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COVID-19 REPORT

• The latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the spread of Covid-19, put the number of confirmed cases globally at 2,076,015. Researchers say at least 138,008 people have died since the start of the outbreak. The United States remains the country worst affected, with over 639,000 confirmed case and over 30,000 lives lost

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe regional director Hans Kluge has called for solidarity as some countries ease restrictions. Cases have doubled on the continent in the last ten days, even as the rates of infections in the worst hit countries have levelled off, Kluge warned that Europe is “in the eye of the storm”

• US President Donald Trump is set to announce guidelines on reopening the country’s economy on later today. Germany has already announced first steps to ease its lockdown

• The head of the World Health Organization has said he regrets Trump’s decision to halt funding for the organisation but called for world unity to fight the coronavirus pandemic

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the global economy is expected to shrink by 3% this year - the biggest contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Meanwhile, Asia’s economic growth likely to drop to zero in 2020, a first for the region in 60 years.

SUMMARY

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 16.04.2020

GLOBAL MAP OF CASES OF COVID-19

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COVID-19 REPORT

UK UPDATE

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE REPORTED CASES FROM PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND

Source: Public Health England 16.04.2020

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES98,476

TOTAL DEATHS12,868

UK DAILY CASES 4,605

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COVID-19 REPORT

• In the UK, there are now 98,476 cases of COVID-19 and 761 deaths were recorded in UK hospitals yesterday, taking the total to 12,868. The true extent is likely to be greater as many hospitals are still collating figures

• The government is today expected to extend the coronavirus lockdown until early May, although there are increasing hopes that a gradual easing of restrictions will begin next month. Acting prime minister Dominic Raab will convene an emergency committee meeting today to formally extend the lockdown

• The UK must keep a “significant level” of social distancing until a vaccine for coronavirus is found, a scientist advising the government has said. Prof Neil Ferguson said there was “little leeway” to relax measures without “something... in their place” - such as testing and contact-tracing.

• The Labour party said it would support an extension, but called for details on how and when the lockdown will end

• The Treasury is set to unveil a rescue package for start-up businesses in the next few days. An existing emergency lending scheme for small businesses, which many start-ups cannot use, is under growing pressure after just 6,000 loans were signed off in three weeks

• A report from KPMG and the British Retail Consortium has revealed that retail sales fell at their fastest rate on record last month, with total sales down by 4.3%. Separate data from Barclaycard showed that spending also fell 6pc year-on-year. Spending on non-essential products fell 12.9%, with many retailers hit by mass store closures and social distancing

• The UK government has given the go-ahead for construction work to begin on the HS2 high-speed rail line as long as the companies involved follow official guidance on social distancing. HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said the decision would provide ‘thousands of construction workers and businesses across the country with certainty at a time when they need it’

• The Financial Conduct Authority has warned that most businesses will not be eligible for insurance payments relating to the Covid-19 lockdown and that it will not intervene on their behalf. However, the City watchdog also told insurance companies to act quickly to get money to those businesses with legitimate claims and said it would set up a small business unit to monitor how smaller firms are treated by the financial services sector during the pandemic

• More than 4,000 social care workers and 10,000 care home residents have been tested for coronavirus so far, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this morning. The health secretary’s comments came after social care directors wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care, on Saturday, calling the government’s handling of protective equipment for care workers “shambolic”

• The government has also come under fire over how long it has taken to increase testing capacity in general.Hancock said that in total there was, as of Thursday 16th April, “capacity for 25,000 tests” to be carried out a day in the UK

• More than nine in 10 people dying with coronavirus have an underlying health condition, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS looked at nearly 4,000 deaths during March in England and Wales where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate. In 91% of cases the individuals had other health problems. The most common was heart disease, followed by dementia and respiratory illness

• Three major UK food chains have said they will reopen a limited number of their restaurants for deliveries. Burger King is to reopen four restaurants, KFC said it had reopened 11 UK restaurants in the past week for delivery only and Ten Pret a Manger stores near hospitals in London are due to open from today.

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COVID-19 REPORT

Source: Public Health England 16.04.2020

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COVID-19 REPORT

WORLDWIDE UPDATE

Source: Centre for Systems Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University on 16.04.2020*Figures will vary between sources

Worldometers 16.04.2020

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES2,076,015

TOTAL DEATHS138,008

PATIENTS RECOVERED 522,881

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE REPORTED CASES

COUNTRIES/REGIONS185

CLICK HERE FOR GRAPH DETAILS

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COVID-19 REPORT

WORLDWIDE UPDATE• The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has surpassed to 2,000,000 cases worldwide, according to research

by Johns Hopkins University. This is an increase of 78,694 cases globally since yesterdays report• China has seen a slight decline in imported cases and small uptick in local transmissions. On Wednesday 15th

April, the number of new new local transmissions rose to 12 from ten, with three of those cases in Beijing - the first such infections there in weeks. Imported cases were down to 34, this is down for the third consecutive day after the country implemented stricter border measures. In recent weeks, imported infections have been China’s main concern with new cases brought in by Chinese nationals coming across the border with Russia

• US President Donald Trump has insisted that some states may reopen before 1st May. During his daily press conference yesterday, he said there were governors ‘champing at the bid’ to resume normal life. He also reiterated the decision to halt funding to the World Health Organisation, and expressed scepticism over the accuracy of China’s reporting of the pandemic

• Major US airlines have reached agreement in principle with the Treasury on a $25 billion rescue package that will keep workers in their jobs at least until October 2020. As part of the deal, the airlines must agree to restrict executive pay and shareholder dividends. The government will also be given an option to purchase certain levels of stock in the airlines at a set price

• In Spain, the number of fatalities increased by 578, 24 fewer than on Tuesday 14th April. Italy’s daily death toll also continues to fall, with 523 fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours

• The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has offered a heartfelt apology for letting Italy down at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic

• Denmark has become the first country in Europe to relax restrictions on education. Schools and nurseries have reopened for children up to the age of 11, although concerns have been raised that the guidelines covering who should return to school are not clear

• The European Union’s medicine regulator has estimated it could take a year for a vaccine to be available for widespread use. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had previously claimed a vaccine could be on the market ‘before autumn’

• Countries in the G20, the club of the wealthiest nations, have agreed to suspend debt repayments owed to them by some of the world’s poorest countries. There are concerns that low-income countries will face an especially hard time coping with both the health and economic fallout of the pandemic

• Singapore has made it mandatory for people to wear face masks when out in public and will impose a fine of S$300 on anyone caught flouting the new order. Face masks or coverings will also be mandatory for customers on subways and buses in New York City from Friday 17th April. State Governor Andrew Cuomo has admitted there would be no immediate penalties for non-compliance, but said he expected the order to be enforced ‘in a nice, New York kind of way’ by residents

• Yesterday, South Koreans went to the election polls, but with strict distancing in place, the vote went smoothly and President Moon Jae-in’s ruling party won a decisive victory. South Korea was one of the first countries hit by the virus outside of China but has since managed to contain the spread like few other nations. Daily infections are low as is the overall death toll and the successful response has contributed to the support for the Democratic Party

• Six major cities, including the capital Delhi and the financial capital Mumbai, have been designated “red zones” for the coronavirus. In its guidelines issued late on Wednesday, the government divided the country into colour-coded zones depending on the level of infection. Red zones indicate infection hotspots, orange is for zones with some infection, while green indicates an area with no infections. In total, 170 districts of the country have been designated red zones and haven’t designated any green zone areas

• Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has reappeared after being absent from public view for more than a month.In a televised message, the President defended his government’s record on coronavirus - saying only one person had died in the country. He said he had not ordered a lockdown because of the economic impact this would have. “In the midst of this pandemic work has not stopped because here, if you stop working, the country dies,” he said. “And if the country dies, the people die.”

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COVID-19 REPORT

ASIA

In an effort to cushion the economic fallout, Pakistan has loosened restrictions for more than a dozen sectors. Industries allowed to operate include construction, cement, fertiliser, e-commerce, packaging manufacturers and a handful of other smaller businesses, the government announced on Wednesday. The country has at least 5,988 confirmed cases and 107 virus-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

India has agreed to sell hydroxychloroquine to Malaysia - it’s still not proven that the medicine is successful in treating Covid-19.

Cases are rapidly surging in Bangladesh as infections are doubling every two days and there have been more than 1,000 cases so far. Officials announced a rise of 219 new cases on Wednesday 15th April - the biggest daily spike yet. Garment workers have also been protesting over layoffs and wages that have been withheld for days.

In Nepal, the government extended its lockdown earlier this week after cases jumped to 16. International borders will be closed until 1st May and new kits from China have enabled the country to increase testing.

Nearly two weeks have gone by without a single new case in Bhutan, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Three citizens who tested positive are in quarantine and all businesses have been ordered to shut by 7pm.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stressed the need for China to be transparent and to share its data on the Covid-19 outbreak. He also stressed the “importance” of China’s facilitation of medical supplies to the US.

The IMF has warned that economic growth in Asia Pacific is expected to “stall at zero percent” in 2020, calling this its “worst growth performance in almost 60 years”.

Japan has urged its citizens to stay home, as reports of a health ministry projection say as many as 400,000 people could die without urgent action. Japan currently has around 9,000 confirmed cases.

Singapore has seen its highest daily spike with 447 new cases - the majority linked to a growing migrant worker cluster.

EUROPE

France has recorded 1,438 deaths on Wednesday 15th April, its biggest daily jump, due to a number of nursing homes reporting cumulative deaths over the Easter weekend.

Several countries are beginning to ease measures, including Germany, where schools will start to reopen there from 4th May and shops sized under 800 square metres can return to business provided they implement strict safety measures.

The mayor of Barcelona has made a plea on Facebook to “free Spain’s children”. Spain is the only European country where all children are barred from going outside for any reason.

REGIONAL UPDATES

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COVID-19 REPORT

AMERICAS

President Donald Trump says the US has “passed the peak” of new coronavirus cases and predicted some states would reopen this month. Mr Trump told the daily White House briefing that new guidelines would be announced today after he had spoken to governors.

The governor of the northern Brazilian state of Pará, Helder Barbalho, says he has tested positive for coronavirus. He tweeted the news shortly after the Rio state Governor Wilson Witzel said that he had contracted the virus.

AFRICAS

Tanzania’s health ministry has announced the country’s biggest rise in coronavirus cases, with 29 new patients.

Dozens of Kenyans who have been in mandatory quarantine attempted to storm out of an isolation centre in the capital, Nairobi because of what they say are unbearable conditions.People who entered the country before the closure of borders have been held in isolation.

The UN-backed government in Libya has imposed a 24-hour curfew for ten days to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The curfew will start on Friday 17th April, Reuters news agency reports quoting a statement from the government based in the capital, Tripoli.

Teams of Chinese doctors have set off to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to support efforts to fight coronavirus pandemic, state-owned China Global Television Network reports. Their exact number unspecified, but they are drawn from Sichuan Province and Tianjin Municipality. They left for Africa on Thursday 16th April according to China’s foreign ministry. They will share experience, provide guidance and technical advice on epidemic prevention in both countries.

MIDDLE EAST

Coronavirus outbreaks across the Middle East threaten to shatter the lives of millions of already destitute people in conflict zones, and could fuel socio-economic upheaval, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said. The Middle East is today facing the threats of potential mass virus outbreaks in conflict zones and looming socio-economic upheaval. Both crises could have severe humanitarian consequences.

AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA

The state of South Australia recorded no new cases yesterday - another sign of the sustained national decline here. Other states have also reported low numbers even as testing is widened.

The National Cabinet will meet to discuss what to do with schools - an ongoing point of division between state and federal authorities. Schools remain open technically, but state leaders have urged parents to keep their children at home if they can. The state of Victoria resumed term yesterday with only 3% of pupils in classrooms.

Virgin Australia, Australia’s second biggest airline, has extended its share market trading halt as it struggles to find a way to stay afloat.

Overall, Australia is succeeding in flattening the curve but to forge “the road out” of lockdown, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a “more extensive surveillance regime” needs to be brought in. The nation has confirmed over 6,300 cases but fewer than 100 were detected this week.

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COVID-19 REPORT

WILSON JAMES ADVISORY

FOR FURTHER ADVICE ON COVID-19, PLEASE VISIT

• https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/• www.who.int/

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