- More than 2.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. More than 170,000 have died, with the US accounting for about a quarter of all deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- The United Nations is warning global hunger could double as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, putting 265 million people at risk.
- Australia is trying to build support internationally for an independent review of the origins and spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the latest updates:
Wednesday, April 22
12:15 GMT - India plans wristband patient surveillance
India plans to manufacture thousands of wristbands that will monitor the locations and temperatures of coronavirus patients, help perform contact tracing and aid health workers delivering essential services.
Broadcast Engineering Consultants India, a government-owned company, will present wristband designs to hospitals and state governments next week and work with Indian start-ups to manufacture them.
George Kuruvilla, the company's chairman, said the wristbands are likely to be rolled out in May.
12:00 GMT - South African police arrested for flouting lockdown orders
Scores of government officials, including 89 police officers, have been arrested for flouting South Africa's coronavirus regulations, many of them for selling confiscated liquor, the police minister said.
"Altogether 131 people including officials, councillors, health officials, correctional services, have been arrested," Police Minister Bheki Cele told the media in Durban.
More than 20,000 police officers have been deployed along with the military to enforce a five-week lockdown under which alcohol sales are prohibited.
11:50 GMT - Indonesian capital extends restrictions to May 22
The governor of Indonesia's capital Jakarta said he would extend large-scale social restrictions for an additional month to May 22 and also ensure residents prayed at home during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which is due to start later this week.
"This year's Ramadan will be different. Usually we pray in the mosque, but this year we will stay at home," Governor Anies Baswedan told a streamed news conference.
While Jakarta has not imposed a full lock-down, Baswedan said he would increase enforcement of the restrictions in place which include limiting public gatherings.
11:45 GMT - Qatar reports 608 new coronavirus cases
Qatar's health ministry reported 608 new cases of coronavirus, taking its total number of infections to 7141.
The ministry also confirmed the recovery of 75 COVID-19 patients and one death over the last 24 hours.
آخر مستجدات فيروس كورونا في قطر
Latest update on Coronavirus in Qatar#سلامتك_هي_سلامتي #YourSafetyIsMySafety
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11:30 GMT - 69 NHS staff members have died of coronavirus
A total of 69 people who worked for Britain's National Health Service (NHS) have died of COVID-19, while the number of staff in care homes for the elderly who have died from the disease is not known, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said.
The government is under pressure over accusations it has failed to deliver personal protective equipment to all the medical and care staff who require it.
"We've delivered 1 billion items of personal protective equipment and tens of millions have been distributed via the devolved administrations (semi-autonomous governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)," Raab told parliament.
Read moreabout why PPEs are important.
11:20 GMT - Trump to sign executive order on immigration today
US President Donald Trump, said in a tweet he would sign an executive order later on Wednesday "prohibiting immigration" that he has said would protect US workers amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
As of late Tuesday, some questions remained unanswered as the Trump administration continued to work on the order, which the Republican president has said would temporarily suspend immigration to the United States.
I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today. In the meantime, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall & 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight - including for human trafficking!
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11:15 GMT - Pandemic to drive carbon emissions down 6%: WMO
The coronavirus pandemic is expected to drive carbon dioxide emissions down by 6 percent this year, the head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said, in what would be the biggest yearly drop since World War II.
"This crisis has had an impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told a virtual briefing in Geneva.
"We estimate that there is going to be a 6% drop in carbon emissions this year because of the lack of emissions from transportation and industrial energy production."
11:00 GMT - Stephen Hawking's ventilator donated to UK hospital
The family of the renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking has donated his ventilator to help treat hospital patients with novel coronavirus, it said.
Hawking died in 2018 aged 76 after a glittering career dedicated to unlocking the secrets of the universe, despite a life-long battle with a severe form of motor neurone disease.
His daughter, Lucy, said the ventilator he used has been given to the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, eastern England, where he received medical care during his life.
10:30 GMT - Ukraine extends coronavirus quarantine till May 11
Ukraine extended strong quarantine measures till May 11, hoping then to ease restrictions if there is a reduction in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.
Ukraine reported a total 6,592 infected as of April 22, including 174 deaths and 424 recovered.
10:20 GMT - Israel stops testing samples coming from Gaza
Israel's defence minister has cancelled an initiative taken by army for coronavirus testing on samples coming from the blockaded Gaza Strip, an Israeli newspaper reported.
The Israeli army recently announced an initiative to perform 50 coronavirus tests a day on samples from the Gaza Strip.
But the Israeli government cancelled the initiative, the daily Maariv reported, adding Defence Minister Naftali Bennett was not aware of the army’s initiative due to a "lack of communication"
10:10 GMT - 'Un-American': 400,000 N95 masks 'just sitting' on loading dock
A US medical supply company is questioning the legality of federal seizures of N95 respirator masks destined for medical workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
George Gianforcaro, owner of Delaware-based Indutex USA, told the New York Daily News the Federal Emergency Management Agency confiscated 400,000 masks in two imported shipments meant for his US customers.
"Keep your voice down."
President Trump berated a female CBS reporter when questioned over his #coronavirus response.
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He said the masks, which arrived in separate shipments on April 6 and April 19 are still being held at John F Kennedy International Airport, apparently stranded in limbo as federal officials work out where they should go next.
"The product is just sitting on a loading dock at JFK. They want to charge me $3,000 a day to store it there. I said, 'I'll just come pick it up then.' They said, 'No, it's not released.' It's un-American. It's horrible," Gianforcaro said.
10:05 GMT - Germany approves first trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Germany's vaccines regulator approved live human testing of a potential vaccine against the COVID-19 virus developed by German biotech company BioNTech.
The trial, only the fourth worldwide of a preventive agent targeting the virus behind the global pandemic, will be conducted on 200 healthy people aged between 18 and 55 in the first stage, and on further people, including those at higher risk from the disease, in a second stage.
BioNTech said it was developing the vaccine candidate, named BNT162, together with its partner, pharma giant Pfizer.
10:00 GMT - 'Big divide' between member states on recovery aid, EU official says
There is a "big divide" between EU member states on whether any coronavirus recovery aid should be handed out to member states as subsidies or loans, an official with the bloc said.
National EU leaders are meeting via videoconference on Thursday to lock horns over how to kick-start growth after the coronavirus pandemic.
"For some member states it is important to have grants or subsidies, while for others it can only be loans. There is a big divide and we need to find the right balance," said the official on condition of anonymity.
More:
09:50 GMT - Coronavirus second wave may be even worse: US health chief
A second wave of the novel coronavirus in the United States could be even more destructive because it will likely collide with the beginning of flu season, one of the country's top health officials have said.
Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), called on Americans to use the coming months to prepare - and get their flu shots.
"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through, and when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they do not understand what I mean," he was quoted as saying in an interview with the Washington Post.
Read here.
09:35 GMT - US states sues China over coronavirus economic losses
Missouri became the first US state to sue the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus, saying China's response to the outbreak that originated in the city of Wuhan brought devastating economic losses.
In Beijing, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry dismissed the accusation as "nothing short of absurdity" and lacking any factual or legal basis.
"The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease," Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a statement. "They must be held accountable for their actions."
09:25 GMT - Spain reports 435 coronavirus deaths overnight
Spain's death toll from the new coronavirus climbed by 435 in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, roughly in line with the two percent increases reported in the past few days.
The cumulative death toll now stands at 21,717, while the number of confirmed infections rose by 4,211 to 208,389, according to the ministry.
09:15 GMT - Spanish refugee rescuers now helping in nursing homes
They are used to saving refugees from the seas, but now, Spanish rescuers are using their expertise to help in the coronavirus pandemic.
Volunteers from Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms are taking patients who have tested positive with the novel coronavirus to hospitals and helping staff in care homes, where thousands of frail elderly residents have died.
Read more here
09:05 GMT - Lack of virus testing stokes fears in world's refugee camps
More than 70 million people worldwide have been driven from their homes by war and unrest, up to 10 million are packed into refugee camps and informal settlements, and almost none have been tested for the coronavirus.
While the relative isolation of many camps may have slowed the virus' spread, none is hermetically sealed. Without testing, the virus can spread unchecked until people start showing symptoms. If it does, there will be few if any intensive care beds or ventilators. There might not even be gloves or masks.
"Testing is in short supply even in New York and Norway, but it is nonexistent in most of the countries in the [global] south for the people we try to help," Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
08:30 GMT - Philippines records nine new coronavirus deaths, 111 more cases
The Philippines' health ministry reported nine new coronavirus deaths and 111 new confirmed infections.
In a bulletin, the health ministry said total deaths have increased to 446 while infections have risen to 6,710. But 39 more patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 693.
08:10 GMT - Refugee camp in Lebanon on lockdown after first case
A Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon has been put under lockdown after the United Nations announced the first confirmed case of coronavirus in one of the country's numerous and crowded camps.
The patient, a Palestinian refugee from Syria, has been taken to the state-run Rafic Hariri hospital in Beirut, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said in a statement.
Medical experts were due to visit the Wavel camp in the eastern Bekaa Valley later on Wednesday to carry out tests, the agency added.
08:00 GMT - Pope urges EU unity over coronavirus
Pope Francis has urged Europe to remain united in overcoming the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, speaking on the eve of an EU summit to discuss a huge but divisive economic stimulus package.
"In these times in which we need so much unity among us, among nations, let us pray today for Europe," Francis said at the start of his daily morning mass, which he dedicates each day to a different theme related to the global crisis.
He asked for prayers "so that Europe manages to have this unity, this fraternal unity of which the founding fathers of the European Union dreamed".
07:45 GMT - UK's Johnson under fire over handling of virus crisis
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a call for an inquiry into his government's handling of the coronavirus crisis after failing to fully explain partial death data, limited testing or the lack of equipment for hospitals.
Ed Davey, acting leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, called for an independent inquiry to review the government's response to the pandemic.
"The inquiry must have the strongest possible powers given the shocking failures on protective equipment for staff and the slow response of the government - to get to the truth and to give Boris Johnson the opportunity to answer the increasingly serious questions."
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07:36 GMT - Russia records more than 5,000 new cases
Russia recorded 5,236 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 57,999, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said.
Fifty-seven people with the virus died in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 513, it said.
07:30 GMT - Spain aims to ease lockdown in second half of May
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government plans to begin winding down the coronavirus lockdown measures in the second half of May.
Restrictions will be eased slowly and gradually to ensure safety, Sanchez said at a parliamentary session where he will ask legislators to extend Spain's state of emergency until May 9.
The lockdown was first enforced in Spain on March 14.
07:15 GMT - Japan cuts 100,000 tulips to keep physical distance
Flower lovers in Japan will have to wait until next year to tip-toe through the tulips after a park razed more than 100,000 stems to comply with social-distancing rules to help control the coronavirus.
Officials in the city of Sakura, 50 km east of Tokyo, mowed the tulip beds at "Sakura Furusato Hiroba" and cancelled an annual tulip festival to discourage people from congregating after a coronavirus emergency was declared last week.
"Many visitors came on the weekend when the flowers were in full bloom. It became a mass gathering so we had no choice but to make the decision to cut the flowers," said Sakiho Kusano, a city tourism official.
07:00 GMT - More than 2,700 coronavirus deaths in US in 24 hours
The coronavirus death toll in the United States - the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic - has climbed by 2,751 in the past 24 hours, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The US has recorded more than 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with 44,845 deaths.
Nearly 40,000 new cases were reported between Monday at 8:30pm local time, and Tuesday at the same time, the university said.
06:45 GMT - Tokyo 'orphanage' for babies reports 8 cases: media
A residential-care facility in Tokyo for babies and toddlers reported eight cases of coronavirus infections, local media said.
One staff member at the institution had tested positive for the virus on April 16, prompting a test of its residents, Kyodo News said.
None of the eight children who tested positive were showing major symptoms such as a fever, Kyodo said.
06:30 GMT - Pakistan PM Imran Khan undergoes coronavirus test
Al Jazeera's Asad Hashim sent this update from Islamabad.
"Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has undergone a test for the coronavirus after he came into contact with an infected prominent philanthropist Faisal Edhi on Wednesday, his physician has said. Khan's results are expected to be released on Wednesday.
Edhi announced on Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, after exhibiting some symptoms over four days before subsiding.
He had flown to the capital Islamabad to hand over a 10 million Pakistani rupee ($62,250) cheque for the prime minister's coronavirus relief fund."
06:15 GMT - Fauci to 7-year-old girl: Tooth fairy won't catch virus
Top US health and infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci has assured a young girl that the tooth fairy is not at risk of infection during the coronavirus pandemic.
The popular doctor will appear on Wednesday as a guest on actor Will Smith's Snapchat show "Will From Home."
In a preview clip of their interview, posted to YouTube, a seven-year-old girl called in from Los Angeles with a very pressing question.
"Can the tooth fairy still come if I lose my tooth because of the coronavirus?" asked the girl, who introduced herself as Ava. "And can she catch the virus?"
Fauci was quick to reassure her: "I don't think you need to worry about the tooth fairy," he said, smiling.
Hello, this is Saba Aziz in Doha. I'll be taking over the blog from my colleague Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.
05:00 GMT - Australia seeks backing for international investigation into coronavirus
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has sought support for an international investigation into the coronavirus pandemic, speaking overnight to US president Donald Trump, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Australia is calling for an independent review of the origins of the virus and its spread. China earlier accused Australia of parroting the US, which has been critical of China and the World Health Organization (WHO), withdrawing its funding for the UN health body.
Just got off the phone with US President @realDonaldTrump. We had a very constructive discussion on our health responses to #COVID19 and the need to get our market-led and business centres economies up and running again.
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04:40 GMT - Japan's Nagasaki confirms 33 cases on cruise ship docked for repair
Officials in Japan's western prefecture of Nagasaki say they have confirmed 33 cases of coronavirus on an Italian cruise ship docked there for repairs.
Tests were positive in 33 of 56 close contacts of a single member of the Costa Atlantica's 623 crew.
"There are a lot of infections on board, and we don't have the medical system to confirm the health situation and to separate" those testing positive and negative, said Nagasaki governor Hodo Nakamura.
The governor has requested help from the government in Tokyo and the rest of the crew are being tested. The Italian-owned ship has been in the shipyard in Nagasaki since the end of February.
03:50 GMT - Southeast Asian governments urged to step up climate change commitments
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights are calling on Southeast Asian governments to commit to more ambitious climate and environmental targets to lower the risk of future health emergencies.
APHR noted that the number of emerging infectious diseases had increased since the 1940s alongside deforestation and increasing urbanisation.
"Our governments have to act swiftly against deforestation by increasing protected areas and environmental safeguards against investment projects if we want to reduce the risk of re-living COVID-19 like epidemics," Sarah Elago, an MP from the Philippines MP said in a statement to coincide with Earth Day.
03:20 GMT - Saudi king approves Tarawih at two holy mosques
Saudi king Salman has approved performing the Tarawih at the two holy mosques, but entry for pilgrims will remain suspended, the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia is planning to ease curfew hours imposed in several cities because of coronavirus during the fasting month of Ramadan, which is due to start this week.
Find out more about this year's unprecedented Ramadan here.
02:20 GMT - China says Australia parroting Trump with coronavirus criticisms
China is accusing Australia of taking instructions from the US in its criticism of China's response to the coronavirus, after home affairs minister Peter Dutton called on China to be more transparent about the outbreak.
"It is well known that recently some people in the US including high level officials have been spreading an anti-China 'information virus'," a spokesperson from China's embassy in Canberra said in comments posted to its website.
"These days, certain Australian politicians are keen to parrot what those Americans have asserted and follow them in staging attacks on China."
01:30 GMT - China, South Korea update coronavirus situation
China and South Korea have both reported their latest data on the coronavirus.
China reported 30 new cases on the mainland, 23 of which involved people returning from overseas. The National Health Commission also said the number of asymptomatic cases rose to 42, from 37 the previous day.
In South Korea, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the country had 11 new cases, the fourth day in a row where the number has been below 15. Six of the cases were among overseas travellers.
00:15 GMT - Captive audiences fuel Netflix boom
Netflix says it has more than doubled its own projections for new customers as people living under lockdowns turned to the streaming giant to keep them entertained.
Netflix says subscribers jumped by 15.8 million in the three months from January to March. It earlier predicted the number of paying customers would rise by seven million.
00:00 GMT - Cuomo says Trump agrees to help New York double testing
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he had a "productive" meeting with US President Donald Trump and that the state was aiming to double its coronavirus testing to 40,000 tests a day.
I had a productive meeting with President Trump today.
We agreed that the state will be responsible for managing the actual tests in our laboratories.
The federal government will take on the responsibility of supply chain issues that are beyond states' control.
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Cuomo and Trump met on Tuesday and the president agreed the federal government would help procure the chemical reagents needed to ramp up testing.
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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.
Read all the updates from yesterday (April 21) here.
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