(Bloomberg) —
Deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. passed Italy after New York reported 783 daily fatalities. New York City closed the nation’s biggest school system for the rest of the academic year.
U.K. coronavirus fatalities exceeded 900 for a second straight day. Spain reported the fewest deaths since March 23 as governments there and across Europe seek to prepare for a return to public life.
U.S. governors seek $500 billion in federal aid to offset economic hit from social distancing measures. Germany, Switzerland and Portugal were among countries reporting slower growth in cases or deaths.
Key Developments
BREAKING: U.S. virus deaths pass Italy after New York reports 783 daily deathsCoronavirus Tracker: Global cases exceed 1.7 million; deaths top 104,000New York City schools closed for rest of academic yearU.K. reports 917 new deaths, total rises to 9,875Spain has fewest fatalities since March 23Report indicates progress toward vaccineApple, Google plan contact-tracing phone app
Senator Backs Immunity Database (10:30 a.m. NY)
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, told CNN he supports setting up a national registry to track people who are immune to the coronavirus, similar to databases for vaccinations for diseases such as the measles. Registry data would remain protected by existing privacy laws for healthcare records, Cassidy said.
Cassidy also said he also supports letting tech companies install systems that would alert users if they have come into contact with a person with Covid-19 because users have to opt in. Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google are adding that technical capability to their smartphones.
U.K. Chancellor Seeks to Hire Adviser (10:20 a.m. NY)
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak wants to hire his former boss from Goldman Sachs as an unpaid strategic adviser, according a report from Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. Richard Sharp spent more than two decades at the bank, according to Sky. The Cabinet Office needs to approve the appointment.
NYC Closes Schools for Rest of Year (10:17 a.m. NY)
New York City schools will be closed for the rest of the academic year, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Saturday at a press briefing.
The decision was difficult and “painful,” de Blasio said. “It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “It clearly will help us save lives.”
Teachers will use distance learning to instruct through the shcool year, which is set to end June 26. Schools closed in mid-March.
Governors Seek $500 Billion from U.S. (10:15 a.m. NY)
U.S. governors are seeking $500 billion in federal assistance to offset “catastrophic damage” to state economies from social distancing measures that have shut almost all businesses.
National Governors Association Chairman Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican, and New York’s Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat and vice chairman, said the $2 trillion federal stimulus plan passed last month lacked help for states as tax collections slump.
U.K. Reports 917 New Deaths (9:33 a.m. NY)
Britain suffered another 917 deaths from the coronavirus, bringing total fatalities to 9,875, the Health Ministry said Saturday.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson made “good progress” in his recovery from the virus, the government said. Johnson was released from intensive care Thursday evening and remains in a London hospital.
Switzerland, Portugal See Progress (9:15 a.m. NY)
Switzerland has turned a corner in its fight against the pandemic, provided there isn’t a second wave of infections, coronavirus czar Daniel Koch said Saturday. The country of 8.5 million had 24,900 cases and 831 deaths, according to the Federal Office of Public Health.
Portugal, meanwhile, had the smallest daily increase in confirmed cases since April 6. There were 515 new cases in a day, taking the total to 15,987, the government said Saturday. Health Minister Marta Temido said the nation has reached a “plateau.”
Dutch Hospital Admissions Reach Low; Nordic Nations Report Cases (7:29 a.m. NY)
The Netherlands said 189 patients were admitted to hospitals, the smallest daily increase since the RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment started reporting the metric. Deaths increased to 2,643, with total cases at 24,413. About two-fifths of the 1,316 new cases were health-care workers.
Norway, meanwhile, reported 31 new cases, down from 71 the day before. Total confirmed cases were 6,320, and 98 patients had died. In Sweden, confirmed cases surpassed 10,000, while Denmark registered 177 new cases for a total of 5,996.
Mali to Distribute Masks; Nigeria Reports Deaths (7:21 a.m. NY)
Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced a package to fight the pandemic, including reduced import taxes on food and waived utility bills for the poorest households. He also said 20 million washable masks, one for every Malian, would arrive from next week. The government reported 87 coronavirus cases and seven deaths.
In Nigeria, the government said there were 305 confirmed cases of the virus, with 58 patients discharged and seven deaths.
Turks Swarm Streets Before Lockdown (6:39 a.m. NY)
Thousands of Turks rushed to grocery stores before a hastily announced weekend lockdown in major cities came into effect, raising the risk of a new wave of infections.
The government gave people a two-hour warning late Friday that a two-day lockdown would be enforced in 31 cities including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara. The shopping rush led to fights in some places, videos posted on social media showed. Turkey reported 98 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,006.
India Extends Lockdown Until April 30 (6:25 a.m. NY)
India will extend its nationwide lockdown until April 30, from an original date of April 14, to allow authorities time to control the growing spread of infections.
Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was meeting with state leaders Saturday, made the right decision to extend the freeze. The government hasn’t announced the new plan. Cases now stand at 7,600, with 249 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Spain Reports Fewest Deaths Since March 23 (5:47 p.m. HK)
Spain reported the fewest new coronavirus deaths since March 23. The toll rose by 510 to 16,353 and total cases in the past 24 hours increased by 4,830 to 161,852, the government said Saturday.
In Spain and elsewhere in Europe, political and business leaders are increasingly talking about the “new normal” that the bloc’s citizens will have to cope with once lockdowns are lifted.
Coronavirus Vaccine Could Be Ready in Six Months: Times (5:46 p.m. HK)
A vaccine against the coronavirus could be ready by September, according to a scientist leading one of Britain’s most advanced teams. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, told The Times on Saturday that she’s “80% confident” the vaccine would work, and could be ready by September. Experts have warned the public that vaccines typically take years to develop, and one for the coronavirus could take between 12 and 18 months at best.
In the case of the Oxford team, however, “it’s not just a hunch, and as every week goes by we have more data to look at,” Gilbert told the London newspaper.
Russia’s Cases Rate Eases; Fatalities Increase in Iran, Belgium (5:25 p.m. HK)
The pace of increase in cases in Russia dipped for the first time in a week, though they climbed by 1,667 from the day before. Of the new cases, 1,030 were diagnosed in Moscow. Twelve deaths related to Covid-19 were reported, the lowest number since April 8, bringing the total to 106.
In Iran, the number of known cases topped 70,000 and fatalities climbed to 4,357 as the country recorded 125 additional deaths and 1,837 new cases.
Belgium reported 327 deaths in the past 24 hours, its second consecutive record death toll. The number of patients in intensive care dropped by 16 to 1,262, however, as did the number of cases reported — down to 1,351 from 1,684 the day before.
Some Britons Going Without Food (4:09 p.m. HK)
As many as 1.5 million people in the U.K. may have gone a day without eating since the lockdown was imposed, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Food Foundation and the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. The online survey of 4,343 adults in the U.K. found that 3% had gone a day without eating, the equivalent of 1.5 million if scaled up to the U.K.’s adult population, according to a press release from the Food Foundation. The poll took place April 7 to 9.
Germany Has Smallest Increase in Deaths in 10 Days (3:54 p.m. HK)
Germany had the smallest increase in coronavirus deaths in 10 days and the total number of new infections slowed, offering some hope for one of Europe’s worst-hit nations.More than two weeks into a lockdown, the number of fatalities rose to 2,736 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s an increase of 129 and the smallest since April 1. The number of new infections rose by 3,936, to 122,171. It was the smallest gain in four days.
Imported Cases Dominate China’s Numbers (1:20 p.m. HK)
China reported 46 additional cases as of April 10, with 42 of those imported. Authorities also said there were three deaths in Hubei. South Korean authorities reported an additional 30, while Thailand reported 45 more cases and two deaths.
Burning Man Fesrtival Moves Online (12:35 p.m. HK)
The Burning Man arts festival in the Nevada desert, which was scheduled to be held from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7, will now be moved online because of the virus.
“In 2020 we need human connection and immediacy more than ever,” the organizers said on their website. “But public health and the well-being of our participants, staff, and neighbors in Nevada are our highest priorities.”
More Than 2,000 U.S. Deaths in a Day (12:10 p.m. HK)
The U.S. had more than 2,000 deaths from the coronavirus in a single day for the first time, while infections in the country exceeded 501,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Trump Says U.S. to Help Italy (10:01 a.m. HK)
Trump says his administration will assist Italy in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, including providing medical supplies and helping set up field hospitals. Coming to the aid of Italy will fight the outbreak while also demonstrating U.S. leadership “in the face of Chinese and Russian disinformation campaigns,” according to a White House memorandum.
Drug Shows Promise in Early Analysis (5:30 p.m. NY)
A Gilead Sciences Inc. experimental drug for patients with severe Covid-19 infections showed promise in an early analysis, raising tentative hope that the first treatment may be on the horizon.
The report in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 53 people in the U.S., Europe and Canada who needed respiratory support — half on mechanical ventilation and four on a heart-lung by-pass machine. All got remdesivir for up to 10 days under a program that lets people use unapproved medicines when no other options are available.
Over 18 days, 68% of patients improved, with 17 of the 30 patients on mechanical ventilation being able to get off the device. Almost half the patients studied were ultimately discharged, while 13% died.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com” data-reactid=”86″>For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.” data-reactid=”87″>Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
