UK coronavirus death toll passes 31,000 – latest updates

Friday, May 8, 2020

Turkey imposes weekend curfew in 24 provinces

Turkey has imposed a two-day curfew in 24 provinces beginning Friday at midnight in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed nearly 3,700 lives in the country.

The curfew is going to be effective in the capital Ankara as well as Adana, Balikesir, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Manisa, Mardin, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Tekirdag, Trabzon, Van and Zonguldak.

The first curfew was declared on April 11-12 and it was followed by other ones in the past weeks.

However, people over 65-year-old will be allowed to leave their homes, remaining within walking distance and wearing masks, on May 10 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time (0800-1200GMT).

Children under 14 years old will be allowed out on May 13 during the same hours, while 15-20 year-olds will be able to leave their houses on May 15, also within walking distance and wearing masks.

Turkey introduced stay-home orders for those over the age of 65 on March 21, while those under 20 years old have been restricted since April 3 to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

French death toll rises to 26,230

The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose 243 to 26,230, a higher daily death toll than the previous day when it stood at 178.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that the number of people in intensive care units — a key measure of a health system's ability to deal with the epidemic — fell by 93 or 3 percent to 2,868, well below half the peak of 7,148 seen on April 8.

The number of people in the hospital with coronavirus also fell again to 22,724 from 23,208, continuing an uninterrupted three-week fall and down 30 percent from an April 14 peak of 32,292.

Hundreds of repatriated Pakistanis test positive

Hundreds of Pakistanis who were repatriated from the Middle East — where many lost jobs amid coronavirus shutdowns and were living in cramped conditions — have tested positive for the virus, officials said.

Pakistan has so far brought about 20,000 nationals home, among them a large number of unskilled workers who had been labouring in Gulf nations only to see their jobs disappear as lockdowns slowed economic activity.

Of the 2,069 Pakistanis returning from the Middle East to the southern province of Sindh, more than 500 tested positive for the coronavirus, Murad Ali Shah, Sindh's chief minister, told a press conference.

And in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a senior government official said that more than 200 of the 1,600 passengers repatriated to the city of Peshawar had tested positive.

According to the foreign office, about 4.5 million Pakistanis work in the Middle East.

Turkey's number of active cases below 50,000

Turkey has continued to report declines in the daily death toll and number of patients at intensive care units, while the country's registered recoveries reached 86,296.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the total number of recovered patients exceeded 85,000.

"There is a decrease in the number of cases, death, intensive care and intubated patients in the last 24 hours," he added.

The death toll from the pandemic rose to 3,689 as Turkey saw 48 more deaths, while 3,412 recovered in the past 24 hours, Koca said on Twitter.

The country recorded 1,848 new cases, bringing the tally to 135,569, he noted, citing Health Ministry data.

Daily UK coronavirus toll passes 31,000

More than 31,000 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have now died in Britain, new Health Ministry figures showed.

The number of fatalities in hospitals, care homes and the wider community rose by 626 on the previous day to reach 31,241.

A six-week old baby with an underlying health condition was among the new deaths recorded in England, according to the state-run National Health Service.

The figures include all those who have tested positive for Covid-19 but many more have the virus listed on their death certificates.

Zambia to reopen restaurants and cinemas after revenue drop

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu on Friday relaxed confinement measures against coronavirus and allowed certain businesses to reopen after the shutdown caused a drop in revenue.

The southern African country went into partial lockdown on March 20, shuttering borders and businesses and banning public gatherings to stem the spread of the virus.

"We have experienced reduced revenue and if the status quo remains the same, our economy will plunge into the worst crisis," Lungu announced in a televised address to the nation.

"I have therefore seen it inevitable to reopen cinemas, restaurants and gymnasiums," Lundu said, adding the hotels and lodges could also consider "getting back to normal operations."

EU urges ban on travel into bloc stay until June 15

The European Commission urged EU member states to extend the temporary ban on non-essential travel into the bloc by one month until June 15, a statement said.

Despite an initial easing of measures to combat the new coronavirus pandemic within the European Union, "the situation remains fragile both in Europe and in the world," the statement said.

This is the second time the EU executive has called on member states to extend the travel ban since it was introduced on March 17.

Saudi Arabia cases pass 35,000

The number of cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 35,000 as the kingdom struggles to get to grips with rising numbers of new infections.

Officials reported 1,701 new cases, taking the total to 35,432. The kingdom has recorded a daily average of around 1,500 new cases over the past week.

Despite the rising number of cases, the kingdom's death toll has remained relatively low. It increased by 10 on Friday to 229.

New cases edge down in Italy

Italy became the third country in the world to record 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus, reporting 243 new fatalities compared with a daily tally of 274 the day before.

Italy's total death toll now stands at 30,201, the Civil Protection Agency said. Only the United States and Britain have seen more deaths from the virus.

The daily number of new infections fell slightly to 1,327 from 1,401 on Thursday, taking the total of confirmed cases since the epidemic began to 217,185, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

People registered as currently carrying the illness in Italy fell to 87,961 from 89,624 the day before.

Yemen reports nine new cases in Aden

Yemen reported nine new coronavirus cases in Aden including one death, the interim headquarters of the government said, adding a second person infected in the southern province of Lahaj had died.

This takes the total count in areas under the control of the internationally recognised government to 34 infections with seven deaths.

The Houthi movement, which controls the capital Sanaa and most big urban centres, has so far reported one infection, a Somali national who was found dead in a hotel.

Kuwait imposes 20-day 'total curfew' from May 10

Kuwait will enact a "total curfew" from 4 pm (1300 GMT) on Sunday through to May 30 to help to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the Information Ministry said on Twitter on Friday.

Further details of the curfew will be announced soon, it said.

China greenlights reopening of entertainment venues nationwide

China's top decision-making body has given the green light for cinemas, entertainment venues and sports facilities nationwide to reopen after several months of closures.

The State Council guidelines issued allow indoor cultural and entertainment venues, outdoor leisure facilities, and tourist attractions to be opened with limited visitor numbers, but did not give a specific timeframe.

Cultural venues can also hold "necessary conferences and exhibitions," while hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and supermarkets can be fully opened, the instructions said.

South Africa to parole 19,000 prisoners

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said thousands of low-risk prisoners would be granted parole to help curb the spread of the virus in correctional facilities.

Around 19,000 people would be freed in response to a UN call on all countries to reduce their prison populations so that social distancing and self-isolation conditions can be observed, Ramaphosa said.

Turkey sends medical aid to Tunisia, Libya

The Tunisian presidency said a Turkish plane carrying medical aid for the Libyan people has arrived.

The Turkish plane landed at the Djerba Zarzis International Airport, the presidency said in a statement, adding that the medical aid will be transferred to Libya through Ras Ajdir border crossing by local Tunisian authorities.

Earlier, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement that a shipment of medical aid had been sent to Tunisia upon instructions by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Indonesia eases travel ban despite fears it's too early

Two weeks after Indonesia banned air and sea travel to contain the spread of the virus, the Transport Ministry has confirmed that flights and public transport will conditionally resume.

The ban, which came into effect on April 23, was scheduled to run until the end of May, but on Friday the Transport Ministry confirmed what has been criticised by civil society groups as a "confusing" policy backflip.

Those who work in security, defence and health services, or have emergency health reasons, will be allowed to travel if they have tested negative for the virus and have a letter from their employer, the ministry told Reuters.

Migrant workers going home will also be allowed to travel.

"Operations will be limited and only for passengers who have been declared healthy and whose special interests are supported with documentation," said Adita Irawati, a spokesman for the Transport Ministry.

Garuda Indonesia resumed domestic flights on Thursday, while Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air, all members of the Lion Air group, are scheduled to resume domestic flights on Sunday.

Swedish prosecutor to probe deaths at Stockholm care home amid virus outbreak

Swedish prosecutors said they would start a preliminary investigation into a care home in the Stockholm area where a large number of elderly residents have died during the recent outbreak.

The pandemic has hit the country's elderly care homes hard, not least in the capital Stockholm, where staff at hospitals and nursing homes have publicly warned of a lack of protective equipment such as masks.

Visits to care homes for the elderly have been banned since April 1 under Sweden's lockdown, which has not been as stringent as in many other countries.

The preliminary investigation into the Berga care home in Solna concerns several cases of violation of the Work Environment Act, the Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

Russia's cases rise by more than 10,000 for a sixth straight day

The number of new cases in Russia rose by 10,699 over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 187,859, the coronavirus crisis response centre said.

It was the sixth consecutive day that cases had risen by more than 10,000, but down on Thursday's record daily rise of 11,231.

It also reported 98 new fatalities from Covid-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1,723.

Spain's daily death tolls rise again

Spain's daily death toll rose to 229, up from 213 on the previous day, the health ministry reported.

Overall deaths rose to 26,299 from 26,070 on Thursday and the number of diagnosed cases rose to 222,857 up from 221,447 the day before, the ministry said.

Iran's death toll rises to 6,541

The death toll in Iran rose to 6,541, as 55 new deaths were reported over the last 24 hours, state media reported. 

A further of 1,556 more people tested positive over the past day, bringing the total number of cases to 104,691, Iran's state broadcaster reported, citing a statement from the Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour. 

Nearly 558,900 tests have been conducted so far in the country, he added. 

Since April 11, authorities in phases have allowed the reopening of low-risk businesses closed as part of measures to contain the virus' spread. 

The government also plans to reopen schools in the low-risk areas as of May 16, Rouhani said. 

South Korea tracks new outbreak in Seoul nightclubs

South Korean health authorities are investigating a small but growing outbreak centred in a handful of Seoul nightclubs, seeking to keep infections in check as the country moves to less restrictive social distancing measures.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said at least 15 people have confirmed cases of the virus linked to the clubs in Itaewon, a neighbourhood popular with Koreans and foreigners in the city.

South Korea has reported only a handful of cases in recent days, the majority of them in people arriving from overseas.

The nightclub infections, while still limited, are expected to increase, and come at a time when the country has eased some social distancing restrictions.

UN chief says pandemic is unleashing a ‘tsunami of hate'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic keeps unleashing “a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scaremongering” 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.”

Guterres said migrants and refugees “have been vilified as a source of the virus, and then denied access to medical treatment.”

Guterres called on political leaders to show solidarity with all people, on educational institutions to focus on “digial literacy” at a time when “extremists are seeking to prey on captive and potentially despairing audiences.”

Denmark to ease restrictions further from June 8

Danish museums, amusement parks and cinemas will be allowed to reopen from June 8, the government said, after it struck a deal with parliament on how restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 could be eased further.

In the third phase of its reopening plan, Denmark will also increase the maximum number of people allowed to meet in public to between 30 and 50, up from a 10-person limit, it said.

Danish shopping malls, schools for the oldest students and restaurants will be allowed to reopen in the coming weeks said the government late on Thursday as it enters the second phase of reopening after curbing the spread of the virus.

Denmark was among the first countries to restrict public gatherings and close schools, restaurants and bars in a lockdown that quickly helped curb the spread of the virus, meaning it was also one of the first European countries to open up again.

So far, 10,083 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Denmark, a country of 5.8 million people, and 514 have died of the disease, according to data from health authorities. 

Afghan health minister contracted Covid-19

Afghan Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz has contracted the Covid-19, as the war-ravaged country sees surge in cases of the virus, officials confirmed.

Waheedullah Mayar, the spokesman for the health ministry, told Anadolu Agency that the minister had symptoms of the coronavirus for the past some days, and got his Covid-19 test result positive on Thursday.

He added: "The health minister's health is stable, and he is under isolation at his residence."

Virus tracing app raises privacy concerns in India

In April, India launched the Aarogya Setu app, which helps people identify whether they have been near someone who tested positive for the virus. Since then, the app has been downloaded more than 90 million times in a country with a smartphone user base of about 500 million.

But the monitoring technology has prompted a raft of questions about privacy, security and potential data breaches, and whether it compromises civil liberties and gives the government snooping powers.

“Aarogya Setu is a form of surveillance and inflicts tangible privacy injury,” said Apar Gupta, executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation.

Mobile tracing apps to help contain infections have already been developed in the US, China, Singapore, Australia and many European countries. But in India, the technological intervention has exacerbated concerns like in no other country.

India still doesn’t have a comprehensive data privacy law to protect people’s personal data. What is more alarming, experts say, are sweeping orders that make the use of the app mandatory for many Indians.

Trump administration buries detailed CDC advice on reopening

The Trump administration shelved a document created by the nation's top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak.

The 17-page report by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team, titled “Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework,” was researched and written to help faith leaders, business owners, educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen.

It was supposed to be published last Friday, but agency scientists were told the guidance “would never see the light of day,” according to a CDC official.

Experts worry CDC is sidelined in response

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly found its suggestions for fighting the outbreak taking a backseat to other concerns within the Trump administration.

That leaves public health experts outside government fearing the agency’s decades of experience in beating back disease threats are going to waste.

“You have the greatest fighting force against infectious diseases in world history. Why would you not use them?” said Dr Howard Markel, a public health historian at the University of Michigan.

The complaints have sounded for months.

Former Japanese diplomat Yukio Okamoto dies from virus

Former Japanese diplomat Yukio Okamoto, a one-time advisor to prime ministers and expert on ties with the US, died late last month after contracting the virus, his consultancy confirmed.

After retiring from the foreign ministry in 1991, Okamoto, 74, served as an adviser to then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on thorny issues related to Okinawa, home to the bulk of US troops in Japan.

New Zealand says it backs Taiwan's role in WHO due to success with Covid-19

New Zealand weighed in on the debate around whether Taiwan should be allowed to join the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying the country has a lot to offer given its success in limiting the spread of the virus.

Taiwan's exclusion from the UN body, due to objections from China which claims the island as one of its provinces, has infuriated the Taiwanese government which has reported fewer cases than many neighbours due to early detection and prevention work.

Australia to ease Covid-19 curbs in three stages

Australia will ease social distancing restrictions implemented to slow the spread in a three-step process, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, with the aim of removing all curbs by July.

Australia imposed strict social distancing restrictions in March, which, coupled with the closure of its borders, is credited with drastically slowing the number of new infections of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Morrison said Australia's states and territories will decide when to begin implementing each stage.

Pakistan cases surge past 25,000, pace quickens

Cases in Pakistan surged past 25,000, just hours before the government was due to lift lockdown measures, with the country reporting some of the biggest daily increases in new infections in the world.

Tally showed 1,193 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 25,837. Deaths rose to 594.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced plans to begin lifting Pakistan's poorly enforced lockdown from Saturday, amid fears for the country's economy as it sinks into recession.

Thailand reports eight new cases, no new deaths

Thailand reported eight new cases but no deaths, bringing the total to 3,000 cases and 55 deaths since the outbreak started in January.

Of the new cases, three are from the southern province of Yala where authorities are aggressively testing the population due to high infection rates, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

Five other new cases are migrants who have been detained at an immigration detention centre in southern Songkhla province, Taweesin said. The centre has seen 60 other cases in the past two weeks.

Slowing numbers of new cases have prompted Thailand to cautiously allow some businesses this week to reopen after weeks of semi-lockdown.

Mexico reports 257 new deaths, 1,982 new cases

Mexico's health ministry reported 1,982 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 257 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 29,616 cases and 2,961 deaths.

The government has said the real number of infected people is significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

China reports one new case, 16 asymptomatic cases

China reported one new coronavirus case for May 7, down from the two cases the day before, data from the national health authority showed on Friday.

No new imported cases were recorded on May 7, the National Health Commission said in a statement.

The commission also reported 16 new asymptomatic cases for May 7, versus six the previous day.

China's total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 82,886, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,633, the national health authority said.

Brazil registers 9,888 new cases, 610 deaths

Brazil's Health Ministry registered 9,888 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 610 related deaths in the past 24 hours, according to a ministry website.

That brought the ministry's total to 135,106 confirmed cases in Brazil, with 9,146 deaths from the Covid-19 respiratory disease – the most deadly outbreak in an emerging market nation. 

Up to 190,000 could die in Africa if virus containment fails: WHO

Up to 190,000 people in Africa could die of coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic if containment measures fail, the World Health Organisation warned.

The UN health agency cited a new study by its regional office in Brazzaville which found that between 83,000 and 190,000 could die and 29 to 44 million be infected during the period.

The research is based on prediction modelling and covers 47 countries with a total population of one billion, the WHO said in a statement.

Experts have consistently warned that Africa is particularly vulnerable to an outbreak, due to weak health infrastructure, high rates of poverty, numerous roiling conflicts and a proven susceptibility to previous epidemics.

But the virus has been slow to spread across the continent, which has yet not recorded the soaring number of infections or deaths seen in Europe, the United States and elsewhere.