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Coronavirus live news: UN warns of 'biblical' famine; first case seen in Palestinian refugees in Lebanon Coronavirus live news: UN warns of 'biblical' famine; first case seen in Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
(32 minutes later)
Trump to halt immigration for 60 days initially; 256m people could starve, says UN; cases worldwide pass 2.5 millionTrump to halt immigration for 60 days initially; 256m people could starve, says UN; cases worldwide pass 2.5 million
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, is about to begin his thrice-weekly press conference. You can tune in live on the player at the top of the blog.
US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has predicted that “most if not all” of the US economy would reopen later in the summer.
“We’re looking forward to by the time we hit later in the summer having most of the economy if not all of the economy open,” Mnuchin told Fox Business Network on Wednesday morning.
However, the Trump administration has previously been guilty of setting lofty goals for reopening the economy that have not come to fruition.
The president previously said he hoped the economy would be “opened up and just raring to go by Easter” before shifting the reopening target date to May 1, even as a number of states extended their stay-at-home orders well into May.
Public health experts have said some level of social distancing will likely be necessary until a coronavirus vaccine is developed, which could take a year or more.
Follow the latest updates from the US:
A Chinese citizen journalist who was missing for almost two months after posting videos from Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak has re-appeared, claiming that he was detained by police and forcibly quarantined, Lily Kuo reports from Beijing.
Li Zehua was one of three Chinese journalists who had been reporting in Wuhan during some of the worst weeks of the epidemic. He was last seen on 26 February after posting a video in which he was chased by a white SUV and an hours-long livestream that ended when several agents entered his apartment.
In a video posted on YouTube, Weibo and Twitter, Li said that on 26 February, the white SUV had pulled out in front of him while he was driving in the Wuchang district in Wuhan and the people in it had yelled for him to stop. Li panicked and drove off with the car in pursuit, recording the video that he posted online later that day.
After making it back to his apartment, he saw uniformed police and staff in protective suits knocking on the doors of his neighbours. Li turned the lights off and sat quietly in front of his computer for hours, waiting. Three hours later, a knock came.
Airlines in Europe have applied for €12.8bn (£11.3bn) in government support since the start of the coronavirus pandemic with no binding environmental conditions attached, according to an analysis of the sector’s bailout pleas, Sandra Laville reports.
By Tuesday this week, airlines including easyJet, Scandinavian Airlines and Tui had secured loans and other financial support amounting to €3.36bn. A further €9.47bn is being sought by other airlines, data tracking by Transport & Environment, Greenpeace and Carbon Watch reveals.
By the time air travel came to a near-halt in March, greenhouse gas emissions from the sector had reached record levels. But there are no binding environmental conditions being attached to any of the already agreed bailouts or future loans being sought.
The exception is in Austria, where the transport minister, Leonore Gewessler, responded to a request for public support by Austrian Airlines (part of the Lufthansa group) by saying any bailout should be linked to climate targets.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Wednesday that it will run out of masks within three to four weeks, raising the prospect that it will have to halt operations, AFP reports.Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned on Wednesday that it will run out of masks within three to four weeks, raising the prospect that it will have to halt operations, AFP reports.
Kenneth Lavelle, MSF’s deputy director of operations, said in a virtual press conference in Geneva, where the organisation is based, that the NGO would need about a million masks a week for the next six months.Kenneth Lavelle, MSF’s deputy director of operations, said in a virtual press conference in Geneva, where the organisation is based, that the NGO would need about a million masks a week for the next six months.
Otherwise, “we might be faced with taking even more difficult decisions about stopping activities”, said Lavelle.Otherwise, “we might be faced with taking even more difficult decisions about stopping activities”, said Lavelle.
Due to the phenomenal demand for PPE as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, the organisation is finding itself priced out of the market, he said.Due to the phenomenal demand for PPE as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, the organisation is finding itself priced out of the market, he said.
Trish Newport, MSF’s emergency coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, warned of the dangers of scaling back operations in countries with fragile health systems.Trish Newport, MSF’s emergency coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, warned of the dangers of scaling back operations in countries with fragile health systems.
The World Health Organization has reported a 45% increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in a week across its African region, which excludes parts of north Africa such as Egypt, and a 38% increase in the number of deaths.The World Health Organization has reported a 45% increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in a week across its African region, which excludes parts of north Africa such as Egypt, and a 38% increase in the number of deaths.
In its latest regional situation report, almost two months after the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Africa, the UN health body said the only African member states yet to report cases were Comoros and Lesotho.In its latest regional situation report, almost two months after the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Africa, the UN health body said the only African member states yet to report cases were Comoros and Lesotho.
It said that as of Tuesday, a cumulative total of 15,394 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 716 deaths, had been reported across the 45 affected countries in the region, giving a case fatality ratio of 4.7%. It added:It said that as of Tuesday, a cumulative total of 15,394 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 716 deaths, had been reported across the 45 affected countries in the region, giving a case fatality ratio of 4.7%. It added:
Serbia has reported 224 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, and four more deaths, Telegraf reports.Serbia has reported 224 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, and four more deaths, Telegraf reports.
The Balkan country has so far recorded 7,114 cases from the coronavirus, and a death toll of 134.The Balkan country has so far recorded 7,114 cases from the coronavirus, and a death toll of 134.
According to Telegraf, it was confirmed on Wednesday that a Serbian orthodox church bishop who serves as vicar to Patriarch Irinej, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs, had also tested positive.According to Telegraf, it was confirmed on Wednesday that a Serbian orthodox church bishop who serves as vicar to Patriarch Irinej, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs, had also tested positive.
Irinej was also tested but was found to be clear of the virus.Irinej was also tested but was found to be clear of the virus.
This is Damien Gayle back at the controls now. Remember, you can reach me with any comments, tips or suggestions for coverage by emailing damien.gayle@theguardian.com or via Twitter direct message to @damiengayle.This is Damien Gayle back at the controls now. Remember, you can reach me with any comments, tips or suggestions for coverage by emailing damien.gayle@theguardian.com or via Twitter direct message to @damiengayle.
From our UK-focused live blog, NHS England has announced 665 further deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,272. Full numbers can be found in the link belowFrom our UK-focused live blog, NHS England has announced 665 further deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,272. Full numbers can be found in the link below
UN human rights expert says ‘responses to Covid-19 are failing people in poverty worldwide’UN human rights expert says ‘responses to Covid-19 are failing people in poverty worldwide’
Many governments’ responses to Covid-19 have had devastating effects on people in poverty, said the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, in a statement on Wednesday.Many governments’ responses to Covid-19 have had devastating effects on people in poverty, said the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, in a statement on Wednesday.
He added:He added:
Lithuania will start to ease coronavirus lockdown measures this week after they were imposed last month to prevent the spread of the virus, the government said.Lithuania will start to ease coronavirus lockdown measures this week after they were imposed last month to prevent the spread of the virus, the government said.
“Due to the strict restrictions, Lithuania avoided a sharp increase of Covid-19 cases which was seen elsewhere in Europe, such as in Italy, Spain, Great Britain,” Lithuania’s public health authority chief said in a letter to government.“Due to the strict restrictions, Lithuania avoided a sharp increase of Covid-19 cases which was seen elsewhere in Europe, such as in Italy, Spain, Great Britain,” Lithuania’s public health authority chief said in a letter to government.
Shops can re-open from Thursday and customer service businesses, such as hairdressers, libraries, museums and golf courses, can resume from 27 April, according to the government website.Shops can re-open from Thursday and customer service businesses, such as hairdressers, libraries, museums and golf courses, can resume from 27 April, according to the government website.
Businesses will need to limit numbers of customers on their premises to no more than one person per 10 sq metre.Businesses will need to limit numbers of customers on their premises to no more than one person per 10 sq metre.
The government also said full lockdown measures would not be lifted until 11 May, delayed from the original date of 27 April.The government also said full lockdown measures would not be lifted until 11 May, delayed from the original date of 27 April.
The amount of money migrant workers send back to their home countries is expected to decrease by more than $110bn this year as the Covid-19 pandemic increases unemployment across the world, reports Phillip Inman.
Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to fall by nearly 20% to $445bn (£360bn), “representing the loss of a crucial financial lifeline for many vulnerable households”, the World Bank said.
Good afternoon, this is Gregory Robinson, taking over the live blog for the next hour. If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter to share insight or send tips, I’m on @Gregoryjourno or send me an email at gregory.robinson@guardian.co.uk
Turkey’s top medical association has accused the government of failing to protect health workers after 24 - including 14 doctors - died of the coronavirus this month.
So far, close to 3,500 medics in Turkey have been infected with the virus - 3.6% of the country’s total cases, AFP reports.
The Turkish Medical Association (TTB), which represents 80% of the country’s physicians, blamed the deaths and infections on a lack of action from Ankara. It accused the government of “not taking the necessary precautions on time and effectively” and “failing to provide personal protective equipment on time”.
Turkey has so far officially recorded 95,591 infections and 2,259 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. Most cases have been reported in the country’s most populous city of Istanbul and the TTB said the city was also where the majority of infected health workers were.
Turkey’s government has shut schools, universities and public spaces to halt the spread of the virus but has not imposed a total lockdown like many countries across Europe. Instead, all-day weekend lockdowns have been rolled out in 31 cities across the country.
The president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said this week’s shut-in orders would start early on Thursday, which is a public holiday, and last until midnight on Sunday.
In a further sign that Spain is turning a corner in its efforts to contain Covid-19, the emergency morgue set up at a huge ice rink in Madrid to help the Spanish capital store its coronavirus dead closed its doors on Wednesday, reports Sam Jones, the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent.
The facility, at the Palacio de Hielo rink in north-east Madrid, was opened on 24 March as regional authorities struggled to find places to keep the dead before they were buried.
Over the course of almost a month, it took in 1,146 bodies, which were brought in by the Military Emergencies Unit of the Spanish army.
The closure took place on Wednesday following the midday moment of silence to remember Madrid’s dead, and a solemn ceremony was attended by the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, and Spain’s defence minister, Margarita Robles.
Díaz Ayuso said the closure marked another small victory in the region’s fight against the virus. She said:
Madrid has been the hardest hit region of Spain. Of the 21,717 people who have died from the virus, 7,577 perished in or around the capital.
Karen Kruse Thomas, the staff historian of the Bloomberg school of public health, at Johns Hopkins University, has picked out an interesting historical parallel to Donald Trump’s withdrawal of funds to the World Health Organization.
Somalia has recorded a rise in coronavirus cases in the past week, with the majority of those affected reportedly young people, Moulid Hujale reports for the Guardian.
So far there have been 237 confirmed cases and eight deaths in the country. A member of parliament and a state minister are among those who have died.
“The sharp increase is due to the fact that we are testing patients with all symptoms, not necessarily contact tracing,” said Dr Mohamed M Ali Fuje, the government’s newly appointed chief medical officer.
Ninety per cent of the confirmed cases are in the capital, Mogadishu, and although the government has introduced measures to contain the virus, widespread behavioural change is proving difficult. People continue to congregate in mosques, and gather in groups at teashops and restaurants, increasing the risk of infections. Khadija Hassan, a resident in Mogadishu, said:
Donald Trump’s botched handling of the Covid-19 crisis has left the US looking like a third world country and on course for a second Great Depression, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has said.
In an interview with Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott, Stiglitz said millions of people were turning to food banks, turning up for work due to a lack of sick pay and dying because of health inequalities.
Stiglitz said:
Stiglitz, a long-term critic of Trump, said 14% of the population were dependent on food stamps and predicted the social infrastructure could not cope with an unemployment rate that could hit 30% in the coming months.
These are the headlines in our world coronavirus coverage so far on Wednesday.
The first coronavirus case has been recorded at a refugee camp in Lebanon. The outbreak of the virus at crowded and often unhygienic refugee camps has been feared since the start of the crisis.
Spain announced it plans to phase out its lockdown in the second half of May. The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, also asked lawmakers to extend the country’s state of emergency until 9 May.
Germany approved its first human trials for a Covid-19 vaccine. 200 healthy people between 18 and 55 will receive several variants of the vaccine candidate.
Pope Francis called for unity among EU member states on the eve of European council summit to discuss a huge but divisive economic stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus crisis. EU states have clashed repeatedly over financial responses to the epidemic.
At least 34 crew members have tested positive for coronavirus on a cruise ship docked in Japan for maintenance. The outbreak onboard the Italian-operated Costa Atlantica adds to concerns about testing and hospital capacity in Nagasaki, where only 102 beds are available.
Half of France’s working population has signed up to the country’s temporary unemployment scheme, according to the minister of labour, Muriel Pénicaud. 10.2 million private sector workers have applied for support, or one employee out of two and six companies out of 10, she said.
Coronavirus-related deaths in the UK may be as high as 41,000, according to a Financial Times analysis of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Their findings include deaths that occurred outside hospitals updated to reflect recent mortality trends.
The European commission has said the UK was well aware of its coronavirus procurement initiative when it decided not to participate. Its account contradicts the UK government claim that a “misunderstanding” was to blame for the UK not getting involved.
Officials in Beijing dismissed the US state of Missouri’s move to sue the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak as “nothing short of absurdity” and lacking any factual or legal basis.
Wearing face masks in some public spaces is to become mandatory in Romania from 15 May, the day lockdown measures will be eased in the country, the president, Klaus Iohannis, announced on Wednesday.
In a televised address, Iohannis, wearing a surgical mask, told Romanians that masks would be compulsory on public transport and in other closed public spaces. According to a transcript published by Romanian news site Adevarul, he said:
On Wednesday, Romania reported 468 new cases of coronavirus and 10 new deaths. So far the country has had 9,710 cases, of whom 508 have died.
Bangladesh has reported 390 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10 more deaths from in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the country to 120.
The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research said that it had recorded a total of 3,772 cases so far.
With a population of 160 million, including close to 1 million Rohingya refugees, but with reportedly just 1,100 intensive care beds, Bangladesh is apparently ill-prepared for the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to an Associated Press report on Wednesday, there has been little, if any, testing in Cox’s Bazar, the district where the worlds largest refugee camp houses Rohingya who have fled Myanmar.
While coronavirus cases have been reported in the district, none have been detected inside the camp, where more than 40,000 people are packed into each square kilometre - more than 40 times the average population density of Bangladesh.
However, Kate White, the emergency medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, told AP that what limited testing capacity there was in Bangladesh is mainly concentrated in the capital, Dhaka.
Preparations are under way for when the virus arrives. Camps in Cox’s Bazar have been under lockdown since 8 April. The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is building isolation and treatment centres that can house 150-200 patients.
In a release distributed by UNHCR on Tuesday, Saidul Hoque, a Rohingya born in Cox’s Bazar, said he and his community faced particular difficulties in adhering to the hygiene and social distancing recommendations to avoid the spread of coronavirus. He was quoted as saying: