The highest number of infected individuals is in the United States (over 1,250,000 confirmed cases and at least 75,670 fatalities), according to Johns Hopkins University, while the United Kingdom occupies second place in terms of deaths (over 30,689) globally. Italy and Spain are the main centres of the COVID-19 outbreak in continental Europe.
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BEIJING (Sputnik) – China has registered one new case of COVID-19 within the past 24 hours, with no people having died of the disease, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
The only new coronavirus case was detected in the city of Tianjin. The authorities also recorded 15 new asymptomatic cases, according to the commission.
“The National Health Commission received information about 82,887 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by a new type of coronavirus from 31 provinces [regions and municipalities], including 208 currently ill people. 15 people are in critical condition, 4,633 have died, 78,046 people have been discharged from hospitals,” the commission said in a statement.
The number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong stands at 1,044 people, with four patients having died and 960 more having been discharged from hospitals. Forty-five people have been infected with the disease in Macao, with 40 of them having been released from medical facilities. The number of infected people in Taiwan amounts to 440, with six of them having died and 355 others recovered.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Argentina decided to prolong the quarantine linked to COVID-19 pandemic until 24 May, President Alberto Fernandez said.
The Latin American country introduced restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic on 20 March.
"The quarantine is prolonged until May 24," the president said on late Friday.
Some regions of the country will gradually lift the restrictions in the upcoming days but the quarantine in the capital of Buenos Aires will remain mostly unchanged.
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – The number of people, who have died of COVID-19 in Mexico, has risen by 199 to 3,160 within the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said.
The ministry's director of epidemiology, Jose Luis Alomia, also said on late Friday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had increased by 1,906 to 31,522 within the same period of time.
A day earlier, the Latin American nation has recorded 1,982 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 257 lethal ones.
LIMA (Sputnik) – Peru decided to prolong the quarantine linked to COVID-19 pandemic until 24 May, President Martin Vizcarra said.
"We must prolong the emergency until Sunday, May 24," Vizcarra said on late Friday.
At the same time, the Peruvian authorities will cut the curfew that will begin at 8:00 p.m. (01:00 a.m. GMT) starting from 11 May, instead of 6:00 p.m. as it does now.
In the northern regions of Peru, the curfew will continue to start at 4:00 p.m.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Argentina has confirmed 240 new cases of the coronavirus across the country within the past 24 hours, with the total number of people infected with COVID-19 having reached 5,611, the national Ministry of Health said.
A day earlier, Argentina recorded 163 new cases of the coronavirus disease and nine fatalities.
"Today, 240 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total number of [COVID-19] positive tests in the country to 5,611," the ministry said in a daily bulletin on late Thursday.
The death toll has increased by eight to 293 people within the same period of time.
The mortality rate in the Latin American country currently stands at 5.2 percent.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Sputnik) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by record 10,222 to 145,328 within the past 24 hours, the National Ministry of Health said on late Friday.
The death toll has risen by record 751 to 9,897 people within the same period of time.
A day earlier, Brazil reported about 9,888 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 610 new fatalities.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to remember the lessons of the victory in World War II and cooperate in fighting the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
8-9 May are designated by the United Nations has designated 8 May and 9 May as days of remembrance and reconciliation for those who lost their lives during the World War II.
"Even during the current [novel coronavirus] COVID-19 crisis, we see new efforts to divide people and spread hatred," Guterres said on Friday. "As we mark this 75th anniversary, let’s remember the lessons of 1945 and work together to end the pandemic and build a future of peace, safety and dignity for all."
Guterres also said that the world must never forget the Holocaust and the grave crimes committed by the Nazis.
In addition, Guterres said the victory over Nazism and Fascism in May 1945 led to the new era and the birth of the United Nations.
Russia celebrates Victory Day on 9 May - the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany by Soviet forces in 1945.
NEW YORK (Sputnik) - The daily percentage of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the US state of New Jersey has decreased to 28 percent from more than 56 percent a month ago, Governor Phil Murphy said in a press briefing.
"And as you could see, this has decreased significantly over the past weeks. It is currently at about 28 percent," Murphy said on Friday.
Murphy displayed a table that revealed the COVID-19 daily percent of positive cases exceeded 56 percent at the beginning of April.
The governor also said that New Jersey reported 1,985 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infected people in the state to 135,454.
Murphy added there were 162 new fatalities, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,952.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The state of California has registered more than 80 new COVID-19-related deaths and almost 1,900 new cases within the past 24 hours, Governor Gavin Newsom said in a podcast.
"This pandemic has not gone away," Newsom said on Friday. "[There were] 1,898 new positive cases [and] 81 deaths on Thursday," he said.
The governor said they have seen a 6 percent drop in intensive care hospitalizations and a decline in hospitalizations overall.
California was going ahead with Phase 2 of its reopening program for the state economy and hoped to be able to move on to Phase 3 within the next month, Newsom said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - More than 87,000 coronavirus infection cases have been confirmed worldwide over the past 24 hours, and more than 5,400 people have died from COVID-19 in the given period, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The global case count has increased by 87,729 to a cumulative total of 3,759,967 cases, according to the latest situation report.
The death toll has increased by 5,429 in the 24-hour period to late Friday, taking the total to 259,474 fatalities.
The plurality of cases — 1.65 million — remain concentrated in Europe. The United States continues being the country with the highest single count of cases (1.2 million) and fatalities (67,146).
TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The number of active cases of the coronavirus disease in Israel decreased by 195 and reached a total of 4,962 on Friday, the Health Ministry said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country on Friday increased by 27 and reached 16,436, while the death toll remained at 245, as no deaths were registered over the past 24 hours.
As of now, 78 patients are in serious condition, of which 63 patients need mechanical lung ventilation.
Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries is at 11,229.
Given the epidemiological situation, Israel has already begun to ease its lockdown restrictions by reopening stores that sell electronics and household goods. People are currently allowed to play sports outside and visit their friends and relatives. The country has also reopened barbershops, beauty salons and shops, while malls, trade markets and sports clubs should resume working in the coming days.
MADRID (Sputnik) - Spain will soften the quarantine in areas making up more than half of the country's population starting next Monday, Health Minister Salvador Illa Roca said on Friday.
On 28 April, the authorities introduced a four-stage plan for reopening the country with the regions moving from stage to stage based on their epidemiological situation. The first round is scheduled for 11 May.
"Overall, half of Spain's population, 51 percent, live in territories, that meet conditions for the first phase. This is slightly more than half of the Spanish territories," the health minister said.
On Wednesday, the lower chamber extended the state of high alert until 24 May.
Spain has confirmed 222,857 cases so far, with the death toll at 26,299.
BELGRADE (Sputnik) - The Montenegrin authorities on Friday approved another round of softening of COVID-19 restrictions, beginning next Monday, the government said.
Earlier in the day, the national coordination body, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Milutin Simovic and Health Minister Kenan Hrapovic, agreed to ease some measures against the epidemic.
Starting 11 May, the country has allowed traveling by car or public transport within coastal, central, and northern regions, reopened internal maritime traffic and begun gradually reintroducing services of all medical specialists in hospitals, according to the government's Twitter page.
The government has also permitted religious services, provided that distancing norms are followed, and all participants, except for priests, have to wear masks and disinfect their hands upon leaving.
This Monday, Montenegro implemented the first round of lifting the restrictions against the disease, reopening transportation, trade, sports, and cultural facilities.
Montenegro has confirmed 324 cases so far, with the death toll of 8.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US state of Virginia may start re-opening its economy after the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown as early as 15 May, Governor Ralph Northam told reporters on Friday.
“I anticipate and hope that the Phase One will start on Friday, May 15,” Northam said during a press briefing.
The governor assured that if the state’s trends change, authorities will adjust the dates as needed.
“We are not opening the flood gates here,” he added.
Northam urged residents to continue practicing social distancing, hand washing and remain at home as long as possible. Virginia’s Phase One will allow authorities to lift slowly some restrictions, but not all, he added.
Speaking of specific limitations, Northam said that beaches, parks and campgrounds will remain opened during the daytime for some kinds of activity only.
“We still continue encourage anyone who can telework to do so. The ten person limit on gatherings will remain,” he said.
Non-essential businesses will be limited to no more than 10 people for 2 months in Phase One while restaurants will be limited to pick-ups, curbside and delivery, Northam added.
On Friday, Virginia Department of Health has registered 772 new COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths in 24 hours. Overall total jumped to 22,342 positive test, while death toll reached 43 since the beginning of the pandemic.
ANKARA (Sputnik) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkey has grown by 1,848 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to over 135,500, while the death toll increased by 48 to 3,689, country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Friday, adding that this was the lowest daily number of fatalities since 1 April.
On Wednesday, the Turkish Health Ministry reported that there was a daily increase of 57 fatalities and a total of 3,641 infections.
"Today, 1,848 new cases have been identified, with a total of 135,569 infected. We have lost 48 patients today, 3,689 in total," Koca wrote on Twitter.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow has registered 54 deaths of patients with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours, bringing the Russian capital's death toll to 1,010, the city's coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Thursday.
This is the highest daily death toll in the past nine days.
"There are a total of 413 cases of people who’ve tested COVID[-19] positive in the UN system. 55... are in New York", Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "We’ve had one death. Someone whose work was under UNDP consultant’s contract here in New York who passed away this week".
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
"We report 243 new victims today, which brings our national death toll to 30,201. The total number of discharged patients who have recovered from the virus has risen to 99,023, an increase of 2,747 people compared to yesterday", the Department of Civil Protection said in a statement, adding that the current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is at 217,185 with an increase of 1,327.
Staring Monday, Italy has lifted some of its restrictions against the disease. The next round is scheduled for May 18, provided no complications emerge.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US capital area's coronavirus death toll surpassed the 2,500 mark on Friday, a tally of official data revealed.
The area, which includes Washington and the states of Maryland and Virginia, registered 114 new deaths within the past 24 hours.
"The District reported 19 additional COVID-19 related deaths. Tragically, 304 District residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19", Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
Maryland registered 52 new fatalities, bringing the state's death toll to 1,453, while Virginia reported 812 deaths, including 43 victims since Thursday.
Maryland remains the most affected area in the region.
"The Maryland Health Department is now reporting 30,485 confirmed cases of COVID-19", governor spokesperson Kata Hall said via Twitter.
Virginia registered 22,342 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, the state's department of health reported.
"Starting 11 May, we will allow operations of markets in all Moldovan settlements, with the exception of Balti and Chisinau, without opening shopping malls. We will also allow outdoor religious services starting 10 May", Prime Minister Ion Chicu said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Viorica Dumbraveanu updated the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
"As of today, we have confirmed 123 positive coronavirus cases, we have 4,728 cases in total", Dumbraveanu said.
The number of recovered patients is currently at 1,826.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Friday launched an appeal to the international community for $93.4 million for critical aid to hard-hit Palestinian communities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"UNRWA requires US$ 93.4 million to cover its COVID-19-related humanitarian operations from March-July. This appeal supersedes the original appeal issued on 17 March 2020," UNRWA said in a statement.
The UN agency mapped out areas of health care, sanitation, education and others where it intends to direct the funds to help the beleaguered refugees across the Middle East.
"Most refugees who UNRWA serves live under the poverty line and lack the safety net needed to absorb the financial and medical shocks created by the Covid-19 pandemic. They are now facing devastating consequences to their physical, social and economic wellbeing," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said according to Wafa news agency.
UNRWA said the appeal looks to avert the most severe impacts of the pandemic providing basic needs such as food, water and lifesaving health care and prevent further deterioration to refugees' health and socio-economic safety.
The authorities of Wales, a country that is a part of the United Kingdom, will relax restrictions against COVID-19 starting May 11, opening garden centers and softening exercise rules, First Minister Mark Drakeford said on Friday.
"As a result of the three-week review, we believe that there are some small and modest adjustments which we could make to the regulations. Now, our intention is to make these adjustments on Monday, so that we move in step with the other nations of the United Kingdom, as part of our determined preference for a four-nation approach," Drakeford said.
He added that the changes would include reopening garden centers, allowing citizens to exercise more that one time a day, and permitting the local authorities to plan for reopening libraries and municipal recycling centers.
New York City has launched Test and Trace Corps to investigate and inform on cases of the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19) to suppress the spread of the virus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press briefing on Friday.
"The New York City Test and Trace Corps is going to be a dedicated group of trained individuals who will lead the way in creating testing and tracing on a level we've never seen before in this city or this country," de Blasio said.
The mayor explained that by May 25, the Test and Trace Corps will increase the number of COVID-19 tests from the current 14,000 per day to 20,000 throughout 33 testing sites. Over the next few months, the team will conduct 50,000 tests daily throughout more than 300 locations.
The corps will also provide hotel rooms to New Yorkers requiring isolation and monitoring, and, by early June, will prepare 1,200 rooms available for such residents, de Blasio said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is lacking $1.3 billion for its coronavirus response in 2020, Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday.
"The updated plan estimates that WHO requires $1.7 billion dollars to respond to COVID-19 across the three levels of the organization between now and the end of 2020. This estimate includes the funds that WHO has already received to date, leaving WHO's COVID-19 response with a funding gap of $1.3 billion for 2020," Tedros told a briefing.
Romania has confirmed 312 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, so the total case count stands at 14,811, media reported on Friday, citing the officials.
According to the Romanian Digi 24 broadcaster, the overall number of COVID-19 fatalities in Romania is now 898 after 22 people died over the past day.
In overall, 6,423 patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals since the start of the pandemic.
The US accusations regarding China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic are not only politically, but also economically motivated, with Washington trying to sideline Beijing in the global market, Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov said on Friday.
"Concerning this particular topic, multiple factors of political evaluations and economic interests are knotted here. Clearly, many of the invectives, lets put it like that, against China, especially by the United States and some of its allies, are motivated not only by some kind of attempt to present itself as arbiters of politics of sorts who have reserved the right to judge everyone else, but also particular economic interests, [including] attempts to push away China from the global market as a growing competitor," the ambassador told reporters.
He has noted that Moscow is on Beijing's side in this dispute.
"We need the truth, we need impartial scientific research. This is undoubtedly a threat to all humanity, meaning everyone has to look into what has transpired and not use it as a possible political weapon," Denisov stressed.
The death toll from COVID-19 in Serbia has increased by three over the past 24 hours reaching 209, the Health Ministry said on Friday.
"By Friday, we have detected 95 new patients. The overall number of those infected stands at 9,943. Over the last 24 hours, another three patients passed away, [with] 209 citizens having died altogether since the beginning of the pandemic," the ministry said in a statement.
On Thursday, the total number of confirmed cases stood at 9,848.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump on Friday revealed that he has not yet taken a COVID-19 antibody test but said he may get one soon after the White House announced that one of his valets had tested positive for the virus.
"No, I haven't", Trump said in an interview with Fox News when asked whether he has ever been tested for antibodies. “But we are getting that and we are leading into that too ... And I will do that ... At some point, probably soon, I will be".
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - A total of 591 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported over the past 24 hours in Belgium, raising the overall number of positive tests to 52,011, public health officials reported on Friday.
Over the past 24 hours, 107 people who had either tested positive for COVID-19 or were suspected of carrying the disease died, up from 80 the day before. Belgium’s total COVID-19 death toll now stands at 8,521, the Federal Public Health Service said at a press conference on Friday.
According to public health officials, 2,555 people in the country are currently hospitalised undergoing treatment for the coronavirus disease, down from 2,688 the day before. In total, 13,201 people have been discharged after receiving treatment.
"Ford is planning to resume production and operations in North America beginning May 18, taking a phased approach. Ford will also begin returning some team members whose jobs cannot be done remotely such as vehicle testing and design, to work beginning May 18, including approximately 12,000 personnel in North America. Ford parts distribution centers will resume full operations in North America on May 11 to support Ford dealers in providing service to keep vehicles on the road", a press release from the company read.
MOSCOW, May 8 (Sputnik) - Russia has registered 10,699 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours (11,231 yesterday), bringing the total to 187,859, the national coronavirus response centre said on Friday.
"Over the past 24 hours, 10,699 COVID-19 cases have been registered in 83 regions. Of these, 5,232 (or 48.9 percent) have been detected with people showing no clinical symptoms", the centre said in a statement.
This brings the total tally to 187,859 (+6 percent) in 85 regions across Russia.
Of the new cases, 5,846 were registered in Moscow, 918 in the Moscow Region, and 375 in St. Petersburg (compared to yesterday's 6,703, 842, and 306, respectively).
The country's COVID-19 death toll has increased by 98 (88 yesterday) to 1,723.
As many as 2,805 COVID-19 patients have recovered over the past 24 hours (2,476 yesterday), bringing the total number of cured people to 26,608.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Germany has confirmed 1,209 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the total count reaching 167,300, the Robert Koch Institute said on Friday.
The death toll grew by 147 to 7,266 people within the same time period.
A day earlier, the country confirmed 1,284 new cases and 123 fatalities.
More than 141,000 COVID-19 patients have recovered in Germany since the beginning of the outbreak.
