CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: updates

Death toll nears 320,000

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 318,517 people so far, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT yesterday. At least 4,816,040 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 1,755,700 are now considered recovered. The United States has the highest number of deaths with 90,369. Britain has recorded 34,796 deaths. It is followed by Italy with 32,007 deaths, France with 28,239 deaths and Spain with 27,709 fatalities.

India cases top 100,000

Coronavirus cases in India reached 100,000 yesterday, matching its number of intensive care beds, and the rate of increase of new infections showed little sign of slowing. India reported 4,970 new cases over the previous 24 hours, taking its total to 101,139. Deaths rose by 134 to 3,163. New cases in India have risen by an average of more than 4,000 a day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally based on official data, despite a severe weeks-long lockdown.

Trump taking malaria drug          

President Donald Trump on Monday made the surprise announcement that he is taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that his own government experts say is not suitable for fighting the novel coronavirus. Trump, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, said he'd been taking the drug as a preventative measure for about a week and a half.

Source: AFP, reuters