Coronavirus: Live updates

CNN says Covid-19 has infected more than 1.9 million people and killed at least 119,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In the US the outbreak of the virus appears to be stabilising. “We are nearing the peak right now,” the CDC director said. Infections in the US have now topped 582,000 including more than 23,000 deaths. 

Read the full story on CNN

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Japan introduces new measures to curb outbreak

Japan Times says Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures officially decided Monday to call for business closures in the fight against the spreading of Covid-19. The request came into effect at midnight on Monday and will continue through May 6. 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has called for a 70 per cent reduction in commuters to curb new infections, was fighting an uphill battle in getting more people to work from home, as many headed to work as usual on Monday. 

Read the latest on Japan Times

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India extends world’s biggest Covid-19 lockdown until May 3

France24 says India’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown – the world’s biggest – will be extended to at least 3 May the PM said Tuesday. 

The current three-week lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people had been scheduled to end at midnight Tuesday. “From the economic angle, we have paid a big price,” Modi said in a nationwide address. “But the lives of the people are far more valuable.”

Read the full story on France24

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Coronavirus: Older people being ‘airbrushed’ out of the virus figures

BBC News says many older people are being “airbrushed” out of coronavirus figures in the UK, charities have warned. The official death toll has been criticised for only covering people who die in hospital – but not those in care homes or in their own houses. 

It comes after the government confirmed there had been virus outbreaks at more than 2,000 care homes in England.

Read the full story on BBC News

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Medical unions warn UK stock of protective gowns is critically low

The Guardian reports supplies on protective gowns used to treat coronavirus patients have become so depleted that they are no longer available to many doctors in high-risk roles, a medical union has warned. 

Only 52% of clinicians carrying out aerosol-generating procedures- those with the greatest risk of transferring the virus – said they had access to the kind of full-sleeve gowns that are mandatory for jobs such as intubating patients so that they can be treated with a ventilator. 

Read the full story on The Guardian

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Coronavirus live updates: Turkey to release prisoners to ease overcrowding

Aljazeera says Turkey’s parliament has approved legislation that will free some 90,000 prisoners to ease overcrowding in prisons amid the global pandemic.

However, that doesn’t include journalists and activists, who will remain behind bars. The legislation reduces some sentences and places 45,000 convicts who are currently serving terms in open prisons, under temporary house arrest.

Get all the latest updates on Aljazeera

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