Monday, May 4: Coronavirus global update

Monday, 11.10: More than 3,581,870 people have been infected across the world and over 248,555 have died but at the same time 1,159,500 people have recovered.

THE PANDEMIC IN NUMBERS

COUNTRY	INFECTED CASES	DEATHS DUE TO VIRUS
CYPRUS	872	15
USA	1,188,122	68,602
SPAIN	247,122	25,264
ITALY	210,717	28,884
UNITED KINGDOM	186,599	28,446
FRANCE	168,963	24,895
GERMANY	165,664	6,866

All the latest news in brief as it happens

17:28 US states plow ahead with reopening as Trump warns of 100,000 deaths

Ohio and other U.S. states on Monday planned to ease more restrictions on businesses even as President Donald Trump acknowledged that as many as 100,000 Americans could die in a pandemic that has also decimated the U.S. economy.

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine was allowing construction and manufacturing to reopen on Monday, and letting office workers return. Retail shops and many consumer services were due to resume operations on May 12.

17:02 US Supreme Court kicks off first hearing by teleconference

In a break from tradition caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday for the first time heard arguments in a case by teleconference – a trademark dispute involving the popular hotel reservation website Booking.com.

The nine justices kicked off a scheduled hour of arguments in the case – not in a courtroom but by participating remotely using a dial-in format to combat the spread of the pathogen.

16:37 Norway pledges 1 billion dollars for vaccine

Norway will give $1 billion to support the distribution worldwide of any vaccine developed against COVID-19 as well as for vaccines against other diseases, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Monday.

Oslo made the pledge as part of a donor conference held on Monday by the European Union to raise 7.5 billion euros ($8.23 billion) towards the testing, treatment and prevention of the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

15:52 Germany gets millions of antibody tests

German ethics experts will weigh in on using coronavirus antibody tests to help decide over people’s movements before the country enacts any new rules, Health Minister Jens Spahn said, after securing millions of new tests from Swiss drugmaker Roche.

Germany on Monday announced a deal with Roche to get 3 million of the blood tests in May and 5 million monthly thereafter. Roche won approval for its assays over the weekend from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and plans to boost production to well over 100 million monthly by the end of 2020.

15:00 ITV cancels 2020 Love Island

Britain’s ITV said its popular dating show Love Island would be cancelled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and there would not be a new series until 2021, in a big setback for the broadcaster’s advertising revenues.

ITV said in a statement on Monday that the novel coronavirus outbreak meant it would not be possible to make the seventh season of Love Island in a safe way this year.

13.37 Ukraine government agrees to partially ease lockdown on May 11

Ukraine’s government on Monday extended a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic until May 22 but agreed to partially lift some restrictions from May 11, according to televised cabinet proceedings.

The partial lifting of the restrictions includes opening parks and recreation areas, and allowing some shops, such as those specialising in household goods or textiles, to open. Cafes can reopen for takeaway services.

13.17 UK among European states yet to reach COVID-19 peak – EU says

The head of the European Union agency for disease control said on Monday Britain was one of five European countries yet to reach the peak of its coronavirus outbreak, contradicting the British government’s line.

As of May 4, Britain had recorded nearly 190,000 coronavirus cases and almost 28,500 deaths. Only Italy in Europe has so far counted more deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work last week after himself being seriously ill from COVID-19, said on Thursday Britain had past the peak and was “on the downward slope”.

13.05 Iran death toll from coronavirus outbreak rises by 74 to 6,277 – health ministry official

The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose by 74 in the past twenty four hours to 6,277, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Monday.

The total number of diagnosed cases of new coronavirus in Iran, one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak in the Middle East, has reached 98,647, he said.

12.57 Spain’s April new car registrations plunge 97% amid lockdown

There were virtually no new car sales in April in Spain as one of the world’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns ground the country’s economy to a halt, vehicle manufacturing association Anfac said on Monday.

New car registrations fell 97% from a year earlier to their lowest in 20 years as car dealers were closed. The 4,163 vehicles registered were mostly completions of sales done before the lockdown.

12.39 S.African banks’ relief for virus-hit borrowers nears $800 million

Major South African lender Absa said on Monday it had agreed hundreds of millions of dollars in temporary repayment relief for its borrowers, after the industry said 1.2 million people had applied for help.

The impact of the lockdown on South Africa, a country of over 58 million, mostly poor, people, is expected to be devastating: the economy had already fallen into recession at the end of 2019, and official unemployment was at close to 30%.

12.17 Spain’s coronavirus death toll climbs by 164 – health ministry

Spain’s cumulative death toll from the coronavirus epidemic rose to 25,428 on Monday as the Health Ministry recorded the deaths of 164 people overnight, the same number as during the preceding 24 hours.

Confirmed cases of the virus cases rose to 218,011 on Monday, up from 217,466 the day before, the ministry said.

12.01 EU warns against suspension of children vaccination

The European Union warned on Monday that decisions by some European countries to suspend vaccination of children during the coronavirus epidemic could cause serious problems.

“It is very clear we will get pockets of people, children, who have not been vaccinated,” Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), told EU lawmakers.

She said most European countries were still providing some of the essential vaccination to children against diseases like measles and poliomyelitis, but also warned that some countries have suspended all vaccinations during the epidemic. She did not name those countries.

12.00 Bangladesh coronavirus cases above 10,000 – health ministry

The number of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh surpassed 10,000 on Monday, the country’s health ministry said, with infections increasing in pace over the past several days.

Bangladesh reported 688 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking its tally since it reported its first case two months ago to 10,143. The death toll rose to 182.

11.59 Malaysia reports 55 new coronavirus cases with no new deaths

Malaysian health authorities on Monday reported 55 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 6,353 cases as Malaysians began heading out under relaxed curbs on movement and businesses.

There were no new fatalities reported, leaving total deaths at 105.

11.58 Indonesia reports 395 new coronavirus infections, 19 deaths

Indonesia reported on Monday 395 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 11,587, said health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

Yurianto reported 19 new coronavirus-related deaths, taking the total to 864, while 1,954 have recovered.

11.56 Oman locks down industrial zone over coronavirus fears

Omani authorities on Monday sealed off a third district where many low-income migrant workers live and work as part of efforts to combat the novel coronavirus.

Al Wadi Al Kabir industrial area in Muscat governorate will remain closed until further notice in order “to take health and safety measures”, Oman Municipality said.

The Gulf Arab state has since April 10 banned movement into or out of Muscat governorate, which includes the capital, after locking down Muttrah town, home to one of Oman’s oldest souqs, due to the spread of infection among low-wage foreign workers.

Later that month it closed off a textile market in Southeastern governorate’s Jalan Bani Bu Ali town, which is a tourist destination and home to historic watchtowers and a fort.

11.51 Expo 2020 Dubai to be delayed by one year

The awarding body for World Expos is set to approve a one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) said on Monday.

The resolution to delay the event to now start on October 1, 2021 and run until March 21, 2022 has surpassed the required two-thirds of member states voting in favour of the date change, the BIE said in a statement.

The United Arab Emirates in March proposed postponing Expo 2020 Dubai by a year, after participating countries asked for a delay due to the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

It had been due to run from Oct. 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

11.48 S.Africa’s GDP could shrink as much as 12% due to coronavirus – treasury head

South Africa’s economy could contract by as much 12% and unemployment balloon to more than third of the workforce due to the impact of the coronavirus, Director-General of the National Treasury Dondo Mogajane said in a radio interview on Monday.

“Anything between minus 7% up to 12% could be the impact (on GDP). We have to focus on the post-virus environment so we can contain the impact … It’s gonna be huge,” said the head of treasury on talk radio station 702.

“We could even reach 40% unemployment if things go the way they are. The manufacturing industry is impacted. Mining is impacted. The services sector is impacted. Look at tourism for instance, it’s on its knees,” Mogajane said.

11.34 Japan’s Abe extends state of emergency to May 31

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he had decided to extend the country’s national state of emergency to May 31.

Abe will consider lifting the state of emergency without waiting for its May 31 expiration if experts decide that is possible based on detailed analysis of regional infection trends, he said at the start of a meeting of the government’s coronavirus task force.

11.30 Wearing masks, South Korean students to go back to school

South Korea on Monday said it will reopen schools in stages starting from May 13, as the daily number of domestic cases of the new coronavirus has fallen close to zero over recent days.

But health authorities urged vigilance once some 5.5 million elementary, middle and high school students gather in classrooms and they are conducting mock drills and preparing guidelines in the event of any upsurge in infection.

Widespread testing, intensive contact tracing and tracking apps have enabled South Korea to limit the spread of the virus without the extensive lockdowns seen in other countries.

11.09 Russia’s coronavirus cases rise again by over 10,000

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia has risen by 10,581 over the past 24 hours compared with a record of 10,633 on the previous day.

This brought Russia’s nationwide tally to 145,268, the country’s coronavirus crisis response centre said on Monday.

It also reported 76 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1,356.

11.07 Philippines has 16 new coronavirus deaths, 262 more infections

The Philippines’ health ministry on Monday reported 16 new coronavirus deaths and 262 additional confirmed cases.

The health ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 9,485 while 623 people have died. But 101 more patients have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,315.

10.38 European stocks drop, kick off May on dour note

European stocks tumbled on Monday as investors returned from a May Day break to a fresh spat between the United States and China over the coronavirus crisis that triggered losses in cyclical sectors.

The pan-European STOXX 600 fell 2.5% in a downbeat start to May after the index recorded a 6% gain in April.

Oil & gas, automakers, banking and technology indexes were the biggest drags on the index, falling between 3.6% and 5%.

Germany’s Thyssenkrupp slumped 13% after a report that the pandemic could cause a new financial squeeze despite the sale of its elevator business.

10.26 Swimming-FINA postpones 2021 Fukuoka world championships to May 2022

The 2021 aquatics world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, will now be held from May 13-29, 2022, swimming’s governing body FINA said in a statement on Monday.

The decision follows the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After liaising with the relevant stakeholders and receiving feedback from them, we have no doubt that the decision taken will provide the best possible conditions for all participants at the championships,” said FINA president Julio Maglione.

10.20 Singapore’s health ministry confirms 573 new coronavirus cases
Singapore’s health ministry said on Monday it confirmed 573 new coronavirus cases, taking the city-state’s tally of infections to 18,778.

10.08 UK says China has questions to answer over novel coronavirus outbreak

China has questions to answer over the information it shared about the novel coronavirus outbreak but a post mortem over its role should come later, Britain’s defence minister said on Monday.

Asked by LBC radio if China had questions to answer over how quickly it made the world aware of the extent of the crisis, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I think it does.”

9.28 ‘Bloody awful’: British defence minister describes having COVID-19

Having COVID-19 was “bloody awful,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday, saying that the virus had sapped his energy, reduced his will and temporarily taken away his sense of taste and smell for days.

Asked by Sky News how it was to have COVID-19, Wallace said: “Bloody awful if you want the honest truth.”

“It wasn’t severe but it mentally taps your will because it comes and goes, it ebbs and flows,” said Wallace, who was infected with the virus at the end of March. “I sat on my own in my flat in London for 8 days and I lost taste and smell, and it’s a sort of energy sapping thing that reduces your will.”

9.26 European stock futures drop as U.S., China spar over virus origin

European stock index futures tumbled on Monday, as investors returned from a May Day break to a fresh trade spat between the United States and China over the coronavirus crisis.

The Euro STOXX 50 futures fell 3.3% by 0613 GMT, suggesting a downbeat start in May after the STOXX 600 recorded a 6% gain in April.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday there was “a significant amount of evidence” that the new coronavirus emerged from a Chinese laboratory, ratcheting up tensions with the country after last week’s warning from President Donald Trump of retaliatory measures against China over the pandemic.

8.31 Japan to seek extension of state of emergency to May 31 on Monday – economy minister

Japan’s government will seek to extend the country’s nationwide state of emergency to May 31 later on Monday, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said in parliament.

The government-issued state of emergency is due to expire on Wednesday, the last day of a week-long national holiday.

7.57 Thailand reports 18 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths

Thailand’s new coronavirus cases rose to 18 on Monday, after falling to single-digits for the past week, but the country reported no new deaths.

Monday’s report brought the total number of cases to 2,987 since the new virus was detected in Thailand in January, with a total of 54 deaths.

The new cases were migrants who were entering Thailand through an immigration checkpoint in the southern province of Songkhla, which shares a border with Malaysia, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman of the government’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

6.53 Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 679 to 163,175 – RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 679 to 163,175, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday.

The reported death toll rose by 43 to 6,692, the tally showed.

5.43 New Zealand reports no new cases for first time since mid-March

New Zealand on Monday recorded no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time since March 16 and less than a week after the Pacific nation ended a strict lockdown that appears to have contained the outbreak.

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a news conference the result was cause for celebration, noting the death toll remained at 20 with no additional virus-related fatalities.

3.17 Mexico reports 1,383 new coronavirus cases, 93 more deaths

Mexico’s health ministry reported 1,383 new coronavirus cases and 93 more deaths on Sunday, bringing the country’s total to 23,471 cases and 2,154 deaths.

Of Mexico’s 32 federal entities, only two have registered fewer than 100 cases, deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell told a news conference.

1.00 U.S. CDC reports 1,122,486 coronavirus cases, 65,735 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 1,122,486 U.S. cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 29,671 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,452 to 65,735.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Saturday, compared with its count a day earlier.

00.15 Total coronavirus cases in Brazil rise above 100,000

There have been 4,588 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Brazil and 275 deaths over the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Sunday, bringing total confirmed cases in the country to over 100,000.

The nation has now registered 101,147 confirmed cases of the virus and 7,025 deaths. The number of cases increased roughly 5% on Sunday from the previous day, while deaths rose by roughly 4%, the ministry said.

What happened on Sunday, May 03

EUROPE

Parts of the world are starting to emerge from the pandemic and to cautiously resume some sort of normal life, but the new coronavirus will pose significant risks until vaccines are developed, the WHO’s top emergencies expert said.
Spaniards revelled in a second day of freedom, heading outside in time-slots for age groups on the first weekend adults were allowed out since one of the world’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns was imposed in mid-March.
The British government had a contingency plan for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s death as he battled COVID-19 in intensive care last month, he said in an interview with The Sun newspaper.
Russia recorded its highest daily rise in confirmed coronavirus cases with 10,633 new cases, bringing the total to 134,687, with more than half of cases and deaths in Moscow.
Roche Holding <AG ROG.S> received emergency use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an antibody test to help determine if people have ever been infected with the coronavirus, the Swiss drugmaker said.
Austria’s loosened lockdown means tennis players can return to the court as long as they stick to coronavirus-related rules – singles only, no touching each other’s tennis balls, and definitely no shaking hands at the net.

AMERICAS

In the United States, sunny days and warm weather are proving to be as challenging to manage as restaurants, hair salons and other businesses as about half of states partially reopen their economies.
Canada’s daily coronavirus death toll edged up by under 5% in another sign the outbreak has peaked and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised additional funding for mental healthcare services.
Families in a poor satellite city of Mexico’s capital with one of the country’s highest coronavirus tallies have staged protests to demand news of sick relatives and the return of the bodies of the dead after videos surfaced showing cadavers at a hospital.
An inmate uprising at a Brazilian prison stoked by fears of a coronavirus outbreak saw seven prison guards briefly taken hostage in Manaus, a state capital deep in the Amazon rainforest where public services have been overwhelmed by the pandemic.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

South Korea will further relax social distancing rules from May 6, allowing a phased re-opening of businesses, as the nation has largely managed to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, the government said.
Japan could ease some coronavirus curbs by allowing places such as parks and museums to reopen, provided proper preventive measures were in place, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said.
Singapore will progressively ramp up its manufacturing activities, its minister of trade and industry said, with the city-state looking to restart its economy as curbs start to ease over the next few weeks.
India’s air force flew aircraft low over more than a dozen cities, part of a nationwide campaign by the armed forces to thank healthcare workers and other essential services personnel fighting the outbreak.
China has published a short animation titled “Once Upon a Virus” mocking the U.S. response to the new coronavirus, using Lego-like figures to represent the two countries.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Muslims, many praying shoulder-to-shoulder and without face masks, crowded mosques in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou after the government lifted an order closing them.
Jordan said it had lifted all restrictions on economic activity in the latest easing of lockdown rules.
Israel reopened some schools but the bid to edge back to normality was boycotted by several municipalities and many parents who cited poor government preparation.
Malls in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi began reopening to a restricted number of customers as the UAE eases lockdown measures.
Iran plans to reopen mosques and schools in areas that have been consistently free of the coronavirus.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said he would not rule out any element in the next potential coronavirus relief bill, including more money for state and local governments and the small business program.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said the United States’ capacity to withstand crises provides a silver lining as it combats the coronavirus, even as he acknowledged that the global pandemic could significantly damage the economy and his investments.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc sold its entire stakes in the four largest U.S. airlines in April, Chairman Warren Buffett said at the company’s annual meeting.
Saudi Arabia’s stock market fell sharply on Sunday, snapping three sessions of gains as the prospect of more stringent measures to cope with the coronavirus and Moody’s downgrading of the kingdom’s outlook soured investor sentiment.