Spain’s Parliament extends state of emergency for 4th time
The Spanish Parliament approved the extension of the country’s state of emergency for a fourth time on Wednesday, continuing severe restrictions on movement and business until at least May 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision, approved by 178 votes against 75 and with...
Moscow will ease some restrictions next week
Moscow will ease restrictions for industrial enterprises, allowing factories and construction companies to reopen starting May 12. But self-isolation limits will remain in place, the city’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a videoconference chaired by President Vladimir Putin. Sobyanin said the outbreak in Moscow has...
Belgium to ease social gathering rules and to open stores
Belgian households will be able to expand their social circle to include four people from outside their home from May 10. These people must be the same four people and must socialize within the confines of the home. Citizens have been advised to socialize outdoors...
London’s Heathrow Airport is testing technology to screen for coronavirus
Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye said the UK government must work with the international community to establish a common standard for how to avoid measures, such as quarantine, that will “completely kill the travel sector”. He noted that there is no commonly, internationally established health...
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants some lockdown easing in the UK on Monday
The UK leader announced that the government’s plan for moving forward during the pandemic will be presented to Parliament on Sunday, in the hope that some new measures to ease the country’s lockdown will be adopted the following day. He did not explicitly mention any...
It’s 12 p.m. in London and 7 a.m. in eastern US. Here’s the latest.
If you’re just joining our live coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic, here are some key headlines today: Trump to disband task force: The White House coronavirus task force will begin winding down later this month, according to a senior White House official. This comes...
Former British PM Theresa May criticizes lack of “coherent international response” to Covid-19
Former British prime minister Theresa May has criticized world leaders for their “inability to forge a coherent international response” to the novel coronavirus pandemic, in an opinion piece for the Times of London on Wednesday. May, who was prime minister from 2016 until the summer...
It’s just past 9:30 a.m. in Berlin and 12:30 p.m. in Islamabad. Here’s the latest on the pandemic
If you’re just joining our live coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic, here are some key headlines today: Trump to disband task force: The White House coronavirus task force will start to wind down later this month, close to Memorial Day on May 25, according...
Coronavirus could infect up to 70% of the US population before it slows down, infectious disease expert says
If the coronavirus pandemic was a nine-inning game, we’re only at the second inning, said Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Covid-19 will likely infect 60% to 70% of the US population before...
It’s just past 8 p.m. in Washington and 11 a.m. in Hong Kong. Here’s the latest on the pandemic
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.6 million people globally and killed at least 257,000. If you’re just joining us now, here are the latest developments: Trump to disband task force: The White House coronavirus task force will start to wind down later this...
Europe faces recession of “historic proportions”
The European Union is forecast to contract by a record 7.5% this year, according to a new forecast from the European Commission, as the coronavirus batters economies around the world. In its spring economic forecast, the commission predicts the contraction of “historic proportion” and says...
Coronavirus: Why is the UK’s COVID-19 death toll higher than other EU countries?
The UK has overtaken Italy to become the country worst hit by COVID-19 in Europe, according to latest government death counts. The disease has now killed 29,427 people in the UK, compared with 29,315 in Italy. While current death tolls give a broad idea of...
UK charities urge government to better protect carers suffering ‘intolerable pressures’
Care workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic are fighting back. A letter, signed by over 100 organisations including Oxfam, Carers UK and Unison union, warns that carers are facing ‘intolerable pressure’, and have been undervalued and under-rewarded for far too long. “All of...
Potential coronavirus vaccine tested in Germany could supply “many millions” by end of year
An experimental coronavirus vaccine entering human trials in the US may be available in many millions of doses by the end of 2020, the CEO of BioNTech said. The German drug maker has partnered with US giant Pfizer to distribute a potential vaccine which is...
Coronavirus cases in Italy drop to 98,467 as the spread continues to stabilize
The number of positive coronavirus cases in Italy now stands at 98,467, a drop of 1,513 since yesterday. The country has taken the first delicate steps towards lifting its lockdown, with around 4 million returning to work this week. Since Monday, 236 people died from...
UK coronavirus death toll overtakes Italy’s to become highest in Europe
The number of people who have died from coronavirus in the UK is now the highest in Europe and second only to the US globally. The UK today surpassed Italy’s death toll, as Britain’s foreign secretary announced the number of those who have died from...
Spain can’t rely on hopes for a vaccine, top health official says
Spain’s control of the coronavirus pandemic cannot be pinned on hopes of a vaccine, a top health official told the government today. The Director for Health Emergencies Dr. Fernando Simón, said while it is his belief there will be a vaccine at some point, “other...
French president warns summer vacation plans should remain on hold
It’s still too soon for the French to consider their much-cherished summer vacations, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. Macron also cautioned citizens against planning international holidays. We haven’t won the battle against the virus,” he said. “It has slowed down. We are entering a new...
British death toll may have neared 30,000 before end of April, UK data shows
The UK’s Covid-19 death toll may have been significantly higher than previously thought, with almost 30,000 registered deaths until April 24 (April 26 in Scotland), the latest data released by statistics bodies across the UK reveals. A total of 29,998 fatalities in the United Kingdom...
How China’s handling of the coronavirus crisis may impact its relationships in Europe
Before coronavirus brought the world to its knees, 2020 was slated to be a crucial year for the European Union and China. At a showpiece summit in September, the two are set to take a significant step forward in their economic and strategic relationship. As...
It’s just past 7 a.m. in New York and 12 p.m. in London. Here’s the latest on the coronavirus pandemic
If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. US death toll projected to double: An influential coronavirus model often cited by the White House forecasts that 134,000 people will die of coronavirus in the US by August, nearly double its previous...
Germany’s infection rate is around 0.71, number of transmitting cases ‘continues to fall’
Germany recorded another low increase of Covid-19 cases within the last 48 hours, the head of the the country’s national agency for disease control and prevention said. ”The number of transmitting cases continues to fall, which is very good news,” Lothar Wieler, head of the...
Number of unemployed in Spain rises by more than 280,000 in April
The number of unemployed people in Spain increased by more than 280,000 in the month of April, as restrictive social distancing measures continued to have an impact on the country’s economy. Unemployment claims rose by 282,891 — up about 8% from March — to a...
UK infection reproduction rate is still between 0.6 and 0.9
The UK’s Covid-19 reproduction rate is still between 0.6 and 0.9, the government’s chief scientific advisor Patrick Vallance said Tuesday. Vallance told a virtual parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee hearing that it is difficult for the UK government to get a very granular estimate...
UK government publishes scientific advice behind Covid-19 response
The British government has published the scientific advice it says has shaped its strategy to deal with the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country. “The collective evidence we have published today has played a considerable role in shaping our recommendations on when, how and why...
Belarus will hold an annual military parade despite coronavirus. “We simply cannot cancel,” President says
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he is moving ahead with the military parade commemorating the end of World War Two in Europe on May 9, according to a readout posted on his presidential website Sunday. “I must say that we cannot cancel the parade, we...
It’s just past 8 a.m. in London and 12:30 p.m. in New Delhi. Here’s the latest on the coronavirus pandemic
If you’re just joining us, here’s the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus origin: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the most likely origin of the coronavirus outbreak was a wildlife wet market. His comments come as intelligence shared among US allies indicates the virus...
Will a coronavirus vaccine be accessible to everyone or only the privileged few?
In 2016, Dr Peter Hotez and his team were working on a coronavirus vaccine in Texas. The next step would have been to begin trials on people. Instead, he had to pull the plug due to a lack of interest – and funds. In March...
Coronavirus: France’s first known case ‘was in December’
A patient diagnosed with pneumonia near Paris on 27 December actually had the coronavirus, his doctor has said. This means the virus may have arrived in Europe almost a month earlier than previously thought. Dr Yves Cohen told French media a swab taken at the...
World leaders pledge $8 billion for coronavirus treatments and vaccines
World leaders have pledged a total of $8 billion for the development and deployment of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines against the novel coronavirus. The donations came flooding in during a virtual pledging conference today co-hosted by the European Union, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the...
