Coronavirus live updates: Spain’s daily death rate declines further; US virus hotspots in focus

FAN Editor

Officials carry out disinfection works at streets during the state of emergency by the government against the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in Madrid, Spain on April 5, 2020.

Anadolu Agency

This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.

  • Global cases: More than 1.27 million
  • Global deaths: At least 69,300
  • Most cases reported: United States (337,072), Spain (131,646), Italy (128,948), Germany (100,123), and France (93,773)

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 8 a.m. Beijing time. 

All times below are in Beijing time.

5:55 pm: Spain’s daily death toll continues to decline

Spain reported Monday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country had topped 135,302, up from 130,759 the previous day.

It reported 637 deaths Monday, down from 674 the previous day, and continuing a downwards trend after a peak of 950 recorded on Thursday. A total of 13,055 people have died in Spain from the virus. — Holly Ellyatt

5:43 pm: These charts show coronavirus hotspots, and testing regimes, in the U.S.

And here is a chart showing the total number of tests, and number of positive results, by state. 

5:15 pm: Europe looks for lockdown exit strategy as rate of new coronavirus cases and deaths slows

There are tentative hopes in Europe that the coronavirus outbreak could be slowing, as the number of new infections and fatalities starts to slow down, according to data over the weekend.

The figures are prompting European leaders to look for an exit strategy to national lockdowns, while urging the public to maintain discipline while the apparent recovery from the outbreak is in its infancy. — Holly Ellyatt

4:45 pm: UK car sales fell 44% in March, industry data shows

U.K. passenger car sales in March fell 44% compared with the same month last year to 254,684 units, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Monday. 

The group, representing Britain’s car industry, cut its 2020 sales forecast by 23% to 1.73 million vehicles because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis. That’s 25% lower than the 2.31 million units registered in 2019.  A further outlook will be published in April to reflect the latest conditions. — Holly Ellyatt

4:33 pm: UK leader Boris Johnson ‘doing well’ in hospital, minister insists

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “doing well” and is expected to be back at his office shortly, Housing Minister Robert Jenrick told the BBC on Monday. It comes after Johnson was admitted to hospital on Sunday night for tests, 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus.

“He’ll stay in hospital as long as he needs to do that, but I’ve heard that he’s doing well and I very much look forward to him being back in Number 10 as soon as possible,” Jenrick told BBC radio. — Holly Ellyatt

4:12 pm: Germany says it’s ‘still at the beginning of the epidemic’ despite rate of new cases slowing 

2:45 pm: Singapore announces third stimulus package worth $3.6 billion

Singapore announced another 5.1 billion Singapore dollars ($3.6 billion) in stimulus to soften the economic damage from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

That’s the third stimulus package that Singapore has announced since the outbreak. Together with the previous two packages, the Southeast Asian country has set aside 59.9 billion Singapore dollars ($41.7 billion), accounting for around 12% of the country’s gross domestic product

The latest stimulus was planned to help businesses and households tide through the coming month, during which stricter social-distancing measures — which include closing schools and shutting workplaces temporarily — will kick in starting Tuesday.  Yen Nee Lee

2:15 pm: US Forces Japan declares public health emergency for Kanto bases

The U.S. Forces Japan commander declared a public health emergency for military bases in the Kanto region east of Japan. The region includes Tokyo which has seen a recent surge of the coronavirus disease, formally known as COVID-19.

“Due to the steady increase in COVID-19 cases in the Tokyo area, I have implemented a Public Health Emergency for the Kanto Plains region,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, U.S. Forces Japan commander in a statement. “This order covers all Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine installations and facilities in the area.”  Huileng Tan

2:10 pm: Cases in India rise despite the ongoing lockdown

India’s health ministry said as of Monday morning, there are at least 4,067 confirmed cases of infection and 109 deaths from COVID-19. Around 292 people have been cured and discharged.

Despite being in the middle of a 21-day lockdown, India’s reported cases have climbed in recent days; on Sunday evening, the country was said to have around 3,374 confirmed cases and 79 deaths.   Saheli Roy Choudhury 

1:30 pm: Coronavirus may add $300 billion credit in costs to Asia Pacific banks, says S&P

Banks in Asia Pacific could chalk up an additional $300 billion in lenders’ credit costs and a $600 million increase in non-performing assets in 2020, S&P Global Ratings said in a report on Monday.

Although banks are not as exposed as the corporate sector during the initial states of the coronavirus pandemic, the strain on lenders could ultimately be “profound,” said S&P.

“Banks face a second-order hit compared with the corporate and household sectors. It’s the snowballing effects on people movement (tourism, business travel, and education), supply chains, trade, and commodity prices that will eventually hit bank asset quality, and may disrupt bank credit ratings,” added the ratings agency.  Huileng Tan

1:12 pm: India faces delays for one-fifth of its renewable energy installations due to lockdowns

India could see delays for over 21.6% or 3 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic and wind installations as lockdowns to contain the coronavirus outbreak cause supply and labor disruptions, said Wood Mackenzie, a commodities consultancy.

That is particularly as the states that have reported the highest rates of infections  Gujarat,  Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan   are also those that are favorable to wind and solar development, said the consultancy in a report.

“The timing of the lockdown is unfortunate as Q1 is typically one of the busiest periods for wind project installations. The lockdown will delay some projects until summer, and if the lockdown is extended past April, wind farm construction could be further delayed into the monsoon season, where wind installations are typically at their lowest,” said Robert Liew, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie.  Huileng Tan

12:14 pm: Japan’s coronavirus panel to meet Monday afternoon to prepare for state of emergency, Nikkei reports

The Japanese government’s advisory panel on the coronavirus outbreak will meet Monday at 2pm local time in preparation for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s declaration of a state of emergency, the Nikkei Business Daily reported.  (See 8:51 am update) — Huileng Tan

10:20 am: Australia says daily infection rate has gone down

Australia’s daily infection growth rate has fallen  from about 25% and 30%, down to around 5%  as more people self-isolate, health minister Greg Hunt told a local television news program on Sunday, according to an official transcript.  

The government has stepped up its measures to tackle the outbreak, which includes restricting nonessential outings and closing down borders as well as most public gathering places. 

There are at least 5,687 reported cases in Australia and 35 deaths, according to JHU data.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

9:31 am: South Korea reports fewer than 50 cases

South Korea reported 47 new cases of infection, one of the lowest daily reported numbers for the country since late February when the outbreak spread exponentially within its borders.

There were three additional deaths reported. South Korea has altogether reported 10,284 cases of infection and 186 people have succumbed to the illness caused by the virus, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, South Korea is generally praised for its efforts to reduce the spread of infection by mass testing its people and adopting strict measures to quarantine and track those who affected.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

9:28 am: American Airlines slashes more than 90% of NYC-area flights as the coronavirus hotspot grows more isolated

8:55 am: China reports 39 new cases, says most of them were ‘imported’

China’s National Health Commission said there were 39 newly diagnosed cases of infection; all but one were “imported” cases as residents returned home from abroad. There were also 78 new asymptomatic cases, where people tested positive for the virus but did not show any symptoms.

One person died in Hubei province, the NHC said. Altogether, China says there were more than 81,700 confirmed cases of infection, with over 77,000 people discharged and at least 3,331 killed from the disease.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:51 am: Japan prime minister will reportedly declare a state of emergency in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Japan Times reported, citing a government official. 

A surge in infections has swept Tokyo and other major cities and Abe’s move could come as early as Tuesday, according to another Japanese local media. In a state of emergency, governors in hard-hit regions would have the legal authority to ask people to stay indoors and for businesses to close but not to impose more restrictive lockdowns seen in other countries, the Japan Times said. 

Japan has more than 3,600 reported cases and 85 deaths, according to JHU data.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

8:48 am: Apple will produce 1 million face shields per week for medical workers

The iPhone-maker will produce 1 million face shields per week for medical workers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said. He added that Apple’s face shield design can be packed 100 to a box and can be assembled in two minutes. 

Doctors across the United States have said that a shortage of personal protective equipment, like face shields and masks, puts them at risk during the coronavirus outbreak. Apple has also donated 20 million N95 masks to governments and hospitals.  Kif Leswing

7:38 am: Singapore puts nearly 20,000 resident workers in quarantine and under isolation

Singapore’s health ministry said that around 19,800 foreign resident workers housed in two dormitories have been placed under a 14-day quarantine due to the growing number of confirmed infection cases from those places.

To further contain the risk of transmission, the multi-ministry taskforce that’s handling Singapore’s response to the coronavirus outbreak said the two dormitories have been “declared as isolation areas” with onsite medical support and the provision of food and essential supplies. Stricter social distancing measures are set to be implemented among the resident workers in the affected dormitories as well as all the other ones across the country. 

People walk past a poster reminding people to keep a safe distance from each other at the National Gallery of Singapore on March 30, 2020 in Singapore.

Ore Huiying | Getty Images

Singapore reported the highest daily increase in the number of confirmed cases on Sunday; as of noon local time, there were 120 additional cases of COVID-19, with most of them having no recent travel history abroad. The city-state has more 1,300 reported cases, six deaths and 320 people have been fully discharged. Last Friday, Singapore announced stricter social distancing measures to tackle the infection Saheli Roy Choudhury

7:31 am: Global death count from coronavirus above 69,300

At least 69,309 people worldwide have died from coronavirus-related complications, according to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University.

Many of those fatalities have taken place in Europe: Italy has reported 15,887 deaths, Spain reported 12,641 deaths and France reported 8,078 people have died. The United Kingdom saw at least 4,934 deaths, the JHU data said. 

The fast-spreading virus, which causes the illness COVID-19, has affected more than 1.2 million people around the globe. It was first reported in China’s Hubei province late last year; in the United States, the virus has infected more than 335,500. 

To be clear, the actual number of coronavirus cases is impossible to tally on a country-by-country basis because many nations don’t adequately track cases, and there’s rising suspicion that some countries intentionally under-report their numbers.  Saheli Roy Choudhury

All times below are in Eastern time.

5:32 pm: Tiger at the Bronx Zoo tests positive for the coronavirus 

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The 4-year-old female Malaysian tiger, Nadia, had developed a dry cough and was tested “out of an abundance of caution,” the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo said in a statement

The diagnosis was confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. It is the first confirmed COVID-19 case in a tiger, according to the USDA

Several tigers and lions at the zoo showed symptoms of a respiratory illness, the USDA said. 

The tiger who tested positive is believed to have become infected by a zoo employee. The tiger first began to show symptoms on March 27, the USDA said. — Kevin Stankiewicz 

4:28 pm: British PM Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for tests over ‘persistent’ coronavirus symptoms 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to the hospital for tests 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus.

A Downing Street spokesperson said it’s a “precautionary step” since the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of the virus. 

Screen grab of Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation from 10 Downing Street, London, as he placed the UK on lockdown as the Government seeks to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

PA Video – PA Images

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