UN says pandemic may cause ‘human rights disaster’: live updates | News

• Countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Iran, and Spain, are moving to alleviate coronavirus blockages as daily infections and deaths decline. Italy has announced that it will facilitate its two-month checks starting on May 4.

• The UN human rights chief warned that countries that violate the rule of law in the name of fighting the new coronavirus pandemic are at risk of causing a “human rights disaster”.

• At least 1.3 million Australians have downloaded the government’s COVIDsafe tracking app as support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison increases thanks to his handling of the outbreak.

• Worldwide, the number of people confirmed to have the coronavirus has risen to more than 2.99 million, and at least 207,000 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Some 875,000 people have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Monday, April 27

16:51 GMT – WHO says the US federal plan is clear and based on science

A senior official at the World Health Organization (WHO) said the United States appears to have a “clearly established” science-based federal plan to combat the epidemic.

“The federal government and the system of governors are working together to move the United States and its people through this very difficult situation,” Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s chief emergency expert, said in a virtual meeting at Geneva, adding that the federal system connecting 50 states made the situation “complex.”

Ryan repeated an earlier WHO warning against easing restrictions too soon. Speaking specifically about the United States’ plans to facilitate confinement measures, he said: “We believe that the overall federal plan appears to be very science-based.”

16:33 GMT – UK hospital death toll increases by 360, lowest daily death toll over four weeks

Another 360 people died in British hospitals, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, bringing the total deaths to 21,092.

The 360 ​​increase was the lowest number of daily deaths for four weeks, though delays in reporting over the weekend may distort Monday’s totals.

Hancock said the deaths of 82 health service workers were included in the figures.

16:28 GMT – Erdogan says Turkey will send medical equipment to the US USA

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will send medical equipment, including protective suits and masks, to the United States on Tuesday.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan also said that a three-day blockade would be imposed in 31 cities starting Friday, May 1, and that the weekend blockades would continue until after Eid al-Fitr in late May. .

16:21 GMT – Death toll rises in Italy, but new cases lower since March 10

Death in Italy rose 333 to 260 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the daily count of new cases fell to 1,739 from 2,324 on Sunday, the lowest reading since March 10.

The total death toll in Italy since it came to light on February 21 is now 26,977, the agency said, the second highest in the world after the United States.

The number of confirmed cases stands at 199,414, the third highest world count behind the US. USA And Spain.

16:17 GMT – Cuomo to extend stay-at-home order in parts of New York

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said his stay-at-home order is likely to extend beyond May 15 in many parts of the state, but that restrictions could be relaxed in some parts if they have sufficient hospital capacity and comply with other criteria.

Cuomo also said in a daily briefing that an additional 337 New Yorkers died the day before, compared to 367 the day before and the lowest daily death toll since March 30.

16:14 GMT – New York cancels presidential primaries on June 23

New York officials made an unprecedented decision to cancel the June 23 presidential primaries over concerns about the coronavirus.

16:10 GMT – Trump hits cities, states seek relief as ‘poorly managed’

United States President Donald Trump criticized US cities and states seeking federal aid to make up for large losses, accusing them of being “poorly managed” largely by Democrats.

The governors of the EE. USA They are seeking $ 500 billion in funds from the US Congress. USA As lawmakers weigh another possible relief bill, saying the money is needed to cover the costs of responding to the outbreak, as well as lost income while residents take refuge on the spot.

“Why should the people and taxpayers of the United States bail out badly run states (like Illinois, for example) and cities, in all cases, run and run Democrats, when most other states are not looking rescue aid? I’m open to discussing anything, but just asking, “Trump, a Republican, tweeted.

16:01 GMT – The number of deaths in Canada increases by five percent in one day

The death toll in Canada rose five percent to 2,617 in one day, according to official data released by the public health agency.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus increased to 47,327, according to a statement.

On Sunday there were 2,489 deaths and 45,791 positive diagnoses.

15:50 GMT – American trucks squeezed by coronavirus

Blocks to stop the spread of COVID-19 are reducing the charges for truckers, as well as the fees paid to them.

Read Abubakr Al-Shamahi’s here.

Because it is #coronavirus hitting black communities in the US USA Enjoy the @AJStream LIVE conversation on YouTube at 1500 GMT https://t.co/fd0wqhG6xw pic.twitter.com/rvjWv6yrcL

– Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 27, 2020

15:47 GMT – US stocks rise as states ease restrictions

U.S. stock markets opened green as investors focused on states reopening parts of their economies despite more serious warnings that the U.S. economy is likely facing its worst blow since the Great Depression. .

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 80 points or 0.33 percent in morning trading on Wall Street. The S&P 500, a gauge of the health of US college and retirement savings accounts. The US rose 0.6 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.78 percent.

Read Radmilla Suleymanova’s story here.

15:30 GMT – WHO warns about the impact of COVID-19 on other health services

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the agency was deeply concerned about the effect that COVID-19 will have on other health services, especially for children, and vaccine-preventable diseases.

At a press conference in Geneva, Tedros said the Gavi Alliance estimated that 21 countries already faced vaccine shortages due to border restrictions and other factors.

14:57 GMT – UK offers 100 percent state-backed loans to smaller companies

Rishi Sunak, the UK’s finance minister, said the government would provide 100 percent guarantees on loans to the UK’s smallest companies in the latest move to protect the economy and workers from closure.

Sunak, who has faced criticism over slow progress in obtaining government-backed credit for companies and previously opposed 100 percent state guarantees, said the government would pay interest on loans of up to £ 50,000. ($ 62,010.00) on behalf of companies for the first time. 12 months.

14:53 GMT – UK offers public opportunity to ask ministers questions

The UK government said it will give a member of the public a chance to ask ministers, scientists and doctors a question at their daily briefing.

Hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to give the public “as much transparency as possible,” the government asked the public to get involved.

The government said in a statement that anyone could apply on the website https://www.gov.uk/ask as long as they were over the age of 18 and that the question would be reviewed at noon on the day of the press conference.

Only one question would be chosen each day and, if selected, the person will be contacted before 3 p.m. (14:00 GMT).

14:36 ​​GMT – White House says task force to resume briefings later this week

United States President Donald Trump will maintain a press availability on Monday when meeting with CEOs and industry leaders, but the White House coronavirus task force will not hold a briefing, a spokeswoman said. from the White House.

The task force will resume briefings later in the week when the administration enters the reopening phase, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters.

14:25 GMT: $ 1 test kits: Senegal’s approach to COVID-19

From mobile early detection kits to 3D printed fans, the West African nation is demonstrating a possible model for curbing COVID-19, relying on its expertise in managing the Ebola outbreak.

14:03 GMT – Reopening of Gaza restaurants

The reopening of restaurants and cafes in Gaza was allowed starting Monday, the economy ministry announced, following pleas from restaurant owners to alleviate economic suffering.

According to the recommendations of the health ministry, restaurants must continue to observe the rules of social distancing, he said in a statement.

Since mid-March, the Hamas government in Gaza has imposed strict measures to prevent a widespread outbreak of coronavirus.

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This is Mersiha Gadzo in Doha taking on the live updates from my colleague Usaid Siddiqui.

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12:55 – Thirty workers on the offshore oil platform of Equatorial Guinea test positive

Thirty workers on an offshore oil platform in Equatorial Guinea have tested positive for the new coronavirus, two sources close to the ministry told the Reuters news agency.

Workers on the Serpentina floating production unloading and storage platform have been evacuated to shore and are under quarantine, while operator Exxon Mobil and government officials are working to disinfect the platform.

Oil production has not been affected, the sources said.

12:50 GMT – Netherlands reports 400 new cases, 43 deaths

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Netherlands has increased by 400 to 38,245, health authorities said, with 43 new deaths.

The death toll in the country is 4,518, the Netherlands Institute of Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.

The RIVM cautioned that it only reports confirmed cases, and the actual numbers are higher.

12:40 GMT – Swedish Ambassador: Stockholm could achieve collective immunity in May

Sweden’s ambassador to the United States said the Nordic country’s capital could achieve mass immunity in May, as a result of a controversial response to the coronavirus pandemic involving few public restrictions.

“About 30 percent of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity,” Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter told National Public Radio (NPR).

“We could achieve collective immunity in the capital as soon as next month,” Olofsdotter said in the interview published on Sunday.

Read more here.

12:30 GMT – British Prime Minister Johnson to meet with Labor leader and parties to reach consensus

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet with opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer this week and other party leaders next week, his spokesman said, as part of efforts to build consensus on plans to relieve coronavirus blockage.

“The prime minister will continue the inter-party engagement that has taken place over the past few weeks,” the spokesperson told reporters.

“He plans to speak to the opposition leader this week and to the leaders of all Westminster parties next week, along with the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser.”

12:15 GMT – The pandemic has a high cost in the Somali community in the United Kingdom

Hanna Ali, a volunteer working with various community organizations, has been exceptionally busy since the epidemic began in the UK.

Much of their time is spent sharing information in Somali in the hope that each family has access to life-saving messages.

“There are now almost daily announcements of Somali lives lost or hospitalized due to COVID-19,” he told Al Jazeera.

The virus has claimed the lives of Somalis in Britain of all ages and origins: from Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, 13, and former Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, 83, to popular musician Ahmed Ismail Hussein Hudeidi, 91 years old.

Read more here.

12:00 GMT – Trump administrator is considering protocols to keep US factories open: adviser

The Trump administration is focusing on protocols to keep US factories open. USA As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak, including detecting possible cases in workers, White House adviser Peter Navarro said.

“We are trying to find the best protocols to keep our factories running,” Navarro said in an interview on Fox News. “We are going to have to use appropriate protocols, different social distances. You will have to reconfigure the factories.”

11:45 GMT – Belgium admits fewest number of patients to hospital since closure began

Belgian hospitals have admitted the lowest number of patients with COVID-19 since the start of the shutdown nearly seven weeks ago, the figures showed on Monday, a week before the country begins to ease restrictions.

In an encouraging sign, the number of hospital admissions, a key number to monitor the course of the disease, fell to 127 on Sunday, the lowest level since March 18. Daily earnings peaked at 600 in late March and hovered around 200 for the past week

The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 also decreased to a one-month low of 553, although health authorities said the decrease may be due in part to the effect of the weekend.

Read more about how Belgium has been able to control the virus.

11:30 GMT – Indian medical corps calls on states to stop using test kits from two Chinese companies

India’s federal medical research agency has called on the state government to stop using coronavirus test kits brought in from China due to conflicting results.

More than half a million coronavirus antibody test kits were ordered from China this month as a way to increase detection in India. But the Indian Council for Medical Research said several states had complained about the quality of the equipment from two companies and that they should be sent back to China.

“ICMR has since then also evaluated the Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits. The results have shown wide variation in sensitivity, despite the early promise of good performance for surveillance purposes.”

“In view of this, states are advised to stop using these kits purchased from the companies mentioned above and to return them for shipment to suppliers,” he said.

11:15 GMT – Coronavirus forces delayed in US extradition case against Assange

Hearings in the United States extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not take place next month as scheduled due to the coronavirus blockade preventing lawyers from attending court, a British judge decided. .

The 48-year-old man is being held in London’s Belmarsh prison, where he is fighting a U.S. request to put him on trial for conspiring to hack government computers and espionage.

Assange was dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London last year after a seven-year standoff.

He says he could spend decades in prison if convicted, calling the case against him political and a threat to freedom of expression. The United States says it endangered informants’ lives by publishing secrets.

11:05 GMT – Chinese police detain three linked to a censored coronavirus file

Chinese police detained two people who contributed to an online archive of censored articles about the coronavirus outbreak, a friend and family member told Reuters.

The two, Chen Mei and Cai Wei, have been out of contact since April 19, when the police detained them in Beijing, Chen Kun, Chen Mei’s brother, told Reuters.

Cai was held on charges of “picking up disputes and causing trouble,” in a Beijing police report from the Chaoyang District, said Chen Kun, an accusation often used against political activists in China.

Chen Kun said he did not know what charges, if any, detained his brother.

A third person, Cai’s girlfriend, surnamed Tang, was detained on similar charges, Chen Kun said, although it was not immediately clear if she was directly involved in the archive project.

Chen Mei, 27, and Cai, who are old friends, volunteered for a project called Terminus2049, an open source archive that keeps records of censored articles from the Chinese media on Github, a coding platform, Chen Kun said.

In recent months, the project has been active in making article records of the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the central city of Wuhan late last year.

10:35 GMT – Pandemic could create ‘human rights disaster’: UN

The UN human rights chief warned that countries that ignore the rule of law in the name of fighting the new coronavirus pandemic are at risk of causing a “human rights disaster”.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights “under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures.”

“Emergency powers should not be a weapon that governments can use to quell dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power,” it said in a statement.

“They should be used to effectively deal with the pandemic, nothing more and nothing less.”

10:18 GMT – More than 200 Cuban health experts come to South Africa to fight the virus

More than 200 Cuban doctors and health workers arrived in South Africa on Monday to help fight the coronavirus, the presidency said.

“217 Cuban specialists and health workers arrived in South Africa today … to help in the fight to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the presidency said in a statement.

It is the second country in the region to receive medical support from Cuba after Angola.

South Africa has the highest number of coronavirus cases on the continent with 4,546 infections, of which 87 have been fatal.

10:15 GMT – India reports positive results of the blockade

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the permanent one-month shutdown has yielded positive results and that the country has managed to save “thousands of lives.”

Modi, who had a video conference with several heads of states, said the impact of the coronavirus, however, will continue to be visible in the coming months, according to a press release issued by his office.

During the meeting with the heads of state, Modi advocated social distancing of at least two yards (6 feet) and the use of face masks as a quick response to board COVID-19.

India has confirmed more than 27,000 coronavirus cases, including 872 deaths.

Plus:

10:10 GMT – Spain counts 331 new virus deaths in 24 hours: government

Spain counted another 331 new deaths from the virus, rising several dozen overnight from its lowest level in more than a month.

The figure raised the overall figure to 23,521 in Spain, which has suffered the third-highest number of deaths in the world, but which began easing conditions on its blockade on Sunday, allowing children to play for the first time in six weeks.

09:05 GMT – Boris Johnson ‘cannot explain’ how the UK blockade will be reduced

After suffering a serious case of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work at the biggest dilemma in his position as Prime Minister: how to lift the blockade that is destroying sectors of the British economy without triggering a second deadly wave of the outbreak.

Speaking outside Downing Street on Monday, he said the government “simply cannot explain” when or how the restrictive measures will be eased, but offered hope by adding progress with less hospital admissions and that the UK was “overcoming the peak “

Read more here.

08:45 GMT – Bangladesh restarts some garment factories

More than 500 garment factories in Bangladesh have reopened after a month-long shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while calls to ease its blockade have grown in India, causing deep economic pain.

Factories in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong have been allowed to resume work. Some of the world’s largest clothing firms, including Gap Inc, Inditex, which owns Zara and H&M, source their supplies from Bangladesh.

Los grupos industriales del sector, que cuenta con unas 4.000 fábricas que emplean a 4,1 millones de trabajadores, advirtieron que el cierre podría perder al país $ 6 mil millones en ingresos por exportaciones este año financiero.

Bangladesh ha reportado más de 5,000 casos de coronavirus y 145 muertes.

08:25 GMT – El número de muertos por coronavirus de Filipinas aumenta a 511, los casos a 7.777: Ministerio

Filipinas ha reportado 198 nuevos casos de coronavirus y 10 muertes más, lo que lleva la cifra del país a 7.777 casos y 511 muertes.

El Departamento de Salud también dijo que 70 personas se han recuperado de la infección, lo que eleva el número total de recuperaciones a 932.

08:05 GMT – Motor racing-Grand Prix francés cancelado debido a una pandemia

El Gran Premio de Fórmula 1 francés programado para el 28 de junio en Le Castellet ha sido cancelado debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, dijeron los organizadores en un comunicado.

La temporada de Fórmula Uno aún no ha comenzado, pero la carrera en el circuito sur es la décima afectada por el nuevo coronavirus.

07:25 GMT – Los viajeros de Arabia Saudita, Rusia tienen prohibido ingresar a Japón: Abe

A partir del miércoles, Japón está agregando 14 países más, incluidos Rusia y Arabia Saudita, a una prohibición de entrada para frenar la propagación del nuevo coronavirus, dijo el primer ministro japonés, Shinzo Abe.

La medida eleva el número total de países y territorios cubiertos a 87.

Los viajeros de China, Estados Unidos y toda Europa tienen restringido el ingreso a Japón bajo las medidas.

07:05 GMT – Los niños regresan a la escuela en Noruega

Noruega, que dice que tiene la pandemia bajo control, reabrió las escuelas primarias a los estudiantes más jóvenes en un paso hacia una normalización gradual, aunque algunos padres expresaron su preocupación.

Una semana después de las guarderías, los alumnos de entre 6 y 10 años comenzaron a regresar a sus escuelas después de seis semanas de aprendizaje remoto. Sin embargo, las clases se redujeron a un máximo de 15 estudiantes.

Noruega ha comenzado a levantar progresivamente las restricciones impuestas el 12 de marzo para combatir el coronavirus.

06:44 GMT – Gran Bretaña avanza con las pruebas de anticuerpos: ministro junior

El Reino Unido continúa explorando si las pruebas de anticuerpos se pueden usar en la lucha contra COVID-19 y espera que funcionen, dijo el ministro de Estado de Salud, Edward Argar.

“Las pruebas continúan siendo probadas, la señal en este momento es positiva, pero todavía no estamos allí para decir que esto funcionará al 100 por ciento”, dijo a Talk Radio.

“Seguimos investigando a ritmo … estamos progresando muy bien ahora y espero ver algunas noticias positivas en ese frente”.

06:20 GMT – Pakistán extiende la prohibición de vuelos hasta el 15 de mayo

Pakistán ha extendido la prohibición de todos los vuelos internacionales dentro y fuera del país, con ciertas excepciones, hasta el 15 de mayo, anunció la Autoridad de Aviación Civil (CAA) del país.

“Según la decisión tomada por el gobierno de Pakistán, la suspensión de la operación de todos los vuelos internacionales de pasajeros internacionales, fletados y privados a Pakistán se extiende hasta el viernes 15 de mayo de 2020”, dijo un aviso a los aviadores emitido por la AAC.

“La única excepción a lo anterior serían los vuelos diplomáticos, especiales / de carga y los vuelos de la aerolínea nacional hacia / desde Pakistán con aprobación especial de la autoridad competente para el transporte de pasajeros varados, sin embargo, los pasajeros a bordo de cualquiera o todos los vuelos entrantes estarán sujetos a verificación exhaustiva según los procedimientos establecidos, incluidos los exámenes de detección, el frotis y el aislamiento / cuarentena según los consejos de los profesionales de la salud “.

El gobierno ha permitido que los vuelos traigan a casa a los pakistaníes varados en el extranjero, así como a los extranjeros que regresen a sus países de origen a través de vuelos organizados por sus respectivos gobiernos.

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Hola, soy Usaid Siddiqui en Doha reemplazando a mi colega Kate Mayberry.

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05:45 GMT – Alemania, Tailandia, Pakistán informan los últimos casos de coronavirus

Varios países han estado actualizando sus datos sobre el coronavirus.

Tailandia ha reportado nueve casos nuevos y una muerte, el Instituto Robert Koch de Alemania ha reportado 1,018 casos nuevos y 110 muertes, mientras que Pakistán ha reportado 605 casos nuevos con un total de muertes aumentando a 281.

Plus:

Pakistán también ha dicho que introducirá un programa de prueba de rastreo de cuarentena, según Asad Hashim de Al Jazeera, quien informa que la política fue aprobada en una reunión de alto nivel la semana pasada.

“Es una nueva política bajo la cual los gobiernos provinciales, con el apoyo de las administraciones de distrito, localizarán los contactos de los casos confirmados y los evaluarán”, dijo Zafar Mirza, el ministro de salud de facto del país. “Si se descubre que alguno es positivo, serán puestos en cuarentena”.

04:45 GMT – Corea del Sur investiga cómo los pacientes contraen coronavirus nuevamente

South Korea has made great strides in tackling the coronavirus with daily cases now well below 20, but it has also found people who were thought to have recovered from the virus getting it again.

Finding out whether it is reinfection or reactivation could be crucial for efforts to develop a vaccine.

Read the story from Kelly Kasulis in Seoul.

03:25 GMT – New Zealanders prepare to emerge from strict lockdown

New Zealand was preparing on Monday to emerge from a month-long lockdown that was among the world’s strictest.

The country will move from Level 4 restrictions to Level 3 at midnight (12:00 GMT).

Parliament and the courts will reopen, and about 400,000 people are expected to return to work under stringent conditions. Some children will also be able to go to school. Delivery services – suspended under Level 4 – will also resume.

02:40 GMT – Osaka to ‘name and shame’ pachinko parlours that continue to open

Japan’s Osaka Prefecture has said it will “name and shame” pachinko parlours that continue to operate despite being told to close under coronavirus restrictions.

Pachinko parlours, with their closely packed lines of gaming machines, are common throughout Japan and known for their loud music and flashing lights.

“They are big, and we know who they are,” said a spokesman for the prefecture.

On Friday, it identified six pachinko parlours in operation; three have now closed.

02:30 GMT – China reports just three new cases on mainland

China’s National Health Commission said on Monday the mainland had confirmed just three new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths.

Of the new cases, two were among people returning from overseas, while the other was in the northern province of Heilongjiang, bordering Russia.

02:00 GMT – Australians rush to download tracing app, gov’t popularity surges

Some 1.3 million Australians have downloaded the government’s COVIDSafe tracing app since it was launched on Sunday.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says the app is necessary to help “disease experts find people who might have been exposed” and that its adoption had exceeded expectations.

The surge in downloads as a new poll showed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s approval rating rise to 68 percent on his handling of the outbreak, the highest approval rating for an Australian leader since 2008.

I downloaded #COVIDSafe. I don’t regard govt as malign, I regard it as essential. Didn’t vote for this mob have plenty of criticism but we’re a democracy. That means we all give and take. My ‘right’ to privacy gives way to responsibility to other ppl rn. Society > self.

— Rose Jackson (@RoseBJackson) April 26, 2020

00:45 GMT – Iran to reopen mosques in coronavirus-free areas

Iran plans to reopen mosques in parts of the country that have been consistently free of coronavirus infections, President Hassan Rouhani announced.

The country will be divided into white, yellow and red regions, depending on the number of cases and deaths. In “white” areas, mosques will be allowed to reopen and resume Friday prayers, according to the presidency’s website.

00:30 GMT – Italy’s Conte announces lockdown easing from May 4

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced that the second phase of Italy’s lockdown will begin from May 4.

Under the plans, bars and restaurants will be able to provide takeaway as well as delivery services, and people will be allowed to move around their own regions, but not beyond. Factories and construction sites will also be able to resume work, providing they respected physical distancing and other health protocols.

“We expect a very complex challenge,” Conte said. “We will live within the virus, and we will have to adopt every precaution possible.”

Museums and galleries can reopen from May 18, when sports teams will also be allowed to resume group training.

00:00 GMT – Trump rejects reports he plans to fire health secretary

US President Donald Trump has rejected – in a tweet – reports that he plans to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

Trump described the reports as “Fake News” and said Azar was doing an “excellent job”.

He reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar going to be “fired” by me is fake news. The Lamestream media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos and chaos in the public mind. They didn’t even call to ask. Alex is doing an excellent job!

– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020

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

Read all the latest updates from yesterday (April 26) here.