简体中文
The world is now in a battle against COVID-19, a disease caused by a previously unknown coronavirus that has spread to over 200 countries and regions.
The following are the updates on the contagious disease.
- - - -
GENEVA -- A total of 50,325 people had died of COVID-19 around the world as of 10:00 CET (0800 GMT) Friday, according to the situation dashboard by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The number of confirmed cases has surged to 972,640 globally as of Friday morning.
- - - -
LONDON -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 38,168 as of Friday morning, an increase of 4,450 in 24 hours, according to the lastest figure from the Department of Health and Social Care.
As of Thursday afternoon, of those hospitalised in Britain who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, 3,605 have died, marking a record daily rise of 684.
- - - -
TOKYO -- Japan's Health Ministry on Friday said that local governments will be advised to accommodate coronavirus patients with mild symptoms in hotels, as urban areas in particular are facing a shortage of healthcare facilities amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The request has been made owing to an escalation in cases in Tokyo as well as other urban areas, with the Tokyo metropolitan government along with healthcare specialists saying the number of hospital beds available for coronavirus patients will soon reach capacity.
- - - -
JAKARTA -- Over 35,000 migrant workers have arrived in Indonesia's province of Riau Islands from overseas, ready to continue their journey to home towns across the country, acting provincial governor Isdianto said Friday.
They returned due to concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak overseas. Warships have been sent to help transport them to their home towns, the official said in a statement.
- - - -
KABUL -- The World Bank has offered a grant of 100.4 million U.S. dollars to the Afghan government to support its efforts for containing the COVID-19 pandemic, World Bank Afghanistan announced on Friday.
The grant will help the Afghanistan COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project take effective action to respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and strengthen its public health preparedness, the agency said in a statement.
- - - -
WASHINGTON -- U.S. employers cut 701,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate soared to 4.4 percent, showing the first job decline in a decade, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
"The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and efforts to contain it," the bureau said.
