Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:
Spain to propose €1.5tn EU fund to fight coronavirus
The Spanish government is to propose that the European Union create a €1.5tn (£1.3tn) fund to aid recovery in countries worst hit by the coronavirus crisis, according to Spain’s El País newspaper. Citing an internal document, the paper reported that Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, planned to make a formal proposal to his EU colleagues during a summit on Thursday.
Global deaths top 165,000
The global number of deaths has topped 165,000 with more than 2.4m confirmed cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, US deaths passed 40,000 on Sunday – nearly a quarter of the global total – with almost 760,000 infections, or just under a third of the world’s total. Spain has reported 399 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, lower than Sunday’s figure of 410 and confirming the downward trend. A total of 20,852 people have died of the disease in Spain.
Trump plays misleading clips of ‘support’ from NY governor at coronavirus briefing
Donald Trump was accused of using another White House coronavirus briefing to broadcast a “campaign ad”, in which the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, one of his most trenchant critics, appeared to shower him with praise. The US president dimmed the lights and played two selectively edited videos on screens behind the briefing room podium featuring Cuomo, whose state has been hardest hit by the deadly pandemic in the US.
Virgin boss says airline needs government help to survive
Sir Richard Branson has warned that the survival of his Virgin Atlantic airline depends on it receiving UK government support. It has been reported that the carrier is asking for up to £500m of public money. The Virgin Group boss wrote in a blog post: “Together with the team at Virgin Atlantic, we will do everything we can to keep the airline going – but we will need government support to achieve that in the face of the severe uncertainty surrounding travel today and not knowing how long the planes will be grounded for.”
Some countries begin to ease lockdown
Several countries began to ease their lockdown restrictions. Australians returned to the beach in Sydney but only for exercise. India allowed some industrial and agricultural firms to reopen, while Iran opened some shopping malls and intercity highways.
Tokyo Olympics might not happen in 2021
A Japanese specialist in infectious diseases has said he is “very pessimistic” about the likelihood of the Tokyo Olympics going ahead next year. Kentarō Iwata, a professor at Kobe University hospital, said: “I don’t think the Olympics are likely to be held next year. People will be coming from hundreds of nations ... and although Japan might have the disease under control by next summer, I don’t think that will be the case everywhere.”
New Zealand extends lockdown
New Zealand’s prime minister has extended the country’s level-four lockdown for a week, after which schools and daycare centres will be allowed to open, as well as some businesses. Speaking in Wellington, Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand was in with a fighting chance of eliminating the disease, and the number of deaths was low enough that she still received a phone call for each one. “We have done what very few countries have been able to do. We have stopped a wave of devastation,” Ardern said.
