reporters, adding that he asked for support from the public for school closures to prevent group infections.
A total of 945 people have been confirmed infected in the country so far, 705 of them are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
4 new confirmed coronavirus cases reported outside Hubei in China
A total of four new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in four provinces other than Hubei in China. There were 89 new suspected cases, two new deaths and 25 less severe cases in the Chinese mainland, except Hubei Province.
Three new cases were confirmed in Hubei Province except Wuhan, according to National Health Commission on Saturday.
The ratio of the recovered cases and deaths has been expanded to 13.8:1, and the recovered rate continues to rise.
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South Korea reports largest daily jump in new cases
South Korea reported 219 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number to 3,150, as of 4 p.m. Saturday local time, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country has seen 813 new cases in the past 24 hours, a daily record in terms of new infections. Local authorities have predicted the number of cases in Daegu region, the south-eastern city that has been at the centre of the country's outbreak, will continue to rise.
First case of reinfection: South Korea reported the first case of reinfection by the new coronavirus on Saturday, according to the KCDC.
The 73-year-old female patient, who was diagnosed with the virus earlier in the month, was released from a hospital on February 22 after making a full recovery. She was found to have contracted the illness again on Friday, said the KCDC.
Explaining the reason of the reinfection, a KCDC official said the patient may have a weak immune system due to her age. It is also possible the virus was not fully eradicated from the patient in the first place, added the official.
China-WHO joint report: COVID-19 originates from animals
The novel coronavirus originated in animals, and bats could be the original host but the intermediate host could not be confirmed yet, according to a report jointly released by Chinese and WHO experts on Saturday.
Local authorities in central China's Wuhan City plan to send supervisory groups to prisons in the city.
The groups will supervise the problems in the prevention and control of COVID-19 and curb the spread of the virus in the prisons, said Wang Zhonglin, secretary of the Wuhan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday.
China's Hubei Province reported 423 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including 420 cases from Wuhan.
On the same day, 45 more deaths were reported in the province while 2,492 patients were discharged from hospitals after a full recovery.
China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has announced a 14-day quarantine period for arrivals from Iran and Italy due to concern over the novel coronavirus outbreaks in the two countries.
The quarantine measure will take effect from 12:00 p.m. local time on February 29, according to a statement from the Macao SAR government's website.
So far, a total of 10 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Macao including eight cases of recovery.
(Cover: File photo via VCG)
U.S. confirms third case of COVID-19 with unknown origin
The United States has confirmed the third COVID-19 case in Oregon's Washington County involving a person who isn't believed to have traveled overseas or come in close contact with anyone who had it, indicating that the virus may be spreading undetected in local communities, according to local media reports.
Earlier, two patients in California were confirmed to be infected by the novel coronavirus with an unknown origin.
As of Friday evening, a total of 64 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States.
Hubei Province reports 423 new COVID-19 cases, Feb. 28
Central China's Hubei Province reported 423 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number in the province to 66,337.
On the same day, 45 more deaths were reported in Hubei, while 2,492 patients were discharged from hospitals after a full recovery.
A total of 427 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Friday and 47 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 79,251 and the cumulative death toll is 2,835.
On the same day, the Chinese health authorities said that 2,885 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 39,002.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 94 (two dead, 30 recovered)
Macao: 10 (eight recovered)
Taiwan: 34 (one dead, nine recovered)
A total of 888 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Italy after 238 new cases were reported on Friday, according to authorities.
Of the 888 cases, 21 patients have died and 46 have recovered.
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
The rapid spread of the coronavirus increased fears of a pandemic on Friday, with six countries reporting their first cases and the World Health Organization (WHO) raising its global spread and impact risk alert to “very high”.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his organization was not underestimating the risk.
“That is why we said today the global risk is very high,” he told reporters in Geneva. “We increased it from ‘high’ to ‘very high’.”
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the scenario of the coronavirus reaching multiple or all countries “is something we have been looking at and warning against since quite a while.”
Tedros said mainland China had reported 329 new cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest there in more than a month, taking its tally to more than 78,800 cases with almost 2,800 deaths.
(File photo)
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday night.
President Xi pointed out that after the novel coronavirus epidemic, Diaz-Canel and Raul Castro, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, called to express their condolences.
He added that Diaz-Canel also went to the Chinese embassy in Cuba to express support for China, noting that this action fully reflects the profound tradition of friendship between China and Cuba.
President Xi also stated that China highly appreciates Cuba's understanding and support in the fight against the corona virus.
Meanwhile, Diaz-Canel highly appreciates and firmly supports China's efforts to fight the epidemic, and thanks China for its help and care to Cuban citizens in China.
Latest updates on COVID-19 outbreak around the world
Azerbaijan on Friday detected its first COVID-19 case, a Russian national traveling from Iran.
Switzerland has reported 15 cases so far. The country has decided to suspend all events with over 1,000 participants until March 15, which forced the cancellation of the Geneva International Motor Show.
Greece reported its fourth coronavirus case, a 36-year-old woman who had traveled to Italy.
Australia confirmed one more case on Friday, totaling 24. The patient is the wife of Australia's first confirmed patient, both of whom were onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
France confirmed three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 41.
Israel reported its second coronavirus infection. This is the first case of human-to-human transmission in Israel.
Austria's number of COVID-19 cases increased to five. A couple was diagnosed with the disease on Thursday. Their two kids also showed relevant symptoms and are now waiting for the test results.
Spain has confirmed 25 cases so far, including two recovered patients.
The Netherlands confirmed a second case, a female living in Amsterdam who visited Italy last week.
Croatia's number of confirmed cases increased to five, with two reported on Friday.
Romania reported two new cases. There are now three coronavirus infections in the country.
Georgia detected a second infection in a citizen, who returned from Italy recently.
Kuwait confirmed two more cases, bringing the total to 45.
Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Yang is visiting Japan ahead of a planned trip to the country by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Yang said China-Japan relations have maintained sound momentum. He and Abe pledged that the two nations will continue to support each other in fighting against the coronavirus outbreak.
Doctors in West China Hospital, Chengdu, SW China, have successfully used 5G technology to do a remote diagnosis of COVID-19 patients, particularly with the use of remote control CT scanners. This was the first time the method was used in China.
Premier Li urges major breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccine research
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called for more major scientific breakthroughs in the research and development of testing kits, effective medicines and a vaccine to help China win the battle against the COVID-19.
Premier Li heard reports of the latest progress made in the development and application of a testing kit.
Hailing the important role of a testing kit in the prevention and control of the epidemic, Li called for more efforts to develop such equipment with less testing time, more precise results and easier operation.
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Sixth Princess Diamond passenger dies, first British fatality
A British passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship has died of COVID-19, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported Friday night, bringing the total death toll in the cruise ship to six.
This passenger is the first British national to die from the new virus.
Liang Wannian: Expert team to China impressed by the country's handling of COVID-19
Liang Wannian, head of the expert group on the novel coronavirus outbreak response and disposal at China's National Health Commission, Friday said the joint expert team of China and the World Health Organization (WHO) is impressed by China's handling of COVID-19 outbreak.
"In the face of this new disease, with no vaccine or effective medicines, the Chinese government has taken decisive measures and contained the epidemic within seven weeks. The measures have safeguarded the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people, and built up the first defense line for global epidemic prevention and control," Liang told a press conference.
He was responding to questions regarding the details of the China-WHO Joint Mission in China on COVID-19, which was conducted from February 16 to 24 in Beijing and the provinces of Sichuan, Guangdong and Hubei.
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Wang Yi: Joint efforts needed to combat COVID-19 worldwide
The virus is mankind's common enemy and the international community needs to work jointly, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, reiterating China's determination to fight on the front line against the COVID-19 epidemic.
Wang made the remarks on a phone call with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, respectively.
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Reporter's diary: Life in Beijing amid coronavirus
Empty restaurants, silent roads: For many living and working in Beijing including myself, the rise of the novel coronavirus epidemic that has killed over 2,700 people in recent weeks has meant an unprecedented interruption to the fast-paced rhythm of life in China's capital city.
This week, life in Beijing has been quietly stirring, after the swift top-down implementation last month of measures to stop the spread of the disease changed everything in just a few days.
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Risk of coronavirus aerosol transmission for general public is little: Official
The result of research so far suggests that respiratory droplets and close contact are still the main routes of transmission for the novel coronavirus, Wu Yuanbin from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology said at a press conference on Friday.
Experiments investigating aerosol transmission are being conducted in some Chinese institutes.
Aerosol transmission refers to when droplets from respiration lose their water in the air and the leftover proteins and pathogens float far away, causing long-distance transmission, according to China's National Health Commission.
"The virus could only be passed on to people through aerosol transmission under the extreme conditions of sealed space, a long time period, and a high concentration of virus," said Wu, adding that the possibility of the general public being infected by this method was next to nothing.
Some patients tested positive for COVID-19 after being discharged from hospitals, which has raised concerns on whether these patients are contagious.
"We have been strengthening the monitoring of these patients," said Guo Yanhong, deputy head of the Medical Administration Bureau at National Health Commission.
Guo told the press that some of those patients had shown negative in retests and there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission from these patients.
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Bahrain to evacuate citizens in Iran
Bahrain's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that it will start evacuating its citizens from Iran.
All evacuees will receive medical examinations and be put under quarantine once return to Bahrain, said the ministry.
There are several hundreds of Bahrain citizens currently in Iran, according to the ministry.
As of Friday, a total of 36 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Bahrain.
Iran reports 34 deaths from COVID-19, 388 people infected so far
Thirty four people have died in Iran after contracting the novel coronavirus, a local health ministry spokesman said on Friday.
A total of 388 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in Iran, the spokesman said in an announcement on state TV.
Iran's health minister said that all schools in the country will be closed from Saturday to Tuesday over coronavirus concerns.
5th death confirmed on Diamond Princess cruise ship
A woman in her 70s, who was aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, has died of COVID-19, the Japanese Health Ministry reported on Friday.
So far, five people from the ship have died of the coronavirus.
The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 on February 6 and was hospitalized the next day. She also had other underlying diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes.
On Friday, the governor of Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido declared the virus outbreak an emergency, calling on residents to stay at home this weekend and only go out if necessary, NHK reported.
The prefecture reported the most cases in Japan: 66 cases confirmed so far.
Japan has now reported 933 COVID-19 cases, with 705 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The death toll is at 10.
China's Foreign Ministry said Friday that China will do what it can to provide assistance to South Korea and Iran in fighting the novel coronavirus as COVID-19 continues to spread overseas.
Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the comment at a daily press briefing in response to two questions; the first about how will China help Iran and the second concerning reports of a large amount of people fleeing South Korea and heading into China.
"Since the outbreak, due to the reduction of flights, the seat capacity of flights from South Korea to China is pretty full, and most of the passengers are Chinese nationals in South Korea," said Zhao, dismissing online reports of South Koreans seeking asylum in China.
"China is willing to continue to share information with South Korea, overcome difficulties together and provide help within its capabilities," Zhao emphasized.
South Korea has become the largest coronavirus hotspot outside China as the number of cases rose to over 2,330 on Friday afternoon.
Earlier in the week, officials from Seoul warned that number could rise further as more people are tested.
Meanwhile Iran, another country hit hard by the virus, has now registered 270 cases with some of its senior politicians among those infected.
Following the outbreak in Iran, China delivered 5,000 test kits and 250,000 masks to the Middle Eastern country earlier this week in a show of support.
"If there's any need, we will keep considering it," Zhao said on Friday.
The World Health Organization has also said it will send a team to Iran this weekend to provide help.
(Cover photo: Spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian speaks at a daily press briefing on February 27, 2020. /China's Foreign Ministry)
UK says it has 19 confirmed coronavirus cases
UK Friday confirmed three new cases of the novel coronavirus after Wales identified its first case and two new ones were found in England.
"The total number of UK cases is 19," the UK's health ministry said.
Britain reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on January 31.
At 10 a.m. on January 23, Wuhan went into lockdown. This was done to stop a deadly virus from spreading further across the nation. It was one day before Chinese New Year's Eve, a major travel day for people planning to return home for the holidays. This documentary is dedicated to all those who've been battling tirelessly against the COVID-19 virus in order to keep the epidemic at bay. Their efforts in safeguarding humanity from the virus will always be remembered.
COVID-19 epidemic is a major public health emergency in China with the fastest transmission, widest range of infections and the highest difficulty in control and prevention since the founding of the People's Republic of China, National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said on Friday during a press conference held in Wuhan City.
Ma told the press that they have made improvements in treating severe cases.
"Through pathological anatomy, we learned the organs that were damaged the most by the virus, and clarified the direction of the clinical treatment," he said, adding that experts have improved treatment methods based on the findings.
The minister stressed the importance of temporary hospitals. "We have expanded medical resources in a short time," he said, noting that "It would be difficult to add that many beds in other ways."
The large-scale adoption of temporary hospitals is a landmark in the history of medical rescue in China, the minister said.
According to Ma, 16 temporary hospitals have been built in Wuhan with more than 13,000 beds. There are currently about 7,600 patients being treated in these hospitals, and 5,600 beds are still empty.
"We have achieved zero infection, zero deaths and zero returns in temporary hospitals," Ma said, adding that there are beds available.
South Korea reports 315 more cases of new coronavirus, total tally reaches 2,337
South Korea reported 315 more cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday afternoon, taking the total number to 2,337, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control.
Nigeria reports first COVID-19 case in sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria on Thursday confirmed its first patient infected with the coronavirus in the Lagos State, the country's health minister reported on Friday.
The patient is an Italian working in Nigeria who returned to Lagos on February 25. He's currently in a stable condition and receiving treatment.
This is the first case reported in sub-Saharan Africa.
544 recovered patients in China donate plasma
A total of 544 patients who recovered from COVID-19 in China have donated plasma to 245 hospitalized patients, the National Health Commission reported during a press conference on Friday.
After examinations of 157 of the patients under medical care over 48 hours, 91 had shown improvement in clinical symptoms.
The commission also encouraged more recovered COVID-19 patients to donate their plasma.
Researchers from the First Affiliated Hospital of the School of Medicine of China's Zhejiang University published research on February 26, showing that the novel coronavirus can be found in tears and conjunctival secretions.
The researchers tested 30 patients' samples, including 21 common type and 9 severe type COVID-19 patients. Samples of tear and conjunctival secretions from one patient with conjunctivitis tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"The research indicates that the respiratory tract may not be the only way to spread the novel coronavirus," said Shen Ye, co-author of the research.
The practical implication of this research is to remind the medical workers to wear not only protective masks but also goggles when they examine suspected COVID-19 patients, Shen added.
World on alert as multiple countries report first coronavirus cases
Multiple countries across the world reported their first confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last 12 hours.
These countries are:
Netherlands
Nigeria
Lithuania
Belarus
New Zealand
The deadly infection has now reached every continent besides Antarctica after Brazil confirmed a case on Tuesday.
As of Friday afternoon, there have been over 4,400 coronavirus cases confirmed outside China with at least 67 deaths reported.
South Korea has confirmed the most coronavirus cases outside China, totaling 2,022. In Italy, the outbreak continued to worsen, with at least 650 confirmed cases reported.
At least 270 cases were confirmed in Iran with the death toll reaching 26. The country's vice president and deputy health minister were both infected while its former Ambassador to Vatican Hadi Khosroshahi on Thursday died of the novel coronavirus infection.
Meanwhile, China reported only nine new cases of the novel coronavirus amid the global spread on Thursday outside of Hubei Province.
COVID-19: More than 50 countries restrict entry from South Korea
At least 52 countries are restricting the entry of travelers from South Korea with bans or tougher quarantine procedures amid the country's novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Yonhap News on Friday.
Indonesia on the same day announced to temporarily close its embassy in Seoul and counters providing visa, passport and consular services were also suspended due to the safety concerns.
As of Friday, South Korea reported 256 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections to 2,022.
(Cover: Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, February 27, 2020. /AP)
The first pathology report of a dead patient with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) was published on the Journal of Forensic Medicine on Friday.
The report indicates that this patient's lungs remain the main organ affected by the disease, suggesting that the novel coronavirus mainly caused inflammatory reactions, characterized by deep airway and alveolar injuries.
It's worth noting that the report, which is mainly based on the visual observation results of a case of systematic autopsy, is a general observation report and it doesn't include the further detection and analysis of pathological tissue sections under a more detailed microscope.
This 85-year-old male patient was sent to the hospital with a sudden cerebral infarction in January and had symptoms of pneumonia infection after 10 days. He was then diagnosed with COVID-19 and died from respiratory failure.
Professor Liu Liang and his team are responsible for this anatomical study. Liu had repeatedly asked for COVID-19 casualties to be autopsied, because previously anatomical analysis of a dead SARS patient's body pointed to a virus, proving to be helpful in fighting the disease.
Similar post-mortem examination was also helpful this time, with Liu saying they found fluids inside the lungs. The systemic anatomy of this case shows that pulmonary fibrosis and consolidation are not as serious as with SARS, but the exudative response was more obvious.
According to previous media reports, many COVID-19 patients have been found to have myocardial injury while some even died from acute fulminant myocarditis. Therefore, there was the question of whether the novel coronavirus would cause damages to other organs.
So far, evidence of damage on other organs like kidneys and spleen is not enough and needs further research.
As one of the authors of the report, Liu is chairman of Association of Forensic Medicine in Hubei, as well as professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Liu and his team believe the research can provide strong support for clinical treatment and diagnosis of COVID-19.
Tokyo Disneyland will be closed from February 29 to March 15 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to local media reports.
As of Friday morning, Japan confirmed 25 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 919.
Job seekers speak with a recruiter at a job fair aimed at university and college graduates in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, July 6, 2019. /Xinhua
China launched a 24-hour online hiring service system on Friday for college graduates amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, Vice Minister of Education Weng Tiehui said during a press conference.
Weng said that the country will roll out a series of measures to stabilize employment and to boost job opportunities. China will expand the enrollment of postgraduate and degree programs and accelerate the training of personnel with diverse technical skills.
With more than 8.74 million college students expected to graduate this year, more targeted measures will be unveiled to help them find jobs, Weng said, adding that graduates are also encouraged to join the army and work for medical and social services at the community-level.
Weng added that the Ministry of Education is evaluating the impact of the epidemic to analyze policies of the college entrance examination this year.
A spokesperson for Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said Friday that a pet dog had been tested "weak positive" for the novel coronavirus.
The dog's nasal and oral cavity samples were tested and it did not have any symptoms so far, the spokesperson said.
The dog belongs to a patient infected with COVID-19 and is now under quarantine at an animal keeping facility.
The AFCD said it will conduct further tests to confirm if the dog has been infected with the virus or if this is a result of environmental contamination.
(Cover: File photo via VCG)
South Korea reported 256 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of the infections to 2,022, Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.
Most of the country's new infections stemmed from the city of Daegu, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hubei Province reports 318 new COVID-19 cases, Feb. 27
Central China's Hubei Province reported 318 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number in the province to 65,914.
On the same day, 41 more deaths were reported in Hubei, while 3,203 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A total of 327 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Thursday and 44 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 78,824 and the cumulative death toll is 2,788.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 3,622 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 36,117.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 93 (two dead, 26 recovered)
Macao: 10 (eight recovered)
Taiwan: 32 (one dead, six recovered)
Italy confirms 650 COVID-19 cases, 17 deaths
The total number confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy rose to 650 on Thursday, according to local authorities.
Seventeen people have died of the disease, while 45 people have recovered.
(Cover: A sign indicates the closure for tourists of the historical complex of Milan's Duomo, in Milan, northern Italy, February 26, 2020. /AP)
Japan confirms 25 more COVID-19 cases, total tally at 919
As of Friday morning, Japan confirmed 25 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 919.
The figure includes 705 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to reports.
Against the global backdrop of the spreading COVID-19 virus, the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank nearly 1,200 points Thursday, which is the biggest point drop in history.
The S&P 500 is now 12% below the all-time high it set just a week ago. It has been the worst week since October 2008 for the U.S. stock market.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. stock market will crash if he loses the election this year.
Trump told business leaders on his trip to India that stocks will jump higher if he is reelected, adding "if I don't win, you're going to see a crash like you've never seen before."
U.S. public health officials are reporting the first case of COVID-19 in a person who hasn't travelled to any affected regions and has no known contact with anyone who has the virus.
The patient is a resident of Solano County California, north of San Francisco.
That's the same county as Travis Air Force base, one of the U.S. quarantine centers.
In a White House press conference on Wednesday, President Trump said, "We are very very ready for this for anything whether it's going to be a breakout of larger proportion or whether or not we're at that very low level."
He also announced Vice President Mike Pence would lead the federal response to the crisis.
Public health officials warn the virus will likely spread in the U.S.
"This virus doesn't respect borders. It does not distinguish between races or ethnicities. It has no regard for a country's GDP or level of development. The point is not only to prevent cases arriving on your shores. The point is what you do when you have cases," said the Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The WHO does not recommend closing borders and China has objected to the move.
Trump also said because the outbreak seems to be easing in China it may be possible to lift those travel restrictions soon but added he may put in place similar measures for people who have travelled to other countries experiencing outbreaks.
COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is now saying there are more new cases reported outside China each day than inside it.
The number of deaths from the virus reported outside of China had shot up to more than 50 by February 27, with Italy being the worst-affected country in Europe.
Elsewhere, countries including Greece and Pakistan have confirmed their first patients.
With the increase of misinformation around the virus and its spread, why don't you take our quiz to see how much you really know?
New coronavirus epidemic at 'decisive point': WHO chief
The new coronavirus epidemic is at a "decisive point" globally, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday, urging affected countries to "move swiftly" to contain the disease.
"We're at a decisive point," Tedros said, adding, "if you act aggressively now, you can contain this virus, you can prevent people getting sick, you can save lives".
The chief also reiterated that the COVID-19 can be contained with right measures.
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Wuhan, a metropolis of 11 million residents in central China's Hubei Province, is fighting an unprecedented battle this winter. The enemy is the novel coronavirus. To minimize the spread of the virus, the city with a population 1.3 times that of New York was locked down on January 23.
Over 1,500 medical workers have been infected, and some have sacrificed their lives to save others. Wuhan has so far built two hospitals for infectious diseases, increased the number of designated hospitals to over 40 and put in use 13 temporary hospitals, bringing the total number of available beds to over 40,000, while preparing another 70,000 beds at quarantine sites. No one will be left unattended.
"China's efforts have bought the world time – even though those steps have come at greater cost to China itself," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. It is a special war between humans and a new virus. Defending Wuhan is protecting China and the whole world. "No victory should be hastily announced until there is a complete win."
Iranian vice president tests positive for COVID-19: report
Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran's vice president for women and family affairs, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to IRNA.
State media also reported on Thursday that Iranian cleric Hadi Khosroshahi died from coronavirus in Qom. Khosroshahi served as Iran's ambassador to the Vatican.
It came after the country's deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi said that he was tested positive for the COVID-19 on Tuesday and Mojtaba Zonnour, chairman of Iran Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, announced he was infected with the virus on Thursday.
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After touring some areas affected by the COVID-19 in China, Bruce Aylward, the team leader of WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19, praised China for its handling of the epidemic outbreak. Aylward said the rest of the world should access the expertise of China, adding if he had COVID-19, he'd "want to be treated in China."
All passengers leave virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship: Kyodo
The last passenger and 91 crew members of the Diamond Princess on Thursday left the cruise ship quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, according to Kyodo news agency.
There were 3,700 passengers and crew members aboard the ship when it arrived in Yokohama this month. Most of the passengers disembarked last week and some crew members also left Japan with the help of their governments.
528 cases confirmed in Italy, 14 deaths reported
Two more people died from the novel coronavirus in Italy, bringing the death toll to 14, the Civil Protection agency said in a statement on Thursday.
The agency chief, Angelo Borrelli, had earlier told reporters that officials were still seeking confirmation that coronavirus was responsible for the latest two deaths.
So far, 528 cases have been confirmed in Italy.
New COVID-19 cases outside China exceed those in China: WHO
The number of COVID-19 cases outside China has surpassed those inside the country for the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.
South Korea reported the largest jump in new cases yet on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 1,766. South Korea and U.S. militaries announced that they were postponing their annual joint drills on Thursday, due to concern about the viral outbreak that has already infected one U.S. soldier stationed at Camp Carroll near Daegu, the epicenter of South Korea's outbreak.
In a span of 24 hours, new COVID-19 cases were announced in Denmark, Romania, Norway, Georgia, North Macedonia and Greece. And outside Europe, Algeria, Brazil and Pakistan also reported their first coronavirus infections on Wednesday.
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China implements stringent wildlife control measures
China has started its crackdown on illegal hunting and exploitation of wildlife. All localities should close and quarantine all breeding facilities for wild animals and stop all activities such as listing, trading and transportation of wild animals, according to National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
As of Thursday, forestry and grassland administrations throughout the country have dispatched more than 866,000 law personnel, more than 97,800 vehicles, cleaned up more than 350,000 market hotel restaurant management places, checked more than 153,000 artificial breeding places. They have also handled 690 cases of wildlife violations, seized 2,919 illegal tools, more than 39,000 wild animals and more than 1,080 kilograms of sealed wildlife products.
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Chinese embassy in the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Thursday donated about 25,000 surgical masks for Daegu, said a statement on its website.
"China is willing to provide necessary assistance to the ROK and the two sides have maintained close communication on this," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.
Chinese ambassador to the ROK Xing Haiming said China and the ROK have been helping each other in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The Chinese people will never forget the helping hand extended by the ROK people in times of crisis, according to the statement.
China will also continue to raise anti-epidemic materials to support the ROK people's fight against the disease. We believe that with joint efforts of the two peoples, the epidemic will be overcome at an early date, the statement read.
Japanese PM directs all schools to close from March 2
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday that all elementary, junior and high schools across the country shall suspend classes from March 2, ahead of the spring break, due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
So far, a total of 906 cases of the COVID-19 have been confirmed in Japan, including 704 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
S. Korea reports 171 more cases of COVID-19, raising total to 1,766
South Korea on Thursday saw the largest jump in the number confirmed novel coronavirus cases in one day since the outbreak began. A total of 505 new cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total number to 1,766, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Korea's total new case count reported Thursday has overtaken China's announcement today of 433 new cases.
A 75-year-old virus patient who is tied to the religious sect in Daegu died of respiratory failure earlier Thursday, bringing the nation's death toll to 13.
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Latest on COVID-19 outbreak in Middle East:
Iran: State-run IRNA news agency reported that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 141, among which 22 have been fatal.
Kuwait: Kuwait now has 43 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a health ministry official, who noted that all cases involved people who had returned from Iran.
Bahrain: Bahrain reported seven new cases, raising the total in the country to 33, the health ministry said on Twitter. Flights to and from Iraq and Lebanon have been suspended until further notice, authorities said on Thursday.
Iraq: Iraq has confirmed its sixth case, a young Iraqi man in Baghdad who had traveled from Iran, the health ministry said on Thursday.
Lebanon: Lebanon's health authorities have confirmed the country's second coronavirus case, saying the patient had been to Iran.
Reuters
Australia activates emergency response and extends travel ban
Australia activated an emergency response plan to the global coronavirus epidemic on Thursday, the country's Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in a press conference.
Morrison also announced to extend the country's coronavirus travel ban to March 7. The ban means that foreign nationals who have been to the Chinese mainland are not allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they left China.
A total of 23 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Australia so far.
NDRC: China's daily mask production capacity exceeds 70 million
China's capacity to produce masks is more than 70 million a day, helping to alleviate the demand for masks, reported the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Thursday.
On February 24, the production of N95 medical masks exceeded one million per day.
(Cover: VCG)
Denmark, Norway confirm their first case of COVID-19
Denmark on Thursday confirmed its first novel coronavirus case, the patient is a male who recently returned from a ski holiday in northern Italy, the Danish health authority said on Thursday.
Norway has also confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The patient is female and is being kept in isolation at home, according to Norway's Public Health Agency.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said 119 Indian nationals, including 113 crew members and six passengers, on board the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, were brought back to New Delhi on Thursday.
The special Air India flight, which arrived in the Indian capital from Tokyo, also evacuated five foreign nationals, including two Sri Lankans, one Nepalese, one South African, and one Peruvian.
All the evacuees will undergo a 14-day quarantine at a quarantine facility set up by the Indian Army in India's northern state of Haryana.
Daily number of new recovered cases exceeds new confirmed cases in China for 9 straight days
The United States on Wednesday confirmed a coronavirus infection in California in a person who reportedly did not have any relevant travel history or close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)
The patient's exposure is not known at the moment. It's possible that this is an instance of community spread of COVID-19, said CDC.
There are now 60 confirmed cases in the U.S.
China is confident the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be brought under control by the end of April, Zhong Nanshan, the head of the country's high-level expert team on the epidemic, said at a media conference in Guangzhou City on Thursday. He clarified that "under control" means everything will be back on track by that time.
Addressing the conference, Zhong, one of China's top respiratory experts, also said that the virus might not have originated in China.
His team previously predicted the peak of the epidemic in China to arrive in mid to late February. He said, as expected, the number of people infected has been declining. "And we are confident that it will be largely contained (in China) by the end of April," he noted.
CGTN infographic
At the beginning of the outbreak, a study published on Lancet, a medical journal, predicted that the number of infected cases in China would reach 160,000 by early February based on a traditional research model, and that the situation could be controlled as early as the end of May, he said.
Zhong pointed out the predictions did not take into account some critical factors, such as the powerful prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government.
As of Wednesday (February 26), a total of 78,630 infected cases have been confirmed in China. Zhong said the development is in line with the forecast of his team.
Read more: Latest on coronavirus: 2,747 deaths, 78,630 cases confirmed in China
He said their estimate is based on the scientific model plus two strong influencing factors: the vigorous measures taken by China and the possible travel rush after the Spring Festival holiday.
The virus might not have originated in China
Although the infection was spotted in China, the virus might not have originated in China, as many other countries are also reporting cases, Zhong said.
He said his team made the forecast based on the situation only in China. Now the developments in other countries need to be taken into consideration separately, he added.
He also said that the source of the virus and whether it had existed before remains unclear, adding that pangolin might not be its only intermediate host.
China will share its experience with other countries
Zhong said he will give a video presentation to the European Respiratory Society this weekend at their invitation to introduce China's experience.
"It is a disease of humans, not of a country," said Zhong. "We need more international cooperation."
"This morning I found that the number of new cases in China was less than that of abroad," said Zhong. "South Korea, Iran and Italy are facing a quick increase in number of new confirmed cases. The measures China has taken may give them some inspiration."
Under a strict mechanism of mass prevention and control, China has seen a rapid decrease in new cases of coronavirus. The mechanism is rare, and countries with rapid spread of the virus can refer to China's approach, suggested Zhong. It's a key to ensure an early detection and quarantine of infected cases.
One patient can infect two to three others
On average, one patient of the novel coronavirus can usually infect two to three others, which means it spreads very fast, Zhong said.
However, there have been no large scale outbreaks in other cities in China outside Wuhan and Hubei Province, thanks to the timely and stringent prevention and control measures, he noted.
As for new drugs, Zhong said it is impossible to develop new drugs to treat the epidemic within only one month, as it takes continuous scientific research.
(CGTN's Bai Shuang also contributed to the story.)
Hubei Province reports 409 new COVID-19 cases, Feb. 26
Central China's Hubei Province reported 409 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the province to 65,596.
On the same day, 26 more deaths were reported in Hubei, while 2,288 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
South Korea on Thursday saw the largest jump of number of the confirmed coronavirus cases in one day since the outbreak began. A total of 505 new cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total number to 1,766, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
South Korea's total new case count reported Thursday has overtaken China's announcement today of 433 new cases.
A 75-year-old virus patient who is tied to the religious sect in Daegu died of respiratory failure earlier Thursday, bringing the nation's death toll to 13.
On the same day, South Korea and the U.S. decided to postpone their upcoming joint military exercises over the growing health concerns from the COVID-19 outbreak, said the Combined Forces Command.
The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday urged American citizens to reconsider traveling to South Korea during the outbreak.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press conference on Thursday that China is grateful for previous help from South Korea and willing to provide necessary support to South Korea in fighting the virus.
"As I know, some regions and enterprises of China have already provided or are providing support to the most affected areas in South Korea, especially to Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province," Zhao said.
Both of the countries have been adopting scientific and professional measures to control unnecessary cross-border movement of people to minimize the risk of the virus' spread, according to the spokesperson.
(Cover: People wearing face masks walk on a street in Seoul, South Korea, February 25, 2020. /AP)
WHO Chief: novel coronavirus can be contained
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the novel coronavirus "can be contained."
He noted that the number of new cases reported outside China exceeded that in China for the first time.
"A WHO team will travel to Iran this weekend to provide support," he said.
On the same day, he tweeted that every country should be ready to detect COVID-19 cases early.
The risk to the American people from the novel coronavirus remains very low, said U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday at a press conference in the White House.
The president also took the opportunity to send condolences to the victims of the Milwaukee shooting that killed at least five people.
President Trump said because of the precautions taken by the U.S., the coronavirus risk to the public "remains very low."
So far, a total of 60 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., eight of which have returned to their homes, and five of them have fully recovered.
But "the degree of risk has the potential to change quickly, and we can expect to see more cases in the United States," U.S. Health Services Secretary Alex Azar added.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first possible "community spread" in California, which means the CDC doesn't know exactly how the patient contracted the virus.
During the conference, Trump announced that Vice President Mike Pence had been designated to lead the government's response team for the novel coronavirus, and report directly to him.
Before the press conference, the White House was reportedly weighing appointing a czar to oversee the administration's work to address the crisis. According to CNN, President Trump had privately expressed frustration with Alex Azar, who has been coordinating the containment effort, for not keeping him updated.
A plane carrying evacuees from the virus zone in China lands at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, February 5, 2020. /AP
During his address, Trump praised himself for his early response, and claimed some of the measures, such as travel restrictions and quarantines, were "ridiculed," but were later proven to be effectively containing the spread of the outbreak in the U.S.
At this moment, the CDC is considering expanding airport health screening due to the rapid spread of the infection in Italy, South Korea and Japan, according to a spokesperson.
However, Trump said it's "not the right time" to impose travel restrictions to and from more countries with outbreaks, such as Italy and South Korea, which have 470 and 1,261 confirmed cases, respectively.
Currently, the U.S. is doing health screenings only for passengers flying in from China.
When the CDC made the decision to start those screenings on January 17, China had only 45 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus.
Money, masks and hospitals prepared
Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director for the CDC, said during the press conference that although the trajectory of COVID-19 over the weeks and months ahead is uncertain, the U.S. has taken preparatory steps over the last 15 years for pandemic influenza, and the country's experience with the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 should be a reminder of what steps need to be taken.
According to the CDC, the H1N1 flu, which emerged in 2009, killed an estimated 151,700 to 575,400 people worldwide in its first year of circulation.
President Trump mentioned that he had already requested 2.5 billion U.S. dollars from Capitol Hill to combat the threat, but the Democrats think it is not enough. Trump, appearing willing to move toward bipartisanship on the issue, said he will take whatever is given.
"If they want give more, we'll do more. We'll spend whatever is appropriate," Trump said.
He also assured that the U.S. has ordered "a lot" of masks to deal with a potential coronavirus outbreak in its "worst-case scenario."
Mayor Bill de Blasio, left, with Dr. Oxiris Barbot, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, reports on the city's preparedness for the potential spread of the coronavirus in New York, Wednesday, February 26, 2020. /AP
New York City, the international transportation hub of the U.S., has prepared at least 1,200 hospital beds in advance, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced at a news conference on Wednesday. There are no known cases of COVID-19 in New York.
The city has asked for an additional minimum of 300,000 face masks after already distributing about 1.5 million masks, and plans to ask for federal assistance to get that need met from private manufacturers.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is trying to develop a vaccine but says it will take at least a few months before clinical trials start and more than a year until a vaccine could become available. U.S. officials told senators that a vaccine will not be available "in the next 12 or 18 months," according to Senator Roy Blunt.
(Cover photo: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a document as he gives a news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 26, 2020. /Reuters)
At least 894 cases of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Japan as of Thursday morning.
That figure includes 705 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to reports.
Matt Hancock, UK's health secretary said Wednesday that 7,132 people in the country have been tested for the novel coronavirus with 13 of them coming back positive, while eight have since been discharged from hospital.
Speaking on some schools' decision to suspend class after a student came back from holiday in Italy, Hancock said the decision is up to schools themselves.
"In most cases, closure of the childcare or education setting will be unnecessary, but this will be a local decision based on various factors including professional advice," he said.
China contributes equipment to detect COVID-19 cases in Iran: envoy
Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua on Wednesday said China has delivered equipment to Iran to help detect coronavirus cases in the country.
"5,000 kits to detect coronavirus, contributed by China's embassy and Chinese companies in Iran, have been delivered to the Iranian side," Chang tweeted in Persian language.
"Our efforts will continue," said the Chinese envoy.
On Tuesday, China's embassy in Tehran delivered 250,000 masks to Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education as a support to protect Iranians against COVID-19.
Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced on Wednesday that the coronavirus outbreak in the country has affected 139 people and 19 of them died over the past week.
Brazil confirms first coronavirus case in Latin America, patient was back from Italy
Brazil Wednesday confirmed its first coronavirus case after a Sao Paulo resident tested positive, marking it the first such case recorded in Latin America.
Brazil's Health Minister Luiz Henrique said the 61-year-old patient had returned on February 21 from the Lombardy region of Italy, which is now the epicenter of an outbreak in the European country.
A police officer directs the traffic amid snowfall in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Hubei Province, China, February 15, 2020. /Reuters Photo
As of 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, a total of 293 police officers and 111 auxiliary police officers in central China's Hubei Province were infected with the novel coronavirus, among whom four officers sacrificed their lives while on duty, the provincial public security department told Chinanews.com on Wednesday.
So far, 88 police officers and 23 auxiliary officers have been cured, said the department.
Statistics from the bureau indicated that there are 63,000 police officers and 56,000 auxiliary police officers working on the frontline batting against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
To date, a total of 49 police officers and auxiliary police officers across China have sacrificed their lives while on duty during the epidemic outbreak, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Shipping industry can face up to $1.7 bln loss in revenues amid COVID-19
The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the shipping industry "is continuing to increase in scope, and the ripple effects are continuing to show up," said Sea-Intelligence, an analysis company specialized in the sector, in its weekly report. The observation comes at a time when industries and commerce are starting to slowly get back to work across China.
According to the document accessed by CGTN Digital, in the 10-week-period, comprising of the Chinese New Year and the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the industry is being faced with a downfall of some 1.7 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit is the inexact unit of a container), roughly 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenues for the carriers.
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WHO says more new daily COVID-19 cases outside China than inside
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday there were now more new daily cases of the novel coronavirus outside China than inside, marking a major shift in the outbreak of COVID-19.
"Yesterday, the number of new cases reported outside China exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told diplomats in Geneva, saying the surge in Italy, Iran and South Korea and linked cases spread to other European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries are "deeply concerning."
Given the rise, Tedros insisted the WHO is not about to declare a pandemic without a careful and clear-minded analysis of the facts.
The risk assessment of COVID-19 now stands at "high" for the globe.
Tedros added a WHO team will be sent to Iran this weekend to provide help.
While another WHO team joined by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control was dispatched to Italy yesterday.
At a press conference held in Rome on Wednesday, the EU's Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told reporters the novel coronavirus is concerning for Europe but there is no reason for alarm.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Responding to a call of the CPC Central Committee to all Party members, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng all made donations to support the COVID-19 prevention and control work.
Number of cruise ship infections in Japan rises to 705 with 14 new cases
Fourteen more people, five passengers and nine crew members, on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number to 705, the Japanese Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The ship, with more than 3,500 passengers and crew members, docked at the port for more than two weeks before its passengers and crew members were allowed to disembark.
Man in 80s dies in Tokyo after catching new coronavirus, NHK reports
A man in his 80s died in Tokyo on Wednesday after contracting the new coronavirus (COVID-19), reported Japan's public broadcaster NHK citing a government source.
He is the third COVID-19 victim in the country, excluding those who were on the cruise ship Diamond Princess which docked at Yokohama port in Japan, according to NHK.
The man was admitted to a local hospital on February 13 and later developed a fever. He tested positive for the virus on February 18 and was transferred to another hospital.
NHK said he had no travel history to another country.
First U.S. trial for treatment of novel coronavirus begins in Nebraska
The first clinical trial for the treatment of novel coronavirus in the U.S has started, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Tuesday.
The randomized trial includes coronavirus patients admitted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska. Infected patients have been divided into two groups. While one group would be given an antiviral, others will be put on a placebo.
"A randomized, placebo-controlled trial is the gold standard for determining if an experimental treatment can benefit patients," said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and U.S. Coronavirus Task Force member.
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Italy reports 374 cases of COVID-19, 12 deaths
As of Wednesday noon local time, Italy reported a total of 374 cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 12 deaths, an official for the country's civil protection department said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
One individual has been discharged from the hospital among the confirmed cases, said the official.
Greece reports first coronavirus case, linked to Italy history
Greece on Wednesday reported its first coronavirus case, a 38-year-old woman who had recently traveled to northern Italy, a health ministry spokesman said.
The female patient is in a Thessaloniki hospital and in good condition, he added.
It comes as the COVID-19 virus continues to surge in Italy, making it the hardest-hit country in Europe.
The Greek government has also announced the shutdown of some public areas and travel restrictions would be activated in case of a mass outbreak.
The measures, contained in a government decree, include temporary travel bans to and from countries with a large number of infections and enable beds to be requisitioned in hotels and private clinics.
The decree also foresees the temporary closure of "indoor public gathering areas" such as schools, places of worship, cinemas, theaters, sports halls and businesses.
(With input from AFP)
How the coronavirus is impacting the world's major film markets
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus is affecting the film industries not only in China but also many other countries where the epidemic is spreading on a large scale.
As of Tuesday, China has reported 77,779 confirmed COVID-19 cases while the number in South Korea and Italy climbed to 1,146 and 323 respectively in just a couple of days. Other countries like Japan, the U.S. and Iran have also been hit by the epidemic.
Film industry has been worst hit by the novel coronavirus as this art medium requires physical presence of the filmmakers and audiences on a large scale. As the first country to be hit by the virus, China pulled many films – some are potential blockbusters – out of cinemas since before the Lunar New Year (January 24) holiday. Now, some other countries are following suit to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.
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Iran reports 44 new COVID-19 cases as death toll rises to 19
As of Wednesday noon, Iran has reported 44 new novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, bring the total number to 139, said a spokesperson for the Iran's health ministry.
The country's death toll from the COVID-19 has now stands at 19 after four new deceased were reported.
France reports first local death from coronavirus
France reported its first death from the novel coronavirus, the country's health ministry announced Wednesday saying a French man died overnight after being rushed to a Paris hospital in serious condition on Tuesday evening.
The death was among three new cases reported in France.
The country now has 17 confirmed cases and two deaths. The first victim was a male Chinese tourists who died in France in mid-February.
Beijing to quarantine people from countries seriously hit by COVID-19
Beijing has set a 14-day self-quarantine rule for people arriving from nearby countries that have been seriously hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), said Gao Xiaojun, spokesperson for the city's health commission, at a press conference on Wednesday.
Recently, Japan and South Korea have seen a surge in the number of confirmed cases, 860 and over 1,260 respectively.
Gao also appealed to foreign nationals in Beijing to cooperate with local communities.
Some qualifying matches for 2020 Tokyo Olympic will be delayed: Official
Some qualifying tournaments for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be postponed or held in other places due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, Peng Weiyong, an official from the General Administration of Sport of China, said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday.
The football, basketball, volleyball and other professional league in China were also postponed, said Peng.
Two people wear masks as they visit the newly opened Japan Olympic Museum located near the New National Stadium, Sunday, February 23, 2020, in Tokyo. /AP Photo
China to fight until the war against COVID-19 is won globally
China will further deepen international and regional cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, while continuing its prevention and control at the domestic level, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.
Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference with Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia, in Beijing.
"At present, the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is at the most critical stage, and many countries are facing the threat of the epidemic," he said.
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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Ivica Dacic (L), First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Beijing, February 26, 2020. /Via Chinese Foreign Ministry
Facts Tell: Why wasn't the first COVID-19 cadaver dissected until Feb. 16?
Two cadavers of patients who died from the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) were dissected on February 16 at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in China, which are the first dissections made to study this disease. Understanding COVID-19 through dissections could significantly help clinical treatments.
Liu Liang, forensic specialist at the Tongji Medical College in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and his team submitted an urgent report to relevant departments as early as January 22, which called for the dissections of cadavers with COVID-19.
Why weren't the dissections of the cadavers conducted until February 16?
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China's Foreign Ministry Wednesday said a total of 10 foreign nationals in central China's Hubei Province were infected with the novel coronavirus, two of them have died and seven have recovered.
"China attaches great importance to the safety and health of foreign citizens in China, and will continue to take effective measures to facilitate their epidemic prevention and guarantee their basic living conditions," ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday's daily briefing.
Zhao said infected foreign citizens will receive equal medical treatment like the Chinese, but did not provide further information on their nationalities.
S. Korea reports 115 more COVID-19 cases, brings total to 1,261
South Korea Wednesday afternoon reported another 115 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing its total tally to 1,261, according to Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), among which 20 are from the military.
The KCDC had reported another 169 new confirmed cases on Wednesday morning, including a U.S. soldier.
And military official from South Korea and the U.S. are reportedly discussing delay of their upcoming combined military exercises following outbreak on the South Korean soil.
Death toll in South Korea now stands at 12.
Authorities on Wednesday also warned further spike in number of new cases in the coming days as tests start for members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the rapid spread in other provinces.
Nearly 80 percent of infections have come from two clusters of infections - at a branch of Shincheonji Church in Daegu and a hospital in the neighboring county of Cheongdo, according to Yonhap news agency.
A worker wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a bus garage in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, February 26, 2020. /AP
China's Foreign Ministry Wednesday confirmed that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) had recently made contacts to the Chinese government and admitted its mistake in publishing a February opinion piece which carried a headline that was deemed racist.
While the ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the paper has so far not responded to China's demands which has been reiterated many times – a formal apology and a probe into relevant people responsible for the column.
Last week, China decided to revoke the press credentials of three WSJ reporters in the wake of the opinion piece titled "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia," which was published on the WSJ on February 3, saying the article has triggered anger and condemnation among the Chinese people and blatantly insulted China.
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China stands by WSJ reporters' expulsion, says won't be 'silent lamb'
When asked to respond on commentary that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made to accuse China of violating so-called freedom of speech, the spokesman lashed out at his "repellent" words which China expressed firm opposition to.
"Judging from remarks made by the U.S. official, there are two things I have to make clear," Zhao said.
First, Pompeo's voice is in disregard of abundant facts. Second, Pompeo's attitude towards freedom of speech is totally "double standard" based on his "revenge" against NPR journalist, Zhao noted.
WSJ's article is not about editorial independence or freedom of speech. It is about the mistaken choice of a headline with obvious racial discrimination, Zhu emphasized, adding that even WSJ itself admitted mistakes, why does Pompeo insist openly support the media agency?
"Can this be viewed as evidence that the WSJ is actually the agent of the U.S. government?"
Also, Pompeo's ban on NPR reporter from traveling with him after testy interview implied his "double standard" for freedom of speech, Zhao reiterated.
Three more Chinese provinces lower coronavirus response level
The Chinese provinces of Hainan, Qinghai and Jilin have decided to lower their emergency response level after having reported no new coronavirus case.
The northwestern province of Qinghai switched to the third-level response Wednesday noon after reporting no new cases for 20 days in a row.
Hainan decided to lower the emergency response from first- to third-level at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, the sixth day without reports of new cases.
Jilin decided to lower the emergency response from first- to second-level from 3:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Countries around the world need to follow China's example when fighting and preparing for COVID-19, a top World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Tuesday upon returning from the epicenter of the outbreak.
Describing the response as "striking," Bruce Aylward, head of the joint WHO-China mission, said: "In 30 years of doing this business, I've not seen this before, nor was I sure it would work."
Aylward warned that the rest of world "was not ready" to deal with the virus, although "they could get ready fast" should they replicate responses undertaken by China.
East China's Yantai to conduct free nucleic acid tests for all incoming people
The eastern Chinese city of Yantai in Shandong Province will conduct free nucleic acid tests for all incoming passengers, according to a statement issued by local authorities on Wednesday.
The city has strengthened the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Tuesday as it saw increasing number of people entering from neighboring countries, said local authorities.
On Monday, Shandong's coastal city of Qingdao said people arriving there with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 should be isolated in designated hospitals, while others are required to stay at their residences or designated hotels for 14 days.
Another Shandong city, Weihai, said it would quarantine arrivals from Japan and South Korea from Tuesday.
Commenting on China's restrictions on people arriving from Japan and South Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday that the main purpose of these measures is to maintain the health and safety of domestic and foreign citizens and, safeguard regional and global public safety.
An epidemic respects no boundaries, said Zhao, adding that everyone should understand these measures are scientific, professional and modest.
China stands ready to boost cooperation with Japan and South Korea in fighting COVID-19 and is willing to provide support and aid to the two countries within its capacity, noted Zhao.
Airport staff members check the documents of a passenger at Qingdao Liuting International Airport in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, February 25, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Thailand reports 3 new coronavirus cases, urges disclosure of travel history
Thailand reported three new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 40, the country's health ministry officials said, criticizing patients for not disclosing their travel history.
Two of the new patients, all of whom were Thai nationals, had returned from a vacation in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and came into contact with the third patient, an eight-year-old boy, said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary at the ministry.
Latest on spread of coronavirus around the world
Europe – Italy reported 323 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 11 deaths, making it the center of the largest outbreak outside Asia.
Italy's neighbors Switzerland, Austria and Croatia reported their first COVID-19 cases, while Spain and France reported several more.
Africa – Algeria confirmed its first COVID-19 case; the patient is an Italian national who arrived in Algeria on February 17.
Latin America – Brazil reported its first case of COVID-19 as authorities said that a 61-year-old man in Sao Paulo had tested positive for the illness.
North America – A state of emergency has been declared in the American city of San Francisco as the total number of confirmed cases rose to 53 in United States.
Asia – The total number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Japan reached 862.
South Korea reported 169 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 1,146 in the country.
A U.S. soldier stationed in South Korea tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first infected U.S. service member.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced a 120-billion-Hong Kong-dollar (15.4 billion U.S. dollars) relief package in a bid to help the city ride out the economic slump.
The budge includes a 10,000-Hong Kong-dollar (1,200 U.S. dollars) cash handout for each permanent resident aged 18 and above.
Financial Secretary Chan Mo-po announced the plan on Wednesday and said the budget will focus on helping businesses and relieving people's burdens, adding that in 2020 the novel coronavirus outbreak will put great pressure on the labor market but the economy will recover after the outbreak ends.
Brazil reports potential coronavirus case, first in Latin America
Latin America recorded its first case of coronavirus on Tuesday as Brazilian authorities reported that a 61-year-old man in Sao Paulo had tested positive.
The results of a second test to confirm the virus are expected on Wednesday, Brazil's health ministry said.
According to local media, the man recently arrived in Brazil from Italy.
Japan's total number of confirmed cases hits 862
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Japan reached 862 as of Wednesday. This figure includes 157 people who were infected in Japan and Chinese tourists; 691 passengers and crew of the Diamond Princess cruise ship; and 14 people who returned to Japan on a chartered plane.
Central China's Hubei Province reported 401 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number in the province to 65,187.
On the same day, 52 more deaths were reported in Hubei, while 2,058 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A total of 406 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday, and 52 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 78,064, and the cumulative death toll is 2,715.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 2,422 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 29,745.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 85 (two dead, 18 recovered)
Macao: 10 (seven recovered)
Taiwan: 31 (one dead, five recovered)
South Korea on Wednesday reported 115 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 1,261, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Around 80 percent of the confirmed cases currently trace to two clusters of infections. One is at a branch of a minor religious sect in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and another at a hospital in the neighboring county of Cheongdo. The numbers of confirmed cases stand at 677 and 268 respectively.
So far, 12 people have died in South Korea from COVID-19, including a 73-year-old Korean man who was a follower of the religious sect in Daegu and a 36-year-old Mongolian national who was hospitalized for a liver transplant.
The number of new cases is expected to jump in the coming days as the health authorities just started testing about 210,000 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus at the center of the rapid spread.
According to South Korea's Vice Health Minister, Kim Kang-lip, health authorities plan to complete the tests on about 1,300 members out of some 9,000 believers belonging to the Daegu church by Wednesday.
In coping with the anticipated surge of infected people, the government will secure 1,600 beds in Daegu and its neighboring areas by Sunday, Kim said. More health workers will be sent to Daegu, with 205 doctors and nurses volunteering to work in the virus-hit city.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in raised the virus alert to "red", the highest level, on Sunday. The authorities have since been working on halting the spread of the virus in epicenter Daegu, and North Gyeongsang Province.
At the same time, other cities like Seoul have witnessed sporadic cases, with no significant virus hotbeds reported.
In the second-largest city of South Korea, Busan, the cumulative number of virus patients rose to 50, and 23 of them are linked to a Christian church in Dongnae district.
The 23 patients are from Oncheon church in Busan, which were tied to the church's three-day retreat that ended on February 17, officials said.
The U.S. military in South Korea also said one of its soldiers tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first U.S. soldier infected in the country.
A total of 147 Koreans and their Chinese family members were evacuated from Wuhan to Korea via a charter flight on February 12. Among them, 144 tested negative and will be discharged from an isolation center on Thursday, KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong said. The remaining three people will undergo another round of tests.
Beijing tightens measures against overseas imports
Beijing is highly concerned about the risk of infected cases overseas and will implement strict entry measures, officials said Tuesday during a meeting held by a local government group to guide epidemic control work.
Officials said Beijing will continue to prevent the spread of the virus and tighten the health management of foreign visitors in Beijing to prevent more infections.
Algeria confirms first COVID-19 case
Algerian Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid announced on Tuesday that the first COVID-19 case has been detected in the country.
The patient is an Italian national who arrived in Algeria on February 17, who was immediately put under quarantine, receiving special medical treatment, the official said.
Benbouzid reassured that precautionary measures have been adopted in areas such as airports, ports and land border posts, including the installation of temperature cameras.
Switzerland reported its first COVID-19 case on Tuesday in the southern region of Ticino near its Italian border.
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) told the media in Bern that the male patient was in his 70s and had been infected in the Milan region of Italy during an event on February 15. The first symptoms appeared two days later, explained FOPH director Pascal Strupler.
Laboratory tests carried out in Geneva revealed that the patient had been infected with the COVID-19, according to local authorities.
More people wear masks commuting in Milan, Italy, February 24, 2020. /Reuters
A total of 323 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were reported in Italy on Tuesday, with 11 deaths, according to the country's ministry of health.
The four Italian regions of Trentino-South Tyrol, Liguria, Tuscany and Sicily all reported their first confirmed cases on Tuesday, and the virus has spread to nine regions.
The Japanese government on Wednesday said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local organizers are going as planned with the Tokyo Olympics.
The comments from government spokesman Yoshihide Suga followed the assertion by IOC member Richard Pound that organizers face a three-month window to decide the fate of the games.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are likely to be canceled if the coronavirus outbreak is not controlled by late May, according to Pound.
The Tokyo Aquatics Center, a venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is under construction in Tokyo, Japan, February 19, 2020. /VCG
Suga says Pound's opinion does not reflect the official view of the IOC, which has repeatedly said there are no plans to cancel or postpone the Tokyo Games.
"With regard to this member's comment, the IOC has responded that this is not their official position, and that the IOC is proceeding with preparations toward the games as scheduled," said Suga.
In a telephone interview from Montreal earlier, Pound suggested other options like moving events or postponing seemed less likely.
"I'd say folks are going to have to ask: 'Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or now?'"
If the IOC decides the games cannot go forward as scheduled in Tokyo, "you're probably looking at a cancellation," said Pound, who added that he was not commenting on behalf of the IOC.
In Europe, fears about the rapid spread of COVID-19 are focused on Italy, where 12 people are now confirmed dead and a case has just been reported as far south as the island of Sicily.
Whole towns in the north of the country are in lockdown and Austria has closed its Italian border as a precaution.
Here, CGTN is joined by Ilaria Capua, professor and virologist at the University of Florida, who shares her views on why the coronavirus appears to be spreading so fast across this particular part of Europe.
4th Japanese cruise ship death confirmed
A fourth COVID-19 patient from the Diamond Princess cruise ship died, reported NHK on Tuesday.
So far, there are 691 confirmed cases among passengers and crew of the ship.
Two special planes to evacuate Filipinos from Diamond Princess
Two chartered planes arranged by the Philippines government to evacuate Filipinos from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have departed Tokyo, according to the Philippines' Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The first plane carries 311 evacuees, two Philippine diplomats and four medical staff, while 140 people are on board the second plane.
The two planes are scheduled to land in the Philippines' Clark Air Base at 8:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday night. They will be under 14-day quarantine upon arriving.
As of February 25, 80 Filipinos aboard the Diamond Princess are confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. A total of 538 Filipinos, including 531 cruise ship staff and seven passengers were on the ship.
VAT exemption for small businesses in Hubei for next three months
The Chinese State Council announced on Tuesday that it will exempt VAT for small businesses in the central China's Hubei Province, at the heart of the coronavirus epidemic, from March to end of May.
The VAT rate in other regions will be reduced from three to one percent.
The interest rates for loans to small and agriculture businesses will be lowered by 0.25 percent points.
Croatia, Austria report first cases
Croatia on Tuesday confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 infection, according to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. The patient is a young man "showing mild symptoms," he said.
The man was in Milan between February 19 and 21, Health Minister Vili Beros explained.
On the same day, Austria confirmed its first two cases, according to a spokeswoman for the health authority.
The patients were reported to be two Italians who live in the province of Tyrol and were probably infected on a trip to Italy's Lombardy region.
Latest on situation in Middle East countries
Iran onset – Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has tested positive for the COVID-19, local media reported on Tuesday.
Iran reported 34 new COVID-19 cases and three more fatalities, according to local health ministry. There are 95 confirmed infection cases in the country and 15 deaths.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced a ban on all flights to and from Iran amid the virus outbreak. Iran's neighbors have closed borders with the Middle Eastern country, while others have extended travel bans on the Islamic Republic.
Cases in Iraq – Iraq confirmed four more infection cases, bringing the total to five in the country, according to the country's health ministry.
They are an Iraqi family who traveled to Iran, said the ministry. The country reported its first case of the virus on Monday, an Iranian theology student.
Iraq on Tuesday extended an entry ban on travelers from China and Iran, and instituted similar bans on travelers from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Singapore, said the health ministry.
Oman's first cases – Oman has announced its first two cases of the virus, after two Omani women returning from Iran tested positive.
Others – Bahrain on Tuesday reported six more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to eight.
Three more COVID-19 cases were detected in Kuwait on Tuesday after testing citizens returning from Iran. A total of eight cases have been confirmed in the country.
283 confirmed cases, seven deaths reported in Italy
The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Italy has climbed to 283, as of 1100 GMT on Tuesday, according to local authorities.
Seven deaths were reported in the country and one patient was discharged from hospital.
Chinese President Xi Jinping appreciated the help and support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Ethiopia in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in his phone calls with the leaders of the two countries separately on Tuesday.
In his call with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Xi said that the UAE government has provided China with medical supplies many times, which expresses the deep friendship between the two sides and shows the high level of comprehensive strategic partnership.
In his call with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Xi appreciated the fact that Ethiopia has maintained normal contact and exchanges with China in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations.
853 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Japan, Abe vows to contain regional infections
A total of 853 novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Japan, as of 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
There were 14 infected people among those evacuated from central China's Hubei Province on chartered flights by the Japanese government. Among the passengers and crewmembers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, 691 cases have been confirmed.
On Tuesday, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to implement measures to contain regional infections, and create a system to provide sufficient medical care in cooperation with local governments and medical institutions.
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S. Korea reports 84 more confirmed coronavirus cases, 10th death
South Korea reported 84 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number to 977, according to Yonhap.
Ten deaths have been reported so far.
China's Qingdao, Weihai enhance quarantine measures for visitors
Qingdao and Weihai, cities in east China's Shandong Province, have enhanced quarantine measures on visitors to better control the novel coronavirus epidemic.
People arriving in Qingdao with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 should be isolated in designated hospitals, according to a statement from the local government. People who are on short trips in the city have been asked to stay at designated hotels, while others are required to stay at their residences for 14 days.
All incoming personnel must have their hotels or residences in Qingdao registered beforehand and be picked up by vehicles dispatched by district and county-level authorities to their accommodation upon arrival.
The local government said it will enhance risk assessment and port quarantine measures to better curb the spread of the epidemic and explain the situation to foreign visitors.
According to a statement released by Weihai government, starting Tuesday, people from countries including Japan and South Korea, are required to stay at designated hotels for 14 days after they arrive in the city.
Coronavirus: Percentage of severe cases falls in China
The percentage of COVID-19 patients in severe condition in China has fallen, said National Health Commission Spokesperson Mi Feng during a press conference on Tuesday.
On February 24, the percentage of severe COVID-19 cases in Wuhan among all existing cases was 22.0 percent, down from a peak of 31.6 percent on February 11, according to Mi.
Outside of Wuhan, the percentage of severe cases has been steady. The percentage for cities in Hubei, excluding Wuhan, was 11.8 percent, and 10.5 percent for other provinces in China.
By taking multiple treatment measures, including clinical practice with the support of a number of disciplines, China has prevented mild COVID-19 cases from turning into severe cases, said Mi.
UN chief praises China's effort in global fight against coronavirus
The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday praised China's contribution to the global fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), noting that the Chinese are making efforts for humanity.
After discussing the COVID-19 outbreak with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Guterres called on all countries to assume their responsibilities in combating COVID-19.
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UN chief praises China's effort in global fight against coronavirus
China, Russia making progress in COVID-19 vaccine development: ambassador
Chinese and Russian experts are making progress in jointly developing drugs and vaccines for the COVID-19 as the outbreak continues to impact China and the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said Moscow sent a team of experts to China earlier this month and is working with their Chinese counterparts to develop drugs for the virus. The work is "making initial progress," he said.
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A view of Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, China. /CGTN
China will continue to take the strictest control and prevention measures in central Hubei Province to battle against the ongoing novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the National Health Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
Strict control on outbound movement of people in Wuhan, as well as other cities in Hubei where restrictions on people's movements are already in place, will remain. For the cities where traffic control has not been implemented, people will be quarantined for 14 days upon their arrival to their destination, read the statement.
Hubei had 499 new confirmed cases on February 24, bringing the total number in the province to 64,786. The Chinese mainland reported 508 new cases, up from 409 on February 23, bringing the total number to 77,658.
Read more: COVID-19: New cases outside Hubei drop to single-digit levels
China adheres to strict control of personnel in and out of Wuhan
Official: Remdesivir's clinical trial results out on April 27
The clinical trials of antiviral drug remdesivir have officially started at a number of hospitals in central China's Wuhan City, the epicenter of the COVID-19, and the results are expected on April 27, said He Zhimin, vice director of the State Intellectual Property Office, at a media briefing on Tuesday.
Remdesivir has not been approved for marketing in any country as it is still in the clinical stage, said He.
The registration for clinical trials of the antiviral drug was approved early February.
Japan reports 4th death, Diamond Princess cruise ship
Japan on Tuesday reported a fourth death related to the Diamond Princess cruise ship, of a Japanese passenger aged 80, according to NHK.
People wearing face masks walk on a street in Seoul, South Korea, February 25, 2020. /AP Photo
South Korea confirms 60 more COVID-19 cases, total reaches 893
South Korea confirmed 60 more cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total in the country to 893, according to Yonhap news agency.
Seoul also decided to test all followers of the Shincheonji sect for the virus after the religious group agreed to provide a complete list of its members, Yonhap reported.
South Korea has reported a total of eight deaths from the novel coronavirus.
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South Korea confirms 60 more coronavirus cases, total reaches 893
Hubei Province reports 499 new COVID-19 cases on Feb. 24
Central China's Hubei Province reported 499 new cases of the COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 64,786.
On the same day, 68 new deaths were reported in Hubei, while 2,116 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
Ready to go: Wuhan No. 1 Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 22, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
The number of new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 on the Chinese mainland, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped to nine, marking single-digit levels for the first time, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).
A total of 508 new cases of the COVID-19 were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Monday and 71 more deaths were reported, said the NHC.
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 499 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 64,786.
As of February 23, China confirmed 11 new cases of the COVID-19 outside Hubei Province.
So far, the total number of the confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland stands at 77,658 and the cumulative death toll is 2,663.
On Monday, 2,589 new patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 27,323.
The numbers of confirmed cases in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 81 (2 dead, 19 recovered)
Macao: 10 (6 recovered)
Taiwan: 30 (1 dead, 5 recovered)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday that there are now 53 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in the United States.
CNN reported that these include 36 people who were earlier aboard the Diamond Princess, the cruise ship quarantined off Japan, three people repatriated from China and 14 domestic cases.
Read more: Latest on the coronavirus outbreak
U.S. public health officials have also warned that cases among repatriated citizens will likely increase.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the coronavirus was under control in the United States, and added that he thought the stock market, which tumbled on Monday on worries over the fast-spreading disease, was "starting to look very good to me!"
"The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA," Trump, who is visiting India, said on Twitter.
"We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!" he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., before his departure for a state visit to India, February 23, 2020. /Reuters
CDC prepares for a virus pandemic
U.S. health officials are preparing for the possibility of the COVID-19 becoming a pandemic, said the CDC.
"The CDC is operationalizing all of its pandemic preparedness and response plans, working on multiple fronts to meet these goals, including specific measures to prepare communities to respond local transmission of the virus that causes (the) COVID-19," said a statement published by the CDC.
"We're not seeing community spread here in the United States yet, but it's very possible, even likely, that it may eventually happen," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call.
The CDC is collaborating with supply chain partners, hospitals, pharmacies and manufacturers to understand what medical supplies are needed, she said.
The WHO chief said Monday that although the COVID-19 has the potential to become a global pandemic, it has yet to reach that level, based on WHO assessment.
"Does this virus have pandemic potential? Absolutely, it has. Are we there yet? From our assessment, not yet," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a daily briefing.
"For the moment, we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus, and we are not witnessing large-scale severe disease or death," he continued. "Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear."
The coronavirus outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, in December 2019. So far there are 77,269 confirmed cases in China and 2,271 abroad.
White House asks Congress for 2.5 billion U.S. dollars to fight coronavirus
The White House plans to spend a total of 2.5 billion U.S. dollars for fighting the deadly new coronavirus as infections mushroom around the globe, the U.S. media reported Monday.
In a request to the Congress, President Trump's administration asked for 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in emergency spending, according to The Washington Post.
The request was for 1.25 billion U.S. dollars in new funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the transfer of an additional 535 million U.S. dollars originally set aside to fight Ebola.
The White House said it expected to draw additional money from other agencies throughout the government, as well as from the reprioritization of Health and Human Services funding, for a total of 2.5 billion U.S. dollars.
The funds will be spent on areas such as laboratory tests, quarantine, vaccine research and development as well as for supporting affected states, The Washington Post said.
Democrats immediately slammed the request as too low, and the House Appropriations Committee released a statement calling it "woefully insufficient."
"Despite urgent warnings from Congress and the public health community, the Trump administration took weeks to request these emergency funds," said committee chairwoman Nita Lowey.
(With input from AFP)
323 COVID-19 cases confirmed in prisons, Hubei Province
As of February 23, 323 cases of the COVID-19 have been confirmed in prisons in central China's Hubei Province, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said in a statement on Tuesday.
Five critical patients have been admitted to the local hospital. There have been no reports of any casualty.
COVID-19: World must prepare for pandemic, urges WHO chief
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the world should be preparing for a potential pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
In a statement read out at the WHO press conference in Geneva on Monday Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "We must focus on containment whilst doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic.”
The WHO does not consider it to be a pandemic yet as "We are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of the virus," said Dr Ghebreyesus.
"Does this virus have pandemic potential?, absolutely it has, are we there yet? from our assessment, not yet," he added.
READ MORE CGTN Europe's COVID-19 coverage
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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses the media in Geneva: (Credit: AFP/Fabrice Coffrimi)
7th person dies in COVID-19 outbreak in Italy
A seventh person has died in the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy, news agency ANSA reported on Monday.
That was the third reported death in a single day in Italy as the number of confirmed cases surged to nearly 220, making Italy the hardest virus-hit country in Europe.
ANSA said the seventh victim was an 80-year-old man who had been taken to the hospital last week after suffering a heart attack.
Doctors believe he caught the virus there from another patient.
(With input from Reuters)
Graphics: What social media wants to know about the coronavirus
With the cumulative number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China exceeding 77,000 and other countries including Japan and South Korea facing severe situations, the fight against the epidemic has become a common tough task for the international community and global citizens.
During the last two months, social media platforms, including Weibo and Twitter, have allowed for a rapid exchange of information and this is what users in China and the rest of the world wanted to know.
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Graphics: What social media wants to know about the coronavirus
What you need to know about thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade
In the past few weeks, there has been intense debate about whether a thorough ban on wildlife trade should be implemented as well as doubts expressed about the existing law on protecting wildlife. On February 24, China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), approved a draft decision on thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade and eliminating the bad habits of eating wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health.
Here is what you need to know about the thinking behind the new draft decision.
Read more:
What you need to know about thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade
Oman reported its first two novel coronavirus cases on Monday, Oman TV reported citing the country's health ministry.
The two Omani women diagnosed with the coronavirus had visited Iran and are currently in stable condition, according to the report.
Oman has since halted flights to Iran, the report added.
China's top legislature approves decision to ban illegal wildlife trade
China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), on Monday approved a draft decision on thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade and eliminating the bad habits of eating wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health.
The aim is to make clear the complete ban on the consumption of wild animals in a timely manner, crack down on the illegal trade in wild animals, and provide a strong legislative guarantee for winning the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak and protecting people's lives and health before the relevant laws are amended.
On January 26, Chinese authorities issued a nationwide suspension on the trade of wild animals, in an effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
– No significant mutation to novel coronavirus after study of 104 strains, average patient age is 51, bats could be the hosts and pangolins could be intermediate hosts.
– Fatality of novel coronavirus in China is about 3-4 percent; excluding Hubei Province that figure drops to about 0.7 percent.
– 3,387 medics infected – 2,055 confirmed, 1,070 clinically diagnosed and 157 suspected cases. More than 90 percent of the confirmed cases are in Hubei Province.
– China's response to the outbreak has shifted the curve of the rapid rise in new confirmed cases of coronavirus, with an 80-percent drop in two weeks.
– Community transmission of coronavirus in other provinces outside Hubei has been limited, suggesting that traffic control measures in Wuhan and Hubei Province have effectively prevented the spread of the epidemic to the rest of the country and the world.
– The world needs China's experience on fighting against novel coronavirus, and should take novel coronavirus seriously; it is not SARS or influenza.
– China has given timely consideration to the actual situation in each place and its capacity to adjust the response measures against the outbreak, such as the temporary allocation and shifting of beds in hospitals to treat more infected patients.
Hong Kong to bar non-resident arrivals from South Korea over COVID-19
Hong Kong will bar non-residents arriving from South Korea from Tuesday morning in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak, the city's security chief said on Monday.
"Considering the development of the epidemic in South Korea, the Security Bureau will issue a red travel alert," John Lee told reporters.
Number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 soared to over 800 in South Korea on Monday.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government Monday also issued a Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on South Korea based on public health considerations.
"Red OTA urges the public planning to travel to Korea to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential travel," a government spokesman said.
Italy reports sixth novel coronavirus death
Italy reported its sixth novel coronavirus death, adding that the person was a cancer patient in the northern town of Brescia, according to state broadcaster RAI.
AIIB donates 1 million U.S. dollars to help China fight COVID-19
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is contributing 1 million U.S. dollars to help China control the spread of COVID-19. The amount comprises donations from AIIB staff and matching funds from the Bank.
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AIIB donates 1 million U.S. dollars to help China fight COVID-19
HKSAR govt decides to send charter flights to bring residents in Hubei back
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has decided to use charter planes to pick up residents in Hubei Province in batches to return to Hong Kong, stating that those stranded in Wuhan will be the first to be evacuated, local media reported on Monday.
Five dead, 219 confirmed cases of coronavirus reports in Italy
Italy reported its fifth death from the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Monday, among the total number of 219 confirmed cases in the country, Civil Protection said at press conference on Monday.
The fifth death was from Lombardy, where the outbreak is most severe in Italy.
China stands by WSJ reporters' expulsion, says won't be 'silent lamb'
China's foreign ministry Monday reiterated its stance on canceling the visas of three journalists working for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), saying it should take responsibility for what it has published.
"Why did the WSJ publish an article that smears China and Chinese people? Why did it choose a headline with obvious racial discrimination, and why has no one come forward to apologize so far?" Zhao Lijian, the ministry's new spokesman, asked at a daily press briefing on Monday.
"China won't be a silent lamb," Zhao said.
Read more:
China stands by WSJ reporters' expulsion, says won't be 'silent lamb'
Iraq on Monday announced its first case of novel coronavirus. An Iranian national in the holy Shiite city of Najaf tested positive, a local medical source said.
Iraq has shut its Safwan border crossing with Kuwait to travelers and trade at Kuwait's request, the local mayor told Reuters on Monday.
Italy says a fourth person has died of COVID-19, 215 cases in total
On Monday, Italy reported its fourth death from the coronavirus (COVID-19), an 84-year-old man in the northern Lombardy region.
The number of cases has surged in the European country with the latest figure being 215.
11 towns - 10 in Lombardy and one in neighboring Veneto, the most virus-hit regions in Italy - are under lockdown, with some 50,000 residents prohibited from leaving.
Gathering spots, such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs have also been ordered to close by regional authorities as fear for virus spread.
(With input from AFP)
Tourists wearing sanitary masks move a few steps of dance, in downtown Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. /AP
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism Monday warned Chinese citizens against travelling to the U.S. saying Chinese tourists have been unfairly treated due to excessive prevention measures taken by the U.S. over the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and "security situation" in the country.
South Korea confirmed 70 more novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on Monday afternoon, taking the tally to 833, by far the largest in any nation outside of China.
The updated figures on the website of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought the day's total to 231, the highest to date.
South Korea so far has reported seven deaths from the virus infection cases.
People wearing face masks sit under a banner about precautions against COVID-19 on a street in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, February 24, 2020. /AP
Iran's coronavirus death toll rises by four to 12
Four more people have died from the coronavirus in Iran, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 12, state TV reported citing the country's minister of health on Monday.
A total of 61 confirmed novel coronavirus cases have so far been reported in Iran.
Afghanistan reported its first confirmed novel coronavirus case on Monday, the country's health ministry announced.
Ferozuddin Feroz, the minister of public health, told a press conference in Kabul one of three suspected cases had been confirmed in the Western province of Herat.
He also announced a state of emergency in the province, which borders Iran where dozens of cases of the disease have been confirmed.
Afghanistan's Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) Sunday said the country suspended air and ground travel to neighboring Iran as fears across the region grow over a jump in new coronavirus infections.
China adheres to strict control of personnel in and out of Wuhan
Wuhan authorities have rescinded an announcement made earlier on Monday that non-residents could leave if they show no coronavirus symptoms and have never had contact with patients, adding that the city will continue its efforts to avoid the virus spreading to other regions.
The local authorities seriously criticized the relevant personnel and said Wuhan will adhere to strictly managing the passage from the city, controlling personnel in and out of Wuhan, and preventing the spread of the epidemic.
Wuhan, home to over 11 million people and capital city of central China's Hubei Province, suspended buses, subways, ferries, flights and trains for outbound passengers on January 23 to halt the coronavirus spread, which so far has sickened over 77,000 people and killed at least 2,595.
Read more: Epicenter - 24 hours in Wuhan
Graphics: How are ordinary people coping in coronavirus-hit Wuhan?
Kuwait on Monday confirmed three cases of novel coronavirus infection, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported citing the local health ministry.
According to KUNA, the three cases were among the 700 people evacuated from the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad last week.
This is the first three cases reported in the Gulf state.
As of 12:00 local time on February 23, Iran has confirmed 43 coronavirus infections and eight deaths.
Bahrain reports first case of COVID-19 in citizen returning from Iran
The first case of the novel coronavirus was detected in Bahrain, Bahrain News Agency said on Monday, citing the health ministry.
The Ministry of Health added that it was a Bahraini citizen arriving from Iran.
Hubei Province reports 398 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 398 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 64,287.
On the same day, 149 deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,439 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
A health worker (C) escorts two recovered COVID-19 patients leave Tianjin Haihe Hospital in Tianjin, north China, February 8, 2020. /Xinhua
A total of 409 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Sunday, and 150 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The number of the new deaths on Sunday marked a new high since February 12, when 254 new deceased were reported.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 77,150, and the cumulative death toll is 2,592.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,846 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 24,734.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 74 (two dead, 12 recovered)
Macao: 10 (six recovered)
Taiwan: 28 (one dead, five recovered)
Chinese lawmakers on Monday started deliberating a draft decision on thoroughly banning illegal wildlife trade and eliminating the bad habits of eating wild animals to safeguard people's lives and health.
The draft decision was submitted to Monday's bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
The draft, consisting of eight articles, focuses on the prominent problem of some people recklessly eating wild animals.
It aims to completely ban the eating of wild animals and crack down on illegal wildlife trade before relevant laws are amended so as to provide a strong legislative guarantee for safeguarding public health and ecological security.
Six provinces in China lower emergency response level
As of Monday, six provinces in China have lowered their emergency response level to the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to local health commissions.
Southern Guangdong Province and north China's Shanxi Province adjusted their provincial response level from level one to level two, while the provinces of Liaoning, Guizhou, Yunnan and Gansu lowered their response level to level three.
In January, 31 provincial-level regions in China launched a level one emergency response to fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
China to minimize impact of novel coronavirus on economy
China is working to limit the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the economy, said a senior official on Monday.
Cong Liang, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a press conference that China is confident in overcoming the coronavirus and maintaining stable economic growth.
China has rolled out several measures to help businesses. There is a focus on helping smaller firms with tax and fee cuts, Cong said, adding that the impact on China’s economy will be limited and short term.
Members of the China-World Health Organization (WHO) team visited Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, over the weekend to inspect the work being done to contain the novel coronavirus.
The joint expert team visited the Tongji Hospital and a temporary hospital converted from Wuhan Sports Center, reported the National Health Commission (NHC).
The team reported back to the National Health Commission of China in Wuhan on the status, main findings and suggestions of the epidemic. China will further improve institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and control of major coronavirus outbreak, improve the national public health emergency management system, and continue to strengthen cooperation with the WHO.
The team began its work in China on February 16 and has finished its investigation in Beijing, Guangdong Province and Sichuan Province, said the NHC.
A huge screen about precautions against the COVID-19 is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, February 23, 2020. /AP
South Korea on Monday reported 161 more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number to 763, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Most of the new confirmed cases were reported in the city of Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city.
South Korean airlines later announced that flights to Daegu would be temporarily suspended. Korean Air has decided to halt all flights to Daegu until March 28, while Asiana will halt all flights to the city until March 9, according to their representatives.
An additional two people were said to have died, which brought the death toll to seven.
It's been exactly one month since Wuhan imposed its unprecedented lockdown.
All public transportation was stopped, all commercial flights in and out of the city were halted, and residents were urged not to even leave their homes.
It was an extraordinary move by the Chinese government.
Now, 31 days later, CGTN's Zhao Yunfei shows us the aftereffects.
Xi Jinping urges to orderly resume business operations, turn COVID-19 outbreak into impetus
Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday urged governments at all levels to fully implement all the prevention work and turn the pressure into impetus when realizing orderly resumption of business operations.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when attending a meeting in Beijing to advance the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic and economic and social development.
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Xi Jinping urges to orderly resume business operations, turn COVID-19 outbreak into impetus
Answer Bank: How did patients recover from COVID-19 without special treatment?
As the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread in China, the number of recovered patients is also experiencing an upward trend.
According to the data published by China's National Health Commission, 22,936 patients have recovered from COVID-19, accounting for 30 percent of the total confirmed cases.
It's reported that scientists around the world are racing against the clock to find a treatment. But the fact is there are still no tailored drugs or vaccines available for patients.
If there's no specific drug for the disease, how did patients recover from the coronavirus disease? Before we find out the truth, let's take a close look at how the cunning virus infects human bodies.
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Answer Bank: How did patients recover from COVID-19 without special treatment?
Afghanistan bans travel to and from Iran over virus fears
Afghanistan's Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) Sunday said the country suspended air and ground travel to neighboring Iran as fears across the region grow over a jump in new coronavirus infections.
ONSC said Afghanistan has no positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) yet but precautionary measures have been taken to prepare health centers in Kabul and in the provinces to identify and treat any cases.
Iran already reported 43 positive cases by early night on Sunday, eight of them were fatal, making it the second country with the most deaths reports after China.
Turkey says it will 'temporarily' close Iran border over virus fears
Turkey on Sunday announced it would "temporarily" close its land border with neighboring Iran as alarm grows over a spike in new coronavirus infections. "We have decided to shut the land border temporarily after an increase in the number of cases in our neighbor Iran," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters.
AFP reported that Pakistan on Sunday also closed its land border with Iran.
Japanese authorities Sunday said 57 more people on board the quarantined Diamond Princess have tested positive for the new coronavirus (COVID-19), bring total number of infection cases on the ship to 691.
The country earlier has reported a third death related to the cruise ship, saying a Japanese male passenger in his 80s has died in hospital on Sunday. He was transferred to hospital after tested positive while onboard.
But Japan's health officials did not mention when he's been tested and hospitalized, nor the location of the facility.
The virus-hit ship has nearly 3,700 passenger and crew members.
After the end of a two-week quarantine on February 19, some of its passengers who tested negative for the virus have disembarked in batches.
However, Japan has been scrutinized over these days for its mismanagement and bad handling of quarantine on the ship, and situation worsened after reports of disembarked passenger tested positive for the virus shortly after home emerged.
Japan's health minister Sunday said daily phone calls will be made to hundreds of people who have disembarked from the Diamond Princess to keep close tabs on their health conditions.
As of 9:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, Japan had 838 confirmed cases, consisting of 619 on the virus-hit ship, 133 domestic infections and 14 of people flew back Japan via government charted airplanes from overseas.
South Korea says a sixth person has died from the coronavirus
A sixth person died of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection on Sunday in South Korea, the country's disease control and prevention authorities said.
It was the second death from the virus in South Korea in a single day.
Third coronavirus death from 'Diamond Princess' in Japan
A Japanese man in his 80s, infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), has died, according to Japan's NHK news citing the country's health department.
The man had been transferred to a local hospital and was treated there after testing positive for the virus on the ship.
A total of 634 passengers and crew members aboard the ship have tested positive for the virus.
On Thursday, two Japanese passengers at the Diamond Princess cruise ship, one male and one female both in their 80s, succumbed to the virus.
Iran confirmed on Sunday 15 new cases of the COVID-19 infection, of which three were fatal, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on the state TV.
That brings the total number of fatalities to eight and infections to 43 in the country.
Four new COVID-19 cases surfaced in Tehran, seven in the holy city of Qom, two in Gilan and one each in Markazi and Tonekabon.
Till now, most of the infections occurred in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Qom.
Officials have urged people to avoid travelling to Qom, some 120 km south from the Iranian capital Tehran.
Qom authorities have shut down schools and religious seminaries in face of growing infection cases. While in other cities, including Tehran, have also closed schools until Tuesday.
More than 100 coronavirus cases confirmed in Italy
At least 89 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Italy's Lombardy region on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to over 100. Italian officials said the final two days of Venice Carnival on Monday and Tuesday will be canceled amid coronavirus outbreak, according to Reuters reports.
Graphics: How are ordinary people coping in coronavirus-hit Wuhan?
"It really changed a lot," Wu Wenjun, a 27-year-old medical worker in Wuhan, told CGTN about her life since the lockdown of the megacity, which is home to over 11 million people and also the epicenter of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Wu rides her electric bike to work because there is no public transportation. "The first thing I do when I wake up every morning is to check the weather report," said Wu, adding that she is getting used to carrying two napkins in case she needs to use the elevator or other public facilities.
Wu's life, along with that of millions of others in Wuhan, the capital city of central China's Hubei Province, has seen great changes since the city suspended buses, subways, ferries, flights and trains for outgoing passengers on February 23 to halt the coronavirus spread which so far has sickened over 76,000 people and killed at least 2,300.
Losing the hustle and bustle of the past, Wuhan's mayor said about nine million people were in the city after the lockdown. For the ones who stayed, what are their main concerns, and what has changed?
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Graphics: How are ordinary people coping in coronavirus-hit Wuhan?
New study further proves Wuhan seafood market not the source of COVID-19
A recent study conducted by a group of Chinese scientists have found further genome evidence to prove that the seafood market in Wuhan is not the source of the novel coronavirus – a claim first made in a paper published on The Lancet.
The study, led by researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences, South China Agricultural University and Chinese Institute for Brain Research, was published on ChinaXiv on Saturday in a pre-print version without peer review.
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New study further proves Wuhan seafood market not the source of COVID-19
NEA committed to ensuring a stable energy supply nationwide
The National Energy Administration (NEA) conducted a variety of measures to ensure a stable energy supply nationwide, Lu Junling, an official from the NEA, said at a press conference held by China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Sunday.
When asked about the power supply, he said the NEA is guiding the power enterprises to guarantee emergency support while working to solve the power access problems of Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital, Leishenshan Hospital, and temporary hospitals.
South Korea reports 5th COVID-19 death, total confirmed cases soar to 602
South Korea reported the fifth death due to the COVID-19 in the country, according to Yonhap news agency.
Forty six more confirmed cases were also registered on Sunday afternoon, bring the total number of the infected cases to 602.
South Korea earlier increased its alert to the highest level as numbers surged over the past three days due to a cluster of infections that emerged from a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu last week.
"The COVID-19 incident faces a grave turning point. The next few days will be crucial," President Moon Jae-in said following a government meeting on the virus. "The government will raise the alert level to the highest level according to experts' recommendations," he added.
(With input from AFP)
Coronavirus kills 29-year-old Wuhan female doctor
Xia Sisi, a 29-year-old doctor from the department of gastroenterology in Caidianqu People's Hospital in Wuhan, died Sunday after being infected with the novel coronavirus while fighting in the front lines against the epidemic, according to the hospital.
Hospital officials expressed deep condolences over Xia's death and expressed deep sympathy to her family.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in set the country's alert level against the COVID-19 to its "highest" in response to hundreds of additional confirmed cases over the weekend, according to Yonhap reports.
Meanwhile, South Korean Ministry of Education announced it will postpone the new school year until March 9 as coronavirus spikes, Education Minister Yoo Eun said the ministry will closely monitor the ongoing outbreak and will take additional measures if necessary.
The minister on Sunday also unveiled the measures to support Chinese international students enrolled in Korean universities, the measures including allowing them to take online classes and providing them with health monitoring.
A worker wearing protective gears sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, February 21, 2020. /AP
At least 70,000 Chinese students study in South Korea, and some 38,000 are still in China. The next two weeks will be when Chinese students are expected to return to South Korea.
On Sunday, South Korea reported 123 more confirmed cases of the COVID-19 and a sixth death, according to local media reports.
This brings the total number of infections in the country to 602.
(Cover: South Korea's capital Seoul logo in downtown Seoul, South Korea, February 23, 2020. /AP)
Shandong gov't appoints Wu Lei as provincial director of prison administration
The Shandong provincial government on Friday appointed Wu lei as director of the Shandong provincial prison administration.
Due to the lack of prevention and control of the epidemic in Rencheng Prison, the provincial Party committee decided to remove Xie Weijun as secretary of the Party committee and director of the provincial department of justice, and secretary of the Party committee and the first political commissar of the provincial prison administration. Wang Yujun was appointed secretary of the Party committee of the provincial department of justice and the first political commissar of the provincial prison administration.
A total of 207 cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Shandong's Rencheng Prison in the city of Jining on Friday, including seven prison officers.
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On Saturday, 26 new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in Japan, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 769, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK.
That figure includes 634 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
South Korea reports 123 more coronavirus cases, fourth death
South Korea on Sunday reported 123 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and a fourth death, according to Yonhap News Agency.
This brings the total number of infections in the country to 556.
The number of COVID-19 infections soared over the weekend. The country on Friday declared the southeastern city of Daegu and its adjacent county Cheongdo as "special care zones."
A total of 648 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 97 new deaths were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 76,936, and the cumulative death toll to 2,442.
Chinese health authorities said 2,230 patients were discharged from the hospitals on Saturday, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 22,888.
Moreover, 18 new infections were reported in regions outside Hubei on the Chinese mainland, with 21 province-level regions recording zero new cases.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 69 (two dead, 11 recovered)
Macao: 10 (six recovered)
Taiwan: 26 (one dead, two recovered)
The third charter flight for Chinese nationals aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday morning.
The plane arrived at around 6:00 a.m. with five passengers from HKSAR, an official from the HKSAR government's Security Bureau said on Sunday.
Earlier, the first and second chartered flights brought 188 passengers back to Hong Kong and 20 came back on their own.
All the passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at a housing estate in the New Territories.
As of Saturday, a total of 634 coronavirus cases were confirmed on the cruise ship, with 68 from HKSAR. The infected patients received treatment in local hospitals in Japan.
Guo Shengkun, secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee under the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged prisons in north China's Hubei Province to acknowledge their special and tough conditions to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus.
Noting the most challenging risk is externally generated, Guo emphasized that the most effective prevention and control measures for prisons still rely on closed-off management.
He made the remarks while inspecting the epidemic prevention and control measures at prisons in the province on Saturday.
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648 new coronavirus cases, 97 new deaths on the Chinese mainland
Science behind the virus: Where is the epidemic going?
In a meeting with police officers and other officials, Guo discussed the measures taken in the wake of novel coronavirus, checked the work report and noted suggestions.
Meanwhile, Guo called for more efforts to contain the epidemic, undertake political responsibilities and plug loopholes in management, urging local prisons to learn lessons stemming from random cases.
So far, five prisons in Hubei, Shandong and Zhejiang provinces have reported infections, Justice Ministry official He Ping said Friday.
In turn, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee has sent a team for a comprehensive investigation at Rencheng Prison in Shandong.
Italy reported the total number of novel coronavirus infections in the country jumped to 79 cases from an earlier figure on Saturday of 39 in Lombardy, 12 in Veneto and three in Rome, including two deaths, the Commissioner for Health Emergency Angelo Borrelli said at a press conference later that day.
The cases are mainly concentrated in Lombardy, which has 54 cases and 17 cases in the Veneto region. Two cases were reported in Emilia-Romagna, two in Lazio (two Chinese tourists reported at the end of January) and one in Piedmont. In addition, one patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
"In zones considered hot spots, neither entry or exit will be authorized without special permission," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said during a press conference, adding that businesses and schools in the areas would be closed.
Hubei Province reports 630 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 630 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number in the province to 64,084.
On the same day, 96 deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,742 patients were discharged from hospitals after full recovery.
Iran closes schools in two cities over coronavirus: State TV
Iran will close schools, universities, and educational centers in two central cities to prevent a deadly coronavirus from spreading, state TV reported on Saturday.
The shutdown will begin on Sunday and last two days in Qom, where two people have died from the virus, and a week in Arak.
As of Saturday, a total of 28 cases have been reported in the country, five of them fatal.
In light of the spread in Iran, Tehran has also suspended religious pilgrimage trips to Iraq on Saturday, according to Fars News Agency.
(With input from AFP)
A timeline of events on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship
The Diamond Princess cruise ship began its journey over a month ago from Yokohama, a city some 30 kilometers south of the capital Tokyo. It called at several ports in Japan, China, and Vietnam, and after two weeks at sea returned to Yokohama a day ahead of schedule.
The reason for this – one of the passengers who boarded at Yokohama and got off at Hong Kong, later tested positive for COVID-19. The man had developed a cough before boarding the cruise, stayed on the ship for six days, and gotten a fever after disembarking.
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A timeline of events on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship
PBOC to further support epidemic-hit businesses, negative impact temporary, says official
China's central bank will continue to support businesses affected by the coronavirus epidemic, including channeling structural monetary tools and releasing more liquidity, said vice governor of the bank.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will strengthen its counter-cyclical adjustments and enhance the use of re-lending and rediscount to lower financing costs for companies, Liu Guoqiang, the vice governor, told the Financial News in an interview on Wednesday.
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PBOC to further support epidemic-hit businesses, negative impact temporary, says official
WHO concerned about coronavirus cases with no clear link
The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the number of coronavirus cases with no clear epidemiological link, although the total number of cases outside China remains relatively small, its director general said on Saturday.
Cases with no clear link include those with no travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing.
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Answer Bank: Why use forehead thermometers for temp check amid outbreak?
Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus, temperature checks have become routine in neighborhoods and workplaces. And staff prefer to use the forehead thermometer, rather than the ear or mercurial ones.
Forehead thermometer, also known as the infrared thermometer, takes one's temperature by sensing the infrared energy radiated by the human body, as all materials emit infrared energy when the temperature is above absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius).
The process won't cause any damage to the human body because the measurement is done by the absorption and detection of infrared energy.
Why choose the forehead thermometer?
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Answer Bank: Why use forehead thermometers for temp check amid outbreak?
A total of 23 passengers, who have disembarked the Diamond Princess cruise ship, did not undergo nucleic acid testing for the novel coronavirus during the medical inspection on the ship starting February 5, the Japanese Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare admitted.
Katsunobu Katō apologized for the mistake during a press conference on Saturday. He added the ministry will learn from this mistake and take measures to prevent it from happening again.
Discharged patients in Wuhan to go for 14 days' isolation
Patients in Wuhan who had recovered from the COVID-19 will be isolated in designated areas for 14 days upon discharge from the hospital, starting Saturday, the city's disease control and prevention department announced.
After a 14-day medical observation free of charge, the recovered patients will be allowed to go home.
Iran reports 10 new coronavirus cases, including one fatal
Iran on Saturday reported 10 new COVID-19 cases, one of which is fatal, Health Ministry spokesperson Kianush Jahanpur said on state television.
"We have 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19," he said.
"One of the new cases has unfortunately passed away," he added, noting that eight patients had been hospitalized in Qom and two in Tehran. The spokesperson did not give details about where the death had occurred.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Iran currently stands at 28, among which five have been fatal.
Italy reports second death from coronavirus infection
Italy on Saturday reported the second death from the novel coronavirus caused pneumonia, according to ANSA News Agency, citing local healthcare sources.
The victim was a female resident in Milan's Lombardy region. Her death comes after a 78-year-old man died at a hospital in the city of Padua.
The number of patients that tested positive for the novel coronavirus has risen to 29 in the country, specifically in the region between Veneto and Lombardy, said ANSA.
The number of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in China is on a downwards trend and more and more patients are recovering as a result of strengthened prevention and control measures and rescue forces, an official from the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press conference on Saturday.
NHC spokesperson Mi Feng noted that the number of virus infections in Wuhan City, other cities in Hubei Province and other provinces in China all went down from their peaks.
The figure in Wuhan went down to 36,680 on Friday from its peak of 38,020 on February 18. Other cities in Hubei Province reported 10,967 on Friday, compared to the peak number of 13,886 on February 14.
While for other provinces apart from Hubei, the number went from 9,141 on February 11 to 5,637 on February 21.
Doctor Elmer Huerta, the director of the Cancer Preventorium at Washington Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, shared some insights on what has been done in China since the start of the new coronavirus outbreak.
Number of coronavirus cases in South Korea soars to 433
South Korea confirmed 87 more cases of novel coronavirus infection, and a total of 229 new cases have been reported on Saturday, according to Yonhap News Agency citing local health authorities.
The total number of infections in the country now stands at 433.
On Friday, South Korea declared the southeastern city of Daegu and its adjacent county Cheongdo as "special care zones" after a coronavirus cluster was reported there in recent days.
Two South Korean patients have died during the week from the new coronavirus.
A third chartered flight arranged by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to bring back passengers quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship is scheduled to take off from Japan at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, local authorities announced on Saturday.
As of Saturday, 70 passengers from Hong Kong had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The flight will carry 17 passengers without close contact with confirmed cases and authorized by Japanese authorities to leave the ship.
One passenger was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus after returning to Hong Kong, authorities have said.
Eighty-four passengers have returned to Hong Kong on the second evacuation flight arranged by the HKSAR government. So far, 190 people have arrived in Hong Kong after disembarking from the cruise ship.
The first high-speed mask production line has been launched in China.
Since the novel corronavirus outbreak during the Spring Festival, the CEO of Dandong Futian Precision Machinery in east China's Huangshan City thought about starting a mask production line over the holidays.
From a technical perspective, building a mask-production machine is easier than what they are currently doing, so he came to the idea of switching to producing masks.
People hope the COVID-19 outbreak will come to an end as soon as possible. So what could be in store for the epidemic? We don't have a crystal ball to show us the future, but we can get some clues from the past.
Both SARS and COVID-19 are known as coronaviruses, so it might be helpful to compare the 2003 SARS outbreak with the current one. This might present us with the best-case scenario, where the virus is put under control through public health intervention.
Hotpot restaurants are providing no-contact delivery services amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Now, foodies can enjoy hotpot in the comfort of their homes.
The special service doesn't involve any physical contact between the staff and the food before or during the delivery. There is also no physical contact between the deliveryman and the customer.
Hotpot is prepared with fresh ingredients. It is mandatory for the staff to wear masks, protection suits and gloves. There are buckets filled with disinfectants at the entrance for staff members to sanitize their footwear. Meat and vegetables are stored separately and deliverymen can collect the food without going inside the kitchen.
With strict hygiene standards, rules about wearing masks, protective suits and gloves, constant monitoring of staff's body temperatures, and surveillance for food-safety purposes, customers can relax and enjoy their favorite hotpot.
Xi Jinping replies to letter from Bill Gates on fight against COVID-19
Chinese President Xi Jinping has written back to Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, after receiving a letter from the U.S. business leader on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In his letter dated February 20, the Chinese president wrote: "I deeply appreciate the act of generosity of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and your letter of solidarity to the Chinese people at such an important moment."
Gates said in his letter on February 6 that his foundation has committed up to 100 million U.S. dollars in emergency funding, much of which will help China bolster epidemiological research, emergency intervention, and the research and development of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.
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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua, in Seattle, U.S., November 13, 2019. /Xinhua Photo
South Korea on Saturday reported 142 more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), according to Yonhap News Agency.
This brings the total number of infections in the country to 346.
On Friday, South Korea declared the southeastern city of Daegu and its adjacent county Cheongdo as "special care zones" after a coronavirus cluster was reported there in recent days.
Two South Korean COVID-19 patients died during the week from pneumonia.
A recovered patient infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) waves to medical staff at a temporary hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 21, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
A total of 20,659 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospitals after recovery by the end of Friday, Chinese health authority said Saturday.
Friday saw 2,393 people walk out of hospitals after recovery, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.
By the end of Friday, a total of 2,345 people had died of the disease and 76,288 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China.
Hubei Province reports 366 new COVID-19 cases
Central China's Hubei Province reported 366 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number in the province to 63,454.
On the same day, 106 deaths were reported in Hubei while 1,767 patients were discharged from hospital after full recovery.
CGTN Photo
A recovered patient infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) waves goodbye to medical staff at the 4th People's Hospital of Qinghai Province in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, February 21, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
A total of 397 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland and 109 new deaths were reported on Friday, according to China's National Health Commission.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 76,288, and the cumulative death toll to 2,345 by the end of Friday.
Chinese health authorities said that, on Friday, 2,393 patients were discharged from the hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 20,659.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 68 (two dead, six recovered)
Macao: 10 (six recovered)
Taiwan: 26 (one dead, two recovered)
Hubei revises February 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases to 775, from previous 349
The health commission of Hubei Province on Friday revised the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in the province on February 19 to 775, up from the previously reported 349.
As of February 20, a total of 63,088 novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in Hubei.
CGTN Photo
A 78-year-old patient in the northern city of Padua, Italy, has died from the novel coronavirus, becoming the first victim of the disease in the country, Ansa news agency reported on Friday.
Health authorities on Friday announced 15 COVID-19 cases in the wealthy northern region of Lombardy and two in neighboring Veneto where Padua is located, bringing the total to 17.
(With input from Reuters)
FILE PHOTO: Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization. (Photo by Naohiko Hatta – Pool/Getty Images)
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that the WHO-led team of international experts currently in China to investigate the novel coronavirus outbreak will travel to China's central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, on Saturday.
COVID-19: Transmission outside of China in graphics
Outside of China, there are more than 1,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). More than half have been on the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship docked in Japan; the rest are scattered among 27 countries, mostly in Asia.
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The fake news and anti-China agenda surrounding the novel coronavirus outbreak have triggered anger in China and around the world, as social media influencers, medical experts and the Chinese government have condemned the conspiracy theories about the source of the virus.
Now the World Health Organization (WHO) has also joined the anti-conspiracy voices with Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning the world to be "very, very careful" about coronavirus-related information.
"We shouldn't trust anything until it's proven with science and evidence," Tedros said during a WHO news briefing on Thursday.
He also said an international team is working in China to investigate the virus and government's measures.
Xi Jinping chairs leading body meeting on COVID-19 control, economic progress
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday held a meeting on the prevention and control of the COVID-19, and the coordination between epidemic control and economic and social development.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the meeting.
At present, the spread of the epidemic has been curbed, and the prevention and control work has achieved results. The number of newly diagnosed and suspected cases across the country has shown a general downward trend. The number of recovered patients discharged from hospitals has increased rapidly, especially in the provinces outside Hubei, according to the meeting.
However, the turning point of the COVID-19 outbreak has not come yet and the prevention and control situation in Hubei Province and Wuhan City is still severe and complicated.
Lebanon reports its first confirmed coronavirus case
Lebanon has recorded its first confirmed coronavirus case, and two other suspected cases are being investigated, Lebanese Health Minister Hassan Hamad said on Friday.
"The virus was found in a 45-year-old Lebanese woman who had traveled from Qom in Iran," Hamad said.
The patient is under quarantine and is being transferred to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, media outlets reported citing hospital officials.
Frontline medical teams in Wuhan will have at least 2 days off out of 10
According to the Wuhan prevention and control office of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), medics who have journeyed to the city and worked at the front line of the fight against the endemic will have at least two days off out of 10. And each medic will be subsidized 200 yuan each day for meals.
There are over 200 medical teams involving 30,000 people across the country that came to support Wuhan. The prevention and control office said they will improve conditions in terms of accommodation, safety, commuting, finance and other aspects.
Wuhan authorities have guaranteed that medical teams will have meat, vegetables and fresh fruit to eat. These teams are also provided with toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, heaters, blankets and other necessities in good time. They can work in shifts and have enough sleep.
'Race against time': Premier Li visits Beijing factory, urging production of masks
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called on factories to speed up the production of medical supplies, especially face masks, as part of efforts to control the spread of the COVID-19 that has swept across the country and infected over 75,567 people.
Premier Li said the country has made progress in preventing and controlling the epidemic over the last few days, thanks to medical supplies, material and equipment which have played great supporting roles.
Earlier on Monday, Li said the control of the COVID-19 is showing an "active and improving" trend, and with the measures the government has taken, the possible wider spread of the virus has been averted.
People will need a larger number of face masks as they return to workplaces, he said, urging factories to "race against time" to produce such medical supplies.
Li made the remarks during a visit to a bio-tech company in Beijing.
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'Race against time': Premier Li visits Beijing factory, urging production of masks
The second charter flight for Chinese nationals aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship left Japan on Friday. Passengers who were scheduled to board the flight to Hong Kong were delayed after Japanese officials allowed the wrong passengers to disembark.
Passengers on the cruise ship were tested prior to Wednesday and those who had tested negative and did not close contact with confirmed cases were allowed to disembark. However, local officials mistakenly allowed 28 Hong Kong passengers who had close contact with confirmed cases to exit the ship.
Nineteen of them had already checked in at Haneda Airport but were asked to return to the ship. The rest of the passengers remained at the port after the problem was discovered.
Japanese officials are discussing the next steps with officials from the Chinese Embassy and the HKSAR government.
In order to control the movement of people and prevent coronavirus cross-infection, many public places are closed across the country. China's retail industry is in desperate need of more workers. With the increasing delivery demands of people isolated at home, how are grocery stores dealing with urgent needs amid the coronavirus epidemic? CGTN reporter Li Yimei will take you to check out a new business model.
Israel reports its first confirmed coronavirus case
Israel reported its first confirmed coronavirus case, an Israeli woman disembarked from coronavirus-inflicted Diamond Princess cruise ship and returned back to Israel, Israel's health ministry confirmed on Friday.
"In the course of testing conducted by the Health Ministry’s central laboratory, one of the passengers who returned from the ship in Japan was found to be positive," health ministry said in a statement.
"The laboratory is pursuing confirmation of the finding. The remaining returning passengers tested negative today. The patient is in quarantine and under supervision and this is not an infection that took place in Israel," the statement added.
The "one person, one treatment" medical care plan has cured 211 of the 334 coronavirus patients in east China's Shanghai, pushing the local recovery rate for novel coronavirus pneumonia to over 60 percent, according to the Shanghai Health Commission. In the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center (SPHCC), a designated hospital for all coronavirus patients in the city (excepting 10 child patients in a pediatric hospital), the medical director spoke about their experience, methods and facilities.
Iran has confirmed 13 more novel coronavirus cases and two deaths among them, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a tweet on Friday.
A total of 18 novel coronavirus cases have been reported in the country, and 4 people have died.
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has registered a second death from the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
The first death of a COVID-19 patient in the ROK was announced on Thursday afternoon. The patient had been treated at a hospital in the city of Cheongdo.
The number of infected people spiked on Friday in the country, with over 100 new cases reported.
The total number stood at 208 as of early Friday evening.
A recovered coronavirus patient donated his plasma on February 20 in Jincheng City, north China's Shanxi Province. Mr. Su was diagnosed with novel coronavirus on February 1. A week later, he had recovered and was discharged from the hospital. After staying quarantined at home for 12 days, he successfully donated 400ml of plasma on a blood donation van. So far, six recovered patients in Shanxi have donated their plasma to help save more lives.
Wuhan authorities promise to build 19 more makeshift hospitals
The Wuhan authorities have promised to build 19 more makeshift hospitals to further expand local capacity.
The city hopes to have 30,000 beds by February 25.
At the same time, the equipment in each hospital will be enhanced to achieve full CT coverage and greater oxygen supply capacity.
26 provinces in China resume inter-provincial transport services
As of February 20, 26 provinces in China have resumed inter-provincial transport services, while 30 provinces have reopened their roads, Xu Chengguang, an official with the Ministry of Transport (MOT), said at the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Friday.
Statistics from the MOT show that 401 cities nationwide continue to offer normal bus services, with the operation of public transport resumed in 78 prefecture-level cities and 90 county-level cities.
Of the 41 cities in China that have metro systems, 33 including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have kept their metroe operating normally. Those that haven't resumed operation are working out specific plans.
In an effort to ensure safe and smooth transportation for migrant workers returning to work amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, related departments have offered chartered transportation. As of Thursday, a total of 159,000 migrant workers have been transported by chartered vehicles in 24 provinces across the country.
Coronavirus cases confirmed in China's prisons, investigation group sent
China's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission has formed an investigation team to conduct a comprehensive probe into the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Rencheng Prison in Shandong Province.
The prison system will resolutely implement its management system, make an effort to treat all patients and resolutely prevent the spread of the epidemic, according to the Bureau of Prison Administration of the Ministry of Justice.
Infection cases of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, have been reported in prisons in Hubei, Shandong and Zhejiang Provinces in China, and several officials have been removed from their posts for dereliction of duty, according to authorities on Friday.
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33 community workers died on duty during epidemic prevention, control
33 community workers in China have died from novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control work as of Thursday, according to preliminary statistics, Chen Yueliang, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs said at a press conference on Friday.
Chen also appealed to the public to demonstrate support and show cooperation during this special time for community workers.
Number of COVID-19 infections soars to 204 in South Korea
South Korea Friday afternoon reported 48 more cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 204.
The number almost tripled in three days in South Korea, with most new infections linked to a branch of the Shincheonji Church in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city, located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Over 120 members of Shincheonji have been infected, starting with a 61-year-old woman who had a fever on February 10 but attended at least four church services before being diagnosed.
South Korea Thursday also confirmed its first death from COVID-19. The deceased patient had been treated at a hospital in the city of Cheongdo.
On Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the situation is "severe" and urged swift and powerful measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in communities.
The government has designated Daegu, a city with 2.4 million residents, and Cheongdo, with a population of 43,000, which accounted for the majority of diagnoses, as special care zones.
(With input from agencies)
A positive trend is shown in curbing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic on the Chinese mainland as 28 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps each reported less than 10 new cases on Thursday. Some regions even registered zero new cases, an official from the National Health Commission (NHC) said a press conference on Friday.
NHC spokesperson Mi Feng noted that the number of those recovered in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, on Thursday first surpassed that of new confirmed cases: 766 versus 319.
Mi also said that the recovery rate has kept going up nationwide for nearly a week as the figure of those recovered on the Chinese mainland hit over 2,000 in a single day for the first time on February 20.
Given the unpredictable nature of the spread of the novel coronavirus, protecting medical personnel around the world has become just as important as helping patients. CGTN's Tang Bo follows one infection-control medic who is responsible for protecting other health professionals.
Since the novel coronavirus outbreak, Shanghai residents have shown their love and support from windows and balconies with encouraging words on placards.
Gansu Province has become the first to downgrade its level of emergency response from level one to three, as of 2 p.m. BJT, Friday, according to local authorities.
This is in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of the state and the status of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the province.
No new cases of novel coronavirus have been reported in Gansu Province for three days. Ninety-one cases have been confirmed in the province, with 71 patients recovered.
WHO: Therapeutic trial results against COVID-19 expected in 3 weeks
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that preliminary results from clinical trials of therapeutics against COVID-19 are expected in three weeks.
"We're also looking forward to results from two clinical trials of therapeutics prioritized by the WHO R&D Blueprint," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing.
One of the trials he referred to is the combination of two drugs for HIV, Lopinavir and Ritonavir, while the other is testing an antiviral called remdesivir. "We expect preliminary results in three weeks," he added.
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Hubei health authorities revise new confirmed coronavirus cases to 631
The health commission of Hubei Province revised the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in the province on Thursday to 631, up from the previously reported 411.
There are now 62,662 confirmed cases in Hubei. The number of new suspected cases has also been revised to 1,279, bringing the total in the province to 4,094.
As of February 20, all 271 confirmed cases and 10 suspected cases reported by the province's prison department have been counted and included in the official figures.
A 48-year-old police officer from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said the Hong Kong Police Force.
The officer is reported to have dined with 59 other officers at a restaurant in the Sai Wan area of Hong Kong on February 18. All of those 59 officers are now deemed close contacts of a confirmed case and will be quarantined.
The policeman diagnosed with the coronavirus felt unwell on February 18 and visited a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. He went to a government clinic the next day and was tested positive for the virus on February 20.
Hong Kong Police Force has informed all of the 59 officers to stay at home and wait for quarantine arrangements.
Confirmed novel coronavirus cases reported in Shandong, Zhejiang prisons
A total of 207 people, including seven prison officers, at Rencheng Prison in east China's Shandong Province, have been tested positive for COVID-19, said local officials at a press conference on Friday.
The local authorities have completed nucleic acid tests on all relevant personnel at the prison in Jining City.
According to officials, a prison officer was quarantined in hospital on February 12 after showing cough symptoms. He was diagnosed with the virus the next day.
After receiving the report, the local government immediately closed relevant areas and began screening and quarantine work.
Eight local officials related to the case have been removed from their positions for dereliction of duty following the virus outbreak at the prison.
A prison in east China's Zhejiang Province has also reported new cases of the novel coronavirus.
According to local authorities, 34 cases have been reported at Shilifeng Prison in Zhejiang Province so far. The local government said these were imported cases and two prison officials have been removed from their posts.
Fastest coronavirus vaccine to be submitted for clinical trials around late April
The coronavirus vaccine is expected to be submitted for clinical trials as early as late April, said Xu Nanping, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, at a press conference on Friday.
Two Australian passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for the novel coronavirus after returning to Australia, according to the country's Department of Health on Friday.
Both patients are in stable condition, while six other Australian passengers have shown mild symptoms.
A total of 164 Australians aboard the cruise ship have been evacuated by the Australian government. They will be put into quarantine for 14 days.
A total of 889 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland, and 118 new deaths were reported on Thursday, according to China's National Health Commission.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 75,465, and the cumulative death toll to 2,236 by the end of Thursday.
Thursday marked the second consecutive day that China's daily number of new infections remained under 1,000. No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported as of Thursday in 14 provincial-level regions of China and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
Chinese health authorities said that, on Thursday, 2,109 patients were discharged from the hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 18,264.
The daily number of newly cured and discharged novel coronavirus patients has surpassed that of new confirmed infections for the third consecutive day. The newly recovered coronavirus patients in both Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan outnumbered new infections on Thursday.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 68 (two dead, five recovered)
Macao: 10 (six recovered)
Taiwan: 24 (one dead, two recovered)
South Korea reports 52 more coronavirus cases, 156 cases in total
South Korea reported 52 more cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the total number in the country to 156, according to Yonhap news agency citing health authorities on Friday.
Wuhan Jiangxia No. 1 People's Hospital's notice announcing Peng Yinhua's death on February 20, 2020.
Peng Yinhua, a front line doctor in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Wuhan Jiangxia No. 1 People's Hospital, died at 9:50 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to the hospital.
Peng started being treated for the coronavirus on January 25, but on January 30, his condition got significantly worse, and he was transferred to Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. He died on Thursday after rescue attempts proved ineffective.
Hubei Province reports 411 new confirmed cases on Feb. 20
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 411 new confirmed cases on Thursday, bringing the total number in the province to 62,442.
On the same day, 115 deaths were reported in the province while 1,451 patients were discharged from hospital after full recovery.
As of Thursday, the death toll in Hubei from the outbreak reached 2,144. A total of 11,788 patients have been discharged from hospitals so far and 42,056 others are still undergoing treatment.
Departure of second return flight for Chinese nationals from Diamond Princess delayed
The second chartered flight to bring Chinese passengers stranded on the coronavirus-inflicted Diamond Princess cruise ship to Hong Kong will depart Japan on Friday afternoon or early Saturday.
The flight arranged by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government was originally scheduled to leave for Hong Kong on Thursday night.
Xi Jinping assures ROK impact of COVID-19 on economy, bilateral exchanges will only be temporary
Chinese President Xi Jinping assured that the impact of the epidemic will only be temporary. China will try its best to mitigate the impact and still achieve the set goals in social and economic sectors through hard work.
President Xi made the remarks during a phone call with the Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in on Thursday. He briefed his Korean counterpart on the prevention work in China, stressing that China has taken the most comprehensive, strictest and the most thorough preventative measures since the outbreak.
Xi noted positive change has been seen in China's battle against the COVID-19, adding that China has the confidence and capability in winning the battle.
The Chinese president appreciated the condolence and support from the ROK, and vowed to continue strengthening communication and cooperation with all parties including the ROK in an open and transparent manner.
Xi also hailed the sound momentum of the bilateral relations, saying the epidemic will only temporarily influence the exchanges between the two sides. He believes that after defeating the epidemic, the two sides will embrace more active exchanges in various fields.
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China defends its revocation of WSJ reporters' press cards
Wall Street Journal's decision to publish an article with a racist title to maliciously attack China violated professional ethics of a media organization, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang in an online press conference on Thursday.
Geng made the remarks after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that China's decision to revoke three Wall Street Journal correspondents' credentials has restricted freedom of speech, suggesting that the correct response is to "present counter arguments."
Geng refuted the claim, saying the article published by Wall Street Journal that smeared China with a racially discriminatory title "reflects the abandonment of basic facts and professional ethics."
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Xi Jinping hails solid friendship with Pakistan amid novel coronavirus outbreak
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday applauded the strong and timely support from Pakistan, saying the outbreak once again proves that Pakistan is the true friend of China in a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In the phone call, President Xi thanked the material assistance from Pakistan and its decision to maintain all the normal exchanges with China despite of the outbreak.
The fact once again proves that, China and Pakistan are sincere friends sharing weal and woe, said Xi.
Xi briefed the positive change in China's fight against the COVID-19 with the Pakistani prime minister, reiterating China's confidence in winning the battle.
He stressed the impact of the virus on China's economy will only be temporary, pledging that China will still achieve its set goals in social and economic sectors through hard work.
Noting that Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic partner, Xi reiterated that China has always regarded its relations with Pakistan as a priority in China's neighboring diplomacy.
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Confirmed coronavirus cases rise to 634 on cruise ship off Japan
Japan's health ministry said on Thursday that 13 more novel coronavirus cases had been confirmed on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, bringing its total to 634.
Diamond Princess, initially carrying around 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and regions, has been held in quarantine at Yokohama Port south of Tokyo since February 5.
A Pakistani student (L) studying in China talks with medical staff after his recovery at a Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, February 12, 2020. /Xinhua
As of February 19, a total of 29 foreign nationals in China have been confirmed as testing positive for the novel coronavirus disease, among them, 10 cases are in central China's Hubei Province, said Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council at a press conference on Thursday.
Two patients have died and nine are under quarantine, receiving medical treatment, he said, adding that 18 foreign patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals.
In accordance with the law and on the basis of respect for the patients' willingness, the Chinese side has informed the embassies of relevant countries in China, he noted.
During the press briefing, the guiding group under the central government for the epidemic control work in Hubei Province also expressed deep condolences to the medical workers and patients who died during to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
China calls for rationality, cooperation amid appalling bioweapon theory of COVID-19
China's Foreign Ministry Thursday slammed a media report that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was lab-created and is a chemical or biological weapon as appalling.
Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remark on Thursday, saying the report is either full of ignorance or bears hostile intentions.
"What we need is science, rationality, cooperation, to defeat ignorance with science and shatter rumors with truth, and to counter prejudice with cooperation," Geng said.
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First coronavirus death reported in S. Korea
South Korea reported its first coronavirus death on Thursday, according to Yonhap News Angecy citing authorities.
A team comprising experts from China and the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a field inspection of the measures taken to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Guangdong from February 18-19.
Two groups of experts from the team visited disease control and medical centers in Sichuan and Guangdong provinces, respectively, and discussed the situation with officials from the provincial and municipal health departments, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC) at a press conference on Thursday.
Earlier, the team visited Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a hospital and a community in downtown Beijing to learn about the status quo of the epidemic and the relevant prevention and control measures in the capital. They also conducted a research on medical treatment at designated hospitals and prevention work in communities.
One of the goals of the joint mission is to provide suggestions on the prevention and control work.
32,395 medical workers sent to Hubei to fight against COVID-19
As of Wednesday, a total of 32,395 medical workers have been sent to Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to join in the battle against the virus.
The medics have been dispatched in 278 teams from across the country, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference Thursday in Beijing.
One staff member of Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and one staff of the Japanese cabinet contracted the novel coronavirus while working on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to the Japanese health ministry.
Answer Bank: Will the new coronavirus co-exist with humans for a long time?
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is likely to turn into a flu-like chronic illness, co-existing with human beings, says Wang Chen, a respiratory expert and president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
Unlike SARS (the severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus, which kills the host very quickly, and then struggles to survive, it's possible the new coronavirus can become seasonal flu, Wang added.
We know very little about the new coronavirus. Some people are infected with the disease, but asymptomatic at the initial period, while some have severe symptoms.
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Answer Bank: Will the new coronavirus co-exist with humans for a long time?
U.S. President Donald Trump is confident that China is "trying very hard" to handle the coronavirus outbreak, he said in a television interview late on Wednesday.
China has reported a significant drop in new cases in Hubei Province at the heart of the outbreak, although the total death toll has exceeded 2,100 lives, it still ranks the epidemic among the biggest global health emergencies of recent decades.
"Well, I am confident that they are trying very hard," Trump said in an interview with Fox. "I think the numbers are going to get progressively better as we go along."
(With input from Reuters)
Liu Zhiming, the head of Wuchang Hospital, passed away at 10:30 a.m. on February 18, from novel coronavirus pneumonia. His wife chased the hearse and cried in an emotional farewell to her husband, accompanied by other colleagues. During the illness, he refused the company of his wife, who was a head nurse and also on the front line. When he was diagnosed, he made phone calls one by one to assure everyone was healthy.
There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) was produced in laboratory or as a biological weapon, a senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
Richard Brennan, regional emergency director for WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, made the remarks at a news briefing in Cairo, Egypt.
"COVID-19 is what's called a coronavirus, it's a class of viruses that are primarily what we call zoonotic, that they come from the animal kingdom," he explained.
Not long after the novel coronavirus outbreak emerged in Wuhan, suggestions such as the idea that the virus was manufactured in a lab as a bioweapon surfaced.
On Tuesday, 27 international experts also refuted and condemned the false claims in a statement published in the renowned medical journal The Lancet, saying that they were conspiracy theories.
Brennan also said that the news that the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in China outside Hubei Province had been declining for 15 consecutive days as of February 19 and several other items of good news indicated a positive direction for epidemic prevention and control.
"Nevertheless, the epidemic has not reached its turning point and we cannot be complacent," he said, adding that as the epidemic was caused by a new virus, the situation is changing rapidly. He called on all parties at the global, regional and national levels to be vigilant and work together against the issue.
China has taken effective measures to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic and displayed a responsible attitude, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Laos on Thursday.
"We have taken every possible measure, and very serious action to bring the outbreak under control. We are very effectively controlling the virus spread and that shows that the preventative measures are working."
A heart-warming video
The meeting began with a video of how Chinese people are united as one in fighting the epidemic. The video also included scenes of the 10 ASEAN country leaders showing their support for China.
Wang and the foreign ministers of the ten ASEAN countries stood hand in hand to express their support for China and specifically Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
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Latest on coronavirus outbreak
China's governance model in response to the coronavirus outbreak
Wang said that the Chinese people are standing in solidarity in the fight against the novel coronavirus, and the country has implemented the strictest measures to control the epidemic.
China is capable and confident that it will win the war against the virus, he added.
During the meeting, ASEAN ministers outlined the impact of the virus outbreak on their region, as well as the measures they are taking to contain the spread.
This is the first time China and ASEAN member states have held a multilateral foreign ministers' meeting since the outbreak. The occasion reflected the solidarity and cooperation between the two sides, and also showed ASEAN's support for China's battle against the novel coronavirus.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Laos, February 20, 2020. /fmprc.gov.cn
'The epidemic has no borders'
Meanwhile, Wang also called for joint efforts in containing the virus.
"The epidemic has no borders, and the virus is our common enemy. At this moment, we should work together and overcome the challenges, and curb the spread of the epidemic through strengthened cooperation," he said.
The epidemic is temporary, but the friendship and cooperation between China and ASEAN will last, Wang reaffirmed, calling for both sides to elevate the bilateral ties to a higher level, and build a even stronger China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
Proposals
In addition, he made the following cooperation proposals:
First, strengthen synergy and joint prevention and control of epidemic diseases. Wang called for more efforts to promote cooperation in the fields of health, quarantine, transportation and the management of national borders.
Second, identify a long-term cooperation mechanism. Establish contact mechanisms between China and ASEAN for handling public health emergencies so as to improve response speed, and establish a China-ASEAN reserve center of materials for epidemic prevention and control.
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Wang Yi meets ASEAN officials to discuss fight against coronavirus
Wang Yi assures Southeast Asia countries coronavirus is now 'under effective control' in China
Wang also called for a rational and proper response to the virus, turning the crisis into opportunity.
In response, ASEAN foreign ministers lauded the measures China has taken to fight the novel coronavirus, appreciating China for its high level of transparency in releasing epidemic information and its responsible manner.
Voicing confidence in China, the ministers fully recognized the achievements China has made in strengthening regional and international public safety.
The ministers urged the quashing of rumors, in order to avoid normal communication and cooperation being influenced.
During the meeting, China and ASEAN foreign ministers also issued a joint communique on coronavirus disease.
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Chinese FM Wang Yi calls for impartial judgement amid epidemic
Wang Yi thanks global support in coronavirus fight, calls for common development
A joint press conference reinforced the message that China and ASEAN are united in the fight against the coronavirus.
"There will be some impact on our economy, but it will be temporary and limited. Close cooperation between ASEAN and China will help us overcome this issue and quickly overturn the negative economic impact," Wang noted.
Laos Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith also told reporters that the ministers have jointly and comprehensively reviewed the efforts and commitments, and charted a future direction to further prevent and respond to the outbreak of COVID-19.
"We have also shared with each other best practices, lessons learnt and effective methods in surveillance, detecting and researches," he added.
A day after Foreign Minister Wang's meeting with his ASEAN counterparts, China's ambassador to the ASEAN Deng Xijun said Beijing had taken measures to support enterprises involved in Belt and Road projects, including by helping companies prepare to resume their work overseas in an orderly way.
"China is the number one trading partner of ASEAN for the last 11 years and China is also the main source of tourists and investment …so for sure it will have a negative impact on economic and trade relations," Deng told reporters.
"However, I think this is temporary and short term," he said.
Deng, speaking in Jakarta, said some projects employed many local workers and some Chinese managers had gone "native" and did not return to China for the holidays.
Indonesia to evacuate 74 people from coronavirus-hit ship off Japan
Indonesia says it's "committed" to evacuating 74 of its nationals from the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the Japanese port city of Yokohama that has been affected by a coronavirus outbreak, Muhadjir Effendy, Indonesia's chief development minister, said on Thursday.
Effendy said the government is still considering whether to use a naval vessel or plane to evacuate those people.
Four Indonesians who were part of the crew on the cruise liner were infected with the coronavirus, according to a foreign ministry official.
Passengers who tested negative for the coronavirus have disembarked the cruise ship in batches as the ship's two-week quarantine ended on Wednesday.
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Passengers disembark Diamond Princess cruise ship as quarantine ends
The international music community has shown great support for China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Launched by China International Radio's Easy FM, this video campaign saw musicians from around the world sending their support and prayers to the people in Wuhan. Let's hear their encouraging words.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the COVID-19 outbreak in China is under effective control. Wang made the remarks during the special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the coronavirus disease on Wednesday.
A screenshot of the official website of the Chinese Embassy in Japan.
China sent a batch of nucleic acid testing kits to the National Institute of Infectious Disease in Japan, the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Japan said Thursday.
Japan was facing a shortage of testing kits as authorities had quarantined hundreds of passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. On Wednesday, the ship's quarantine officially ended, after 621 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed.
"The virus knows no borders, China is ready to continue to provide assistance to the Japanese side within its capacity, conduct close communication and cooperation, work together to overcome the epidemic at an early date and jointly safeguard the health and safety of the two sides as well as regional and global public health security," said the spokesperson.
China's governance model in response to the coronavirus outbreak
The number of the new coronavirus cases have dropped for 16 consecutive days outside Hubei, the epicenter province of the outbreak.
What has allowed the nation to respond quickly and act efficiently in the wake of the virus? Experts offered their takes on China's governance system.
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China's governance model in response to the coronavirus outbreak
Expert: Novel coronavirus may be as persistent as flu
It's possible that the novel coronavirus pneumonia could be a chronic disease that persists for a long period of time like influenza, said Wang Chen, a Chinese respiratory expert and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in an exclusive CCTV interview on Wednesday evening.
SARS, though highly transmissible and lethal, was relatively short-lived and unlikely to sustain transmission among humans, as the virus kills its host and thus has nowhere to survive. The novel coronavirus has the possibility of being much more enduring and could coexist with humans like the flu, said Wang.
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Two passengers who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship have died of COVID-19, NHK reported, citing government officials on Thursday.
The passengers were an 87-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman. Both were Japanese and had underlying health problems. They were escorted off the ship last week and had been hospitalized.
These are the first passenger deaths on the ship. There are now 621 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on the ship among approximately 3,700 passengers and crew members.
As of Thursday, three deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Japan.
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Passengers disembark Diamond Princess cruise ship as quarantine ends
The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped for 16 consecutive days starting February 3, according to the National Health Commission's latest figures on Thursday.
There were 615 new confirmed cases reported in Wuhan and 349 in the province.
In response to the data, the National Health Commission has canceled the category of clinically diagnosed cases unique to Hubei Province, leaving only confirmed and suspected cases.
China confirmed 45 new coronavirus cases in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on Wednesday, a significant drop from the 890 cases registered on February 3, and 11 less than on February 18.
The number of newly discharged cases exceeded newly confirmed two days in a row.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 349 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 62,031 in the province.
South Korea, on Thursday, reported 31 more confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia, bringing the total number to 82 in the country, according to national health authorities.
Of the 31 new confirmed cases, 30 were in the southern city of Daegu and surrounding regions. Preliminary epidemiological investigations suggest that the rapidly increasing number of confirmed infections in the area is linked to the first local case.
394 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland and 114 new deaths were reported on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission.
It's the first time since January 26 that the number of daily new cases in China was below 1,000.
On Wednesday, twelve provincial-level regions reported zero cases. They are Liaoning, Fujian, Shanxi, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guizhou, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang, Yunnan and Qinghai.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 74,576 and the cumulative death toll to 2,118 by the end of Wednesday.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,779 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 16,155.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 65 (two dead, five recovered)
Macao: 10 (six recovered)
Taiwan: 24 (one dead, two recovered)
Wang Yi meets ASEAN official, Philippine, Singapore FMs on virus fight
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the ASEAN Secretary-General and foreign ministers from the Philippines and Singapore on Wednesday night to discuss the joint fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.
During his meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, Wang said the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Coronavirus Disease to be held on Thursday will send a positive signal that China and ASEAN countries are fighting the COVID-19 epidemic together, and China-ASEAN relations will further develop.
Public health is a common cause crossing national borders, and China is willing to enhance cooperation with ASEAN in this area, so as to inject new content into China-ASEAN relations, Wang said.
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Wang Yi meets ASEAN official, Philippine, Singapore FMs on virus fight
Four family members infected with novel coronavirus, and one passed away, Zhu Hong's family was one of those hit the hardest by the coronavirus. So, the first thing she did after her recovery was donate her plasma, which could give critically ill patients one last chance to survive. She shared her experience with the hope of being a source of encouragement to other patients.
Reporter: Li Jingjing
Cameraman: Luo Caiwen
Video Editor: Li Jingjing
Video Subtitles: Chen Haoxuan
Copy Editor: Matthew Watson, Xuyen Nguyen
Producer: Wen Yaru
Chief Editor: Wang Xin
Superviser: Zhang Shilei
A chartered flight carrying 106 Hong Kong residents, who had been quarantined on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, landed at Hong Kong International Airport at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. They have all tested negative for the COVID-19 in Japan before arrival in Hong Kong.
They will be tested again in Hong Kong, and those with relevant symptoms will be quarantined and those without symptoms will spend two more weeks in isolation at a newly-built public housing estate in Fo Tan.
This is the first batch of Chinese nationals on the cruise ship returning home. More than 20 others have not yet decided if they will take the charted flight home, Li Jiachao, Security Bureau Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said.
A second chartered flight from Hong Kong is scheduled to leave at 11:00 p.m. local time today.
Li said the SAR government aims to bring all Hong Kong residents on the cruise ship home by Thursday, and a third plane will be arranged if necessary.
There are 364 Hong Kong residents on the ship, among whom 55 have been diagnosed with virus infection, and another 33 are under observation because of close contacts, so they have to stay in Japan.
As of Thursday, 634 passengers and crew members from the Diamond Princess have been confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus, the largest cluster of COVID-19 infections outside China.
China lists epidemic control as monetary policy priority
The control of the novel coronavirus epidemic is atop the agenda of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), which has pledged more credit support to contain the epidemic, the central bank said Wednesday.
The bank will help companies tide over the difficult period by lowering lending rates, increasing credit support and providing more medium- to long-term loans, the PBOC said in its quarterly report on monetary policy implementation.
National and local banks should take full advantage of the liquidity released through the central bank re-lending program to provide targeted credit support for companies that directly participate in epidemic control, the report said.
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The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the city of Wuhan and the entire province of Hubei to a grinding halt. But what about the rest of the country? Countless rumors and misinformation plague social media and even news platforms. Cities are running out of food. People aren't able to leave their homes. Getting around the city is impossible. These claims have all been circulated online, leading many to question what actually is happening in China. CGTN reporter Omar Khan brings us quite a different look from the southern city of Guangzhou.
CGTN's ICONs are sending their best wishes to China. In her short video, four-time Olympic gold medallist Deng Yaping has the message, "Stay Strong Wuhan, Stay Strong China!"
Walking, knocking – and more knocking. Community worker Li Feng and her colleague's knuckles are red and swollen, having knocked on each door in two 27-story residential buildings since Monday. Checking and recording 1,000 residents' health status within her jurisdiction – or what she calls – the grid, has become Li's duty in the latest round of citywide screening to uncover the novel coronavirus cases. Taining community in old district of Wuhan's Jiang'an is divided into six grids, each with a designated worker like Li.
Over 100 Chinese passengers quarantined on the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess departed from Haneda International Airport in Tokyo Thursday morning at 4:45 a.m. local time (03:45 a.m. BJT) on board a chartered flight dispatched by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The second chartered flight arranged by HKSAR government is scheduled to take off from Japan on Thursday night.
Hubei Province reported 349 new confirmed cases on Feb. 19
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 349 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number in the province to 62,031.
It's the first time since January 29 that the daily new cases in the province were below 1,000.
On the same day, 108 deaths were reported in the province while 1,209 patients were discharged from the hospital after a full recovery.
COVID-19 attacks the lungs and can cause serious infections, but what exactly is happening that causes people to die? CGTN takes a look inside the human body to show you how the virus affects the lungs on a cellular level, and how COVID-19 eventually kills.
When the coronavirus enters the respiratory system, it replicates, attacks, and destroys healthy lung cells. Our bodies are programmed to fight this, but, ironically, the immune response meant to protect us can cause more damage.
Attacking the virus creates inflammation. When that occurs, more lung tissue can be compromised, which can make a person more susceptible to pneumonia.
Pneumonia is somewhat of a blanket term that refers to infections that affect the air sacs in one or both lungs. The normally dry sacs, called alveoli, fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
The fluid makes it hard for oxygen to get into our blood and that can cause a whole host of problems. Vital organs like our liver and kidneys need lots of oxygenated blood. Without it, they can shut down.
Not surprisingly, patients who are older and long-time smokers - or have otherwise compromised lungs - are at higher risk of developing serious complications.
The WHO reported that most COVID-19 deaths appear to be from multi-organ failure. Current estimates put the virus' fatality rate is around two-and-a-half percent.
That's much lower than SARS, which had a global fatality rate of around 10 percent.
For COVID-19 cases, the WHO reports that most - around 82% - are "mild." And, by mild, they mean the illness requires "little or no" treatment.
A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the Wuhan outbreak, shared with Reuters on February 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via REUTERS )
Iran's state-run IRNA agency reported on Wednesday two elderly Iranian citizens have died from COVID-19.
An adviser to the country's health minister said the two victims were located in Qom, a city 140 kilometers (86 miles) south of Tehran.
Schools and universities in Qom would be closed so investigations can take place, the news agency added.
Just hours earlier, Iranian authorities had confirmed the country's first two cases of the coronavirus. The health ministry said the patients were placed in isolation but they later died.
Muhammad Munir is a virologist and lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University in England.
In an interview with CGTN's Mike Walter, he said China deserves high marks for its response to the outbreak.
He also touched upon issues like vaccine development, people's immune systems, and the death rate of the virus.
Tests for Egypt's only coronavirus case come negative
A foreign national who was recently announced to be Egypt's first case with the novel coronavirus has tested negative for the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Egypt's Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
In a joint statement, both health bodies announced that the RT-PCR results of the foreigner came back 48 hours after the person was admitted to a hospital for quarantine.
The person suspected of having contracted the virus had undergone six RT-PCR tests during a period of three consecutive days, the statement said, adding that the results of the tests came back negative each time.
"The health status of the person was monitored by medical teams around the clock ... the person did not show any symptoms during the isolation period," the statement read.
On February 14, the Egyptian Health Ministry announced what was believed to be the country's first case of the novel coronavirus. The identity and nationality of the patient were not disclosed.
As an extraordinary two-week quarantine of a cruise ship ends Wednesday in Japan, many scientists say it was a failed experiment: The ship seemed to become an incubator for a new virus instead of an isolation facility meant to prevent the worsening of an outbreak.
So what exactly went wrong on the ship? While no one is able to offer a definitive answer, experts and non-experts alike have their views to share.
Read more: What exactly went wrong on Diamond Princess?
29 casinos to reopen in Macao on Thursday
A total of 29 casinos will reopen in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Thursday, said local authorities on Wednesday, adding that another 12 casinos have applied to delay resumption of business.
All casinos have been shuttered for two weeks because of the novel coronavirus epidemic.
The region has confirmed 10 COVID-19 cases and no new cases have been detected since February 4. Six of the patients have been discharged from hospital.
Vice premier: COVID-19 treatment should stop mild cases from becoming severe
The prevention and control of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic remains grim despite some positive changes, said Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, stressing that the treatment should focus on stopping mild cases from developing into severe cases.
Twelve makeshift hospitals, with a total of 20,461 beds, used to treat confirmed cases with mild symptoms, have been put into operation in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, noted Sun.
The number of designated hospitals has increased to 45 in Wuhan with 19,161 beds, added Sun.
Sun made the remarks recently when leading a central government team guiding the epidemic control work in Hubei Province.
Iran confirms first two coronavirus cases in the country
Iran has confirmed the first two COVID-19 cases in the country.
Two people in Qom province have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said a government spokesman on Twitter on Wednesday.
A masked worker cleans a street in the Chinatown district in San Francisco, U.S., January 31, 2020. /AP
China welcomes the assistance of the international community, including the United States, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Wednesday.
Geng made the remarks when answering a question about the U.S.'s assistance to China for the country's fight against the novel coronavirus.
Relative organizations coordinated by U.S. State Department provided 16 tons of materials to China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, including masks, protective clothing and oxygen generators, Geng told reporters.
On February 7, the U.S. Department of State announced it was prepared to spend up to 100 million U.S. dollars in existing funds to assist China and other impacted countries, both directly and through multilateral organizations, to contain and combat the novel coronavirus.
Talking about the U.S. announcement, Geng said he hopes the assistance can play a role in the fight soon.
Xi stresses protection, care for medical professionals in coronavirus battle
Chinese President Xi Jinping checks the treatment of hospitalized patients at the monitoring center and talks to medical staff on duty via a video link at Beijing Ditan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, on February 10, 2020./ Xinhua
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of protecting medical personnel to make sure they are healthy and focused on winning the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Noting that medical workers are the backbone of the fight against the epidemic, Xi stressed the importance of protecting and caring for them and providing support for them from all aspects.
Xi made the remarks while giving instructions on protecting the medical workers taking part in the COVID-19 prevention and control.
According to the National Health Commission, a total of 1,716 Chinese medical workers had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus by February 11, among them six had succumbed to the disease.
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79 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Diamond Princess cruise ship
Seventy-nine new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, raising the ship's total to 621, Japan's health ministry said on Wednesday.
Around 500 passengers began leaving the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan's Yokohama on February 19, 2020, while over 2,000 passengers and crew remain.
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it backs China's measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The head of WHO's emergencies program Mike Ryan said the WHO fully supports the approach and advised that Chinese authorities should ensure the virus doesn't get a foothold in Beijing and other cities while continuing the battle in Wuhan.
More patients across China who recovered from the novel coronavirus pneumonia officially known as COVID-19 have donated their blood so that plasma can be extracted to treat others. Health experts in China have been calling for donations as antibodies identified in the plasma of some recovered patients could be used to treat critical patients. 32-year-old Wu from east China's Anhui Province was one of the people who decided to help.
International members of the WHO expert team arrived in China last weekend. But they will not be going to Wuhan. Why? The UN Resident Coordinator in China told CGTN in an exclusive interview: Now, Wuhan health systems are under tremendous pressure of medical services, and this is not the best time to visit. He said that all attention should be focused on providing medical protection to the people of Wuhan. He also expressed that "hopefully, they (members of the experts team) will have the opportunity to visit Wuhan" in the future.
Chloroquine Phosphate and Arbidol approved for trial as treatment for coronavirus
Chloroquine Phosphate, an antimalarial drug along with another antiviral drug, Arbidol, have been approved on a trial basis for treating the novel coronavirus, according to an updated trial plan for the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia caused by the virus, issued by the National Health Commission on Wednesday.
Earlier reports said several drugs, including Remdesivir, Chloroquine Phosphate and Fapilavir, have been screened and have shown good clinical efficacy in treating the novel coronavirus.
In the newly-published diagnosis and treatment plan, transmission through high concentrations of aerosol in confined spaces is possible. Aerosol, a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas, can transmit the novel coronavirus if anyone is exposed to a high concentrated contaminated mixture in an enclosed area for an extended period.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday mourned the death of a Chinese hospital chief who died of the novel coronavirus infection earlier in the day in Wuhan, the epicenter of the current COVID-19 outbreak.
"My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Liu Zhiming, his colleagues and patients for this enormous loss," the WHO chief wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Liu "touched and saved numerous lives in the COVID-19 outbreak," Tedros said, adding that "my thoughts are with them and all the front-line health workers fighting the virus."
An eulogy issued by the local health commission said Liu, 51, head of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, had made important contributions to the city's epidemic prevention and control while leading all medical personnel of Wuchang Hospital on the front line of the fight against the epidemic.
Read more: Central guiding team on virus control mourns loss of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital head
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region recorded its second death caused by the new coronavirus on Wednesday, according to a Princess Margaret Hospital spokeswoman.
The 70-year-old man, who had underlying illnesses, was one of the 62 confirmed cases in the region.
As of Wednesday, four people have recovered from the coronavirus in Hong Kong.
The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will dispatch charter flights to evacuate Chinese passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship to Hong Kong, the Chinese Embassy in Japan said in a statement on Wednesday.
The first charter flight will depart Tokyo's Haneda Airport at 1:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, said the statement.
Around 500 passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who have tested negative for the novel coronavirus disembarked on Wednesday morning in Japan's Yokohama City, according to NHK.
The cruise ship was put on a two-week quarantine that is due to end on Wednesday.
Among all the passengers, at least 247 Japanese passengers aboard the Diamond Princess were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, more than any other nationality on the cruise ship, NHK reported on Wednesday, citing the country's labor ministry.
A total of 542 COVID-19 cases from 25 countries and regions were confirmed on the ship.
Passengers over the age of 50 accounted for 86.5 percent of all who tested positive for the virus, the report said.
The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped for 15 consecutive days since February 3, according to the National Health Commission on Wednesday.
China confirmed 56 new coronavirus cases in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on Tuesday, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 79 on February 16.
Still, the number of the newly-discharged cases in China has exceeded those newly confirmed for the first time.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 1,693 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number to 61,682 in the province.
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Latest on coronavirus outbreak: 2,006 deaths, over 74,000 cases confirmed in China
A total of 1,749 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Tuesday and 136 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 74,185 and the cumulative death toll is 2,004.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,824 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 14,376.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 62 (one dead, four recovered)
Macao: 10 (five recovered)
Taiwan: 22 (one dead, two recovered)
Hubei Province reported 1,693 new confirmed cases on Feb. 18
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,693 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number in the province to 61,682.
On the same day, 132 deaths were reported in the province while 1,266 patients were discharged from the hospital after full recovery.
Russia will impose a temporary entry ban for Chinese nationals as the world grapples with the ripple effects of the coronavirus.
The AP reports the ban will take effect midnight Thursday Moscow time, according to an order signed by Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Russia is putting the measure in place because of the "worsening epidemiological situation" in China.
Russia has only had three confirmed COVID-19 cases so far but officials are taking measures to keep the virus from spreading.
People who returned from China were hospitalized as a precaution. Most air traffic to China has stopped. Trains to China and the DPRK are suspended.
The borders with China and Mongolia have also been closed, Moscow has temporarily stopped giving work visas to Chinese citizens. Chinese students who were studying in Russia can't return until March 1st.
The AP also reports Mishustin said Russia might start deporting foreigners with coronavirus.
In The Spotlight: How a deliveryman keeps Beijing supplied during coronavirus outbreak
This is the fourth episode of our series "Faces Fighting Coronavirus" chronicling people from different walks of life who are affected by the outbreak as well as those who are trying to keep their lives as normal as they can to keep our society running. Here you can find the first, second and third stories.
Our fourth episode documents how a man continues to deliver essential supplies to an urban village in Beijing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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In The Spotlight: How a deliveryman keeps Beijing supplied during coronavirus outbreak
Graphics: Does Wuhan have enough hospital beds for coronavirus patients?
Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), is making every effort to open more hospitals.
The capital city of central China's Hubei Province is relentlessly converting gyms, sports and exhibition centers into makeshift hospitals and allocating hotels and schools as temporary medical sites.
It has already built two brand-new hospitals in an extremely short time.
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Graphics: Does Wuhan have enough hospital beds for coronavirus patients?
A man in his 60s, confirmed infected with the COVID-19 virus in Tokyo, drove a total of 10 Kyodo News staff members from late January to early February, the news service said Tuesday.
The news agency said it had instructed the 10 workers to stay at home from that day, and that none of them had shown any symptoms.
There has been speculation that the 10 workers may include reporters who are members of the press club at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, reported the Japan Times. So far, there are no comments about this from Kyodo News.
At a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that they have received the reports from Kyodo News, saying the government will respond appropriately.
The city of Wuhan, battling the coronavirus, is seeing more hope as more and more patients infected with this virus are recovering and being released from hospitals. The second makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the Leishenshan Hospital has seen the first two patients released today. CGTN's Wang Kailin was there and brings us more.
National Health Commission: 323 people with mental disorder are infected with COVID-19
China's National Health Commission Tuesday said 323 people with severe mental disorders are among the over 72,500 patients infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) so far.
There are also 43 others with mental disorders suspected of being infected as of Tuesday.
These people are scattered in 17 Chinese provinces but the majority were reported from Wuhan City, center of the virus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province.
But the commission did not specify which are the other 16 provinces.
It also called for strengthening community care and management for patients with mental disability.
Optimistic patients with mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus pneumonia at the Jiang'an makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, were encouraged by doctors to dance to keep their spirits up and boost immunity.
China can meet 2020 growth target despite coronavirus, Xi tells UK PM
Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, in which he said the material support from the UK for China's fight against the COVID-19 has shown the friendship between the two countries and peoples.
President Xi also expressed his gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II and Johnson, who sent their sympathies to China in its fight against the COVID-19.
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China can meet 2020 growth target despite coronavirus, Xi tells UK PM
Xi Jinping confident about China's economy despite the epidemic
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday expressed confidence in the country's economy amid the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic. The impact will only be temporary, and we will still achieve our set goals in social and economic sectors through hard work, he said.
"Right now, we are pushing for the resumption of all enterprises under the prerequisite of ensuring all the containing measures," Xi said during his phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, who reiterated support to the virus-hit nation.
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Xi Jinping confident about China's economy despite the epidemic
Central guiding team on virus control mourns loss of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital head
China's central guiding team on coronavirus epidemic control mourned the loss of Liu Zhiming, a veteran doctor who succumbed to the novel coronavirus infection early on Tuesday.
At the request of Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who also leads a central government group to guide the epidemic control work in Hubei Province, deputy head of the National Health Commission Yu Xuejun headed to Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute to doctor Liu and send condolences to his family.
Liu, head of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital, passed away at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday due to novel coronavirus pneumonia.
A group of four patients were discharged from the Huoshenshan emergency hospital in central China's city of Wuhan on Saturday after recovering from the novel coronavirus, following the earlier release of nine others from the purpose-built facility. The four patients were released from the inpatient ward of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Huoshenshan Hospital after doctors were satisfied they met the criteria for discharge. Zhao Yuying, director of the No. 1 Inpatient Ward, reminded the discharged patients to remain quarantined for 14 days at home, to continue to wear medical masks, and to do some light exercise to aid the recovery of their lungs. She also disinfected their clothing and the ward before escorting them out of hospital.
An official of Beijing's Xicheng District has contracted the COVID-19, the district government confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday.
But the government is still running as usual, Sun Shuo, head of the Xicheng District, told reporters, adding that the person had mild symptoms.
The official, whose identity has not been revealed, went back to his hometown in north China's Hebei Province and returned to Beijing on January 30 before work the following day.
On February 11, he was informed by the Hebei health department that a family member had caught the virus.
Officials said the person went straight into home isolation and later went to the hospital for a check-up and relevant tests.
The Xicheng District government did not mention the exact time he was diagnosed. It only said offices have been disinfected and 69 people who had close contact with him have been quarantined for further observation.
"Plasma therapy is effective and safe," said Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory expert, at a press conference in Guangdong Province on Tuesday.
Zhong was responding to a question about the effectiveness and risk of using plasma from recovered coronavirus pneumonia patients to treat patients with severe symptoms.
In explaining his position, Zhong recalled that plasma therapy was first used to treat H5N1 in 2005 and again to treat H1N1 in 2009 with positive results.
Antibodies have been found in the plasma of some recovered COVID-19 patients, meaning they can fight the coronavirus in a better way. Many patients in Wuhan have donated their blood for this treatment.
Ten coronavirus patients in Wuhan have received the treatment so far, six of whom have shown signs of their symptoms easing.
Zhong said Guangdong Province is considering using the same treatment. Guangdong currently has the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 patients as of February 18, next only to Hubei Province, with Wuhan as its capital.
"The advantage of the therapy is that it doesn't conflict with different blood types," Zhong said, expressing optimism about the treatment.
He, however, stressed that it's particularly effective to severely ill patients, but not for critically ill patients.
Person-to-person transmission still an issue
Zhong also said person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus is still happening in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
The respiratory expert said it is critical that Wuhan differentiate between healthy people and those who have contracted the novel coronavirus and distinguish its infection from the common flu.
"It's urgent to differentiate between those two issues, or person-to-person (transmission) won't stop in Wuhan," Zhong asserted, adding that what Wuhan has achieved plays a vital role in the national fight against the epidemic.
Zhong told reporters work and research are speeding up on medicines to treat this new virus and a drug called Chloroquine phosphate has shown good clinical efficacy.
"Chloroquine is not really a kind of medicine with a special effect, but it is worthy of study," Zhong said.
(CGTN's He Weiwei and Chen Yilin also contributed to the story.)
How China's oil giants are contributing to anti-virus efforts
People would have never associated China's oil giants with masks without the epidemic, said a vice-chairman of the country's state assets regulator on Tuesday.
"Polypropylene produced by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is the raw material of meltblown, which is exactly the material used for producing masks and protective garments," Ren Hongbin, deputy head of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), told reporters during a recent press conference in Beijing.
Read more:
How China's oil giants are contributing to anti-virus efforts
Renowned Chinese expert: Plasma therapy has proven effective so far
The plasma therapy is a stable and safe method that has so far been found effective in treating the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) patients, especially for those in severe condition, said renowned Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan at a press conference on Tuesday.
Antibodies have been found in the plasma of some recovered COVID-19 patients, meaning they can fight the coronavirus in a better way. Many patients in Wuhan have donated their blood for this treatment.
Answering a question by CGTN Reporter He Weiwei about the effectiveness and risk of the treatment, Zhong said that the plasma therapy was firstly used to treat H5N1 in 2005, and H1N1 in 2009, which showed positive results. Now 10 coronavirus patients in Wuhan have received the treatment and six of them showed symptoms eased.
Guangdong Province is considering using the same treatment as well, Zhong told reporters. Guangdong now sees the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, only next to Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
"The advantage of the therapy is that it doesn't conflict with different blood types," Zhong said, expressing his optimism on the treatment. However, he stressed that it's particularly effective on severely ill patients, but not for critically ill patients.
(CGTN's He Weiwei contributed to the story.)
Coronavirus: 88 new cases confirmed on Diamond Princess
An additional 88 people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total of onboard infections to 542, according to NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, on Tuesday.
All passengers aboard the cruise ship who have tested negative for the virus will be allowed to start disembarking on Wednesday, with the ministry having finished taking test samples from all passengers.
Cured coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals in China
A total of 64 people in central China's Hunan Province and eastern China's Anhui Province have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from COVID-19. Another 16 have been released from medical observation in Shanghai.
Among the recovered patients is a 90-year-old woman. She is the oldest coronavirus patient in Zhuzhou. A recovered patient took her 4-year-old daughter out of the hospital. She was diagnosed with coronavirus in January. A few days later, her daughter and husband also caught the virus and were admitted to the hospital.
A total of 10,844 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals across China, and 150,539 people are currently under observation.
For the first time, the number of daily new confirmed coronavirus cases in China has dropped to less than 2,000, an official from the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.
The number of daily new confirmed cases in regions outside central China's Hubei Province has decreased to less than 100 for the first time, and the number of daily deaths in China has fallen to 100, the official noted.
These figures show a positive trend in the prevention and control of the epidemic, said the official.
Chen Qingbo, 42, was among the first batch of patients who recovered from novel coronavirus pneumonia and was discharged from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, a month ago.
Now, a month after he left the hospital, Chen's life is back to normal. Last week, Chen heard from his doctor that medical experts have called upon cured coronarivus patients to donate plasma at hospitals as neutralizing antibodies have been identified in the plasma of some patients.
An 83-year-old woman was discharged from Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan City, central China’s Hubei Province, on Tuesday after she recovered from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
She is the first coronavirus patient to be discharged after recovery from the newly-built hospital in the city’s Jiangxia District.
The hospital received its first group of patients on February 8. It is being used for severe cases of COVID-19.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has increased the amount of funds allocated to battling the outbreak of novel coronavirus to 28 billion HK dollars (about 3.6 billion U.S. dollars), Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a media briefing on Tuesday.
Last Friday, Lam announced a package of relief measures for businesses and residents suffering from the COVID-19 outbreak and a proposal for allocating 25 billion HK dollars (3.22 billion U.S. dollars) for the fight against the epidemic.
At Tuesday's press briefing, Lam also said the HKSAR will send two chartered flights to Tokyo on Wednesday to bring back 352 of its residents currently under quarantine aboard Diamond Princess, a cruise ship in Japan. But she was uncertain whether the planes would be able to leave Japan as scheduled.
"Can the Japanese authorities complete all the testing by the 19th of February? That's a key factor," she said. "And also it depends on whether the Japanese authorities are going to arrange for all Hong Kong residents to disembark in one go on that day."
Buses carrying American passengers from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship leave a port in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, February 17, 2020. /AP Photo
The evacuees will undergo a 14-day compulsory quarantine at quarantine centers upon their arrival in Hong Kong, she added.
"We would like to thank our embassy (Chinese Embassy) in Tokyo for giving us full support," the HKSAR leader said, also thanking the Chinese Foreign Ministry for helping with the liaison with Japan.
Read more:
HK liaison office chief inspects companies' work in combating epidemic
Carrie Lam: More manpower, resources devoted against novel coronovirus
Some 3,700 passengers and crew aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship have been kept in quarantine since early February after the outbreak. Japanese authorities said the passengers will be allowed to disembark the ship if they test negative and show no health problems when the quarantine period ends on Wednesday.
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the ship has reached 454, including 30 Hong Kong residents.
The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China, excluding Hubei Province, has dropped for 14 consecutive days since February 3, according to the National Health Commission's latest data on Tuesday.
China confirmed 79 new coronavirus cases in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on Monday, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 115 on February 16.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, confirmed 1,807 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 59,989.
A total of 1,886 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Monday and 98 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 72,436 and the cumulative death toll is 1,868.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,701 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 12,552.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 60 (one dead, two recovered)
Macao: 10 (five recovered)
Taiwan: 22 (one dead, two recovered)
Hubei Province reports 1,807 new confirmed cases on Feb. 17
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,807 new confirmed cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the province to 59,989.
On the same day, 93 deaths were reported in the province while 1,223 patients were discharged from hospital after full recovery.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it's getting a clearer picture of the new coronavirus outbreak, how it's developing and where it could be headed, after China released a detailed paper on more than 44,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday. Based on previous evaluations, the COVID-19 is not a global pandemic, and the WHO will not further upgrade its risk level.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus deemed the novel coronavirus outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)" on January 30.
The WHO said the information gives it a better understanding about the age range of people affected, the severity of the disease and the mortality rate.
The data also appears to show a decline in new cases, but the WHO chief said this trend must be interpreted very cautiously.
"Trends can change as new populations are affected," he said from WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. "It's too early to tell if this reported decline will continue. Every scenario is still on the table."
Dr. Tedros said the data suggests that the COVID-19 is not as deadly as other coronaviruses including SARS and MERS. According to the WHO, more than 80 percent of the patients only showed mild symptoms of the disease and would recover. In 14 percent of cases, the virus caused serious problems, including pneumonia and shortness of breath, while about five percent of the patients developed critical complications, such as respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure. The virus is fatal in two percent of the reported cases and the risk of death increases with age.
A team of the WHO and Chinese experts have begun field inspections in China. They are expected to travel to Beijing and Guangdong and Sichuan provinces. Guangdong Province ranks second in the number of confirmed cases in China after Hubei, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The joint team of experts will observe the measures that have been put in place to contain and treat the epidemic and evaluate the effectiveness of the said measures. The 12-member team from the WHO, which includes experts from the U.S., arrived in Beijing on the weekend.
WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr. Michael Ryan said much of the work so far focused on coming to a consensus on what is and isn't known about the COVID-19.
"It's about agreeing what we know, agreeing what we don't know and agreeing what is the best way to access the information we don't know," he said. "The team will then be able to go and visit provinces and see things on the ground."
Once those knowledge gaps are filled, the chances of containing and better treating this disease become much more viable.
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Zhong Nanshan: Coronavirus in China may reach its peak in mid-to-late February
The confirmed number of novel coronavirus cases in China may reach its peak in middle to late February, China's renowned respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan said on Monday.
Since the new confirmed coronavirus cases outside central China's Hubei Province have been on the decline for 13 days, it shows that the strong intervention measures adopted by China are effective, he added.
The proportion of the severe COVID-19 cases in all confirmed in central China's Wuhan City has dropped from 38 percent at the start of the outbreak to 18 percent, according to the data from the National Health Commission (NHC).
Jiao Yahui, deputy director-general of NHC's Bureau of Medical Administration, said it's getting better but more still needs to be done.
"The reasons behind the high percentage are complex," Jiao told CCTV in a live interview. "First, the measures taken at the beginning of the outbreak were not enough... Secondly, there is a lack of medical equipment at hospitals."
Jiao Yahui talks about the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. /Screenshot from CCTV
According to Jiao's data, in the early stages of the outbreak, the average time for a patient to be hospitalized was 9.84 days. That's a long time waiting, and during the wait, patients missed the best time window to receive treatment and became serious.
Moreover, when the serious patients were sent to the hospital, there may not be enough staff to treat them.
"There are usually 10 percent of ICU beds among all beds in an average hospital," Jiao said. "But now hospitals in Wuhan need to turn all beds and rooms into ICUs and that's a big challenge."
Shortage of oxygen tanks and ventilators in ICUs was among the biggest problems.
With all that said, there is still a bright side.
"Things are getting better as resources are being poured into Wuhan," Jiao explained. "The shortage is being eased."
She also told CCTV that the current percentage of severe patients should not be treated as the nature of the COVID-19.
"To treat the severe patients, antiviral alone is not enough," she said. "Other organs may also be indirectly affected by the disease, so the treatment should be comprehensive."
Huangshi City in Hubei Province, one of the worst-hit areas by the novel coronavirus, has managed to get a cure rate of 20.96 percent and a mortality rate of just 1.53 percent, both better than the average rates of the province at the epicenter of the epidemic outbreak.
As of Sunday, the cure rate in Hubei reached 11.4 percent and the mortality rate at around 2.9 percent.
Ai Yiming, deputy head of the expert team set up by the Huangshi municipal government to control the epidemic, has introduced the measures that have been taken to achieve that on Monday at a press briefing.
Firstly, the municipal government has centralized the whole city's medical resources for unified allocation. A total of 1,955 beds have been set up for the confirmed cases and 3,280 medical personnel have arrived in the city from elsewhere in China.
The patients are divided into three categories based on the severity of their condition: mild, severe and critical, with each admitted to a different designation of hospital.
Secondly, a mechanism has been established to allow the city's top health experts to treat different patients with different methods.
For mild patients, the experts carry out periodic inspections and on-site guidance. Special attention is paid to elderly patients and those with underlying diseases, so as to detect early signs if their condition deteriorates and reduce the occurrence of transitions from mild to severe.
For severe patients, the experts conduct hospital rounds and consultations on a daily basis to prevent conditions from worsening.
For the critically ill, medical experts and experts on underlying diseases are gathered to offer personalized treatment to minimize fatalities.
All Taiwan COVID-19 patients on the mainland discharged from hospital
Two more Taiwan patients who were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) on the Chinese mainland were discharged from hospital in Wuhan on Monday.
It came days after the mainland's first Taiwan patient confirmed of the COVID-19 was discharged from a hospital in Shenzhen.
So far, all Taiwan coronavirus patients on the Chinese mainland have been discharged.
Hong Kong confirms 60 novel coronavirus cases
Three new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases were confirmed in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday which brings the total number of confirmed cases to 60 in the city, according to a statement from HKSAR government.
Relevant contract tracing by the HKSAR Center for Health Protection (CHP) is ongoing.
A spokesman for the CHP said, "according to our preliminary epidemiological investigations, some of the confirmed cases are locally infected".
The CHP strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene as this is key to protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease.
Macao casinos to gradually resume operations from Feb. 20
China's Macao Special Administrative Region government on Monday said it will allow casinos to resume operations gradually from February 20, after a two-week suspension to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The operators have 30 days within which to go back to full business, the government said.
There have been 10 confirmed cases in Macao so far.
China will provide support and assistance to Japan where more infection cases of the novel coronavirus occur, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday.
China is paying close attention to the situation in Japan and is willing to share information and experience with the country in prevention and control, said Geng Shuang, a spokesperson from the ministry.
The two countries have started the work, Geng said.
Geng also expressed gratitude to Japan for helping China since the outbreak, reiterating that the virus knows no borders, and the international community should come together to defeat it.
At least 60 cases have been confirmed in Japan so far. An additional 454 people on board Japan's Diamond Princess cruise ship have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Read more: How a message of encouragement from Japan made Chinese question their own appreciation to Mandarin
(Cover photo: Pedestrians wear protective masks as they walk through a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan on January 16, 2020. /AP Photo)
An additional 99 people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total of onboard infections to 454, according to reports from Japan's NHK on Monday.
An earlier report said the cruise ship, which is anchored off the coast of Japan, was put on a two-week quarantine that is due to end on February 19.
(Cover: An ambulance leaves a port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked, Sunday, February 16, 2020, in Yokohama, near Tokyo. /AP Photo)
Chinese official: Coronavirus is preventable and treatable
Although the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) is a newly emerged epidemic, it's still preventable and treatable, Guo Yanhong, an official from China's National Health Commission said Monday at a press conference.
The latest statistics show that more than 10,000 patients have been cured and discharged from hospitals, she said.
Meanwhile, the new confirmed coronavirus cases outside central China's Hubei Province have been on the decline for 13 days, which is a positive sign, she added.
WHO experts to visit Beijing, Guangdong and Sichuan
The national health commission said on Monday that the delegation of World Health Organization (WHO) experts will visit Beijing, Guangdong and Sichuan Provinces to examine virus prevention efforts.
Click here for more.
Over 32,000 medics were dispatched from 29 provincial-level regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and also the armed forces of China to aid the prevention and control of the coronavirus in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC), said Monday.
China has sent about 11,000 intensive care specialists into the coronavirus-hit Wuhan, which is approximately 10 percent of the country's total number of intensive care medics, Guo added.
Meanwhile, three top-level medical groups led by Chinese academicians, namely Zhong Nanshan, Li Lanjuan and Wang Chen, have also joined the fight at the front line, according to the official.
A total of 22 national emergency medical rescue teams and three mobile P3 laboratories had gathered in the city with selected medical kits to improve the city's ability to treat, cure and conduct virus tests, Guo said.
U.S. passengers evacuated from quarantined cruise ship the Diamond Princess and officials wait for the takeoff of a Kalitta Air airplane bound for the U.S., at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, February 17, 2020. /AP Photo
14 U.S. evacuees from Diamond Princess cruise ship test positive for coronavirus
14 of the 300 U.S. citizens evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Monday.
"These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols," read the statement.
A charter flight carrying the U.S. passengers from Japan landed at a California air force base, starting the clock on a quarantine period at the U.S. military facility, according to AP.
The cruise ship has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong traveled back to Japan and got diagnosed with the virus. It had some 3,700 passengers and crew on board.
Read more: U.S. flights carrying quarantined cruise passengers leave Japan
Central China's Hubei Province reshuffled the composition and adjusted the duties of the provincial epidemic prevention and control headquarters on Sunday.
The adjustment was announced during a meeting of the provincial prevention and control headquarters commanders, in an attempt to optimize functions of overall planning, coordination and implementation, and to ensure rapid response and efficient operation. Ying Yong, secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), presided over the meeting.
The headquarters will be composed of five work groups – office and comprehensive group, medical treatment and disease control group, supply and market security group, publicity group, and social stability group.
Hubei authorities announced on January 22 the establishment of the headquarters previously led by former Party chief Jiang Liangchao for the prevention and control of the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.
A junior university student infected with the novel coronavirus is studying for his postgrad exams at the makeshift hospital.
The city of Wuhan has implemented more strict measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Wuhan residents ordered to stay home until further notice. Wuhan government tightens restrictions on public facilities. CGTN's Tao Yuan has more about the developments there.
Medical workers console a newly admitted patient at the Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, February 16, 2020./Xinhua Photo
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China outside of Hubei Province has declined for 13 consecutive days since February 3, according to data released by the National Health Commission.
A total of 115 new confirmed cases were reported on Sunday in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 166 on February 15.
CGTN Photo
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic, reported 1,933 new confirmed cases on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 58,182.
An additional 2,600 military medics sent by the People's Liberation Army to help fight the novel coronavirus epidemic have all arrived in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, after the final batch of 1,200 military medics arrived on Monday.
China approved sending 2,600 additional medical personnel on February 13 to Wuhan. The first team of 1,400 medics arrived last Thursday.
Medical personnel and sanitary supplies were transported by air and rail.
The medics will be tasked with treating confirmed patients of novel coronavirus infection in Taikang Tongji Hospital and a branch of Hubei's Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital.
A total of 2,048 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Sunday and 105 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 70,548 and the cumulative death toll is 1,770.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,425 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 10,844.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 57 (one dead, two recovered)
Macao: 10 (five recovered)
Taiwan: 20 (one dead, two recovered)
Editor's Note: The COVID-19 outbreak is creating many problems and uncertainties within China and around the world. Sivanka Dhanapala, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in China, shares his views with CGTN on China's response to the situation and the discrimination that Chinese people face. The views expressed in the video are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of CGTN.
CGTN: What is your take on China's management of the current coronavirus outbreak?
Dhanapala: I've been here since the outbreak of the crisis several weeks ago. And I've been very impressed by the overall management of the crisis by government but also by civil society and the public. If you are looking at government responses, the responses have been massive. Looking at the strengthening of surveillance and health care systems. For example, the building of hospitals within days, deployment of medical staff to Hubei Province, which is the epicenter.
Of course, there's also been strong action to limit the spread of the virus. For example, the locking down of a city of 11 million people like Wuhan. This could be achieved in very few other countries. So that has been impressive. Also, the self-discipline of people who have been self-quarantining and self-isolating in order to stop the spread of the virus.
There's also been a very good dissemination program, sharing of information on the latest developments, and really communicating clearly with the public on preventive actions and so on. This is very, very important in this kind of situation of a public health emergency.
But, equally impressive has been what civil society and the public have been doing. We have been reading about volunteers who ferry medical staff to work. These people are working nonstop since the Spring Festival to ensure that medical supplies are provided to people on the front line in Wuhan City. We are also hearing about volunteers bringing food and essential supplies to the elderly and others who cannot actually go forward and get supplies for themselves. We are reading about overseas students and overseas Chinese sending supplies to China, and those who can't fly back are actually sending the supplies through well-meaning strangers embarking on flights to China. We've had reports of non-governmental organizations, NGOs, sending medical supplies to China – from Belarus, for example, from Japan, from Russia.
And also, looking at the private sector, there are those who are putting their country and their people first. Chinese factories, for example, are delaying business deals, switching their production lines from their staple product to the products that are needed right now – for example, much-needed masks, protective gowns for domestic use and so on. And generally, companies and individuals are donating supplies and money to support the response. This is impressive.
Community workers publicize information on prevention and control of the novel coronavirus on a street near the Yellow Crane Pavilion in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, February 7, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
CGTN: Chinese people have faced discriminatory rhetoric and actions during the COVID-19 outbreak. How does this affect the response to the humanitarian crisis?
Dhanapala: Let me say straight away, this is a time for solidarity, for international solidarity. It is not a time for stigma. For me, when we think about stigma, this is prejudice. And prejudice contributes to forming opinions based on little or no information, or misinformation. Misinformation and rumors create fear and anxiety, be it against refugees or those who are suspected of carrying the virus. Now, if we don't check this, if we don't course-correct, this leads to stigma, discrimination against certain groups of people. These people can wrongly be perceived to be troublemakers, but in reality they are innocent, vulnerable, need help, and are simply victims of circumstance. Stigma and discrimination can lead to the exclusion of people who really need help and empathy. It's important, really important, to focus on the facts, objective fact-based information, and to understand the challenges and find solutions together. We need international solidarity and cooperation to share information expertise. I was mentioning this earlier to pool resources where they are most needed and to make sure vulnerable people get the help that they need. So we really need to come together, as an international community, in fighting the stigma.
CGTN: What would you like to say to inspire or cheer up China and Chinese people right now?
Dhanapala: Firstly, our thoughts are very much with you as we weather this crisis together. We are inspired by your perseverance. The perseverance, the courage, the resilience of the Chinese people in the face of this crisis has been very impressive. We, as the international community, and we here with the UN stand in solidarity with you. Of course, the road ahead may be long and unknown, but we are confident that China can survive this crisis with hope and with optimism. 中国加油,武汉加油.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)
Hubei Province reports 1,933 new confirmed cases on Sunday
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,933 new confirmed cases on Sunday, bringing the total number in the province to 58,182.
On the same day, 100 deaths were reported in Hubei, bringing the total number to 1,696, while 1,016 patients were discharged from the hospital after full recovery.
CGTN Photo
It struck during China's busiest travel season and cast a dark shadow over the Lunar New Year.
Millions who had set out across the country to see family during the holiday had to cut their vacations short or completely change their plans after the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) hit the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province.
Entire families were getting infected at a rapid rate.
The "Epicenter - 24 hours in Wuhan" documentary paints a very human and compassionate story of the people fighting the outbreak in China.
Since the outbreak began, it has infected over 70,000 people and killed at least 1,600, and the numbers continue to grow.
In Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus was first detected, the city mobilized all its resources but soon hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, while more people were enlisted to help save lives.
To halt the spread of the infection, the Chinese government put Wuhan, a city of more than 10 million residents, on lockdown. Railways, ports, and buses were shut down.
Emergency responders have been working nonstop as more people come down with symptoms of the virus. Some patients are transported to other hospitals. Others remain in their homes. Doctors and workers are dressed head-to-toe in protective covering when treating patients. The pressure is high. Many are working long shifts.
While the threat of the disease still persists throughout China and on a global scale, there is optimism. People, who survived the SARS outbreak more than 15 years ago, are following procedures to stay healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak.
American citizens wave and look out from a bus as they leave the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship to be repatriated to the United States, at Daikoku Pier in Yokohama, Japan, February 17, 2020. /Getty Images
More than 300 American cruise ship passengers, including 14 tested positive for coronavirus, were being quarantined at military bases in California and Texas on Monday after arriving from Japan on chartered flights overnight.
One plane carrying cruise passengers touched down at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California just before midnight Sunday, while another arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas early Monday. The passengers will remain at the bases for two weeks.
The cruise ship, Diamond Princess, has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled back to Japan was diagnosed with the virus. It had some 3,700 passengers and crew on board.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said in a letter to passengers on Saturday that a chartered plane would arrive in Japan on Sunday evening and recommended that U.S. citizens disembark and return home for further monitoring "out of an abundance of caution."
A passenger who spoke to AFP said that passengers who decided to go were taken out in groups, passing through a makeshift passport control but did not undergo any health checks.
"I am happy and ready to go. We need a proper quarantine, this was not it," Sarah Arana, a 52-year-old social worker, told AFP.
Even as some Americans decided to leave, some opted to remain even with the warning that they must wait another 14 days and test negative before being allowed passage back into the United States.
The cruise liner's quarantine is set to end on Wednesday.
Despite the evacuation, Japanese authorities cautioned citizens to keep away from crowds and what it termed as non-essential gatherings.
Due to a shortage of supplies of testing kits, facilities and personnel, Japan has not been able to test all passengers on board the cruise ship.
Japan's Minister of Health Katsunobu Kato said 1,219 people on the ship had now been tested for the virus, 355 confirmed.
Among the diagnosed passengers, 40 are Americans, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci told AFP. Fauci also said in an interview with CBS that the infected Americans will stay at hospitals in Japan for treatment.
(With input from AP, AFP)
10 more Hong Kong residents tested positive for the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, bringing the total number of affected Hong Kong residents on aboard to 21.
"The real turning point has come," Wang Xinghuan, dean of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and Leishenshan Hospital, the second makeshift hospital designed to receive critical and severe novel coronavirus patients, told CCTV in an interview on Sunday. " I am very confident."
"From the situation of new confirmed cases I can see that the number of fever patients is experiencing a decline," he added. "Trends of some key indicators are falling gradually and steadily, with no signs of rebound."
Leishenshan Hospital is built to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan with the capacity to offer 1,500 beds for patients who are suffering from the disease. Since it opened its doors on February 8, it has taken in nearly 500 patients. "
Almost 1,700 medical staff from over 200 hospitals across China have joined the local team, according to Wang. And eventually the total number of medical staff will rise to 2,500 to ease a staff shortage.
When asked about what difficulties in running the hospital, Wang noted the biggest one is the lack of integrated non-medical logistical support.
"As a new hospital, our medical staff are volunteers from various hospitals in different cities. Even though we have a logistical support system, we are still severely understaffed in this area," he said.
The novel coronavirus is proving that racism is alive and well. Scroll down your social media feeds or browse through news headlines and it's evident that the outbreak is bringing out the worst in some. Instances of discrimination against Asians and people of Asian descent are being reported in the U.S., Canada and across the pond; shops are putting up signs turning away Chinese customers and an online petition to name the virus "Kung Flu" has attracted almost 25,000 signatures so far. In this episode of Facts Tell, we explore why anti-Asian sentiment is spreading fast and far amid the new outbreak.
On-camera reporter: Nadim Diab
Scriptwriter: Nadim Diab
Video editor: Yang Shengjie, Shen Anqi
Filmed by Zhang Wanbao
Chief editor: Wang Xin
Producer: Wen Yaru
Director: Zhang Shilei
Supervisor: Fan Yun
Three cured coronavirus patients in south China's Guangdong Province donated their plasma for treatment on February 14. Initial results have indicated the effectiveness of convalescent plasma-derived therapeutic products in curing infected patients in severe and critical conditions.
The dissections of the bodies of the first and second patients who died of the novel coronavirus in China were completed at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital on Sunday.
The move was made subject to the national laws and policies and came after their families granted permission.
The results have been sent for further examination.
Xinhua Photo
Taiwan reported its first death from novel coronavirus pneumonia on Sunday along with two newly confirmed cases, according to Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
A man in his sixties with a history of hepatitis B and diabetes died of pneumonia sepsis, according to the institute. He had no recent travel history and no known close contact with the confirmed cases.
Taiwan has reported 20 coronavirus cases so far.
China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, announced further prevention and control measures on Sunday.
A restriction will be imposed on vehicle traffic across the province to curb the spread of the virus. Only police cars, ambulances, vehicles carrying essential goods, or other vehicles related to public service are allowed on roads.
Regular health checks on all residents will be carried out in the province. Companies cannot resume work without first receiving permission from the government.
All non-essential public places will be closed and no mass gathering activities allowed, according to the announcement. Essential places including supermarkets and pharmacies must control the flow of customers.
Pharmacies are urged to carry out real-name registration for those who buy fever and cough medicine. They are required to register their names, addresses, ID card numbers and contact information, as well as their body temperatures.
Local governments should guarantee the support of the delivery of essential goods and are encouraged to develop e-commerce in their areas, read in the announcement.
Eight patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus pneumonia were discharged from hospital in Beijing on Sunday, according to local health authorities.
The youngest was 9 years old; the oldest 80.
Beijing had 380 confirmed coronavirus cases up to Saturday, with 105 patients having been discharged after recovering.
The proportion of critical coronavirus patients among confirmed cases has decreased significantly in China, including Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, according to Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC).
The proportion in Wuhan City reached its peak of 32.4 percent on January 28 and dropped to 21.6 percent on February 15, Mi said at a press conference.
In other regions outside Hubei Province, the ratio was 15.9 percent on January 27 and decreased to 7.2 percent on February 15.
"The effect of the coronavirus controls is appearing," Mi told reporters.
People suspected of having contracted the virus and those with a fever are now being taken to the respective allocated quarantine places, thus laying a solid foundation for the reduction in the fatality rates, said Mi.
Medical staff check a patient's condition at a temporary hospital called the "Wuhan Livingroom" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 10, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
The Chinese government has always maintained close cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, at a regular media briefing on Friday.
The global response to the outbreak should be based on facts rather than speculations, noted Ryan.
Ryan made the remarks in response to Larry Kudlow, a White House economic adviser's accusations of a lack of transparency in Beijing's response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
Calling the accusations "opinions and speculations," he stressed that China had shared the genetic sequences of the coronavirus with the world and has continually communicated with other countries.
"From our perspective, we have a government that's cooperating with us… I'm finding it hard to square that with Mr. Kudlow's comments," Ryan told reporters in Geneva.
Click here for video of this presser.
Read more:
WHO chief says coronavirus still an emergency for China
Exchange of epidemic information is open and transparent, guarantees China's Foreign Ministry
The Wuhan Institute of Virology in central China on Sunday denied rumors claiming that the first person to contract novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), or patient zero, came from the institute, according to a statement on its official website.
The statement came after claims circulated on the Chinese internet saying Huang Yanling, a research fellow graduating from the institute, was patient zero of the novel coronavirus.
The announcement by Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Science on its website on February 16, 2020. /CGTN Screenshot
"Huang graduated from the institute in 2015 with a master's degree, majoring in the function of phage lyase and the broad-spectrum antibacterial," the statement read. "She has since then been working in other provinces and has never been back to Wuhan. She's not infected by the novel coronavirus and is in good health."
It also noted that at this critical moment in the fight against the epidemic, such rumors have greatly interfered with their scientific research work, and the institute reserves the right to file a lawsuit against it.
China's National Health Commission said on Friday that more than seventeen hundred medical workers had been infected by the novel coronavirus. Six of them have died. CGTN reporter Ge Yunfei interviewed one of these workers on how he's coping.
People wearing masks wait in the snow at a bus stop amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Beijing, China, February 6, 2020. /Reuters Photo
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China outside of Hubei Province has declined for 12 consecutive days since February 3, according to data released by the National Health Commission.
A total of 166 new confirmed cases were reported on Saturday in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 221 on February 14.
CGTN Photo
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic, reported 1,843 new confirmed cases, including 888 clinically confirmed on Saturday, bringing the total number in the province to 56,249.
An additional 70 people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total of onboard infections to 355, Japanese authorities said Sunday.
The director-general of the World Health Organization says the coronavirus outbreak is still an emergency for China and it is impossible to tell where the epidemic will spread. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the Munich Security Conference in Germany that he was encouraged by actions China had taken to slow the spread of the virus.
A security guard stands near the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo, February 13, 2020./AP Photo
The United States said on Saturday it will send an aircraft to Japan to bring back American passengers on the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, where the most coronavirus infections outside China have occurred.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said in a letter to passengers on Saturday that a chartered aircraft would arrive in Japan on Sunday evening and recommended that U.S. citizens disembark and return home for further monitoring "out of an abundance of caution."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said all of the travelers from Japan will be screened "before leaving the ship" and before boarding the State Department-chartered aircraft "to prevent symptomatic travelers from departing Japan." Evaluation by medical and public health personnel will also be conducted every step of the way, including tests "before takeoff, during the flight and after arrival."
The passengers will be required to undergo a further quarantine of 14 days upon arriving in the United States. If they choose not to return on the aircraft, they would not be able to return home "for a period of time," the letter said.
The embassy said the U.S. government was working with Japan so that people with symptoms would receive proper care if they could not board the aircraft. Japan confirmed it was coordinating with the U.S. government for Americans to leave the ship and return home, saying that would ease its burden in resolving the situation.
Minutes after the United States Embassy's letter was sent, the Australian Embassy in Tokyo sent its own email to its citizens aboard the Diamond Princess, saying it was "examining options" and citing the American evacuation plans. The Italian foreign minister also said on Saturday that the country would do what was necessary "to protect our citizens."
A driver wearing a protective suit is seen inside a bus which believed to be carrying elderly passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, February 14, 2020. /Reuters Photo
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Saturday that it is arranging a chartered flight to take the Hong Kong residents under quarantine on board the Diamond Princess back to Hong Kong free of charge as soon as possible after they are permitted to disembark and land.
Once the Japanese authorities have confirmed the detailed arrangements, the HKSAR government will inform the affected Hong Kong residents of the return date and make arrangements as soon as possible.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department is concurrently notifying all of the concerned Hong Kong residents via text messages.
The Canadian government has also released its decision of evacuation on Saturday, saying "ensuring the health and safety of Canadians" is their top priority. A plane has been chartered by the government to repatriate Canadians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Before boarding, passenger will be screened for symptoms. The aircraft will bring passengers, who are permitted on board, from Japan to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, after which they will be assessed and transported to the NAV Canada training Institute in Cornwall, Ontario, to undergo a further 14-day period of quarantine.
Those who exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus infection will not be permitted to board and will instead be transferred to the Japanese health system to receive appropriate care. Canadians remained in Japan will continue to receive full consular services from the government of Canada.
The cruise ship has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan was diagnosed with the virus. It had some 3,700 passengers and crew on board. Another 67 people have tested positive for the virus, the Japanese health minister said on Saturday, bringing the total to 285 cases. Those testing positive are transferred to Japanese hospitals. Approximately 400 Americans on board the Diamond Princess, according to the CDC.
The cruise liner's quarantine is set to end on Wednesday and while some passengers were disheartened at the prospect of more time in quarantine, others were more understanding.
The U.S. aircraft will land at Travis Air Force Base in California and some passengers will then continue onward to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The passengers will be housed at those bases during the quarantine period, the CDC said, and will be kept separate from people already in quarantine from previous repatriation flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it has extended through March 15 the availability of four military installations as temporary housing facilities related to the coronavirus, including Travis, Lackland, Fort Carson in Colorado and Marine Corps Air Station-Miramar in California.
The American Embassy's letter did not specify how long U.S. citizens who choose not to board the chartered aircraft might have to wait before they could return home, saying only that the final decision would be up to the CDC.
(With input from agencies)
Medical workers record patients' information at Jiangxia temporary hospital in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province, February 14, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
A total of 2,009 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Saturday and 142 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 68,500 and the cumulative death toll is 1,665.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,323 new patients were discharged from the hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 9,419.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 56 (one dead, one recovered)
Macao: 10 (three recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (two recovered)
Hubei Province reports 1,843 new confirmed cases on Saturday
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,843 new confirmed cases, including 888 clinically confirmed, on Saturday, bringing the total number in the province to 56,249.
On the same day, 139 deaths were reported in Hubei while 849 patients were discharged from the hospital after full recovery.
CGTN Photo
Italian scholar: The virus has no nationality, I have no reason to leave China
In the face of the sudden Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP) outbreak, many foreigners living in China chose to stay behind, and are following developments from another perspective.
Alessandra Cappelletti from Italy teaches at a university in Suzhou. She believes that China's epidemic control measures are working, and she will work with Chinese people to confront the disease.
Read more:
Italian scholar: The virus has no nationality, I have no reason to leave China
WHO chief: we must be guided by solidarity not stigma
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on the world to come together amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, and be guided by solidarity and not stigma at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
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Senior Chinese diplomat thanks global support in combating coronavirus
At the annual Munich Security Conference, attended by over 500 world leaders, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed gratitude for the support coming from all over the world at a time when China is still making efforts to combat the novel coronavirus, which has now claimed the lives of over 1,500.
"China is not on its own. The international community has given us valuable moral and material support," Wang said in his address on Saturday. "The epidemic has made us realize that the fate of all countries is closely linked."
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Senior Chinese diplomat thanks global support in combating coronavirus
Vice premier urges patient admission improvement amid epidemic
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Saturday required local hospitals to increase efficiency in treating patients amid the novel coronavirus outbreak during her inspection to Wuhan city.
Sun, who leads a central government group guiding epidemic control work in Hubei Province, inspected two hospitals in Wuhan city, epicenter of the outbreak.
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Vice premier urges patient admission improvement amid epidemic
Gao Fu says he's discussing with WHO experts on virus prevention and control, dismissing rumor of disciplinary investigation
Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said he's working with the World Health Organization's (WHO) foreign expert team and discussing on novel coronavirus prevention and control.
Gao was speaking to China Science Daily after rumors of him being investigated by China's disciplinary body emerged this morning.
A WHO advance team led by Bruce Aylward has arrived in China on Tuesday, and the rest will be joining over the weekend.
The whole team will probably comprise 10 experts from around the world.
The advance team and the Chinese side have already finalized the scope of work and design of the mission.
Gao told China Science Daily that WHO greatly affirmed China's work and effectiveness in fight against the epidemic, adding China will stick with openness, transparency and responsibility in cooperation with the international community.
Thailand reports first virus infection of medical worker
Thailand's Public Health department Saturday said a medical worker was infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), making it the first confirmed case of infection among medical staff.
To date, 34 people have been infected in Thailand, and 14 of them have recovered after treatment.
All but one of the nine UK patients that tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have now been discharged from hospital after testing negative twice, announced National Health Service England (NHS England) on Saturday.
According to NHS England and NHS Improvement, the last of the guests quarantined at Arrowe Park on Merseyside after returning from China have now left the hospital.
More than 100 people remain at the Kents Hill Park Hotel, Milton Keynes, said NHS England.
Coping with coronavirus: Restaurants in Chengdu turn to deliveries to stay in business
A huge number of restaurants across China have been temporarily closed amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, as most people avoid going out. In southwest China's Chengdu – a city famous for its hot pot – many restaurants have been trying to adapt to stay in business.
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Coping with coronavirus: Restaurants in Chengdu turn to deliveries to stay in business
A 98-year-old novel coronavirus patient from central China's Henan Province at Nanyang City Center Hospital has recovered. The patient is now the oldest person in China to have recovered from the virus.
The patient, surname Zhu, was admitted to hospital after getting a fever. On February 2, Zhu's viral nucleic acid test result came back positive, and he was then formally diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
After treatment, the patient's temperature returned to normal on February 8. Other symptoms, including shortness of breath, also got better. On February 12 and 13, Zhu took two more viral nucleic acid tests, and both results came back negative.
CT scan results on Friday showed obvious recovery of Zhu's lower lung infection. After Nanyang City's health experts consultation, Zhu was deemed recovered and has been transferred to a general ward.
Coronavirus forces Chinese gymnasts to pull out of World Cup in Australia
In the latest blow to China's preparations for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese gymnastics team has been forced to withdraw from next week's World Cup in Melbourne due to the Australian government's travel restrictions after the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The organizers of the event confirmed the news about China's pull out on Saturday.
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Coronavirus forces Chinese gymnasts to pull out of World Cup in Australia
A total of nine makeshift hospitals in Wuhan City have been receiving patients showing mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Coronavirus patients dancing and exercising at the hospitals developed in different stages. First, only one or two patients danced to release tension. Thereafter, medics joined the groups, teaching patients breathing exercises and movements to protect their lungs. Medics from Shandong Province taught patients Baduanjin medical qigong, known as “eight pieces of brocade”, a traditional exercise from the Song Dynasty. Medics from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region danced more professionally. These culminated in patients having dance battles at makeshift hospitals to cheer themselves up, leaving limited space for medics to join them in their revelry.
At a COVID-19 daily briefing on February 12, 2020, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended his earlier praise of China's response to the outbreak.
An elderly Chinese tourist hospitalised in France has died of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), making him the first fatality in Europe, French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said on Saturday.
According to French media, the 80-year-old Chinese tourist originated from China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.
He arrived in France on January 16 and was hospitalized in Paris on January 25.
More than 20 million flight tickets worth over 20 billion yuan have been refunded by Chinese and foreign airlines so far due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, an official from China's Civil Aviation Administration said on Saturday.
Between January 25 and February 14, the average daily passenger traffic for civil aviation stood at 470,000, a 75 percent fall from the same period last year, Civil Aviation Administration of China Deputy Administrator, Li Jian told reporters at a media conference on Saturday.
China has issued four consecutive free refund policies since January 21 and Li said forecast of passenger flow in the following days remains low.
China lifts road toll during coronavirus epidemic prevention and control
China's Ministry of Transport said it will lift road tolls as part of measures for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus epidemic.
The ministry said the new measure will come into effect on February 17 without specifying an exact end date.
Another 67 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Japan's health ministry said on Saturday. This brings the total number of people infected on board to 285.
The cruise ship has anchored off the coast of Japan and was put on a two-week quarantine that is due to end on February 19. There're around 3,700 people aboard.
On Friday, elderly passengers with chronic illnesses and those who have been tested negative for the new virus were allowed to disembark.
U.S. Embassy in Japan on Saturday said it will evacuate U.S. citizens from the ship amid concerns about deteriorating sanitary conditions on the vessel. A chartered aircraft will arrive in Japan on Sunday evening and leave Tokyo's Haneda airport the following day, the embassy said.
TV ratings surge amid coronavirus outbreak, medical dramas and films popular
Chinese people spent about seven hours a day watching television from January 25 to February 9, when the whole nation was fighting against the epidemic of COVID-19, said China's National Radio and Television Administration.
The average daily number of cable TV and IPTV viewers nationwide increased 23.5 percent from that in December, and the total viewing time rose 41.7 percent, according to data released by the administration on Friday.
In the previous years, the first week of the Lunar New Year, which is a public holiday, viewing figures usually hit their peak.
This year, however, the number of people watching TV programs has continued to rise days after the Spring Festival.
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TV ratings surge amid coronavirus outbreak, medical dramas and films popular
The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in China, outside of Hubei Province, has declined for 11 consecutive days since February 3, said National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng at a press conference on Friday.
The total number of severe cases outside of Hubei has also decreased for five consecutive days, according to Mi Feng. The number on February 14 was 901, 25 less than the previous day.
Among all the confirmed cases, the percentage of severe cases dropped from 9.44 percent on February 7 to 7.45 percent on Friday. The situation of the coronavirus epidemic has gotten significantly better in provinces outside of Hubei, Mi concluded.
China's vaccine research and development for the novel coronavirus is on pace with global progress, said Zhang Xinmin, Director of the Biology Center of China's Ministry of Science and Technology.
The novelty of the coronavirus means that the search for a vaccine is challenging and time consuming, said Zhang. To conquer the difficulty, China has implemented multiple technical strategies to advance vaccine development.
According to Zhang, some vaccine varieties have entered animal trial stage. He also stressed that vaccines are used on healthy people, thus safety is the top priority, so researchers and scientists need time to develop a safe and effective vaccine.
Xinjiang medical team keeps patients in Wuhan busy with dancing
A medical team from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has turned a corner in the lobby of a makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, into a dancing hall.
A video of the medical professionals dancing with patients has gone viral on Chinese social media, inspiring others to follow suit.
Ipare Ehmet, a nurse on the team, regretted that she didn't join the dance routine that day because she was on the night shift. The 36-year-old acted in easy moves to ensure more patients could follow her steps.
"The thrill ran through me once they followed me," she said. "I really wish I could dance with everyone."
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Xinjiang medical team keeps patients in Wuhan busy with dancing
U.S. calls out coronavirus-related discrimination against Asians
The novel coronavirus outbreak is stoking racism and feeding biases against Chinese and Asian people in communities around the world amid swirling misinformation and viral rumors. In the U.S., authorities, organizations and individuals are stepping up and speaking out against discrimination.
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U.S. calls out coronavirus-related discrimination against Asians
Ambassador Cui: China is sticking to openness and transparency in coronavirus control
The Chinese government has stuck to openness and transparency as basic principles in the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai said in an interview on Thursday with NPR.
"We believe openness and transparency will give people more confidence, will give them more awareness about the virus, what the real risks are and how to prevent them," Cui said.
Everything China is doing, including personnel changes, has one goal – to respond to the call of the people and meet the needs of the people, he said.
"People who can do the job better should be given the responsibility to do it. And this is very heavy responsibility," he said, responding to a question about the reshuffle of Hubei Province's officials.
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Ambassador Cui: China is sticking to openness and transparency in coronavirus control
International teachers and students from Beijing International Studies University (BISU) cheer for China and Wuhan to fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In Wuhan, measures have been taken since February 9 to ensure that all confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients receive adequate medical care in an effort to halt the spread of the epidemic.
CGTN reporter Huang Yichang followed two coronavirus patients who were sent to a makeshift hospital on that day. Watch the video to find out how things are going.
New images of the novel coronavirus have been released by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the U.S. NIAID produced the images by scanning and transmission electron microscope. Previously, researchers from the University of Hong Kong posted a thin-section of electron micrographs of the coronavirus.
Wang Yi: The epidemic can't stop China from keeping pace towards national rejuvenation
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said the novel coronavirus outbreak cannot stop China from keeping its pace towards national rejuvenation. He made the remarks while meeting with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States Paul Gallagher on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
The Chinese foreign minister said China is a country with 5,000 years of civilization and has undergone the test of violent storms and waves throughout history.
Click here for more.
Transportation volume during Spring Festival holiday dropped 45 percent year on year due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, registering 283 million trips from January 25 to February 14, said Liu Xiaoming, vice minister for the Ministry of Transport at a press conference on Saturday.
It is estimated that by the end of February, the passenger flow will be mainly migrant workers returning to work, said Liu, adding that about 80 million migrant workers have returned to their work cities during the post-Spring Festival travel rush so far.
Click here for the live coverage of this presser.
Staff disinfect the cabin of an airplane after its arrival at the Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, January 31, 2020./ Xinhua Photo
China's FM: China's efforts on epidemic control win global respect and recognition
The Chinese government and people have withstood the severe challenges brought by the novel coronavirus, and won the international community's respect and recognition with full control efforts, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in an interview with Reuters on Friday in Berlin.
China is sparing no effort in saving patients' lives, Wang said. Noting that the new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus outside Hubei Province have dropped for 11 consecutive days, he said China's control measures are proving to be correct and effective.
Click here for more.
NDRC: 800,000 medical N95 masks transported to Hubei
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told CCTV that it has coordinated the transport of 800,000 medical N95 masks to central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, from February 2 to 13.
The average logistics time has been shortened by 21 percent thanks to improvements in the materials transit process, said the bureau.
China's central bank has allocated 4 billion yuan (572 million U.S. dollars) in new banknotes to central China's Wuhan, said Fan Yifei, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) in a press conference on Saturday.
The move aims to increase cash supply to key epidemic prevention and control units, such as hospitals, said the senior official, adding that the central bank has allocated 600 billion yuan in new banknotes to the whole country.
Due to the fast spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, which has infected more than 66,000 and killed over 1,500 people as of Saturday, the central bank requires all banks to sterilize cash in circulation and has suspended inter-provincial transfers and transfer within the provinces where the epidemic is severe.
"Cash received must be disinfected before being available to customers," Fan said, explaining that ultraviolet disinfection was adopted in areas hit hard by the COVID-19, and the cash needs to be on hold for 14 days after cleaning.
Fan Yifei, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, February 15, 2020. /SCIO Photo
Prudent monetary policy won't change
China will maintain its prudent monetary policy, Fan said, at a time people are worried about the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Consumer prices are unlikely to rise sharply," Fan told the press.
"We will support qualified firms so that they can resume work and production as soon as possible, helping maintain stable operations of the economy and minimizing the epidemic's impact," the senior official said.
Fan added that bad loaning is manageable since the non-performing loan ratio in China remained relatively low and there is space to deal with them.
Moreover, the country's lenders will tolerate higher levels of bad loans, said Liang Tao, vice-chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC).
Xuan Changneng, deputy director of State Administration of Foreign Exchange, said China was expected to maintain a small current account surplus and keep a basic balance in international payments.
China has the ability to maintain a basic equilibrium in international payment as the impact of the virus outbreak is short-lived and limited, he said.
Medical workers pose for a group photo at Jiangxia temporary hospital in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province, February 14, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
537 billion yuan in credit support
China's banking financial institutions already offered more than 537 billion yuan in credit support, as of Friday noon, aimed at helping companies restore production to confront COVID-19, said Liang.
Liang told the press that differentiated preferential financial credit support have been offered to enterprises and also strengthen in virus-affected areas. He also guaranteed lending for key investment projects will be sped up.
Subsidy funds of 8 billion yuan set aside
China's Ministry of Finance said that as of February 14, it has set aside a second batch of subsidy funds worth 8 billion yuan for prevention and control of the epidemic for all provinces. Hubei Province has been allocated 3.5 billion yuan from the funds.
As of February 14, finance departments at all levels of government have issued 90.15 billion yuan in subsidies for prevention and control of the outbreak, among which 25.29 billion yuan was issued by the central Finance Ministry.
A-share market back to normal
"The A-share market has withstood the impact of the epidemic, now it has returned to normal operation," Yan Qingmin, Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission said at the press conference.
China's stock market saw an eight percent drop on February 3, the first trading day after the extended Chinese New Year holiday. But as of Friday it has gained more than five percent after nine trading days.
The market's self-regulation function has been effectively exerted, said Yan, praising coordination among various departments.
CCTV Photo
The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population confirmed the country's first case of the novel coronavirus infection on Friday.
The patient is a "foreigner" who was transferred to a hospital and quarantined and did not show any serious symptoms, said the ministry on its official Twitter account.
The patient is believed to be in a stable condition.
Following the report, the Chinese Embassy in Egypt asked Chinese nationals in the country to strengthen health and safety awareness and cooperate with Egyptian authorities regarding customs checks.
It also required Chinese nationals and visitors who are newly back from China to isolate themselves for 14 days at home.
Zhang Dingyu, president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, has claimed that plasma from cured patients can improve the condition of existing coronavirus patients. "Four patients in our hospital are being treated with plasma collected from recovered patients. Their condition has improved in the short term. Vital signs are stable. Their mental health has also improved. Blood oxygen levels have been stabilized," said Zhang.
Many clothing companies across China have been fully devoted to the production of masks and protective clothing to ensure the adequate supply of necessary materials in the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Medical workers pose for a group photo at Jiangxia temporary hospital in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province, February 14, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
A total of 217 medical teams comprising 25,633 members from across China have been sent to central China's Hubei Province since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak, said Wang Hesheng, the new director of the provincial health commission at a press conference on Saturday .
Nine makeshift hospitals for patients with mild symptoms have been put into use in Wuhan City, admitting a total of 5,606 patients, added Wang.
Also, a one-on-one aiding mechanism has been established that 16 provinces are providing support and help to 16 crisis-hit cities in Hubei.
The press conference held by China's State Council Information Office on epidemic prevention and control and medical treatment in Hubei Province, in Beijing, February 15, 2020. /SCIO Photo
Regional and national epidemic situation
The daily number of new cases was at a high level from January 23 to February 1 in Wuhan, but has turned to a downward trend since February 1, said Liang Wannian, head of the expert group on outbreak response and disposal of National Health Commission (NHC).
For other cities in the province, the incidence remains relatively high and the number of cases is rising rapidly, such as Xiaogan and Huanggang, while imported cases and family-cluster cases occur frequently in some other cities.
However, the rate of community transmission in these areas generally is relatively slow. Sustained community transmission and local outbreaks are rare. In some prefecture-level cities, such as Enshi and Shennongjia Forestry District, the current outbreak is still mainly imported, and the risk of transmission is low.
As for the national status of the epidemic, the number of new cases confirmed outside of Hubei has declined for 11 consecutive days since February 3. The number of new cases has been less than five for three consecutive days in provinces and regions including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang, which shows an encouraging sign, said Liang.
Recovery rates over 30% in two hospitals
Severe cases in Wuhan account for about 18 percent of all confirmed and hospitalized cases, with common features of advanced age, underlying diseases, long period between onset and hospitalization, said Jiao Yahui, deputy director-general of the Medical Administration Bureau of the NHC.
Multiple measures have been taken to improve recovery rate and reduce fatality rate in the city.
Several national medical treatment expert groups have been established, under whose guidance the whole country's medical treatment is carried out. The expert groups constantly update and optimize the diagnosis and treatment plan based on national experiences.
Independent hospital campuses in the city have been designated as hospitals for the treatment of severe and critical cases, with experts assessing their conditions every day.
A treatment scheme for severe and critical cases has been specially formed, in which "we proposed a series of methods such as antiviral treatment, oxygen treatment, integrated treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, and the plasma treatment," said Jiao.
The efforts are being paid off. The discharge rates in Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, the first two designated hospitals in the city for severe cases, have reached 30 percent and 39 percent, said Jiao.
Over 50% confirmed cases in Hubei treated with TCM
Three national TCM medical teams have been dispatched to Hubei so far, and a total of 2,220 medical personnel from the country's TCM system have been sent to the province.
The TCM teams adhere to the integration of TCM and Western medicine. "More than half of the confirmed cases in Hubei have been treated with TCM," said Wang.
TCM has also taken an active part in outbreak prevention and control in communities where people in need have been provided with TCM.
New rapid antibody test kits for novel coronavirus developed
The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, a research group in south China, said Friday that they have developed rapid diagnostics kits for IgM antibodies to novel coronavirus and conducted preliminary laboratory and clinical evaluation in cooperation with several other research institutes.
The kit requires a drop of blood and results can be observed within 15 minutes, according to the report.
IgM antibodies are the first antibodies the body produces in response to an exposure to infection.
CCTV Photo
A staff member works in a laboratory in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 13, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
As of Friday, the number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China, outside of Hubei Province, has declined for 11 consecutive days since February 3, according to the data released by the National Health Commission.
A total of 221 new confirmed cases were reported on Friday in 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a significant drop from 890 on February 3 and 267 on February 13.
Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,420 new cases (including 1,138 clinically confirmed cases) of infection on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 54,406 (including 16,522 clinically confirmed cases).
Medical workers check patients' information at Jiangxia temporary hospital in Wuhan, China, February 14, 2020. / Xinhua Photo
A total of 2,641 new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Friday and 143 new deaths were reported, according to China's National Health Commission.
The total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland now stands at 66,492 and the cumulative death toll is 1,523.
On the same day, Chinese health authorities said 1,373 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 8,096.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 56 (one dead, one recovered)
Macao: 10 (three recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (one recovered)
Hubei Province reports 2,420 new confirmed cases on Feb. 14
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,420 new confirmed cases, including 1,138 clinically confirmed, on Friday, bringing the total number in the province to 54,406, of which 16,522 were clinically confirmed.
On the same day, 139 deaths were reported in Hubei, while 912 patients were discharged from hospital after full recovery.
A total of five local officials in Wuhan were disciplined for dereliction of duty during a transfer of severe novel coronavirus patients, Wuhan's Commission for Discipline Inspection reported on Friday.
On February 9, Wuhan's epidemic prevention and control center required Wuchang District to transfer 494 coronavirus patients to designated hospitals before midnight. On the night of the transfer, due to several long delays, chaotic organizing, and lack of coordination, many severe patients lost their tempers. This event had a negative impact on the city's continuing fight against the novel coronavirus.
Several officials responsible for the transfer were removed from their positions, and others were given warnings, according to the commission.
Two more coronavirus patients discharged from UAE hospital
Two more Chinese nationals who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were discharged from hospital on Friday.
So far, eight cases have been confirmed in the UAE, including six Chinese, one from the Philippines and another from India.
One Chinese patient from Wuhan City left the hospital on February 9 after recovery.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called for multiple measures to control the flow of people as people throughout the country make their return journeys back to cities or areas of work. The aim is to try to minimize the risk of the virus spreading amid a travel rush.
Li made the remarks when inspecting the transportation system at Beijing West Railway Station where he visited staff members and passengers and asked them about the subway's protective measures.
China is experiencing a peak in transportation as people are slowly returning to work after the Lunar New Year holiday. The holiday was extended around the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Li highlighted the importance of passenger flow detection, calling for guidance policies to help avoid a rush in traffic, while ensuring that people can return to work and resume production in an orderly way.
The premier stressed that transportation is the lifeline for the stable supply of medical goods and daily necessities, urging the government at all levels to ensure there's a smooth transportation of people and goods.
He thanked transportation staff members for their part in protecting people against the virus.
Sun Chunlan: Epidemic still severe
On the same day, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the epidemic is still severe while visiting Hubei's prevention and control command, but added there have been positive signs.
Noting the prevention and control efforts in Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan as extremely urgent, Sun required hospitals to receive every single patient and cut ways for the virus to spread, and urged for efforts to assure people.
She also said traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine should be part of the treatment plans.
Wuhan said Friday that TCM will be used to treat all non-critical patients at designated and temporary hospitals city wide, and the recommended treatment plan includes multiple prescriptions targeting fever, bad coughing, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath and tiredness.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged to improve medical insurance and aid system for major diseases, stressing that ensuring the safety and health of the people is the major task. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements at the 12th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform, which he chairs.
Noting that combating coronavirus is a big test for the country's governance system and governance ability, he stressed the need to strengthen areas of weakness and close loopholes exposed by the current epidemic.
He said it is important to improve the country's legal legislation in public health care, including the revision and modification of the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Law and the Wildlife Protection Law.
He also urged the relevant authorities to push the biosecurity law as soon as possible.
In addition, President Xi said the establishment of a unified and high-efficient top-down management system needs reform in major disease prevention and control systems as well as in related emergency response systems.
He pointed out that the medical insurance and assistance system for major diseases should be improved, adding that medical institutions should first treat and then charge for emergency situations. A unified emergency material system, as a part of the national emergency management system, is also important, the president noted.
He added that the country needs to improve its goods delivery and supply system to ensure logistics and supply of goods during outbreaks.
A deliveryman collects frozen food at a store of Hema Fresh in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, January 27, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Xi encouraged the use of digital technology such as big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to better support epidemic monitoring and analysis, virus tracing, prevention and treatment, and resource allocation.
Hundreds of passengers cheered Friday as they disembarked a cruise ship that was stranded at sea over virus fears. They were welcomed to Cambodia by the nation's authoritarian leader, who handed them flowers.
About 1,716 medical workers have been infected by the coronavirus nationwide as of February 11, six of them have lost their lives. The Chinese State Council Information Office outlined extra measures to better protect health workers.
North China's Tianjin Municipality introduced a ban on the eating of wild animals on Friday. It's the first ban introduced by a provincial People's Congress in China since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
Tianjin now forbids eating of wild animals and their products that are under state or city protection, as well as other wildlife protected by previous laws and regulations, according to a decision approved at a session of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, the city's legislative body.
No organization or individual is allowed to hunt, sell, purchase, transport, carry or deliver wild animals and their products for the purpose of consumption or trading, said the statement.
Catering businesses cannot solicit or lure customers by using names and photos of banned wild animals on their signs or menus.
The city will impose severe punishment for parties violating the new regulation, including fines and revoking business licenses.
The ban will be beneficial for the safety and health of the public, eliminate the bad habit of eating wild animals and protect the wildlife and balance of the ecosystem, according to the decision.
Xiaogan, one of the cities in Hubei Province worst hit by the novel coronavirus, will upgrade its epidemic control measures starting 17:00 BJT (0900 GMT) on Friday, including sealing residential complexes and only allowing essential vehicles on the road, the authorities said in a statement on Friday.
Food and the delivery of other essential goods will be arranged by designated personnel, read the statement.
The newly released measures will be implemented for 14 days in principle, although they could be cut short or extended depending on the epidemic prevention and control work, added the statement.
On Thursday, Huanggang, another city of Hubei Province, has also announced to upgrade epidemic control measures, which will take effect on Friday.
Six dead among 1,716 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases in medical workers
A total of 1,716 medical workers have been confirmed to have novel coronavirus as of Tuesday, representing 3.8 percent of the total number of national confirmed cases.
Among them, six have died, revealed the National Health Commission on Friday.
People who have discriminated and isolated frontline medical workers involved in the prevention and control of the epidemic, and their respective families, should be promptly educated, investigated, and dealt with in a serious manner following the law, besides the normal medical and health order shall be maintained, says a joint document released by officials.
Schools in different cities nationwide delay to start new term amid coronavirus outbreak
Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, schools in different cities announced to start the new term late. Primary and secondary schools will make up the delayed teaching time by studying on weekends and summer holidays.
United Airlines extends China flight suspension until April 24
United Airlines has extended its flight suspension to Chinese cities until April 24 amid the coronavirus outbreak. The airline had previously said it is halting flights to and from China until March 28.
"As we continue to evaluate our operation between our U.S. hubs and Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hong Kong, we have decided to extend the suspension of those flights until April 24," the airlines said in a statement.
A Japanese girl carrying a donation box to raise donations for Wuhan's fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia has garnered appreciation on the social media. She said, "What's horrible is the virus, not China," and she is planning to visit Wuhan to see the beautiful cherry blossoms after the epidemic is over.
Virus has no boundaries: Wang Yi calls for global cooperation against COVID-19
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday in Berlin that virus has no boundaries and the international community should work together to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
"In this battle to safeguard human health, mutual understanding, trust and support across national borders matter the most," Wang stressed at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.
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Virus has no boundaries: Wang Yi calls for global cooperation against COVID-19
Six cured patients in Shanghai to donate plasma
Six cured coronavirus patients in Shanghai will donate their plasma to help treat others infected with the COVID-19 virus, according to local media.
The six patients, who were not named, are among 28 patients discharged from hospital in Shanghai on Friday.
Large amounts of antibodies have been identified in the plasma of some recovered coronavirus patients, and initial results have indicated the effectiveness of plasma transfusion in curing patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection.
Expert: Plasma of cured patients effective in treating coronavirus
Large amounts of antibodies have been identified in the plasma of some recovered coronavirus patients, Zhang Dingyu, director of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital said in a press conference on Thursday.
Initial results have shown the effectiveness of plasma transfusion in treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus, he said, calling on recovered patients to donate blood to help others.
The China National Biotec Group (CNBG) on Thursday said in a statement posted on Chinese social media platform WeChat that they have successfully prepared special immune plasma products, and will use them in the clinical treatment of severe coronavirus patients.
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Expert: Plasma of cured patients effective in treating coronavirus
The Japanese government has said that some elderly passengers on the novel coronavirus-hit cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama will be allowed to disembark as early as February 14.
A total of 200 passengers over the age of 80 with other diseases who have tested negative for the virus can choose to get off the ship, depending on their health conditions and wishes, Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told a press briefing.
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China, outside Hubei Province, has been dropping for ten consecutive days since February 3. The cure rate is on the rise and more than 6000 patients have been successfully discharged from the hospital, according to the statistics released by the National Health Commission.
In addition to Hubei Province, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan and Anhui provinces had the highest number of confirmed and cured patients, with 55, 48, 40, 40 and 38 patients respectively discharged on Thursday.
China confirmed 5,090 new coronavirus cases on Thursday with 121 new deaths reported.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 63,851 and the cumulative death toll to 1,380 as of Thursday.
On the same day, the country said 1,081 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total of recovered cases to 6,723 by February 13.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 53 (one dead, one recovered)
Macao: 10 (three recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (one recovered)
Medical workers in protective suits move a patient in an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. /Reuters Photo
A special freight train loaded with 72 new negative-pressure ambulances has headed to Wuhan to reinforce the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak. The vehicles have special equipment installed that keep the inside air pressure lower than the outside and make the air exchange disinfected and filtered, to largely reduce cross-infection. China Railway Nanchang Bureau Group and China Railway Special Cargo Services designated a special train to ensure a soonest possible delivery of the ambulances to Wuhan. This method also avoided the risk of cross-infection for road transport personnel running back and forth.
Global leaders, organizations support China's fight against COVID-19
More leaders of foreign countries and international organizations have expressed support for China's battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak and commended China's measures in preventing and controlling the epidemic.
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Global leaders, organizations support China's fight against COVID-19
A new university semester has just started across the U.S. but some Chinese students are still struggling to get back to campus. After the U.S. implemented a travel ban for many foreign nationals coming directly from China, students had to figure out other routes for getting into the country.
CGTN brings you the story of a few who are affected by the travel ban and what some Yale University officials think of the measure.
Huoshenshan Hospital, a specialist facility built in Wuhan amid the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic, saw its first seven cured patients on Thursday. They walked out of the hospital without assistance in the afternoon and were sent home by vehicles dispatched by the hospital.
In Chinatowns across the United States, people worry about the stigma of the coronavirus.
CGTN correspondent Liu Xiaoqian visited Chicago's Chinatown to see how the community is reacting.
Several people he talked to said their normal businesses have diminished.
Hear their story.
Hubei Province reports 4,823 confirmed cases on Thursday
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 4,823 confirmed cases (including 3,095 clinically confirmed cases) on Thursday, bringing the total number in the province to 51,986 (including 15,384 clinically confirmed cases).
The number has seen a sharp surge since Thursday with the new calculation as authorities put clinically diagnosed cases into the confirmed cases category. These were suspected cases and were diagnosed with expanded testing methods including CT scans.
On Thursday, 116 more deaths were reported in Hubei, while 690 more patients were discharged from hospitals.
As of Thursday, the death toll stands at 1,426; over 4,000 patients have recovered.
36,719 people are still being treated including 1,685 in critical condition and 7,593 in serious condition.
People and businesses marking Valentine's Day in China are feeling the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Michael Zakkour, the founder of 5 New Digital, looks at the impact of COVID-19 and what could happen when the virus ends.
A man wearing face mask, walks past empty shelves at a supermarket in Hong Kong, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. /AP Photo
The U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) announced that, along with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, they have organized a shipment of medical supplies to China, including 2 million masks.
"At this critical moment, the U.S. private sector stands with and in support with the Chinese people," Evan Greenberg, USCBC Chair, Vice-Chair of the National Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Chubb, said in a press statement.
USCBC members have reportedly contributed millions of dollars in medical supplies to hospitals in the Wuhan region, the outbreak's epicenter which has been in lockdown for over a month.
The statement says donated goods will be rushed to Wuhan hospitals, with support from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and China Charity Federation.
It also notes the difficulty for people to acquire masks, but through the Bush China Foundation, the newly established U.S.-China Coronavirus Action Network and representatives from business organizations were able to swiftly arrange for the purchase and transportation of supplies for people in need.
Managing the spread of the Coronavirus has been the top priority for China - and institutions around the world are taking notice.
CGTN's Yin Yue spoke with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva. He asked how the IMF views China's economic response to the health crisis.
Central China's Wuhan City has built many makeshift hospitals for patients with mild symptoms of novel coronavirus. A lot of videos have recently emerged on social media platforms showing how patients in these hospitals are relieving stress and catering to their physical well-being by indulging in some dance. CCTV's reporter visited one of the makeshift hospitals to check out how these patients are keeping themselves entertained.
Antibodies were found in the blood of recovered coronavirus patients, said Zhang Dingyu, president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city's designated hospitals to admit coronavirus patients.
At a press conference on Thursday, Zhang called on those who recovered to donate their plasma to help treat others.
Coronavirus: What are 'clinically diagnosed cases,' and what's behind the surge in Hubei?
Hubei Province reported a total of 14,840 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, 13,332 of which were classified as clinically diagnosed, bringing the total number of infected cases to 48,206 in the province.
This is the first time that the number of clinically diagnosed cases is listed and included in total confirmed cases – a classification that has resulted in the seemingly sudden surge of infected cases in the province.
The National Health Commission said that singling out this category in Hubei helps patients receive treatment as early as possible.
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First child with severe coronavirus symptoms recovers
The first child with severe coronavirus symptoms in Wuhan City recovered Thursday and was discharged from the hospital.
Wuhan's Children Hospital diagnosed the 14-month-old child with pneumonia of both lungs and partial consolidation of the right lung on January 27, and sent him to intensive care unit. His nucleic acid testing result was positive and he was diagnosed with severe COVID-19 symptoms.
The hospital had been carefully treating the boy who started to show signs of recovery since February 5. The hospital has issued a certificate of discharge.
Photo via local media
Huanggang upgrades epidemic control measures to fight coronavirus outbreak
Huanggang, one of the cities in Hubei Province worst hit by the new coronavirus, will upgrade epidemic control measures starting Friday, including sealing residential complexes and only allowing essential vehicles on the road, the city's publicity department said in a statement on Thursday.
Food and the delivery of other essential goods will be arranged by designated personnel, read the statement.
The newly released measures will be implemented for 14 days in principle, although they could be cut short or extended depending on the epidemic prevention and control work, added the statement.
On Wednesday, Hubei's Shiyan City announced "wartime control measures" in its Zhangwan District, sealing all buildings as of Thursday to curb the outbreak.
Some 2,600 military medical staff members have arrived in central China's Wuhan to help doctors, nurses and especially patients fight the deadly novel coronavirus. The soldiers were carried by 11 military aircraft. It was the first time that China's domestically made Y-20 aircraft has participated in a non-war military operation.
China is mobilizing 180 teams, involving more than 20,000 medical staff to support Hubei Province in the fight against the virus. Medical teams from Fujian Province have already arrived in Wuhan, the provincial seat. A senior official from the country's National Health Commission said among the newly deployed medical staff, many are specialized in treating severely ill patients.
Japan confirms first death of person with new coronavirus
A woman in her 80s has become the first person with the new coronavirus to die in Japan, the country's health minister said Thursday.
She lived in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo. The test result that showed she was positive came out on Thursday after she died earlier in the day. She had no record of overseas travel, reported Japan's public broadcaster NHK.
First batch of recovered patients discharged from Huoshenshan Hospital
The first batch of recovered patients was discharged from Huoshenshan Hospital on Thursday.
It was the first hospital built for patients infected with the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. The 1,000-bed hospital was built in 10 days.
The seven patients, four men and three women, are between 33 and 66 of age. Some of them were in severe condition before making a full recovery.
As many as 21 teams of medics have been freshly formed as part of China's increased efforts to treat severe cases of pneumonia cause by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, the epicenter city of the virus outbreak, the National Health Commission (NHC) said Thursday.
The NHC dispatched 21 teams, comprising 3,170 healthcare personnel in total, on Wednesday, to take over the treatment of patients from Tumor Center of Union Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Wuhan No. 1 Hospital.
The teams consist of healthcare professionals from provincial level regions, including Tianjin Municipality and Sichuan, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
Medical staff receive a patient infected with the novel coronavirus at the temporary hospital converted from Wuhan Sports Center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February 12, 2020./Xinhua Photo
The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in China outside of Hubei Province has declined for nine consecutive days since February 3, said an official with the National Health Commission at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
A total of 312 new confirmed cases were reported on Wednesday from 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
CGTN Photo
Wednesday's figure was down from 377 on Tuesday, and 890 on February 3.
Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 14,840 new cases (including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan) of infection on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 48,206 in the province.
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President Xi stresses economic development in fight against COVID-19
Novel coronavirus detected in feces, transmission probability unconfirmed
11 makeshift hospitals built in Wuhan for patients with mild coronavirus symptoms
A total of 11 makeshift hospitals for patients with mild coronavirus symptoms have been built in Wuhan city, the epicenter of the outbreak.
They are expected to provide 9,029 beds in total.
As of 4:00 p.m. local time Thursday, nine makeshift hospitals have been put into use, admitting up to 5,620 patients, according to the Wuhan Health Commission.
So far, 52 patients have been discharged from the hospitals, said the commission.
Xinhua Photo
The detection of the new coronavirus in feces of infected patients does not mean the main routes of transmission – respiratory droplets and contact – have changed, an official with China's National Health Commission said at a press conference on Thursday.
Researchers at Guangzhou Medical University said they found the new coronavirus in stool samples taken from infected patients.
Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said some patients had reported experiencing diarrhea or other gastrointestinal disorders. Their stool samples tested positive for the new coronavirus, which suggests that the virus can multiply in the digestive tract of the patient.
But he also stressed that the most common clinical symptoms of the COVID-19 are fever, fatigue and cough.
Whether the new virus can be transmitted along the fecal-oral route is still unclear. Experts say more investigation and research are needed.
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Coronavirus found in patients' stool, what does this suggest?
China on Wednesday confirmed 15,152 new coronavirus cases, including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan in Hubei Province, with 254 new deaths reported.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland to 59,804 and the cumulative death toll to 1,367.
On the same day, the country said 1,171 new patients were discharged from hospital, bringing the total of recovered cases to 5,911.
The numbers of confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and China's Taiwan region are as follows:
Hong Kong: 50 (one dead, one recovered)
Macao: 10 (two recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (one recovered)
Over 20,000 medical workers dispatched to Hubei Province
China Health Commission on Thursday said as of Wednesday it has dispatched 189 teams of 21,569 medical staff to Hubei Province to provide medical care to patients infected with novel coronavirus.
On Wednesday alone, a total of 2,897 medics from 17 provinces and municipalities were sent to Hubei.
Other novel coronavirus-hit areas in central China's Hubei Province should adopt the same epidemic prevention and control measures as the provincial capital city of Wuhan, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday evening.
Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 14,840 new cases (including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan) of infection on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 48,206 in the province.
The NHC emphasized three main measures in the ongoing efforts to control the novel coronavirus pneumonia. Other places in China, especially those densely populated provinces and cities, need to monitor the health of returnees. Epidemic prevention needs to be implemented in different regions, but Hubei Province is still a nationwide priority, the national health authorities stressed.
Secondly, all-out efforts need to be made to save infected patients, raise the recovery rate and reduce the fatality rate. Severe cases need to be transferred to the designated hospitals to avoid further infections.
Thirdly, attention should be paid to the overall situation of economic and social development. It's important to prevent and control the novel coronavirus at present, and try to restore the economic and social order in the long term.
Hong Kong to extend closure of schools till March 16
All schools in Hong Kong Special Administration Region will remain suspended until at least March 16, amid the coronavirus outbreak, said Hong Kong's Education Secretary Kevin Yeung on Thursday.
Fourteen Chinese nationals aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus by Thursday, according to the Chinese embassy in Japan.
They include two from the Chinese mainland, 11 from Hong Kong and one from Taiwan region.
A total of 311 Chinese nationals – including 22 from the Chinese mainland, 260 from Hong Kong, five from Macao and 24 from Taiwan – are aboard the cruise ship.
Forty-four more cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the ship on Thursday, bringing the total number to 218, according to Japan's health ministry.
The Japanese government said earlier that elderly passengers with chronic illnesses and who have been tested negative for the new virus would be allowed to disembark starting Friday. They will complete their quarantine period, which ends on February 19, in government facilities on land.
Shiyan announces 'wartime control measures' to combat novel coronavirus
Shiyan City in central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday announced plans to implement "wartime control measures" in its Zhangwan District, a local command center to contain the coronavirus outbreak said in a statement.
The measures include closing all buildings in the area for 14 days from Thursday and strict management of all communities.
During the period, residents are restricted from going outside to stop the transmission of the virus, the statement said, adding that the wartime control measures will be adjusted accordingly after 14 days.
Another 2,600 military medical personnel were sent to the central China city of Wuhan - epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak - with approval from Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission. This marks the third deployment of military medics in the effort to contain the outbreak.
The newly sent personnel will be in charge of patients at Wuhan's Taikangtongji Hospital (set to open 860 beds) and Hubei Provincial Women and Children's Hospital (set to open 700 beds), running services similar to their colleagues at Huoshenshan Hospital, which is already in full-scale operation.
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1,400 military medical staff sent to Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan
Besides clinics, both hospitals will open up additional departments for infection contamination, special treatment, radio-diagnosis and disinfection.
Until this point, a total of over 4,000 medical staff from the Chinese armed forces have been dispatched to Wuhan. The newly sent team consists of personnel from units including the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force and Strategic Support Force.
Xi: Military needs to contribute to win the battle against the virus
Days ago, President Xi pledged all-out efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed over 1,300 lives. He stressed that the military needs to keep its mission firmly in mind and shoulder the responsibility to make a contribution to winning the battle.
Latest on the outbreak: 59,000+ cases confirmed, 1,362 deaths
President Xi in January urged soldiers deploying to the virus-hit city to protect themselves and called for enhanced coordination between local authorities and the military.
Earlier, two brand new makeshift hospitals, namely Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital, were built in 10 days in efforts to contain the outbreak. An estimated 2,500 patients are currently being treated in the two hospitals.
The 14th person has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The patient who is in California was evacuated recently from central China's Wuhan City and had been under a 14-day federal quarantine.
A previous coronavirus case was reported a few days earlier among the same group of evacuees, the CDC said.
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 14,840 new infection cases (including 13,332 clinical cases diagnosed via CT scan) on Wednesday, bringing to a total of 48,206 confirmed cases in the province.
The Hubei Provincial Health Commission said the 13,332 clinically diagnosed cases, which have been seen as confirmed cases from Thursday, were suspected cases and were diagnosed with expanded testing methods including CT scans.
Clinically diagnosed cases are unique to Hubei statistically. The inclusion of those cases drives the surge in the number of new confirmed cases.
Any suspected cases with pneumonia-related CT scan results are counted as clinically diagnosed cases, according to the latest version of the diagnosis and treatment scheme released by the National Health Commission.
The provincial health commission said the diagnosis criteria revision has been made to give those who have been clinically diagnosed the timely standard treatment of confirmed cases to further raise the treatment success rate.
On Wednesday, 242 more deaths were reported in Hubei.
As of Wednesday, a total of 1,310 people have died of the virus in Hubei, and 3,441 patients were discharged from hospitals.
(With input from Xinhua)
President Xi stresses economic development in fight against COVID-19
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on party committees and governments at all levels to work hard to win the battle against the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), while striving to achieve this year's economic and social development goals.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement when presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Wednesday.
The president said stronger measures should be taken to contain the virus, especially in areas with severe or high-risks, as the fight has entered a crucial stage.
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President Xi stresses economic development in fight against COVID-19
"Only one case with a 24-day-long incubation period was found in the 1,099 cases of infection. The chance is less than one in a thousand, so it would be inappropriate to use this rare case to tell the whole story," said Zhong Nanshan, leader of the high-level expert group to fight the virus, who issued a preprint article on medRxiv with his group on Saturday, saying the incubation period for the virus could be as long as 24 days, 10 longer than previously thought.
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Airborne Corps stationed in Hubei Province has sent two helicopters to help in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Two Z-8 helicopters transported medicines and emergency supplies from Wuhan City to the Xiangyang and Yichang regions during the morning of February 12.
An old nanny visited her husband every day, bringing kiwi fruit to ICU, and touching his forehead before leaving. However, as the coronavirus outbreak forced the hospital to lockdown, the nanny now gives kiwi fruit to nurses every day, and exchanges love letters with her beloved.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former prime minister of France, has sent his best wishes for China's battle against the novel coronavirus by video. He believes that the Chinese government's strong mobilization capacity and the tremendous energy of the Chinese people will make China succeed in fighting the coronavirus eventually.
The crisis in Wuhan has touched the hearts of people across China, with all regions offering support in different ways.
Expert on virus outbreak: Hidden turning point of its rise exists
The turning point of decline of the current novel coronavirus outbreak has appeared. Still, there is a hidden turning point of its rise, Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) wrote on China's social media platform Weibo on Wednesday.
Zeng said that the "turning point" represents the epidemic variation trend. It's a point-in-time.
"There's no need to complicate the idea of turning point," he wrote, adding that the appearance of a turning point doesn't simply mean that the big picture is settled.
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Expert on virus outbreak: Hidden turning point of its rise exists
People of Wuhan: Male nurse's work and personal goals
26-year-old Jiang Sida is a male nurse who has been fighting the coronavirus since the outbreak began in Wuhan. As a rare face in the nursing world, Jiang wants to become the fittest male head nurse in China.
Jiang works at Wuhan No.4 Hospital's fever clinic. He said he could infuse 150 patients during morning shifts, but thankfully his night shifts aren't as hectic.
The night shift is mostly about giving patients infusions, changing their medicine and doing skin tests. "I needled 56 patients during my last night shift. I am expecting the same now," Jiang said calmly.
He now lives in a hotel near the hospital with fellow doctors and nurses. It's a measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Chinese F1 Grand Prix postponed amid coronavirus outbreak
The 2020 Chinese Grand Prix, which had been scheduled for April 17-19, has been postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the organizers said in a statement on Wednesday.
They will continue to monitor the situation and assess potential alternative dates.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting saying that the government will pay attention to employment issues to avoid large-scale layoffs amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The State Council has called on all regions and departments to offer temporary support to firms by measures including reducing or exempting rent for state-owned property, tax reductions and lowering loan rates.
Li stressed further efforts to resume work and ensure the supply of medical and daily necessities amid the country's all-out battle against the coronavirus epidemic.
Governments and departments at all levels have managed to do a solid job in disease prevention and control, while smoothly advancing work and production resumption of enterprises, rapidly increasing key medical supply, and ensuring generally ample supply of daily necessities, according to a statement released after the meeting.
The meeting emphasized that while strengthening the prevention and control of the epidemic, we must coordinate and advance various tasks of economic and social development, strengthen economic regulation, introduce in a timely manner and implement relevant policies, and maintain normal economic and social operations.
(With input from Xinhua)
The first patient from Taiwan, who was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in the Chinese mainland, was discharged from a hospital in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Wednesday.
The patient works in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and was visiting their family in Shenzhen when he was diagnosed with novel coronavirus infection.
His health condition improved after a variety of active medical treatments. The nucleic acid testing result of the patient is now negative, meaning that the patient has reached the level necessary for discharge. Nevertheless, the patient will still be regularly monitored.
Coronavirus epidemic hurts neighboring countries' travel industries
Spending the Chinese Lunar New Year traveling was predicted by Ctrip, China's main online travel agency, as the most noticeable trend for Chinese people this year. However, that was before the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hit the city of Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province and rapidly started spreading across the rest of the country and the world.
In an effort to contain the spread of the epidemic, China tightened control of its outbound tourism by banning tour groups to overseas destinations and urged its citizens to cancel all but essential journeys.
"Tourism is vulnerable to the effects of public health emergencies and is already being affected by the outbreak," said the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). With China being the largest source market of global tourism, the decline in Chinese tourists has posed great challenges to many countries and regions.
The neighboring countries of Japan, Thailand and Singapore were listed as the most popular short-haul destinations for Chinese tourists during the holiday, as shown by statistics from Ctrip. Here's how the coronavirus outbreak has impacted the tourism sector of these countries.
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Coronavirus epidemic hurts neighboring countries' travel industries
Number of daily new confirmed coronavirus cases in China down by 48.2% since February 4
The number of daily new confirmed novel coronavirus cases in China has seen a 48.2 percent decrease between February 4 and 11, an official of the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
A total of 2,015 new confirmed cases were reported on Tuesday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
The number was compared to 3,887 on February 4.
"The situation is still very serious, but after taking a series of effective measures, it has also seen some positive changes in general," NHC official Mi Feng told reporters.
He said the number of suspected cases each day reported on the Chinese mainland also witnessed a 37.3 percent drop between February 5 and 11, from 5,328 to 3,342.
The number of patients that have been discharged from hospital has risen dramatically, with the recovery rate increased from 1.3 percent on January 27 to 10.6 percent on February 11.
According to the latest data released by the NHC, 4,740 people were cured and left hospitals on the Chinese mainland by Tuesday.
Hospitals operate at full capacity to treat patients in Wuhan
Hospitals in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province are running at full capacity to take in patients as the city vowed to leave no patients unattended.
Nearly 40 designated hospitals including Leishenshan and Huoshenshan hospitals in the city have provided 12,000 beds for patients in serious and critical conditions.
As of Tuesday, 2,676 people are treated at those hospitals.
Meanwhile for mildly infected patients, seven makeshift hospitals in major city venues are offering proper observation and medical treatment.
A total of 4,313 patients with mild symptoms have been admitted to makeshift hospitals in Wuhan so far since February 6.
As of 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 36 patients had been discharged while 3,972 are still being treated.
There are currently 4,966 medical workers in those seven makeshift hospitals.
Efforts are in full swing to ensure everyone is well covered in Wuhan.
40 organizations in the city now are eligible to conduct virus tests with a daily testing capacity of 8,000-10,000 people.
Now, 72,247 people staying in hospitals, fever clinics and isolation areas with suspected symptoms have been tested.
According to Wuhan's provincial disease prevention and control department, it has allocated 180,000 nucleic acid testing kits throughout the city.
Patients are seen lying in bed in Jianghan makeshift hospital, the first of its kind in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on February 5, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Expert: Only one novel coronavirus case had a 24-day latent period
A study led by Zhong Nanshan, head of the high-level expert group appointed by the National Health Commission to fight novel coronavirus has revealed that the incubation period of the virus can be as long as 24 days.
Zhong, corresponding author of the paper published on medRxiv on February 8 elaborated on the finding during an interview with CCTV reporter on Tuesday.
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Expert: Only one novel coronavirus case had a 24-day latent period
925 patients treated at Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital
925 patients were being treated at Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital by Tuesday night as the makeshift hospital undergoes further construction to enlarge its capacity.
The hospital, which is controlled by the military, is mainly targeting patients that are in a critical condition. All patients at the hospital had been transferred from other designated hospitals in Wuhan City.
According to a statement from the National Defense ministry, the condition of some critically ill patients has improved.
Leishenshan Hospital receives its second batch of patients
Leishenshan Hospital, the second specialized hospital built in Wuhan to treat novel coronavirus patients, received its second batch of patients on Wednesday.
On the same day, the hospital underwent a stringent disinfection process and new rooms for patients were readied.
CCTV Photo
Coronavirus patient discharged from Hong Kong hospital
A patient diagnosed with the novel coronavirus is now in a stable condition and ready to be discharged from a Hong Kong hospital on Wednesday, marking the city's first patient discharged from hospital, according to local health authorities.
So far, there have been 50 confirmed cases in the city and one death.
AP Photo
In an interview with Reuters, China's renowned respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan said the most shocking was the contagion of the virus. He said he did not expect it to spread so fast in such a short time. He urged scientists and disease control centers around the world to recognize the need for carefully dealing with the infections upon the emergence of new coronaviruses.
While new novel coronavirus cases continue to emerge, other patients have recovered and are heading home. These patients, mostly aged over 50, said it was a long, hard fight but they couldn't have done it without the help of doctors. CGTN reporter Sun Tianyuan has more from one of the makeshift hospitals in Wuhan.
In an interview with Reuters, China's renowned respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan talked about Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist from Wuhan who sounded an early warning about the novel coronavirus and later ended it up succumbing to the disease. Zhong said he is proud of Dr. Li, who is considered a hero for a majority of people in China.
Healthcare officials are moving swiftly to set the record straight in the face of speculation and misinformation. Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan shared his insights with the Reuters news agency. He is China's leading epidemiologist. About 17 years ago, Zhong led the battle against SARS. The 84-year-old doctor is also leading his team in the current fight.
Tibet's only novel coronavirus patient discharged
The only confirmed novel coronavirus patient in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
The discharged patient tested positive for the coronavirus on January 29 and the region hasn't reported any new cases in the past 14 days.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is offering free refunds and changes to students who purchased tickets for flights before March 31 as many provinces in China have postponed the resumption of schools in order to meet the relevant policy requirements given the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
If the opening of the schools is further delayed, the CAAC will make another adjustment in a timely manner, according to media reports on Wednesday.
"The first vaccine targeting the novel coronavirus could be available in 18 months, so we have to do everything today using available weapons," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Tuesday.
Tedros added "the development of vaccines and therapeutics is one important part of the research agenda. But it's not the only part. They will take time to develop – but in the meantime, we are not defenseless."
As recorded cases pass 40,000 people, scientists, private companies and governments around the world are racing to develop a vaccine to fight the novel coronavirus.
In the UK, one leading research team from Imperial College London (ICL) says it is making good progress. They have turned out a candidate vaccine, something that can take months or even years in just 14 days, thanks in part to the collective approach taken by China.
Researcher at ICL /CGTN Photo
"It has been remarkably good how the Chinese scientists have shared their research on that data very openly and very quickly, and that enabled not only the development of vaccines, but also diagnostic test, which can be used globally to reduce the spread of the disease," Dr. John Tregoning at ICL told CGTN Europe.
"We're putting it into animal candidates next week and we will be looking for funding to rush that into human testing," added infection specialist Robin Shattock, another professor at ICL.
There are three main stages in developing vaccines, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier explained. Research teams must first identify "the best components" for the vaccine, which could take "any amount of time;" following which, rounds of ethical animal and human trials will be conducted; and lastly, the successful vaccine will go into production – which could take anything from "six to nine months."
The processes behind vaccine development worldwide have been accelerated following the outbreak of the 2013-16 Ebola virus. In 2017, the public-private Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched to develop vaccines beyond the constraints of the private pharmaceutical market and states.
According to the Strait Times, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, chief health scientist of the country's health ministry, said that Duke-NUS Medical School is working with the CEPI to roll out a vaccine trial in Singapore.
The trial will involve giving the vaccine to healthy volunteers, who will be monitored for side effects, and will also be observed to see the effects the vaccine has on their immune system.
Professor Wang Linfa, director of Duke-NUS' Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, told the Strait Times that CEPI already has several processes prepared, including methods of production, that can be quickly used when a new virus emerges.
"So when the virus comes, it's just plug-and-play," he added.
A total of 44,653 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday, with 1,113 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures follow 97 new deaths and 2,015 new cases that were reported on Tuesday.
There were also 744 more recovered cases on Tuesday, bringing the total to 4,740.
The new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia outside Hubei Province has been dropping for eight consecutive days.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 49 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (1 recovered)
WHO: Chinese, external expert groups work to identify animal source of COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Twitter that both Chinese and external expert groups are trying to identify the animal source of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). WHO noted that "identifying it would help to ensure that there will be no further similar outbreaks & will also help to understand the initial spread of COVID-19 in the Wuhan area."
Meanwhile, WHO said the start of the coronavirus outbreak still remains unclear and the current most likely hypothesis is that an intermediary host animal has played a role in the transmission.
Thirty-nine more cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 174, according to Japan's health ministry.
These cases were detected in 53 new test results.
Hubei reports 1,638 new coronavirus cases, Feb. 11
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,638 new cases of infection on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33,366 in the province.
The number of the new confirmed cases in the province fell below 2,000 for the first time in 10 days on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, 94 more deaths were reported in Hubei and 417 people were discharged from hospitals.
As of Tuesday, a total of 1,068 people have died from the virus in Hubei.
China's lead epidemiologist predicts the coronavirus might peak and plateau this month and then decrease.
Zhong Nanshan, who gained International fame during the SARS epidemic, says the number of new cases is declining in some areas.
Zhong says China needs to improve its response to disease control and applauds the late Dr. Li Wenliang for his efforts to warn the medical community about the new coronavirus
Dr. Li sent an alert to fellow medics, warning them to wear protective clothing.
He caught the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital and died February 7th.
Dr. Zhong considers Li a hero. "I'm so proud of him, he told people the truth." Zhong also notes the importance of Wuhan's containment measures. "We don't know why it's so contagious, so that's a big problem," he said.
The World Health Organization is currently hosting a meeting of more than 400 scientists from around the world to explore ways of tackling the virus. /Photo: People.com
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named the disease caused by the novel coronavirus as COVID-19.
The announcement was made in Geneva on Tuesday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who underlined the importance of having an official name for viruses.
"Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks," Adhanom said.
The WHO chief noted that as of Tuesday, deaths caused by COVID-19 has surpassed 1,000.
"As of 6 a.m. Geneva time this morning, there were 42,708 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in China and tragically we have now surpassed 1,000 deaths – 1,017 people have lost their lives to this virus. Outside China, there are 393 cases in 24 countries, with one death," he said.
The WHO announcement came as the organization hosts a meeting of more than 400 scientists from around the world to explore ways of tackling the virus.
As China continues to lead the fight against the virus, President Xi Jinping expressed optimism that his country will emerge victorious.
In a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday, President Xi stressed that China has the ability and confidence to not only thoroughly defeat the epidemic, but also complete economic and social development goals.
Source(s): World Health Organization (WHO) Twitter
UK businessman linked to coronavirus cases says he 'recovered'
Steve Walsh, who's linked to 11 coronavirus cases, said in a statement Tuesday he has "fully recovered" from the coronavirus infection, adding his thoughts were with the others who had contracted the potentially deadly illness.
The British man unknowingly contracted the disease at a sales conference in Singapore sometime between January 20 and 22 and then went on a ski trip to the French Alps before returning home.
China agrees to allow medical experts from Taiwan region to participate in WHO forum
China has told the World Health Organization (WHO) that it will allow medical experts from the Taiwan region to attend the organization's global research and innovation forum, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The WHO is convening a global research and innovation forum to mobilize international action in response to the novel coronavirus pneumonia from Tuesday to Wednesday in Geneva.
We pay great attention to the health and well-being of our Taiwan compatriots and the National Health Commission has been providing timely information to the Taiwan region, said Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Participation of the Taiwan region in WHO activities must be arranged through consultation under the one-China principle as agreed by China, he stressed.
The novel coronavirus situation in Hubei Province's Huanggang City remains severe, said Liu Xuerong, Party chief of the Huanggang municipal CPC committee, at a press conference on Tuesday.
As of Monday, there were 2,332 confirmed cases in the city with 52 deaths, and 279 patients have been discharged from hospitals, Liu said.
To contain the outbreak, Huanggang has increased the number of fever clinics from 29 to 127 and upped the designated hospitals from 13 to 30. A total of 7,109 medical personnel are currently working in the city to battle the epidemic, according to Liu.
Other provinces have helped Huanggang, too. Four medical teams with 549 medic workers from China's Shandong and Hunan provinces have joined the prevention and control work in Huanggang as part of the country's one-on-one support program.
Through the program, the Chinese government has assigned 19 provinces and municipalities to a specific city in Hubei Province to enhance medical personnel.
China will be even more prosperous after overcoming the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) epidemic, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
President Xi stressed that China has the ability and confidence to not only thoroughly defeat the epidemic, but also fulfill its economic and social development goals.
He noted that at this critical juncture, when China is battling the NCP, President Widodo's phone conversation with him reflects Indonesia's friendship with and support to China as a comprehensive strategic partner.
He stressed that fighting the epidemic is currently the top priority of the Chinese government. China has given full play to its system advantage, waged a people's war in epidemic prevention and control, adopted the most rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures, and achieved positive results, he added.
Widodo expressed sympathies to the Chinese government and people over the epidemic on behalf of the Indonesian government and people. Indonesia has provided a batch of medical supplies to China, he said, adding that the country is ready to continue to offer necessary assistance in response to the needs on the Chinese side.
Checking a passenger's body temperature at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, January 22, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
On the same day, President Xi also held a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the epidemic.
Since the outbreak, China has adopted the most thorough and rigorous measures to fight the epidemic, according to Xi.
At present, our prevention and control work is achieving positive results, said Xi, adding that the country will win the battle against the epidemic.
The Chinese people are deeply moved by the true friendship that has stood the test in difficult times, Xi said.
Emir Sheikh Tamim, on behalf of the Qatari government and people, expressed firm support to the Chinese government and people's fight against the epidemic, and extended condolences to the deceased in the epidemic and sympathies to their families, while wishing the patients a quick recovery.
(With input from Xinhua)
The decrease in the number of suspected coronavirus cases in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, proves that the diagnosis of such patients has been expedited, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for China's National Health Commission, at a press conference on Tuesday.
On February 5, there were 2,071 suspected cases in the city while the number went down to 961 on February 10, Mi pointed out.
This comes as Wuhan firmly implements various measures including collective treatment of confirmed coronavirus patients, quarantine of suspected cases and collective inspection of patients with fever and confirmed patients' close contacts.
He concluded that these measures earn valuable time for patients to receive standardized treatments and reduce the number of severe and critical cases. They also help save medical resources for inspection of suspected cases in the future, creating winning conditions for Hubei Province and the whole country's war against the epidemic.
Expert: Novel coronavirus outbreak may peak in mid-to-late February
Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan on Tuesday predicted that the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) epidemic will reach its peak in mid-to-late February, based on data model analysis.
Zhong made the remarks at a teleconsultation with a medical team working in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
It's hard to predict when the inflection point will come, said Zhong, adding that it depends on the prevention and control during the travel peak.
The fatality rate of the NCP is lower than those of SARS and MERS, said Zhong.
The expert also called for continuing prevention efforts to ensure early detection and early quarantine, saying the situation in Wuhan will improve, but it is still in a difficult time now.
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28 coronavirus patients discharged from makeshift hospital
A total of 28 patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus pneumonia were discharged from a makeshift hospital in Wuhan on Tuesday.
It is the first batch since the hospital, which was built for patients with mild symptoms, started receiving patients last Wednesday.
China says coronavirus epidemic won't change its economic growth trend
The long-term trend of China's economic development will not be changed by the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
The impact of the outbreak on China's economy depends on the progress and effectiveness of the prevention and control work, said Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the ministry, during an online press conference.
"We believe that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy and the long-term positive trend will not be changed by this epidemic," he added, expressing confidence in China's ability to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the economy.
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South Korea expands quarantine screenings to China's Hong Kong, Macao
South Korea Tuesday said it will strictly screen entrants from China's Hong Kong and Macao administrative regions starting Wednesday in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The measure comes after the country reported its 26th and 27th confirmed cases who returned from China's Guangdong Province via Macao, according to Yonhap news agency.
Seoul has already put an entry ban on all foreign travelers who, over the past 14 days, have stayed in or traveled to Wuhan City, epicenter of the virus outbreak in China, since February 4.
The newly built Huoshenshan Hospital has been making all-out effort to treat patients with pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus and receiving confirmed patients transferred from designated hospitals in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province, since the hospital was taken over by the medical team of People's Liberation Army. It gives individualized diagnosis and comprehensive treatment to the patients, including nutrition therapy, psychological counseling and rehabilitation training.
Members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Diet will each donate 5,000 yen (around 318 yuan) to China for battling the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Nikkei news.
LDP General Secretary Toshihiro Nikai told reporters on Monday after a meeting that the money will be deducted in advance from the members' budget in March.
Moreover, Canada has offered help to China in fighting against the novel coronavirus. It has sent about 16 tons of protective gear, including clothing, masks, goggles and gloves, to China since February 4.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the virus has no nationality and expressed deep sympathy to China for being the first country to suffer from the virus, adding that she was pleased with the international efforts to find ways to fight the menace.
Pakistan's upper house of parliament on Monday passed a resolution to express solidarity with China over its fight against the outbreak.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that China highly appreciates the adoption of the relevant resolution.
China and Pakistan have a fine tradition of mutual support, he said, adding that Pakistan is China's "true friend" and two peoples share weal and woe.
Other countries, including Peru, the UK, India, Turkey, Greece and Portugal, and international organizations, such as the UN and WHO, have also expressed support for China.
"You see, we are totally fine now. It's not as deadly as you would think. Staying positive is a must." A couple from Wuhan recovered from the novel coronavirus pneumonia. They were diagnosed about a month ago and stayed at Jiangxia District People's Hospital for medical treatment. They shared what they have experienced during the past month.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this video and article are those of the author and do not reflect the policy or position of China Global Television Network.
Chinese tourism bears the brunt of novel coronavirus outbreak
Yesterday was the first day back at work for many people after an extended Lunar New Year holiday in China. It is usually the biggest holiday in a year for Chinese to travel around, but as coronavirus continues to sweep across the country, things are different this year. China's tertiary industry is facing unprecedented hardships, especially the tourism industry.
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Chinese tourism bears the brunt of novel coronavirus outbreak
Foreigners staying in China say they trust Chinese government
Despite the spread of the coronavirus, some foreigners decided to stay in China after seeing all kinds of measures the Chinese government has taken to contain the virus.
Denis, an architect who has been working in Hainan, China's southernmost province for many years, decided to stay in China after he was impressed by Chinese people, particularly after witnessing China built two hospitals in Wuhan within 10 days.
"I'm really proud of being in China and being part of it because I cannot imagine in any other country such measures to be implemented so successfully in people, not only the government, but people supporting it so uniformly," said Dennis.
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Foreigners staying in China say they trust Chinese government
Since Hong Kong imposed quarantine measures on February 8, the number of people crossing the border between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland has decreased as expected, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday at a press conference.
She noted that as of Monday midnight, a total of 2,196 people had been regulated to take mandatory quarantine, 91 percent of whom are Hong Kong residents.
These people are not all from Hubei Province and are not close contacts of the diagnosed persons, she said. "As there have no symptoms, the risk was assessed as low by the Center for Health Protection."
In addition, she called for follow-up investigation into the two recent coronavirus infection cases found in the same residential building in the city's Tsing Yi area.
She added that the police had issued arrest warrants of the two quarantined individuals who could not be contacted, stressing that the government would certainly consider prosecution if there were signs of a deliberate breach of the quarantine order.
During the press conference, Lam called for social cohesion to work together to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
The government has devoted a lot of manpower and resources in different ways to ensure that quarantined personnel stay at designated places.
Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, donations from all sectors of Hong Kong to the mainland have exceeded 1 billion yuan through channels such as the Liaison office of China's central government in HKSAR.
Some associations and institutions have also purchased anti-epidemic materials such as masks, goggles, protective clothing, medical gloves and alcohol disinfectant from overseas, and sent them to the frontline on the mainland.
Various sectors in Hong Kong have also actively supported the SAR government in preventing and controlling the epidemic and carrying out a number of anti-epidemic activities.
CCTV screenshot
The new number of coronavirus cases in China apart from Hubei Province has seen a steady decline since February 3, said He Qinghua, an official with the National Health Commission at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
A total of 381 new confirmed cases were reported on Monday from 30 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
The number was compared to 890 on February 3.
CGTN infographic by Chen Yuyang
Post-holiday work and life
At Tuesday's press conference, Cong Liang of the National Development and Reform Commission responded to countrywide concerns regarding to the post-holiday work and life.
Cong suggested that companies concerning to people's daily lives, i.e. medical suppliers and grain producers, should renew operations as soon as possible. Others who are running less needed or important business are recommended to reschedule their work time. Employees are encouraged to have flexible working hours or work from home, so that unnecessary contact can be avoided.
"So far, over 76 percent of mask producers and 77 percent of protective clothing makers outside Hubei Province have been back to their normal operation after China's Spring Festival holiday," he noted. But there is a shortage of workers and raw materials in companies producing medical supplies.
Out of safety concerns, factories in some of these places are not allowed to start operations. Migrant workers who used to work in city factories also cannot make it to their original posts.
People at a train station /CCTV screenshot
Post-holiday mass migration
Mass migration has been considered as a risk factor in the spread of the virus. In China, the number is staggering.
According to Xu Yahua of China's Ministry of Transportation, and one of the speakers at Tuesday's press conference, an estimated 160 million people will be returning to their posts from Tuesday until the end of the Spring Festival travel rush on February 18.
In order to reduce the possibility of getting infected, the Ministry of Transportation will keep real-time monitoring and screening in case there is a need to locate patients.
For migrant workers who choose to travel by public transportation like trains, planes or chartered buses, they will be instructed to maintain a distance from each passenger. Besides ventilation, disinfection equipment and automated body thermometers have also been put in place at densely populated areas.
When asked which sector is the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, He Qinghua said industries with large mobility and dense population are prone to be infected by the virus, because in these places people are more likely to have contact with each other. The possibility of the people-cluster getting infected will increase.
Another highly vulnerable group is hospital medical staff, especially frontline workers that need to have direct contact with the patients.
He also noted the National Health Commission has issued guidelines on the protection of people at different risk of new coronavirus infection, and has provided personal protective supplies for different risk groups.
(Bu Shi also contributed to the story.)
It was a tradition at Wuhan No. 3 Hospital – once a coronavirus patient made a recovery, the hospital held a simple farewell ceremony.
Although the elderly deemed to be the most vulnerable group, through the persistent efforts of medical staff, the capital of Hubei Province, 66-year-old Aunty Tong was able to make a full recovery.
"Doctors and nurses from Shanghai took good care of me. I am very grateful. I am very emotional. My tears burst out," Tong said.
Zhou Qiang, Tong's son, said he was anxious initially because his mother's condition was so severe. Zhou praised the high-level support she received from all the medical staff.
"They are all good doctors. They are very professional, which can relieve our stress as patient's relatives," Zhou said.
Wuhan No. 3 hospital welcomed a support team from Shanghai a few days ago. Many of whom had experiences from the 2003 SARS epidemic.
"The Shanghai team and Wuhan team both trust each other, and we both have one common goal - to win the battle in a short period of time," said Chen Erzhen, head of the supporting team from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital.
"The Shanghai team has brought us knowledge, techniques, and manpower. We quickly made a consensus and carried out specific treatment plans," said Fu Shouzhi, Director of Emergency Room of Wuhan No.3 Hospital.
By Monday, more than 18,000 medical workers from all over China brought not only their skills and expertise to Wuhan but also their warmth and empathy.
(Meng Mingwei and Zhang Youze also contributed to the story.
First case of coronavirus confirmed in San Diego, California
The first novel coronavirus infection was confirmed in San Diego, California, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday.
It will mark the 13th case in the United States of people testing positive for the virus.
The individual was aboard the first U.S. evacuation flight from China's Wuhan last week.
Local authorities have not released any details on this individual so far.
2,000 tons of frozen pork to reach Wuhan by Feb. 15
China's National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce have allocated 2,000 tons of frozen pork to central China's Wuhan City. The first batch will arrive on February 11, while the rest by February 15.
The authorities will continue to assess the demand and supply situation in Wuhan to release frozen pork reserves to the market at appropriate time.
Meanwhile, seven grain processing companies in the city have resumed production, which can provide 510 tons of rice and 100 tons of flour per day.
The Chinese New Year holiday was long, but not necessarily rewarding for Xiao Hongbing, a truck driver from central China's Hubei Province. He hasn't been able to return to his hometown Tianmen since he left on January 7. It is located about 141 kilometers from Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. For him, home is still an unreachable destination, at least for now.
Science Behind Virus: How to test for new coronavirus
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China this January saw people suffering from fever, cough, shortness of breath and even severe pneumonia. But these are only symptoms which could be caused by other diseases. How do we test for a virus that we haven't seen before?
You might have come across this term a lot recently: nucleic acid test. As one can tell from the name, it is about testing the presence of the virus's genetic material, the RNA or DNA.
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Two senior Hubei provincial health commission officials, Zhang Jin and Liu Yingzi, were removed from their posts.
Zhang Jin was Party secretary of the Health Commission of Hubei Province while Liu Yingzi served as the director of the Hubei Provincial Health Commission.
The two posts will be taken over by Wang Hesheng, a newly appointed Standing Committee member of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, who's also the deputy head of the National Health Commission.
Hubei, a province of more than 59 million people in central China, is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
1,016 dead, 42,638 cases of coronavirus confirmed on Chinese mainland
A total of 42,638 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Monday, with 1,016 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures follow 108 new deaths and 2,478 new cases that were reported on Monday.
There were also 716 more recovered cases on Monday, bringing the total to 3,996.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 42 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (1 recovered)
Wuhan implements closed-off management in all residential areas
Central China's Wuhan City decided to implement closed-off management in all residential areas in the city from February 10, according to local authorities.
The building units where the people with novel coronavirus pneumonia are diagnosed or suspected will be under strict closed-off management.
Advance team of WHO experts arrive in China to probe coronavirus
An advance team of World Health Organization (WHO) medical experts arrived in China late Monday to help investigate the novel coronavirus outbreak, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed.
The advance team, led by Dr. Bruce Aylward, is expected to lay the groundwork for the larger international team.
"Bruce and his colleagues will be working with their Chinese counterparts to make sure we have the right expertise on the team to answer the right questions," Tedros said, adding the team could range between 10 and 15 members and will join with the advance team as soon as possible in China.
Hubei reports 2,097 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 10
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,097 new cases of infection on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 31,728 in the province.
On Monday, 103 more deaths were reported in Hubei and 427 people were discharged from hospitals.
As of Monday, a total of 974 people have died from the virus in Hubei.
The eighth coronavirus infection in the United States was confirmed on February 1, a student at University of Massachusetts Boston. While the diagnosis generated a lot of attention and concern across the city, university students from all over the world voiced their support for China.
Listen to the messages UMass students sent out.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a community in Beijing to learn about community-based prevention and control. Xi pointed out that community-based prevention and control is the foundation of the next phase of the battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia.
The new coronavirus outbreak is a major news story that has grabbed international headlines and had everyone glued to their phones for updates. Online, the virus has mutated amid bogus claims and far-fetched fabrications that make it seem as if Resident Evil is playing out in real life. In this episode of Facts Tell, we debunk some of the viral myths about the origin of the 2019-nCoV.
On-camera reporter: Nadim Diab
Scriptwriter: Nadim Diab
Filmed by Xu Haoming
Video editors: Wang Zeyu, Shen Anqi
Producer: Wen Yaru
Chief editor: Xu Jian
Supervisor: Zhang Shilei
President Xi Jinping inspected the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing on Monday.
The Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) announced on Monday that it has initiated the revision of the law on the protection of wild animals, plans to add it to the standing committee's legislative work plan for this year, and accelerates the revision of the animal epidemic prevention law and other laws.
The Legislative Affairs Commission (LAC) of the NPC is also studying a decision on legal issues to be made by the standing committee in the near future.
Director of LAC's economic law office Wang Ruihe said that it is necessary to further supplement and improve relevant laws and regulations such as the wildlife protection law, expand the scope of legal adjustments, and intensify efforts to crack down on and punish the indiscriminate hunting and eating of wild animals.
He said that the current supervision, inspection and law enforcement are not strong enough, and some illegal wildlife markets have not been firmly banned or closed. Wildlife markets are overflowing in many places and the related industries are large, posing a major risk to public health security.
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Coronavirus outbreak: Demand for wildlife trade ban grows
Experts call for urgent amendments to China's Wildlife Protection Law
Chinese authorities announced in late January that trading of wild animals would be suspended nationwide to curb the spread of the virus, which is suspected to be related to wildlife.
Any form of wildlife trade will be strictly prohibited on platforms including marketplaces, supermarkets, dining establishments and e-commerce sites, and all sites raising wild animals have to be quarantined.
The crackdown will be conducted by government agencies in charge of market regulation, public security, agriculture, customs, and forestry and grassland, an official notice said.
Violators will be penalized, and for serious violations, suspects will be handed over to the police for criminal investigation, the notice said.
Cured cases /CCTV Photo
"Among the 1,500 patients admitted to our hospital, the majority are able to be discharged from the hospital after proper treatments like oxygen therapy and immunoregulatory therapy," said Zhang Dingyu, head of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city's designated hospitals for critical to severe cases of the novel coronavirus, during the daily press conference.
On Monday, the number of new confirmed cases reported in Wuhan reached 1,552, with a fatality rate of 4.05 percent.
When asked whether there is a risk of relapse, Zhang said no cases have been found in his patients so far. "The antibodies (a substance that the body produces in the blood to fight disease) will last for a period of time after patients get cured, but it remains to be seen whether lifelong protection can be achieved," he added.
Wuhan's general health screening rate 99 percent
Regarding the general health screening in Wuhan, Ma Guoqiang, Party chief of Wuhan's CPC Committee, said on Monday 10.59 million residents across the city have been screened as of February 9, with a screening rate of 99 percent.
The screening showed that there were 1,499 severe patients not hospitalized as of February 8. However, all of them were hospitalized and treated as of Monday noon, said Ma.
Ma made the remarks during a regular briefing on prevention and control of the novel coronavirus.
Click here for more from our live coverage.
President Xi Jinping has traveled around the Chinese capital of Beijing to inspect areas that are combating the coronavirus.
China's leading respiratory expert, Zhong Nanshan, and his group, have issued an article on the coronavirus infection. It concludes the incubation period could be as long as 24 days, 10 days longer than previously thought.
China Red Cross pledges to 'seriously draw lessons' from Hubei
The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) pledged to learn its lesson from its branch in central China's Hubei Province, where unqualified and derelict officials mismanaged the donations for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus, the RCSC said in a statement on its official website on Monday.
Last week, three senior officials of the RCSC Hubei branch were punished for failing to take responsibility when receiving and distributing donated funds and relief goods in the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Read more:
China Red Cross urges Wuhan to promptly carry out self-inspection
Wuhan hospitals still desperate for supplies, but what happened to donations?
Chinese President Xi Jinping has inspected some of the residential areas in Beijing where work is being carried out to control the novel coronavirus outbreak. On Monday afternoon, he visited Anzhen Sub-district in Chaoyang District where he examined epidemic prevention measures and the supply of daily necessities for residents.
Xi said overcoming the outbreak would require a strong effort from all parties.
More than 30 public buses have been turned into mobile food markets in Jincheng that service over 50 local residential communities. Residents can now buy a variety of foods from the bus at the gates of their communities. The project is in cooperation with local supermarkets and aims to bring more convenience to local residents during the novel coronavirus outbreak.
China lauds Russia, African Union support in fighting coronavirus
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang Monday expressed China's appreciation to Russia and African Union (AU) member countries for their support in China's fight against novel coronavirus.
Geng said medical supplies donated by Russia arrived in Wuhan on Sunday, including more than 2 million medical masks and other medical protective supplies.
The AU's Executive Council at the end of its 36th Ordinary Session on Friday also released a statement, in which AU countries expressed solidarity with China in its fight to contain the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Click here for more.
Three infants whose mothers were either confirmed or highly suspected of having the coronavirus were born in a Wuhan hospital. They are under observation at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Wuhan-based Tongji Hospital.
One of the infants has been in the hospital for six days. A doctor said his mother had an intermittent fever for 12 days before delivery, and her gestational weeks were 41 plus two days. His father had a fever at the same time.
The three infants are being kept in isolation under observation for 14 days. They are currently in good health and have negative nucleic acid test results. Mother-to-child vertical transmission has yet to be determined, according to doctors.
Xi inspects novel coronavirus prevention, control work in Beijing
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday, inspected the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing.
Xi visited a community in Chaoyang District to learn about the epidemic prevention and control work as well as the supply of daily necessities for residents.
Click here for more.
CCTV Photo
China confirms 27 foreigners infected with coronavirus, 2 dead
China's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that two foreigners have died among 27 who have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus infection as of February 10.
A Chinese-American died on February 6 and a Japanese national died on February 8, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing, without giving more information on the deceased.
Three of the foreigners have been discharged from hospital, he added.
Click here for more.
Brazilians wear masks as they arrive from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus, at the Annapolis Air Force Base, in Anapolis city, Goias state, Brazil, February 9, 2020. /AP Photo
Chen Yixin named deputy head of central govt group to guide epidemic control
Chen Yixin has been appointed as deputy head of a central government group to guide epidemic control work in Hubei Province, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said on Monday.
Chen is the incumbent secretary-general of the commission and former Party chief of Wuhan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent a team of international experts to China to work with Chinese experts. The WHO team, which will form a part of the "China-WHO joint expert investigation group," is led by Bruce Aylward, a veteran of past public health emergencies, and will arrive in Beijing, spokesman for the National Health Commission Mi Feng said on Monday.
"The main purpose of the WHO team's visit is to conduct in-depth exchanges between experts from the two sides on the current situation of the epidemic and its prevention and control to provide advice and suggestions for the next step for China and other affected countries and regions in the world," Mi said.
65 more people test positive for coronavirus on cruise ship in Japan
As many as 65 more people tested positive for novel coronavirus on the cruise ship Diamond Princess which has been quarantined at a Japanese port, according to local media reports on Monday.
So far, a total of 135 people have been confirmed infected on the ship, which brings the total number of confirmed cases to over 150 in Japan.
The Diamond Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, was placed on a two-week quarantine upon its arrival at Yokohama. The isolation period is due to end on February 19.
Japan's health ministry had said earlier it was considering testing all of the approximately 3,600 passengers and crew members aboard the ship.
A total of 41 planes carrying more than 6,000 medical staff arrived in Hubei Province on Sunday following a national "pairing-up support for Hubei" policy, which orders 16 provinces and municipalities to aid cities in Hubei Province.
The one-on-one support system was established in 16 provinces and municipalities. Each of the provinces and municipalities helps one city in Hubei to battle the epidemic, Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission, said on Friday.
The medics are from provinces and municipalities including Liaoning, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Chongqing, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Henan and Fujian.
WHO advance team heads to China
An advance team of international experts led by the World Health Organization (WHO) has left for China to provide support in the battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on his Twitter Sunday.
A total of 40,171 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of midnight on Sunday, with 908 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures include 97 new deaths and 3,062 new cases that were reported on Sunday.
There were also 632 more recovered cases, bringing the total to 3,281.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 36 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 18 (1 recovered)
Hubei reports 2,618 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 9
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,618 new cases of infection on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 29,631 in the province.
On Sunday, 91 more deaths were reported in Hubei.
As of Sunday, a total of 1,795 patients were discharged from hospitals and a total of 871 people have died from the virus in Hubei Province.
Medical workers in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, January 24, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang discussed the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday.
The Chinese government is carrying out disease prevention and control in a scientific and orderly manner in accordance with the law, making every effort to treat patients and ensuring the supply of materials and daily necessities, said Premier Li.
The Chinese government has always given top priority to the safety and health of the people, Li stressed.
Read more:
Premier Li stresses scientific measures to overcome the epidemic
World leaders support China's efforts against coronavirus outbreak
"The measures we have taken have gone far beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations and the recommendations of the World Health Organization. The vast number of Chinese medical staff fighting in the frontline of the battle against the epidemic have shown dedication, professional ethics and great sense of responsibility," Li said.
"We will spare no effort in protecting their physical and mental health. The Chinese government and people are confident and capable of winning the fight against the epidemic."
He hoped that the international community, including Germany, can stay rational, support China's efforts in containing the epidemic, maintain normal bilateral exchanges, and strengthen international cooperation on public health security.
Li also hoped the German side could provide China with necessary convenience so that the Chinese side can purchase medical supplies from Germany through commercial channels.
Read more:
Novel coronavirus vaccine: Animal tests started
Graphics: How are wild animals linked to an epidemic?
For her part, Merkel said that Germany is paying close attention to the development of the epidemic, and that the decisive measures taken by the Chinese government have been strongly supported by the Chinese people.
Noting that Germany has taken a prudent stance towards coping with the epidemic, and promoted coordination within the European Union, Merkel said the German side has never taken any excessive restrictive measures.
She expressed thanks to the Chinese side for its support and help of the German citizens in China, adding that Germany is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in preventing and controlling the epidemic, continue to provide China with medical aid, and do all it can to help China win the fight against the epidemic.
She also extended her respect and blessing to the Chinese medical staff.
Hong Kong has lifted a quarantine on a cruise ship which has been docked in its waters since Wednesday, after clearing all crew members and passengers of the virus. Authorities said they were happy those still on board were clear.
Novel coronavirus vaccine: Animal tests started
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, scientists from various pharmaceutical companies and other institutions have tried to create a vaccine to stop its spread. Recently, a Shanghai company produced samples of a new vaccine which has just been tested on animals.
Animal testing is a must for any vaccine before it's put to public use. Researchers at Tongji University in Shanghai are using these healthy mice to test some of the latest coronavirus vaccine samples.
Liu Zhongmin, president of Shanghai East Hospital under the Tongji University School of Medicine, told CGTN that mouse testing is just a preliminary screening for candidate vaccines. After searching through effective antibodies against this virus, the candidate vaccine will continue onto a toxicological test, which will need larger animals such as monkeys. That will allow us to gauge the safety of the vaccines before applying for clinical testing.
Click here for more.
A Shanghai company produced vaccine samples which have just been tested on mice. /CGTN Photo
Scientists race to develop vaccine for new coronavirus
Scientists from Australia, France, the United States and China are using new technology in an ambitious, multi-million-dollar drive to develop a vaccine in record time to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Coming up with any vaccine typically takes years, and involves a lengthy process of testing on animals, clinical trials on humans and regulatory approvals. But several teams of experts are racing to develop one quicker, backed by an international coalition that aims to combat emerging diseases.
Click here for more.
Aerosol transmission of novel coronavirus yet to be confirmed: health authorities
The National Health Commission (NHC) Saturday reiterated that the major transmission routes of the new coronavirus are still respiratory droplets and contact, and other routes such as aerosol transmission and fecal-oral transmission remain to be confirmed.
The statement, published in the "Question and Answer" section of the NHC's website, came amid speculation about the possible transmission of the deadly coronavirus through aerosols, or smaller particles that can travel a longer distance than droplets from a patient's sneezing or coughing.
Click here for more.
At least six more people on a cruise ship quarantined in a Japanese port tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday as thousands of passengers remained confined to their cabins, according to TV Asahi.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has confirmed early in the week that a total of 64 people on the ship have been infected.
The infected people have been moved to hospitals in Tokyo and neighbouring towns.
Japanese media reported on Sunday that nearly 100 people onboard the ship cruise, the Diamond Princess, are "feeling unwell" and will be tested for the novel coronavirus.
Several doctors, pharmacists and nurses were sent to the ship to attend people onboard.
According to the Chinese embassy in Japan, there are 22 people from Chinese mainland – two passengers and 20 crew, plus 260 Hong Kong passengers, five from Macao, as well as 20 more from Taiwan.
Among them, five Chinese nationals have been confirmed infected with the virus – one passenger from Chinese mainland, three from Hong Kong and one from Taiwan.
The Diamond Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, was placed on a two-week quarantine on arriving at Yokohama on Monday after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.
(With input from agencies)
(Cover: Wearing protective gear near the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Japan, Friday. Cruise companies like Royal Caribbean are taking precautionary measures due to the impact the coronavirus is having on these large ships. /Reuters Photo)
People on World Dream ship can leave at end of quarantine
All passengers and crew members on the World Dream cruise ship at Kai Tak port in Hong Kong will be allowed to get off from 17:30 on Sunday, as all crew tested negative for the novel coronavirus, according to Hong Kong's health authorities.
All the crew members on board, who possibly had contact with the eight passengers confirmed infected with the coronavirus on a previous trip, tested negative for the disease, according to the authorities.
AP Photo
Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission briefs media on prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic, in Beijing, China, February 9, 2020./CCTV Photo
The rate of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus outside of Hubei Province has decreased in the last few days, said Mi Feng a spokesperson for the China's National Health Commission (NHC) at a regular press briefing on Sunday.
Read more: Click here for live coverage of this press briefing.
As of Saturday, there were 509 new confirmed cases outside of Hubei, the province at the epicenter of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. This is 42 percent less than the 890 new confirmed cases nearly a week ago, on February 3.
This decrease shows that the joint prevention and control mechanism over the epidemic are effective, said Mi.
CGTN Photo
A total of 37,198 cases of novel coronavirus infection were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday, with 811 deaths, according to the NHC.
The updated figures include 89 new deaths and 2,656 new cases that were reported on Saturday. There were also 600 more recovered cases, bringing the total to 2,649.
As of Sunday, a total of 11,921 medical workers have been dispatched to Hubei, in a bid to fight against the epidemic, said the NHC.
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Efforts are in full swing in Wuhan to ensure every confirmed and suspected patient is attended to.
Authorities are working to identify "four categories of people": confirmed patients, suspected patients, their close contacts and those with fever. And hospitals are taking in and giving treatment to those confirmed patients, while the others are quarantined.
Authorities promise that "no family or individual will be neglected."
More than 20 designated hospitals are handling the brunt of the epidemic. Around 9,000 beds in these facilities have been set aside for patients in critical condition. The local government has also constructed two brand new purpose-built hospitals – Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital – which add 2,500 more beds.
Meanwhile, Wuhan is also rolling out more temporary hospitals for patients with mild symptoms of the disease. For example, sports stadiums and exhibition centers are converted into treatment centers. The campuses of Hubei Provincial Party School and several local colleges are also becoming new medical centers.
Three of these temporary hospitals with a total of 4,000 beds are already taking patients in. The remaining make-shift facilities could provide as many as 8,000 beds.
On top of that, for suspected cases as well as patients with fever, new quarantine centers converted from medical institutions and hotels are also offering over 10,000 beds. These centers can help screen potential cases and cut off further virus transmission among communities.
Still, there is a gap between what's provided and what's actually needed. Local authorities in Wuhan said more than 20,000 people are staying at home in self-quarantine.
Hongqiao Railway Station sees Spring Festival travel rush as passengers return to Shanghai.
An estimated 126,000 passengers are set to arrive on February 9.
Shanghai authorities have set up 16 checkpoints within Hongqiao Railway Station and the airport. A total of 50 medical staff, 160 police, and 260 volunteers have been working round the clock since January 24.
People are requested to register personal details and travel history upon arrival.
Passengers are also being screened for body temperature, and those with abnormal temperatures will be further evaluated.
The head of a World Health Organization-led international team investigating the novel coronavirus outbreak will leave for China on Monday or Tuesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Saturday, Tedros said the rest of the experts will join the team head later in China, where they will conduct research regarding the novel coronavirus and the epidemic.
Tedros also addressed the importance of public access to accurate information to related matters, warning misinformation pushed by trolls and conspiracy theorists would only undermine outbreak response.
Cubans living across China recorded a video message of support for Wuhan and China amid the fight against novel coronavirus.
Wuhan has just launched a large-scale check today. Community workers are going door-to-door to collect the health condition of all residents. How would community efforts help with the epidemic? Wuhan now has two purpose-built hospitals and several makeshift medical facilities in operation, what is their bed availability? CGTN's Zhou Jiaxin has more details.
Graphics: How are wild animals linked to an epidemic?
The epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus in Wuhan is confirmed by the Chinese National Health Commission to be transmitted from wildlife, recalling memories of the 2003 SARS. Why do wild animal diseases frequently appear in humans?
Bats are widely believed to be carriers of the latest strain of the disease. A genetic analysis showed that the strain of the virus currently spreading among humans was 96 percent identical to that found in bats, Rhinolophus sinicus to be more specific.
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Behind-the-scenes: Their commitment makes doctors, nurses work easier
Everyone knows doctors and nurses are putting their lives on the line to fight against the coronavirus across the country. But not much is known about the employees in the background who work extra hours to make it easier for the medical workers to do their jobs.
Wang Xiangfan is a security guard at one of Guangzhou's top hospitals. When he first applied for the job, he never imagined his work would get so tough. Due to the surge of patients, the 22-year-old has had to extend his shift to 12 hours a day and works 15 days straight.
The hardest is that he has to work long hours in protective gear, which further strained his nerves and burned his energy. Some advised him to drink more water to relieve himself. But he has to change his protective suit every time he uses the bathroom due to the high risk of exposure to the virus at the hospital.
However, protective suits are in short supply now, so he came up with an idea.
Read more:
Behind-the-scenes: Their commitment makes doctors, nurses work easier
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commended China's efforts in fighting the novel coronavirus pneumonia. Guterres was speaking Saturday, on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, where he called any bias against China inappropriate.
In The Spotlight: How are farmers living amid coronavirus outbreak?
It's a hard time for everyone, with the coronavirus outbreak showing few signs of abating. This has caused fear and wrath while testing the resilience and empathy of many people. In this life-and-death battle, some are working relentlessly to save lives, some are stuck at home overloaded by the barrage of real-time information, while others are struggling to make a living despite the risks.
In this series "Faces Fighting Coronavirus," we take a look at people from different walks of life who are affected by the outbreak as well as those who are trying to keep their lives as normal as they can to keep our society running.
Our first episode focuses on how farmers are faring during the coronavirus outbreak.
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In The Spotlight: How are farmers living amid coronavirus outbreak?
UN chief: Coronavirus fight requires solidarity, not discrimination
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that China's response to curb the novel coronavirus outbreak is "remarkable" while warning stigmatization against China.
"It is clear that there is a massive effort that is made by China in order to contain the disease and avoid its propagation. I think that that effort is remarkable," Guterres told reporters on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He also called for strong international cooperation and solidarity on fighting the virus, saying stigma against China due to the virus spread is inappropriate.
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UN chief: Coronavirus fight requires solidarity, not discrimination
Russia said it was to deliver 23 tons of humanitarian aid to Wuhan on Saturday to help combat the coronavirus outbreak that originated in the central Chinese city. A total of 37,198 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday, with 811 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC). Two cases have been diagnosed in Russia since the outbreak.
A total of 37,198 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday, with 811 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures include 89 new deaths and 2,656 new cases that were reported on Saturday.
There were also 600 more recovered cases, bringing the total to 2,649.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 26 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 17 (1 recovered)
China flies back 61 Hubei tourists stranded in Bali, Indonesia
China Saturday flew home a number of 61 Hubei tourists who were stranded in Indonesia's Bali due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The flight MU799, operated by China Eastern Airlines, landed at Wuhan Tianhe international airport at 19:42 Saturday.
It's the airlines' third such mission to bring stranded nationals abroad, the other two were from Vietnam and Singapore.
It also marked the first time for Chinese airlines to bring back its nationals from Indonesia following the outbreak.
Recovered coronavirus patient: 'They are all scared of me'
"When it was confirmed that I had it, I was shocked. I thought to myself it couldn't be possible. Because for one thing, I had not visited the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, and also, I live so far away from it. If I hadn't seen the lab results myself, I would not have believed it."
Mr. Yang, 46, became thes first recovery story from the novel coronavirus pneumoniain east China's Zhejiang Province when he was discharged from Wenzhou No. 6 People's Hospital on January 24. Yet, even though he won the fight against the disease, he now finds himself in another battle: Fighting the stigma attached by his fellow villagers.
"In my village, when people see me it's as if they've seen a monster and they are so scared. I got so many calls asking me to stay home, and that food and necessities would be delivered to my door. This is how it's been for me."
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Is it still safe to travel by air during the virus outbreak?
As the extended national holiday approaching to the end on February 9, many travelers are planning to return to work in major cities in China. Their biggest concern is the danger of getting infected by the still raging NCP (Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia) along the way, especially while traveling inside an enclosed airplane cabin.
Here are some facts and advice given by airlines, airplane manufacturers, airports, and medical experts, which may help passengers to have a safe and comfortable trip.
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Is it still safe to travel by air during the virus outbreak?
Hubei reports 2,147 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 8
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,147 new cases of infection on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 27,100 in the province.
On Saturday, 81 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 324 patients were discharged from hospitals.
So far, a total of 780 people have died from the virus in Hubei Province.
CGTN met up with volunteers inside the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan, China. Follow them as they work to distribute medical equipment to hospitals and learn what it takes to work within the hot zone.
More than 1,000 patients suffering from mild coronavirus symptoms have been received at a temporary medical facility set up in Wuhan International Exhibition Center. The converted convention center, specially designed to treat patients with mild symptoms caused by the novel coronavirus, can hold up to 1,800 patients. Staff members at the local public security bureau, city management officials and personnel are working round the clock. Tongji Hospital has introduced a psychological counseling mechanism in the temporary hospital. A team of experts are stationed in the hospital and have set up a broadcasting station to share external information.
Cao Guangjing, vice governor of central China's Hubei Province, said on Saturday that important medical supplies have been in short supply during the coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. Medical protective clothing and N95 masks are frequently lacking.
"During this period, some progress has been made in material support, but the problem hasn't been completely eliminated. The total amount of medical materials we have reached more than 10 million pieces," said Cao.
"Now, the country will give priority to all kinds of important medical supplies to ensure its use in the province and the epicenter Wuhan. At the same time, we are actively organizing provincial production for its self-use," he added.
A 35-year-old woman infected with novel pneumonia (2019-nCoV) gave birth to a healthy baby in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday, just in time for the Lantern Festival. The parents named the baby Xiao Tangyuan, the name of a traditional Chinese snack eaten during the festival.
The initial round of medical exams to the blood from the cord, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta, and the subsequent medical check-up show the infant tested negative to the coronavirus.
The second prefab hospital dedicated to novel coronavirus patients, Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital, began admitting patients on Saturday.
The first batch of patients were transferred to the hospital around 20:00 on Saturday. The first group of medical staff who came to the hospital earlier have started their work.
CCTV Photo
CCTV Photo
CCTV Photo
The hospital provides 1,600 beds for the patients at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
The construction of the hospital started on January 27.
The first of the two prefab hospitals, Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, completed construction on February 2 and accommodates 1,000 beds.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Saturday called on the medical staff to make the best of every minute to treat the patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP).
She emphasized that targeted treatment should be carried out in accordance with patients' individual conditions while stressing that the bed turnover rate needs to be sped up.
There are four main kinds of patients, including those who have been confirmed with the virus, those who are suspected to be infected, those with fever, as well as those with close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases. These four kinds need to be well searched for and treated, she said.
Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is currently leading a team in central China's Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak, in efforts to guide the epidemic control work there.
The official also called on to ensure the issue of protective materials for the health and safety of medical staff.
The group visited Leishenshan Hospital, the second prefab coronavirus hospital in Wuhan, and other quarantine places.
So far, the central government has dispatched over 100 troops consisting of 11,000 medical personnel to maximize efficiency.
Situation aboard cruise ship 'World Dream'
The cruise ship "World Dream," which had eight passengers confirmed of novel coronavirus infection, is still docked in Hong Kong as the vessel's quarantine continues.
The stranded passengers could leave as soon as Tuesday if all 1,800 crew members test negative for the novel coronavirus, health authorities announced on Saturday.
So far, 35 crew members and nine travelers who had earlier reported fever or respiratory symptoms tested negative for the virus.
CGTN reporter Li Jianhua interviewed one of the passengers for the situation aboard the ship.
A total of 1,600 beds were delivered to Leishenshan Hospital in central China's Wuhan City on Saturday for coronavirus patients. Leishenshan Hospital covers 21.9 hectares, including isolation wards, an examination area, and an accommodation area for medical workers.
Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai spoke to the PBS NewsHour about China's fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has confirmed three new coronavirus cases on board the Diamond Princess, bringing the total to 64. The ship is leaving Yokohama port for a day trip to run the engines for water treatment and will be back to the port on Sunday morning. The infected passengers have been moved to hospitals in Tokyo and neighboring towns, while thousands of others remain quarantined in their cabins. Earlier, we spoke to Hong Kong couple Yardley Wong and Carlos Soto, who are confined on the Diamond Princess.
Photos: Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital prepares to admit coronavirus patients
The second prefab hospital dedicated to novel coronavirus patients, Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital, is preparing to admit patients. The first batch of medical staff has entered the hospital.
The 1,500-bed hospital will admit its first patients infected with novel coronavirus later on Saturday.
Check out the photos taken inside the hospital.
CCTV Photo
CCTV Photo
The mobile cabin hospital is a kind of movable medical space, and has played a huge role in public health emergencies such as earthquake relief in China. Located in Hongshan Gymnasium, Wuchang District of Wuhan City, this mobile cabin hospital is operated by the "National Medical Team and Wuhan Medical Team." As of February 7, it had received a total of 398 patients.
China's National Health Commission Saturday decided to temporarily call pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus as the novel coronavirus pneumonia or NCP in short.
An inspection group dispatched by China's National Supervisory Commission on Saturday has arrived in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province and the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The inspection group was sent to thoroughly investigate issues related to Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, who passed away early Friday morning after being infected with the novel coronavirus despite the best efforts of doctors.
World leaders support China's efforts against coronavirus outbreak
More leaders of foreign countries and heads of international organizations have expressed their support for China's battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak and commended China's measures in preventing and controlling the epidemic.
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World leaders support China's efforts against coronavirus outbreak
Wuhan's promising anti-coronavirus drug trial gains WHO recognition
The double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the antiviral drug Remdesivir, a possible treatment of the novel coronavirus, is underway in Wuhuan, and received recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO), during a press conference on Friday.
"Remdesivir is currently the strongest in antiviral activity in vitro, but there is lack of clinical trial evidence," said Zhao Jianping, expert of medical treatment unit of Hubei. Also the director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Zhao added that the efficacy and safety of the drug must be tested with scientific attitudes.
Read more:
Wuhan's promising anti-coronavirus drug trial gains WHO recognition
A total of 61 tourists from central China's Hubei Province will take a Wuhan-bound Boeing 737 flight operated by China Eastern Airlines at 2:00 p.m. local time on Saturday from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia.
Most of the tourists are from Wuhan. They traveled to Bali for the Spring Festival holiday and were stranded on the island after the flights were suspended amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The special flight was arranged after the Chinese consulate general in Denpasar coordinated with multiple parties to ensure the return of the Chinese citizens.
3 more novel coronavirus cases confirmed on Japanese cruise
Three more cases of novel coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship were confirmed on Saturday by the Japanese health ministry, bringing the total number of reported cases on the ship to 64.
All three patients have been transported to medical institutions.
A total of 89 cases have been confirmed in Japan, including 64 on the cruise ship, according to local authorities.
Some 3,700 people are on board the ship, which is currently quarantined in Yokohama for at least two weeks.
A total of 34,546 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Friday, with 722 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated figures follow 86 new deaths and 3,399 new cases that were reported on Friday.
There were also 510 more recovered cases, bringing the total to 2,050.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are as follows:
Hong Kong: 26 (1 death)
Macao: 10 (1 recovered)
Taiwan: 16 (1 recovered)
Coronavirus data: It's slowly getting better
In the previous data report, we compared the novel coronavirus with SARS. But looking at the scale of the new virus and at how fast the number of confirmed cases has grown, the 2019-nCoV looks very different from the 2003 strain. For this reason, in this report, the novel coronavirus will be solely under focus.
The growth of new confirmed cases seems to be massive, in thousands every day, to be exact. But at the same time, the growth rate is actually slowing down from its peak of around 65 percent to less than 30.
Online voices have claimed that data on confirmed cases is "useless" because of a shortage of test kits, which makes sense because each case can only be confirmed by test kit results.
But when focusing on data related to suspected cases – people in close contact with confirmed patients, or showing symptoms of pneumonia, which may or may not be caused by novel coronavirus - this has nothing to do with test kits and can work as an indicator for the spread of coronavirus.
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Hubei reports 2,841 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 7
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,841 new cases of infection on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,953 in the province.
On Friday, 81 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 298 patients were discharged from hospitals.
So far, a total of 699 people have died from the virus in Hubei Province.
The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus is causing considerable alarm. But how much do we know about it, and how does it compare with other coronavirus outbreaks? CGTN's Gerald Tan takes a look.
The first person-to-person coronavirus patients in the U.S. were released from hospital Thursday.
The Chicago husband and wife, who are both in their 60s, are now in "home isolation," according to the Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, where they were being treated. The unidentified couple released a statement through the hospital.
"This has been the best healthcare experience we’ve ever had, but we’re definitely looking forward to getting home and getting life back to normal."
The wife had returned from Wuhan, China on Jan 13 and soon after was hospitalized. Her husband also became ill. Both were eventually diagnosed with coronavirus. Public health officials tracked the man's movements and assured the public that he had not been on any public trains or in large crowds.
Tens of thousands of people are now infected with the new coronavirus, but a large number are also trying to cope, mentally and psychologically, with the fear of catching this virus.
CGTN spoke with psychologist and stress coach, Terry Lyles to get his opinion on how people should deal with the worry and stress.
Bairuijing Community in central China's Wuhan City provides grocery shopping services for the elderly living alone and residents under home quarantine during the coronavirus outbreak.
Wuhan able to test 6,000 to 8,000 nucleic acid samples per day
As 35 institutions are able to carry out nucleic acid testing in Wuhan, the city is now able to test nearly 6,000 to 8,000 nucleic acid samples per day, said Hu Yabo, executive vice mayor of Wuhan on Friday at a regular press briefing.
Wuhan will continue to improve its detection capabilities for nucleic acid tests, said Hu.
Leishenshan Hospital to open on February 8
Leishenshan Hospital, the second specialized hospital built in central China's Wuhan City to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus, will be put into use on February 8, said Hu Yabo, executive vice mayor of Wuhan at a regular press conference on Friday, adding "it will provide 1,600 beds".
Hu also introduced that the number of beds in 28 designated hospitals in the city has expanded to 8,895.
Wuhan to fully cooperate with probe related to deceased coronavirus doctor
Wuhan will fully cooperate with the special team to investigate the public uproar over the deceased doctor Li Wenliang, who was one of the first to raise an early alarm over the novel coronavirus, said Hu Yabo, executive vice mayor of Wuhan on Friday at a regular press briefing.
Hours earlier, China's National Supervisory Commission said it was sending a special team to Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, to investigate the matters related to the deceased doctor.
Medical staffs are on the flight to central China's Wuhan City, February 7, 2020. /CMG Photo
Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Friday coordinated a total of 13 chartered flights with nearly 2,000 medical workers to central China's Wuhan City. Meanwhile, the flights also carry medical supplies, which will offer support to varieties cities in Hubei Province to battle the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Two Air China flights took off from Beijing Capital International Airport on Friday morning, carrying 668 medical workers from six well-known hospitals in the city and 28 tons of epidemic prevention supplies to Wuhan.
Medical supplies on the chartered flight to Hubei Province, February 7, 2020. /CMG Photo
China Eastern Airlines' flight carrying 133 medical workers and 3.7 tons of medical supplies also left Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, for Hubei Province.
The 13 chartered flights from these airlines carrying 2,000 medical workers and supplies will land in Wuhan Tianhe International Airport by Friday night.
Number of newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus decreases for two days
The number of China's newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has decreased significantly for two days, an official said at a press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council on Friday.
This suggests that the earlier epidemic prevention and control measures have taken effect, the official added.
Average hospital stay for patients infected with the novel coronavirus: 10 days
The mean hospital stay for over 500 discharged patients infected with the novel coronavirus was around ten days, said Guo Yanhong, an official for China's National Health Commission, at a press conference on Friday.
The analysis revealed that antiviral therapy and traditional Chinese medicine are effective in treatment, said Guo.
And some who were severely ill were also cured, added Guo.
Cui Tiankai: China is mobilizing all resources to contain coronavirus outbreak
Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai told U.S. media that China is mobilizing the whole nation to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak that has killed 636 and infected 28,985 people in China and spread to 24 other countries.
Cui said the whole nation is fighting this tough battle and China is working closely with international organizations including the World Health Organization over the epidemic.
Asked about whether China is confident to control the epidemic, Cui admitted it is a "tough fight" and "big challenge" but China is confident to contain it.
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Pangolins may be intermediate hosts of novel coronavirus: researchers
A group of researchers from South China Agricultural University and Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture announced on Friday that they have made a breakthrough in tracing potential intermediate hosts of the novel coronavirus.
After analyzing over 1,000 metagenome samples, the researchers identified pangolins as a potential intermediate host of the virus. Through molecular biological detection, the researchers found out that the positive rate of the β coronavirus in pangolins is 70 percent.
Researchers then conducted viral isolation and identification. The results of the analysis of genome of the virus showed that the sequences of the isolated virus strains were 99 percent similar to those currently infecting humans.
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Pangolins may be intermediate hosts of novel coronavirus: researchers
Power of love: 90-year-old mother looks after coronavirus-infected son
The story of a 90-year-old mother taking care of her 64-year-old son infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) has melted the hearts of many netizens on Chinese social media.
The story, firstly unveiled by a doctor surnamed Lin on his China's Twitter-like Weibo account, has drawn many people's concern on social media. So far, the post has been reposted for over 160,000 times and garnered nearly 5,000 comments.
Due to the shortage of beds in hospitals, the 90-year-old mother accompanied her ill son in the observation ward for five days in Wuhan Union Hospital in central China's Wuhan City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, before her son was eventually moved into the isolation ward and received further treatment on February 2, reported Chutian Metropolis Daily.
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Power of love: 90-year-old mother looks after coronavirus-infected son
Sun Dongfang is a policeman in Zhengzhou City, central China's Henan Province. He has been working on the frontline in the fight against the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and hasn't been home in over ten days. Recently, he missed lunchtime at work so he asked his wife to drop a bento box down on a rope instead of going home. As a special way of saying "goodbye," Sun and his son saluted each other in the end.
China's National Supervisory Commission is to send a special team to Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, to investigate the public uproar over the deceased doctor Li Wenliang, who was one of the first to raise an early alarm over the novel coronavirus.
In a statement published on Friday, the commission said the action was approved by the central government and a comprehensive investigation into matters related to the deceased doctor will be conducted.
Li died in Wuhan City at 02:58 BJT on February 7, 2020. The Central Hospital of Wuhan, where he used to work, made the announcement on Weibo, saying, "We deeply regret and mourn this."
The 34-year-old ophthalmologist was, "Unfortunately infected during the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection," according to the hospital.
Dr. Li started coughing on January 10, had a fever the next day and was admitted in hospital on January 12. He was confirmed as infected with the virus on February 1, according to his Weibo account, and his cough and fever led to his admission into an intensive care unit.
His untimely demise has triggered an outpouring of grief on Chinese social media.
The National Health Commission, the Health Commission of Hubei Province and Wuhan Municipal Government released announcements on their official website on Friday to mourn the death of Dr. Li.
The National Health Commission released an announcement on its official website to mourn the death of Li Wenliang, February 7, 2020. /CGTN screenshot
The Health Commission of Hubei Province (L) and Wuhan Municipal Government (R) also published announcements on their official websites mourning the death of Li Wenliang, February 7, 2020. /CGTN screenshot
Dr. Li, with his professionalism and occupational sensitivity, issued a warning about the novel coronavirus in the early stage of its outbreak. Unfortunately, his warning didn't catch enough attention at that time.
Back then, local health commission of Wuhan was still trying to confirm whether there had been human-to-human transmission.
"The identification of a new type of virus is very complicated, but it turned out that Dr. Li Wenliang's warning was correct," said Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Experts also agree that Li's case has exposed the problems in urban governance in Wuhan, in particular the obvious weakness in the management of major emergencies, which deserves in-depth reflection. They say that's also why people are recalling Dr. Li more with emotion as the epidemic spreads.
Since the outbreak of the virus, Chinese President Xi Jinping has given multiple instructions, and rarely convened a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on the day of Spring Festival to fully deploy the prevention and control of the coronavirus.
In another meeting of the Standing Committee held recently, President Xi stressed concerted and all-out efforts across the country to win the battle against the epidemic.
Observers said the dispatch of such a high-level investigation team for Dr. Li's case has shown China's determination not to shy away from problems, which also greatly enhanced the confidence of all sectors to win the battle against the epidemic.
CCTV Photo
On Thursday, China dispatched two more charter planes to Manila in the Philippines to bring home a total of 460 Chinese citizens stranded abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The two planes operated by XiamenAir departed from Manila and landed in Quanzhou and Xiamen at 8:21 p.m. on Thursday and 00:24 a.m. on Friday in east China's Fujian Province.
The Philippine government has announced that from February 2, all passengers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions who go directly to the Philippines, or who have visited those regions in the past 14 days, regardless of their nationality, will be temporarily banned from entering the Philippines. All China's domestic flights to the Philippines have been cancelled.
XiamenAir operated a total of 10 chartered flights from Manila to bring back stranded Chinese citizen from the Philippines.
China on Thursday completed the construction of the second special hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in a matter of just 10 days to help combat the fast-spreading virus. The 80,000-square-meter medical facility has a capacity of 1,600 beds. Here's how China built Leishenshan Hospital in just over a week.
China unveils tax policies, financial support to aid epidemic control
China has unveiled a raft of tax policies and financial support to reduce financial burdens on some sectors and support the country's fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic.
As of February 6, a total of 66.74 billion yuan (9.56 billion U.S. dollars) in funds for epidemic prevention and control were arranged by different levels of finance institutions, with actual expenditure of 28.48 billion yuan (four billion U.S. dollars), China's Vice Finance Minister Yu Weiping said at a press conference on Friday.
Among the expenditure, the central government allocated a total of 17.09 billion yuan (2.45 billion U.S. dollars), includes 5.7 billion yuan in special subsidies for epidemic prevention and control, 1.8 billion yuan in subsidies to Hubei Province, the epidemic center.
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China unveils tax policies, financial support to aid epidemic control
Medical staff and quarantined patients suffering from the novel coronavirus at Haihe Hospital in north China's Tianjin Municipality exchange notes in a show of support and encouragement.
Ban Ki-moon expressed support for China in a video released Thursday. The former Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed confidence in China's ability to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Int'l community supports China's fight against coronavirus epidemic
Many countries and international organizations have voiced their support for China in combating and controlling the novel coronavirus epidemic.
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Int'l community supports China's fight against coronavirus epidemic
China announces partial income tax exemption for people at virus control and prevention
China's Ministry of Finance announced on Friday the exemption of personal income tax on temporary bonuses and subsidy for people working in the novel coronavirus control and prevention.
This measure includes medical workers at the frontline battling the outbreak, as well as other people working in related fields.
In January, the central government introduced several measures to boost financial aid for epidemic control and treatment, subsidizing medicals workers as well as medical fees related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) for patients.
Beijing urges UK to be 'rational' over coronavirus after British citizens told to leave China
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang urged the UK government to take "scientific and rational response" over the novel coronavirus outbreak after it told its citizens to leave China.
Qin said China hopes the UK could follow the World Health Organization (WHO)'s advice not to restrict people's travel and not to overreact, and that China is confident and capable of containing the epidemic. He made the remarks at a meeting with UK's ambassador Barbara Woodward in Beijing on Thursday.
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Beijing urges UK to be 'rational' over coronavirus after British citizens told to leave China
Forty-one more people aboard a cruise ship quarantined off Japan have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Japan's health ministry confirmed on Friday.
This brings the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus on cruise ship Diamond Princess to 61.
Among the new confirmed cases, five are Australians. A total of seven Australian passengers have now contracted the coronavirus, reported ABC News.
636 dead, 31,161 cases of coronavirus confirmed on Chinese mainland
A total of 31,161 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Thursday, with 636 deaths, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated numbers follow 73 new deaths and 3,143 new confirmed cases on Thursday, according to the NHC.
There were 387 new recovered cases on Thursday, bringing the total cured patients to 1,540.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 24 (1 death)
Macao SAR: 10
Taiwan: 16
Governments and healthcare workers around the world continue to fight to contain the coronavirus.
And now global businesses are also in a struggle to figure out how to continue operations.
CGTN spoke to Peter Leroe-Munoz V.P. for Tech & Innovation, Silicon Valley Leadership Group about how the coronavirus has impacted global business.
He said "some larger companies that have a presence there have temporarily closed some of those locations in specific cities. We know that supply chains are being disrupted right now. It is a big challenge."
Hubei reports 2,447 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 6
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,447 new cases of the infection on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 22,112 in the province.
On Thursday, 69 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 184 patients were discharged from hospitals.
So far, a total of 618 people have died from the virus in Hubei Province.
Dr. Li Wenliang
A doctor that sounded an early warning about the coronavirus, and ended up getting infected by it, has died.
Dr. Li Wenliang died in Wuhan City at 2:58 BJT on February 7, 2020. The hospital where he worked made the announcement on Weibo, saying, "We deeply regret and mourn this."
Li, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, was, "unfortunately infected during the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection.”
Li was diagnosed with the coronavirus infection on February 1. He was one of the eight "whistleblowers" who tried to warn other medics of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The World Health Organization tweeted, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Li Wenliang. We all need to celebrate work that he did" on the virus.
Reports of racism targeting Asian people have been coming in from around the world amid the coronavirus outbreak that began in China.
CGTN spoke with Lauren Sauer, director of Operations with the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) in Baltimore, Maryland, to hear what she thinks is the appropriate response.
Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, is building new makeshift hospitals to ease the shortage of resources in the city.
One mobile cabin hospital with 1000 beds for patients has been assembled inside a convention center in Wuhan in just 24 hours.
The medical structures are designed to handle multiple functions, including emergency treatment, surgeries and clinical exams.
The temporary hospitals are designed to be easily shipped and installed.
There are plans to build 13 mobile hospitals in Wuhan providing space for tens of thousands of beds and two of them started receive its first patients with mild symptoms on Wednesday night.
China arranged two more chartered flights to bring home stranded citizens from Japan and Singapore to Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, amid the novel coronavirus outbreak on February 5. As many as 223 Hubei residents got aboard a flight from Osaka, Japan, along with 2.5 tons of epidemic control supplies donated by local Japanese and overseas Chinese. A total of 900 Hubei residents stranded abroad have been brought back as of Wednesday. Fa, a Chinese high school teacher on the flight, said, "I am rushing back home to prepare lessons. We will have online courses starting February 10. But I'm not yet ready to give lessons. I have to come back home."
Dozens of patients have been arriving at Huoshenshan Hospital – a newly opened specialized hospital for coronavirus in central China's Wuhan City. One of the first arrivals talks about his experience.
Wuhan starts citywide temperature monitoring amid coronavirus outbreak
Wuhan on Thursday initiated its citywide temperature monitoring for each resident of the city, demanding every individual to check their temperature every day.
For those with abnormal body temperature, the community staff will pay a door-to-door visit for further checks.
As of February 5, 107 medical teams with 10,596 members from across the country have been sent to central China's Hubei Province, showing their support for the battle against the deadly coronavirus outbreak, said Yang Yunyan, vice governor of Hubei at a regular press briefing on Thursday night.
However, he added that the prevention and control of the epidemic have now entered a critical period, Yang said the province still faces a distinct shortage of medical staff, with around 2,250.
Yang Yunyan, vice governor of central China's Hubei, briefs a regular press conference, Hubei, China, February 6, 2020. /CGTN Photo
The head of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program has said an international team of experts is being assembled to visit, where they will work with experts to learn more about how the new coronavirus is transmitted.
Liu Xiaoming speaks about China's battle against novel coronavirus
Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming is addressing a press conference at the Chinese Embassy in London. He is talking about China's fight against the novel coronavirus. Here are some of the points he has made:
- The mortality rate of novel coronavirus is very low, much lower than those of Ebola, SARS, MERS and H1N1 of 2009.
- China has strengthened epidemic prevention and control efforts in key areas and enhanced international cooperation in this regard.
- Media reports of the epidemic should be objective and fair as some reports were biased or even contained slander and disinformation.
Click here for the live coverage.
Acceptance of construction work for Leishenshan Hospital underway
The acceptance of construction work for Leishenshan Hospital, the second prefab hospital dedicated to novel coronavirus patients in central China's Wuhan City, is underway.
The construction commenced on January 27. The hospital will provide 1,600 beds for patients.
Here are some pictures showing the interior of the hospital:
The laboratory. /CCTV Photo
A CT scan machine. /CCTV Photo
An isolation ward. /CCTV Photo
Public transport to set quarantine areas for Spring Festival season
China will set quarantine areas on its public transportation means to curb the ongoing coronavirus outbreak as Chinese people are returning to work or schools for the return leg of the Spring Festival travel rush, Cai Tuanjie, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Transport said on Thursday.
The isolation zones will be set up at the back of the transportation means in case suspected, or confirmed cases are identified during the trip, said Cai.
Over 1,500 people brought back home to Hubei Province from overseas
Charter flights have brought over 1,500 people back home to central China's Hubei Province from overseas since the coronavirus outbreak, said a spokesperson for Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Thursday.
CAAC will continue to arrange charter flights to bring back the Chinese passengers still stranded abroad, said the spokesperson.
An airline personnel assists tourists from central China's Wuhan City as they wait for a charter flight back home at the Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok, Thailand, January 31, 2020. /AP Photo
A view of the Chinese Foreign Ministry /CGTN Photo
Beijing said on Thursday that it has lodged stern representations with the countries that have terminated flights to and from China due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). These measures go against the expert advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) and have caused panic among the general public, one official said.
"These proposed acts are not for the control of the epidemic, but create panic. Both the normal operation of people-to-people exchanges and the regulation of the international aviation transportation market has been severely obstructed," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
According to the head of the WHO, "Travel restrictions can cause more harm than good by hindering info-sharing, medical supply chains and harming economies." The committee has also spoken highly of China's effective measures taken during this time.
Hua added that China put strict virus prevention efforts into practice after the news of the outbreak, and "the measures are making positive outcomes."
"We understand and respect their appropriate response such as border screening and quarantine measures on Chinese travelers," Hua said, noting that some countries have "overreacted with excessive measures which clearly runs counter to WHO recommendations."
"We hope that all countries can assess the epidemic situation in an objective, fair, calm and rational manner, respect WHO recommendations, and understand and support China's epidemic control efforts," the spokesperson said, urging countries that are overreacting to think twice.
"We hope these countries can stop restricting airlines from operating flights," Hua said. "We hope to see their support for China from their actual measures."
Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a news conference after a meeting of the Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Geneva, Switzerland, January 30, 2020. / Reuters Photo
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 675 million U.S. dollars is needed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and to protect states with weaker health systems.
The strategic preparedness and response plan is aimed at guiding the development of outbreak response plans for different countries, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO chief said the plan would require funding of about 675 million U.S. dollars over the next three months. WHO plans to spend 61.5 million of that on the agency's response to the outbreak, with the rest going to countries at high risk or in need of help.
According to the WHO, the plan will focus on by quickly setting up international cooperation and technical support, promoting the prevention and control level, and to curb the further spread of the novel coronavirus, especially for those who may need to response to the outbreak of health systems support the most vulnerable countries.
In addition, the program will help identify, isolate and care for patients early, share critical information, accelerate research and development on diagnosis, treatment and vaccines, and reduce negative social and economic impacts.
18 coronavirus patients from Hubei discharged from hospital
Eighteen patients diagnosed with novel coronavirus caused pneumonia were discharged from Hubei Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on Thursday, reported People's Daily.
Among the discharged patients, the longest stay in the hospital was 18 days, while the shortest was six days.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday led a number of cabinet ministers, lawmakers and nearly 1,000 people in a prayer in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
At this difficult moment, the PM said the country was standing firmly with the Chinese people, fighting side by side and helping each other.
The registration for antiviral drug Remdesivir's clinical trials has been approved. The first batch of critical patients infected by the novel coronavirus will start taking the drug on Thursday, reported Xinhua News Agency.
The approval is jointly supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), the National Health Commission and the National Medical Products Administration.
Remdesivir is a drug developed by Gilead Sciences, an American pharmaceutical company, said Cao Bin, head of the drug's clinical trials program at the conference held by the MST at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital.
In previous cells and animal experiments, Remdesivir showed good antiviral activity against SARS and MERS coronavirus. In recent studies conducted in China, it also showed good antiviral activity against the novel coronavirus at the cellular level.
According to Cao, 761 patients have been enrolled in the trials, which will adopt a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study method.
Putin: ready to provide assistance to help China fight coronavirus outbreak
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia stands ready to provide China with assistance in the fight against the outbreak.
"China and all of us are confronted with the peril of the spreading of the coronavirus infection," Putin said.
"The Chinese authorities are taking decisive and vigorous measures in order to stop the epidemic," Putin said.
10 more novel coronavirus cases confirmed on Japanese cruise
Ten more people on the Japanese Cruise ship Diamond Princess tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Japan's health ministry on Thursday. A total of 20 confirmed cases have now been reported on the ship.
These cases were detected in 71 new test results.
The newly diagnosed patients will be sent to medical institutions in Kanagawa Prefecture, and the ministry has requested the remaining 3,700 passengers and crew members to stay on board for 14 days for further inspections.
AP Photo
Emergency medical teams from across China have arrived in Wuhan to offer their help in combating the coronavirus. And, they've even brought a hospital along with them. CGTN's Sun Tianyuan has more.
A total of 28,018 cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday, with 563 deaths, said China's National Health Commission (NHC).
The updated numbers follow 73 new deaths and 3,694 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, according to the NHC.
There were 261 new recovered cases on Wednesday, bringing the total cured patients to 1,153.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 21 (1 death)
Macao SAR: 10
Taiwan: 11
Hubei reports 2,987 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 5
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,987 new cases of the infection on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 19,665 in the province.
On Wednesday, 70 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 113 patients were discharged from hospital.
Soon after China reported the emergence of a pneumonia-like illness in late December, the novel coronavirus spread quickly across the country. How has China responded to the crisis?
Huoshenshan Hospital in central China's Wuhan City admitted its first batch of patients infected with the novel coronavirus on Tuesday morning. On his first day in the hospital, Wan Chunhui shot a video showing the inside of his hospital room. (For more, please click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FESc73Ldd7k&feature=youtu.be) In this video, Wan records his process of recovery and subsequent treatment plans on his second day. He is looking forward to being among the first to be discharged from the hospital.
Chinese researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology have applied for a national patent on an experimental drug developed by an American biotech firm that the scientists believe has the potential to fight the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV.
The antiviral drug Remdesivir, developed by U.S. firm Gilead Sciences, was earlier approved by Chinese authorities for a clinical trial which began Thursday. A total of 761 coronavirus patients across several hospitals in Wuhan are enrolled for the first phase of trials, led by the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and the Institute of Materia Medica under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS)
The clinical trial of the drug has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the National Health Commission and the National Medical Products Administration, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Remdesivir will be administered to 453 critical patients and 308 less severe patients, Cao Bin, head of the drug's clinical trial program said Wednesday at a press conference hosted by MOST at the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, which is also enrolled on the trial.
Remdesivir was developed by Gilead as a treatment for Ebola and Marburg virus infections, though the drug has subsequently showed reasonable antiviral activity against SARS and MERS coronavirus in previous cell and animal experiments.
While the experimental drug hasn't completed all clinical trials abroad and isn't licensed or approved anywhere in the world, the 2019-nCoV outbreak in China has made a compelling case for Remdesivir's human trials on coronavirus patients after it showed early signs of being highly effective.
"Its clinical trials against Ebola infections have been conducted abroad. In related domestic research, it has also shown fairly good antiviral activity against the 2019-nCoV at the cellular level," Cao asserted.
"Hopes have been pinned on the drug, but we have to wait for results of its actual effectiveness in the clinical trials," said Wang Chen, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the CAMS.
Medical workers in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, January 24, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Other potential drugs
Besides Remdesivir, researchers have also found some other drugs with seemingly positive results in the treatment of the 2019-nCoV. These included Chloroquine phosphate and Favipiravir, as well as some traditional Chinese medicines that contain active antiviral ingredients as drug candidates, for further animal experiments and clinical trials, the Global Times reported.
Earlier this week China's National Health Commission announced several medical institutions were studying the possibility of clinical trials for other potential antiviral drugs that could help in the fight against the 2019-nCoV pathogen.
Related story: Researchers find two new drugs that can effectively inhibit coronavirus
"Information and data of clinical trials for Lopinavir and Ritonavir and traditional Chinese medicines are being collected," NHC spokesperson Song Shuli was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
The NHC has issued a trial plan for the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, Song said, adding that the plan offers detailed information of the medicines, both traditional Chinese medicines and Western medicines, used in the treatment of the disease.
Li Lanjuan, a top scientist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also announced on Tuesday that her team has verified two kinds of effective medicines against the 2019-nCoV named Arbidol and Darunavir.
'Patent application out of national interest'
Meanwhile, the Wuhan Institute of Virology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences claimed that their researchers have found two medicines – Remdesivir and Chloroquine – that "effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus."
In a statement released on its website on Tuesday, the institute said it has applied for a patent in China for the use of Remdesivir in treating coronavirus patients. The application was made on January 21 jointly by the researchers from Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, according to the statement.
Chloroquine, on the other hand, has been used to treat malaria since the 1940s. It has been sold on the Chinese market and can be independently provided, according to the institute.
A screenshot of the statement released by the Wuhan Institute of Virology on its website announcing it has applied for a patent in China for the use of the antiviral drug Remdesivir in treating coronavirus patients. /CGTN Photo
The patent application triggered heated discussions on Chinese social media, with users expressing concerns over intellectual property rights, the Global Times reported. Some questioned the institute's eligibility to patent a medicine made by a U.S. company in China.
Gilead Sciences, in an email to the Global Times, however clarified that they have reached agreement with China's health authorities to carry out two clinical trials on patients infected with the coronavirus in order to make sure whether the drug is safe and effective in treating the virus.
In order to prevent, treat and control epidemic diseases, the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) can grant compulsory licenses in a national emergency and extraordinary situation to protect the public's interests, Chen Jihong, an expert in patent law at the Beijing Zhonglun Law Firm, told the Global Times.
If the Wuhan Institute's patent application is approved, Gilead would need to get the Chinese institute on board in sales of Remdesivir for treating 2019-nCoV patients outside China. But, the U.S. drug manufacturer will retain the global rights to market the medication, once approved, in treating Ebola and SARS for which the drug was originally developed.
The Wuhan Institute has urged foreign companies to withhold enforcing lawful patent rights to assist China's fight against the coronavirus epidemic. The institute said in its statement that it made the patent application out of national interest, and won't exercise its patent rights if foreign pharmaceutical firms cooperate with China to curb the epidemic.
While the American firm didn't make any statement on Wuhan Institute's patent application, Chinese experts and lawyers felt that the application is reasonable and in line with the Patent Law of China. Gilead only lays claims to Remdesivir's chemical compounds, while the Wuhan institute has applied for methods of use regarding the pharmaceutical product, some of them told the Global Times.
"The good thing in having a patent is that it would lead to cross-licensing situations that give China more bargaining chips in negotiating the licensing fee with Gilead," Wang Yanyu, a senior partner at AllBright Law Offices in Beijing, told the Bloomberg news agency.
Wang added that filing of the patent application by a stakeholder in China makes perfect sense. "Most of the patients are here, rather than in the U.S., which makes it unlikely that Gilead will do all these tests," he said.
Wuhan's municipal government Wednesday vowed to take care of all patients as the capital city of central China's Hubei Province undergoes the growing pressure of rapidly increasing the number of infected patients and shortage of medical supplies.
Hu Lishan, deputy secretary of the Wuhan municipal committee of the Communist Party of China, told reporters at a press briefing Wednesday night that the government will keep exploiting all social resources and making good use of existing ones to cope with the situation.
As the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Wuhan has reported 8,351 cases by Tuesday with 362 deaths.
A lot of people in the city with infection symptoms are short of proper medical treatment and flooded the designated hospitals, which will potentially increase the chances of cross-infection.
To tackle the situation, a mechanism to take and treat patients accordingly is gradually taking shape in Wuhan, with two makeshift hospitals, three shelter hospitals and numerous community hospitals put in place alongside the designated hospitals.
People concerned are also sorted into four groups, infected patients, suspected patients, people with close contact with infected patients, as well as patients with fever related to pneumonia, and will be treated accordingly in a bid to coordinate their care better and limit the virus' spread.
According to Hu, apart from the hospitals, a number of 132 community isolation points with a total bed capacity of 12,571 were also established, and 5,425 people were put in quarantine there accordingly as of Tuesday.
Three shelter hospitals which are transferred from major city venues will also put into use shortly and provide 4,400 beds for mildly infected patients.
In Wuhan, 28 designated hospitals will only take in patients in critical conditions in an attempt to better allocate medical resources.
A "module hospital" at Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center started receiving patients on Wednesday. By February 3, Wuhan had transformed three venues into such temporary hospitals.
China Railway on Wednesday said it will offer free refunds for those who have purchased train tickets before February 6 amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Passengers who cannot get refunds online, including those who bought their tickets using cash, will have an extension until late March.
The Lunar New Year break was extended till February 2, but many cities in China have introduced a flexible working mechanism until February 10, allowing employees to work from home.
To properly deal with traffic and mobility, the railway corporation is also adopting other measures such as capping seat occupancy on each train within 50 percent so as to ensure passengers at a distance from each other even when seated.
In his first press conference of 2020, the UN chief Antonio Guterres says the Uited Nations recognizes China's efforts in containing the coronovirus outbreak. He urges the whole world to stay united in fighting against the disease.
Wuhan's designated hospitals will only receive confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients in critical condition
From February 5, the designated hospitals in central China's Wuhan City will only receive patients who have been confirmed or are suspected to have contracted novel coronavirus and are medically critical, according to Wuhan Health Commission.
Other patients who do not meet the aforementioned criteria will be temporarily observed and later transferred to either shelter hospitals or the local community for isolation, the commission said.
Wuhan, don't panic, we're waiting for you
A pneumonia outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province in December. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus that has since spread across China and abroad.
UK scientists: Zavesca is expected to inhibit the novel coronavirus
Scientists from the Oxford Glycobiology Institute has found that Zavesca, an iminosugar drug that has been on the market for nearly 20 years, as well as two other iminosugar drug molecules in clinical 2A trials – testing on real patients – for the treatment of hepatitis B virus, dengue virus and influenza virus, were expected to inhibit the novel coronavirus.
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UK scientists: Zavesca is expected to inhibit the novel coronavirus
China issues force majeure certificates to coronavirus-hit businesses
A Chinese international trade promotion agency on Sunday issued the first force majeure certificate to an auto parts manufacturer in eastern China in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.
The certificates can excuse companies from not performing their contractual obligations due to extraordinary circumstances beyond their control. Companies postponing production under administrative order can apply to invoke force majeure which pardons small businesses for late deliveries.
The move by the China Council for The Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), officially accredited by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, was announced late on Thursday.
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China issues force majeure certificates to coronavirus-hit businesses
Can you infect yourself with coronavirus by not handling your mask properly? Can you catch it from pets?
There are lots of myths and rumours swirling about the disease.
Here are ways the World Health Organisation says you can - and can't catch - the coronavirus
Construction of shelter hospital completed in Wuhan
The construction of a shelter hospital located in Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center with 1,800 beds for novel coronavirus patients was completed on Wednesday.
Wuhan City, the epicenter of the latest coronavirus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province, started building shelter hospitals on Monday.
These shelter hospitals are expected to carry out a series of functions, including emergency aid, surgical treatment and clinical examination.
223 Chinese travelers stranded in Japan flown back to Wuhan
A total of 223 Chinese travelers from central China's Hubei Province who stranded in Japan were flown back to Wuhan City on Wednesday.
The Air China flight CA081 carrying 223 Chinese passengers and 2.5 tons of donations of epidemic prevention supplies took off from Japan's Kansai International Airport in Osaka and landed in Wuhan Tianhe International Airport around 6:30 p.m. BJT.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for legal efforts to be made in support of prevention and control work amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement when presiding over the third meeting of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the CPC Central Committee. Xi is the head of the commission.
The president said people's safety and health should always be put in the first place and efforts in aspects of legislation, law enforcement, justice and law compliance should be made to better facilitate the epidemic prevention and control.
Xi said the current prevention and control work is at a critical moment and stressed the utmost importance of scientific and orderly work based on law.
The Chinese president spoke of the need to improve legislation on epidemic prevention and control, improve support system and punishment procedures. He further stressed the importance of strictly implementing laws and regulations on epidemic prevention and control and emergency response, strengthening risk assessment, making prudent decisions and taking strict measures in accordance with the law.
Laws on prevention and control of infectious diseases, wildlife protection and animal quarantine, as well as the regulations on public health emergency response, must be strictly enforced, Xi said.
Moreover, Xi called for strengthening public security management and market supervision, including crackdown on illegal and violent acts against medical personnel and investigation and punishment of illegal acts, such as driving up prices of epidemic prevention supplies and products related to people's livelihood.
Xi said the authorities must ensure that all the donated items are used for epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner. He also emphasized the importance of timely and accurate release of the epidemic information in accordance with the law.
He also required strengthening public legal education and legal services during prevention and control.
Documents including the commission's guidelines on practicing law-based infection prevention and control of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus were adopted at the meeting.
147 Chinese nationals stranded in Singapore flown back to Wuhan
A total of 147 Chinese travelers stranded in Singapore were flown back to central China's Wuhan on Wednesday.
Flight MU800, operated by China Eastern Airlines, took off from Singapore's Changi Airport and landed in Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 5:00 p.m. BJT with 147 passengers, including 29 children and one infant, on board.
The charter plane also brought back part of the donations from Singapore, including masks and goggles.
Hong Kong to quarantine all arrivals from Chinese mainland
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will begin imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Wednesday. The new measure will come into force on February 8.
As of 3:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, a total of 21 cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Hong Kong, Lam said.
China thanks international community for support in coronavirus fight
China expresses welcome and appreciation to the "sincere and friendly understanding, support and help from the international community," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
Hua Chunying said as of Wednesday noon, 21 countries as well as the UN's children agency UNICEF had donated epidemic control materials to China.
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China thanks international community for support in coronavirus fight
China increases mask production to meet surging demand
China is increasing the production of masks to meet the surging demand, an official said Wednesday at a press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council.
As of February 3, 14.8 million masks were made per day nationwide; the medical need for N95 type masks has been prioritized.
Meanwhile, the officials also briefed about the pneumonia diagnosis for novel coronavirus infection.
Isolate the virus, not China! International society calls against discrimination
An Italian Chinese young man named Massimiliano Martigli Jiang conducted a test on the streets of Florence, Italy, on Sunday, during which he blindfolded his eyes and put on a mask, with a paper board placed near him reading "I'm not Virus. I'm Human. ERADICATE PREJUDICE."
In the video, many pedestrians embraced him and expressed their love and encouragement.
Before the test, on Saturday, mayor of Florence Dario Nardella initiated an event on Twitter called "hug a Chinese," calling on everyone to get united in the battle against the virus and the prejudice and racism that has been seen across the world.
Huoshenshan Hospital admits another group of patients
Huoshenshan Hospital, a SARS treatment-model makeshift hospital in central China's Wuhan City, Hubei Province started admitting another group of patients on Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital, which was built in 10 days, was formally delivered to military medics on Sunday morning.
Covering an area of 34,000 square meters, the hospital provides 1,000 beds for coronavirus patients who are gradually being transferred to the hospital.
Five medical workers infected with the novel coronavirus were cured and discharged from Wuhan Union Hospital on Wednesday morning.
A total of 15 medical workers have been infected in Wuhan Union Hospital while attending to patients.
As of Wednesday, 14 of them have been discharged.
The first batch of three medical workers has left the hospital on January 28, followed by another six in the second batch on February 2.
Standards on discharging and isolation relief (According to China's National Health Commission)
1. Body temperature remains normal for at least three days
2. Obvious improvement of respiratory symptom
3. Virus test negative for two successive times (Sampling interval of at least one day)
In the coronavirus outbreak of 2020, people in China have witnessed the race against death in the operating room, and we shall never forget the work of The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC).
CGTN stringer went to visit the Wuhan Center for Disease Control & Prevention in Jiangxia District. In the center, one of the main tasks for the staff is epidemic research. The staff have the whereabouts of potential patients as a result of research which helps them find the patients as soon as possible. In addition, they also go to the hospitals to talk to the patients face to face to get a grasp of who had close encounters with the patients. The patients' personal information is completely respected by the staff.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this video and article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of China Global Television Network.
Beijing prioritizes safety of Taiwan compatriots living in mainland
Beijing on Wednesday reiterated support to Taiwan compatriots living on the Chinese mainland, at a time when the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-NoV) in the island have reached a total of 11.
Currently, three Taiwan compatriots living on the Chinese mainland have been confirmed with the virus, and all are being well taken care of at local hospitals, according to Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.
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Brazilian president: Brazil in solidarity with China in epidemic fight
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday voiced his support for China's fight against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
On a Twitter post, Bolsonaro said that Brazil has been following China's efforts to contain the outbreak, and that his country is in solidarity with China in fighting the epidemic, which represents a challenge for everyone.
He also expressed his gratitude for the Chinese government's assistance in withdrawing Brazilian citizens from Wuhan.
Brazil's Minister of Heath, Luiz Henrique Mandetta earlier said in an interview that it's unrealistic to restrict travel between the two countries as China is Brazil’s biggest trade partner.
Since Monday, Wuhan residents have been required to go to their designated community health center first if they have fever or any other coronavirus symptoms before being transferred to large hospitals. After initial check ups, some patients highly suspected of carrying the virus will be transported to designated hospitals for further diagnosis and treatment.
CGTN reporter Huang Yichang takes an inside look at how such a community-level health center is sharing the burden in fighting the coronavirus.
Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella has suggested residents hug Chinese people to encourage them in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, a member of Associazione Unione Giovani Italo Cinesi, a Chinese society in Italy aimed at promoting friendship between people in the two countries, called for respect for novel coronavirus patients during a street demonstration. "I'm not a virus. I'm a human. Eradicate the prejudice."
Ten passengers on a Japanese cruise carrying 3,711 people tested positive for novel coronavirus, the Japanese health minister said on Wednesday.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship has been kept in quarantine off the coast of Yokohama since an 80-year-old passenger from Hong Kong was discovered to have contracted the coronavirus.
273 people who had close contact with the passenger were tested, and 31 results had come back. All 10 confirmed patients were being sent to medical organizations, said the health minister.
As of Wednesday morning, there have been 30 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Japan.
490 dead, 24,324 cases of coronavirus confirmed on Chinese mainland
A total of 24,324 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday, with 490 deaths, said China's National Health Commission.
The updated numbers follow 65 new deaths and 3,887 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, according to the commission.
Meanwhile, there were 262 new recovered cases on Tuesday and 3,971 suspected cases reported.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 18 (1 dead)
Macao SAR: 10
Taiwan: 11
Hubei reports 3,156 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 4
Central China's Hubei Province reported 3,156 new cases of the infection on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 16,678 in the province.
On Tuesday, 65 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 125 patients were discharged from the hospital.
Huoshenshan Hospital, a prefab facility to treat coronavirus patients in Wuhan, has received 45 patients as of Tuesday night, said Xu Dixiong, deputy director of the hospital, in an interview.
The 1,000-bed hospital, which was built in 10 days, started taking patients at 9:26 p.m. on Tuesday. Some 1,400 medical workers were dispatched to work at the hospital.
Chinese authorities on Tuesday stressed that prevention and control of the epidemic remain the top priority in central China's Hubei Province, especially in key areas such as the city of Wuhan and its surrounding areas.
Efforts should be made to improve patients' recovery rate and reduce the infection and fatality rates, said an official statement issued after the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's leading group on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak met on Tuesday.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also head of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, presided over the meeting.
Preventative measures include enlisting a batch of hotels and venues to centrally treat patients with mild illness or observe people who came into close contact with patients, adding another 2,000 medical workers to support Hubei, and dispatching a high-level medical team to take over the hospitals that treat critically ill patients, the group stated.
Wuhan will convert three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition center, into temporary hospitals to receive patients with the novel coronavirus, and the three makeshift medical facilities will add a total capacity of 3,800 beds.
Enterprises that manufacture protective clothing and face masks should resume work as soon as possible and expand production capacity. Relevant departments also should ensure the supply of daily necessities and operation of the traffic network, according to the group.
WHO official on coronavirus: We are in an epidemic situation, not a pandemic
“We are not in a pandemic yet. We are in an epidemic situation with multiple foci," said Sylvie Briand, Director of the World Health Organization's pandemic and epidemic diseases department, during a press conference on Tuesday.
There are currently 23 countries outside of China with reported cases, Briand told reporters.
The WHO official stressed that masks are necessary for infected patients. "In that way they can protect others as the virus is primarily transmitted through droplets," she pointed out.
South Korea has donated 1.5 million masks and other relief items to Wuhan to help China's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
An Asiana Airlines cargo flight, carrying the masks and more than 120,000 items of protective clothing and goggles, left for Wuhan on Monday, the ministry said.
The South Korean government also plans to provide 5 million U.S. dollars' worth of emergency aid to China.
Belgium confirms first coronavirus case
A Belgian person, one of nine who returned from China’s Wuhan City on Sunday, has been tested positive for the coronavirus, Belgium’s health agency said on Tuesday.
The agency said all nine had undergone a series of tests in a military hospital in capital Brussels.
Eight of them tested negative. They were in good health and currently not showing any symptoms of the virus, the agency added.
Russia temporarily restricts foreign arrivals from China
Russia will temporarily restrict the entry of foreigners arriving from China, starting Tuesday, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said on Monday.
Certain groups of people, including citizens from countries under the Eurasian Economic Union and official delegations, will be allowed to enter Russia.
Coronavirus fatality rate is 2.1% in China, says NHC
According to China’s National Health Commission, the case fatality rate of the novel coronavirus is 2.1 percent in the country as of Monday. The mortality rate in central China’s Hubei Province is 3.1 percent, while the figure stands at 4.9 percent in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the disease’s outbreak.
Hubei Province accounts for 97 percent of all fatalities, which means the number excluding Hubei Province is 0.16 percent, said the commission.
Around 80 percent of the deaths are over the age of 60, while 75 percent of them had underlying conditions like cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes, the national health body said.
Hubei's Red Cross Society officials punished for misconduct
Three senior officials of the Hubei Provincial Red Cross Society have been punished for misconduct during the epidemic control and prevention of the coronavirus outbreak, the provincial commission for discipline inspection said in a statement on Tuesday.
Zhang Qin, vice-chairman of the organization, was removed from the post, said the statement.
An investigation revealed that the officials failed to take responsibility for the work of receiving and distributing donated funds and materials, according to the statement.
Read more: Wuhan hospitals still desperate for supplies, but what happened to donations?
As many as 340 cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed so far in Wenzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang Province. That's the biggest number in a single city outside of Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. Local authorities say it is because nearly 50,000 people who study and work in Hubei had returned for the Spring Festival holiday. As Wenzhou ramps up efforts to contain the coronavirus, CGTN reporter Xu Mengqi paid a visit to a local community and farmers' market to see how residents are responding to the epidemic and trying to prevent it.
Taiwan bans entry to foreign nationals traveling from Chinese mainland
Foreign nationals who had been to the Chinese mainland in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Taiwan amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to local authorities.
The new measure will come into force on February 7.
Ten ambulances transported on Tuesday the first group of 50 coronavirus patients to the newly built Huoshenshan Hospital, an emergency medical facility built at lightning speed in central China's Wuhan. A military medical team is operating the hospital, which houses 1,000 beds and 19 inpatient wards, including wards for patients in critical condition. Huoshenshan Hospital was built in 10 days to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Macao suspends gambling amid coronavirus outbreak
Ho Iat Seng, the chief executive of China's Macao Special Administrative Region, announced that gambling activities will be suspended for two weeks in Macao to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ho urged the residents to stay indoors and noted that public officers will work from home.
World leaders voice support for coronavirus-hit Wuhan
National leaders and heads of international organizations have voiced support for China in its battle against the coronavirus outbreak, sending messages of encouragement to Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the 2019-CoV outbreak.
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Wang Yi on coronavirus control: China takes responsibility for its people and international community
China's approach to fighting the novel coronavirus is a responsible one that takes into account the interests of the Chinese people and the international community, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday while holding a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Expressing thanks to Zarif, the first foreign minister to voice support for China, Wang reaffirmed China's confidence and capability to win the war against the coronavirus as the number of recovered cases has surpassed those of deaths since Saturday.
While praising the Chinese government's efforts to control the crisis and prevent its spread, Zarif opposed politicizing such issues.
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Based on data as of 24:00 on February 2, the mortality rate of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China, except Hubei Province, was 0.18 percent, slightly higher than seasonal flu. But the mortality rate in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, was 3.13 percent. Why?
Carrie Lam, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), said that a strike by medical employees has impacted hospital services and patients.
"Because some medical staffs have not returned to work, hospital services in Hong Kong and many patients in critical condition are affected," Lam said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Thousands of doctors and nurses went on strike on Monday in Hong Kong, demanding a total shutdown of the border with the Chinese mainland in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Their move has drawn criticism in Hong Kong for leaving medical institutions understaffed at such critical moments.
Hong Kong authorities have announced they are closing four more border crossings starting Tuesday. On January 31, six checkpoints were closed.
Lam said the SAR government puts the needs of medical personnel first, and prioritizes the resources and materials they need. She said she "appreciates the medical staff who are still carrying out their duties."
The Hong Kong SAR chief said the closure of the border crossings has no effect on freight transportation, and noted that there are currently no shortages of food or essential supplies in Hong Kong amid panic buying.
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Tuesday reported its first coronavirus death in the region, according to local media.
The 39-year-old man died Tuesday morning at Hong Kong's Princess Margaret Hospital from a sudden heart failure, local media quoted medical sources as saying.
By Monday, Hong Kong had confirmed 15 cases of the new coronavirus. He was the 13th patient.
The patient had traveled to Wuhan via high-speed rail on January 21 and returned to Hong Kong on January 23.
He visited Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was put in isolation ward after he suffered muscle pain and ran a fever after January 29.
The patient reportedly had a pre-existing illness and his 72-year-old mother also tested positive for the virus.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday said it hopes the U.S. could soon provide the aid it promised for the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
"China noted the U.S. has made repeated offers to provide aid to China to fight the outbreak. We hope Washington could provide the offered aid soon," Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Tuesday in a statement.
Hua repeated that the U.S. should work with China and the international community in battling the viral outbreak, instead of overreacting.
The ministry on Monday criticized the U.S. for "creating and spreading fear" after Washington responded to the epidemic by evacuating its embassy staff and imposing travel bans on Chinese travelers, which led other countries to follow suit.
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China says U.S. overreacting to coronavirus outbreak, creating and spreading fear
Huoshenshan Hospital, a SARS treatment-model makeshift hospital in Wuhan, started admitting patients on Tuesday morning.
The first batch of 50 patients from three hospitals, including Wuchang Hospital and Hankou Hospital, has been transferred to the newly built hospital and the patients are undergoing treatment.
The hospital, built in 10 days, was formally delivered to military medics on Sunday morning.
Covering an area of 34,000 square meters, the hospital provides 1,000 beds for coronavirus patients who are gradually transferred to the hospital.
Military medical staff test facilities and make the bed at Huoshenshan Hospital in their final preparations before admitting patients infected with the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, February, 3, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Wuhan started building two makeshift hospitals, Leishenshan and Huoshenshan, for treating pneumonia patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
The construction of another makeshift hospital is underway. With a bedding capacity of 1,500, it is scheduled to be put into use on February 5 and take patients the next day.
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Xi Jinping approves sending 1,400 military medical staff to Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan
425 dead, 20,438 cases of coronavirus confirmed on Chinese mainland
A total of 20,438 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of Monday, with 425 deaths, said China's National Health Commission.
The updated numbers follow 64 new deaths and 3,235 new confirmed cases on Monday, according to the commission.
All of the newly confirmed deceased were from Hubei Province, said the health bureau.
Meanwhile, there were 157 new recovered cases on Monday, bringing the total cured patients so far to 632.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 15
Macao SAR: 8
Taiwan: 10
Wuhan to treat mildly infected virus patients in shelter hospitals
Wuhan will treat patients of mild pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus in shelter hospitals as the city ramps up measures to curb the spread of the virus, the city's authorities said Monday night at a meeting.
According to a local newspaper, three major venues, including Hongshan Stadium and Wuhan International Conference & Exhibition Center, will be transformed into shelter hospitals as soon as possible.
Hubei reported 2,345 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 3
Central China's Hubei Province reported 2,345 new cases of the infection on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,522 in the province.
On Monday, 64 more deaths were reported in Hubei while 101 patients were discharged from the hospital.
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is showing no signs of letting up, as China quarantines millions of people and travel restrictions are issued around the world.
The World Health Organization reports that worldwide 362 people have now died and more than 17,000 are infected.
The majority of cases remain in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, where public health officials built a makeshift hospital in just ten days. It opened its doors Monday to patients.
CGTN asked Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health if the coronavirus could become a pandemic.
He said it's possible. "We are in the middle of an evolving situation with a virus that we have never had any other experience with up until just most recently."
There isn't enough data to draw firm conclusions yet. "I mean we have a month and a few days worth of experience with a virus that's rapidly accelerating in China and has already been mostly through travel, through 26 plus countries, including the United States," Fauci said. "So, whether or not this becomes an ongoing outbreak in multiple countries spread throughout the world, hence making it a pandemic, we don't have any idea of that. But it certainly could happen."
International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva sent a message of support to the Chinese people from the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, Monday.
Georgieva also showed support for China's economy in light of the recent coronavirus emergency.
"We support China's efforts to respond, by taking measures with all the strength of its health system, but also by the recent fiscal, monetary and financial actions. We are confident in the resilience of China's economy."
She also sent her condolences for the people affected by the epidemic.
"On behalf of all the membership of the IMF, all staff and management, I would like to express our deep sympathies to all those affected by the serious situation related to coronavirus," Georgieva said.
The art reads: "Spring has come back to the Earth."
Georgieva was also presented with a unique gift, a Chinese painting, from IMF Executive Director for China Jin Zhongxia, to express gratitude for her support.
Regarding China's ability to steady the social and economic impacts of the outbreak, the World Bank tweeted on Monday: "The Chinese authorities have policy space to respond and have announced a sizeable injection of liquidity, which should help mitigate the costs to economic growth."
Doctors and medical staff aren't the only ones taking part in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak.
At the Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital in Guangzhou, several robots have been deployed to assist nurses and physicians with their treatment of quarantined patients.
The domestically designed and made intelligent robots are able to carry out a variety of tasks. From traveling door to door delivering medicine to patients, to also being able to collect any waste or items that need to be disinfected.
The robots are serving as a worthy partner for doctors and nurses alike.
Yet, their biggest benefit is not their programmed software to navigate a hospital ward or to track basic patient information, it's something more indirect.
As of February 3, 80 percent of the Leishenshan Hospital construction project in Wuhan City has been finished. The quarantine ward area has been 75 percent completed and 90 percent of the living area for the medical staff has been finished. The hospital is due to open on February 5.
WHO chief says no need to halt travel to beat coronavirus
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday there was no need for measures that "unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" in trying to halt the spread of novel coronavirus outbreak in China.
"We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent," he told the WHO Executive Board, reiterating his earlier message.
"Our global consecutiveness is a weakness in this outbreak but it is also our greater strength," Tedros added.
Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital is one of the key hospitals treating coronavirus patients. CCTV Reporter Dong Qian has an exclusive interview with the president of the hospital, Zhang Dingyu, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on October 2018. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Zhang Dingyu chose to stay with his colleagues, and helped with others with his optimistic attitude towards life.
Deputy Head of Beijing's Xicheng district Miao Jianhong said on Monday there had been a cluster of cases at Fuxing hospital, with nine confirmed, including five medical staff and four hospitalized patients.
The initial investigation shows it is related to the infection of individual medical staff. The specific cause is under investigation, and close contacts are now under intensive observation. Experts say it is generally manageable.
A total of 124 cases of novel coronavirus caused by cluster outbreak have been reported in Beijing, and accounts for more than 50% of the total confirmed cases.
The department of disease control and prevention reminded the general public that people in close contact with the confirmed cases should obey the arrangement of medical personnel in accordance with the law and implement medical quarantine observation measures.
China says U.S. overreacting to coronavirus outbreak, creating and spreading fear
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday criticized the United States for "creating and spreading fear" of a coronavirus epidemic, calling for global efforts to contain the outbreak.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the U.S. has acted to create and spread fear following the coronavirus outbreak in China instead of offering any significant assistance.
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Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital, built in ten days, was formally delivered to military medics on Sunday. Covering 34,000 square meters, it will provide 1,000 beds for coronavirus patients. 1,400 military medical workers are now on duty. Patients are gradually moving there. CGTN's Tang Bo brings more from an ambulance transferring patients to Huoshenshan Hospital.
Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Carrie Lam on Monday announced that the city will suspend most of its checkpoints to the Chinese mainland from midnight to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Lam said in a briefing Monday that only two checkpoints — Shenzhen Bay and the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai — will remain open.
Lam denied that the move was due to pressure from medical workers, who threatened a five-day strike to demand that the government shut all checkpoints to the Chinese mainland.
She said it had "absolutely nothing to do with the strike" and was instead simply a measure to stem the spread of the virus. Lam urged Hong Kong residents to "stand united" in combating the outbreak.
So far, the epidemic, which broke out in central China's Wuhan city, has infected 17,238 in China, 148 abroad and killed 361 in China, one abroad.
Lam said Hong Kong's international airport would also remain open and stressed the need to set up more quarantine camps to isolate people who contracted the virus and those with whom they came into close contact.
"I urge residents and district councilors not to oppose any more," she said, referring to public opposition to such facilities being designated near residential areas.
"The World Health Organisation has said that as the situation changes, measures also need to be adjusted. The Hong Kong government has been following this principle," she said.
"These measures affect employees, so businesses should be understanding," she said. "I'd also like to salute medical professionals who have stayed committed to their positions. We will work with the Hospital Authority to ensure that the supply of protective gear, including surgical masks, is sufficient."
The Macao SAR government tightened the border policy to control the entry of visitors from central China's Hubei Province or those who had visited the province within 14 days on January 27.
China's National Immigration Administration Monday reminded Chinese people to pay attention to the changes to Hong Kong and Macao's border entry policies and properly arrange their travel plans to avoid unnecessary loss.
Regina Ip: Complete closure of entry points with Chinese mainland is unnecessary
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Legislative Council Member of Hong Kong SAR and the Chairperson of the New People's Party, told CGTN that the complete closure of border crossings was unnecessary.
"I think people are understandably worried about the spread of the virus. But this time, unlike 2003, I think there has been a lot of political manipulation of the scale of the virus scare, for example, the call for so called complete closure of control points is unrealistic and unnecessary," she said.
"The advocates have not been able to explain what they really meant. Does it mean closing down the airport? Have they looked at the figures? Take the control points bordering the (Chinese) mainland, most of the travelers are actually Hong Kong residents, up to 200,000 a day, whereas mainland visitors, the numbers are coming down steadily," she continued.
"What people I think the advocate deliberately ignore is Hong Kong is actually closely intertwined with the (Chinese) mainland. Every day, we have lots of cross border families students. Hong Kong students studying in (the Chinese) mainland who want to come back. Mainland mothers who need to come here to look after Hong Kong-born children. Even though some people say they are only advocating the stoppage of people flow, not the flow of essential supplies. Do these people realize that a lot of food supplies, for example, ferry to Hong Kong by mainland drivers? So it's really unrealistic to ask for complete closure. That doesn't make sense at all. And that is not necessary," she said.
Two districts in Russia's Far East declare a state of emergency
Authorities in the Oktyabrsky and Khasansky Districts in the Far Eastern Primorsky Region in Russia on Sunday declared a state of emergency amid the coronavirus outbreak, reported TASS news agency.
People from China arriving in the region with a residence permit will undergo medical tests for the coronavirus and be quarantined for 14 days.
Three facilities have been launched for monitoring and quarantine in the regions.
A total of 16 foreigners in China have contracted the novel coronavirus, two of them have been cured and discharged from hospital, and the remaining 14 are in quarantine and in a stable condition, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.
Hubei requisitions hotels to quarantine suspected coronavirus-infected people
Hubei authorities on Sunday issued a notice on the battle against the deadly coronavirus outbreak, saying that it will enhance the isolation and treatment for patients with symptoms suspected of being infected with the coronavirus, as well as those in close contact with the infected.
According to the notice, hotels, guest houses and other buildings in proper condition will be requisitioned as quarantine areas for patients.
More than 2,000 newly confirmed infections of the coronavirus were reported in Hubei on Sunday, making the total confirmed cases more than 11,000.
One of the emergency hospitals in Wuhan built in response to the deadly novel coronavirus, the now complete Huoshenshan Hospital went into use on Monday. Thousands of construction workers stepped up construction day and night. It's hard to imagine how much work they've done in the past few days. CGTN's Wang Kailin went to the construction site and talked with workers who have witnessed the shockingly rapid progress.
Coronavirus detected on doorknob in S. China's Guangzhou
Scientists in south China's Guangzhou on Sunday detected the nucleic acid of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on a doorknob at the house of a patient diagnosed with the disease, according to an official for the Disease Control and Prevention Center in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province.
In addition, other areas prone to contamination include mobile phones, keyboards and faucet handles, added the official.
The eleventh case of novel coronavirus confirmed in U.S.
The eleventh case of novel coronavirus has been confirmed in the U.S.; the two most recent infections were reported in San Benito County, California.
Local media reported the confirmed cases are a husband and wife, with the husband having recently traveled to Wuhan, in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Earlier, the ninth case of coronavirus was confirmed in Santa Clara County. It's the second case confirmed in the San Francisco area. The woman had reportedly traveled to Wuhan recently.
PLA distributes daily necessities to Wuhan residents
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed in central China's Hubei Province on Sunday began distributing daily necessities to the residents of Wuhan, the city at the center of the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus.
China to take effective measures to ensure the supply of daily necessities
China will further increase the supply of necessities including fresh vegetables, meat, grain and oil to central Hubei Province, said Lian Weiliang, a National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) official, at a press conference in Beijing on Monday. Meanwhile, China will also take more effective measures to ensure the supply of various daily necessities nationwide amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, he added.
Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Commerce, National Health Commission and State Administration for Market Regulation also attended the press conference.
An official said that China can produce up to 20 million facial masks a day, and production is on the rise after the Lunar New Year holiday.
The supply of daily necessities is stable, said Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan.
GSK, CEPI announce collaboration to develop coronavirus vaccine
British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said on Monday that it is collaborating with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in effort to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus outbreak.
GSK will make adjuvant technology available to enhance the development of an effective vaccine against 2019-nCoV, according to the statement.
A total of 17,205 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed on the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 on Sunday, with 361 dead and 475 recovered patients, said China’s National Health Commission.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 15
Macao SAR: 8
Taiwan: 10
Hubei reports 2,103 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 2
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,103 new cases of infection on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 11,177 in the province.
On Sunday, 56 more deaths were reported and 80 patients were discharged from hospitals in the province.
The first novel-coronavirus-affected patient was cured and discharged Sunday from a hospital in north China's Yuncheng City after 10 days of medical treatment. The 36-year-old patient had been working in Wuhan before she went to visit her parents in Yuncheng on January 16.
China's economy remains resilient amid epidemic outbreak: report
The resilience of China's economy cannot be underestimated amid the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) epidemic outbreak, though it posed direct harm to the service, manufacturing and trade sectors, according to a report released Saturday by the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
The report noted that the potential impact of the 2019-nCoV epidemic can be different from all the previous epidemics and other incidents, and it is imprudent to judge the economic impact of the epidemic by historical experience as China's economy is in a transition from high-speed growth to high-quality development.
"Even in the short term, the epidemic has not caused a negative effect on all the sectors but has benefited industries such as electronic commerce and online games and entertainment," said the report.
Read more:
China's economy remains resilient amid epidemic outbreak: report
The panic epidemic in the coronavirus outbreak
It's been almost two weeks, but it's hard to see the lighter side to the novel coronavirus. Alarm grows, as news of coronavirus infections mingled with the deluge of conflicting information tumbles out on a daily basis.
Read more:
International community hails China's transparency in epidemic control
Leaders of international organizations and some foreign virologists recently praised China's transparency, openness and swift response in controlling and preventing the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
In an interview with the China Media Group on Saturday, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Kung Phoak said he has "strong confidence" that China, ASEAN member states and other countries will make joint efforts and find solutions to the issue.
Read more:
International community hails China's transparency in epidemic control
A lab of Italy's national institute for infectious diseases has isolated the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV, the country’s Health Minister Roberto Speranza said at a press conference on Sunday.
"Having isolated the virus means many opportunities to be able to study it, understand and better verify what can be done to block the spread," he said.
Italy is currently treating two patients, a Chinese couple, infected with the virus.
Premier Li encourages flexible working schedule to curb outbreak
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang encouraged a flexible working schedule and off-peak working hours for non-essential sectors when chairing a meeting on outbreak prevention and control on Sunday.
The proposal, according to Li, aims to avoid large-scale population movements so as to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Read more:
Premier Li encourages flexible working schedule to curb outbreak
As the U.S. government announced a public health emergency and temporary travel restrictions over the spread of the novel coronavirus, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai spoke up on Saturday in California. He expressed his "heart-felt appreciation" to the American people for their valuable support for China in this special moment. He also urged both countries to guard against the "political virus" that prevents China and the United States from joining hands to counter common challenges.
India Sunday announced that it has temporarily suspended issuing electronic visas for Chinese passport holders and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Indian Embassy to China.
"Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect," the embassy announced.
"Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid," the statement said.
So far, two cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
There is a new concern that the coronavirus may be spread by fecal-oral transmission. Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said that doctors are keeping a close eye on whether feces can carry the contagion.
Construction of Wuhan's second coronavirus hospital, Leishenshan, 75 percent complete, is expected to put into use by February 6.
Jovis and Marissa are foreigners living in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
Just two days ago, the couple voluntarily gave an interview to a news outlet and spoke about their feelings living in Wuhan during this time. They wanted to have more people become aware of the real situation concerning the coronavirus outbreak.
Regrettably, the news outlet re-edited their interview and twisted their message, over-exaggerated the problem, and caused unnecessary misunderstanding.
In this video, we see Jovis and Marissa reacting to this mistake, explaining the truth and giving their opinion about how media should help people fight the coronavirus.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this video and article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of CGTN.
U.S. "virus hunter" W. Ian Lipkin assisting China
A specialist known as one of the world's leading "virus hunters" is in China, to help contain the coronavirus epidemic.
Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology from Columbia University, is also the director of Columbia's Center for Infection & Immunity Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr. Lipkin came to China 17 years ago to help fight SARS.
His week-long trip this time included Guangzhou and Beijing, without going to Wuhan. "I've not been to Wuhan, I'll not be able to get back into the U.S. very easily, and that would impede my ability to the work. Although I would like to have gone to Wuhan, unfortunately logistics made that impossible", he says.
Read more:
The story of Zhang Dingyu: A Wuhan coronavirus front-line medical worker with ALS disease
Zhang Dingyu didn't tell his colleagues that he had been diagnosed with an incurable nervous system disease: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He kept this secret for nearly two years until the day he couldn't walk anymore while on the front lines fighting the novel coronavirus in Wuhan.
As the director of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Zhang and his colleagues admitted the first seven patients infected with unidentified pneumonia in late December.
Read more:
The story of Zhang Dingyu: A Wuhan coronavirus front-line medical worker with ALS disease
Former WHO Official: China is doing whatever possible to contain coronavirus
The death toll caused by the novel coronavirus emanating from the central Chinese city of Wuhan has surpassed 300, and the confirmed cases have reached over 14,000.
"So far based on the information that I can gather from the public media, or as well as from my former colleagues, this is a fast-moving infection. The best evidence available is that is coming from a bat. Now, whether or not there is an intermediary host, we still need to do more work to find out," said Margaret Chan, former director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), in an exclusive interview with CGTN.
Chan said that the good news is the case fatality rate is not as high as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which broke out across Asia back in 2003. "So I commend China for their very decisive action to bring in a whole [set] of preventive measures to contain and to control the outbreak," added the former WHO official.
Read more:
Former WHO Official: China is doing whatever possible to contain coronavirus
Oman has suspended all flights to and from China until further notice, the country's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) said on Sunday.
According to a PACA statement, "Within the framework of PACA's follow-up of the recent developments of the epidemiological situation of the emerging Coronavirus, and after coordination with the Ministry of Health (MOH), the authority suspends all civil aviation flights between the Sultanate and the People's Republic of China, as of February 2, 2020 until further notice".
Warning: Coronavirus may spread further as Chinese get back to work
The novel coronavirus came at a bad time for China. January and February are the two months for the world's largest human migration, the "chunyun," or Spring Festival travel rush.
Most Chinese work outside their hometown – hundreds of millions of them – and return home to reunite with family members during the Spring Festival.
The travel rush usually happens before and after the festival – they go home and then back to work. The direction of movement are largely between big cities and small towns, since the urban areas offer better job opportunities.
Unfortunately, the source of the coronavirus – Wuhan – is one of the most connected cities in China, if not the most. The city hosts more than 14 million people, about five million of them traveled outside around the time of the coronavirus outbreak.
Read more:
Warning: Coronavirus may spread further as Chinese get back to work
Overseas Chinese donate goods for coronavirus fight
As the novel coronavirus develops in China and there is a scarcity of medical supplies like masks, overseas Chinese are organizing donations for people who are in urgent need back home.
China's central bank pumped 1.2 trillion yuan (about 173.3 billion U.S. dollars) into the financial system via reverse repos on Monday to maintain ample liquidity amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said the overall liquidity in the banking system will be 900 billion yuan more than the same period last year.
The PBOC will use various monetary policy tools to ensure sufficient liquidity amid the epidemic. It will provide relending funds of 300 billion yuan to major national banks and some local banks in key provinces like Hubei and enhance credit support for the manufacturing sector, as well as small, micro and private enterprises, the bank said.
Read more: PBOC to keep liquidity ample amid coronavirus outbreak
Meanwhile, 1.05 trillion yuan of reverse repos matured Monday, resulting in a net injection of 150 billion yuan. This will lead to 900 billion yuan more liquidity in the banking system than that recorded in the same period last year, the PBOC said.
The move aims to offset the impact of reverse repos maturing and the concentrated maturing of financial market funds and to keep liquidity in the banking system at a reasonably sufficient level in the epidemic control period, according to a statement on the website of the central bank.
The PBOC will continue to pay close attention to the liquidity situation and maintain macro liquidity at a reasonably ample level, the statement said.
A reverse repo is a process in which the central bank purchases securities from commercial banks through bidding with an agreement to sell them back in the future.
(With input from Xinhua)
Graphics: What's the difference between SARS, MERS and the novel coronavirus?
A mysterious pneumonia outbreak first reported December in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, has quickly spread across the country and around the world.
As of Saturday, the novel coronavirus epidemic, now declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), has sicken over 14,300 people and killed over 300 in China.
Scientists have attributed the outbreak to "2019-nCoV," a new strain of coronaviruses that has not been previously identified in humans.
Read more:
Graphics: What's the difference between SARS, MERS and the novel coronavirus?
Coronavirus: Travel restrictions imposed on Chinese residents so far
Countries and regions from around the world are closing borders to people who had been in China (specifically Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak), as officials ramp up efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.
How are countries and regions around the world responding?
Read more:
Coronavirus: Travel restrictions imposed on Chinese residents so far
South Korea said Sunday it will ban foreigners who've been in central China's Hubei Province in the past two weeks from entering the country amid novel coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the entry ban will take effect on February 4.
The government will also consult with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province – an island to the south of the Korean mainland - regarding the suspension of visa-free entry.
So far, South Korea has reported 15 novel coronavirus cases.
The epicenter of this outbreak, the city of Wuhan, has handed over the first of two temporary hospitals to the Chinese military medical team. The Huoshenshan hospital was finished in just nine days and has a capacity of 1,000 beds. Patients will begin arriving on February 3. Separately, the Chinese Air Force has carried out one of its biggest non-combat operations in a decade. Eight planes landed in Wuhan on February 2, with nearly 800 medical workers and 58 tonnes of supplies. Hundreds of military doctors had already gone to Wuhan, joining forces with thousands of other visiting medical staff.
Wuhan health authorities on Sunday said people suspected of the coronavirus infection will be isolated in designated areas effective immediately.
The affected include patients diagnosed with fever related to pneumonia and those in close contact with the infected patients.
They will receive proper medical observations, treatment and accommodation free of charge.
Those who refuse to follow the instructions will be put under isolation in coercion with the assistance of police.
Construction of Wuhan Huoshenshan hospital completes
The construction of Wuhan's Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built to treat pneumonia patients with the novel coronavirus, completed on Sunday.
The hospital will take patients starting Monday.
Click here for more.
CGTN sat down with Dr. Margaret Chan, former director-general of the WHO. She shared her view on the Wuhan lockdown.
The Philippines has confirmed its first novel coronavirus death, the first one outside China, reported local media.
It was the second confirmed case in the country. The patient, a 44-year-old Chinese citizen, died on Saturday.
A total of 14,380 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 on Saturday, with 304 dead and 328 recovered patients, said China's National Health Commission.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 14
Macao SAR: 7
Taiwan: 10
Hubei reported 1,921 new coronavirus cases on Feb. 1
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,921 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,074 in the province.
On Saturday, 45 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 49 patients were discharged from hospitals.
A total of 48,571 people who had close contact with those infected are being tracked; 43,121 people are under medical observation.
Myanmar suspends visa on arrival service for Chinese travelers amid coronavirus scare
Myanmar's foreign ministry Saturday announced that the country will suspend its visa on arrival service for Chinese travelers starting on Sunday.
Chinese travelers must also submit a health declaration form when entering the country, it added.
Premier Li urges stable supply of key medical goods for coronavirus prevention
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged officials to ensure the full supply and stable price of medical materials during his inspection of the National Mobilization Center for Key Medical Supplies on Saturday.
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Premier Li urges stable supply of key medical goods for coronavirus prevention
A total of 337 officials and members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Huanggang City have been punished for failing to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Qiu Lixin, the mayor of the city neighboring Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, said on Saturday that authorities had dispatched a 3,497-strong team to carry out supervision and inspection work in key sites.
Six high-level officials were removed from their post for failing to prevent and control the outbreak.
A total of 726 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the city with 14 deaths reported, second only to Wuhan.
"We accept and thank the media and the community for their supervision and criticism," she added.
New finding
Nucleic acid tests of the new coronavirus in stool samples of some patients have been detected as positive, which suggests that a stool may contain the virus, according to Shenzhen Third People's Hospital.
Research of virus isolation is underway.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday offered support to China on the coronavirus outbreak in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kim, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, sent a letter to President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressing his support of China's prevention and control measures regarding the pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus on behalf of his party and the people of the DPRK.
Kim said he's confident the Chinese government, the CPC and the Chinese people will win the battle against the novel coronavirus under Xi's leadership.
In the letter, Kim also sent his condolences to the families that lost their loved ones to the virus and his regards to the medical workers and people working on the front line.
President Xi expressed his gratitude toward Kim in return.
Foreign students and teachers well taken care of at university in Wuhan
Wuhan has been on lockdown for more than a week. Foreign students and teachers at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan cannot leave the city or go back to their home countries. But, they told CGTN that they are being well taken care of by the university. Bettina Masuer from Germany teaches German at the institution. Since the start of the next semester has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, Bettina has been busy revising her lesson plans.
There also hasn't been a shortage of food at the university. Out of the 36 canteens on the campus, three are open for the remaining teachers and students. Meanwhile, China's major food and agricultural firms are stepping up supplies of rice, meat and cooking oil to Hubei Province.
The Chinese Lunar New Year holiday has been formally extended to February 13 in Hubei Province in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the province's capital city of Wuhan.
Hubei provincial government said the extension also applied to people who are from other Chinese provinces but stayed in Hubei during the holiday.
The government said the new opening date for schools would be announced separately by the education department.
Qatar Airways announced on Saturday it is suspending all flights to and from the Chinese mainland starting February 3 until further notice amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
The Doha-based airline flies to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Hangzhou.
The airline will conduct a weekly assessment to determine when to resume flights, and said booked passengers can reschedule or apply for a full refund.
China speeds up customs clearance for coronavirus prevention supplies
Customs authorities across China have stepped up customs clearance for medical supplies from abroad amid the fight against the novel coronavirus.
From January 24 to 29, more than 10,000 postal parcels containing safety materials saw fast customs clearance, according to the customs office in the south China's city of Guangzhou.
To speed up clearance services for imported materials, the office opened special channels and prioritized the customs clearance for medical supplies, providing additional staff to ensure the imported supplies would be handled in time.Read more:
China speeds up customs clearance for coronavirus prevention supplies
Chinese medical worker who fought Ebola joins coronavirus battle in Wuhan
The same hug, the same people, two different health crises – a moving imagery that has tugged at the heartstrings of Chinese social media users.
In the both photographs, Song Caiping is on a mission to two hotspots – Liberia in 2014 and Wuhan, central China, in 2020.
Read more:
Chinese medical worker who fought Ebola joins coronavirus battle in Wuhan
Apple temporarily shuts all stores on the Chinese mainland
Apple said on Saturday it will temporarily shut down all its stores and corporate offices on the Chinese mainland through February 9 due to public health concerns.
The company also said it looked forward to re-opening the stores as soon as possible.
Earlier this week, Apple closed three stores in China due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Read more:
Imported supplies used for the novel coronavirus prevention and control are exempted from tariffs between January 1 and the end of March, China's Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website on Saturday.
The exemption also applies to foreign donations and products originating from the United States, which have been subject to extra tariffs during China-U.S. trade frictions.
China has waived import taxes on certain foreign donations since 2015. In order to help the fight against the coronavirus and amid enthusiastic donations from home and abroad, the ministry has decided to implement a more preferential tariff policy, according to the statement.
Goods that will enjoy tariff exemption include reagents, sterilization items, protective supplies, ambulances, disinfection vehicles and emergency command vehicles, the statement said.
The taxes levied on relevant items imported before the announcement will be refunded.
Medical equipment and materials are in short supply in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and other cities in Hubei Province.
The Chinese authorities have been taking various measures to meet demand, including asking companies to increase production capacity of much-needed goods such as masks and protective clothing and encouraging donations.
(CGTN's Geng Xiuhui also contributed to the story.)
'No Chinese:' Coronavirus panic fuels racism outbreak
Despite the novel coronavirus outbreak ruining the Spring Festival for millions of people, the festival continues to be the grandest holiday in Asia. Chinese descendants living outside the virus-hit nation were trying to catch up with the festive atmosphere, but racism connecting Chinese or Asians with the virus have been surfacing in several countries, in a time when solidarity should reign.
It is not always easy to draw the clear boundary between reasonable fear and subtle discrimination, yet many measures taken have surpassed their "protective" nature and using coronavirus as a scapegoat perpetuate outright racism.
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How is China mitigating the medical supply shortage?
Masks, protective suits and goggles have been in severe shortage in some hospitals, especially in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. More and more hospitals are asking help online, calling on citizens around China to donate medical supplies.
Within days, ministry-level government departments, organizations, businesses and people from all walks of life came to their aid to help ease the shortage, and many Chinese abroad are also pitching in by buying protective suits and masks and sending them to Wuhan.
Read more:
Coronavirus in Wuhan: Outpatient app helps prevent cross infection
In disease-hit Wuhan, there have been many cross-infection cases at hospitals where people running a fever and having common cold flooded in out of concern and were infected by the new coronavirus.
Now a smartphone outpatient app developed by Wuhan's Tongji Hospital is helping people stay out of crowded hospitals and reduce the risk of further infections.
It is called the "Mobile Tongji Hospital."
Read more:
Coronavirus in Wuhan: Outpatient app helps prevent cross infection
Doctor demonstrates how to wear masks and wash hands
Wearing a medical mask is one of the prevention measures to limit the spread of certain respiratory diseases, including the 2019-nCoV, in affected areas. Washing hands as well. What is the correct way to wear a mask and wash your hands? CGTN reporter Wang Kailin goes to a community healthcare center and asks a doctor for a professional demonstration.
A plane carrying medical supplies arrives in Wuhan, China, January 28, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
The EU is making donations to help contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, the Mission of China to the EU said on Sunday, while expressing appreciation to the efforts.
The EU has coordinated its member states and pledged around 12 tons of items to assist the relief efforts during the epidemic, such as face masks and other surgical equipment, according to the office.
China sincerely appreciates such efforts and the great support of the EU and its member states, it added.
As of February 2, the virus has killed 304 and infected 14,411 people in China. All 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the mainland have activated Level 1 emergency response. The province of Hubei, the center of the epidemic, reported 1,921 new coronavirus cases on February 1.
Live blog: Coronavirus outbreak: Over 14,400 cases confirmed in China, 304 dead
On Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the epidemic over the phone.
Li asked the EU to facilitate China's urgent procurement of medical supplies from member countries.
He said the Chinese government has always given top priority to the safety and health of people, and is carrying out an open, transparent, assertive and orderly prevention and control work of the outbreak.
The government now is putting all-out efforts to ensure the supply of medical resources for medical workers in virus-hit areas and expects the EU to facilitate China's urgent purchasing of medical supplies from EU member countries, he added.
Von der Leyen said the EU recognizes China's efforts to contain the epidemic.
She said the EU highly respects and recognizes China's efforts and quick response to the outbreak and expressed the EU's support to China's prevention work.
She said the EU is willing to mobilize all resources available to facilitate ongoing efforts and is ready to provide convenience for China's purchasing of medical supplies.
On the same day, China's Finance Ministry said it will implement tax exemptions for imports of products related to curbing the coronavirus outbreak.
Materials directly used for epidemic control will be exempt from import tariffs from January 1 to March 31, the ministry said in a statement on its website.
Imports of donations including ambulances and disinfectant products will also be exempt from tariffs, value-added tax and consumption tax, it added.
Authorities in Huanggang City in central China's Hubei Province announced a new regulation on Saturday that only one person per household could go out for grocery shopping every two days while other members must stay at home.
Those who are in need of medical treatment, work in relevant departments involving epidemic prevention and control, as well as staff at supermarkets and pharmacies will be exempt.
The new regulation took effect immediately on Saturday.
Authorities said the decision was made to "minimize personnel mobility and control the spread of the epidemic" to the largest extent.
Huanggang, which borders Wuhan, is the second hardest hit area by novel coronavirus in the province, following Wuhan. It reported 726 cases and 14 deaths as of Friday.
Huanggang is already under a lockdown, with services for city buses, long-distance buses and outbound trains all suspended and all indoor entertainment venues shut down since January 23.
China opposes some countries' actions that create tension and panic
China opposes certain countries' actions that are creating tension and panic over the novel coronavirus outbreak, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.
To address transnational public health challenge in the era of globalization, Wang said: "We should stay objective and rational, strengthen communication and coordination, and play constructive roles."
He made the remarks during a phone call with India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Read more:
China opposes some countries' actions that create tension and panic
UK evacuates staff from the embassy and consulates in China
After evacuating its citizens due to the coronavirus outbreak, the UK will remove some staff from its embassy and consulates in China.
As of Friday, some staff and dependents from the British Embassy and Consulates are being withdrawn from China, said the UK government in a statement on Saturday.
The document adds essential staff needed to continue critical work will remain in the country.
Australia raises travel advice warning
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday that the country’s travel advice for China has increased. This means tourists from the Chinese mainland will no longer be permitted to enter Australia during the coronavirus outbreak.
Australian citizens coming from China will have to be quarantined for two weeks, stated Morrison.
Former WHO chief on coronavirus outbreak: China's prevention efforts earning global compliments
"This is a scientific judgment, a prudent and reasonable decision, with the aim to better control the epidemic and prevent it from spreading around the world," said Margaret Chan, former director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Friday after the world's top health advisory body deemed the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Chan noted that China's performance is receiving compliments from all over the world.
Quoting WHO's current director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Chan praised the transparency and speed of China's epidemic control.
Chan stressed that the top priority right now is to effectively implement the existing prevention and control measures.
China's Red Cross receives over 849 mln yuan in donations to battle coronavirus outbreak
As of 5 p.m. on January 31, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has received a total of 849.723 million yuan (around 122.502 million U.S. dollars) in donations in a bid to battle the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China, announced the organization on Saturday.
German jet with five tons of medical supplies lands in Wuhan
A German aircraft carrying over five tons of medical supplies arrived in China's central city of Wuhan on Saturday morning to help contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, the German Embassy in China said on Saturday.
Highly praising the front-line medics battling the epidemic, the embassy hopes these donations can support them and help fight the disease.
Pictures uploaded to social media show medics of the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China, January 25, 2020. / Reuters Photo
China says U.S. raising travel advisory 'not a gesture of goodwill'
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying Friday criticized certain U.S. officials' words and actions amid the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, noting that their behavior is certainly not a gesture of goodwill as they are neither factual nor appropriate.
U.S. State Department Thursday announced a highest-level warning not to travel to China due to the recent coronavirus outbreak. On the same day, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the spreading coronavirus will accelerate the return of jobs from China to the U.S.
"Many countries have offered China support in various means. In sharp contrast, certain U.S. officials' words and actions are neither factual nor appropriate. Just as the World Health Organization recommended against travel restrictions, the U.S. rushed to go in the opposite way. Certainly not a gesture of goodwill," Hua stressed.
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China brings back 310 Hubei residents stranded abroad
China dispatched three charter planes to Bangkok in Thailand, Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia and Tokyo in Japan and brought home a total of 310 Hubei residents stranded abroad amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that the government would bring overseas Wuhan residents back as soon as possible due to practical difficulties that Chinese tourists, especially those from Wuhan, have been facing abroad.
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A total of 11,791 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 on Friday, with 259 dead and 243 recovered patients, said China’s National Health Commission.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 13
Macao SAR: 7
Taiwan: 10
Spain, Sweden report first cases of coronavirus
Spain has confirmed the country's first case of the novel coronavirus, the health ministry said late on Friday.
The first case of the coronavirus has also been confirmed in Sweden.
Sweden’s Public Health Agency said on Friday that a woman had tested positive for the virus. She had visited Wuhan City in China and experienced cough symptoms after arriving in Sweden.
Central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,347 new cases of the infection on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 7,153 in the province.
On Friday, 45 more deaths were reported in Hubei; 50 patients were discharged from hospital in the region.
A chartered plane that was sent to Malaysia to bring back 123 Wuhan tourists who were stranded abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak landed in Wuhan on Friday.
Hubei Province, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has been granted a formal extension of the Lunar New Year holiday in order to effectively curb the spread of the epidemic.
Delays in business operations and school openings should be applied in other places facing a relatively rapid increase in new cases.
Earlier this week, China extended the New Year holiday until February 2 in the face of the virus outbreak. The holiday was initially due to end on January 31.
The decision was made at the meeting of a leading group of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the prevention and control of the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, chaired by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
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Two specialized coronavirus hospitals in Wuhan, the city at the epicenter of the outbreak, will start taking patients on February 3 and 6 respectively, the mayor of Wuhan announced on Friday.
Huoshenshan Hospital, which covers an area of 34,000 square meters, will provide 1,000 beds for patients who will be admitted from February 3.
Leishenshan Hospital will take patients from February 6. It's 75,000 square meters in size and will be able to accommodate 1,500 patients.
The two makeshift hospitals will treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus and follow the model of Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing, which was built in response to the SARS epidemic in 2003.
Coronavirus outbreak: Demand for wildlife trade ban grows
A common link exists between the current novel coronavirus outbreak and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic of 2003 – the wildlife trade.
While the animal spreading the new strain of coronavirus remains unknown, the number of cases has surpassed the 5,327 infected during the SARS epidemic spread by palm civets that killed 775.
This coronavirus has so far infected more than 9,000 people in China and more than 100 abroad, leading the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency on Friday.
One of the many animals, including wild game, on sale at Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is likely to be the source of the new infection.
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Coronavirus: Recovered patients 'still face' secondary infections
Patients who have recovered from pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus still face the risk of being infected again, an expert said at a press conference of China's National Health Commission on Friday.
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Coronavirus: Recovered patients 'still face' secondary infections
Twenty patients with the novel coronavirus have been discharged from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital on Friday, health authorities said. The oldest was 64 and the youngest 15.
They represent the largest number of people discharged at the same time since the outbreak began. A total of 72 patients have been discharged so far from the hospital.
The Beijing Municipal Government announced on Friday that companies in the city could adopt flexible approaches before February 10 and require employees to work remotely via the internet or telephone.
The decision was made to "effectively reduce the gathering of people, block the spread of the epidemic and better protect the lives and health of the people" in wake of China's novel coronavirus outbreak.
But essential industries that guarantee people's livelihoods and those involved in the work of preventing and controlling the virus, as well as key construction work will be excluded, the municipal government said.
China's Lunar New Year break in 2020 is due to finish on February 2.
Two cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said Friday.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has said it will dispatch a chartered flight Friday night to pick up around 350 Wuhan tourists stranded in Japan's Tokyo and nearby areas.
This will be the third special flight following the other two that have brought back Chinese tourists in Thailand and Malaysia earlier on Friday.
The flight, operated by Spring Airlines, will depart from Shanghai on Friday night and travel to Tokyo International Airport.
It is expected to land in Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 5:50 a.m. on Saturday.
Schools, kindergartens in HKSAR to resume classes in March
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has announced that primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens, will resume on March 2 amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Friday.
At 4:25 p.m. Friday local time, 123 tourists from China's Wuhan City boarded a chartered flight in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, where they were stranded amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The flight, a Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, was operated by China's XiamenAir and will take the tourists back to Wuhan.
Crew members will be put under isolation observation for 14 days after the mission.
Canada expresses confidence in China's coronavirus prevention
Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne applauded China's strict and transparent preventative measures in tackling the novel coronavirus outbreak, saying that Canada has confidence in China's capability to win the battle.
Champagne made the comments during a phone call with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Friday.
The Canadian Foreign Minister expressed Canada's willingness to provide assistance to China, along with sympathy and condolences to those who are suffering from the disease.
Wang, for his part, said the Chinese government is taking resolute and forceful measures to conduct scientific and effective prevention and control of the epidemic.
A batch of emergency supplies from Japan arrived in Wuhan late Thursday night. Some of the supplies, including masks, had to be sent immediately to Wuhan Union Hospital. As it was an emergency, a CGTN reporting team volunteered to deliver the supplies.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 the novel coronavirus outbreak is now a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The video explains what constitutes a PHEIC and the impact it will have.
CAAC to dispatch charter flights to bring home Wuhan tourists
The Civil Aviation Administration of China has said it will dispatch two charter flights on Friday to bring home from overseas trips the residents of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The two flights will be sent to Bangkok, Thailand and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
Hours earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced China's decision to dispatch charter flights to fly travelers from Hubei Province back home.
Many tourists from Wuhan, the epicenter of the newly-found virus, were either denied entry into commercial flights or the flights were canceled.
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Chinese family wearing face masks walk in a pedestrian crossing in Bangkok, Thailand, January 29, 2020./AP Photo
In numbers: Daily rise in coronavirus cases in Hubei Province and its capital city, Wuhan
Teams dispatched to supervise the production of medical protective clothing
The National Medical Products Administration on Friday announced that it has sent teams to different areas of the country to supervise the production of the medical protective clothing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
To better monitor the quality of medical devices used for the prevention and control of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, the inspection teams will guide local drug regulatory departments in their supervision duties, said the administration.
WHO: Novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency
World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30.
Speaking at a press conference after a closed-door meeting of the Emergency Committee, he stressed that the WHO disfavors or even opposes imposing travel or trade restrictions on China. Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), the WHO director-general has the authority to determine that an outbreak constitutes a PHEIC when certain conditions are met.
The designation is aimed at mobilizing more international resources to deal with the epidemic.
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Italy confirms its first two coronavirus cases
Italy confirmed its first two novel coronavirus cases, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced at a press briefing on Thursday night.
Two Chinese tourists infected with the virus are in stable condition and being treated in isolation.
As of 24:00 on Thursday, a total of 9,692 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the Chinese mainland , with 213 dead and 171 recovered patients.
In central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the confirmed cases have risen to 5,806, with 204 deaths and 116 cases of recovery.
Overseas, at least 98 cases were confirmed in 18 countries, including Thailand, France, Germany, the U.S., and Canada.
China has called for united efforts in tackling the novel coronavirus outbreak to prevent the epidemic from spreading further, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said Friday.
The remarks come hours after World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, designated 2019-nCoV, has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), in other words, a global health emergency.
Most pressing task
Zhang stressed that fighting the outbreak is the most important and pressing task for the Chinese government and noted that China always has an open, transparent and responsible attitude toward international cooperation on epidemic prevention.
He called for consolidated efforts from the international community amid the outbreak, reiterating Ghebreyesus' statement highlighting the necessity to enhance the response for countries with fragile health systems, as this was the main reason behind the PHEIC declaration.
The WHO has full confidence in China's capability to combat the virus, the ambassador said, citing Ghebreyesus' remarks, emphasizing that there is no reason to impose unnecessary restrictions on international travel and trade.
Acknowledging the outbreak in China, Zhang urged all countries to make joint efforts in tackling the situation with a responsible attitude to prevent further impact as a result of overreaction amid misinformation and rumors.
China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun (L) talks to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, January 30, 2020. /CGTN Photo
WHO: China setting a new standard for outbreak response
Speaking at a press conference after a closed-door meeting of the emergency committee, Ghebreyesus stressed that the WHO discourages or even opposes restrictions of travel and trade.
"The Committee does not recommend any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available," a statement published after the emergency committee meeting said Thursday.
"Countries must inform the WHO about any travel measures taken, as required by the International Health Regulations (IHR). Countries are cautioned against actions that promote stigma or discrimination, in line with the principles of Article 3 of the IHR," the statement added.
The committee asked the director-general to provide further advice on these matters and, if necessary, make new case-by-case recommendations, in view of this rapidly evolving situation.
Under the IHR, the WHO director-general has the authority to determine whether an outbreak constitutes a PHEIC. The designation is aimed at mobilizing more international resources to deal with the epidemic. Since the IHR entered into force in 2007, the WHO has made multiple PHEIC declarations.
Ghebreyesus noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally commands and deploys the prevention and containment efforts.
"The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive and beyond words. So, is China's commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries," Ghebreyesus said.
"In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response," he added.
That reflects not only China's high sense of responsibility for the lives and health of its people but also its strong support for global disease prevention and control, he said.
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WHO chief confident in China's epidemic prevention and control ability
China keeps close communication with WHO on coronavirus outbreak
Chinese government confident of controlling, defeating the epidemic
Disinfection work is conducted on a train in China, January 30, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Ghebreyesus said he believes China will effectively contain and eventually defeat the epidemic, adding that China's efforts to combat the disease deserve respect and appreciation and are worth learning from.
Now, the situation is still developing, and more research is needed; particularly, countries with fragile health systems should enhance their responses, the WHO chief said.
That is the main reason behind the PHEIC declaration, he said, adding that considering global health security, it is also a necessary step to achieve a scientific, rational and calm response based on evidence, and to help other countries take scientific, reasonable and appropriate measures to prevent the epidemic.
China: Confident in winning the battle against the epidemic
Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the PHEIC declaration is a standard practice of the WHO.
"China's current prevention and control measures are the strictest and very effective. We are confident that we can effectively contain the epidemic and finally overcome it," Wu said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying echoed Wu's remarks on Friday, stressing that many of the prevention and containment measures China has taken far exceed relevant requirements for dealing with emergencies.
China has kept close communication with the WHO and relevant countries by providing timely information and sharing the gene sequence of the novel coronavirus, said Hua.
Hua said China's efforts have been well recognized by the WHO and other countries, reiterating that the country has the confidence and capability to win the battle against the outbreak.
The Chinese government is taking resolute and forceful measures to conduct scientific and effective prevention and control of the epidemic, said the spokesperson, adding that China is ready to work with the WHO and relevant countries in safeguarding the public health in the region and worldwide.
Ghebreyesus visited China on Monday. He praised the Chinese government's timely and effective measures in fighting the novel coronavirus when meeting with President Xi Jinping and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, respectively.
Expert: China should treat WHO's PHEIC decision positively
"China is a big country, so we should have international responsibility and treat WHO's decision to declare the outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern'(PHEIC) positively," said Hu Shanlian, a professor of health economics at the School of Public Health, Fudan University, who has also served as a temporary consultant for WHO and the World Bank on health system research many times.
The purpose of the decision, Hu said, is to protect countries with weaker health systems, increase awareness of the disease and encourage international collaboration on vaccine and drug development. The WHO does not advise drastic restrictions on travel and trade with China.
Hu said, according to the data, the death rate of the novel coronavirus is around two to three percent, and the ratio of confirmed cases versus suspected cases is around one to 1.5 percent, which suggests the new virus transmits more easily but is less deadly than SARS or MERS.
He also suggests that other countries adopt early detection, diagnosis, isolation and treatment, and advises the public to wear masks and avoid mass gatherings.
(With input from Xinhua. CGTN's Xu Mengqi contributed to the report.)
Huanggang's director of health commission removed amid coronavirus outbreak
The Director of the health commission of Huanggang in central China's Hubei Province Tang Zhihong has been removed from her post for dereliction of duty amid a fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak.
The Huanggang municipal committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) made the announcement on Thursday.
The city of 7.5 million people is on lockdown to contain the spread of the contagion. There are 496 confirmed cases in the city and 12 reported deaths, making Huanggang the second worst hit area after Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Over 6,000 medical workers dispatched to aid Hubei's coronavirus control efforts
Over 50 medical teams with over 6,000 workers have been dispatched to support Hubei's coronavirus control program, the province's party secretary Jiang Chaoliang told media a news conference on Thursday.
Sample detection capability for the coronavirus has now increased from 200 per day to over 4,000, which greatly contributes to current work in screening suspected cases, said Jiang.
The government is planning to bring locals who are staying in other provinces back home, according to the official.
Medical workers treat a patient in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, January 24, 2020. /Xinhua Photo
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has visited the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Premier Li was there to inspect scientific research on the novel coronavirus. He also chaired a seminar with experts on how to contain the outbreak and urged them to continue to work on finding the sources of the virus and make suggestions on how to better deal with the outbreak. Premier Li said saving people's lives is the priority.
India confirms its first novel coronavirus case
One person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday in the southern Indian state of Kerala, the Indian health ministry said.
The patient is being kept in an isolation ward at a hospital.
"One positive case of novel coronavirus patient, of a student studying in Wuhan University, has been reported in Kerala," reads a statement issued by India's federal health ministry.
"The patient has tested positive for novel coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital."
The ministry officials said the patient was stable and being closely monitored.
The Philippines confirms first coronavirus case
The Philippines on Thursday reported the first coronavirus case in the country.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque told a news conference that the patient is a 38-year-old Chinese woman, who arrived in the Philippines from central China's Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on January 21.
Organization Department of CPC Central Committee allocates 108 million yuan for anti-coronavirus efforts
The Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has allocated 108 million yuan (15.57 million U.S. dollars) to support the ongoing coronavirus prevention and control work.
Health expert infected with coronavirus discharged from hospital
Wang Guangfa, head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Beijing's Peking University First Hospital, was discharged from Beijing Ditan Hospital on Thursday afternoon.
Wang was infected with the novel coronavirus during research work on the ongoing pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic.
Renovation of Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital underway in case of necessity: official
The renovation work of Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was built in 2003 to treat SARS patients, has begun to provide a better medical environment to the public, the director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, Lei Haichao, said on Thursday.
The hospital will come into use if necessary, depending on how the ongoing coronavirus outbreak develops, noted the official.
In April 2003, Beijing built the hospital in seven days to control the SARS epidemic. The facility had 1,000 beds and treated about one-seventh of China's SARS patients within two months of its completion.
Earlier CGTN visited the hospital to check the ongoing work.
CFA postpones games of the 2020 season amid coronavirus outbreak
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced that football matches at all levels in China for the 2020 season are suspended, effective January 30.
The 2020 season was initially scheduled to kick off on February 22, according to the CFA.
China, Australian FMs discuss coronavirus epidemic situation via phone
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone talks with the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne on Wednesday at the latter's request, discussing the situation about the epidemic of the novel coronavirus in China.
Noting that the Australian government firmly supports the Chinese government and people in their fight against the new coronavirus epidemic, Payne expressed appreciation to China for sharing information in time and actively communicating with the international community openly and transparently when dealing with the epidemic.
For his part, Wang said the Chinese government and people are making every effort to fight the epidemic, noting that a nationwide mechanism has been established and decisive measures are being taken to push forward the epidemic prevention and control in a scientific, orderly, and precise manner.
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Tibet confirms its first novel coronavirus case
Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region reported its first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, according to China's National Health Commission.
The number of deaths and confirmed cases of novel coronavirus has risen to170 and 7,711, respectively, in the Chinese mainland on January 29.
Over 7,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China, 170 dead
A total of 7,711 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 on Wednesday, with 170 dead and 128 recovered patients.
China's Hubei Province, the most affected area, has confirmed 4,586 cases and 162 deaths.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Hong Kong SAR: 10
Macao SAR: 7
Taiwan: 8
At least 75 cases were confirmed in other countries, including in eight Asian countries. France, Germany, and Finland reported a total of 10 cases. The U.S. and Canada reported seven cases. On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates announced four cases of the novel coronavirus.
China to strengthen targeted measures in epidemic containment: Premier Li
China will make targeted efforts to strengthen the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.
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China, U.S. to maintain close cooperation over battle against epidemic
Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by phone on Wednesday. The two sides agreed to maintain cooperation and coordination over the battle against the novel coronavirus.
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Xi Jinping orders military to contribute to winning battle against coronavirus
Noting that the current fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic remains grave and complex, President Xi Jinping has ordered the Chinese military to keep its mission firmly in mind and shoulder the responsibility to make a contribution to winning the battle.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction to the military on the prevention and control of the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.
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Medical supplies in Hubei in severe shortage, says governor
There's currently a severe shortage of medical supplies, not just in Wuhan but in surrounding cities as well, the governor of Hubei Province, Wang Xiaodong said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Employees of all companies in Hubei Province should go back to work no earlier than February 14, and schools should also postpone their opening date for the new semester, he said.
Wang stressed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in Huanggang City and vowed to prevent it from becoming the second Wuhan.
Over 1,000 confirmed and suspected novel coronavirus cases have been identified in Huangguang City.
New coronavirus cases reported in UAE, Singapore
The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Health and Prevention said four members of a family from China's Wuhan were diagnosed with coronavirus in the first cases announced in the Gulf state, a state news agency reported on Wednesday.
The four patients are in stable condition.
Three new cases have also been reported in Singapore, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 10.
Hong Kong reports two more coronavirus cases
Two more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. So far, 10 cases have been reported in the city.
Sixth coronavirus case confirmed in Australia
Another coronavirus case was confirmed in Australia on Wednesday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to six.
The patient is a local man in his 60s who had been to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
All eyes in Wuhan: fast construction of hospitals on livestream
As the novel coronavirus outbreak continues, construction of the specialized hospitals started in Wuhan and other Chinese cities.
Located in Caidian District and Jiangxia District in the suburban areas of Wuhan, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals will play a crucial role in the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus, attracting the world's attention.
How can China build a hospital in six days? What enables Chinese workers to make the building possible without any compromise to the required quality? That's what's making everyone curious.
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All eyes in Wuhan: fast construction of hospitals on livestream
CGTN exclusive: Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital under reconstruction
Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was built in 2003 to treat SARS patients, is being rebuilt 17 years after the epidemic. Hundreds of construction workers are working around the clock on the first day of the renovation.
In April 2003, Beijing built the Xiaotangshan Hospital in seven days to get the SARS epidemic under control. The hospital had 1,000 beds and treated about one-seventh of China's SARS patients within two months of its completion.
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What are Wuhan's communities doing to fight against the coronavirus?
Luo Jingqing, a CGTN stringer in Wuhan, visited two communities and one health service center in Jiangxia District to find out what the communities have done to protect their residents against the novel coronavirus.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this video and article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of China Global Television Network.
Daily passenger trips down amid epidemic control in China
The number of passenger trips made by railway, highway, waterway and civil aviation in China totaled 16.267 million on January 27, the third day of the lunar new year, down 68.3 percent from the same day last year following the Chinese lunar calendar, according to China's Ministry of Transport (MOT).
That number includes 3.463 million railway trips, 11.46 million road trips, 283,700 boat trips and 1.06 million air trips, seeing an overall decline.
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Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital is under construction in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province. It's being built to treat pneumonia patients infected by the novel coronavirus.
UAE announces first case of new coronavirus
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Wednesday its first case of the novel coronavirus.
It's also thought to be the first confirmed case in the Middle East.
"The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announced a case of the new coronavirus affecting people from one family coming from the city of Wuhan in China," the state news agency WAM reported.
The Ministry did not say how many were infected, instead it added the health of those infected is stable and under medical observation.
Aussie scientists claim first re-creation of coronavirus outside China
A team of scientists in Australia said on Wednesday they have successfully developed a lab-grown version of coronavirus, the first to be recreated outside of China, in a breakthrough that could help combat the global spread of the illness.
The Australia-grown virus sample would be used to generate an antibody test, which would allow detection of the virus in patients who had not shown symptoms, as well as contributing to the creation of a vaccine.
The virus was grown from a patient who had arrived at the institute on January 24, it added.
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Aussie scientists claim first re-creation of coronavirus outside China
Wuhan to start online-classes for primary and secondary students
Online courses for primary and secondary students in Wuhan will start on February 10 due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, according to the Wuhan Education Bureau.
Earlier, the local education bureau announced the postponement of the school start to that date, but to avoid any further delay in the students' studies, online courses will be launched on that day.
The decision includes secondary technical vocational schools and other training institutions citywide.
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Wuhan to start online-classes for primary and secondary students
Wuhan's second coronavirus hospital expanded to accommodate 1,600 beds
The general plans of the first and second phases of Wuhan's second novel coronavirus hospital, Leishenshan Hospital, have been completed, with the total construction area expanded to about 60,000 square meters for the accommodation of more than 1,600 hospital beds.
The medical isolation area is now about 51,000 square meters, the accommodation area will be about 9,000 square meters and over 2,000 medical staff members can be accomodated.
2,287 additional medical personnel sent to Hubei Province
The second batch of 21 medical teams from Xinjiang, Gansu, Guangdong and Shanghai, with a total of 2,287 medical personnel, rushed to Hubei on Monday.
As of now, 26 provinces, cities and autonomous regions including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as three military hospitals, have organized a total of 52 medical teams with 6,097 personnel to support Hubei.
Meanwhile, according to the development of the outbreak situation and the demand for medical treatment in different parts of the province, 10 medical teams and 1,535 medical personnel with national emergency support were allocated to other cities in Hubei Province to alleviate the serious shortage of local medical personnel.
The novel coronavirus and the flu - the differences and similarities you need to know
The novel coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has now spread to 12 countries, has much in common with seasonal flu. They are both viral infections, share similar symptoms and - crucially - can spread from human to human. In the midst of flu season in much of the northern hemisphere, telling the difference between the two will be vital in stopping its spread.
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The novel coronavirus and the flu - the differences and similarities you need to know
National Health Commission: 5,974 confirmed cases in the Chinese mainland, 132 dead
China's National Health Commission said a total of 5,974 cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 on Tuesday, with 132 dead and 103 cured.
Among the confirmed cases, 1,239 patients were in critical condition.
There are 9,239 suspected cases in the Chinese mainland. China's Tibet Autonomous Region, which had been the only place unaffected in the virus outbreak, reported one suspected case on Tuesday.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan and Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) are as follows:
Taiwan: 8
Hong Kong SAR: 8
Macao SAR: 7
What's the situation now compared to SARS?
The number of the confirmed cases caused by novel coronavirus now in the Chinese mainland has surpassed that of SARS in 2003: 5,974 versus 5,327.
The official Chinese mainland death toll of SARS was 349, while that of coronavirus now stands at 132.
United Airlines suspends some U.S. flights to China as demand drops over virus fears
United Airlines Holdings Inc. said on Tuesday it was suspending some flights between the United States and Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 due to a "significant decline in demand" as the new coronavirus spreads.
United's suspension affects a total of 24 flights.
The other two U.S. airlines that fly to China, Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc., said they had not reduced their flights, but were monitoring the situation closely.
CNBC reported the White House had told airline executives it was considering suspending flights from China to the U.S. amid the virus outbreak.
But the White House later denied the report. An unnamed senior U.S. official told Reuters the White House did not call U.S.-based air carriers to ask for a suspension of flights between the U.S. and China.
Measures are under discussion in the Trump administration over the spread of the virus, and a temporary ban on flights is not off the table, according to Reuters.
The U.S. currently has five confirmed novel coronavirus cases.
(With input from Reuters)
25 new deaths reported in Hubei Province
Twenty-five new deaths and 840 new coronavirus cases were reported in central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday.
That brings the death toll in the province to 125, including 104 in the provincial capital city of Wuhan, the center of the epidemic.
As of Tuesday midnight, there are 3,554 confirmed cases in Hubei Province, 80 people have been discharged from the hospitals, and 3,349 are receiving treatment.
Noticeably, Hubei Province witnessed a drop in number of new coronavirus cases diagnosed per day for the first time since January 22.
Expert: It takes at least one month to develop a vaccine and more time for test, approval
It will take at least a month to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus and half of a month to test it, said Li Lanjuan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in an interview.
And it needs at least another month and a half for final approval, she added.
Earlier, a laboratory in Hangzhou had successfully isolated strains, which provided the basis for research and development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he welcomes the World Health Organization's (WHO) participation in the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus, saying that China is willing to work with the international community on promoting regional and global public health.
Xi made the remarks during a meeting with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.
The Chinese government has been communicating information related to the virus in a timely, open and transparent way, actively responding to people's concerns and strengthening international cooperation, he said.
He told the WHO chief that with the Communist Party of China leadership and the strength of its people, China is determined and capable of winning the battle against the coronavirus.
During their meeting, Xi emphasized that people's lives and health remains the top priority, and disease prevention and control is the most important task at present.
He also expressed trust in the WHO and international community to give a calm, objective and rational assessment of the virus.
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WHO chief confident in China's epidemic prevention and control ability
Ghebreyesus praised the Chinese government's timely and effective measures in fighting the novel coronavirus.
He said he appreciates China's efforts during the process, including being transparent in releasing information, having identified pathogens in a short time and sequenced the viral genome and making it public.
The measures taken by China are not only protecting the Chinese people, but also the people of the world, he said.
China's speed, scale and efficiency of response is rarely seen in the world, Ghebreyesus said. This is the advantage of the Chinese system, and the experience is worth learning for other countries, he added.
He said the WHO firmly supports China's measures in fighting the epidemic, and is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China and provide all necessary assistance.
Ghebreyesus said he believes China will effectively control and eventually kill the epidemic.
Before meeting with Xi, he also met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.
(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, January 28, 2019. /Xinhua Photo)
The endorsement for traveling to and from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region has been suspended, the National Immigration Administration announced on Tuesday amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The measure will affect Chinese mainland residents who are going to visit Hong Kong and Macao on individual and group tours. The suspension is for an indefinite period of time.
For those who already have received an endorsement, but have not yet hit the road, authorities said they will reinstate the endorsement after the suspension is over.
Since Hong Kong and Macao have implemented immigration management measures against mainland travelers, an unnamed official with National Immigration Administration urged mainland residents who have valid endorsements to reschedule or cancel their trips.
As of Tuesday, eight confirmed cases have been reported in Hong Kong and seven cases in Macao.
(Cover image: A file photo of Hong Kong SAR. /VCG Photo)
Novel coronavirus fatality rate expected to drop: renowned Chinese expert
The fatality rate for the novel coronavirus outbreak is expected to decrease, said Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory expert, in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.
"So far, no medication has been developed to specifically target the virus, but scientists and medical workers have explored many ways. As great improvement has also been made in the life support system, the fatality rate is expected to drop further," he said.
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China's finance ministry allocates 4.4 billion yuan towards coronavirus outbreak
China's finance ministry said on Tuesday it allocated 4.4 billion yuan (about 634 million U.S. dollars) for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus.
500 million yuan (about 72 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated to Hubei Province.
Last week, China allocated a total of one billion yuan (about 144 million U.S. dollars) to support the province's battle against the deadly novel coronavirus.
Wuhan's Vice Mayor explains the sharp increase of confirmed coronavirus cases
Vice Mayor of Wuhan, Chen Xiexin, has explained the reason behind the recent sharp increase in number of confirmed coronavirus cases in an interview.
He admitted that limited attention in the earlier stage is one of the reasons and further explained that it takes time to test the virus.
Only Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention could diagnose the coronavirus earlier. Now, there are 61 hospitals and clinics across the city to test and diagnose patients, he added.
It's faster and convenient to test the virus now, said Chen. According to Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, there are currently diagnostic kits for 40,000 patients in Wuhan, and kits for 60,000 more patients are on the way to Wuhan's hospitals.
Provincial 'Two Sessions' in SW China's Sichuan delayed
The southwest China's Sichuan Province has postponed the local "Two Sessions" – the annual meetings of provincial lawmakers and political advisors – authorities announced on Tuesday.
Normally, the local "Two Sessions" are held over a month before the full annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, collectively known as the national "Two Sessions", in early March.
Travel from Chinese mainland to Macao suspended
The endorsements for individuals travelling from the Chinese mainland to Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) have been suspended, Macao's Secretary for Administration and Justice Cheong Weng Chon announced on Tuesday at a press briefing.
Previously issued endorsements still valid will continue to be accepted, added the official.
Singapore, Japan report new cases of novel coronavirus
Two new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in Singapore by the country's Ministry of Health on Tuesday, bringing the total reported cases in the country to seven.
Japan also reported two new cases on the same day. There have been six confirmed cases in the country.
According to Japanese authorities, a man with no recent travel history to China was infected by the novel coronavirus – possibly after driving tourists from Wuhan.
Carrie Lam announces cuts in number of flights, trains to mainland
Starting January 30, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will reduce the number of flights, trains and passenger ferry service to the mainland, said Carrie Lam, the SAR's chief executive on Tuesday.
Forty-nine mainland cities will suspend new endorsements for travel to Hong Kong, said Lam.
As of Tuesday noon, eight new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Hong Kong, and over 100 cases are in quarantine.
Primary, secondary schools in Wuhan to offer online courses from Feb. 10
Primary, secondary and secondary vocational schools in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, will provide students with online courses starting from February 10, according to a statement issued by the city's education bureau on Tuesday.
Before starting the new semester, municipal schools at all levels are prohibited from organizing offline courses and training activities, read the statement.
A day earlier, China announced that the Lunar New Year holiday will be extended to February 2 as a measure to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak.
WHO director-general confident in China's ability to handle epidemic
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is confident in China's handling of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The director-general said on Tuesday WHO is fully confident in China's ability to prevent and control the disease.
WHO late Sunday has reevaluated the novel coronavirus outbreak as "very high in China, high at the regional level and high at the global level."
But it does not necessarily mean an international health emergency should be declared.
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WHO director-general confident in China's ability to handle epidemic
China fast-tracks novel coronavirus vaccine development
The project for the development of an mRNA vaccine targeting the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been urgently approved, said Shanghai East Hospital of Tongji University.
The vaccine will be co-developed by the hospital and Stermirna Therapeutics Co., Ltd.
Li Hangwen, CEO of Stermirna Therapeutics, said no more than 40 days will be needed to manufacture the vaccine samples based on the new generation of mRNA technology and some preliminary procedures.
The samples will be sent for tests and brought to clinics as soon as possible.
The production cycle of traditional vaccines can be as long as five to six months, whereas the mRNA vaccine has the advantage of a shorter development and production cycle.
(Xinhua News Agency)
Wuhan mayor willing to resign over disputed lockdown decision
"As long as it helps contain the spread of the virus, I'm willing to resign as a form of apology," Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang said in an exclusive interview with CCTV when asked about the lockdown decision the local government in reaction to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Chinese authorities call on citizens to postpone overseas trips
In consideration of the current novel coronavirus outbreak, Chinese citizens are recommended to avoid recent overseas trips to guarantee the health and safety of both Chinese and foreigners, China's National Immigration Administration said on Tuesday.
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Chinese authorities call on citizens to postpone overseas trips
World offers China help against novel coronavirus
Help has been pouring in from around the world as the novel coronavirus spreads from Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, where the outbreak began.
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Three infected medical workers discharged from hospital
Three medical workers infected with the new coronavirus were cured and discharged from Wuhan Union Hospital on Tuesday around noon.
They are among the 15 medical workers infected in Wuhan City while tending to patients.
On Sunday, at least 11 members of infected medical staff in the city had tested negative for the virus.
Across China, 60 people have been discharged from hospitals as of Monday midnight.
Standards on discharging and isolation relief (According to China's National Health Commission)
1. Body temperature remains normal for at least three days
2. Obvious improvement of respiratory symptom
3. Virus test negative for two successive times (Sampling interval of at least one day)
National Health Commission: 4,515 confirmed cases in Chinese mainland, 106 dead, 60 cured
China's National Health Commission said a total of 4,515 cases were confirmed in the Chinese mainland as of Monday at midnight, with 106 dead and 60 cured.
Among confirmed cases, 976 patients were in critical condition.
There are 6,973 suspected cases in the Chinese mainland.
The number of confirmed cases in China's Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) has also increased. The numbers are as follow:
Taiwan: 5
Hong Kong SAR: 8
Macao SAR: 7
On the novel virus
According to the latest updates from the National Health Commission, the virus is mainly transmitted by respiratory droplets (droplet spread). People can also get infected by touching infectious droplets and then touching their own mouth, nose or eye(s).
Research has revealed an 85 percent genetic similarity between the novel coronavirus, now known as 2019-nCoV, and SARS.
Its incubation period could be up to 14 days, but is usually around three to seven days.
Tracking deaths from the novel coronavirus
As of Monday midnight, a total of 106 people have died from the novel coronavirus. Here's a quick breakdown of the death toll.
Hubei Province: 100
Hebei Province: 1
Henan Province: 1
Heilongjiang Province: 1
Hainan Province: 1
Beijing: 1
Shanghai: 1
Opinion: Will the coronavirus cause a major growth slowdown in China?
The panic generated by the new coronavirus, 2019-nCov, which originated in Wuhan, one of China's largest cities and a major domestic transport hub, reminds many of the fear and uncertainty at the peak of the 2003 SARS.
China's stock market, after rising for months, has reversed itself in recent days, and global markets have followed suit, apparently reflecting concerns about the epidemic's impact on the Chinese economy and global growth. Are these worries justified?
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Opinion: Will the coronavirus cause a major growth slowdown in China?
1,291 new cases of novel coronavirus confirmed, 100 dead in Hubei
A total of 1,291 new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed as of midnight Tuesday in central China's Hubei Province, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 2,714 in the area.
Twenty-four more deaths were also confirmed in the province, according to local health authorities, raising the total number of deaths in the region to 100.
Germany confirms first novel coronavirus case, UN voices support to China
Germany on Monday confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus, according to German media, making it the second European country affected by the outbreak after France.
A man from the district of Starnberg in Bavaria was infected, a spokesman for the Bavarian Ministry of Health in Munich confirmed, adding details of the case will be released later.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday the organization will firmly support China in preventing and controlling the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, a fifth case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in Singapore, its health ministry said in a statement Monday.
Beijing, Shanghai report first deaths from coronavirus
Health commissions in Beijing and Shanghai both reported on late Monday first deaths in their city from the novel coronavirus.
A 50-year-old male died of respiratory failure in Beijing on Monday.
He was diagnosed on January 22, and was in Wuhan City from January 8 to 15.
Meanwhile, Shanghai authorities have yet to release details of the deceased patient.
As of Monday night, Beijing had eight more confirmed cases of the disease, bringing the total number to 80.
Two patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment, while 63 patients were in stable condition.
Shanghai had 66 confirmed as of Monday night, aged between seven and 88 years old.
The U.S. State department has issued a level 4 advisory for Wuhan, recommending people “do not travel” to Hubei Province.
A level 3 warning has also been issued for all of China, which means people should “reconsider traveling” to the country.
According to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, President Trump has offered President Xi assistance in combating the coronavirus.
In the U.S., travelers are being screened at 20 airports.
The U.S. government is also evacuating American citizens and diplomats from Wuhan.
Other countries such as France and Japan are considering doing the same.
China is also expanding efforts to contain the virus. People traveling from Wuhan are required to register and self-quarantine themselves.
Travel in some areas has also been restricted.
The coronavirus has killed 81 people and infected more than 2,800 so far. Coronavirus cases have been confirmed across east Asia, one in France and five in the U.S..
Cambodia reports first novel coronavirus case
The first coronavirus case in Cambodia was reported on Monday.
The country's health minister announced at a press conference that the first coronavirus case has been detected in a Chinese tourist from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Medical supplies in virus-hit Wuhan race against time
When Luo Gangqiang, director of the Red Cross Society of Wuhan, put his cell phone number on a donation notice, he was surprised by the responses.
"It has become a hotline," he said. "On the first day, I had over a thousand missed calls. "I got tense and stressed and came to realize the virus situation had been severe."
In just a matter of weeks, the demand for medical supplies has become urgent in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday has made important instructions on the work of combating and controlling the novel coronavirus outbreak, vowing to rely on people to resolutely win the fight.
Xi stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels must fully mobilize, deploy and strengthen their work in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, give top priority to the safety of people's lives and health, and make the prevention and control of the outbreak the most important task at present.
Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in instruction to Party organizations, members and officials, asking them to unite the people in resolutely implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee.
Xi required them to firm up confidence, stay united and take scientific and targeted measures in epidemic prevention and control to allow the Party flag "fly high at the frontline of the battleground."
Party committees at all levels should make scientific and accurate judgments on the epidemic situation, Xi said, demanding unity in leadership, command and action in prevention and control work.
Xi asked Party organization officials, especially chief leaders, to always stay on the job, make commands at the frontline and shoulder their governance responsibilities.
Party organizations and members at the primary level should play the vanguard roles to broadly mobilize, organize and unite the people in joint prevention and control to fortify a strong defense by mass participation.
Party officials will be tested in this arduous battle, Xi said, urging Party committees at all levels to encourage Party members and officials to step out and bravely fight in the battle to see that they can stand the tests through their solid work.
(With input from Xinhua)
Two patients discharged from hospital in Shanghai
Two coronavirus patients were discharged from a Shanghai hospital after fully recovering from the virus on Monday, according to local authorities.
At a press conference on Monday, the Shanghai municipal government announced that workers in enterprises in the region should not return to work until midnight on February 9 and the local schools should not open until February 17.
Four new novel coronavirus cases confirmed in Beijing
Four new novel coronavirus cases were confirmed between 21:00 on January 26 to 9:00 the following day in Beijing, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 72 in the city.
Australia confirms fifth case of novel coronavirus
A new case of novel coronavirus has confirmed by Australian authorities on Monday, which brings the total cases to 5 in the country.
The newly infected patient is a 21-year-old Chinese woman; she traveled from Wuhan to Sydney last week.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday came to Wuhan, Hubei Province to inspect and guide the efforts to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak. He also visited patients and medical staff.
Premier Li urged authorities at all levels to prioritize the safety and health of the people and called for strict implementation of containment measures on Sunday.
China's National Health Commission is holding a press conference on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak on Monday.
Officials discussed a slew of new measures including personnel control, tracking migrants especially those who had traveled to central China's Wuhan, strengthening the management of people who have had close contact with coronavirus-infected patients, improving environmental hygiene and promoting public health education.
Copyright © 2020 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3
Copyright © 2020 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3
Copyright © 2020 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3