New York surpasses Italy, 731 dead in 24 hrs

London, April 7

New York state overtook Italy on Tuesday, reporting overall coronavirus cases second in the world only to Spain. The US state has 1,38,836 reported cases compared with Italy at 135,586. Spain has the most cases at 1,40,510. In total the US has recorded 3,80,000 cases and 11,907 deaths.

The disease’s relentless march across the planet has now claimed more than 79,000 lives out of more than 1.38 million confirmed cases, with warnings that much worse is yet to come. France recorded a new surge of 833 fatalities and Italy saw its death toll rise after days of dropping. The Swiss death toll has reached 641, while the number of positive tests also increased to 22,242.

New York state reported its deadliest day, with 731 new deaths for a total of 5,489 fatalities, even as Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that hospitalisations appeared to be reaching a plateau.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament convened for the first time since the outbreak forced its doors to close, as the country reported a drop in new infections for the seventh straight day.

People around the world have been forced to improvise as supplies run short, with bodies packed in cardboard coffins in Ecuador and a mosque converted into a makeshift mask factory in Iran. — AFP

Japan PM Abe declares state of emergency

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a month-long state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration will come into effect on Wednesday.

It covers the capital and other major prefectures. The state of emergency, which is until May 6, will only permit Tokyo Governot Yuriko Koike and heads of the six other prefectures

to do more to reinforce calls for social distancing.

The development comes as Japan has recorded 3,906 coronavirus cases, with 92 deaths. Abe has been under pressure to declare a state of emergency to get better compliance with calls for social distancing amid rising alarm over the number of cases.

Spike in Spain again

Madrid: Spain’s coronavirus toll shot up to 743 on Tuesday after falling for four straight days, lifting the total to 13,798, the health ministry said. However, it emphasised that the rise was due to weekend deaths being tallied and that the overall ‘downward trend’ is continuing. The new figure represents a 5.7 per cent increase over the 637 deaths recorded on Monday, the lowest number of fatalities since March 24 in the world’s second hardest-hit country after Italy.

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EUROPE

France’s health minister warned the epidemic has not yet peaked in the country, as figures on Monday showed the rate of fatalities — now at almost 9,000 — accelerated again after several days of slowing.

Residents in Lombardy, Italy’s worst-hit region, scrambled for scarce protective face masks and makeshift alternatives after authorities ordered everyone moving outside to cover up.

Finland extended and tightened border controls until May 13, aiming to reduce commute across the Swedish and Norwegian borders.

AMERICAS

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Louisiana pointed to tentative signs that the outbreak may be leveling off in their states but warned against complacency as the death toll nationwide approached 11,000.

Undertakers in New York, the US epicentre of the crisis, are so overworked that a city official raised the possibility of carrying out temporary burials in a public park.

Canada said it was pressing Washington over a complaint that US officials had blocked the export of three million face masks bought by the province of Ontario.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Mainland China reported no deaths for the first time since the pandemic began, and a drop in new cases, a day before the city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged, is set to lift its lockdown.

Indonesia approved a request by the Jakarta administration to impose further large-scale social restrictions on the capital.

Singapore has enlisted grounded airline crew for virus prevention service, as it entered the first day of a month-long partial lockdown.

Philippines extended its lockdown and home quarantine measures until the end of April.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Dubai has extended the closure of commercial activities until April 18.

Saudi Arabia placed its capital Riyadh and other big cities under a 24-hour curfew, while Kuwait announced a full lockdown of two densely populated districts and extended a public holiday by two weeks until April 26.