Coronavirus: Spanish virus tally stabilises but economic cost high
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
Turkey's coronavirus death toll rises by 59 to 3,520, slowdown continues
The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in Turkey has risen by 59 in the last 24 hours to 3,520, Health Ministry data showed on Tuesday, as a slowdown in deaths and ICU patients continued.
The overall number of cases rose by 1,832 to 129,491, the data showed, the highest total outside Western Europe, the United States and Russia. A total of 73,285 people have so far recovered from the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease Covid-19.
The number of tests conducted in Turkey in the past 24 hours stood at 33,283, increasing the total number of tests during the outbreak to more than 1.2 million.
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 693 to 29,427
Britain’s Covid-19 death toll has risen by 693 to 29,427, according to figures announced on Tuesday by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
The figures, which reflect deaths in all settings following positive tests for coronavirus, cover the period up to 1600 GMT on Monday.
Pakistan concerned at workers returning coronavirus-positive from UAE
Pakistan has raised concerns with the United Arab Emirates that many citizens were returning home from the Gulf Arab state infected with COVID-19 and that crowded living conditions in the UAE may be helping spread the virus, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
“Both (governments) are working together to find (an) optimal solution to this shared concern,” ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqi told Reuters in a WhatsApp message.
A UAE foreign ministry official later said the government “completely rejects this version of events”.
“Everyone on UAE repatriation flights has been tested before departure, and those found to be infected were not allowed to travel,” Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs Khalid al-Mazrouei told Reuters.
US, UK launch post-Brexit video trade talks amid coronavirus recession
The United States and Britain launch trade negotiations by videoconference on Tuesday following the UK's exit from the European Union, as both allies struggle with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and aim to shore up domestic supply chains.
The talks will be Washington's first major new trade negotiation in 2020, and take place at the same time as London works out trade terms with the EU, with a year-end deadline.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has said little publicly about the UK trade talks since publishing a sweeping set of objectives more than a year ago that sought full access for US agriculture products and reduced tariffs for US manufactured goods.
Trump says US will report virus origins, gives no timeline
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States would release its report detailing the origins of the novel coronavirus over time, but gave not other details or timeline.
"We will be reporting very definitively over a period of time," the Republican president told reporters at the White House.
Trump, who initially praised China over its response to the outbreak but has since blamed Beijing harshly over the virus, also said that he has not spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Asia coronavirus cases hit 250,000 but pace much slower than US, Europe
Coronavirus cases in Asia rose to a quarter of a million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, driven by outbreaks in Singapore, Pakistan and India, even as China, South Korea and Japan significantly slowed the spread of the disease.
The region where the Covid-19 pandemic started has fared better overall than North America and Europe since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China on Jan. 10.
It has taken Asia almost four months to reach the 250,000 infection milestone, a level that Spain alone is approaching just a little over two months since reporting its first case.
WHO urges countries to investigate early Covid-19 cases
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a report that Covid-19 had emerged in December in France, sooner than previously thought, was "not surprising", and urged countries to investigate any other early suspicious cases.
The disease later identified as Covid-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on Dec. 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January.
"This gives a whole new picture on everything," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a UN briefing in Geneva, referring to the French report.
Texas back in business? Barely, y'all, as malls, restaurants empty
The Domain mall in Austin, Texas, is open for business - unlike most of its 100 upscale shops - as the state entered its first work week of eased pandemic restrictions in the hopes of rekindling the economy.
A dozen or so people were strolling about the sprawling open-air shopping center Monday afternoon, with three seated on the patio of a Tex-Mex restaurant. Only one shopper wore a mask, and the loudest noises were from songbirds perched in the live oak trees along the deserted pedestrian thoroughfares.
“I’ve seen one customer today - they didn’t buy anything,” said Taylor Jund, who was keeping watch over an empty Chaser clothing store. “There’s absolutely no one coming around here.”
Global airlines body IATA backs face masks for safe flying
The body representing global airlines came out in favour of passengers wearing masks onboard on Tuesday, as debate intensifies over how to get airlines flying while respecting social-distancing rules in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) told reporters that wearing masks would help protect passenger health but came out against leaving middle seats empty on aircraft, a measure that it had previously backed.
IATA’s medical advisor David Powell said that wearing masks and face coverings onboard would be part of a range of measures including screening passengers before flying to make sure they did not have a fever, plus enhanced cleaning procedures that would allow flying to restart safely.
Israel extends coronavirus cell phone surveillance by three weeks
A parliamentary panel authorised Israel’s Shin Bet security service on Tuesday to continue using mobile phone data to track people infected by the coronavirus until May 26 despite privacy concerns.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought a longer extension, of six weeks, as his government advances legislation to regulate the practice in line with the demands of the Supreme Court, which is worried about dangers to individual liberty.
Circumventing parliament in March, as the coronavirus spread, Netanyahu’s cabinet approved emergency regulations that enabled the use of the technology, usually deployed for anti-terrorism. Within two weeks Netanyahu’s cabinet will present a draft bill to regulate the use of Shin Bet surveillance of citizens. The public will have one week to comment on the bill before it is submitted to parliament for approval.
Cuban sugar harvest goes into overtime amid pandemic
Some 40 Cuban sugar mills remain open out of season despite a partial lockdown of the country, in a last-ditch effort to add foreign exchange to the government’s all-but-empty coffers.
The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered tourism, a key foreign exchange earner, and undercut remittances as well as raised shipping prices for the import-dependent country, already reeling from stepped-up sanctions under the administration of US President Donald Trump. However, economic activity continues, from farming and construction to mining, with the Communist-run government directing scarce resources to food production and export earners such as sugar and nickel.
When the harvest began in November, Cuba said it would have produced 1.5 million metric tons of raw sugar by May, of which 800,000 tons would be for export - despite shortages of fuel and other supplies
Pfizer begins human testing for experimental coronavirus vaccine in the US
US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said on Tuesday it has begun testing an experimental vaccine to combat the coronavirus in the United States.
Pfizer is working alongside German drugmaker BioNTech and said the first human participants in the United States have been dosed with the potential vaccine, BNT162, reports the CNBC.
They began human trials of the experimental vaccine late last month in Germany.
In a statement, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said: “With our unique and robust clinical study program underway, starting in Europe and now the US, we look forward to advancing quickly and collaboratively with our partners at BioNTech and regulatory authorities to bring a safe and efficacious vaccine to the patients who need it most.”
Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,150 jobs after pandemic hits demand
British airline Virgin Atlantic said on Tuesday it planned to cut 3,150 jobs and would move its flying programme from London Gatwick to Heathrow airport as it counts the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company said it continued to explore all available options to get extra funding through talks with the government and other stakeholders about possible support for the airline.
Tents and immunity testing: US colleges weigh return to campus life
Classes in tents. Roommates assigned based on coronavirus antibody tests. Residences set aside for quarantined students. US college life could look dramatically different when classes resume in the fall.
Colleges emptied dormitories and moved classes online in March as the pandemic worsened — a decision that left many students clamoring for partial refunds.
Facing budget shortfalls, several colleges have said they are putting infrastructure investments on hold, freezing hiring, and furloughing employees.
Ramping up Covid-19 testing earlier would have helped the UK, top advisers say
Ramping up Covid-19 testing earlier would have helped the United Kingdom by allowing it to trace the contacts of those infected with the novel coronavirus, the government's top scientific advisers told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
The United Kingdom has overtaken Italy to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe with more than 32,000 deaths, figures released on Tuesday showed.
Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance told parliament's Health and Social Care Committee he was sure that on reflection there would be things that could have been done differently.
Michelin chef to deliver paella, veggie dishes to beat Spain lockdown slump
Chef Rodrigo de la Calle’s Michelin-starred El Invernadero is one of the top restaurants in Calle Ponzano, a stretch of more than 70 bars, eateries and tapas joints near Madrid’s business district that is normally packed with young professionals carousing after work.
That was until the coronavirus epidemic hit Spain. The shutters have stayed down all along the street since Spain entered a lockdown on March 14.
De la Calle closed his restaurant, which normally serves only about 16 diners at a sitting with a menu based on high quality vegetables, a few days before the government imposed a state of emergency.
He had already had a similar experience in his two restaurants in Beijing, China. Even so, he could not imagine how far the situation would go in Spain, one of the countries most hit by the coronavirus with more than 25,000 deaths.
Yemen records 9 new coronavirus infections, taking total to 21
Yemen’s internationally-recognised government announced on Tuesday nine new coronavirus cases and one death, raising total infections to 21 and three deaths, the country’s supreme national emergency committee said on Twitter.
Eight cases were detected in the southern port city of Aden and another infection was recorded in Hadhramout region, it said.
The health ministry of the Houthi-controlled government in the north has not announced any infections so far. Authorities have said all suspected cases there had tested negative.
Austria says reopening shops has not accelerated coronavirus infections
Austria’s first loosening of its coronavirus lockdown three weeks ago, in which thousands of shops reopened, has not led to a new spike in infections, though further vigilance is necessary, its health minister said on Tuesday.
The Alpine republic acted early to tackle the viral pandemic, closing bars, restaurants, schools, theatres, non-essential shops and other gathering places seven weeks ago. That helped cut the daily increase in infections to less than 1% and keep deaths relatively low - with just 606 reported so far.
Buoyed by those numbers, on April 14 Austria became one of the first countries in Europe to loosen its lockdown, reopening DIY and garden centres as well as shops of up to 400 square metres - twice the playing area of a singles tennis court.
Britain outpaces Italy with Europe's highest official coronavirus death toll
Britain has overtaken Italy to report the highest official death toll from coronavirus in Europe with more than 32,000 deaths, figures released on Tuesday showed.
The high death toll could increase political pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who waited longer than other European leaders to order a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus in March.
Weekly figures from Britain's national statistics office added more than 7,000 deaths in England and Wales, raising the total for the United Kingdom to 32,313.
France's Macron says major foreign travel to be limited this summer
French President Emmanuel Macron said it was unlikely that French people would be able to undertake major foreign trips this summer and that even trips within Europe may have to be limited in order to reduce the risk of a resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic.
“It is too soon to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays. We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to reduce that a little more. We will know early June,” Macron told reporters during a visit to a school outside Paris.
France is set to end its lockdown on May 11, when people will be allowed to move up to 100 kms (60 miles) around their residence.
Australia, New Zealand work to open borders to each other
Australia and New Zealand said on Tuesday efforts to resume travel between the two countries would take some time, as they cautiously re-open their mostly shuttered economies after containing outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.
Australia and New Zealand have for more than a month closed their borders to all non-citizens and imposed mandatory quarantines on anyone returning home from overseas. Both countries have a Covid-19 mortality rate of just 1 percent, well below most other countries, with the number of new cases just a fraction of their March peaks.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said travel across the Tasman Sea between the neighbours would be the first international route re-started and would likely begin around the time domestic air travel restarts in earnest.
“When we are seeing Australians travel from Melbourne to Cairns, at about that time I would expect everything being equal we would be able to fly from Melbourne to Auckland or Christchurch,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
Hong Kong to relax some restrictions as new coronavirus cases dwindle
Hong Kong’s government said on Tuesday it will relax restrictions on public gatherings and allow gyms, cinemas and beauty parlours to re-open later this week as only a handful of new coronavirus cases have been reported in recent weeks.
The Chinese-ruled city has not reported any local transmissions for more than two weeks and recorded zero cases for seven of the past 10 days. It discovered one new imported case on Monday, which took the total to 1,041 patients, four of whom have died.
A ban on gatherings of more than four people was announced at the end of March, when there was a spike in cases as a result of people returning from Europe, North America and the Middle East to escape outbreaks there. The government will allow gatherings of eight from May 8.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 685 to 163,860 - RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 685 to 163,860, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
The reported death toll rose by 139 to 6,831, the tally showed.
Germany's Bavaria plans end-May tourism revival
The southern German state of Bavaria will partially reopen for tourism at the end of this month, the state’s premier Markus Soeder said on Tuesday, with hotels opening their doors for the Pentecost weekend on May 30, albeit with restrictions.
Soeder said that restaurants would also open from mid-May in the wealthy Alpine state, though with distancing requirements to minimise the risk of the coronavirus passing between guests, and they would need to close at 10 pm.
“We will allow hotels and tourism from the Pentecost weekend, the 30th, but without saunas, wellness facilities or swimming pools,” he told reporters.
France's early Covid-19 case may hold clues to pandemic's start
A study by French scientists which suggests a man was infected with Covid-19 as early as Dec. 27, nearly a month before France confirmed its first cases, could be important in assessing when and where the new coronavirus emerged, experts said on Tuesday.
French researchers led by Yves Cohen, head of resuscitation at the Avicenne and Jean Verdier hospitals, retested samples from 24 patients treated in December and January who had tested negative for flu before Covid-19 developed into a pandemic.
The results, published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, showed that one patient - a 42-year-old man born in Algeria, who had lived in France for many years and worked as a fishmonger - was infected with Covid-19 "one month before the first reported cases in our country", they said.
Italy's CNH Industrial aims for full production by end of May
Vehicle and equipment maker CNH Industrial said on Tuesday it planned to return progressively to full operations at most of its facilities around the world by the end of May, in line with the easing of coronavirus lockdowns.
The maker of farm machinery, Iveco commercial vehicles, construction equipment and powertrains, said in a statement that more than two thirds of its 67 plants were already operational “to varying degrees”.
In Europe, it said more than 75 percent of its production sites were operational. Most of the group’s assembly operations around the world were stopped in March, when governments restricted people’s movements and economic activities to try to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
British economy on track for biggest contraction 'in living memory'
Britain's economy is on course for an unprecedented 7 percent quarterly contraction after measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus forced company closures across the country last month, a business survey showed on Tuesday.
Adding to the bleak mood, figures earlier on Tuesday showed monthly car sales had dropped to their lowest since 1946 due to the closure of showrooms, while around a quarter of workers are now on a government-funded furlough.
IHS Markit said its Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the services sector fell to its lowest since the survey started in 1996, dropping to 13.4 in April from 34.5 in March, only a fraction better than an initial flash estimate of 12.3.
Spain coronavirus tally stabilises but economic cost high
Spain reported its third day in a row of coronavirus deaths under 200, but a record number of people claiming social security benefits for April showed the cost to the economy of bringing the epidemic under control.
The country is gradually emerging from a strict lockdown, with small businesses such as florists and ironmongers opening with restrictions this week. Spaniards who had been cooped up at home for more than six weeks are now allowed to take exercise.
But the weak coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez must seek parliamentary approval on Wednesday for another extension of the state of emergency which gives him wide powers to enforce the exit from lockdown.
Iran death toll from new coronavirus outbreak rises by 63 to 6,340: health ministry official
The death toll from the outbreak of new coronavirus in Iran rose by 63 in the past 24 hours to 6,340, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Tuesday.
The total number of diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus in Iran, one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak in the Middle East, has reached 99,970, he said.
WHO says France Covid-19 case in December 'not surprising'
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it was not “not surprising” that a report of Covid-19 had emerged in December in France, earlier than it was thought to have spread there, saying more reports of early cases were possible.
“It’s also possible there are more early cases to be found,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a UN briefing in Geneva. He encouraged other countries to check records for cases in late 2019, saying this would give the world a “new and clearer picture” of the outbreak.
A French hospital which has retested old samples from pneumonia patients discovered that it treated a man who had Covid-19 as early as Dec. 27, nearly a month before the French government confirmed its first cases.
Lebanon to extend virus shutdown, fears second wave
Lebanon is set to extend its lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus by two weeks until May 24 with the prime minister warning on Tuesday that a failure to comply with a gradual easing of restrictions risked a second wave of infections.
Lebanon has recorded 740 cases of the novel coronavirus and 25 deaths. The government has started to gradually ease some restrictions this week, allowing restaurants to open but at only 30 percent of their capacity.
In an apparent reference to low rates of infection, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the general assessment was “excellent”. But he also told a meeting of the supreme defence council on Tuesday that “citizens did not comply with the restrictions and measures that are being gradually reduced”.
Coronavirus reproduction rate in Germany at 0.71: RKI
The reproduction rate for the coronavirus pandemic in Germany is currently estimated at 0.71, the head of public health authority RKI said on Tuesday.
That number indicates that 100 infected people infect on average 71 others, meaning the number of new infections would fall over time.
Seasonal and undocumented workers in Portugal fall through safety net
Tens of thousands of undocumented, migrant or seasonal workers in Portugal hit hard by the outbreak are falling through the national safety net. They lack the contracts and payslips needed to apply for unemployment benefits, and many are turning to charities for help.
Although unemployment rose 9 percent in March, spending on unemployment benefits fell by 7.1 million euros in March 2019 and unemployment benefit applications fell by 2.4 percent, indicating people are falling out of the system.
A total of 91,500 people registered as unemployed between the beginning of Portugal’s state of emergency and the end of April, official figures showed, bringing total unemployment to just under 370,000 people. But the true number of people out of work is likely to be much higher as seasonal and undocumented workers remain uncounted.
Coronavirus health fears outweigh concern for economy: global survey
A substantial majority of people around the world want their governments to prioritise saving lives over moves to restart economies being hammered by measures aimed at halting the spread of the new coronavirus, a global survey found.
The latest findings of the “Edelman Trust Barometer,” which for two decades has polled tens of thousands of people on their trust in core institutions, challenge the notion that “lockdown fatigue” is rising among populations hit by the pandemic.
Overall, 67 percent of the 13,200-plus people interviewed between April 15 and April 23 agreed with the statement: “The government’s highest priority should be saving as many lives as possible even if it means the economy will recover more slowly.”
Spain reports coronavirus daily death toll of 185
The daily number of coronavirus deaths registered in Spain remained below 200 on Tuesday for a third consecutive day, the country's health ministry said, as it reported 185 deaths in 24 hours.
The overall coronavirus death toll in the country rose to 25,613 on Tuesday up from 25,428, the ministry said, while the overall number of diagnosed cases rose to 219,329 up from 218,011 the day before, Reuters reported
Bangladesh reports single-day highest 786 new coronavirus cases
Bangladesh today conformed its highest single-day jump of 786 new cases of infection testing 5,711 samples in the last 24 hours.
One more person died from the novel coronavirus during the time, The Business Standard reported.
Russia reports 10,102 new coronavirus cases
The number of new coronavirus cases in Russia has risen by 10,102 over the past 24 hours, compared with 10,581 the previous day. This brought Russia's nationwide tally to 155,370, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre said on Tuesday.
It also reported 95 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1,451, Reuters reported.
Palestinians extend coronavirus state of emergency to June 5
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has extended to June 5 a state of emergency declared in areas under his administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in response to the coronavirus crisis, the official news agency Wafa said on Tuesday.
First announced two months ago, the state of emergency heralded a full lockdown that confined Palestinians to their homes, except for essential travel. Border crossings with Israel and Jordan were closed, Reuters reported.
But conditions were eased last month, with some businesses allowed to open in the hope of reviving the paralysed Palestinian economy. On Sunday, Abbas's administration allowed tens of thousands of Palestinians labourers to resume jobs in Israel.
Mosques and educational institutions remain closed and Palestinian authorities are still banning public congregations.
The Palestinians have reported 345 coronavirus cases and two deaths in the West Bank, where some 3 million Palestinians live.
In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory under the control of Abbas's Islamist Hamas rivals, 17 cases have been reported among a population of some 2 million. Hamas has shuttered Gaza's mosques and schools and restricted large gatherings, but said a full lockdown was not necessary.
The West Bank and Gaza are 40 km (25 miles) apart and separated by Israel.
Singapore confirms 632 new coronavirus cases
Singapore's health ministry on Tuesday confirmed 632 new coronavirus cases, taking the city-state's tally of infections to 19,410, Reuters reported.
Germany to reopen all shops, allow soccer matches
Germany's state premiers will agree on measures to further ease coronavirus restrictions in a teleconference with Chancellor Angela Merkel scheduled for Wednesday, two people familiar with the preparations told Reuters on Monday.
The state premiers are expected to give the green light for large shops to reopen, probably from May 11, the sources said, Reuters reported.
Smaller shops are already back to business in Europe's largest economy as long as they respect social distancing rules to slow the spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus.
German states are also set to allow the Bundesliga soccer league to resume matches, probably from May 15, under strict conditions without fans in stadiums, the sources said.
At the same time, state premiers will allow outdoor sports for non-professionals and children, the sources added.
The states will also agree to reopen schools for all grades step-by-step, though most children will only be allowed to go to class in rotating shifts, not on daily basis, the sources said.
There is mounting pressure from business groups and some regional governments who are anxious to move faster on restarting economic life. Merkel has warned that reopening too swiftly risks triggering a second wave of infections.
Germany has been more successful than other large European countries in slowing the virus' spread - it estimates that every 100 carriers of the virus now infects only 74 others on average, well below the 100 mark where new restrictions must be imposed.
France coronavirus toll tops 25,000 after 306 new deaths
France on Monday announced that more than 25,000 people had died in the country due to the coronavirus epidemic, after a new jump in the daily death toll.
The health ministry said 25,201 people were now confirmed to have died from the virus in the country in hospitals and nursing homes. Over the last 24 hours, 306 people died from COVID-19, more than double the figure of 135 from the day earlier, AFP reported.
France is due to emerge on May 11 from a lockdown that began in mid-March to combat the virus, with officials saying the epidemic is steadying while warning the country must remain cautious to ward off a second wave.
According to the latest figures, the more positive recent trends continued, with 123 fewer patients suffering from the coronavirus in intensive care to make a total of 3,696 receiving such urgent treatment.
Nationwide, there were also 267 fewer patients in hospital for coronavirus treatment, making a total of 25,548, the ministry said.
WHO cautions against untested Covid-19 traditional remedies
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that medicinal plants such as Artemisia annua, touted as possible treatments for Covid-19, should be tested for efficacy and side effects.
The WHO said it supported scientifically proven traditional medicine, adding that complementary and alternative medicine had many benefits, Reuters reported.
Thailand reports one new coronavirus case, no new deaths
Thailand on Tuesday reported one new coronavirus case and no new deaths, the lowest number of new infections since March 9.
The new case is a 45-year-old Thai man from the southern province of Narathiwat, authorities said, Reuters reported.
The number of new cases have been declining in the last two weeks with the exception of a cluster at an immigration detention centre in southern Thailand that has seen 60 new cases in that period, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesman for the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Since Thailand's outbreak began in January, the country has seen a total of 2,988 coronavirus cases and 54 deaths. Taweesin said 2,747 patients have recovered, while 187 are still being treated in hospitals.
New Zealand records no new coronavirus cases for a second day
New Zealand recorded no new coronavirus cases for a second day in a row on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the outcome of her discussions with Australia on a travel bubble between the two countries would be announced later in the day.
Ardern joined Australia’s coronavirus cabinet meeting on Tuesday as the neighbouring countries discuss reopening their borders to travel following their successes in containing the disease, Reuters reported.
US coronavirus deaths rise by 1,015 in 24 hours, lowest in a month
Novel coronavirus deaths in the United States rose by 1,015 in the past 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Monday — the lowest one-day figure in a month.
The Baltimore-based university had recorded more than 1.17 million cases in the country as of 8:30pm Monday (0030 GMT Tuesday), with 68,689 deaths, AFP reported.
President Donald Trump now says his worst-case coronavirus scenario would be 100,000 deaths, but that milestone may be hit as soon as next month, according to several scientific models.
Trump’s own White House says 100,000 to 240,000 Americans will die from Covid-19.
Global coronavirus deaths exceed quarter of a million
Global coronavirus deaths rose past a quarter of a million on Monday after infections topped 3.5 million, a Reuters tally of official government data showed, even as several countries began easing lockdowns designed to contain the pandemic.
North America and European countries accounted for most of the new deaths and cases reported in recent days, but numbers were rising from smaller bases in Latin America, Africa and Russia, Reuters reported.
South Africa starts coronavirus trial of TB vaccine
Hundreds of South African health workers were given a century-old tuberculosis vaccine on Monday in a trial to see whether the venerable formula can protect against coronavirus.
Devised at France's legendary Pasteur Institute 100 years ago, the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is one of the world's oldest and most trusted immunisations, AFP reported.
China reports one new coronavirus case in mainland
China reported one new coronavirus case for May 4, down from three the day before, data from the national health authority showed on Tuesday.
The new case was imported, the National Health Commission said, Reuters reported.
The commission also reported 15 new asymptomatic cases for May 4, an increase of two from the previous day.
The number of confirmed cases in China has reached 82,881. With no new deaths reported, the death toll remained at 4,633.
Japan PM extends virus state of emergency until May 31
Japan’s prime minister on Monday extended a nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic until the end of May, after government officials warned it was too soon to ease restrictions.
“I will extend the period of the state of emergency I declared on April 7 until May 31. The area covered is all prefectures in the nation,” Shinzo Abe said after a meeting to discuss the measures, AFP reported.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 685 to 163,860
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 685 to 163,860, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.
The reported death toll rose by 139 to 6,831, the tally showed, Reuters reported.
Ecuador exceeds 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases
Ecuador on Monday exceeded 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, while the government launched a plan to start gradually relaxing quarantine measures that have been in place since mid-March.
The South American country has confirmed 31,881 cases of Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, with 1,569 reported deaths and a further 1,336 deaths likely a result of the virus. Authorities have carried out 80,171 tests, which includes both rapid tests and molecular biological (polymerase chain reaction or PCR) testing, Reuters reported.
The government has warned the actual death toll is much higher than reports indicate, particularly in the largest city of Guayaquil, where corpses were left in homes or on streets for hours.
President Lenin Moreno said last week that the number of new coronavirus cases had stabilized and death counts were falling after the outbreak overwhelmed sanitary authorities in Guayaquil and ravaged the economy.
Following a month of strict quarantine to curb the pandemic, the government said it would now allow some businesses to operate through phone and internet services for home deliveries, while also extending the hours of operation for taxis.
The International Monetary Fund on Saturday confirmed it had approved $643 million in emergency assistance for Ecuador, citing the devastating effects the virus had on economy by plummeting oil prices and global demand.
The country will maintain a 15-hour curfew, keep its borders closed and prohibit public transport.