COVID-19 UPDATES : 400,335 cases reported in U.S., Trump says WHO is China-centric, 55,000 passengers estimated to leave Wuhan by train
worldwide COVID-19 cases have reached 1,430,941 with 82,026 deaths as of 9.30 am today.
Europe
More than 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in France. The total number of dead now stands at 10,328, including 7,091 people in hospitals and 3,237 in nursing homes.
Deaths from the coronavirus epidemic in Italy rose by 604, a lower daily tally than the 636 seen the day before, while the number of new cases posted the smallest increase since 13th March. The government considered easing some containment measures in the coming weeks.
A record number of people in the U.K. were reported to have died from the coronavirus in 24 hours, daily figures from the Department of Health and Social Care show. A further 786 people died from the virus, the department said. In total, 55,242 people have tested positive for the disease in the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been receiving standard oxygen treatment and is breathing without any other assistance. He has not received mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support.
U.S. and Canada
There are at least 400,335 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 12,841 people have died. The rise in U.S. coronavirus cases showed signs of leveling Tuesday, with new infections slowing in New York and New Jersey.
After a day of gains, US stocks lost steam into the close and finished the day lower. Dow Jones finished 0.1%, or 26 points, lower.
The state of North Dakota is launching a new app to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The United States’ coronavirus death toll reached 12,841. That number marks the most deaths recorded in a single day so far. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he is worried about coronavirus cases and hospitalizations increasing again as some people start to leave their homes. There are now 15,865 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in California.
President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that he knows “for a fact” that the United States doesn’t actually have the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, saying it’s simply testing more than any other country — a comment the coordinator of his White House coronavirus task force later clarified.
Trump said WHO is China-centric, ‘really blew it’ on coronavirus. Minutes after President Donald Trump said he’s placing a “very powerful hold” on US funding to the World Health Organization for what he says is a “China-centric” stance, he appeared to back off the statement. “I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but we are going to look at it,” Trump said.
“Every person with a lab confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis is counted in the number of fatalities, whether they passed away at home or in a hospital,” the deputy press secretary for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Stephanie Buhle, told CNN.
White House officials are concerned that the coronavirus is hitting African Americans worse than others.
A third player on the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche has tested positive for COVID-19.
The world’s busiest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, is facing an increasing homelessness problem as hundreds seek overnight refuge in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker today announced the release of more than 60 people at the Department of Juvenile Justice and more than 1,100 low-risk prisoners at the Department of Corrections due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 90 passengers are still onboard the Coral Princess after the cruise ship docked Saturday, according to Princess Cruises.
At least five Barnes & Noble employees at a distribution centre in Monroe, New Jersey, have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
Amazon is piloting the use of disinfectant fog starting on Tuesday at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, within days of protests at the worksite over health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey is setting aside US$1 billion in Square equity for coronavirus relief efforts.
President Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro fired off an internal flare at the White House in late January, warning in a memo that the coronavirus could become a “full-blown pandemic,” risking trillions of dollars in economic losses and the health of millions, a source familiar with the memo confirmed to CNN.
There are about 5 vaccine candidates nearly ready. One more to be announced soon.
