Coronavirus: Live updates

CNN says more than 3.7 million cases of the coronavirus, including at least 263,000 deaths have been recorded worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the US, more than 1.2 million cases and over 73,000 covid-19 related deaths have been recorded. 

Meanwhile, President Trump has done a U-turn on his task force. He has said his coronavirus task force will continue “indefinitely” a day after his administration said it would be phased out. The panel will adopt a new focus on finding a vaccine. 

Read the full story on CNN

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How lax rules and missed warnings led to Japan’s second coronavirus-hit cruise ship

Japan Times says seven days before Japan quarantined a cruise ship near Tokyo early this year, in what became one of the first coronavirus hot spots outside China, another cruise ship docked in southern Japan.

For the next five weeks, as the virus took hold in Japan and the Diamond Princess in Yokohama port grabbed global attention, the Japanese authorities issued no warnings to the Costa Atlantic, 1,200 kilometres to the southwest.

Read the full story on Japan Times

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PM: Lockdown rules could be eased on Monday

BBC News says the UK lockdown could be eased on Monday after Boris Johnson review’s the UK’s coronavirus lockdown with his cabinet later. By law, the government must review the restrictions every three weeks and Thursday marks the deadline.

The PM will address the nation at the weekend to outline plans for the next stage of the lockdown. The “stay at home” message may be scrapped as ministers are keen to restart the economy. 

Read the full story on BBC News

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The landmark 100,000-a-day target that keeps being missed

The Guardian says Matt Hancock’s claim to have triumphed in meeting his goal of 100,000 tests a day appears in serious doubt after the government failed for the fourth time in a row to hit the target. 

The governments’ announcement of the latest figure came after Boris Johnson set out a new target of capacity for 200,000 tests a day by the end of May – a goal immediately dismissed by medics and opposition figures as a stunt to distract from Wednesday’s shortfall, with just 69,463 tests carried out or posted to recipients. 

Read the full story on The Guardian

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Merkel says Germany’s reopening will have an ‘emergency brake’ in case of Covid-19 spike

France24 says, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced steps to ease the coronavirus lockdown in Germany, but at the same time launched an “emergency brake” mechanism allowing for renewed restrictions in case infections pick up again. 

Declaring an end to the first phase of the pandemic in the country, she said there was still a long way to go in the battle against the virus, which has battered Europe’s largest economy.

Read the full story on France24

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‘No going back to business as usual’: WHO boss says pandemic won’t end until inequalities fueling it are addressed

RT News says the head of the World Health Organisation has said the pandemic won’t end until the world deals with the inequalities that have allowed the virus to wreak havoc across the globe. 

Speaking at a virtual briefing on Wednesday, the WHO’s Director-General said although the pandemic will eventually ebb away, it will not be possible to return to business as usual unless there is a major investment in health systems and inequalities are tackled.

Read the full story on RT News