WHO, partners, accelerate work on COVID-19 vaccine: Live updates

At least 3,332 new coronavirus deaths were reported in the United States in a 24-hour period, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, one of the deadliest days since the outbreak began. The total death toll in the country has reached 49,963 amid over 869,000 cases. 26 million people have sought US jobless aid in the past five weeks since the coronavirus hit. About one in six American workers have lost their jobs, by far the worst string of layoffs since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The US House of Representatives has passed a nearly $500bn spending package to help businesses and hospitals. More than 190,000 people have died due to the pandemic, including 50,000 in the US, with 2.7 million infected globally, out of whom almost 750,000 have recovered. Testing of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine began on healthy volunteers at University of Oxford in Britain, the latest in a cluster of early-stage studies in search of protection against the coronavirus. The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says there are "worrying upward trends" in early epidemics in parts of Africa and Central and South America, warning that the "virus will be with us for a long time". Here are the latest updates: Friday, April 24 13:36 GMT - England's hospital toll rises by 587 The COVID-19 death toll in English hospitals rose 587 to 17,373, the health service said. "34 of the 587 patients [aged between 50 and 102 years old] had no known underlying health condition," it added. 13:24 GMT - WHO chief says agency is partnering with groups for vaccine WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is paertnering with groups to accelerate work on drugs and a vaccine for COVID-19. "The world needs these tools and needs them fast," he said in an announcement. "We are facing a common threat which we can only defeat with a common approach." Hello, this is Farah Najjar taking over from my colleague Joseph Stepansky. 12:55 GMT - US says will not take part in WHO global drugs, vaccine initiative launch The US will not take part in the launching of a global initiative on Friday to speed the development, production and distribution of drugs and vaccines against COVID-19, a spokesman for the US mission in Geneva told Reuters news agency. "There will be no U.S. official participation", he said in an email reply to a query. "We look forward to learning more about this initiative in support of international cooperation to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 as soon as possible." US President Donald Trump has announced a suspension of funding to the WHO, where it is the largest donor. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will help launch the global initiative on Friday. US Congress approves $484bn economic rescue bill 12:50 GMT - Lebanon defence council urges extending lockdown two weeks, easing restrictions Lebanon's higher defence council has advised the government to extend a coronavirus lockdown by two weeks until May 10, but to begin gradually easing restrictions in the coming weeks. The cabinet is expected to take the decision in a session on Friday. During the lockdown, Lebanon has ordered most businesses closed, shut the airport and imposed an overnight curfew 12:40 GMT - Spain: Was coronavirus already spreading a month before lockdown? Recent scientific research suggests that Spain, the country that currently has the most coronavirus cases in Europe, was hit by COVID-19 much earlier than previously thought. The study by researchers from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Madrid indicates that one clade - a virus "family" derived from a single ancestor - of coronavirus was present in mainland Spain as early as February 14. That was a full month before the country went into lockdown, and a time when officials worldwide were still trying to understand the scale of the virus. Read more here. spain coronavirus A healthcare worker acknowledges applause outside the Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid on April 12, 2020 during a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease [Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP] 12:20 GMT - Pandemic leaves Delhi riots victims twice displaced On February 23, Jameela Begum's neighbourhood in northeast Delhi was ravaged by the worst violence the Indian capital had witnessed in decades, which left at least 53 people dead. The violence took place amid protests over a controversial new citizenship law, which critics said violated India's secular constitution and was aimed at further marginalising its Muslim minority. Dozens of people, including a large number of Muslims, have been arrested for the violence. Following the riots, Jameela's family of eight was forced to move to a relief camp set up in an Eidgah (grounds where Eid prayers are held), along with 600 others. On March 24, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown and urged people to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As soon as the announcement came into effect the next day, the Eidgah relief camp was cleared and its residents forcibly evicted. Read more here. Muslims sit inside a relief camp in Mustafabad in the riot-affected northeast of New Delhi Victims of the violence have also complained of delay by the government in disbursing their compensation [File: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters] 12:10 GMT - Dutch cases rise by 806 to 36,535 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 806 to 36,535, health authorities have said, with 112 new deaths. The country's overall death toll is now 4,289, the Netherlands' Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update. The RIVM emphasised it reports only confirmed cases, and actual numbers are higher. 12:00 GMT - Czech gov't backs plan to seek state of emergency extension: Report The Czech government has approved plans to ask the lower house of parliament to extend a state of emergency until May 25 to help fight the new coronavirus epidemic, CTK news agency reported, citing Interior Minister Jan Hamacek. The plan should go to lawmakers on Tuesday, CTK said. The current state of emergency is in place until April 30 and gives the government powers to limit people's movement or close businesses. Venezuela's doctors say health systems unprepared for COVID-19 11:45 GMT - Vietnam reports two new cases, bringing total to 270 Vietnam has reported two new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 270, its health ministry said, after the nation's lockdown order was lifted a day earlier. Both of the new cases are Vietnamese citizens, who returned from Japan on April 22 and were under quarantine upon arrival, the health ministry said in a statement. The country had stayed clear of the virus for seven days and has reported no deaths. Vietnam Conduct COVID-19 Tests To Contain Spread Of The Coronavirus Market staff wear face shields while taking information from vendors and labourers at Long Bien market in Hanoi, Vietnam [Linh Pham/Getty Images] 11:35 GMT - East Timor has first medical worker infected East Timor has announced that a nurse at a centre caring for patients with COVID-19 had been infected by the coronavirus, the first medical worker in the tiny Southeast Asian country to contract the disease. The nurse had been working at an isolation centre as well as a hospital. A positive test result was confirmed by a laboratory in Darwin, Australia, said a spokesman for East Timor's Integrated Crisis Management Center. East Timor reported its first case on March 21 and now has 24 confirmed infections, while two people have recovered, Lobo told a news conference. East Timor's prime minister, Taur Matan Ruak, withdrew his resignation this month, saying he would stay in power to oversee the battle against the pandemic as the government approved a $250 million fund to fight it. Bangladesh shutdown: Rickshaw pullers struggle to make a living 11:25 GMT - Qatar records 761 new cases, highest daily increase Qatar has reported 761 new cases of the coronavirus, the largest daily increase since the outbreak began, according to the health ministry. A total of 8,525 cases have been reported in the country, with 10 deaths. وزارة الصحة العامة ✔ @MOPHQatar آخر مستجدات فيروس كورونا في قطر Latest update on Coronavirus in Qatar#سلامتك_هي_سلامتي #YourSafetyIsMySafety View image on Twitter 240 4:27 PM - Apr 24, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 243 people are talking about this 11:15 GMT - Lysol maker says don't inject disinfectant after Trump remarks Lysol and Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser has said its disinfectants should not be administered to humans, after US President Donald Trump said researchers should try putting disinfectant into coronavirus patients' bodies. "Under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)," the company said. 11:00 GMT - Switzerland death toll rises to 1,309 The Swiss death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 1,309, the country's public health agency has said, rising from 1,268 people on Thursday. The number of positive tests also increased to 28,677 from 28,496 on Thursday, it said. Switzerland is due to start the first phase of its relaxation of the coronavirus restrictions on April 27 with the reopening of hairdressers, florists, and garden centres. 10:50 GMT - India must be self-reliant against virus: PM Modi India's prime minister says the country's 1.3 billion people are bravely fighting the coronavirus epidemic with limited resources and the lesson they have learned so far is that the country has to be self-sufficient for meeting its needs. Addressing the country's village council heads through video conferencing on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the country can't afford to look outward to meet a crisis of this dimension in future. Self-reliance is the biggest lesson taught by the epidemic, Modi said. India has so far reported 22,358 positive novel coronavirus cases and 718 deaths. India has been importing critical medical supplies, including protective gears, masks and ventilators from China. Can extending India's lockdown stop coronavirus? | The Stream 10:40 GMT - Poland extends school lockdown until May 24 Poland's government is to extend the closure of schools, and pre-schools by a month, until May 24, Education Minister Dariusz Piatkowski has said. Piatkowski also told a news conference that he was considering whether it would be possible to allow some educational establishments to offer day care for children, but gave no further details. Previously the education system lockdown had been planned to last until April 26. 10:35 GMT - Iran death toll rises by 93 to 5,574: Health official Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus has risen by 93, to reach a total of 5,574, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on state TV. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease is 88,194, of whom 3,121 are in critical condition, he added. Iran mosque coronavirus Qom A couple wearing protective face masks, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease walks on the street in Qom, Iran [Reuters] 10:30 GMT - Spain records lowest number of daily deaths in over a month Spain has reported 367 new deaths from coronavirus, the lowest daily toll in over a month. A total of 22,524 people have died from COVID-19 in Spain, amid 219,764 cases. 10:25 GMT - Transport for London to furlough 7,000 staff, access UK job retention scheme Transport for London (TFL) has said it would place 7,000 staff on furlough and access the British government's job retention scheme, saving nearly $19.72 million a month in the face of the coronavirus crisis. "TfL is to place 7,000 staff whose work has been reduced or paused as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on furlough from Monday. This will allow TfL to access funding from the Government's Job Retention Scheme, saving the organisation an estimated 15.8 million pounds every four weeks," TfL, which runs the city's Underground subway system and bus network, said in a statement. "This will partly reduce the huge financial impact of coronavirus whilst constructive discussions continue with Government on the wider revenue support that TfL will need to continue the effective operation of London's transport network." A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at the back of an ambulance outside Lewisham hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain, April A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at the back of an ambulance outside Lewisham hospital in London [Hannah McKay/Reuters] 10:20 GMT - Pandemic not changing EU priorities on Brexit: French minister The new coronavirus outbreak crisis does not change European priorities in the Brexit negotiations, French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin has said. She also told a French Senate meeting that a no-deal Brexit would be an extra shock on top of the COVID-19 crisis but Britain would suffer the most. More: Coronavirus pandemic leaves Delhi riots victims twice displaced Sunlight and humidity kill coronavirus the fastest: US scientists Opinion: Lockdown will not cost more lives than it saves 10:15 GMT - Russia to open 1,000-bed hospital in exhibition centre by end of the week A temporary hospital in St Petersburg with just over 1,000 beds for coronavirus patients will open in the city's Lenexpo exhibition centre by the end of the week, RIA news agency reported. St Petersburg, Russia's second biggest city, had reported 2,700 coronavirus cases and 20 deaths as of Friday. Russia as a whole had nearly 70,000 confirmed cases and 615 deaths. To help Russia's health system cope with the outbreak, hospitals across the country, including private ones, are being asked to turn their focus on the coronavirus outbreak. The defence ministry is also building 16 brand new hospitals across the country, including the central regions of Moscow and St Petersburg to the south and Volga river areas, as well as in Siberia and far east. The ministry expects the new hospitals to be fully ready by mid-May. EU leaders agree to unite on economic recovery 10:10 GMT - UK submariners reprimanded lockdown party A British Royal Navy submarine commander has been put on leave after ignoring social distancing rules and throwing a party for his crew on their arrival back home. Footage on social media showed two DJs playing dance music to the crew of the HMS Trenchant, who were sitting at tables eating a barbecue after the vessel docked for repairs at its base near Plymouth, southwest England, following three months at sea. "An investigation is under way. It would be inappropriate to comment further," said a Royal Navy spokesman. The BBC reported the captain of the nuclear-powered submarine had been sent home on leave following the party. 10:00 GMT - Surges in Djibouti cases as population ignores measures Djibouti has seen a rapid spike in coronavirus cases, with the Horn of Africa nation now recording the highest prevalence on the continent as the population largely ignores measures imposed by authorities. The tiny but strategically important country that hosts major US and French military bases has recorded 985 positive cases - small on a global scale, but the highest in East Africa. Two people have died. This is largely due to testing. Djibouti, with a population of around one million, has conducted just over 10,000 tests - a similar number to neighbouring Ethiopia, which has more than 100 million people. But more alarming than the figure itself is the runaway rate of multiplication: in just two weeks, Djibouti has recorded a seven-fold increase in cases. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said that with 98.6 cases per 100,000 people, Djibouti has the highest prevalence on the continent. Somalia: Only one hospital to treat country's COVID-19 patients 09:40 GMT - Hong Kong reports no new cases or deaths Hong Kong has reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths for the second time in a week. The total cases in the country stand 1,036, according to the health ministry. On Monday, the semi-autonomous region also reported no new cases. 09:20 GMT - UK Labour Party announces review of impact on black, Asian and minority ethnic groups The UK's main opposition Labour Party has announced a review into the impact of coronavirus on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The development comes amid rising fears that frontline NHS workers from ethnic backgrounds are disproportionately affected, as well as non-white Britons overall. The Conservative led-UK government earlier promised a formal review into why BME communities appear to be more vulnerable. "Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities have long been disadvantaged by the social and economic injustice which still exists in our country. There is a clear and tragic pattern emerging of the pandemic's impact on those communities which must be better understood," said Doreen Lawrence, who has been appointed race relations advisor, in a statement on Friday. Read our analysis here. Labour Press Team ✔ @labourpress .@Keir_Starmer appoints Baroness @DLawrenceOBE as race relations adviser and launches review into coronavirus impact on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.https://labour.org.uk/press/keir-starmer-appoints-doreen-lawrence-as-race-relations-adviser/ … Keir Starmer appoints Doreen Lawrence as race relations adviser labour.org.uk 154 3:05 PM - Apr 24, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy