China’s Jilin in crash after coronavirus cluster – live updates | News

• The Chinese city of Jilin imposed travel restrictions, closed residential areas, and banned meetings after several cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the northeast city.
• Support for United States President Donald Trump has declined in the past month as the number of victims of the coronavirus has increased, according to a Reuters / Ipsos survey. Trump now follows challenger Joe Biden by eight percentage points.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease expert. The US warned that the country still does not have the disease under control and that reducing blockages too soon risks unnecessary death.
• More than 4.26 million people worldwide have been confirmed with the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 291,000 have died, 82,000 of them in the United States. Almost 1.5 million people have recovered.

Here are the latest updates.

Wednesday May 13

09:29 GMT – Emirates Airline plans scheduled flights from May 21 to nine cities

The Emirates airline on May 21 plans to operate scheduled flight services from Dubai to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, it said in a statement.

It will also offer connections in Dubai for travelers between Britain and Australia, he said.

09:19 GMT – Hong Kong reports first locally transmitted cases in weeks

Hong Kong reported its first two coronavirus cases in three weeks with no ties to anyone who traveled abroad, and authorities were quick to trace the origin of the infections.

The Asian financial center has been one of the most successful cities in the world to contain the pandemic, with most cases imported and immediately quarantined, and the discovery of new cases raises concerns about a renewed local transmission.

The Chinese-ruled city reopened bars, gyms and movie theaters last week and announced tentative plans for some students to return to school by the end of the month, but the ban on groups of more than eight people remains in effect.

The latest government health report, which includes two local cases, a 66-year-old housewife and her five-year-old granddaughter, and an imported one, brings the total in the city to 1,051, four of whom have died. Only a few dozen have yet to fully recover.

08:58 GMT – Malaysia reports new cases, deaths

Malaysia reported 37 new cases, bringing its cumulative total to 6,779 infections.

The health ministry also reported two new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the outbreak to 111.

“We have nothing to eat, we break our fast with just water.”

More than 7 million children in Afghanistan may go hungry due to blockage of the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/9zwKp8Laxh

– Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 13, 2020

08:56 GMT – Ireland can introduce mandatory quarantine for travelers – PM

Ireland can introduce a legally enforceable 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the country to replace the current system where only 14 days of isolation is recommended, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

“We may have to toughen it up a bit because he is currently an adviser, not required by law. We may have to do that,” Varadkar told Today FM radio, speaking days after the UK announced plans for quarantine. .

Restrictions on entering Ireland, part of a common Travel Area with the United Kingdom but not a member of the European Union’s Schengen Free Travel Area, should be in force “at least until we have some kind of international agreement” on air travel, Varadkar said.

08:16 GMT – Philippines registers 21 new deaths, 268 more infections

The Philippine health ministry recorded 21 more coronavirus deaths and an additional 268 infections.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths from the coronavirus reached 772, while confirmed cases rose to 11,618. But 145 more patients have recovered, increasing total recoveries to 2,251.

08:05 GMT – Russia suspends use of fan type after hospital fires

Russia has suspended the use of Russian-made medical ventilators of a certain model manufactured after April 1, a state health care regulator said, after two hospital fires involving two of those machines.

The Aventa-M medical respirator was used at Saint George Hospital in Saint Petersburg, where five people died in a fire on Tuesday, and also at a hospital in Moscow, where a fire killed one person on Saturday.

Roszdravnadzor, the regulator, said Tuesday that it was checking the quality and safety of the fans at the two hospitals.

07:55 GMT – Saudi Arabia to enforce blockade on Eid

Saudi Arabia will enforce a 24-hour curfew across the country during the five-day Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday later this month.

A total closure will be imposed from May 23 to 27 after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the interior ministry said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Read more here.

07:36 GMT – Russia reports more than 10,000 new cases

Russia reported 10,028 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, raising its national count to 242,271.

Russia’s coronavirus response center said 96 people died overnight, bringing the official death toll to 2,212.

07:24 GMT – Chinese city of Jilin under partial closure

A northeast Chinese city has partially closed its borders and cut transport links after the emergence of a local coronavirus group that has fueled growing fears of a second wave of infections in China.

Jilin, with a population of more than four million, suspended bus services, saying she will only allow residents to leave the city if they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 48 hours and complete an unspecified period of “self-isolation. strict “.

All closed cinemas, gymnasiums, internet cafes and other entertainment venues must close immediately, and pharmacies must report all sales of fever and antiviral drugs, the local government said in a statement.

A group of infections were reported in the Shulan suburb over the weekend, and Jilin’s deputy mayor warned on Wednesday that the situation was “extremely serious and complicated” and that “there is a great risk of further spread.”

The city reported six new cases, all linked to the Shulan group, bringing the total number of cases linked to a local laundry worker to 21.

07:22 GMT – Dubai reopens parks, hotel beaches

The UAE’s business and tourism center Dubai has allowed public parks to reopen and hotel guests have access to private beaches, state media said, as the emirate gradually lifts restrictions.

Dubai, the most populous of the UAE’s seven emirates, on April 24 reduced the curfew to eight hours at night and allowed restaurants and shopping malls to reopen at limited capacity.

Public parks are now open for groups of up to five people, the state news agency WAM said. Hotel guests should practice physical distance on the beaches.

Tram and ferry services were also resumed and groups of up to five people can now practice recreational activities in open areas. Mosques, cinemas, public beaches, and nightclubs remain closed.

07:16 GMT – Singapore confirms 675 new cases

The Singapore Health Ministry said it has confirmed a further 675 cases of coronavirus infections, bringing the city-state count to 25,346.

Do I have to wash my hands regularly if I stay home?@DrAmirKhanGP answer your #coronavirus questions 👇 pic.twitter.com/JwozKjAxg9

– Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 11, 2020

06:42 GMT – Austria, Germany to reopen border in mid-June

Austria and Germany plan to open their border on June 15 after being closed for two months, the government in Vienna said.

“From June 15, the opening of the border between Germany and Austria will be possible,” Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger told state radio station O1.

06:28 GMT – UK economy shrinks 5.8 percent in March

Britain’s economy shrunk by a record 5.8 percent in March since February as the coronavirus crisis intensified and the government ordered the closure of much of the country.

In the first three months of the year, gross domestic product contracted 2.0 percent from the last three months of 2019, the Office for National Statistics said.

That was the biggest quarter-on-quarter drop since late 2008, during the depths of the financial crisis.

April figures are likely to show a further decline as British companies and consumers spent the entire month locked up.

06:16 GMT – California cancels fall college classes

California’s state university system, the largest in the United States, canceled classes for the fall semester due to the coronavirus, while Los Angeles County said its order to stay home would likely last three months.

In one of the first signs that the pandemic will continue to have a significant impact in the fall, the California State University chancellor said classes at its 23 campuses would be canceled during the semester beginning in September, with online instruction.

“Our university, open without restrictions and in person, as is the traditional norm of the past, is a place where more than 500,000 people gather in a close and vibrant daily proximity,” said Chancellor Timothy White. he said in a statement.

“That focus, unfortunately, just isn’t on the cards right now.”

05:57 GMT – Sumo wrestler infected with coronavirus dies

A 28-year-old sumo wrestler infected with the coronavirus has died, making him the first sumo wrestler to die from the virus, the Japan Sumo Association said.

The fighter Shobushi, whose real name is Kiyotaka Suetake, was hospitalized last month, died Wednesday in a Tokyo hospital of a coronavirus-related multi-organ failure, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said.

Hello this is Farah Najjar taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry.

05:20 GMT – Saudi Arabia to impose a 24-hour blockade during the Eid holiday

Saudi Arabia will implement a full blockade during the five-day Eid holiday at the end of the fasting month to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to a statement from the official Saudi Press Agency.

The blockade will be in effect from May 23 to 27.

The country imposed a complete closure at the start of the outbreak, but last month relaxed the curfew so people could get out during the day. On Tuesday, the health ministry said it had confirmed 42,925 coronavirus cases with 264 deaths.

04:55 GMT – Twitter says staff can work from home ‘forever’ if they want

Twitter says its staff can work from home “forever” if they are in a role and situation that allows them to do so.

Jennifer Christie, the company’s vice president, also said Twitter did not expect to be one of the first companies to return to their offices, that there would be no business trips before September and no in-person company events for the rest of 2020.

Proud of the decisions we make to prioritize pre-COVID-19 decentralization that allow us to continue putting our employees first today. Whether you prefer to work from your kitchen or in one of our offices, there is a place for you. #LoveWhereverYouWork https://t.co/6SoX5vrrUv

– Jennifer (@jenchristiehr) May 12, 2020

04:50 GMT – Thailand reports no new cases of coronavirus

Thailand has not reported new cases of coronavirus for the first time since March 9.

04:45 GMT – Singapore to test all migrant workers for coronavirus

Singapore plans to screen the 323,000 migrant workers who live in company dorms for coronavirus, the local Straits Times newspaper quoted National Development Minister Lawrence Wong as saying.

The city-state, which relies on men for construction and other manual labor, will use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and serological (for antibodies) tests to make sure they are free of the virus.

Authorities are currently doing 3,000 tests a day in the dormitories, and will intensify the tests with a view to completing the process in July, Wong said.

Thousands of workers were confined to their bedrooms after an increase in coronavirus cases.

04:05 GMT – Bags at dawn: South Korean shoppers queue for Chanel

More than 100 people defied fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections to queue from 5 a.m. outside Chanel in Seoul to buy luxury goods from the French brand before an expected rise in prices.

Lee Ji-yeon, 54, told Reuters she hoped to get a bag for her daughter who is getting married. Her future son-in-law was queuing at a Chanel dealership at a department store, he said.

“We have been to the Chanel store several times before and dying to buy it or not,” said Lee. “As prices are going up, we decided to buy it now.”

There was an increase in coronavirus cases in Seoul after an outbreak linked to clubs and bars, with 119 cases across the country now linked to the 29-year-old who tested positive in early May.

03:50 GMT – London Mayor says June is “too early” to resume Premier League

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says it is “too early” to speak about the resumption of the Premier League and other high-profile sports in the UK capital because the country “is still in the midst of this crisis and hundreds of people are dying. ” every day, “the Evening Standard reported, quoting a spokesman for the mayor.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among the top five Premier League clubs in London.

The possibility of games resuming next month received a boost after the government said elite sport could resume behind closed doors from June 1.

The teams have been told that they will not be allowed to board once training resumes as part of a package of measures to protect people from the virus.

03:30 GMT – Senior Jilin City Official Warns of High Risk of New Coronavirus Cases

Gai Dongping, the deputy mayor of Jilin in northeast China, told reporters that the six new cases confirmed on Wednesday morning increased the risk of the virus spreading further and the city was stepping up measures to curb and contain the virus.

The city is the second largest in the province of the same name, and is located almost 100 kilometers (63 miles) east of the capital Changchun.

The city of Jilin, in the northeast of China’s Jilin province, announced on Wednesday that it will close all urban areas and towns, and suspend all meetings after a spike in # COVID-19 cases. https://t.co/j3Lai6C15N pic.twitter.com/pPTtQCx1m5

– Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 13, 2020

02:45 GMT – Coronavirus hampers cyclone response for Vanuatu and the Pacific

The coronavirus pandemic is slowing efforts to help people in Vanuatu and other parts of the Pacific, after Cyclone Harold swept through the region a month ago, destroying homes and livelihoods.

Michel Kerf, who heads the World Bank in the region, said the cyclone had been a “shocking reminder” of Vanuatu’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

Read more here.

01:45 GMT – Iceland will reduce restrictions on international arrivals from June

The Icelandic government says it plans to ease restrictions on international arrivals no later than June 15 and hopes to be able to offer travelers a choice between a COVID-19 test on arrival or a two-week quarantine. A final decision will be made at the end of the month.

“When travelers return to Iceland, we want to have all the mechanisms to safeguard them and the progress made in controlling the pandemic,” Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation, said in a statement. “Iceland’s large-scale testing, tracing and isolation strategy has so far proven effective. We want to build on that experience of creating a safe place for those who want a change of scenery after what has been a difficult spring for all of us. ” “

Iceland has already revised the quarantine regime that was first imposed in January, with essential workers and those involved in vital infrastructure eligible for a modified quarantine that does not require you to stay home. The plan will roll out to filmmakers, scientists, and a few others starting May 15.

Plus:

01:30 GMT – China confirms seven new cases; focus on the northeast of Jilin province

The Chinese National Health Commission confirmed seven new cases of coronavirus, six of them in the northeast Jilin province, where the city of Shulan increased its risk level from medium to high over the weekend.

The new cases were found in Jilin, the province’s second largest city, with five of them linked to a previous case in Shulan. Jilin city has temporarily suspended train services as a result of the outbreak.

Jilin Railway Station in #Jilin The city, northeast China’s Jilin Province, announced the temporary suspension of departures and transfer services starting at 6:00 am on Wednesday after the province reported a group of # COVID-19 cases. pic.twitter.com/onXljSyg6D

– People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) May 13, 2020

The other case from China was found in a traveler returning to Shanghai.

00:05 GMT – Brazil reports more cases than Germany; daily deaths hit record

Confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil outnumbered Germany on Tuesday when the country recorded 881 deaths in 24 hours, the highest since the outbreak began.

Brazil has confirmed 177,589 cases of coronavirus, compared to 170,508 in Germany.

The country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has tried to minimize the disease and is now fighting with state governors over a presidential decree that he signed on Monday designating beauty salons and gyms as “essential” services that would allow them to open during blockades. .

At least 10 governors have said they will not comply with Bolsonaro’s decree.

“Bolsonaro is walking towards the precipice and wants to take us all with him,” Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel wrote on Twitter.

23:30 GMT (Tuesday) – Trump supports reflux as the death toll from coronavirus rises

Americans have become more critical of President Donald Trump in the past month as the coronavirus outbreak in the country has deepened, according to a survey published Tuesday.

A Reuters / Ipsos opinion poll shows that 56 percent of respondents now disapprove of Trump, five points more than a similar poll in mid-April. Trump’s approval rating fell four points to 41 percent.

It also found that 46 percent of registered voters would endorse Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election, while 38 percent would vote for Trump.

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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continued coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I am Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

Read all the developments from yesterday (May 12) here.