Daily COVID-19 pandemic roundup: April 30
Miami Desk, Apr 30 (efe-epa).- Here’s a roundup of stories around the world related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:
WHO: The World Health Organization reported Thursday that almost 3.1 million people worldwide are confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 217,000 have died, although a number of nations are beginning to ease their pandemic restrictions. Among the nations with still-accelerating numbers of cases are Brazil, with 72,000 cases and Turkey, with 118,000.
US: President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports in reprisal for the spread of the coronavirus, which he claims is Beijing’s fault.
US: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning to order the closure of all the state’s beaches that were deluged with people last weekend to avoid wider spread of the coronavirus. He said at a press conference that the beaches in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, that were flooded with people several days ago will be “temporarily” closed.
US: A total of 30 percent of all Floridians have lost their jobs or had their work and contracts reduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey by the New Florida Majority organization conducted among more than 25,000 people, half of them Hispanic. The survey found that some 20 percent of Floridians are worried about their food security, as more than 3.8 million people in the US last week applied for unemployment, the total now being almost 30 million who have requested this form of government assistance.
US: New York City authorities announced Thursday that the city’s subway system, traditionally open 24/7 and 365 days a year, will begin closing at night so that the cars can be disinfected starting on May 6. The subway system will be closed from 1 am – 5 am, while buses, vans and ride-hailing services will be used to transport essential workers who must travel during that period.
BRAZIL: The Brazilian Health Ministry on Thursday reported that 435 people died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,901, while a total of 85,380 confirmed virus cases have been detected.
BRAZIL: Brazilian Judge Ana Lucia Petri, who oversees a Sao Paulo court, once again on Thursday urged President Jair Bolsonaro to make public the results of the tests he has undergone to determine if he has been infected with the coronavirus. Bolsonaro has stated that all such tests have come back negative.
PANAMA: Panama’s industrial sector on Thursday urged the government to start gradually reopening the construction and metallurgy sectors, among others, warning that the country must “learn to live” with the coronavirus.
PERU: Peru on Thursday surpassed 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 after registering 108 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, the worst daily death toll for the second consecutive day since the health emergency began here on March 6. The Health Ministry reported that 1,051 people have died and 36,976 confirmed virus cases have been detected so far.
PERU: About 250 workers in big mines in Peru, the world’s second largest producer of copper and for which mining is the main economic engine, have been infected with the coronavirus as the sector has continued functioning during the nationwide quarantine declared on March 16.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Dominican President Danilo Medina on Thursday extended the nationwide curfew for an additional 17 days, starting on May 1, as the country exceeded 300 Covid-19 deaths and reported 6,972 confirmed cases.
EL SALVADOR: El Salvador reported 18 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the lowest new-case tally in recent days, although 395 people are known to have been infected. So far, nine people are known to have died from Covid-19 complications.
CUBA: Cuba has released 6,579 prisoners from jail as of Thursday as a means to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the nation’s prisons. So far, about 1,500 confirmed virus cases have been detected on the island and 61 people have died.
EFE
