Health

Daily COVID-19 pandemic roundup: April 15

(Update 1: Adds the US, the UN, Russia, Latin America)

Miami Desk, Apr 15 (efe-epa).- Here’s a roundup of stories around the world related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:

US: Consumer confidence among Hispanics in the US fell drastically in the last quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by Florida Atlantic University, dropping 81.3 points from a level of 100.9 during the fourth quarter of 2019.

US: Millions of Americans began receiving their congressionally-approved economic stimulus payments on Wednesday via direct deposit into their bank accounts. The payments for most Americans amount to $1,200 per adult making less than $75,000 per year and $500 for each child younger than 17.

US: Singers Rihanna and Jay-Z, along with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have created an aid fund of some $6.3 million to alleviate the economic effects the coronavirus is causing among the most vulnerable people and in the US regions hardest hit by the pandemic.

US: The US economy has suffered a sharp contraction in all geographical regions as a result of the coronavirus, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

US: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that citizens of his state will be required to cover their mouth and nose in public with facemasks or cloths if they cannot maintain a six-foot distance from others, adding that so far 11,586 people have died in the state from Covid-19.

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Wednesday announced the postponement of the Second Conference on the Oceans, which was to be held June 2-6 in Lisbon. No date has yet been set for the conference, which is a key conclave for protecting marine ecosystems, but organizers Portugal and Kenya will determine the time and place of the rescheduled meeting.

RUSSIA: The Kremlin will postpone the May 9 military parade on Red Square to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany due to the worsening coronavirus crisis in Russia, a source close to the Russian government said.

BRAZIL: The industry economic confidence index in Brazil plunged due to the coronavirus crisis between March and April to 34.5 on a 0-100 scale, its lowest level in history, according to a survey released Wednesday.

BRAZIL: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil rose to 28,320 and the number of deaths to 1,736 on Wednesday amid tensions within the Jair Bolsonaro administration and rumors of the possible firing of Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, although such rumors were denied by the minister, at least for now.

COLOMBIA: Despite the nationwide quarantine, dozens of Colombians turned out to protest in northern Bogota on Wednesday to demand that the authorities provide them with food or allow them to work.

MEXICO: The public transport sector in Mexico could lose some $408 million due to the coronavirus crisis, according to a study by The World Resources Institute released on Wednesday. The stay-home order in Mexico has resulted in a 60 percent reduction in demand for public transport and a 40 percent loss in income for the sector during the three-and-a-half months of the emergency so far.

PERU: Peruvian health authorities reported Wednesday the first case of a newborn apparently infected with the coronavirus by its mother, adding that so far 11,475 confirmed virus cases have been detected nationwide, along with 254 deaths.

NICARAGUA: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega addressed the nation on television on Wednesday after not appearing in public for the past 34 days – an extraordinarily unusual absence – amid the coronavirus pandemic.

CHILE: The foreign and health ministers of Argentina and Chile agreed Wednesday in a videoconference to provide bilateral cooperation to one another against the coronavirus, after the controversy that arose between the two nations over their different strategies to deal with the pandemic.

UNITED KINGDOM: British authorities reported 761 coronavirus-related hospital deaths overnight, bringing the total to 12,868. More than 98,000 people have been infected since the outbreak began.

WHO: Coronavirus cases hit two million with 2,004,670 infections reported to date.

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