China has reported the highest daily number of new coronavirus cases in nearly six weeks. Authorities are trying to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the country. Follow DW for the latest updates.
The number of infections worldwide nears two million, with almost 115,000 reported deaths
China reports an increase in the daily number of new infections
Italy, France and the US see a drop in COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours
The US is the hardest-hit country, with more than half a million cases, but lockdown measures could be eased in May
Updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)
10:54 Dubai's Emirates airline will operate limited passenger services to Algiers, Tunis, Jakarta, Manila, Taipei, Kabul and Chicago, said the airline in a statement on its website. The state-owned airline suspended regular services last month in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The flights will be outbound only to "facilitate residents and visitors wishing to return home," said the statement. It did not say when the flights would operate. During the flights, passengers will be required to apply social distancing guidelines and wear face masks at the airport and on the aircraft. Cabin baggage will not be allowed, and the food service will be "modified to reduce contact during meal service and the risk of infection."
The airline already offers outbound services to London and Frankfurt.
Emirates Airline
✔@emirates
Emirates announces limited passenger services from Dubai to Algiers, Chicago, Jakarta, Kabul, Manila, Tunis and Taipei. @DXB https://bit.ly/3ehNrLN
10:48 A spike in the number of COVID-19 patients has prompted authorities in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, to put the city under quarantine. The Health Ministry reported 79 new cases on Sunday afternoon, bringing the total in the city to 362. Seven people have died from the illness.
The quarantine regulations mean that only people with permits may enter or leave the city. Another six of Kosovo's 38 districts are also under quarantine. According to information from the German Embassy in Pristina, schools and universities there have been closed since March 12 and all retail outlets, restaurants and bars, with the exception of grocery stores and pharmacies, since March 14.
09:31 Police made foreign tourists in India's northern Uttarakhand state write "I am sorry" 500 times as a punishment for flouting a nationwide lockdown, local media reported. India declared a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to stop the spread of COVID-19 infections. People are permitted to leave their homes only to get essential items and medicine.
The ten tourists from the US, Australia, Mexico and Israel were caught walking next to the Ganges river in Rishikesh. As punishment, they were each ordered to write "I did not follow the lockdown, I am sorry" 500 times on sheets of paper.
The Uttarakhand government has relaxed curbs on movement from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time (0130 – 07:30 UTC) for people to complete their chores and get supplies. However, roaming around without any reason is not permitted, said Vinod Sharma, in-charge of the police post in Tapowan, reported News18.
"They are guests of our country but are repeatedly breaking the rules by loitering," Sharma told German news agency dpa. He added that there were about 600 tourists in Rishikesh, a Hindu temple town known for its spiritual and yoga retreats.
India is set to extend the lockdown until April 30. It has so far seen a total of 9,240 coronavirus cases, including 331 deaths.
Hilarious! Rightly sorting out 'anti-social foreigners' in Rishikesh. Kudos to this cop, especially. No mercy, no emotions - rules are rules, same for ALL!
Video courtesy: @sukantatoi @uttarakhandcops #COVID2019 #Rishikesh @PMOIndia @tsrawatbjp
08:42 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "stay at home" social media post has attracted criticism as people struggled financially due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis. Abe issued a state of emergency last Tuesday for seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, requesting residents in the regions to remain at home.
The short video clip on Abe's Twitter and Facebook is a split screen: on one side, Abe is seen reclining on a sofa, cuddling his dog and drinking a cup of tea. The other half shows popular musician Gen Hoshino strumming a guitar and singing a relaxing song. "You don't see your friends. You don't go to drinking parties. However, everyone's actions like these are helping save many lives," wrote Abe in a caption accompanying the post on Twitter.
However, many reacted angrily, seeing his post as out-of-touch. "Non-regular workers only drinking water, single mothers struggling to survive without paying utilities bills, temporary workers forced to leave their apartment, are you watching Abe relaxing at home? Stay alive and get angry!" tweeted Mitsuteru Suda, an official at the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Tobu.
Some Twitter users pointed out that some people had to travel to work and could not avoid using crowded trains. Others wrote that not everyone could sit at home on luxury sofas.
Hoshino said later on his Instagram that the clip of him singing was used without his permission.
友達と会えない。飲み会もできない。
ただ、皆さんのこうした行動によって、多くの命が確実に救われています。そして、今この瞬間も、過酷を極める現場で奮闘して下さっている、医療従事者の皆さんの負担の軽減につながります。お一人お一人のご協力に、心より感謝申し上げます。
08:33 China has said that its "African brothers" are not being discriminated against in the country amid US accusations that Africans are being mistreated in the southern city of Guangzhou as anti-foreigner sentiment is stoked by the coronavirus crisis. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected the accusations as a bid to hurt Beijing's ties with African nations.
Reports have emerged on social media in recent days of Africans being evicted from their homes and refused accommodation in hotels in the city, with many in China fearing a second COVID-19 wave introduced from abroad.
07:14 Some of Spain's non-essential workers, from sectors such as construction and industry, are returning to their workplaces on Monday. It comes two weeks after the government ordered all non-essential activities to stop in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. Police handed out face masks to the returning workers at metro and train stations.
Spain on Sunday reported its lowest daily growth in infections in three weeks. However, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insisted that the country was "far from victory," during a televised press conference. "We are all keen to go back out on the streets... but our desire is even greater to win the war and prevent a relapse," he said.
The majority of Spain's population remain under lockdown in their homes. Schools, bars, restaurants, cultural venues and leisure centers all remain closed.
Police in Spain are seen handing out face masks to people at metro and train stations
06:20 China on Monday reported the highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since March 6, with 108 new infections registered. Ten of the cases were locally transmitted, a new rise after several days at the end of March in which no such infections were registered. The others were among travelers returning from abroad, according to the National Health Commission.
State media have reported that people crossing from Russia are spreading the virus in the border city of Suifenhe in northeastern Heilongjiang province. Some 300 cases had been confirmed in the city by Saturday. The country is trying to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections after the first outbreak killed more than 3,000 people and sickened over 80,000.
06:06 Authorities ordered workers at a unit of the Samsung Display factory in northern Vietnam to be quarantined after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, reported Reuters news agency. A 25-year-old worker in the EQC-SI unit of the Samsung Display factory in Bac Ninh province tested positive on Sunday, according to a statement released on Monday by the anti-COVID-19 task force from neighboring Bac Giang province.
Technology giant Samsung confirmed the case, but said its production lines in the country had not been affected. Samsung Electronics is the largest single foreign investor in the Southeast Asian country. Shipments of its products account for around a quarter of Vietnam's exports. Vietnam has 262 confirmed cases with no deaths, according to latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Read more about Vietnam's strategy for tackling the COVID-19 crisis here: How Vietnam is winning its 'war' on coronavirus
05:57 French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to say in a national address on Monday evening how long France will continue in lockdown after an extension to current restrictions beyond the initial end date of April 15 was announced last week.
Media have speculated that the measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus, first put in place on March 17, could now last till mid-May at least, with France's scientific council recommending a period of at least six weeks.
People in France have been banned from leaving their homes for more than an hour a day and must remain within a radius of 1 kilometer of their houses. They are allowed to go out only for reasons such as buying essential supplies or exercise.
05:00 Government sources in India say the country wants some industries to resume production after April 15 even though a current three-week lockdown due to end on Tuesday is expected to be extended to the end of April.
One source told Reuters news agency that any manufacturing operations that do restart would have to conform to health guidelines that are still being drawn up. A letter from the Industries Ministry to the Home Ministry seen by Reuters mentions autos, textiles, defense and electronics as sectors that could resume production.
Economists have warned that India's already faltering economy will be badly affected by the lockdown, with unemployment possibly rising to record levels. India had 9,205 cases of coronavirus infections, with 331 people dying of COVID-19 as of Monday morning.
India's coronavirus lockdown hits daily wage workers
03:11 A US district judge has ruled that Alabama cannot ban abortions as part of the state's response to the outbreak. Judge Myron Thompson released a preliminary injunction sought by clinics to stop the state from prohibiting abortions as part of a ban on elective medical procedures during the pandemic. Thompson said abortion providers can elect whether a procedure can wait.
"Based on the current record, the defendants' efforts to combat COVID-19 do not outweigh the lasting harm imposed by the denial of an individual's right to terminate her pregnancy, by an undue burden or increase in risk on patients imposed by a delayed procedure, or by the cloud of unwarranted prosecution against providers," Thompson stated.
03:00 The final repatriation of 500 German travelers from New Zealand will happen tonight, in a Lufthansa flight from Auckland to Frankfurt. To mark this occasion, Auckland's Sky Tower will be lit up in colors of the German national flag as the A380 does a low pass over the harbor nearby. New Zealand had one of the largest number of Germans stranded overseas (around 12,000) after travel restrictions over COVID-19 took effect.
02:15 Here is the latest from across the Americas:
Mexico: Health officials have confirmed 442 new infections and 23 new fatalities. Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said Mexico might have as many as 26,500 people infected saying a large number who are infected probably don’t have symptoms or not diagnosed. Latest figures: 4,219 infected, 273 deaths, 1,772 recovered.
United States: The US may be ready to start slowly reopening in May, some of the government’s top officials have suggested, as hopes rise that the outbreak was peaking. President Donald Trump had earlier wanted the world's largest economy to be "raring to go" by Easter Sunday. However, most of the country remained at a standstill and churches took celebrations online to prevent the spread of the virus that has killed more than 22,000 people across the country. Meanwhile, Trump has defended his record amid accusations that he was slow in responding threats of an outbreak in the US. Latest figures: 556,044 infected, 22,073 deaths, 42,735 recovered.
Canada: A number of countries, principally Canada, have asked Iran to postpone downloading data on the black boxes from a downed Ukrainian international flight, due to travel restrictions. Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) president Kathy Fox stressed that the nations concerned are "anxious for the download and analysis of the recorders to proceed," but that all the countries "provided a consistent response, indicating that traveling was impossible at this time, and likely for some time to come." There were 57 Canadian citizens who perished in the plane crash on January 8. Latest figures: 24,299 infected, 717 deaths, 7,172 recovered.
Brazil: A 97-year-old lady has become the country's oldest survivor of the coronavirus. Gina Dal Colleto was hospitalized on April 1 and her chances appeared minimal. However, Dal Colleto has now been released in a wheelchair from Sao Paulo's Vila Nova Star hospital to applause from doctors and nurses. Brazil is the worst hit country in Latin America. Latest figures: 22,192 infected, 1,223 deaths, 173 recovered.
Peru: The health ministry reported it has carried out 45,272 rapid tests as of April 12. Peru has so far registered 7,519 cases, with 193 fatalities. Latest figures: 7519 infected, 193 deaths, 1,798 recovered.
Ecuador: President Lenin Moreno and his cabinet members have taken 50% pay cuts. The political figures made the move as the South American country fights to stave off the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Latest figures: 7,466 infected, 333 deaths, 501 recovered.
El Salvador: Congress has extended a national emergency that allows the government to prolong certain health measures. The extension will mean lawmakers now have an extra four days, during which they said they would look to work with the government of President Nayib Bukele, and work on problems connected to the economy, health and human rights. Latest figure: 125 infected, 6 deaths, 21 recovered.
01:09 Peruvian police have arrested a Chinese citizen for illegally carrying out coronavirus tests with kits stolen from the South American country's health ministry. Tianxing Zhang was arrested in Lima, Peru's capital, as he was about to conduct tests with two women at the door of their house, police confirmed. Both women had paid Zhang to conduct a rapid home test.
The 36-year-old "was proceeding to carry out rapid tests for COVID-19 that he had stolen" from the Lima Sur health authority where he worked, according to a police statement. Zhang was wearing a mask and a light blue medical apron when he was arrested by the state security police.
00:49 A recap of yesterday's events:
Pope Francis offered sympathy to those who weren't able to say goodbye to their loved ones, while calling on EU nations to show solidarity. He made the comments during his Easter mass that was livestreamed to millions across the globe.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the resignation of Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. Earlier on Sunday, Soylu said he was resigning over the bungled two-day curfew in major Turkish cities.
In the US, Anthony Fauci, the pandemic expert who has been advising the Trump administration, said parts of the country could begin easing restrictions in May, echoing sentiments expressed earlier by Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
Italy reported its lowest number of deaths since March 19, with a toll of 431. The figure marks a significant drop since the day prior, when it reported 619 deaths. It also reported a decrease in cases and number of people in intensive care.
In Germany, Frankfurt police were attacked by a mob of around 20 people with stones and iron bars while trying to enforce social distancing measures. Meanwhile, Germany is set to lead the "coronavirus presidency," when the country takes the helm of the rotating EU Council presidency in July.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left hospital, praising the country’s National Health Service (NHS). The government, though, has been warned that the UK risks having the highest death toll from COVID-19 in Europe as the total number of fatalities from the disease in UK hospitals surpassed 10,000.
00:26 US President Donald Trump has rejected claims as "fake news" that he ignored warnings of the outbreak, going against expert advice on social distancing.
Trump took to Twitter to deny the accusations, saying: "If the Fake News Opposition Party is pushing, with all their might, the fact that President Trump 'ignored early warnings about the threat,' then why did Media & Dems viciously criticize me when I instituted a Travel Ban on China? They said 'early & not necessary.' Corrupt Media!"
The president’s comments come in the wake of a New York Times report stating that US public health adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, and other senior officials had advised Trump to implement social distancing measures in February. At the time, these suggestions were dismissed by the president, only for him to backtrack a month later.
Asked on CNN why the administration did not heed the advice, Fauci said: "You know … as I have said many times, we look at it from a pure health standpoint. We make a recommendation. Often, the recommendation is taken. Sometimes, it’s not. It is what it is. We are where we are right now."
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
If the Fake News Opposition Party is pushing, with all their might, the fact that President Trump “ignored early warnings about the threat,” then why did Media & Dems viciously criticize me when I instituted a Travel Ban on China? They said “early & not necessary.” Corrupt Media!
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00:05 Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic. Catch up on all of Sunday's developments here.
In reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, unless otherwise specified, DW uses figures provided by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Coronavirus Resource Center in the United States. JHU updates figures in real time, collating data from world health organizations, state and national governments and other public official sources, all of whom have their own systems for compiling information.
Germany's national statistics are compiled by its public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). These figures depend on data transmission from state and local levels and are updated around once a day, which can lead to deviation from JHU.
jsi/sri (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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