Coronavirus summary: deaths and cases - 9 May
Coronavirus live India updates: - cases, deaths and news, 9 May
Global totals and country news
Confirmed worldwide cases: 4.0 million +
Confirmed worldwide deaths: 279,000 +
(source: Johns Hopkins University)
China reports 14 new cases
China has reported 14 new confirmed coronavirus cases, the highest number since 28 April. Two were imported, while the other 12 were local infections.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country reached 82,901 as of May 9, while the total death toll from the virus stood at 4,633. That figure is considered by some to vastly underestimate the death toll.
Obama: Trump’s administration has been a disaster during Covid-19 pandemic
Obama on Trump
Here's some more on Obama's withering criticism of Trump.
Obama: Trump's Covid-19 response "absolute chaotic disaster"
The scoop from Yahoo News, with what is apparently a tape of Barack Obama talking to his alumni association:
"This election that’s coming up on every level is so important because what we’re going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party. What we’re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life. And by the way, we’re seeing that internationally as well.
It’s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty. It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset – of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ – when that mindset is operationalized in our government."
Lyon 'announce' Champions League return for 7 August
Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, has leaked the supposed date for a return to European football competition, saying "Our game against Juventus is confirmed for 7 August, in Turin, behind closed doors. If the appeals are not successful Lyon and PSG run the risk of being massacred by teams that have had preparation other teams have not."
The French league has been wrapped up, meaning the French teams will have no competitive football before the Champions League games, while in principle the other major leagues in Europe are planning to finish their 19/20 seasons.
"Finally, a virus got me"
This interview with virologist Peter Piot is a must-read. He's the director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, one of the discoverers of the Ebola virus an has spent his life fighting infections diseases, including HIV. He fell ill with the coronavirus in mid-March and nearly died from it. He talks about how own infection and what we need to do to beat Covid-19.
One quote: "Without a coronavirus vaccine, we will never be able to live normally again".
Coronavirus: are stomach pains a symptom of Covid-19?
Are stomach pains a symptom of Covid-19?
Full story here:
Little Richard dies, aged 87
Rock 'n' roll icon Little Richard passed away this morning, his son Danny Penniman confirmed to Rolling Stone. The cause of death has not been revealed but believed to be related to bone cancer. Georgia-born Little Richard was one of the pioneers of the genre and a huge influence on other artists including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
New Covid-19 cases and deaths down in Italy
Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 194 on Saturday, against 243 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases fell to 1,083 from 1,327 on Friday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on 21 February now stands at 30,395 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Great Britain. The number of confirmed cases amounts to 218,268 the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 84,842 from 87,961 the day before. There were 1,034 people in intensive care on Saturday, down from 1,168 on Friday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 103,031 were declared recovered against 99,023 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.645 million people had been tested for the virus against 1.609 million on Friday, out of a population of around 60 million.
UK Covid-19 death toll rises to 31,587
The death toll from coronavirus in Great Britain has risen to 31,587, an increase of 346 in a 24-hour period, Transport Minister Grant Shapps said at the government's daily news briefing this evening.
Around 11,809 people are currently in hospital in the UK – down from yesterday's figure: 12,284 almost a fifth down from the same time last week.
Coronavirus appears to be weakening, says Italian scientist
Professor Giuseppe Remuzzi, Director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan believes that the coronavirus has become weaker in recent weeks or at the least the situation is not as serious as it was a month ago.
"The patients we are seeing now are completely different to the ones we saw three to four weeks ago, less are being admitted to intensive care or need to remain in hospital," Remuzzi said today. "Before, around 80 people would arrive at Accident and Emergency - all with serious breathing difficulties; now it is around 10 and out of them, eight are well enough to be sent home. We don't know if the virus has changed or the viral load in each patient is less".
Pickering deputy mayor tests positive
Deputy mayor of Pickering Kevin Ashe has confirmed that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and says he thinks he may have contracted the virus from his daughter, who works as a personal support worker at Orchard Villa.
Air France to introduce new travel protocol from Monday
Air France will check the temperature of passengers boarding their planes on all flights starting from from Monday. Customers will also be required to wear face masks on all flights, the airline announced today.
Any passenger whose temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius will not be allowed to board the aircraft - their booking will be changed to a flight on a later date at no extra cost..
Slovakia records no new Covid-19 cases for first time since 10 March
Slovakia recorded no new cases of coronavirus during the past 24 hours - the first time the daily rate has been zero since 10 March. The central European country of 5.5 million has had fewer cases and deaths than its neighbours. Cases total 1,455 while 26 people have died and 915 have already recovered.
On Wednesday, the government reopened all shops outside shopping malls, hotels, museums, galleries and outdoor tourist attractions and allowed religious services and weddings with a limited number of guests. Schools remain closed, however, and international passenger travel is still not possible. People returning from abroad must go to state-run quarantine centres for 14 days.
Spain's daily death toll falls
Spain's daily death toll from the coronavirus fell to 179 during the 24 hours leading to Saturday - down from 229 on the previous day, the health ministry reported. Overall deaths rose to 26,478 from 26,299 on Friday and the number of diagnosed cases rose to 223,578 from 222,857 the day before, the ministry said.
Subdued VE Day celebrations in Moscow
Russia celebrated the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe on Saturday in a more low-key celebration than originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic. There was a military parade and fly pasts by the Russian Air Force on Red Square this morning.
President Vladimir Putin will lay flowers at the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Gardens in Moscow and address the nation later this morning.
Russia has recorded 198,676 positive cases of Covid-19 infection and 1,827 people have died of the virus.
Aligarh schools to remain closed for the time being
Aligarh Education Officer Lakshmikant Pandey has reiterated that schools are still not allowed to open after some schools were opened in the district at the end of last week. Schools and colleges in India must remain closed under the new extended lockdown which runs until 17 May.
Lockdown eased in Spain except Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Granada
Most parts of Spain will advance from Phase 0 of the government's unwinding of lockdown restrictions to Phase I starting next week. But some parts of the country will not be able to scale down confinement measures including Madrid and Catalunya - the two hotspots for Covid-19 and the areas which have suffered the most infections and deaths.
Travellers entering UK face 14-day quarantine
Anyone entering the UK from abroad will be quarantined for two weeks on arrival as part of a package of measures which Boris Johnson is due to announce tomorrow, The Guardian reports.
Lodi tests positive, 9 other Atlético players have anti-bodies
Lodi tests positive, 9 other Atlético players have anti-bodies
More on Lodi's situation at Atlético. The player is thought to have contracted Covid-19 at the start of March but at the time believed it was just a bout of flu.
Full story here:
AS front page: Saturday 9 May
Real Madrid's Luka Jovic and Atletico's Lodi feature on today's front cover of the print edition of AS: Jovic faces two months on the sidelines while Lodi was the first player to test positive for Covid-19 in LaLiga since the teams returned last week.
Buenos Aires lockdown extended, restrictions eased elsewhere in Argentina
Argentina has extended quarantine restrictions in Buenos Aires until 24 May but relaxed the restriction aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus elsewhere in the country, President Alberto Fernandez said on Friday.
The lockdown, which was due to expire on Sunday, will remain in place in the capital and its outskirts, Fernandez said in a televised address. Argentina has been under national quarantine for seven weeks and the government has extended it three times previously. As of Friday, the country had registered 5,611 confirmed cases of the virus and 293 deaths.
Australia's major states hold off relaxing lockdown measures
Australia's most populous states held back from easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on Saturday even as some states allowed small gatherings and got ready to open restaurants in line with the government's three-stage plan for reopening businesses.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined plans to remove most curbs by July in a three-step process to get nearly 1 million people back to work, as the country has reined in new Covid-19 infections to less than 20 a day with strict lockdowns. Australia's total deaths from the virus is just below 100.
Capital city Canberra and some states have allowed people to start visiting each other again, with indoor and outdoor gatherings, including weddings, of up to 10 people allowed. In South Australia, outdoor dining at restaurants and cafes will be allowed from Monday for up to 10 people, and in the Northern Territory, pubs, bars and restaurants will reopen on Friday.
However, New South Wales and Victoria, which make up more than half the country's population and nearly two-thirds of the country's Covid-19 cases, plan to outline plans for easing business restrictions only next week.
Call for UK schools to remain closed until track and trace scheme is available
Education unions in the UK have set out a list of criteria which they want to see in place before children are allowed back to school. These include a full nationwide rollout of a track-and-trace programme, financial help for deep cleaning and decontaminating school premises and availability of PPE.
Coronavirus live coverage: welcome
Hello and welcome to our daily live blog on the global coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered close to 4 million confirmed cases worldwide.
We'll endeavour to bring you the latest developments and statistics as they emerge throughout the course of the day.