Daily COVID-19 pandemic roundup: April 25
Miami Desk, Apr 25 (EFE).- Here’s a roundup of stories around the world related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:
PERU: Peru, the Latin America government that took the most aggressive steps to contain the spread of the coronavirus, suffered its largest one-day increase in confirmed cases. The 3,683 new infections eclipsed the previous mark of 2,262, set on April 8, and brings the total number of cases to 25,331, while the death toll climber to 700, the Health Ministry said. The record growth followed a day when only 730 additional cases were detected, roughly half the median daily figure.
BRAZIL: The death toll from Covid-19 in Latin America’s largest nation increased by 346 to 4,016 in the last 24 hours and the number of cases grew 5,514 to 58,509, the Health Ministry said. The pace of contagion appeared to be accelerating just as the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was trying to contain the fallout from the firing of Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who accused the head of state of interfering with corruption investigations.
CUBA: Scientists at state pharmaceutical lab MedSol are trying to develop a Cuban domestic version of the anti-viral drug Kaletra for use in treating the coronavirus. A MedSol official told the state-run Cuban News Agency that preliminary testing of Kaletra – a combination of lopinavir and ritonavir – had yielded “satisfactory” results. Interferon Alfa 2B, which was developed in Cuba, was among the drugs used by China to treat Covid-19 patients.
WHO: The World Health Organization said there was no evidence to suggest that people who had suffered from Covid-19 developed antibodies that protect them from a second infection. The organization warned that the issuing of so-called immunity passports was not a good idea and could boost the spread of the virus.
UNITED KINGDOM: The UK reached the grim milestone of recording over 20,000 deaths after 813 people died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 20,319.
JAPAN: Nagasaki authorities confirmed 57 more crew members from an Italian flag Costa Atlantica cruiser moored in the area are infected with Covid-19, bringing the total number of people who have been infected aboard to 148.
SERBIA: The Balkan state has donated medical equipment to Italy which includes four million masks, one million gloves and 100,000 protective suits, President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters.
INDIA: The Government allowed from Saturday the opening of small neighborhood establishments, even if they do not sell essential products and under strict rules of security and social distancing, following a month of total confinement.
CHINA: China announced it was currently treating the fewest number of critical COVID-19 cases since the end of January, another sign that the country is successfully recovering from the pandemic. It did not record any new COVID-19 death for the 10th consecutive day, so the toll sits at 4,632, the National Health Commission reported Friday. EFE
