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Coronavirus live news: Spain death toll rises by almost 400 as cases rise across the globe
Coronavirus live news: Spain death toll rises by almost 400 as cases rise across the globe
(32 minutes later)
Spanish media report more than 3,600 new cases; Australia shuts pubs and cinemas but schools stay open; Italy warns of worst crisis since WWII; India launches curfew
Spanish media report more than 3,600 new cases; Australia shuts pubs and cinemas but schools stay open; Italy warns of worst crisis since WWII; India launches curfew
Fox News reports that the New York City Police Department is dealing with a sudden spike in coronavirus cases. According to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, over 50 police officers have tested positive for the virus, but only one has been hospitalised. The 1st Precinct in Manhattan is the hardest hit, with 31 officers (17 percent of the workforce) calling in sick, forcing the NYPD to call the Movie and Television Unit to fill in.
The police union says that the NYPD has failed to provide adequate protective equipment for officers or cleaning supplies.
In the space of less than 24 hours on Sunday, India amped up its drastic measures to try and stop the spread of coronavirus, as the number of cases rose to 341 and the death toll reached seven.
From 7am to 9pm, a nationwide “people’s curfew” was imposed to clear the streets. It was then announced that all train operations in India would be suspended until at least 31 March, a move which will impact the 23 million passengers who rely on India’s railways every day.
The capital city of Delhi, which has now reported six cases of coronavirus which were locally transmitted, will also be locked down from 6am on Monday until at least 31 March, with the state borders sealed, all public transport and non-essential businesses closed and taxis and rickshaws ordered off the roads.
Lockdowns were imposed in 75 districts across the country and in Goa the curfew was extended until Wednesday.
The first two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Gaza Strip last night in individuals who had come from Pakistan. An outbreak could wreak havoc on the Palestinian territory, which is home to over 2 million people, many living in cramped cities and refugee camps. There are similar concerns about a catastrophe if the virus turns up in war-torn Syria, Libya or Yemen.
Abdelnasser Soboh, director of the World Health Organization’s Gaza office, said the territory only has 62 ventilators, with all but 15 already in use. He estimates the territory needs 50 to 100 more to address an outbreak.
With its current capacity, he estimated Gaza’s hospitals can handle the first 100 cases if they come in gradually. If there is a spread to hundreds, this will cause a challenge to the health care system,” he said.
Hundreds of Gazans have returned home in the past two weeks, but only 92 people have been examined, highlighting the territory’s limited testing capacity. More than 1,270 people have been quarantined at hospitals, hotels and schools after crossing into Gaza from Israel and Egypt, according to the Health Ministry.
The coronavirus economic relief bill being finalised in the US Congress will include a one-time $3,000 payment for families and allow the Federal Reserve to leverage up to $4 trillion of liquidity to support the nation’s economy, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said today.
The coronavirus economic relief bill being finalised in the US Congress will include a one-time $3,000 payment for families and allow the Federal Reserve to leverage up to $4 trillion of liquidity to support the nation’s economy, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said today.
Mnuchin, speaking in an interview on the “Fox News Sunday” television program, said the additional liquidity measures for the U.S. central bank aims to help a broad base of U.S. businesses to get through next 90 to 120 days.
Mnuchin, speaking in an interview on the “Fox News Sunday” television program, said the additional liquidity measures for the U.S. central bank aims to help a broad base of U.S. businesses to get through next 90 to 120 days.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Netherlands rose by 573, or nearly 16%, to 4,204, Dutch health authorities said in a daily update on Sunday.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Netherlands rose by 573, or nearly 16%, to 4,204, Dutch health authorities said in a daily update on Sunday.
The death toll in the Netherlands rose by 43 to 179, with victims aged between 57 and 97.
The death toll in the Netherlands rose by 43 to 179, with victims aged between 57 and 97.
The Chinese billionaire founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba has sent coronavirus supplies to Africa. Jack Ma sent a cargo flight from Guangzhou in China containing more than 6m medical items, which arrived today in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The supplies will be distributed to African countries in need of resources to battle the virus.
The Chinese billionaire founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba has sent coronavirus supplies to Africa. Jack Ma sent a cargo flight from Guangzhou in China containing more than 6m medical items, which arrived today in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The supplies will be distributed to African countries in need of resources to battle the virus.
According to Ethiopian officials and the Jack Ma Foundation, the plane carried 5.4m face masks, 1.08m testing kits, 40,000 sets of protective clothing and 60,000 protective face shields. Ma has sent similar shipments of medical supplies to countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
According to Ethiopian officials and the Jack Ma Foundation, the plane carried 5.4m face masks, 1.08m testing kits, 40,000 sets of protective clothing and 60,000 protective face shields. Ma has sent similar shipments of medical supplies to countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
The virus has been slow to reach Africa but has now spread to at least 42 of the continent’s 54 countries.
The virus has been slow to reach Africa but has now spread to at least 42 of the continent’s 54 countries.
Independent.ie has reported that hospitals in Ireland are braced for a new wave of cases after at least 14 patients in an Irish care home in Leinster tested positive for the virus. Covid-19 is believed to have been transmitted to residents via a health worker.
Independent.ie has reported that hospitals in Ireland are braced for a new wave of cases after at least 14 patients in an Irish care home in Leinster tested positive for the virus. Covid-19 is believed to have been transmitted to residents via a health worker.
The Welsh government has just tweeted reminding everyone to avoid all but essential travel and suggesting stronger measures will be brought in if people ignore the advice.
The Welsh government has just tweeted reminding everyone to avoid all but essential travel and suggesting stronger measures will be brought in if people ignore the advice.
We’ve now got a live blog up and running focusing on UK coronavirus developments. Head over here to check it out. Meanwhile I’ll be continuing to bring you the major headlines and updates from around the world.
We’ve now got a live blog up and running focusing on UK coronavirus developments. Head over here to check it out. Meanwhile I’ll be continuing to bring you the major headlines and updates from around the world.
Boris Johnson has tweeted asking everyone to stay at home and not visit vulnerable mums in person this Mother’s Day.
Boris Johnson has tweeted asking everyone to stay at home and not visit vulnerable mums in person this Mother’s Day.
Paul Reid, Ireland’s top health service official, has said huge orders have been placed for coronavirus testing equipment and protective gear for staff. A total of 11m masks, 1m face shields and 1m goggles for workers are on order. Another 400,000 gowns and suits are also being purchased.
Almost 40,000 sample test kits are being distributed. Another 20,000 will be in Ireland by Wednesday, the health service said. The Irish Republic is at an advanced stage of negotiations with China to secure a further 100,000 and good progress is being made, it said.
The worldwide nature of the coronavirus pandemic means there is a lot of competition to secure supplies. On Saturday night, 177 people were in Irish hospitals with coronavirus, up from 151 on Saturday morning. Ireland usually spends €15m a year on personal protective equipment, the health service said. Its bill since January has already hit €60m.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the US was responsible for sending coronavirus to Iran, therefore making it impossible to accept any American help to fight the virus there. Speaking on the occasion of the New Year and Eid al-Mab’ath, the 80-year-old said “you Americans are accused of engineering coronavirus”, adding: “I do not know how true this claim is, but as long as the accusation stands, which sensible person would trust you to accept your offer of help.
“Possibly your (offered) medicine is a way to spread the virus more,” he said. “Or if you send therapists and doctors, maybe so they want to see the effect of the poison in Iranian society, so they can complete their information. It is said that part of the virus was produced against the Iranian people.”
His tone contradicted that of the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, who had the day before sent a heartfelt plea to the American public to set aside their differences with Iran and work together to fight the virus, including by the US suspending economic sanctions on Iran.
The supreme leader was immediately challenged by Iranian reformist politicians such as Mahmoud Sadeghi to produce evidence to back his claim.
Khamenei’s controversial belief in an American biological conspiracy came as the Iranian health ministry said the new infections in Iran in the past 24 hours had reached 1,865, with a further 129 deaths. The official figures show the number of deaths by day stabilising.
The total number of infected people had reached 21,638. The health ministry spokesman said 7,913 people had recovered.
The official figures have been widely challenged on the basis that the recording of the number of deaths includes only those who died after being tested for the disease. The World Health Organization has said the figure may be only a fifth of the true number who have died. The official death toll shows no obvious pattern since for the last three days it has risen only from 220 to 240, yet the infections are rising.
Iran also continued to send out contradictory messages about whether it could overcome the virus without sanctions being lifted. The letter from the president underlined the need for US sanctions being lifted. Khamenei has insisted the country can survive independently.
The US state department hit back at claims it was preventing medicines reaching Iran, saying: “Dear Iranians, as your government will not tell you the truth, we say: on March 2, Iran, which instead of acting like any normal government around the world, refuses to make your economic system transparent. The reason the regime is hiding its economy is because it is corrupt.”
In Tehran province the deputy mayor, Hamid Reza Goudarzi, after weeks of controversy has announced that all shops but essential food shops and pharmacies must close, and those that refuse to abide by the instructions will be punished.
The International Monetary Fund has still not responded to an Iranian request for a $5bn loan to help fight the virus.
Qom News, an agency covering Qom, one of the centres of the disease, reported on Sunday: “In every house black cloth hangs from the walls of houses and the sound of crying in mourning houses resounds. Stay at home or else you’re the next person.”
The death toll in Spain has climbed to 1,720 – with 394 lives claimed in the past day – as the country’s prime minister warned that the “worst is yet to come” and announced plans to extend the country’s near-total lockdown until the 12 of April.
Across Spain, the number of confirmed cases sits at 28,572, according to the latest data from the health ministry.
In the span of a few weeks, Spain has emerged as one of the hardest-hit countries in the global pandemic. After the first full week of near-total lockdown, the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, reportedly told regional leaders he would aim to get parliamentary approval to extend the emergency measures for another 15 days.
The extension comes after Sánchez warned that the toughest days of the crisis still lie ahead.
“Unfortunately, the worst is to come,” Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday. “We have yet to feel the impact of the hardest, most damaging wave, one that will test the limits of our moral and material capacity, as well as our spirit as a society.”
A cacophony of sound preceded his address to the nation, as some banged pots and pans to show their dissatisfaction with how his government has managed the crisis.
Healthcare workers on the frontlines have described a healthcare system pushed to the brink, with intensive care patients outstripping capacity in some hospitals and workers forced to use garbage bags as hospital gowns amid a shortage of protective gear. “We’re at war,” one doctor at Madrid’s La Paz Hospital told the Guardian.
The government said it had distributed more than million masks and was working on a plan to domestically produce protective gear. As the call for expanded testing grows, Sánchez said the government had acquired more than 640,000 tests and had already begun handing them out.
On Sunday, paramedics in Madrid began transferring patients to a field hospital set up in Madrid’s main exhibition hall, in a bid to relieve pressure on the city’s most overwhelmed hospitals. The makeshift hospital, mounted in the past days by the military, can be expanded to hold as many as 5,500 patients.
Croatia’s capital Zagreb was shaken by a series of earthquakes this morning that brought most of the population out onto the streets, just as social distancing regulations to prevent the spread of coronavirus had gone into place. The ill-timed quakes, the largest of which measured 5.3 on the Richter scale, have left one child in critical condition and damaged buildings across Zagreb, including the spire of the city’s main cathedral. The epicentre was about four miles north of Zagreb.
Photographs showed damage to a hospital in the capital, just as the country’s health system was gearing up for a potential surge in coronavirus cases. Mothers cradled their newborns on the street as a maternity ward was evacuated.
Croatian authorities on Saturday advised residents to stay off the streets, cut most public transport and demanded people pay heed to social distancing recommendations. The country has recorded 206 cases of coronavirus so far and one death.
Croatia’s interior minister Davor Božinović said on Sunday that the army was helping to clear up the rubble in Zagreb. He said authorities were working to manage both crises, but said the coronavirus was a more serious threat to the country than the earthquake. He urged those on the streets due to the earthquake to maintain social distancing norms.
A Tesco in Lewes that opened one hour early for NHS workers at 9am this morning reportedly let others in because of long queues outside and did not open the tills until 10am, meaning that shoppers were packed together in close quarters.
The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in Spain has risen by almost 400, or 30%, in 24 hours, as the government is reported to be extending its state of emergency by another 15 days. As well as 394 new deaths, the country reported the number of confirmed cases has risen by 3,646 (15%) from 24,926 to 28,572.
In Iran, the death toll rose has risen by 129 (8%) to 1,685 over the past day, and the number of cases has risen by 1,028 (5%) to 21,638.
In Germany, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen by 1,948 (12%) to 18,610, and the number of deaths has increased by nine (20%) to 55, the country’s public health institute said.
Indonesia has confirmed 10 new deaths from Covid-19 and 64 new cases, taking the respective totals to 48 and 514. On Saturday, Indonesia reported six deaths and 81 new cases.The south-east Asian country has turned its athletes village built for the 2018 Asian Games into an emergency hospital.
The number of deaths in Wales of patients who tested positive for coronavirus has more than doubled, from five to 12, the chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, said.
Colombia, Guam Kosovo and Romania each reported their first death, with the fatality in Guam, the first in the Pacific region. Palestinian officials reported the first two cases in the Gaza strip.
The UK government has refused to dismiss the idea of an Italian-style lockdown if needed to curb the further spread of the virus, amid reports that many people were out enjoying the weather on Saturday and not practising social distancing. The government is to write to 1.5m people perceived as vulnerable due to underlying health conditions, urging them to stay indoors for 12 weeks.
A group of almost 4,000 NHS workers in the UK have pleaded with the prime minister, Boris Johnson, to ensure they have adequate protective equipment to deal with the coronavirus crisis.In an open letter to The Sunday Times, the medics have called on Johnson to “protect the lives of the life-savers” and resolve the “unacceptable” shortage of protective equipment.
The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has announced wide ranging restrictions on businesses but has said schools will remain open. Among those affected will be clubs, hotels, pubs, entertainment venues, indoor supporting venues and places of worship. Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway only.
The Russian military is sending medical help to Italy from today, including mobile disinfection vehicles and medical specialists.
Malaysia has sent the army to the streets to enforce restrictions which people appear to be defying. The country has one of the highest rates of infection in Southeast Asia.
China is diverting all Beijing-bound international flights to other airports for checks before allowing them to continue.
Singapore has banned the entry and transit of all foreigners, except those with work permits in essential services.
Hawaii has become the first US state to require 14 days quarantine for all arrivals.
India has imposed a curfew from 7am to 9pm Delhi time.
The Italian PM ordered businesses to close all operations.
More than 50,000 people queued to see the Olympic flame in northeast Japan. Meanwhile Olympic officials are reportedly workshopping delaying the games despite the Japanese government’s insistence it go ahead.
Employers in Scotland have been urged to give paid leave to all members of staff who volunteer as special constables to help Police Scotland cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
The force said it faced “unprecedented challenges to maintain policing while managing rising levels of sickness and self-isolation among officers and staff.”
It has asked special constables, who have the same powers as regular police officers, to increase their hours volunteering over the next three months and written to their employers asking them to support them.
Police Scotland launched a new recruitment campaign on 3 February this year after a sharp decline in special constable numbers, partly because 500 specials became full time officers.
Figures given to BBC Scotland after a freedom of information request showed a 62% fall since the unitary force was formed in 2013, down from 1,391 that year to 517 in 2019.
Malcolm Graham, a Police Scotland deputy chief constable, said in a statement: “This is an extraordinary moment and one that requires a collective response. It is a moment when the ethos of the Special Constabulary – supporting Scottish communities and local policing - has never been more relevant.
“The coronavirus pandemic is presenting an unprecedented and dynamic set of challenges and, to support health professionals and maximise public safety, the policing response is crucial.
“The coming weeks and months will be demanding and there will be significant additional duties that we are required to discharge during this critical period. To support our overall response, we would like to include our valued special constables in our resourcing plans.”
Tourists are being urged to stay at home and not visit some of the remote communities in the Scottish Highlands in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Scotland’s Tourism Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “My advice to everybody is stay where you are. Do not travel to the Highlands and Islands.”
The pleas came as the organisation that represents tourism businesses along the A830 road, which connects Fort William with Mallaig, also urged visitors to stay away. The Road To The Isles group includes 100 accommodation and visitor-based businesses on the scenic route, which takes in Glenfinnan, Lochailort, Roshven, Arisaig, Morar, Mallaig and the Small Isles of Eigg, Muck, Rum, Canna and the Knoydart peninsula.The area already has an ageing population, with just one doctor and ambulance to cover it, and the nearest hospital is 100 miles away.
Thanks to Haroon for covering the blog this morning. This is Hannah Mays signing on.
An 82-year old man who died in hospital in Kosovo on Sunday is the country’s first victim of the coronavirus, the Kosovo Public Health Institute said in a statement.
“Patient already had chronic illness, cardio and pulmonary,” the institute said, according to Reuters.
Kosovo, a country of 2 million people, has registered 31 cases of people infected with coronavirus.
This is my last post, I am now handing over to my colleague Hannah Mays.
The number of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Spain has risen by almost 400 - 30% - to 1,720 in the last day, Spanish media are reporting.
As well as the 394 deaths, the number of confirmed cases has reportedly risen by 3,646 (15%) from 24,926 to 28,572.
The government is reportedly extending the 15-day state of emergency imposed on 14 March by another 15 days.
