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- There is so much oil spilling around the system and there is no demand for it that oil futures have dropped below zero for the first time in history.
- Globally, more than 2.4 million people have been diagnosed with the virus. More than 170,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- The United States accounts for about a quarter of all deaths.
Here are the latest updates:
Tuesday April 21
10:55 GMT – Pakistan records highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day
Pakistan has seen its largest single-day death toll from the coronavirus, with 17 new cases bringing the country’s highly contagious virus death toll to at least 192, according to government data.
The largest single-day increase in cases in Pakistan was also recorded Monday, with 705 confirmed cases bringing the country’s count to 9,214, according to the data.
Read more here.
10:37 GMT – Virus outbreak at a migrant hotel near Athens
Authorities in Greece have closed a migrant hotel that houses 470 asylum seekers amid reports that dozens of residents tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The migration ministry said a pregnant Somali woman living at the hotel in Kranidi, 166 kilometers (104 miles) southwest of Athens, had tested positive.
Press reports said on Tuesday that many other asylum seekers staying at the hotel, supervised by the International Organization for Migration, also tested positive.
The International Organization for Migration said it had “interpreters, psychologists, social workers and legal advisers … in constant contact with all interested parties to support this difficult situation.”
The 28-year-old woman had been placed under “total isolation in her room” and the entire hotel is closed, the ministry said.
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After virus control, Greece expects economic recovery |
10:21 GMT – Coronavirus probably of animal origin, with no signs of laboratory tampering – WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) said all available evidence suggests that the new coronavirus originated from bats in China late last year and was not manipulated or built in a laboratory.
United States President Donald Trump said last week that his government was trying to determine if the coronavirus emanated from a laboratory in Wuhan, central China.
“All available evidence suggests that the virus is of animal origin and is not a virus manipulated or built in a laboratory or elsewhere,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said at a press conference in Geneva. “It is likely, it is likely that the virus is of animal origin.”
Plus:
10:08 GMT – Spain registers 430 new deaths from coronavirus
New deaths attributed to the new coronavirus in Spain have increased slightly again, with 430 deaths bringing the total number of deaths to 21,282 from a 4-week low of 399 deaths daily on Monday.
Spain reports almost 4,000 new infections to a total of 204,178, a 2 percent daily increase in line with the average of the last four days, according to data from the health ministry.
The government is already evaluating how to roll back one of the tightest blockades in Europe, starting next Monday, allowing children to take to the streets for short periods. Spain’s center-left cabinet is discussing details on how the measure will be implemented during the weekly meeting on Tuesday.
09:45 GMT – Iran says 1,000 foreign prisoners were temporarily released
Iran’s judiciary said it has temporarily released more than 1,000 foreign prisoners due to the new coronavirus outbreak, following criticism from UN human rights experts.
“What Iran has done to guarantee the health of prisoners and grant them license is a significant move” compared to what other countries have done, said the spokesman of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Esmaili.
British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, arrested in 2016 and serving a five-year prison sentence for sedition, was among 100,000 prisoners temporarily released in March.
His license had been extended until May 20, his lawyer told the state news agency IRNA.
British-Iranian humanitarian worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is seen after being temporarily released from Iran prison, Tehran, Iran, March 17, 2020 [Nazanin Campaign/Handout/Reuters]
09:30 GMT – Ghani from Afghanistan tests negative for coronavirus
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the first lady tested negative for the new coronavirus, authorities announced after reports of an outbreak at the presidential palace.
Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the tests were carried out at his own request. “The president is healthy,” Sediqqi tweeted.
At least 40 palace employees have been infected with the virus, the New York Times reported Sunday.
09:15 GMT – World hunger could double due to COVID-19 coup – UN
The number of people facing acute food insecurity could almost double this year to 265 million due to the economic consequences of COVID-19, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said.
The impact of loss of tourism revenue, falling remittances and travel and other restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic is expected to leave some 130 million people hungry this year, adding to around 135 millions already in that category.
“COVID-19 is potentially catastrophic for millions of people who are already hanging on by a thread,” said Arif Husain, chief economist and director of research, evaluation and monitoring for the World Food Program (WFP).
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Brazilian Bolsonaro joins protest against coronavirus restrictions |
09:00 GMT – Virgin Australia airline seeks bankruptcy protection
Virgin Australia, the country’s second largest airline, announced that it had entered the voluntary administration, seeking bankruptcy protection after a debt crisis made worse by the closure of the coronavirus led to insolvency.
Virgin said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange that it had appointed a team of Deloitte administrators to “recapitalize the business and help ensure that it emerges in a stronger financial position on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis.”
Virgin is one of the first major airlines to seek bankruptcy protection in response to the pandemic. Virgin managers have taken control of the company and will try to find a way to save the company or its business.
The move came after the Australian government rejected Virgin’s request for a loan of A $ 1.4 billion ($ 888 million).
08:45 GMT – Indonesia reports 375 new coronavirus infections, 26 deaths
Indonesia reported 375 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total in the Southeast Asian country to 7,135.
The Ministry of Health official Achmad Yurianto reported 26 new deaths from coronavirus, representing a total of 616.
More than 46,700 people have been evaluated and 842 people have recovered. [Achmad Ibrahim/AP]
08:30 GMT – WHO: Prepare for a new way of life amid the coronavirus
The World Health Organization said rushing to ease coronavirus restrictions will likely lead to a resurgence of the disease, a warning that comes as governments begin to implement plans to jump-start their economies again.
“This is not the time to be lax. Instead, we must prepare for a new way of life in the immediate future,” said Dr. Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.
He said that governments must remain vigilant to stop the spread of the virus and that lifting the blockades and other measures of social distancing should be done gradually and strike the right balance between keeping people healthy and allowing economies to function.
08:15 GMT – Denmark says public meetings will not exceed 500 people until September
Denmark will not allow public meetings to exceed 500 people until at least September 1, the Danish health ministry said in a statement.
The statement contradicted previous media reports, which said the government would allow larger public gatherings starting May 10. A current upper limit for public gatherings of 10 people is in effect until May 10.
08:10 GMT – Philippines reports nine new coronavirus deaths, 140 more infections
The Philippine health ministry recorded nine new coronavirus deaths and an additional 140 confirmed cases.
In a bulletin, the health ministry said that total deaths from coronavirus reached 437, while infections rose to 6,599.
But 41 more patients have recovered, bringing the total recovery to 654, he added.
The Philippines has taken strict blocking measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. [Ez/Getty Images]
04:00 GMT – ICRC steps up support in congested Asian prisons
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which works in prisons around the world, is stepping up efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus in overcrowded prisons in the Philippines, Cambodia and Bangladesh.
In addition to a 48-bed isolation center for Manila prisons, he has donated 20 tons of health, hygiene and sanitation items to the Cambodia Directorate-General of Prisons and organized hygiene training sessions for prison staff in Bangladesh, where It has also distributed disinfection materials.
03:35 GMT – Not so super: Singapore pulls superheroes out of virus after violent reaction
Singapore has withdrawn the Virus Vanguard, a group of five characters that it developed as part of a public information campaign about its blocking, called a circuit breaker.
“We have received a lot of comments on the characters and will review them,” the government said on its official Facebook page. “We regret that we offended someone.”
The five characters included Dr. Disinfector, Care-leh Dee (pronounced Care Lady), and Fake News Buster.
Critics said the approach was too frivolous given the magnitude of the epidemic in the city-state, now the largest in Southeast Asia.
03:20 GMT – Philippines to step up coronavirus testing
The Philippines is intensifying tests to detect the coronavirus with the help of the Red Cross, whose laboratory aims to analyze 1,000 samples a day.
#Philippines #Red Cross # COVID-19 The molecular laboratory is operational.
☑️More than 1400 samples received so far
200️200 samples currently being tested
☑️ Increase of up to 1,000 tests per day👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/bL75ahpaMy
– International Asia Pacific Federation (@IFRCAsiaPacific) April 21, 2020
02:50 GMT – Panic in Palu as coronavirus cases in Indonesia increase
Palu was the city on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia that was shaken by an earthquake and flooded by a tsunami before the parts were swallowed up by the earth in a phenomenon known as liquefaction.
That was in September 2018, and thousands of people still live in tight temporary shelters, including tents, which depend on aid for food and water. Now they have to worry about the coronavirus.
“As soon as the government said there were cases in Palu, I started to panic,” said Tari Yalijama, a 32-year-old mother of three who lives in a temporary shelter. Ian Morse has more information on the situation in the Indonesian city.
Some Palu residents continue to live in tents for more than 18 months after the triple disaster of September 2018. NGOs delivered some basic supplies this month {Supplied / Al Jazeera]
02:30 GMT – Trump tweets that US immigration will be temporarily suspended
United States President Donald Trump says he plans to sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration “in light of the attack by the invisible enemy.”
In light of the attack by the invisible enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American citizens, I will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration to the United States!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
Read more here.
02:00 GMT – Hong Kong to extend coronavirus restrictions
Hong Kong Executive Director Carrie Lam says the territory will extend its coronavirus restrictions in 14 days.
On Monday, Hong Kong did not report new cases of the virus for the first time since early March.
Under restrictions that went into effect on March 29, public gatherings of more than four people are prohibited, gyms, cinemas, bars and other entertainment centers are closed, and foreign travelers are prohibited from entering the territory.
Hong Kong’s entertainment districts have fallen silent after bars and entertainment venues were asked to close in late March [Jerome Favre/EPA]
00:45 GMT – China reports 11 new confirmed cases of coronavirus
China’s latest coronavirus update shows just 11 new confirmed cases on the mainland on April 20, with no new deaths.
The National Health Commission says that four of the new cases were imported.
There were seven cases of local infection, including six in the north-eastern border province of Heilongjiang and one in the southern province of Guangdong.
China also reported 37 new asymptomatic cases of coronavirus on the mainland on April 20, compared with 49 the day before.
00:30 GMT – UN member states demand ‘equitable’ access for COVID-19 vaccines
The 193 members of the UN General Assembly on Monday adopted by consensus a resolution calling for “equitable, efficient and timely access” to any future vaccines developed to combat the coronavirus.
The resolution also highlighted the “crucial lead role” played by the World Health Organization (WHO). who has faced criticism from the United States and others for their handling of the pandemic.
The resolution was drafted by Mexico and obtained the support of the United States. It calls for strengthening the “international scientific cooperation necessary to combat COVID-19 and strengthen coordination”, including with the private sector.
00:00 GMT – Trump criticizes governors for coronavirus tests
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has criticized the governors who have said that they cannot facilitate the blockades because they do not have sufficient evidence of coronavirus.
Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said Monday that he had obtained 500,000 tests from South Korea after more than 20 days of negotiations, saying that the states had been forced to fend for themselves and compete with each other for tests.
In his daily briefing on Monday, Trump said Hogan did not understand “too much about what was happening,” while Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker “did not understand his ability.”
The president said: “We are in very good shape in the tests.”
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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 updates from yesterday (April 20) here.
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