Health

Daily COVID-19 pandemic roundup: April 18

Miami Desk, Apr 18 (efe-epa).- Here’s a roundup of stories around the world related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:

MEXICO: Authorities in Mexico City are trying to find ways to ease crowding at metro stations amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said. The capital’s metro carries nearly 6 million travelers a day. “We are looking at ways that people can enter stations, not all at once, but in waves,” the mayor told a press conference.

BRAZIL: The silence at Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo was interrupted by the sound of earth-moving machinery as workers rushed to dig 1,200 new graves ahead of the expected peak of the pandemic in Brazil’s most populous city, where the disease has already claimed 643 lives. Crews labor from daybreak until 10.00 pm to expand the capacity of Latin America’s largest ceremony.

WHO: Confirmed coronavirus cases climbed by 90,000 – a new record – to bring the global total to 2.16 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Deaths also increased, but by a significantly smaller number than the previous day. Fatalities now stand at 146,088, according to the WHO, which said that Europe and the Americas (mainly the United States) together account for nearly 80 percent of infections and fatalities.

SWEDEN: The Swedish government may adopt some new restrictive measures as of Saturday thanks to a temporary emergency law but the Nordic country continues to have one of the more relaxed lockdowns in Europe. The new law, which is combined with a push for more tests, allows authorities to close train stations, bus stations, airports, shopping centers, restaurants and more.

RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin said he would not be attending Easter Mass due to the restrictions but in place to contain the spread of coronavirus as the country’s cases doubled in the space of a week to reach almost 37,000. At least 313 people have died from the virus.

NIGERIA: Abba Kyari, the chief of staff of Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, has died from COVID-19, official sources said.

PORTUGAL: Portuguese football could get back underway in June or July to play out the last 10 match days remaining, Prime Minister Antonio Costa told local press as authorities say the country traversed the peak in coronavirus cases at the end of March.

SOUTH KOREA: The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 18 new cases Saturday, the first time since Feb. 20 new infections have fallen below 20, bringing the total to 10,653 cases, while two more deaths brought the total to 232 and 108 more patients were discharged to total 7,937.

THAILAND: Health authorities reported 33 new cases and no new deaths to total 2,733 cases and 47 total deaths, with 1,787 discharged (up 98).

CHINA: China registered 27 new cases on Friday (17 “imported”) compared to 26 the previous day, to total 82,719 cases, and no new deaths, the National Health Commission reported Saturday. The death toll sits at 3,869 after authorities on Friday revised the count by 50 percent, up from 2,579, while 77,029 patients have been discharged. EFE

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