(Bloomberg) —
The U.S. became the world’s deadliest coronavirus hotspot, surpassing Italy. In New York, the mayor of the biggest city and the governor are at odds over keeping schools closed.
France reported a drop in fatalities for the second day in a row. Italy had the highest number of new cases in a week. Spain and Germany reported the fewest new deaths in more than a week.
U.S. governors sought $500 billion in federal aid to offset the economic hit from social-distancing measures.
Key Developments
Coronavirus Tracker: Global cases exceed 1.7 million; deaths top 107,000U.K. reports 917 new deaths, total rises to 9,875U.S. states launch containment effortsEU backs Sweden, Belgium on aviation aidArticle indicates progress toward vaccineApple, Google plan contact-tracing phone app
U.S. States Prepare Test-and-Trace Programs (3 p.m. NY)
Several states have started efforts to contain Covid-19, laying plans to test aggressively and track the potentially infected with help from nonprofits, universities and the private sector.
Massachusetts, Utah and North Dakota are among those working on the kinds of comprehensive strategies that public-health experts agree are needed to arrest the spread and lift the social-distancing measures that have shuttered much of the U.S. economy.
Read the full story.
Irish Toll Climbs to 320 (2:30 p.m. NY)
The Irish death toll rose by 33, taking the total to 320, health authorities said. The health ministry said Irish laboratories confirmed 553 new cases, the biggest number reported in a single day since the start of the outbreak. Another 286 Irish cases were reported by a German laboratory, taking the total to 8,928.
French Deaths, New Cases Slow (2:25 p.m. NY)
The number of new French deaths fell for a second day and new infections rose the least in three days, Director General for Health Jerome Salomon said in Paris. Cases rose by 4,785 to 129,654. Deaths reached 13,832, an increase of 635 reported Friday.
“Now is not the time to end confinement,” Salomon said. “The pressure on hospitals remains very high.”
President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Monday about extending confinement measures in place for more than three weeks.
Read the full story.
Cuomo, de Blasio at Odds Over Schools (1:15 p.m. NY)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there hasn’t been a decision on whether to close New York City schools for the rest of the academic year, contradicting earlier comments by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said the city’s schools would remain shut through June.
“He didn’t close them, and he can’t open them,” Cuomo said. “That’s the mayor’s opinion. There has been no decision on the schools.”
De Blasio called the decision to close schools, affecting more than 1.1 million students, difficult and “painful,” and said “it’s the right thing to do.”
Read the full story.
French Carrier Cuts Short Operations (1:10 p.m. NY)
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort are heading to its base port of Toulon in Southern France, ending operations earlier than planned due to several dozen coronavirus infections among the crew, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The vessels are expected to dock on Sunday.
EU Backs Belgium, Sweden Aviation Steps (12:45 p.m. NY)
The European Commission gave antitrust clearance to Sweden’s 455 million euro ($497 million) loan-guarantee scheme to aid airlines. It also welcomed a Belgian plan to defer payment of concession fees by airports in the southern Walloon region. The loan guarantee “aims at providing airlines operating in Sweden with liquidity in these difficult times,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.
Italy’s New Cases Highest in Week (12:05 p.m. NY)
Italy reported its highest number of new cases in a week. There were 4,694 new cases, an increase from 3,951 a day earlier, civil protection officials said. The rise comes as testing continues to surge, with a record conducted at the end of the week and about 110,000 performed in recent days. Confirmed cases in the country now total 152,271.
Italy registered 619 deaths in the past 24 hours, compared with 570 the day before. That brings the total number of fatalities to 19,468.
Global Epicenter Shifts to U.S. (11:55 a.m. NY)
The U.S. is now the epicenter of the global pandemic. Deaths from the virus reached at least 19,563 after New York reported 783 new fatalities, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News and Johns Hopkins University.
That the U.S. has more deaths than Italy, which has more deaths than any other country in Europe, isn’t that surprising given that its population of 330 million is five times greater.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state had 783 deaths in the past 24 hours. “It is stabilizing, but it’s stabilizing at a horrific rate,” Cuomo said at an Albany news conference.
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.
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. 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.
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 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.
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