This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.
- Global cases: More than 2.8 million
- Global deaths: At least 202,668
- Most cases reported: United States (936,616), Spain (223,759), Italy (195,351), France (161,644), and Germany (156,418).
The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:31 a.m. Beijing time.
All times below are in Beijing time.
3:22 pm: China says all coronavirus patients in Wuhan have been discharged
China announced Sunday that all of the coronavirus patients in the city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus’s outbreak, have been discharged, Reuters has reported.
This photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows venders wearing face masks as the offer prawns for sale at the Wuhan Baishazhou Market in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. HECTOR RETAMAL | AFP via Getty Images
HECTOR RETAMAL
12:43 pm: Thailand reports 15 new cases, no additional deaths
Thailand reported 15 more confirmed cases of Covid-19, but no additional deaths, according to its public health ministry’s Sunday update. To date, the country has reported 2,922 cases and 51 deaths, according to government data. — Christine Wang
12:30 pm: Health Canada warns against taking hydroxychloroquine without prescription
Canada issued a warning against using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine without physician supervision.
“Health Canada is concerned that some people may be directly buying and using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to prevent or treat COVID-19,” the country’s health department said.
In its late Saturday alert, Health Canada emphasized that no drugs have been authorized for the prevention, treatment or cure of Covid-19. The drugs are typically prescribed for the treatment of malaria and some autoimmune diseases like lupus.
The notice comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued a similar warning after reports of deaths and poisonings. On the same day, a research report revealed a study testing the drug as a potential coronavirus treatment was cut short, citing a high risk of death. — Christine Wang
11:07 am: South Korea reports 10 cases, 2 deaths
South Korea confirmed 10 more cases and two deaths, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country has reported 10,728 cases to date and a total of 242 deaths. — Christine Wang
10:34 am: Argentina extends nationwide restrictions to May 10
Argentina extended its nationwide social, preventative and mandatory isolation measures until May 10, its health ministry said.
The measures had been in place since March 20 and, prior to the extension announcement, had been scheduled to end on Sunday.
Reuters reported that the country will, however, ease some restrictions such as allowing people to take short walks outside their homes.
Argentina’s health ministry has confirmed 3,780 cases and 185 deaths in the country. — Christine Wang
9:49 am: Singapore reports 618 new cases
Singapore reported an additional 618 confirmed cases as of noon Saturday. The health ministry said 597 of the new cases were work permit holders residing in dormitories.
The report marks the second day in a row that Singapore’s daily new cases were less than 1,000.
Foreign workers exercise on the balcony of their dormitory rooms on April 21, 2020 in Singapore.
Suhaimi Abdullah | Getty Images
In the early days of the outbreak, the city-state had kept cases relatively low. But cases spiked recently among Singapore’s migrant worker population, many of whom live in dormitories. Those workers are typically men from other Asian countries who carry out labor-intensive construction jobs and support their families back home.
To date, Singapore has reported a total of 12,693 confirmed cases and 12 deaths. The health ministry said 1,214 people are currently hospitalized while 10,465 — the bulk of current cases — are in community facilities. It also said a total of 1,002 people have fully recovered and have been discharged. — Christine Wang
9:08 am: China reports 11 new cases, no additional deaths
China reported 11 new confirmed cases as of April 25, according to its National Health Commission. Of the new cases, six were attributed to travelers coming from overseas. That brings the country’s total cases to 82,827, according to NHC data.
It was also the 11th straight day that the NHC reported no additional deaths, leaving its death toll at 4,632.
A Chinese woman wears a protective mask as she sits on the back of a scooter at an intersection on April 24, 2020 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer | Getty Images
Separately, the NHC said there were 30 new asymptomatic cases, where people tested positive for the virus but did not show any symptoms. It said there are currently 1,000 such cases under medical observation. — Christine Wang
All times below are in Eastern time.
5:40 pm: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work Monday after coronavirus recovery
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street on his way to Buckingham Palace after the general election in London, Britain, December 13, 2019.
Thomas Mukoya | Reuters
4:56 pm: Ex-Apple employees are tackling the mask shortage
Last year at this time, Sabrina Paseman was at Apple working on the design of the Mac Pro. Now, she’s holed up in a San Francisco apartment with another ex-Apple employee trying to address the global mask shortage.
Paseman and Megan Duong are founders of a nonprofit they’re calling Fix The Mask, an effort to create a simple solution to a massive and growing problem. The lack of protective gear amid the Covid-19 pandemic is first and foremost a crisis in the health-care industry, but as states and countries start loosening social-distancing restrictions, the need for masks becomes more acute for people on buses, in stores and in the workplace. —Ari Levy
3:19 pm: French PM to present plan to unwind lockdown on Tuesday
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will present the government’s plan to unwind the country’s lockdown to parliament on Tuesday, his office said.
The prime minister’s statement next week will be followed by a debate and a vote.
The lockdown ordered by President Emmanuel Macron has been in place since March 17 to slow the spread of the coronavirus and is due to be lifted on May 11. —Reuters
Read CNBC’s coverage from the U.S. overnight: Global deaths cross 200,000; US beaches reopen
