The COVID-19 pandemic continues spreading, infecting almost 1,350,000 people around the world and killing almost 75,000. At the same time, at least 285,000 infected have recovered from the disease. At the moment, the main centres of the coronavirus are in the United States (over 360,000 confirmed cases, almost 11,000 dead), and in European countries, with the highest death toll in Italy (132,000 infected, over 16,500 fatalities).
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According to the Johns Hopkins University, the US death toll reached 12,722 on Tuesday, marking an increase of 1,736 deaths over the day.
The previous record for the most US COVID-19 deaths in a single day was reached on 4 April, with 1,344, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Localities in the United States that were hardest hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) show the first signs of stabilization despite a growing death toll, US Vice President Mike Pence said at a White House briefing.
"Despite an increase in losses... hospital admissions continue to decline," Pence told reporters. "We continue to see evidence of stabilization in some of the areas around the country of the most significant outbreak - the New York metro area, including New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, New Orleans metro area, Detroit, Boston, Chicago and Denver."
The number pf people who contracted the coronavirus disease in Israel has amounted to 9,248, and a total of 65 people died from the disease, the country's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Previous reports indicated that there were 9,006 coronavirus cases and 59 fatalities in Israel.
According to the Health Ministry, 770 patients have fully recovered from COVID-19 as of 9 p. m. local time (16:00 GMT) on Tuesday. The number of patients in serious condition amounts to 149.
The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has risen above 12,000, according to the latest data published by Johns Hopkins University at 7:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).
According to the university, which provides aggregate figures of the coronavirus outbreak across the globe, the total number of confirmed cases in the US since the start of the outbreak now stands at 383,256, the highest number of infections in any country. Meanwhile, the number of fatalities has reached 12,021, the third highest death toll worldwide.
US President Donald Trump said the federal stockpile of ventilators had 8,675 machines in it, and that roughly 110,000 more would soon be delivered.
Trump also said that some states, including Washington and California, were giving back lent ventilators they did not need, and that the United Kingdom had requested at least 200 machines.
The 2020 Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place June 12-14, has been postponed
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 7, 2020
It’s w/a heavy heart that we share that Councilman Yun has passed away. He was a great co worker and a tireless advocate for the people of #JerseyCity - More than that he was a great father, husband, and grandfather. I can speak for the entire JC community that we are devastated
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) April 6, 2020
Speaking at a government meeting, Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder said that Bavaria was some three weeks behind Austria in terms of the epidemic’s pace. As Austria cancelled all public events until June, the COVID-19 restrictions in Bavaria may last until July, he noted.
"The positive trend of recent days in Bavaria, fortunately, continues ... The measures do work", he said.
The challenges are, however, far from over, the minister president added, noting that the situation was particularly difficult in homes for the elderly and the disabled.
According to Söder, the prospect of obligating people to wear face masks is "extremely likely".
The coronavirus pandemic in Serbia has reached its peak, and this maximum can last for another ten days, chief epidemiologist Predrag Kon said on Tuesday at a briefing.
So far, the Serbian health authorities have confirmed a total of 2,447 cases of the disease in the country, including 61 fatalities.
"Over the past three days, we have reached a maximum that will last for another ten days", Kon said.
The specialist also said that the most stringent measures should be implemented in the near future, adding that the introduction of a 24-hour curfew makes sense for the capital and some other epicenters of the outbreak.
As of now, Serbian citizens under 65 years old are forbidden to leave their homes from 17:00 p.m. to 05:00 a.m. local time (from 16:00 to 04:00 GMT)on weekdays and from 13:00 p.m. on Saturday to 05:00 a.m on Monday. People over 65 years in cities and over 70 years in a rural area may go out only on Sunday from 03:00 a.m. to 08:00 a.m. (from 02:00 to 07:00 GMT).
The number of new coronavirus cases registered in the past 24 hours globally reached 68,766, bringing the total to 1.279 million, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.
The number of fatalities increased by 5,022 reaching 72,616.
China has unblocked exit from the city of Wuhan that was a coronavirus epidemic hotspot after 76 days of isolation.
The authorities have opened automobile roads leading out of the city. In addition, air travel is expected to partially resume on Wednesday.
All travel to and from Wuhan was suspended starting 23 January, citizens were allowed to leave the city only with authorization.
"What we're seeing is a large majority of the American public are taking the social-distancing recommendations to heart. And I think that's the direct consequence of why you're seeing the numbers are going to be much, much, much, much lower than would have been predicted by the models", CDC Director Robert Redfield said Monday in an interview with AM 1030 KVOI Radio in Tucson, Ariz.
"As of this morning, the Maryland Health Department is reporting 4,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland. We have added 326 cases since yesterday", governor spokesperson Kata Hall said via Twitter.
Hall added that the death toll due to CVID-19 in Maryland increased to 103.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said there are 114 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 1,211.
"Therefore, 22 District residents tragically have lost their lives due to COVID-19", Bowser confirmed.
The Virginia Department of Health reported 3,333 COVID-19 cases and 63 deaths caused by the novel coronavirus.
"[We plan] to proceed to the first stage of the clinical trials on 180 volunteers on 29 June with three vaccines", the head of the Russian virology research centre Vektor, Rinat Masyukov, said at a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Currently, the lab is testing the vaccine on animals to find the right prototype by 30 April. The scientists plan to develop vaccines for pre-clinical trials by 10 May and to carry them out by 22 June.
"5,489 New Yorkers lost their lives to this virus, that is up from 4758. That is the largest single-day increase", Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press briefing.
Cuomo added that with the total of 138,836 positive COVID-19 cases, "New York is still the most heavily impacted state in the nation".
WASHINGTON, April 7 (Sputnik) - The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has risen to 11,008, according to the latest data published by Johns Hopkins University at 4:42 GMT.
According to the university, which provides aggregate figures of the coronavirus disease outbreak across the globe, the total number of confirmed cases in the US since the start of the outbreak now stands at 368,533, the highest number of infections in any country.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Malawi has recorded its first death from coronavirus-related complications, the health minister of this small southeastern African country was reported as saying Tuesday.
Jappie Mhango said the 51-year-old Malawian national of Indian origin had tested positive after returning from the United Kingdom, according to Capital FM Malawi radio. She had preexisting conditions.
The country has also reported three new cases of the infection, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to eight.
SUKHUMI (Sputnik) - Abkhazia will fully close its border with Russia from April 8 due to the spread of COVID-19, the presidential press office said on Tuesday, adding that the acting head of the republic, Valery Bganba, signed a corresponding decree.
“[I order] to restrict the entry into Abkhazia for all categories of citizens through checkpoints on the Abkhaz-Russian state border from 00:00 on 8 April 2020 [20:00 GMT on 7 April],” the statement said.
Foreign diplomats, Russian military personnel and drivers transporting international cargo will still be able to cross the border, according to the statement.
Following a global warning by Interpol, CBI (Interpol’s nodal agency in India) has written to police departments across the country to be vigilant against cyber attacks on hospitals.
Hospitals have been advised to keep their systems updated and firewalls strengthened.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Humanity is threatened today by not only the coronavirus pandemic but also a so-called cyberpandemic, which is especially relevant now as more of the world switches to telecommuting, Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of International Information Security Andrey Krutskikh said on Tuesday.
"Basically, we are dealing with two pandemics. One is the bio-pandemic connected with the spread of the coronavirus. People are dying, and now this is a priority issue. But simultaneously another global problem is deepening, and it is probably man-made. This is what I would call a cyberpandemic. I understand the cyberpandemic as a possibility of drawing humanity into cyberconfrontation and even a cyberwar", Krutskikh said during an online discussion of the Valdai Club.
The diplomat noted that signs of the cyberpandemic include hacking, cyberterrorism, and cyberinterference in private lives and the development of states, which is the consequence of the development of negative trends in improving cybertechnologies.
At the same time, Krutskikh said that the transfer of many areas of life to a remote format amid the pandemic clearly indicated the need to foster international information security.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Austria’s health authority has registered 332 new COVID-19 cases and 23 deaths in the past 24 hours, a daily report read.
According to Austria’s Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, the total number of infected has reached 12,390, over 4,000 of whom have recovered, while 243 have died.
The highest number of cases, over 2,800, in the state of Tyrol, which borders northern Italy.
Austria was among the first European nations to outline steps to lift quarantine and mitigation measures as the number of active cases has begun to tail off.
Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz also said that starting from 14 April, the authorities intended to allow small shops with areas of up to 400 square meters (4,305 square feet) to open, provided that they had strictly adhered to precautionary measures. All other stores, shopping centres and hairdressers will resume work on 1 May.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The suspension of football matches due to the coronavirus pandemic may result in big losses for the English Premier League, with Manchester United looking to lose up to over 116 million pounds ($143 million) if the current season is not seen through, a UK sports media analysis stated on Tuesday.
According to Daily Mail football reporter Nick Harris, Manchester United’s reliance on matchday revenue and commercial or sponsorship income have left it most vulnerable to bear large losses amid coronavirus mitigation measures.
Derby rival Manchester City FC and table leaders Liverpool FC are also set to lose over 100 million pounds each, as the world’s most-watched football championship remains suspended for the foreseeable future.
City and Liverpool, however, can weather the storm better because they are bankrolled by foreign investors with deep pockets, according to the publication, while United is owned by a private family, the Glazers.
The exorbitant fees commanded by star players became subject of much scrutiny in recent weeks, as Liverpool leadership decided to furlough thousands of club employees while keeping players’ salaries untouched.
The public backlash against Liverpool higher-ups forced a reversal of the decision on Monday and an apology from club CEO Peter Moore.
Virtually all clubs are set to burden heavy losses amid the pandemic, as Premier League clubs enjoy the highest earnings in television broadcasting revenue of any football competition.
The championship was suspended last month with the 20 teams having nine or 10 games left to play, with Liverpool leading by 25 points.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Indonesia has grown to 2,738, including 221 fatalities, the Indonesian Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
The latest update from Indonesia on Monday stated 2,491 confirmed cases, including 209 fatalities.
According to the ministry, 204 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in the end of March. As part of measures to curb the spread of infection, Indonesia temporarily suspended foreign arrivals and transit. However, the authorities did not ban public gatherings and allowed expats to return home for the holy month of Ramadan, citing economic reasons.
Indonesian officials believe that hot weather and humidity in the country will slow down the coronavirus from spreading.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) -The coronavirus pandemic is set to irreversibly change the world, so much so that humanity may be forced to reconsider its urban planning traditions and upkeep, according to experts who shared their views on the subject.
Instructor at the Institute of Earth Sciences with Tyumen State University Lilia Sulkarnaeva posited that cities of the future will strive to be more decentralised.
“One of the solutions [to crises similar to the coronavirus pandemic] is to decentralise urban environments. In most cities there is a single center that takes on many functions: a business centre, there are entertainment events and so on. This creates a constant stream of human exchange. If we form a multi-core urban center, this will allow us to separate these streams and make cities safer", Sulkarnaeva said.
Sulkarnaeva went on to stress the need for wider spaces wherever possible and more efficient waste management to help fight further outbreaks.
At the same time, advances in communication technologies have made society much more resilient and well-prepared to counter outbreaks and their effects, according to Steve Kuddins, an expert at the Design and Urbanism Institute with St Petersburg’s Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics University.
“If such a pandemic happened 40 years ago, it would be a big blow, because then people would really be isolated from each other not only physically, but also intellectually. Now we use the internet for entertainment and maintaining social contacts", Kuddins said.
Kuddins also expressed confidence that the experience with COVID-19 will allow authorities and society at large to develop more efficient ways of tackling pandemics.
"If this happens again, everyone will already know what to do, the city will be isolated, quarantine measures will be introduced instantly, and then we will be able to block and destroy such viruses completely", Kuddins explained.
The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic last month, causing many countries to impose drastic mitigation measures and curbs on movement. By early April, about half of the world’s population had been placed under some form of quarantine or movement restrictions.
As of Tuesday, nearly 76,000 people have died from about 1.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, while nearly 290,000 have recovered.
#COVID19-UPDATE IN AFRICA: 7 APRIL 2020 - 9:00 am EAT.
— Africa CDC (@AfricaCDC) April 7, 2020
52 @_AfricanUnion Member States reporting 10,075 COVID-19 cases, 487 deaths, and 913 recoveries.
More information on https://t.co/fvcEaCHn37#COVID19 #FactsNotFear #AfricaResponds pic.twitter.com/xMPLvtKg7a
Justice Dipankar Datta had admonished lawyer, Bijoy Adhikary, for failing to uphold the dignity of the court and acting in a manner "not behooving a member of the noble profession”, while directing him to reply to a contempt of court ruling within a fortnight from the date on which it is served upon him.
Justice Datta noted in the order that Adhikary had been warned to behave but instead of heeding such advice, he was heard to say that the judge's future shall be doomed and to that end he cursed the judge to be infected by the coronavirus.
According to authorities, all outdoor exercises will be banned between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., starting Wednesday, 8 April.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is looking into different ways to celebrate the 75th anniversary of World War II victory, and no decision has been made so far to cancel the traditional Victory Day Parade in Moscow, as everything will depend on the development of the coronavirus situation in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"Obviously, different options are studied, but it is too early to discuss this, as no decision has been made, as of today", Peskov reporters, when asked if the Kremlin has any understanding of how the parade will be held and if it could be postponed to September.
The decision will be made taking into consideration the epidemiological situation, he added.
"Anyway, since we are talking about the age group at risk, veterans' participation is not a good idea, no matter what events are held on 9 May, just due to the need to protect their health", Peskov went on to say.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has increased by 104 to 3,764 over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, adding that the number of deaths went up to 177.
On Monday, the ministry reported about 3,600 confirmed coronavirus cases and 163 fatalities.
A total of 84 patients have recovered from the disease.
On Monday, Philippine authorities extended the enhanced community quarantine on the largest Philippine island of Luzon, home to some 57 million people, until the end of April. The enhanced quarantine stipulates strict self-isolation, a ban on the use of transport, the rationing of supplies of food and essential medical products, and an increased presence of the military in the area to control the implementation.
HELSINKI (Sputnik) - The number of people infected with COVID-19 in Estonia has grown by 42 to a total of 1,149 cases, the Estonian Health Board said on Tuesday.
According to an update on the board's website, COVID-19 has been diagnosed in total of 1149 residents of Estonia in various regions of the country, including 21 fatalities and 69 recoveries.
"There are 130 COVID-19 patients in the hospitals now, of which 12 are on ventilators", the health board said.
Since 31 January, more than 23,546 tests have been carried out, according to the update.
On March 12, the Estonian government declared a state of emergency until May 1 over the coronavirus pandemic. All cultural and recreation sites, as well as educational institutions, have been closed. The government has also temporarily suspended visits to social welfare institutions, hospitals and prisons.
TBILISI (Sputnik) - Georgia has registered seven new cases of coronavirus in the country over the past 24 hours and no deaths in that time frame according to information on the government’s dedicated coronavirus website.
The total number of cases has now reached 195 people, 39 of whom have recovered.
Two citizens have died from COVID-19 infection since the pandemic reached the South Caucasus country.
Additionally, 370 suspected patients are currently under supervision, according to the website.
The number of cases detected is noticeably less than either regional neighbour, with Armenia currently counting over 850 cases and Azerbaijan over 640.
TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Israel has increased by 395 to 9,006 over the past 24 hours, with fifty-nine patients having died, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, at least 683 people have fully recovered.
Meanwhile, Palestine’s health authorities have confirmed six more coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number of those infected to 260. The death toll remains at one, and the total number of recoveries has risen to 24.
On 11 March, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 1.3 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, and over 74,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US tech giant Facebook is expanding its programme that provides researchers with access to data on the location and movement of users to determine the nature of the spread of coronavirus and the effectiveness of preventive measures, the company said in a press release.
"As part of Facebook’s Data for Good program, we offer maps on population movement that researchers and nonprofits are already using to understand the coronavirus crisis, using aggregated data to protect people’s privacy. We heard from them how valuable this information can be in responding to COVID-19, and today we’re announcing new tools to support their work", the company said.
According to the statement, these are three new types of Disease Prevention Maps to facilitate disease forecasting and protective measures.
"Our Disease Prevention Maps are aggregated sets of information that health researchers can use to better understand how population dynamics influence the spread of disease", the press release read.
The so-called co-location maps have been designed to reveal the probability of contacts between people from different areas to illuminate where COVID-19 cases may appear next. Another map, dubbed movement range trends, will show whether people are staying near their homes or visiting different parts of a city. The so-called social connectedness index will show "friendships across states and countries, which can help epidemiologists forecast the likelihood of disease spread, as well as where areas hardest hit by COVID-19 might seek support."
According to the press release, while Disease Prevention Maps aggregate information from Facebook, the company is taking additional measures to obscure people's identities and reduce the risk of re-identification.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - The number of coronavirus-related deaths in India has reached 114 and the tally of infections has climbed to 4,421 after 354 more people have tested positive in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Previous data indicated that there were 4,067 COVID-19 active cases across the country.
According to the ministry, the fresh toll of 4,421 cases includes 3,981 active cases, 325 recoveries, 114 fatalities and one person who left the country.
The western state of Maharashtra is the most affected by the virus with 748 cases. The capital territory, Delhi, has 523 cases, and Tamil Nadu has so far confirmed 621 cases.
In a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19, India introduced a 21-day lockdown on 24 March. People are not allowed to leave their homes unless for exceptional reasons. Thousands of shops and firms are temporarily closed, and the work of public transport is restricted. Traffic between Indian states, and all domestic and international flights have also been suspended.
Hang in there, Prime Minister @BorisJohnson! Hope to see you out of hospital and in perfect health very soon.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 6, 2020
I send all my support to Boris Johnson, to his family and to the British people at this difficult moment. I wish him a speedy recovery at this testing time.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 6, 2020
Today, on #WorldHealthDay, The Queen has sent a message to healthcare professionals across the Commonwealth and around the world, on behalf of The Royal Family. 🌍🏥 pic.twitter.com/AL2N08qnjE
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 7, 2020
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has told Sky News "parliament cannot resume in the same way" due to social distancing rules
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) April 7, 2020
There has been no change in Prime Minister Johnson's condition, Reuters reported, citing two sources close to him.
Michael Gove MP discusses the PM's decision to continue leading while he was ill
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) April 7, 2020
- "The PM has been following medical advice"
- "The PM loves this country, he wants to do his very, very best for us"
- "He's had a stripped back diary"#BBCBreakfast
Boris Johnson's former press secretary Will Walden has told Kay Burley at Breakfast the Prime Minister has "the best medical care in the world" and says he is a "fighter" and a "really strong guy"
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) April 7, 2020
