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Summary
- The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 234,000. There are more than 3.2 million known cases of infection but more than 1 million people have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally
- In Australia, the death toll stands at 93 and there are 6767 confirmed cases
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison says more Australians need to download the COVIDSafe app if they want an early mark on easing restrictions
- India's lockdown has been extended by another fortnight
- The European Commission has backed Australia's push for an inquiry into COVID-19
Thousands of deaths leads to morgue chaos in Brazil
By Latika Bourke
A grim story from Brazil:
In Brazil's bustling Amazon city of Manaus, so many people have died within days in the coronavirus pandemic that coffins had to be stacked on top of each other in long, hastily dug trenches in a city cemetery. Some despairing relatives reluctantly chose cremation for loved ones to avoid burying them in those common graves.
Now, with Brazil emerging as Latin America's coronavirus epicentre with more than 5900 deaths, even the coffins are running out in Manaus. The national funeral home association has pleaded for an urgent airlift of coffins from Sao Paulo, 2700 kilometres away, because Manaus has no paved roads connecting it to the rest of the country.
Read more: Coffins stacked in trenches, morgue chaos as coronavirus surges in Brazil
Domestic violence reports up 30 per cent in New York
By Latika Bourke
New York's COVID-19 death rate has dropped to 289, the first time since the end of March that the daily toll has been below 300.
The state has been the epicentre of the US outbreak which has claimed more than 63,000 lives across the country.
But the coronavirus restrictions, which have helped authorities to regain control over the virus are taking a huge toll, with the city that never sleeps in lockdown since March 20.
Governor Andrew Cuomo revealed the number of domestic violence incidents being reported had increased by 15 per cent in March and 30 per cent in April.
"That is a frightening rate and level of increase," Cuomo said.
He confirmed the state's schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic year; the same announcement was made by Cuomo's Democratic rival mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this month.
But Cuomo said at the time that the mayor did not have the authority to issue such an edict.
France's infection rate spikes
By Latika Bourke
France's daily death toll continues to decline but the country's infection rate is rising.
The number of dead increased by 218 to 24,594 and the number of people in intensive care and hospital continued to fall. France has the fifth-highest death toll in the world after the United States, Italy, United Kingdom and Spain.
But the infection rate is on the rise which is cause of alarm if the trend continues.
Governments around the world are trying to find ways of lifting their lockdowns while keeping the infection rate, referred to as RO or R, below 1.
When R is 1, one person reinfects another, meaning the disease spreads too rapidly and risks overwhelming health services.
France's R was at 0.5 but has risen to 0.6 - 0.7.
Ireland lifting lockdown
By Latika Bourke
Ireland will begin lifting its lockdown restrictions from Tuesday.
Acting Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told "cocooning" over 70s that they could leave their homes to go for a walk or a drive from Tuesday.
He extended the travel limit for exercise to five kilometres from two kilometres.
Varadkar said the economy will reopen in five stages between May 18 and August 10, with each stage dependent on the number of COVID-19 infections remaining under control.
Ireland has recorded 1232 coronavirus deaths since recording its first fatality on March 12. It has confirmed nearly 21,000 cases of infection amongst its population of around 5 million.
UK conducts record 122,000 COVID-19 tests in one day
By Latika Bourke
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced the government has beaten its goal of carrying out 100,000 COVID-19 tests per day by the end of April.
Hancock said the UK carried out more than 122,000 tests on the final day of the month.
However, around 40,000 tests include tests mailed rather than processed. Neverthlesss, the figure represents a huge surge from the roughly 13,000 tests being carried out per day earlier this month.
Hancock announced the UK's death toll increased by 739 to 27,510 - the third-highest in the world.
Hancock said 18,000 contact tracers would be hired by mid-May to work in conjunction with a tracking app that is being developed.
The government said the app would be key to keeping the infection rate under control which would allow some resumption of regular life. The UK has been in lockdown since March 23.
WHO working with international agencies to identify virus' 'animal source'
By Latika Bourke
The head of the World Health Organisation says it will work to "identify the animal source" of the coronavirus with the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health and fellow UN-body, Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva, that WHO would work with the two bodies to "identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts."
WHO said this was best achieved through "scientific and collaborative field missions."
On Thursday, WHO's representative in China told Britain's Sky News that Chinese authorities had rebuffed WHO's repeated requests to take part in investigations.
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McDonald's UK to reopen for deliveries
By Latika Bourke
McDonald's says it is reopening some stores in the UK and Ireland from May 13th.
The fast-food giant said it would be opening with a limited menu and for delivery only, having closed its stores when the UK went into lockdown in March.
Big Macs are back on the menu for Britons after McDonald's announced it would reopen 15 stores for delivery.Credit:Pat Scala
Food outlets and restaurants capable of delivering meals are exempt from the lockdown but many chose to close.
However, in the last week, several major fast-food chains across Britain have announced plans to reopen, albeit in a limited capacity.
McDonald's said it would be installing perspex screens and introducing floor markings - the same kind seen in supermarkets around the world, including Woolworths and Coles.
Staff will wear non-medical grade face masks and have their temperature checked before every shift using contactless thermometers
Paul Pomrey, CEO of McDonald's in the UK and Ireland, said the reopenings were the result of successful "controlled tests" conducted this week.
EU backs inquiry into pandemic
By Latika Bourke
Support for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic is mounting, with the President of the European Commission backing a probe.
Australia is pushing for an inquiry to get to the bottom of how the virus originated and how it was allowed to spread outside China, where it began in Wuhan.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.Credit:AP
China rejects any investigation saying one would be political; the World Health Organisation says Chinese authorities are refusing repeated requests to examine Wuhan lab logs and for the WHO to take part in investigations.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, told CNBC that an investigation is essential.
"This is for all of us important," von der Leyen said. "I mean for the whole world it is important."
"You never know when the next virus is starting, so we all want for the next time, we have learned our lesson and we’ve established a system of early warning that really functions and the whole world has to contribute to that," she said.
India's lockdown extended for another fortnight
By Latika Bourke
India is extending its nationwide lockdown for another two weeks after May 4.
However, there will be "considerable relaxations" in low-risk zones under the government's plan to fight the coronavirus' spread.
A civic worker sprays disinfectant on a policeman standing guard after a protest by migrant workers against the extension of the lockdown, in a slum in Mumbai.Credit:AP
But these will not apply to India's major cities and economic hubs, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad which are all classed as infection hotspots.
India, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion, has reported more than 35,000 cases and 1147 deaths from COVID-19.
The official toll is far lower than in the United States and many European countries, although the true extent of infection may be higher in a country where millions of people do not have access to sufficient healthcare.
Special train services have been put on for migrants stranded across the country to get home.
with Reuters
AFL could resume late June
By Peter Ryan and Jake Niall
Good news for football fans.
The AFL believes it is on target for a late June return to play after receiving positive feedback from all relevant governments about their health and safety protocols.
Giants captain Stephen Coniglio leading his team off the field after their AFL round one win over Geelong in March, 2020.Credit:AAP
The 18 AFL clubs will be given a roadmap on how the competition might resume in an AFL briefing on Saturday, after the federal government signalled restrictions on sporting activity would be loosened when national cabinet meets next Friday.
Read more from reporters Peter Ryan and Jake Niall: AFL on track for late June return
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2020-05-01 19:38:00Z
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