Spain allows exercise outdoors for the first time in weeks: live updates | News

• The United States government was slow to understand how fast the coronavirus was spreading from Europe, speeding up outbreaks across the country, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the No. 2 official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. of Diseases of the United States.

• The World Health Organization has reiterated that the coronavirus is believed to be of “natural origin,” responding to a claim by United States President Donald Trump that it had seen evidence indicating that the virus arose from a virology institute. in Wuhan, China.

• Worldwide, the number of confirmed infections exceeds 3.35 million, with almost 239,000 deaths and approximately 1.05 million recoveries.

• The coronavirus is devastating the poor and crowded neighborhoods of Brazil, where the disease is more difficult to control. There were 92,200 cases in Brazil with 6,412 deaths reported.

Here are the latest updates:

Saturday, May 2

1:46 GMT – Death toll rises in England’s COVID-19 hospitals

The death toll from COVID-19 in English hospitals rose from 370 to 20,853, the health service said.

Of the 370 who died, 25 had no underlying health problems, the National Health Service said.

The UK death toll will be published later.

12:33 GMT – Dutch coronavirus cases pass 40,000

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has increased by 445 to 40,236, Dutch health authorities said.

The National Institute of Public Health reported 94 new deaths, bringing the total deaths from COVID-19 to 4,987.

11:30 GMT – Spain eases strict closing conditions

All Spaniards were allowed to go for a walk or play sports after 48 days of home confinement to fight the coronavirus in one of the most affected countries.

The almost 47 million people in Spain have lived since March 14 under one of the strictest virus blocks in the world, with adults authorized to leave the house only to buy food, medicine or walk the dog.

10:19 GMT – The number of deaths from coronavirus in Spain exceeds 25,000

The death toll from coronavirus in Spain reached 25,100 after 276 people died overnight, the health ministry said.

Total cases rose to 216,582 from 215,216 on Friday.

09:35 GMT – Almost 10,000 prisoners released when the virus reaches Philippine jails

About 10,000 prisoners have been released in the Philippines as the country rushes to halt coronavirus infections in its overcrowded jails, a Supreme Court official said.

The measure follows a directive to lower courts to release those awaiting prison trial because they were unable to post bail, Associate Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor Leonen told reporters.

“The court is very aware of the congested situation in our prisons,” Leonen told reporters announcing the release of 9,731 inmates.

Read more here.

09:10 GMT – Indonesia reports 292 new cases, 31 deaths

Indonesia registered 292 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 10,843, said health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

Yurianto also reported 31 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 831. The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, increased from 74 to 1,665, he said.

The country has tested the virus for more than 79,800 people, he said.

09:05 GMT – Malaysia reports 105 new cases of coronavirus

Malaysia reported 105 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 6,176.

The number of deaths remained at 103.

09:01 GMT – Russia’s daily case count hits new record

Russia reported 9,623 new cases of coronavirus, its largest daily increase, with a total of 124,054.

The death toll across the country rose to 1,222 after 57 people died in the past 24 hours, Russia’s coronavirus crisis response center said, after reviewing the count the day before.

08:58 GMT – Philippines says coronavirus cases approach 9,000

The Philippines said it has registered 156 new cases of the new coronavirus and 24 more deaths, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 8,928 and deaths to 603.

He also said 40 more people had recovered from infections, bringing the recoveries to 1,124.

08:52 GMT – More than 40,000 confirmed cases in Africa

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has exceeded 40,000 in Africa, including nearly 1,700 deaths and more than 13,000 recoveries, according to the CDC in Africa.

At least 53 African countries have confirmed new coronavirus infections.

# COVID-19: Update from 05/02/2020, 9:00 a.m. (East African time)

53 Member States of the African Union report # COVID-19 40,746 cases, 1,689 deaths and 13,383 recoveries.
More information about @AfricaCDC dashboard via https://t.co/teDFU1XFLZ#FactsNotFear # AfricaResponds pic.twitter.com/Q8tK2AfARG

– Africa CDC (@AfricaCDC) May 2, 2020

08:31 GMT – Singapore confirms 447 new cases

The Singapore Ministry of Health confirmed 447 new coronavirus infections, the smallest daily increase in two weeks, bringing the city-state’s case count to 17,548 with 16 virus-related deaths.

Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories, the ministry said.

07:25 GMT – India extends blockade for two more weeks

The Indian government said the world’s largest coronavirus blockade will extend for two weeks beyond May 4, but with some relief from the restrictions.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that in light of “significant gains in the COVID-19 situation,” areas with few or no cases would see “considerable relaxation.”

Strict restrictions have been credited with keeping confirmed coronavirus cases at approximately 37,000 cases, with 1,223 deaths.

07:13 GMT – Two percent of Moscow residents have coronavirus: mayor

About two percent of Moscow residents, or more than 250,000 people, have the coronavirus, the mayor of the Russian capital said, citing the test results.

Sergei Sobyanin wrote on his blog that Moscow has significantly increased testing capacity in recent weeks, adding that the city has managed to “contain the spread of the infection” due to the application of the rules on staying at home and other measures. .

But he reiterated that the city had not yet passed the peak of the outbreak and said “the threat is apparently on the rise.”

07:05 GMT

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Hello this is Tamila Varshalomidze in Doha, taking live updates from my colleague Ted Regency in kuala lumpur

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05:45 GMT – Australia reports coronavirus cases at a meat factory

A small group emerged at a meat factory in Australia’s Victoria state, health officials said Saturday, when parts of the country began easing restrictions on physical distancing after dropping the infection rate below 1 percent.

Three of the cases in Victoria were related to a meat processing facility, her health minister said. A total of eight employees have tested positive.

In Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), two out of five new cases were reported at the Newmarch Care Center for the elderly in Sydney, where about 60 people were infected and 13 died.

Local COVID-19 groups and cruise ship infections have accounted for a large percentage of Australia’s nearly 6,800 cases and 93 deaths.

05:30 GMT – Thailand reports six new cases of coronavirus, no new deaths

Thailand reported six new cases of coronavirus and there were no new deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,966, according to the Reuters news agency.

Three of the new cases were found on the southern tourist island of Phuket, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesman for the government’s COVID-19 Situation Management Center.

While more than half of Thailand’s nearly 3,000 cases were concentrated in Bangkok, Phuket has the highest infection rate per population, Taweesin said. Since Thailand first detected the virus in January, 54 patients have died, 2,732 have recovered and 180 are still hospitalized, according to official figures.

04:51 GMT – NASA, SpaceX urges viewers to skip launch

NASA and SpaceX have urged viewers to stay home for the first astronaut launch at home in nearly a decade due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior officials have warned the public not to travel to the US state of Florida for the May 27 launch of two NASA astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station, the Associated Press news agency reported.

It will be the first astronaut launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in nine years; the last flight of the space shuttle was in 2011. It will also be the first attempt by a private company to bring astronauts into orbit.

04:13 GMT – Singapore to ease restrictions from May 12

Singapore announced on Saturday that it will ease some restrictions in the country, allowing some companies to operate starting May 12, according to Reuters news agency.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that as the number of cases in the broader community decreases, more restrictions will be lifted in the coming weeks.

The government also said it will allow some students to return to school starting May 19.

03:35 GMT – Malaysia: Migrant raid carried out to contain coronavirus

Malaysian authorities arrested undocumented immigrants as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s police chief said.

More than 700 migrants, including young children and Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, were detained during Friday’s raid on a downtown area where thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers live, human rights groups said.

“We cannot allow them to move freely … as it will be difficult for us to track them if they leave identified locations,” Police Inspector General Abdul Hamid Bador told the state news agency Bernama.

Detainees would be placed in one place to monitor until movement restrictions are lifted, he said, according to state news agency Bernama.

02:55 GMT – German coronavirus death toll reaches 6,575

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased from 945 to 161,703, data from the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases showed on Saturday.

The death toll increased by 94 to 6,575.

02:15 GMT – The IMF approves $ 643 million in pandemic aid for Ecuador

The International Monetary Fund has approved an Ecuador request for emergency financing to combat the coronavirus pandemic, granting a loan of $ 643 million, announced the Andean country’s Ministry of Economy.

Ecuador has been among the most affected countries in Latin America, with 24,675 confirmed cases and 883 deaths, plus another 1,357 deaths that were probably caused by the coronavirus.

“This financing will allow us to have the necessary liquidity to support the reactivation of the economy and protect jobs,” the ministry said in a statement.

01:40 GMT – Japan to review sumo tournament schedule

The Japanese Sumo Association has announced that it will reconsider its schedule for the big summer tournament that will start on May 24 if the government extends the state of emergency, NHK Japanese news reported.

The nationwide measures currently expire on Wednesday, May 6.

The opening of the event had already been postponed for two weeks until May 24.

Organizers are also considering hosting the tournament without spectators, or canceling it, according to the report.

01:20 GMT – South Korea reports single digit infections for fourth day

South Korea reported six more cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the nation’s total infections to 10,780, according to the Yonhap news agency.

It marked the fourth day in a row for new daily infections to remain in single digits.

The death toll from the virus in the nation increased by two to 250, while 9,123 people recovered, 51 more than a day earlier.

01:12 GMT – The US coronavirus stimulus. USA Addressed to some healthcare providers facing criminal investigations

An investigation by the Reuters news agency revealed that taxpayers’ money went to some companies and individuals facing criminal or civil fraud investigations in the United States.

The revelations sparked outrage among some Democrats in Congress, who they say highlight problems with the distribution of stimulus funds.

Funding comes from the $ 2.3 billion CARES Act passed by Congress to mitigate the economic cost of the pandemic, which killed more than 64,000 Americans and left at least 30 million people unemployed.

00:05 GMT – US Emergency Approval USA Expands the use of drug remdesivir COVID-19

The antiviral drug remdesivir from Gilead Science Inc received emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration. USA As a treatment for COVID-19, clearing the way for broader use of the drug in the US. USA

During a White House meeting with United States President Donald Trump, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O’Day called the move an important first step, saying the company was donating 1.5 million vials of medication to help patients.

The donation is expected to be sufficient for at least 140,000 patients, depending on the number of days that need to be treated.

Gilead said Wednesday that the drug, given intravenously, helped improve outcomes for patients with COVID-19 and provided data suggesting that it worked better when administered earlier in the course of infection.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA They have launched a national consortium of viral genomics to better sequence the transmission of COVID-19.

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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continued coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I am Shereena Qazi in Doha, Qatar. You can find all the key developments from yesterday, May 1, here.