Cyprus Mail 15 April 2020 - Reuters News Service
As of 6.25am more than 1,999,787 people have been infected across the world and over 126,738 have died but at the same time 478,934 people have recovered.
The USA is now the country with the most infected cases (614,211) ahead of Spain (174,060) who overtook Italy (162,488) last week. France and Germany follow with 143,300 and 132,210 cases respectively
Confirmed deaths by country:
USA: 26,064
Italy: 21,067
Spain: 18,255
France: 15,729
UK: 12,107
USA: 26,064
Italy: 21,067
Spain: 18,255
France: 15,729
UK: 12,107
All the latest news in brief as it happens
07.38 Fujifilm says significantly boosts capacity for COVID-19 treatment Avigan
Japan’s Fujifilm Holdings Corp said it has expanded manufacturing capacity to “significantly increase” production of its anti-flu drug Avigan that is being tested as a treatment for COVID-19.
Fujifilm expects to increase the production of Avigan up to 100,000 treatment courses by July 2020, about 2.5 times more compared to the beginning of March when the company first began its current production run, and then to 300,000 by September, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
06.44 Thailand extends ban on passenger flights until end-April
Thailand has extended a ban on incoming passenger flights until the end of April in a bid to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s aviation body said on Wednesday.
The ban was first introduced on April 4, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has already extended it in once until April 18.
Since the outbreak escalated in January, Thailand has reported a total of 2,613 cases and 41 deaths, while 1,405 patients have recovered and gone home.
06.35 Australia warns children could be silent victims of coronavirus crisis
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Wednesday the nation’s children could become the silent victims of the coronavirus pandemic, as officials investigate new nursing home cluster.
Australia’s rate of new COVID-19 infections has been sustained at levels much lower than other countries for weeks, but the country has so far retained strict social distancing rules that have closed businesses and confined people to their homes.
Still, Morrison urged teachers to return to classrooms across the country to join “great heroes” like medical staffand supermarket workers, stressing the risk that children from disadvantaged families in particular lose a year of education.
06.18 Japan urges citizens to limit movements to curb virus spread
Japan’s citizens should do everything in their power to limit interactions with others by 70% to curb the spread of the coronavirus, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.
He said the government will consider the request from coalition partner Komeito to hand out 100,000 yen ($933.45) per person after establishing the extra budget to help cushion the blow from the outbreak to households and businesses.
05.55 S.Korea holds parliamentary election under strict safety measures amid pandemic
South Koreans began going to the polls on Wednesday to elect members of parliament, wearing masks and plastic gloves as part of strict safety measures in one of the first national elections held amid the coronavirus pandemic.
About 14,000 polling stations were open at 6 a.m. (0900 GMT) around the country after disinfection, and voters were required to wear a mask and have a temperature check upon arrival. Anyone whose temperature was higher than 37.5 Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit) was led to a special booth.
All voters must use hand sanitizer and plastic gloves when casting ballots and maintain 1 metre (40 inches) distance between each other.
05.47 Chinese airlines report $4.8 billion loss in Q1 as virus erodes travel demand
Chinese airlines reported a total loss of 33.62 billion yuan ($4.8 billion) in the first quarter as the coronavirus pandemic hit travel demand, the aviation regulator said on Wednesday.
In February，the airlines suffered a record loss of 20.96 billion yuan as large parts of the country remained on lockdown amid efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
The total number of passengers fell 71.7% in March from a year earlier to 15.13 million, Xiong Jie, an official with Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a press conference, adding the gauge was down 53.9% in the first quarter.
04.30 NZ’s Ardern, ministers take 20% pay cut for six months due to coronavirus impact
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, ministers in her government and public service chief executives will take a 20% pay cut for the next six months given the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is where we can take action and that is why we have,” Ardern said in a news conference announcing the decision.
03.54 U.N. 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 resources for the World Health Organization after President Donald Trump halted U.S. funding over the body’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Guterres said in a statement 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.”
03.10 Mexico registers 5,399 cases of coronavirus and 406 deaths
Mexico registered 385 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing its total to 5,399 cases and 406 deaths, the health ministry said.
02.59 Panama registers 102 new cases of coronavirus – health ministry
Panama registered 102 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total to 3,574 cases, the health ministry said.
Officials also confirmed one more death, raising Panama’s death toll from the coronavirus to 95.
02.01 Two-thirds of small UK firms have furloughed staff – BCC
Two-thirds of small British companies have put at least some staff on temporary government-funded leave due to a drop in business caused by the coronavirus, a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce showed on Wednesday.
Britain’s government has promised to pay firms 80% of their salary costs if they put staff on leave rather than fire them – a scheme which the country’s budget watchdog estimated could cost 42 billion pounds ($53 billion) over the coming months.
00.34 NYC death toll rises to 10,000 as city includes untested coronavirus fatalities
New York City’s death toll was revised to over 10,000 on Tuesday to include 3,700 deaths that are presumed to be due to the novel coronavirus but never tested, the city health department said.
“Behind every death is a friend, a family member, a loved one. We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died because of COVID-19 gets counted,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.
What happened on Tuesday
EUROPE
- Britain’s economy could shrink by 13% this year due to the government’s coronavirus shutdown, its deepest recession in three centuries, the country’s budget forecasters said.
- The UK’s true death toll from the coronavirus far exceeds estimates previously published by the government, according to broader official data that include deaths in the community such as in nursing homes.
- The European Commission plans to narrow controls on the export of coronavirus protective equipment to just a single product – masks – as well as exempt the countries of the western Balkans from the restrictions.
- France said its total death toll from COVID-19 infections rose above 15,000, becoming the fourth country to exceed that threshold after Italy, Spain and the U.S.
- Spain and Austria allowed partial returns to work on Tuesday but Britain, France and India extended lockdowns to rein in the new coronavirus.
- Cycling teams are gearing up for the Tour de France to be held in August rather than the usual July, after French President Emmanuel Macron said big public events would be halted until mid-July.
AMERICAS
- U.S. deaths from the coronavirus topped 25,400 on Tuesday, doubling in one week, according to a Reuters tally, as officials debated how to reopen the economy without reigniting the outbreak.
- Canada’s economic shutdown will last for weeks more to ensure that measures to fight the coronavirus are working, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, while the country’s death toll from the outbreak rose more than 12%.
- President Donald Trump’s May 1 target for restarting the economy is “overly optimistic,” his top infectious disease adviser said.
- Apple Inc said it would release data that could help inform public health authorities on whether people are driving less during lockdown orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
- Nurses at a public hospital hit by Mexico’s worst coronavirus outbreak were told by their managers not to wear protective masks at the start of the epidemic to avoid sowing panic among patients, nurses and other medical workers said.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
- China approved early-stage human tests for two experimental vaccines as it battles to contain imported cases, especially from Russia.
- Pakistan announced a two-week extension to the nationwide shutdown, but said some industries would reopen in phases.
- Taiwan on Tuesday reported no new cases for the first time in more than a month, in the latest sign that its early prevention methods have paid off.
- Malaysian authorities have begun using COVID-19 antibody rapid tests kits to supplement laboratory tests as the number of cases in the country grow, a senior health official said.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
- A first “solidarity flight” of medical supplies from the World Health Organization landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for distribution in Africa.
- Turkey passed a law that will allow the release of tens of thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding in jails and protect detainees.
- Iran’s death toll was approaching 4,700 on Tuesday, following eased restrictions on travel within provinces.
- Iraq has suspended the licence of the Reuters news agency after it published a story saying the number of confirmed cases in the country was higher than officially reported.
- Sudan will impose a three-week lockdown on the capital Khartoum after 10 more cases were discovered on Monday.
- Namibian borders will remain closed and a partial lockdown in force for a further two-and-a-half weeks until May 4, President Hage Geingob said.
- Uganda extended its lockdown by an extra three weeks until May 5.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
- Equity markets rallied globally as Chinese trade data defied expectations of a deep downturn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, igniting hopes that world economies can soon recover.
- The global economy is expected to shrink by 3.0% this year which will be the steepest downturn since the Great Depression, the International Monetary Fund said.
- Major international creditors have agreed to suspend debt payments owed by the poorest countries this year, France’s finance minister said on Tuesday.
- Boeing Co reported another 75 cancellations for its 737 MAX jetliner in March, as the coronavirus crisis worsened disruptions from the grounding of its best-selling jet.
- Around 80% of Portuguese companies still operating or temporarily shut due to the coronavirus outbreak reported a sharp drop in their revenues, at times exceeding 75%, a survey showed.
