Coronavirus Global Updates, April 12: US death toll highest globally, Boris Johnson out of hospital
The coronavirus death toll in the US crossed the 20,000-mark, surpassing Italy to become the worst affected country in the world. New York City alone reported 6,367 deaths. The grim milestone was reached as President Donald Trump mulled over when the country, which has registered more than half a million infections, might begin to see a return to normality. Also, news agency AFP reported that the number of deaths in Europe crossed 75,000 Sunday.
Public health experts have warned the US death toll could reach 200,000 over the summer if unprecedented stay-at-home orders, that have closed businesses and kept most Americans indoors, are lifted when they expire at the end of the month. COVID-19 LIVE updates
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from a London hospital Sunday and will continue his recovery from COVID-19 at his country residence of Chequers, his office said on Sunday. “The PM has been discharged from hospital to continue his recovery, at Chequers,” a spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Johnson will not immediately return to work. “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. All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness,” the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, news agency Reuters reported that Russia on Sunday reported 2,186 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 15,770. The number of coronavirus-related deaths rose by 24 to 130, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre was quoted as saying.
The number of infected people around the world crossed 1.7 million, with more than 52,000 people infected in the US, followed by Spain, Italy, and France.
Meanwhile, China on Sunday reported 99 new coronavirus infections, more than double from the Saturday, to reach a one-month high, as the number of single-day imported cases hit a record, official data said. No deaths were reported, leaving China’s total at 3,339.
Venezuela extends nationwide quarantine by 30 days
A woman wearing a mask to avoid spread of the new coronavirus carries a lunch from a soup kitchen to her apartment, in a building in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, April 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has extended a nationwide quarantine for another 30 days to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus throughout the crisis-stricken South American nation. He announced the measure Saturday, the same day the fourth shipment of medical supplies arrived from China to fight the virus. So far officials say 175 people in Venezuela have fallen ill and nine have died from the virus.
Maduro said that in Venezuela the biggest threat of more infections now comes from thousands of Venezuelan migrants returning across the land border from Colombia, a political foe.
In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Aurelie Gouel, an ICU doctor, poses during a break in her shift treating COVID-19 patients at Bichat Hospital in Paris. Gouel was infected by the new coronavirus in March but rushed back to work as soon as she recovered from her high fever, cough and other symptoms because she felt compelled to rejoin the fight to save lives. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
Queen Elizabeth II urges people to maintain social distancing
In a second video message, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II stressed the need for the British people to continue to abide with lockdown restrictions over the rest of the Easter weekend. In a two-minute audio broadcast from Windsor Castle, the queen said that by “keeping apart, we keep others safe” and that the coronavirus “will not overcome us.”
Social distancing rules were observed during what is believed to be the queen’s first Easter message. Last Sunday, in a rare special televised address to the nation, the queen evoked wartime memories to reassure people that “We will meet again.”
A woman wearing a face mask to help protect against the spread of the new coronavirus receives hand sanitizer form a government official to cast her early vote for the upcoming parliamentary election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
China reports nearly 100 new cases in one day, highest in recent weeks
China on Sunday reported 99 new coronavirus cases, the highest in a single day in recent weeks, and 63 fresh asymptomatic infections, taking the total number of patients in the country to 82,052, health officials said, amid concerns about a second wave of the pandemic.
According to China’s National Health Commission (NHC), as of Saturday, a total of 1,280 imported cases were reported in China. Of the cases, 481 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 799 were being treated with 36 in severe condition.
Daegu: Medical staff members arrive for a duty shift at Dongsan Medical Center in Daegu, South Korea, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. AP/PTI(AP08-04-2020_000090A)
It said 99 new confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, of which 97 were from people returning from abroad.
North Korea calls for tougher virus curbs
North Korea called for tougher and more thorough countermeasures to keep citizens safe from the fast-spreading coronavirus at a meeting where leader Kim Jong Un presided, state media said on Sunday.
North Korea continues testing for the virus, with more than 500 people in quarantine, but has no confirmed infections yet, a country representative of the World Health Organization told Reuters this week.
Doctor Anahi Moreno conducts a health check-up on Jose Ramon Resendiz Martinez, a 43-year-old diabetic who has been living on the streets for six months since running out of money for rent, in a mobile clinic run by the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Wellbeing (SIBISO), near the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Korean Central News Agency said the virus had created obstacles to work on the economy, but the North had enforced consistent and compulsory “strict top-class emergency anti-epidemic measures” to maintain a stable situation.
Montreal WTA tournament put off until 2021
The Montreal WTA tournament, one of the key build-up events ahead of the US Open, has been put off till 2021 because of the coronavirus infection outbreak worldwide. “As a result of the measures imposed by the Quebec government prohibiting holding events until August 31, the Rogers Cup in Montreal will postpone their event to 2021,” said a WTA statement on Saturday.
“The WTA reiterates that health and safety will always be the top priority. We understand this was a difficult decision and we look forward to being back in Montreal in 2021,” it added.
