Coronavirus: summary of news, data, deaths, infections, USA, India, UK for 12 April
Coronavirus: Global total cases, deaths and updates 12/04/2020
This live blog is now closed, you can follow all the latest developments here.
We're going to close down today's live coverage of the global Covid-19 pandemic here but a brand new blog reflecting the latest news, stats. and updates will be up and running in a matter of hours.
In the meantime, here's a preview on what makes the front cover of Monday's Diario As.
Covid-19: Mexico latest figures
4,661 confirmed cases, 8,697 suspected cases, 21,943 negative cases & 296 deaths
Coronavirus in New York - A paramedic's diary
As a senior paramedic in New York City, Anthony Almojera is used to being close to death. But nothing in his 17-year career could have prepared him for the outbreak of coronavirus.
This article (from the BBC) is both a powerful and tragic read but highly recommended at the same time.
Donald Trump sends Easter Sunday message to US citizens
Trump's Easter message to the US
The President of the United States called the coronavirus pandemic 'the plague' and urged people to stay at home and not go to church during Easter.
Lionel Messi pays tribute to global health workers
Messi takes to Instagram to thank global health workers
The commercial Han Street in downtown Wuhan bustling this evening. Photos taken by Spanish journalist Mavi Donate.
Turkey interior minister stands down
Süleyman Soylu, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has resigned from his post after the poor handling of lockdown across Turkish cities over the weekend to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The best Spotify playlist and music for coronavirus lockdown
Music therapy for a global pandemic
We investigated the power and positive impact music can have during times of adversity and explain just why REM and Gloria Gaynor are back in the news.
Boris Johnson thanks "astonishing" NHS health workers for saving his life
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from hospital earlier today and will spend the rest of his rehabilitation after making a recovery from coronavirus infection at rural retreat, Chequers. Johnson posted a short, five-minute video in which he expressed his eternal gratitude to doctors, nurses, carers and staff who treated and looked after him while he was in hospital. He said that there was "no question that they saved my life".
Boris Johnson's video message to the NHS and the nation
"Good afternoon,
I have today left hospital after a week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question. It’s hard to find words to express my debt but before I come to that I want to thank everyone in the entire UK, for the effort and sacrifice you have made – and are making… we are now making progress in this incredible national battle against coronavirus. A fight we never picked, against an enemy we still don’t entirely understand.
In the last seven days I have seen the pressure that the NHS is under. I’ve seen the personal courage – not just of the doctors and nurses but of everyone – the cleaners, the cooks, the healthcare workers of every description – physios, radiographers, pharmacists who have kept coming to work, kept putting themselves in harm’s way, kept risking this deadly virus.
It’s thanks to that courage, that devotion, that duty and that love that our NHS has been unbeatable. I want to pay my own thanks to the utterly brilliant doctors, leaders in their fields, who took some crucial decisions a few days ago which I will be grateful for the rest of my life.
I want to thank the many nurses, men and women, whose care has been so astonishing. I’m going to forget some names but I want to thank Po Ling, Shannon, Emily and Angel, Connie, Becky, Rachael, Nicky and Ann… I hope they won’t mind if I mention in particular, two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way. They are Jenny from New Zealand - Invercargill on the south island to be exact, and Luis from Portugal, near Porto. For the reason my body did in the end start getting enough oxygen, is because they were watching every second of the night. And they were thinking and they were caring – and making the interventions I needed.
That is how I know that for every second of every day, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis.
That is why we will defeat this coronavirus and defeat it together. We will win, because our NHS is the beating heart of this country. It is the best of this country and it is powered by love.
Thank you from me from all us, to the NHS. Please follow the rules on social distancing, stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives.
Thank you and Happy Easter".
Most recent Coronavirus cases in China were imported from Russia
More than half of the new coronavirus infections which China reported on Sunday have been traced back to a Russian flight to Shanghai the previous day, Bloomberg reported, citing a press release issued by Shanghai’s Municipal Health Commission. China registered 97 new positive cases this morning and 51 of them had been on board the flight, believed to have been from Moscow.
By early evening on Sunday, Russia had registered 15,770 positive cases of Covid-19 infection with 130 lives lost - with the majority of the cases in and around the capital. 1,291 people have recovered from the virus in Russia.
Ricky Gervais warns world must ban widlife markets to avoid another pandemic
Ricky Gervais calls to end of wildlife markets if the world wants to avoid another coronavirus crisis.
“We can’t carry on exploiting animals, eating wildlife and trashing the planet," Gervias told The Mirror. "The wildlife trade and markets have to close, otherwise it will be a case of when, and not if, we have another global pandemic.”
Spain PM warns country not in "de-escalation phase"
In latest address to the nation, Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, warned: "Spain is not in the de-escalation phase. Only when we gain ground to the virus and the health system recovers will we advance in that phase. And if not, we will maintain or tighten the restrictions. The health and life of citizens will always come first."
Spain had recently eased some restrictions to allow some workers in non-essential services to return to work, such as those working in construction and factories. The country's daily death toll rose again on Sunday after three days of decline, though the number of daily new cases has dropped off significantly from the highs of a fortnight ago.
Boris Johnshon speaks after being discharged from hospital
Boris Johnson has addressed the British nation after being discharged from intensive care at St Thomas's hospital in London following a three-week battle with coronavirus. Johnson, who was admitted to the hospital last Sunday, has thanked NHS staff for saving his life...
Global death toll surpasses 110,000
The global coronavirus death toll has reached 110,042, according to the latest data from John Hopkins' University. The United States surpassed Italy yesterday as the country with the most Covid-19 deaths, and has now reported 20,608. Italy has registered 19,468 deaths, while Spain, the country with the third highest death toll, has reported 16,972 deaths.
Boris Johnson discharged from hospital
UK prime minister, Boris Johnshon, has been discharged from hospital in London. The Tory leader was admitted to hospital last Sunday, before being moved to intensive care on Monday evening as a precautionary measure.
“On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work,” Johnson’s office said on Sunday in an emailed statement. The premier will continue his recovery at his country retreat, Chequers.
Researchers in the US have produced a quick coronavirus test that could help to ramp up the overall testing effort across the country. Thus far 2,688,766 American citizens have been tested for Covid-19.
Pope Francis calls for unity in Europe
In his traditional Easter mass, which this year was livestreamed, Pope Francis called for European unity in the face of the coronavirus crisis. “The European Union is presently facing an epochal challenge, on which will depend not only its future but that of the whole world … This is not a time for division.”
Portugal's Sporting to cut player wages by 40% amid coronavirus losses
(Reuters) Players at Sporting will have their salaries cut by 40% for three months as the club attempts to mitigate financial losses from the suspension of games during the coronavirus outbreak, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.
Lusa also reported Sporting's board of directors will take a 50% pay cut.
With the pandemic shutting down global sport on an unprecedented scale, Sporting is the first of Portugal's three major football clubs to announce the cuts.
FIFA has urged clubs worldwide to consider wage reductions in order to protect their finances.
F.C. Porto and Benfica were considering a similar reduction in players' wages this week, local press reported, but have not yet announced an agreement.
All matches in the country's Primeira Liga were suspended indefinitely on 12 March. With 10 matches still to play this season, Sporting are in fourth place.
Should all clubs in the league follow their lead, the cuts could cost the state over 5 million euros ($5.43 million) per month in lost social security contributions, fiscal lawyers told Lusa.
In neighbouring Spain, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid players have taken at least a 70% pay cut.
Portugal has reported 15,987 cases of coronavirus, with 470 deaths.
Coronavirus: when will the Covid-19 vaccine be ready?
UK researchers believe they may have a vaccine for the coronavirus by September, but authorities in the US have warned it could take up to a year.
Coronavirus lockdown in India: how long will it last and how long will it be extended
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the government had agreed on Saturday to extend the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ireland sees largest increase in daily cases
Ireland saw 533 people diagnosed with coronavirus in the last 24 hours, their highest daily jump since the start of the pandemic. There was a delay with test results, which had been sent to Germany. They returned to Ireland saw their total case number shoot up too as the pandemic seems to be worsening in the UK and their nearest neighbour, Ireland.
Spains sees increase in deaths
After seeing a decline in deaths for the last couple of days, Spain's daily death total has gone up again. 619 people died in the last 24 hours and their total is now 16,606.
We have all learned a lot during the coronavirus pandemic from exponential growth to the nature of viruses and the way vaccines are produced. John Burn Murdoch has been putting on a clinic of data visualisation and in the video accompanying the tweet, he explains some of the decisions behind Financial Times' charts.
USA Today reoprts that in response to the pandemic, every state in the US has issued a disaster declaration for the first time in the country's history.
The United States records highest coronavirus deaths in a single day
The US recorded more than 2,000 deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, the highest daily toll yet, and now has more cases and more fatalities than any country in the world.
In the US, the IRS has begun sending out the first wave of stimulus checks as part of the Trump administration's $2.2 trillion relief initiative. You can read all about that here.
The UK has pledged 200m to help developing countries tackle Covid-19, a day after Turkey sent a massive shipment of medical equipment to help the UK cover PPE shortages in the NHS. Nice to see everyone pulling together.
Patel says 'failings' down to high demand
Priti Patel, the UK's home secretary, says she that the unprecedented crisis is the reason for shortages in protective equipment in hospitals.
"I’m sorry if people feel that there have been failings. I will be very, very clear about that," she said.
"But at the same time, we are in an unprecedented global health pandemic right now. It is inevitable that the demand and the pressures on PPE and demand for PPE are going to be exponential. They are going to be incredibly high. And of course we are trying to address that as a government.”
Coronavirus: total UK cases and deaths, real-time map, 12 April
As of 07:30 BST (08:30 CEST) on Sunday 12 April, there had been 78,911 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, with 9,875 deaths in total. A total of 622 individuals have officially recovered from Covid-19. You can keep up with the UK-specific numbers throughout the day here.
Boris Johnson says he owes NHS his life
Boris Johnson has released his first public statement since his hospitalisation due to coronavirus and says he owes the staff at St Thomas' Hospital in London and the NHS his life. "I can't thank them enough. I owe them my life," he said.
BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said that "No 10 does not want to speculate about when the PM might leave hospital or be back at his desk, but a return to work does not look imminent."
"The prime minister is expected to rest and recover in the coming weeks and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will continue to deputise - and will be in charge when ministers carry out a review of the lockdown measures."