Global recoveries from coronavirus surpass 900,000 - latest updates

Tuesday, April 28

Global tally of coronavirus recoveries tops 900,000 

The number of global coronavirus recoveries exceeded the 900,000 mark on Tuesday, according to a running tally by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The university's data showed a total of 902,129 people won their battle against the pandemic. The number of cases reached 3,057,957, with 211,894 deaths recorded.

Spain has the highest number of recoveries with nearly 124,000, followed by Germany with 114,500 and the US 111,583.

However, the US continues to be the worst-hit country, with the highest numbers of infections and deaths — nearly 988,500 cases and over 56,200 fatalities.

While Italy has the second highest death toll with 26,977, Spain is the second country recording the highest cases with 232,128.

China, ground zero of the virus, has registered nearly 84,000 cases and one more fatality since it confirmed a nearly 50 percent rise in its death toll — bringing the total number to 4,637. Those figures continue to raise questions in and outside China.

Turkey sees highest daily recovery, deaths near 3,000

Turkey on Tuesday saw the highest number of former coronavirus patients discharged in a single day, the country's health minister said.

A total of 5,018 patients were discharged from medical care after recovering from the virus in the last 24 hours alone, making a total of 38,809 patients discharged, Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter.

"Over 5,000 patients have been recovered in past 24 hours. Total number of recoveries neared 40,000," he said.

Koca also confirmed 92 more fatalities from coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 2,992, citing Health Ministry data.

The total number of registered coronavirus cases rose to 114,653, as 2,392 more people tested positive for the virus.

The number of patients in intensive care and intubated patients continued to drop. The number of new cases is as predicted, according to Koca.

New York new coronavirus hospitalisations at month low, governor says

The number of people admitted to a hospital in New York for the novel coronavirus dropped to its lowest daily level in more than a month, the latest sign the crisis is subsiding in the hardest-hit state, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

Cuomo also told a daily news conference that regions of his state that want to reopen would need to have hospital capacity below 70 percent and a transmission rate below 1.1, the threshold beyond which the virus tends to spread rapidly. 

Spain aims for end-June return to normality, to phase out lockdown

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday a four-phase plan to lift the lockdown enforced on the nation to control one of the world's worst outbreaks of the coronavirus with an aim to return to normality by the end of June.

The lifting of the strict measures will begin on May 4 and vary from region to region depending on factors such as how the rate of infection evolves, the number of intensive care beds available locally and how regions comply with distancing rules, he said. 

US coronavirus cases top one million

US 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 percent of the cases have occurred in New York state, the epicentre of the US outbreak, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania.

UK virus death toll up by 586 to 21,678: health ministry

Britain's health ministry on Tuesday said 586 more people had died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospital, taking the total toll to 21,678.

The increase is significantly higher than Monday's 360 new fatalities recorded -- the lowest daily total since March -- but down on the highest death tolls to date seen earlier this month.

Italy's tops 200,000 coronavirus cases, daily death toll rises

Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 382 on Tuesday, against 333 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the total of people infected since the start of the outbreak topped 200,000.

The daily tally of new infections stood at 2,091, higher than the 1,739 recorded on Monday.

The daily death toll of 382 was the highest since Saturday, and Italy's total number of fatalities since its epidemic came to light on February 21 now stands at 27,359, the agency said -- the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

The total of officially confirmed cases, which includes those who have died and recovered, amounts to 201,505, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

Canada province hit worst by coronavirus preps restart plans, Trudeau cautious

Quebec, the Canadian province hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak, is set on Tuesday to announce plans for restarting its economy, paving the way for companies like Bombardier Inc to gradually reopen key facilities.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government and the 10 provinces would soon release a package of agreed guidelines on returning to normal, stressing there had to be enough capacity to test and trace the coronavirus to control any new spread.

"If we lift the restrictions too soon, we could lose all the progress we've already made," he told a briefing, saying it was still to early to talk about a general reopening of the economy.

Data released on Tuesday showed the total coronavirus national death toll had risen by more than 10 percent for the first time in nine days, climbing 11.1 percent to 2,766. There have been 49,025 confirmed cases in Canada.

The epidemic is spreading more slowly, updated federal modelling showed on Tuesday, with the number of cases doubling every 16 days now compared with every 3 days early in the outbreak.

French shops to reopen May 11 

Shops and markets can reopen when France's coronavirus lockdown eases on May 11, though schools will resume classes only gradually and face masks will be compulsory on public transport, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday.

Philippe told parliament that home confinement had helped brake the epidemic and prevented tens of thousands of deaths, but the economy now had to be reopened, though "with prudence, progressively."

"We will have to learn to live with the virus," he said, since no vaccine or proven treatment is yet available. 

Germany to make masks mandatory in all shops: official

Face masks are to become mandatory in shops across Germany, after Berlin on Tuesday became the last state requiring shoppers to cover their faces to prevent coronavirus transmission.

Berlin will require shoppers to wear masks from Wednesday, said Berlin Interior Minister Andreas Geisel, citing "protection of workers in supermarkets and shops" as a reason.

Masks have been mandatory on trains and buses in all of the country's 16 federal states since Monday as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Dutch cases rise

The Netherlands' number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen by 171 to 38,416 health authorities said on Tuesday, with 48 new deaths.

The country's death toll stands at 4,566, the Netherlands' Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.

The RIVM cautioned it only reports confirmed cases, and actual numbers are higher.

UK holds minute's silence for lost health workers

The UK on Tuesday observed a minute of silence for more than 90 health workers who lost their lives while combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson who returned to office after his recovery from Covid-19 on Monday joined the action in his office in Downing Street.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed on Monday that 82 National Health Service (NHS) workers and 16 social care staff have died so far while in service.

Hancock promised the families of all medics who have lost their lives a $75,000 (£60,000) life assurance payout.

Iran’s coronavirus death toll rises to 5,877

The death toll in Iran rose by 71 in the past 24 hours to 5,877, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on state TV.

The total number of diagnosed cases in Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hit hardest by the pandemic, has reached 92,584, he said.

Worldwide death toll crosses 212,000

More than 212,000 people have died worldwide in the coronavirus pandemic, 85 percent of them in Europe and the United States, according to latest figures.

Europe, the hardest-hit continent, registered 126,793 fatalities from 1,404,171 infections, while the United States was the country with the most deaths, 56,803, ahead of Italy with 26,977, Spain with 23,822, France 23,293 and United Kingdom 21,092.

Japan to decide whether to extend emergency

Japan's economy minister, Yasutoshi Nishimura, said the government would closely monitor coronavirus data to decide whether to extend the state of emergency beyond May 6.

Nishimura also told reporters that jobs availability data were expected to worsen further in April.

UK Covid-19 deaths 35% higher than early stats showed

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 include deaths in the community.

The Office for National Statistics said it had recorded 21,284 fatalities that mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate as of April 17, compared with 13,917 in the daily hospital death stats published by the government. 

Spain's daily death toll falls to 301

Spain recorded 301 fatalities overnight, down from 331 on the previous day, the health ministry said.

The overall death toll from the virus rose to 23,822 while the number of diagnosed cases rose to 210,773 from 209,465 onMonday, the ministry said.

Indonesia reports 415 new cases, eight deaths

Indonesia confirmed 415 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 9,511.

Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto also reported eight new deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 773. He said 1,254 people have recovered. 

Malaysia reports 31 new cases and one death

Malaysian health authorities reported 31 new cases, raising the cumulative total to 5,851.

The health ministry also reported one new death, bringing total fatalities to 100.

Coronavirus reproduction rate in Germany is at 1.0 - RKI

The reproduction rate of the coronavirus is currently at 1.0 in Germany, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said. That means one person with the virus infects one other on average. 

Academics suggested public life may gradually return to normal if certain conditions are met, including an infection rate stabilising at a low level.

Philippines nears 8,000 infections

The Philippines' health ministry reported 19 more deaths and 181 infections.

In a bulletin, the health ministry said total deaths have increased to 530 while confirmed cases have risen to 7,958. But 43 more patients have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 975.

Russia reports record daily rise in cases and deaths

The number of new corona virus cases in Russia climbed on Tuesday to 6,411, a record daily rise, bringing its nationwide tally to 93,558, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre said.

The number of deaths rose by 72, also a daily record, taking the total number of fatalities to 867.

Surf's up on Bondi Beach

Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach reopened to swimmers and surfers despite the local area having Australia’s highest concentration of cases. 

People can only enter during daylight hours, cannot linger on the sand and are counted to ensure social distancing.

Hundreds braved cool autumn weather to return to the water soon after the gates opened. 

A virus testing tent is nearby due to the high rate of infections, particularly among backpackers who often live in crowded conditions. 

Coffee's ready as New Zealand reopens

Surfers greeted a spectacular sunrise in Christchurch, construction workers purchased their favorite espresso coffees and some lawmakers returned to Parliament in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, as some aspects of life began returning to normal.

The country had been in a strict lockdown for over a month to prevent the spread of the virus, but those conditions were eased a little on Tuesday to allow some parts of the economy to restart as new infections wane.

Among those places to reopen were construction sites, as well as cafes and restaurants that sell takeaway coffees and food.

People are still required to maintain social distancing and work from home if they can.

Singapore confirms 528 new cases

Singapore's health ministry confirmed 528 more infections, the smallest daily rise in almost two weeks, taking the city-state's tally of cases to 14,951.

Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories in the city-state, which has among the highest number of coronavirus infections in Asia.

Austria loosens lockdown further, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people

Austria is loosening its general lockdown rules by allowing gatherings of up to 10 people, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said on Tuesday.

The rules, which include guidance that the public only leave their homes for a limited number of reasons including shopping or exercise, are due to expire on April 30. 

Anschober told a news conference there was no need to extend them.

Thailand reports seven new cases

Thailand reported seven more cases and two new deaths, bringing the total number of infections since the outbreak began in January to 2,938 cases and 54 fatalities.

The numbers extended a trend in fewer new cases, which had been over 100 per day earlier in past weeks.

Of the new cases, five were linked to previous cases, one had no known links to old cases and another is under investigation, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

Since the outbreak began, 2,652 patients have recovered and gone home.

Germany has fifth highest number of cases in the world

Germany has 159,902 infections and 6,289 deaths, according to figures from Worldometer tracker. 

The country now has the fifth highest number of cases in the world.

In the last 24 hours, the reported death toll rose by 163 and cases by 5,913, according to Robert Koch Institute.

US cases cross one million mark

Total number of nfections in the US crossed the one million mark with the death toll reaching more than 57,000, according to Worldometer tracker.

The US meanwhile recorded 1,303 deaths during the past 24 hours, data from the  Johns Hopkins University of Medicine said.

Several US states are rolling back confinement measures that have wiped out tens of millions of jobs.

Hong Kong civil servants to start returning to work from next week

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said most civil servants will gradually return to work from May 4, although the government had not yet decided whether to ease travel and social distancing restrictions that are due to expire next week.

The global financial hub reported no new coronavirus infections for a second day, bringing relief to a city whose economy has been battered by the coronavirus that came on the heels of crippling anti-government protests.

The city has confirmed 1,038 cases and four deaths since the outbreak began in January.

Mainland China reports zero deaths for second day

Mainland China reported six new virus cases, up from 3 reported a day earlier, putting its total number of infections at 82,836.

The National Health Commission said in a statement the number of imported cases involving travellers from overseas rose to three. New asymptomatic cases, involving patients infected with the virus but not showing symptoms, rose to 40 on Monday from 25 the previous day.

The total number of deaths in the mainland from Covid-19 remained unchanged at 4,633.

Trump sees 70,000 virus deaths in US

The White House released new guidelines aimed at answering criticism that America's coronavirus testing has been too slow, and President Donald Trump tried to pivot toward a focus on “reopening” the nation.

Trump projected that US deaths from Covid-19 could reach as high as 70,000, but said original projections were much higher.

He said that China could have stopped the novel coronavirus before it swept the globe and said his administration was conducting "serious investigations" into what happened.

The US president also said that he expects to see a "lot" of schools reopen in the country after they were shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Easing of lockdown comes into effect in New Zealand

New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus.

Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down a notch, loosening some of the tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks.

New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with Ardern shutting down much of the country from March 26.

Ardern said those measures had paid off. New Zealand has reported just 1,122 confirmed cases, including 19 deaths, one of the lowest tallies in the world.

Mexico reports 852 new coronavirus cases, 83 deaths

Mexico's health ministry reported 852 new known coronavirus cases and 83 new deaths, bringing the total to 15,529 known cases and 1,434 deaths.

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