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Coronavirus live news: Italy records 766 more deaths but infection rate continues to slow Coronavirus live news: Trump says he won't wear face mask as US changes advice
(32 minutes later)
Spain records first drop in daily death toll in four days; Wuhan residents told to stay indoors; Iran’s death toll reaches 3,294 President appears to undermine guidance; infection rate slows in Italy; Spain records first drop in daily death toll in four days
“I don’t know,” said Trump in response to a question asking where Dr Anthony Fauci is today. Fauci has not joined in the briefing today. “Whenever he’s not here,” Trump complained, “the fake news” will ask about him.
You can follow our US-focused coronavirus coverage here:
The masks are more for the protection of other people than oneself, the US surgeon general has clarified. Wearing a cloth face covering will help contain you coughs and sneezes, reducing chances that you’ll spray infectious droplets into the air, and risk transmitting the disease the others.
Still “maintaining six feet of social distancing remains key”, he said. Masks are “not a replacement for social distancing”.
All Americans, including those without health insurance, will be able to receive treatment without worrying about the cost, according to the vice-president, Mike Pence.
But it’s unclear what provisions will be made to ensure that — the administration has repeatedly ignored calls from Democratic lawmakers to reopen the Obamacare exchanges to allow the uninsured to purchase insurance.
Returning to Washington DC, here’s more from the CDC:
Health officials say the previous distancing and hygiene guidance remains in place.
Equipment shortages within England’s health service are such that one NHS trust has had to put out a call for donations on social media:
Trump says he is directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prevent the export of N95 masks under the Defense Production Act.Trump says he is directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prevent the export of N95 masks under the Defense Production Act.
Earlier, the US was accused of “modern piracy” after reportedly diverting a shipment of masks intended for the German police, and outbidding other countries in the increasingly fraught global market for coronavirus protective equipment.Earlier, the US was accused of “modern piracy” after reportedly diverting a shipment of masks intended for the German police, and outbidding other countries in the increasingly fraught global market for coronavirus protective equipment.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending Americans cover their faces when outside, the White House says. But, at his daily press briefing, the US president Donald Trump has repeatedly undermined the guideline. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending Americans cover their faces when outside, the White House says. But, at his daily press briefing, the US president Donald Trump has repeatedly undermined the guideline.
“I’m choosing not to do it,” he said, repeatedly noting that wearing non-medical grade masks is a “voluntary” option.“I’m choosing not to do it,” he said, repeatedly noting that wearing non-medical grade masks is a “voluntary” option.
The Falkland Islands government has confirmed the island territory’s first case.The Falkland Islands government has confirmed the island territory’s first case.
The patient has been hospitalised since 31 March and developed a range of Covid-19 symptoms, tested positive for the virus, and is now in a stable condition and being cared for with necessary isolation procedures.The patient has been hospitalised since 31 March and developed a range of Covid-19 symptoms, tested positive for the virus, and is now in a stable condition and being cared for with necessary isolation procedures.
Demands for better protection for the UK’s healthcare workers are growing following the death of two nurses in their 30s, while another frontline worker quit her job after being forbidden from wearing a face mask, Haroon Siddique, Nazia Parveen and Alexandra Topping write.Demands for better protection for the UK’s healthcare workers are growing following the death of two nurses in their 30s, while another frontline worker quit her job after being forbidden from wearing a face mask, Haroon Siddique, Nazia Parveen and Alexandra Topping write.
Areema Nasreen, 36, died shortly after midnight on Friday at Walsall Manor hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years. Aimee O’Rourke, 38, who joined the NHS in 2017 and worked at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital in Margate, Kent, died hours earlier, on Thursday night. Both were mothers of three children.Areema Nasreen, 36, died shortly after midnight on Friday at Walsall Manor hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years. Aimee O’Rourke, 38, who joined the NHS in 2017 and worked at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital in Margate, Kent, died hours earlier, on Thursday night. Both were mothers of three children.
Two NHS healthcare assistants have also died. The family of Thomas Harvey, 57, who worked in north-east London, believe he would still be alive today if he had been given proper personal protective equipment (PPE), they told Sky News.Two NHS healthcare assistants have also died. The family of Thomas Harvey, 57, who worked in north-east London, believe he would still be alive today if he had been given proper personal protective equipment (PPE), they told Sky News.
The number of cases detected in Egypt has jumped by more than 100 for the first time, bringing total infections to 985, the country’s health ministry has said.The number of cases detected in Egypt has jumped by more than 100 for the first time, bringing total infections to 985, the country’s health ministry has said.
It announced that 120 new cases and eight more deaths have been recorded. That brought the total number of deaths to 66.It announced that 120 new cases and eight more deaths have been recorded. That brought the total number of deaths to 66.
Egyptian officials have said that once the number of known infections surpasses 1,000, the task of tracing contacts and quarantining those affected would become harder. The prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, has said the next week will be critical in Egypt’s efforts to contain the illness.Egyptian officials have said that once the number of known infections surpasses 1,000, the task of tracing contacts and quarantining those affected would become harder. The prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, has said the next week will be critical in Egypt’s efforts to contain the illness.
UK biomedical scientists and National Health Service laboratory staff have expressed “frustration” at a lack of resources preventing them from carrying out larger numbers of tests.UK biomedical scientists and National Health Service laboratory staff have expressed “frustration” at a lack of resources preventing them from carrying out larger numbers of tests.
On Thursday, the country’s health secretary Matt Hancock committed to raising testing numbers to 100,000 a day by the end of April. But the Institute of Biomedical Science has said:On Thursday, the country’s health secretary Matt Hancock committed to raising testing numbers to 100,000 a day by the end of April. But the Institute of Biomedical Science has said:
Police have surrounded Geneva’s main prison after some 40 prisoners refused to return to their cells from their daily walk, complaining about measures taken due to the pandemic. Laurent Forestier, the spokesman for prisons in Geneva, has said:Police have surrounded Geneva’s main prison after some 40 prisoners refused to return to their cells from their daily walk, complaining about measures taken due to the pandemic. Laurent Forestier, the spokesman for prisons in Geneva, has said:
There has been one confirmed infection in the facility, Forestier said, adding that the person had been hospitalised. French-language Swiss broadcaster RTS said on Twitter that police have surrounded the area. The chronically-overcrowded Champ-Dollon prison, located in the Geneva countryside, was built for 400 inmates but had some 600 last month, the daily Le Temps said.There has been one confirmed infection in the facility, Forestier said, adding that the person had been hospitalised. French-language Swiss broadcaster RTS said on Twitter that police have surrounded the area. The chronically-overcrowded Champ-Dollon prison, located in the Geneva countryside, was built for 400 inmates but had some 600 last month, the daily Le Temps said.
Muhammad Siddique, the father of my Guardian colleague Haroon Siddique, died last week after being hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms. Haroon has written this beautiful obituary in his father’s memory:Muhammad Siddique, the father of my Guardian colleague Haroon Siddique, died last week after being hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms. Haroon has written this beautiful obituary in his father’s memory:
Albania has reported 27 new cases – its second biggest daily surge – and ordered a third 40-hour lockdown over the weekend to halt the spread of the highly contagious pathogen that has killed 17 in the country so far.
Albania had reported its largest single day of confirmed cases on March 26 with 28. After declaring the pandemic a natural calamity, Albania extended the shutdown of any activity, its borders, businesses and transport, except for a few essential industries during an eight-hour daily window.
Telecoms engineers are facing verbal and physical threats during the lockdown, as baseless conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to the roll-out of 5G technology spread by celebrities such as Amanda Holden prompt members of the public to abuse those maintaining vital mobile phone and broadband networks.
Warehouse workers for the fast fashion brands Pretty Little Thing and Boo Hoo are begging consumers to stop ordering non-essential items such as £6 boob tubes and £8 false eyelashes after orders at one depot more than tripled in a week, Helen Pidd and Amy Walker write.
Morale is said to be “rock bottom” at Pretty Little Thing’s fulfilment centre in Tinsley, Sheffield, where workers doing 12-hour shifts said they were processing orders for 400,000 items this week, up from 120,000 in a “normal” week.
They also complain it is “practically impossible” for hundreds of staff on each shift to keep two metres apart and still meet their hourly targets of picking 80 items. They also clock on using an unhygienic fingerprint scanner, though Pretty Little Thing (PLT) says a staff member thoroughly wipes the equipment after every use.
The work of the Reuters news agency in Iraq has been suspended for three months after the outlet reported that the country’s government was underreporting confirmed cases.
Reuters was also fined 25 million Iraqi dinars (about £17,000 or $20,800), according to a statement posted on the official Communication and Media Commission website.
The Reuters story cited multiple sources who said the government was vastly misreporting cases of coronavirus in the country, saying the true number of those infected was in the thousands.
The country’s health ministry said on Friday there were 820 confirmed cases and 54 deaths. The Reuters report said the true number ranged from 3,000 to 9,000.
Reuters said it has not received any notification from Iraqi authorities regarding their license and were seeking clarification on the matter. The agency said it stood by its report.
The scale of the coronavirus outbreak and the response it has required from the UK government means a large-scale public inquiry is now inevitable, a former head of the country’s civil service has said.
Sir Bob Kerslake said the scope of the decision-making undertaken by politicians and officials had been vast, and, as some of it had already been challenged, there would need to be a chance to reflect upon the UK’s response in case of another pandemic.
Disney is delaying the release of upcoming films because of the pandemic.
The action epic “Mulan” will come out in July and Marvel’s “Black Widow” will be available in November. Among other changes, Disney postponed the release of a new “Indiana Jones” film by one year to July 2022.
The UK government’s pledge to carry out 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month is “realistic”, Public Health England’s director of public health improvement has said.
Prof John Newton has told Channel 4 News:
The number of funerals in Jakarta rose sharply in March, a development the governor of Indonesia’s capital city said suggested that deaths from the new coronavirus may be higher than officially reported.
Nearly 4,400 burials occurred in the month; 40% higher than any month since at least January 2018, according to a Reuters review of statistics from the city’s Department of Parks and Cemeteries.
Jakarta’s governor, Anies Baswedan, and some public health experts suspect the number of infections and deaths in Jakarta has been significantly under-reported due to one of the world’s lowest rates of testing.
Known global death toll passes 55,000. At least 55,781 people across the world have now died as a result of the pandemic, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed cases passed a million on Thursday and at least 1,056,777 people are now known to have been infected. The true scale of the outbreak is likely to be greater due to suspected underreporting by some nations.
UK endures deadliest day so far. It is confirmed that 684 more people have died in UK hospitals, bringing the total to 3,605 and making the 24 hours to 5pm on Thursday (BST) the deadliest since the outbreak began. The country’s Department of Health and Social Care says 173,784 people have been tested; of whom 38,168 were positive.
New York reports nearly 3,000 deaths. The state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, announcesd that 2,935 people have now died. The toll, up from from 2,373 a day earlier, represents the highest single-day rise since the coronavirus crisis struck. There are 102,863 confirmed cases in New York. Cuomo said that hospitals havein effect turned into ICU hospitals for Covid-19 patients.
Italy records 766 more deaths – but infection rate slows. The number of deaths on Friday was relatively steady, when compared to those seen the previous day. But new infections continue to slow down, raising hopes of turnaround. Some 85,388 people are currently infected, with an increase of 2,339 new cases; 138 fewer than Thursday. Italy remains the world’s worst-hit country, having suffered a total of 14,681 deaths.
More than 250,000 EU citizens stranded abroad. Some 350,000 have been repatriated but that still leaves a quarter of a million EU citizens trying to get home. Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, says operations are under way to retrieve them. But he adds: “One could not imagine that there are so many Europeans stranded in the world: tourists; visitors; short-term workers.”
Swiss death toll rises to 484. The Swiss government announced an increase in the number of deaths, adding that the number of positive cases now stands at 19,903. Switzerland has closed schools and many businesses, as well as banning gatherings of more than five people.
WHO said countries must avoid a cycle of lockdown, relaxation, and further lockdown. The organisation called on countries to develop a just transition strategy that gets them in control of the virus.
English Premier League asks players to take 30% wage cut. Premier League clubs announce they are “committing £20m to support the NHS, communities, families and vulnerable groups during the pandemic”.
While older people are more likely to die if they contract coronavirus, evidence continues to show that younger people are also being severely impacted.
Dr David Hepburn, ICU consultant at Newport’s Royal Gwent hospital in south Wales, has said all the patients there are under-50.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, he said: