Coronavirus summary: deaths and cases - 10 May
Coronavirus live global updates: cases, deaths and news - 10 May
NY on paws
Teddy bears wearing protective masks are displayed in front of a restaurant in the Manhattan borough of New York City. New York State's governor, Andrew Cuomo, has signed an executive order extending the current 15 May deadline on the 'NY ON PAUSE' order, which requires restaurants to serve takeaway food and drink only. (Photo: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images/AFP)
South Africa cases surpass 10,000
South Africa’s health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has confirmed that the country’s total number of coronavirus cases has passed the 10,000 mark. In total, 194 people have died of Covid-19 in South Africa, which has been sub-Saharan Africa’s worst-hit nation in the pandemic.
Quarantine queries over US VP Pence
After reports hit the airwaves that Vice President Mike Pence was self-isolating, this has since been denied. Follow all the latest US news on our devoted stars and stripes blog.
Coronavirus drives re-runs
Millions of Japanese viewers of the world's longest-running animated cartoon TV show will have to make do with re-runs from next week after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, Fuji Television Network said on Sunday.
Aired every Sunday since 1969, the 'Sazae-san' show features the everyday ups and downs of suburban Japanese housewife Sazae and her extended family, is a household name for many generations. It can still attract around 10% of the viewing audience, according to some estimates, for its 30-minute slot at 6.30 p.m. on Sundays.
Tokyo beds at 90% occupancy
More than 90 percent of hospital beds secured for Covid-19 patients in Tokyo have already been occupied, the Japanese Health Ministry said on Sunday, underscoring the pressing need to curb the further spread of the new coronavirus.
The ministry said 1,832 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised in the capital as of 28 April, or 91.6 percent of the 2,000 beds made available for such patients.
Italy sees further falls
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 165 on Sunday, against 194 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said as the daily tally of new cases fell to 802 from 1,083 on Saturday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on 21 February now stands at 30,560 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
Canada have 'come a long way'
The total number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by 2.2% to 4,728 on Sunday, one of the lowest daily increases since the outbreak started, official public health agency data showed.
'We have come a long way in a short time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and our efforts have undoubtedly prevented wider spread of the virus across the country,' chief public health officer Theresa Tam said in a statement.
Donald Trump could freeze immigration for years
US immigration
Concerns have been raised that Donald Trump may take advantage of the current pandemic to restrict access to American jobs from those trying to enter the country.
Virtual F1 win
George Russell, yet to score a point for his struggling Williams team in the real world of Formula One, celebrated a virtual Spanish Grand Prix victory from pole position on Sunday.
The Briton took his first F1 esports win ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who collected a three second penalty for exceeding track limits on the penultimate lap. That wiped out a similar sanction Russell had picked up. Mexican former F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez was third for Mercedes.
The race also featured Manchester City's Argentina soccer striker Sergio Aguero, Real Madrid's Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Barcelona's Brazil midfielder Arthur Melo as well as British golfer Ian Poulter.
'I am feeling ecstatic. I'm not used to this winning thing,' said Russell after taking the chequered flag in a race broadcast around the world and on F1's own platforms.
Tomorrow's news today...
...unless you're already in tomorrow, in which case it's today's news today.
Coronavirus clues
It may not have been the story you were expecting to read today but sewage could be one place where some answers to the genetic nature of Covid-19 are found. Read on...
More airline pain
Avianca Holdings (AVT_p.CN), Latin America’s No. 2 airline, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, as a bond payment deadline loomed and after pleas for aid from Colombia’s government to weather the coronavirus crisis have so far been unsuccessful.
More questions than answers
British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer has said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement on easing a lockdown to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus raised more questions than it answered.
'This statement raises more questions than it answers, and we see the prospect of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pulling in different directions.
'The prime minister appears to be effectively telling millions of people to go back to work without a clear plan for safety or clear guidance as to how to get there without using public transport. What the country wanted tonight was clarity and consensus, but we haven’t got either of those.'
French concessions?
Following the statement from Boris Johnson, Britain won't impose quarantine to travellers coming from France at this stage, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Sunday, adding that any such measure would be reciprocal and only be imposed after mutual consultation.
UK PM Boris Johnson's new guidance
There will be no immediate end to the coronavirus lockdown in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, setting out plans to begin gradually easing some of the measures which have shut down much of the economy for nearly seven weeks.
'This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week,' Johnson said in a televised address. 'Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.'
From Monday, those who cannot work from home will be actively encouraged to go to work, he said, and from Wednesday people will be allowed to take unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines. 'You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household,' he said. Read more
UK guidance imminent
A man walks his dog along the beach in Brighton, England. (Photo by Luke Dray/Getty Images)
The UK is continuing with quarantine measures intended to curb the spread of Covid-19, but as the infection rate is falling government officials are discussing the terms under which it would ease the lockdown. Boris Johnson is expected to speak around 19:00 BST (20:00 CEST) with an update to the guidance.
France update
The number of people who have died from coronavirus infections in France rose by 70 to 26,380 on Sunday, the health ministry said, a smaller increase than the previous day as France prepared to emerge from lockdown on Monday.
The ministry said the number of people in intensive care units - a key measure of a health system's ability to deal with the epidemic - fell by 36 to 2,776, down from a peak of 7,148 seen on 8 April. (via Reuters)
Australia to start winding down lockdown restrictions
Australia have recorded just under 7,000 positive Covid-19 cases since the crisis started with 97 deaths as a result of the virus.
Study shows people recovered from Covid-19 after taking heartburn drugs
Patients who took a common heartburn medicine while hospitalized for Covid-19 were more than twice as likely to survive the infection, according to a paper posted Friday on a pre-publication website. The drug, Famotidine, has been on the market for nearly 40 years and is an active ingredient in the popular over-the-counter heartburn treatment Pepcid.
Medical experts however, are not convinced. Only a clinical trial, where patients are randomly assigned to get either famotidine or a placebo and then studied, can determine if the drug really works against Covid-19.
Silvia Romano returns home safely to Italy after kidnap ordeal in Kenya
"I am bursting with joy at this moment" says father
Silvia Romano, the aid worker kidnapped 18 months ago in East Africa arrived home safely this afternoon.
Full story:
China cites 24 lies by US politicians regarding coronavirus
China has issued a lengthy rebuttal of what it said were "24 preposterous allegations" by some leading US politicians over its handling of the new coronavirus outbreak, the origins of the virus and the country's transparency about the epidemic when things started getting serious in January.
The Chinese foreign ministry has rejected accusations by US politicians, especially Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that China had withheld information about the new coronavirus and that it had originated in a laboratory in the city of Wuhan, arguing that the origins of the virus are still unknown.
A 30-page, 11,000-word article posted on the ministry website on Saturday night said that all evidence shows the virus is not man-made and that the institute is not capable of synthesising a new coronavirus. It also provided a timeline of how China had provided information to the international community in a 'timely', 'open and transparent' manner to rebuke US suggestions that it had been slow to sound the alarm.
12-day-old baby contracts Covid-19 in Chile
Aconcagua Health Services confirmed today that a 12-day-old baby had tested positive for Covid-19 in Valparaíso, Chile. The baby was admitted to San Juan de Dios Hospital, Los Andes last Thursday and has since been transferred to San Camilo Hospital. It is believed that the newborn baby caught the virus from a district nurse.
Free FFP2 masks to be distributed in Madrid
Chemists in Madrid will be handing out 7 million FFP2 protective masks to residents in the autonomous community of Madrid over the next two weeks.
The first half of a consignment of 14 million FFP2 masks will be given away from Monday 11 May at pharmacies throughout the region to those who present their community medical card or Spanish Identity card (DNI).
Foggy notion
Normal glasses and sunglasses tend to mist up when you wear a face mask, but do not fear, CNN have the answer.
Spain Covid-19 daily death toll falls slightly
Spain's daily death toll from the coronavirus fell to 143 on Sunday - down from 179 the previous day, the health ministry reported. It marks the lowest daily death toll since mid-March although the trend for fatalities has generally been a small drop on Sundays followed by a rise on Monday.
Overall deaths rose to 26,621 from 26,478 on Saturday and the number of diagnosed cases rose to 224,390 from 223,578 the day before, the ministry said.
Coronavirus cases in South Korea linked to clubbing district
Coronavirus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul's multicultural district of Itaewon have jumped to 54, The Korea Herald reports. It's a worrying trend for the Korean government, who have otherwise successfully tackled the coronavirus crisis.
The surge in infections began when a 29-year-old man, who had visited five different clubs in Itaewon, tested positive on 6 May. More than 1,500 people were believed to have visited the same clubs and bars that night. Of the 54 Itaewon-linked cases, 43 visited clubs and 11 others are either their family members or friends.
South Korea has since ordered all clubs and bars to close for a month.
Positive cases in Russia exceed 200,000
The Russian authorities said on Sunday they had recorded 11,012 new cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 209,688. Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 88 people had died in the past day, pushing the national death toll to 1,915. Russian coronavirus cases overtook French and German infections this week to become the fifth highest in the world.
Around 200 coronavirus patients were evacuated from Spasokukotskogo Hospital in Moscow last night after a fire broke out. One patient died in the incident.
Boris Johnson to announce five-tier Coronavirus warning system
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out a five-tier coronavirus warning system for in England later on Sunday when he outlines the government's plans to begin slowly easing lockdown measures.
Johnson is due to use a televised address at 18:00 hours GMT to announce the next steps in Britain's battle against the pandemic following a lockdown that has kept millions at home for nearly seven weeks.
Johnson will give details about a new warning system for England, ranging from 'green' at level one to 'red' at level five to flag the Covid-19 risk in different areas and to allow the government to increase restrictions where necessary.
Transport minister Grant Shapps said there would not be any dramatic changes to the lockdown. People will now be allowed to leave their homes to exercise more than once a day and that garden centres - selling plants, seeds and garden equipment - can reopen. Those who cannot work from home will begin to be encouraged to return to offices and factories, as long as strict social distancing rules can be followed.
Western Australia ready to enter Stage II of eased lockdown measures
Western Australia will become the first state to enter Stage II of rolled-back coronavirus measures from next week. Australia remains in Stage I of lockdown easing, which allows gatherings of up to 10 people outdoors. From Monday 18 May, libraries, gyms and indoor weddings will be allowed for up to 20 people, while outdoor weddings will be permitted with a maximum of 30 guests.
New exercise rules in Wales but lockdown remains
Lockdown measures eased in Wales
For the first time since lockdown was announced on the 23 March parts of the UK have begun to loosen the restrictions with some “very small and modest” changes.
Full story here:
Worldwide Covid-19 cases surpass 4 million mark
Confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world reached the four million mark earlier today, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Almost 280,000 people are reported to have died as a result of the Covid-19 virus.
The United States has suffered more than anywhere else with 1,309,541 positive cases and 78,794 deaths, followed by Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom while cases in Russia have been increasing over the past week.
Coronavirus live coverage: welcome
Hello and welcome to our daily live blog on the global coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered over 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.