Covid-19 - World has 'a long way to go' in Covid-19 crisis

World has 'a long way to go' in Covid-19 crisis, warns WHO chief – as it happened

Trump to halt immigration for 60 days initially; 256m people could starve, says UN; cases worldwide pass 2.5 million.


Global deaths pass 175,000

At least 177,445 people have died in the coronavirus pandemic so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There are more than 2.5 million confirmed cases worldwide. The number of cases in the US – the country hardest hit by the virus – exceeds 788,000 and there have been more than 42,000 deaths there. The UK has more than 125,000 cases and more than 16,500 deaths.

Global recession could be prolonged

The prospect of a prolonged worldwide impact has hardened after a survey of thousands of business leaders warned of a drawn-out recession, with many companies likely to fold. Around 60% of chief executives surveyed are preparing for a U-shaped recovery – a long period between recession and an upturn. “We have not seen a crisis like this for over a hundred years, and some household names will not survive,” said Glenn Keys, executive chairman of Aspen Medical, a Singapore-based health services firm.

Trump lays out parts of US immigration ban

Donald Trump has announced a 60-day ban on immigrants seeking to live and work in America permanently, and said he could extend it depending on the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The US president framed the executive order, which he expects to sign on Wednesday, as an effort to protect American workers from foreign competition.

UN warns of ‘famines of biblical proportions’

David Beasley, chief of the UN’s food relief agency told the Guardian that urgent action must be taken to prevent widespread famines across more than 30 countries in the developing world, pushing at least 265 million people to the brink of starvation. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has “taken us to uncharted territory”. Now, my goodness, this is a perfect storm. We are looking at widespread famines of biblical proportions.”

US state sues China’s leaders over virus

The US state of Missouri sued China’s leadership over coronavirus, seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic. Eric Schmitt, the state’s Republican attorney general, said in a written statement that the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and did not do enough to slow its spread. It is unclear whether the lawsuit will have much, if any, impact.

CDC chief warns of ‘even more difficult’ second wave of cases

A leading US public health official warned on Tuesday that a new wave of coronavirus hitting the US next winter could be “even more difficult” for America to deal with than the current outbreak because it would coincide with the traditional flu season.

South African president unveils $26bn virus relief plan

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday announced a $26bn relief package – equivalent to 10% of the country’s GDP – to support the economy and the vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

Italy look at easing lockdown after first significant fall in infections

The country’s prime minister said the government would unveil plans for the gradual reopening from lockdown before the end of this week. Italy reported 534 new deaths on Tuesday, 80 more than on Monday, bringing the death toll to 24,648. But the number of people currently infected with the virus fell by 528 to 107,709, the first significant fall since the outbreak began.