(Bloomberg) —
Spain and the U.K. reported the fewest deaths in weeks as the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of easing across Europe. In Germany, smaller stores, car dealerships, bike shops and bookstores can reopen on Monday.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were optimistic about reaching a deal to add funds in a loan program aimed at helping small businesses stay afloat.
Key Developments
Virus Tracker: Cases top 2.3 million; deaths exceed 162,000America’s beleaguered health system has remained afloatIndigenous people are at risk in the AmazonU.S. testing should reach 500,000 daily to avoid new outbreaksRussians hoarded cash ahead of lockdown
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Zimbabwe Extends Lockdown (11 a.m. NY)
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended a national lockdown by 14 days, to May 3, citing the risk of infections rising from the current 25 confirmed cases. Still, the mining sector will be allowed to scale up operations and manufacturing can partially re-start during the extension.
“Once the cases begin to grow exponentially the strain on our health system will be huge,” Mnangagwa said in a televised address Sunday.
U.S. Small Business Deal in Days: Mnuchin (9:51 a.m. NY)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were optimistic about reaching a deal to top up funds in a loan program aimed at helping small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. Discussions are focused on adding an additional $300 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, designed to help small businesses keep workers on their payrolls as much of the country remains under stay-at-home orders, Mnuchin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Americans Don’t Want Restrictions Lifted Too Soon: Poll (9:30 a.m. NY)
A majority of Americans in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll are concerned the U.S. will lift restrictions too quickly. Almost 60% want to wait longer, with about 30% saying the economic impact outweighed health concerns. The survey of 900 registered voters also revealed more anxiety over the virus, the WSJ reported.
U.K. Deaths Show Daily Decline (9:18 a.m. NY)
A further 596 deaths linked to the coronavirus were recorded in U.K. hospitals, the lowest daily number since April 6. Total fatalities climbed to 16,060.
Sweden Says Strategy Working (8:37 a.m. NY)
Sweden’s unusual approach to fighting the pandemic is starting to yield results, according to the country’s top epidemiologist. Anders Tegnell, the architect behind Sweden’s relatively relaxed response to Covid-19, told local media the latest figures on infection rates and fatalities indicate the situation is starting to stabilize.
Iran Pushes for IMF Virus Loan (7:28 a.m. NY)
Iran’s central bank governor urged the International Monetary Fund to resist U.S. pressure and approve its application for financing to help bridge a 10 billion-euro ($10.9 billion) deficit. The Islamic Republic asked the IMF on March 6 for $5 billion in loans to help finance its efforts to combat the disease and support an economy severely weakened by U.S. sanctions.
Iran added a further 87 deaths and 1,343 new cases to its virus tally in the past 24 hours, raising total fatalities to 5,118 from over 82,000 known cases.
Netherlands Deaths, Hospital Admissions Slow (7:15 a.m. NY)
The Netherlands reported 83 deaths, marking the lowest daily increase since March 26. 110 patients were admitted to hospitals, the smallest increase since the daily reporting of the statistic started at the end of last month. Overall confirmed cases grew by 3% to 32,655, in line with recent trends.
Spain Reports Fewest Deaths in Almost a Month (5:32 p.m. HK)
Spain reported the smallest increase in the number of deaths in four weeks on Sunday, while new infections slowed compared with previous days. Coronavirus deaths rose by 410 to 20,453 on Sunday, the smallest one-day increase since March 22, when 394 people died, according to the Spanish Health Ministry’s daily report.
In total 195,944 people have been infected in Spain, with 4,218 new cases detected in the past 24 hours. That’s a decline after four consecutive days with new cases above 5,000.
Trump Discussed NATO Role With Polish President (5:25 p.m. HK)
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of a greater role for NATO to contribute to the fight against the pandemic, the Polish head of state’s office said in a statement. The men spoke by phone, in a conversation initiated by the U.S., according to the statement. Poland said it’s also considering sending medical support staff to Chicago to assist local health-care service and gain more insight into the treatment of infected patients.
Belgian Discharges Outstrip Admissions (5:22 p.m. HK)
Belgium reported 230 deaths from coronavirus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 5,683. Fatalities fell for a fourth day in a row and are down 45% from Thursday. Total confirmed cases as reported Saturday rose by 1,313 to 38,496. While 265 patients infected with the virus were admitted to hospitals, 409 were discharged.
Russian Infection Rate Surges on Orthodox Easter 4:30 p.m. HK)
Russia identified 6,060 new infections in 24 hours, setting another daily record with an increase of 27%. The total number of cases rose to 42,853, with 48 new deaths bringing the number of fatalities to 361, Russia’s coronavirus information center reported. The pace of new cases was 17.6% on Saturday and less than 15% in the preceding two days.
“The situation is completely under control,” President Vladimir Putin said in a Russian Orthodox Easter address focused on the impact of coronavirus. “We have everything we need: a healthy, strong economy, scientific potential, medical resources and a highly professional health-care system.”
Conte Won’t Accelerate Loosening of Rules (4:20 p.m. HK)
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country will stick to its plan to start easing a nationwide lockdown no earlier than May 4. The government won’t change its timeline despite signs that measures to contain and treat Covid-19 are bearing fruit, Conte said in a statement on Facebook following a meeting with national and regional leaders and medical and scientific professionals.
Conte’s cabinet is focusing on a reopening plan that will be applied consistently across the country, with an emphasis on guaranteeing safe conditions at workplaces and on public transportation, according to his statement.
German Minister Wants Clarity From China (4:15 p.m. HK)
German Development Minister Gerd Mueller has urged China to clarify how the coronavirus originated following U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the nation may have deliberately caused the outbreak.
“The Chinese must show complete openness during this global crisis, especially when it comes to origin of the virus, otherwise a lot of trust will disappear,” Mueller said in an interview with the Funke media group published Sunday.
Mueller, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc, criticized Trump’s decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization, calling it “absolutely wrong” and praising the WHO’s “important role” in fighting the virus.
Too Soon to Ease U.K. Restrictions: Gove (3:32 p.m. HK)
The U.K. denied reports that the lockdown could start to be lifted in three weeks, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said. Some restrictions will still be needed after the lockdown is eased, he told the BBC.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “recovering well” a week after he was treated in the hospital for Covid-19, Gove said. He said the government’s first priority is to protect NHS staff and the greatest shortage in protective equipment is currently gowns. More than 15,000 people have died in the outbreak in the U.K., including 888 announced Saturday.
India Virus Cases Surge in Fourth Week of Lockdown (3:08 p.m. HK)
India recorded its largest daily spike in coronavirus cases, adding 1,400 new infections to its tally of more than 16,000 amid a nationwide lockdown that’s about to enter its fourth week.
The South Asian nation’s cases have been surging over the last week as it gradually scales up its testing capacity. Confirmed infections are up 78% to 16,365 on Sunday, from 9,200 on April 12, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
German Cases Rise by Least in 4 Days Before Curbs Eased (2:13 p.m. HK)
The number of coronavirus cases in Germany increased by the least in four days as the nation prepares for a cautious loosening of some restrictions on public life.
There were 2,327 new infections in the 24 hours through Sunday, taking the total to 143,724, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The number of fatalities rose by 186, the fewest in five days, to 4,538, while 85,400 people have recovered, more than in any other country, including China where the outbreak originated.
China Coal Miners Call for 10% Production Cut (12:19 p.m. HK)
A dozen Chinese anthracite coal miners have called on the industry to slash production by 10% from current levels amid weak demand caused by the virus outbreak.
While anthracite coal output is now back at last year’s levels, demand recovery has lagged, leading to a “severe mismatch” in market fundamentals, according to a statement published Saturday on the website of the China Coal Transport & Distribution Association.
World’s Biggest Container Port Reopens in China (10:16 a.m. HK)
The world’s biggest automated container terminal resumed full operations, according to a video posted on Xinhua News Agency’s official Twitter account. The Shanghai Yangshan port was on partial lockdown during the worst of the pandemic outbreak in China.
More than 260 cargo ships entered and departed from the port between April 1 and April 13, a slight increase from the same period last year, according to Xinhua.
South Korea Reports Fewest Cases Since Surge Started (9:21 a.m. HK)
South Korea posted the fewest number of new coronavirus cases since an outbreak at a religious sect in late February spiked daily infections to nearly 1,000 and set off a massive testing and tracing regime credited with curbing the virus’s spread.
South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it confirmed eight new cases in a 24-hour period, the lowest since Feb. 20 when the number of infections began rising exponentially after a parishioner of the 212,000-member Shincheongji church was confirmed with the virus. Prior to what has been labeled “patient no. 31,” South Korea had been averaging about three new cases a day.
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