Coronavirus watch update, May 13

Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a subway train in Moscow, Russia, on May 12, 2020. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/Xinhua)

- Russia confirms 10,028 new cases

- COVID-19 could derail energy transition, World Economic Forum warns

- S.Korea's April job loss hits worst in 21 years

- Thailand records zero new case for first time since January

- New Zealand moves out of State of National Emergency

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

MOSCOW -- Russia has confirmed 10,028 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 242,271, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Wednesday.

Photo taken on May 6, 2020 shows a temporarily closed pizza restaurant in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

GENEVA -- The transformation of the global energy system could be derailed as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause economic and social damage, the World Economic Forum warned Wednesday in an annual energy transition report.

In its report titled "Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2020: from crisis to rebound," the forum said that the global energy transition from carbon fuels to climate-friendly energy sources has been moving at a slow but steady pace.

A job seeker wearing a mask walks past the employment information bulletin board in Ansan, South Korea, March 26, 2020. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

SEOUL -- South Korea's job loss hit the worst in over 21 years in April as companies led employees to go on an unpaid leave or be laid off amid the COVID-19 outbreak, statistical office data showed Wednesday.

The number of those employed totaled 26,562,000 in April, down 476,000 from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. It was the biggest reduction in more than 21 years since February 1999.

The Petronas Twin Towers are illuminated in blue to show the appreciation for the efforts of people who fight at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's economic growth eased sharply to 0.7 percent in the first quarter, dragged by the spreading of COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank said Wednesday.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank, said in a statement that services and manufacturing sectors moderated while other sectors contracted. External demand and investment also declined while private consumption growth moderated.

Thai dancers wearing face shields perform at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, May 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

BANGKOK -- Thailand on Wednesday saw zero new COVID-19 case, the first time since Jan. 13 when the first case was recorded in the country, Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said Wednesday.

"This piece of news has delighted all of us for our joint efforts in the past days. This makes us proud that unity has made this figure a reality, thanks to all of us," said Taweesin.

People walk on a beach in Wellington, New Zealand, April 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's State of National Emergency has been lifted and a National Transition Period is now in place as the country prepares to move to COVID-19 Alert Level 2, Civil Defense Minister Peeni Henare announced on Wednesday.

The State of National Emergency was issued on March 25 as the country entered COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, and the seven-day emergency state was extended six times. ■