Wednesday 13 May
- Global cases top 4.3 million.
- Lockdown eased in England as people return to work.
- Millions with health conditions at risk ‘if forced back to work.’
- Brazil becomes a new global hotspot for coronavirus.
- Dubai allows reopening of hotel beaches and a number of other initiatives as it eases lockdown.
Coronavirus pandemic: Live updates
CNN says more than 4.2 million cases of covid-19 have been recorded worldwide, including at least 291,000 deaths.
In the US, a key model now forecasts that 147,000 Americans will die by August. The death toll currently stands at over 82,000 Dr Anthony Fauci warned there could be “suffering and death” if the country reopens too quickly.
Meanwhile, Russia has now confirmed 232,000 cases of covid-19 – meaning it now has more confirmed cases than any country other than the US.
Read the full story on CNN
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Lockdown eased in England as people return to work
BBC News says people in England can spend more time outside, meet a friend at the park and move home, as the government begins easing some lockdown measures.
Under new rules, introduced on Wednesday, garden centres can reopen and people can meet one person from outside their household. Sports that are physically distanced – such as golf – are also now permitted.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Millions with health conditions at risk from Covid-19 ‘if forced back to work’
The Guardian says eight million people with underlying health conditions should be exempted from plans to get the country back to work and normal life, according to scientists who warn that easing lockdown too quickly could propel the Covid-19 death toll to 73,000 this year.
About 80% of the population have little to fear from a return to work, but 20% are vulnerable from one or more common conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart problems, say researchers from UCL in a Lancet study published on Wednesday.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Brazil register record death rate, marking it as global hotspots for Covid-19
France24 says Brazil registered its highest covid-19 death toll for a single day, with 881 new deaths confirmed over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said Tuesday.
Brazil, the Latin American country hit hardest in the pandemic, appears to be quickly becoming a new global flashpoint.
The total death toll from the new coronavirus has now hit 12,400 in the country, with 177,589 confirmed cases — up 9,258 from the day before. Brazil is now the sixth most-affected country, after the United States, Britain, Italy, France and Spain.
Read the full story on France24
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Dubai allows reopening of hotel beaches, but only for guests
Arab News says hotels have been given permission to open private beaches, but only for their guests, state news agency WAM reported.
The announcement comes as Dubai continues to look at ways of easing restrictions that were imposed to help stem the flow of the coronavirus.
Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management approved a number of new initiatives to ease restrictions on people’s movement in the emirate including the reopening of public parks and private beaches in hotels.
Read the full story on Arab News
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A quick look at the other top stories from around the globe.
Robert De Niro slams Trump saying he ‘doesn’t care how many die’ from coronavirus
Daily Mirror says Robert De Niro has taken aim at Donald Trump as he reopened his feud with the president, saying he “doesn’t care” how many people die from coronavirus.
The 76-year-old Oscar-winning actor is one of Mr Trump’s most vociferous critics and has slammed his handling of the health crisis.
German establishment blames protests on mystery ‘far-right’ forces
RT News says as Germans burst onto the streets to insist on leaving their coronavirus lockdown, it’s clear that patience with Angela Merkel has worn paper-thin, and though her health might survive the pandemic, her chancellorship may not.
Nigerian man sentenced to death via Zoom
CNN says a man in Nigeria was sentenced to death via the popular video conferencing app Zoom this week, sparking condemnation from rights groups who described the ruling as inhumane.
Israeli soldier killed during raid of occupied West Bank
Aljazeera News says a Palestinian rock-thrower killed an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday and police wounded a Palestinian who tried to stab security staff at a checkpoint, Israeli authorities have said.
Wuhan draws up plans to test all 11 million residents after fresh outbreak
Fox News says the Chinese city of Wuhan, believed to be the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic, is planning to test all 11 million residents within the next 10 days after a new outbreak was reported over the weekend, according to a state media report.
