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Summary
- The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 218,000. There are more than 3.1 million known cases of infection but more than 947,571 people have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally
- In Australia, the death toll stands at 90 and there are 6746 confirmed cases
- Three million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe app in just three days
- A German firm has begun human trials of a possible COVID-19 vaccine
- The UK registered the third-highest death toll in the world, after nursing home deaths were included in the count for the first time
'A drug can block this virus': Fauci says hope in drug trial
By Latika Bourke
Anthony Fauci, the US infectious diseases expert advising President Donald Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, says there is early hope a drug is able to treat coronavirus patients.
Fauci's National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases oversaw the trial.
He said the trial showed a 31 per cent improvement in patients using the US-developed drug remdesivir drug compared to patients who took a placebo.
The drug blocks an enzyme the coronavirus uses. Patients, already in hospital with the virus, were given a five-day or ten-day course of the drug.
"It's highly significant ... a drug can block this virus," Fauci said, in a briefing with Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence and fellow task force co-ordinator Deborah Birx, in the Oval Office.
Facui said the results were "highly significant" despite not being a "knockout 100 per cent."
"[This is] opening the door to the fact that we now have the capability of treating," Fauci said.
The trial will be peer-reviewed. Gilead, the US company that makes remdesivir, said in a statement: "Remdesivir is not yet licensed or approved anywhere globally and has not yet been demonstrated to be safe or effective for the treatment of COVID-19."
Read more: Gilead says experimental drug helps COVID-19 patients, raising hopes in pandemic fight
Boeing to slash 10 per cent of jobs
By Latika Bourke
Boeing says it plans to cut about 10 per cent of its entire workforce.
The aircraft maker said Wednesday that it would shed about 1 in 10 positions through a combination of buyouts, layoffs and the elimination of unfilled roles.
At the end of 2019, the company had about 161,000 positions. The news was announced in a letter to employees.
The cuts, which were widely expected, are aimed at helping Boeing staunch its financial freefall. They stem from both the coronavirus pandemic and the grounding of its 737 Max planes, which were blamed for two deadly crashes.
A worker looks underneath a Boeing 737 MAX jet.Credit:AP
Boeing posted its second consecutive quarterly loss after turning a profit for more than 40 straight quarters.
UK death toll rises to 26,097, third-highest in the world
By Latika Bourke
The UK's death toll from coronavirus has increased to 26,097 after deaths in care homes were added to the count for the first time.
Britain now has the world's third-highest death toll after 3811 deaths were added.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the new 24-hour toll reflected nursing home deaths over prior weeks, and not in the last day.
However, the daily death toll increased by 765, well above the 360 reported on Monday, which many hoped was the start of a significant decline.
This graph shows the UK on track to record the highest coronavirus death toll in Europe.Credit:Number 10 Downing St/COBR
The UK's toll could overtake Italy's, which is the second-highest in the world after the United States.
Health officials have said the UK is through the peak of the country's outbreak although not yet on a substantial decline.
The huge jump in the death toll dims hopes that the country's lockdown could be lifted anytime soon. The country's lockdown has already been extended to May 7 but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing increasing pressure to ease restrictions.
Significantly, Raab pointed to Chancellor Angela Merkel reimposing restrictions in Germany, after a spike in infections after an initial easing.
He said he was waiting for evidence from scientific advisors - due next week - on whether the country could start to reopen.
'Every day looks like the weekend': Spotify reports shift in usage
By Latika Bourke
The shift to working from home is showing up in our listening habits, according to streaming giant Spotify, which reported users starting their days as though every day is the weekend.
Spotify says it has suffered a decline in users streaming audio since lockdowns began.Credit:AP
Announcing its first-quarter results of the year, the company said it suffered a drop in users using its platform in countries with some of the strictest lockdowns, including Spain and Italy.
But it said usage was already rebounding in both markets.
"It’s clear from our data that morning routines have changed significantly," a statement to shareholders said.
"Every day now looks like the weekend."
Spotify said the biggest changes were around those listening to podcasts rather than music, demonstrating the disappearance of the commute for workers working from home.
But it said there was an uptick in people listening to meditation and wellness podcasts.
Spotify reported 286 million monthly active users, up 31 per cent, and 130 million paying subscribers, also up 31 per cent from last year.
German firm begins vaccine trials
By Latika Bourke
Pharmaceutical companies BioNTech and Pfizer have started human trials of a possible COVID-19 vaccine.
Germany's BioNTech said in a statement that 12 participants had been injected with the vaccine since April 23. The company is collaborating with US-based Pfizer on the trial.
Up to 200 healthy adults, aged between 18 and 55, will take part in the trial. Pfizer will trial the same vaccine in the United States when it obtains regulatory approval.
Researchers in Britain last week began human trials of a vaccine.
Russia approaching 100,000 cases
By Latika Bourke
Russia's coronavirus outbreak is worsening, with the country close to recording 100,000 infections.
A day after President Vladimir Putin warned the country had not reached the peak of its outbreak and extended Russia's lockdown until May 11, the total number of identified cases reached 99,399.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.Credit:AP
Russia is the world's eighth-most affected country in terms of known infections, although this data also reflects which countries are conducting mass testing.
Russia's death toll stands at 972 after 108 people with the virus died in the last 24 hours, according to Russia's coronavirus crisis response centre.
Temporary hospitals, capable of holding 10,000 beds, are being created in Moscow.
Doctors, mistrustful of the official death count, have launched their own online register and memorial for health workers who have died treating the disease. The toll of medics who have died from coronavirus stands at 74.
Russia's ban on foreigners entering the country has been extended indefinitely.
'Three million in three days': Praise for COVIDSafe uptake
By Latika Bourke
Three million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe App since its launch on Sunday evening, the federal government has said.
"Three million in three days is a great result, but there’s work to be done to protect our doctors and nurses, and help us get back to the life we love," Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Wednesday evening.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison thanked the three million Australians who had installed the tracking app but said "millions and millions" more needed to do the same.
"We still need many more people to do the same so encourage your family and friends to download the app too," the Prime Minister said.
"We all want the restrictions eased and to get back to doing the things we love as soon as we can and it’s safe to do so."
Morrison went to great pains to stress that they can't provide the demographics or locations of those who have installed the app, because only health authorities have access to the data.
Do you still have privacy concerns about installing the app? Make sure you don't miss this great piece from The Chaser's Dom Knight on how Australia might be saved by "nerd immunity."
Read more: I'm more worried about Mark Zuckerberg than this government and its tracing app
Global coronavirus cases pass 3.1 million
By Latika Bourke
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic for Thursday, April 30, 2020.
The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 218,000. There are more than 3.1 million known cases of infection but more than 947,571 people have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
In Australia, the death toll stands at 90 and there are 6746 confirmed cases.
On Wednesday:
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2020-04-29 17:25:00Z
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