Global death pass 180,000
The global death toll from the coronavirus has exceeded 183,000, with the number of cases worldwide at more than 2.6m. The US accounts for more than 842,000 cases and almost 47,000 deaths. The UK has more than 134,000 cases and more than 18,000 deaths.
World is on track for ‘unprecedented’ post-war recession
Ratings agency Fitch says the world is heading for a recession of “unprecedented depth in the post-war period” with global gross domestic product to tumble by 3.9% in 2020. “This is twice as large as the decline anticipated in our early April GEO [global economic outlook] update and would be twice as severe as the 2009 recession,” said Fitch’s chief economist.
Trump signs immigration order
Trump said he had signed the order halting immigration to the US just before coming into the room to deliver the White House press briefing. He also said he had discouraged Georgia’s governor from reopening. The US president says he told Georgia governor Brian Kemp that he disagreed “very strongly” with the decision to reopen businesses in the state. “I think it’s too soon,” said the president.
World Health Organization under fire
The US government will assess whether the WHO is being run the way that it should be, John Barsa, acting administrator of the US agency for international development said on Wednesday, as Australia called for all WHO members should participate in a coronavirus inquiry.
Missing Wuhan citizen journalist reappears
A Chinese citizen journalist reappears, having gone missing for almost two months after posting videos from Wuhan during the outbreak. Li Zehua claims he was detained by police and forcibly quarantined.
He was one of three Chinese journalists reporting in Wuhan during some of the worst weeks of the epidemic. He was last seen on 26 February after posting a video in which he was chased by a white SUV and an hours-long livestream that ended when several agents entered his apartment.
Two pet cats test positive in New York state
The two cats are the first confirmed cases of the coronavirus in companion animals in the US, federal officials said on Wednesday. The cats, which had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighbourhood. The finding, which comes after positive tests in some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide.
