The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 1,01,483 on Friday.
More than 1,675,005 declared cases have been registered in 210 countries and territories. Of these cases, at least 3,71,866 are now considered recovered.
USA: The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 18,009 lives and infected over 4,60,000 people in the US, devastating the country’s economy and rendering a record 16 million workers jobless in just three weeks. Of this, the New York metropolitan area, comprising the adjoining New Jersey and Connecticut, alone account for more than 9,000 and 2,20,000 cases respectively.
Globally, over 1.5 million people have been infected so far by the coronavirus and the fatalities stands at nearly 95,000. The United States accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the all the COVID-19 positive cases and over 17 per cent of all fatalities.
In New York City, which is considered the financial capital of the world and has one of the best health facilities, more than 800 deaths were reported in one day alone, taking the fatalities to a record 7,067.
UK: The British Government said the UK has recorded 980 new deaths of people with the coronavirus, an increase from 881 deaths reported in the previous 24 hours and the highest daily total to date. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says that as of Friday, 8,958 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus in the UK. Britain’s death toll has passed the daily peaks recorded in Italy and Spain, the two European countries with the highest number of Covid-19 deaths.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 55, spent three nights in the intensive care unit at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened. He was moved back to a regular ward on Thursday evening, and his office said he was in “the early phase of his recovery.”
Italy: Pressure on Italy’s hospitals fighting the coronavirus pandemic continued to ease Friday with 108 fewer intensive care cases and 157 fewer hospital admissions in the last 24 hours. But the number of deaths and new cases continued to grow even at a restrained pace: 570 people died in the period, up 3% to 18,849, while the number of cases grew by 3,951 to 147,577.
Spain: Spain has recorded its lowest daily death toll from the new coronavirus in 17 days, with 605 people dying, the Government said on Friday.
The update raised the overall number of fatalities to 15,843 in Spain, which has suffered one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19 in the world, and where the total number of confirmed cases now stands at 1,57,022. The figures showed the death rate slowing to four percent, down from just under four percent on Thursday in line with a trend which began on March 25 when it stood at over 27 per cent.
Ireland: The Irish Government has extended the lockdown in the country by three weeks until May 5 as it tries to keep a lid on the coronavirus pandemic. The current lockdown was due to expire on Sunday, but the country’s premier, Leo Varadkar, said the government was accepting the recommendations of experts that it was necessary to “persevere” with the lockdown. He said the Government is “planning carefully” about how to bring about an end to the country’s lockdown so life can return to normal. The truth, he said, is that “nobody knows for certain” when life will be normal again “or how our lives will be different when it comes.”
Greece: Greece has extended its lockdown on all preschools, schools and universities until May 10 at least. The measure was first imposed March 10. Also Friday, Greek authorities said a total 21 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in a majority-Roma neighborhood of the central city of Larissa. The neighborhood of some 3,500 people was quarantined Thursday, with a ban on anyone entering or leaving it.
Authorities are also carrying out tests in Roma settlements in neighboring regions, and have closed down all street markets in the broader area for two weeks as many of the infected people were market vendors.
Israel: Israel’s figurehead president has apologised for hosting his daughter for Passover dinner, despite Government instructions for people to spend the holiday at home due to coronavirus restrictions. Early Friday, President Reuven Rivlin’s office confirmed his daughter spent the traditional Passover dinner, or Seder, with him on Wednesday night and planned to remain with him for the week-long holiday. It said his daughter had tested negative for the coronavirus before joining him.
But after an uproar on social media, Rivlin said he had read the “tough comments” directed at him, understood the criticism and apologised. He said that since his wife died last year, he has relied on family members to assist him with “personal needs,” as well as professional duties when his office is unstaffed on holidays and weekends.
Turkey: More than 1,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Turkey, according to the health minister on Friday, as 4,747 new cases were recorded. Fahrettin Koca shared the latest figures in an image on Twitter, showing 98 more people had died in the last 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 1,006.