Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 4 million worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

COVID-19 has now infected 4,101,482 people worldwide and 282,700 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,408,771 people of that tally have recovered.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-health-expert-warns-coronavirus-still-has-a-long-run-297841" hreflang="en">US health expert warns coronavirus still has a long run</a>

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-faces-increasing-global-backlash-over-coronavirus-outbreak-warns-internal-report-296619">Also read |&nbsp;China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus outbreak, warns internal report</a>

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

The United States recorded 776 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 79,522, according to the real-time tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The figure was the lowest daily tally since March, with 24-hour totals in recent weeks ranging from 1,000 to 2,500.

The country -- hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities -- has now confirmed a total of 1,329,072 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported.

There are at least 1,328,201 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 79,508 people have died in the US from the virus.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday said that there will be no immediate end to coronavirus lockdown in the country.&nbsp;

The United Kingdom and Russia are struggling to contain the spread of the virus as the number of cases rose to 2,19,183 (31,855 deaths) and 2,09,688 (1,915 deaths) respectively. However, few relaxations in the lockdown of the UK are expected soon.

After months of no new positive case, Wuhan, the alleged epicentre of the virus, has reported new positive cases, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 82,918 and 4,633 fatalities.

A total of 201 countries have been infected by the virus in the past 6 months.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 4 million worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 4,101,482 people worldwide and 282,700 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 4 million worldwide on Monday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 4,101,482 people worldwide and 282,700 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,408,771 people of that tally have recovered. Also read: US health expert warns coronavirus still has a long run A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Also read | China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus outbreak, warns internal report The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. The United States recorded 776 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 79,522, according to the real-time tally by Johns Hopkins University. The figure was the lowest daily tally since March, with 24-hour totals in recent weeks ranging from 1,000 to 2,500. The country -- hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities -- has now confirmed a total of 1,329,072 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported. There are at least 1,328,201 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 79,508 people have died in the US from the virus. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday said that there will be no immediate end to coronavirus lockdown in the country. The United Kingdom and Russia are struggling to contain the spread of the virus as the number of cases rose to 2,19,183 (31,855 deaths) and 2,09,688 (1,915 deaths) respectively. However, few relaxations in the lockdown of the UK are expected soon. After months of no new positive case, Wuhan, the alleged epicentre of the virus, has reported new positive cases, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 82,918 and 4,633 fatalities. A total of 201 countries have been infected by the virus in the past 6 months.

Global Covid-19 cases surge past 4 million mark, death toll at 282,700

United States Vice President Mike Pence is not planning to undergo self-quarantine after his aide tested positive for coronavirus, said his spokesperson, adding that Pence plans to be in at the White House on Monday.

Devin O'Malley, the vice president's spokesman, said Pence "will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine," CNN reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-faces-increasing-global-backlash-over-coronavirus-outbreak-warns-internal-report-296619">Also read |&nbsp;China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus outbreak, warns internal report</a>

"Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow," O'Malley said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/has-the-us-china-cold-war-now-begun-295905">Also read |&nbsp;Has the US-China cold war now begun?</a>

Another official said that Pence schedule will probably be on the lighter side for the next few days but he is not doing a full self-isolation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/trump-torn-over-us-china-trade-deal-as-officials-push-to-fulfill-its-terms-297563">Also read |&nbsp;Trump 'torn' over US-China trade deal as officials push to fulfill its terms</a>

This comes after Katie Miller, the vice president's press secretary, was notified Friday about the result of her coronavirus test, Washington Post reported. She is the second White House to be tested positive for lethal infection.

On Thursday, the White House acknowledged the positive test result for a member of the U.S. military who works on the White House campus and added that Trump and Pence had since tested negative.

There are at least 1,328,201 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 79,508 people have died in the US from the virus.

United States Vice President Mike Pence is not planning to undergo self-quarantine after his aide tested positive for coronavirus, said his spokesperson, adding that Pence plans to be in at the White House on Monday.

United States Vice President Mike Pence is not planning to undergo self-quarantine after his aide tested positive for coronavirus, said his spokesperson, adding that Pence plans to be in at the White House on Monday. Devin O'Malley, the vice president's spokesman, said Pence "will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine," CNN reported. Also read | China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus outbreak, warns internal report "Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow," O'Malley said in a statement. Also read | Has the US-China cold war now begun? Another official said that Pence schedule will probably be on the lighter side for the next few days but he is not doing a full self-isolation. Also read | Trump 'torn' over US-China trade deal as officials push to fulfill its terms This comes after Katie Miller, the vice president's press secretary, was notified Friday about the result of her coronavirus test, Washington Post reported. She is the second White House to be tested positive for lethal infection. On Thursday, the White House acknowledged the positive test result for a member of the U.S. military who works on the White House campus and added that Trump and Pence had since tested negative. There are at least 1,328,201 cases of coronavirus in the United States and at least 79,508 people have died in the US from the virus.

US Vice President Mike Pence 'won't self-quarantine' despite his staffer testing COVID-19 positive

Doubts have emerged over the future of COVID resolution at United National Security council as US last week "broke silence procedure" on it and it is unclear how France and Tunisia who are the "penholders" intend to go forward with the draft.

"It will take a bit more time. if the US had not broken silence probably another of the P5 would have. COVID Still under discussion", told a diplomatic source from New York to WION. 
 
“Breaking the silence” is standard diplomatic language and not just in UNSC to describe when a party or parties does not agree with the text or some parts of the text. If there is usually a deadline and when no-one breaks the silence before then, it means there is consensus.&nbsp;

UNSC member countries are hopeful that some solution will come out soon. Another source from New York told WION "Discussions on the COVID-19 resolution are ongoing".

Currently, a Franco-Tunisian resolution is on the table with both the countries being the penholder for the draft on COVID. 
 
The US-China tiff on the COVID resolution continues especially in the context of WHO and the emergence of COVID crisis which was first reported in China in December of 2019.&nbsp;

"The problem is with the language in the text mentioning WHO that the US don’t agree on", a 3rd source told WION.&nbsp;

The former President of the United Nations Security Council has said "differences over the role of the World Health Organization" has "stalled" any outcomes over COVID resolution at the core UN body. Speaking exclusively to WION last week, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations Ambassador José Singer Weisinger, "Security Council can’t remain silent" and "cannot remain inactive towards the response."&nbsp;

While the first case of COVID was first reported China's Wuhan in December, it was only during the Presidency of the Dominican Republic in the month of April that it was formally discussed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;President of UNSC decides the agenda of the body and it is president for a period of one month. All 15 countries rotationally become the president of UNSC each month, with Estonia being the President for the current month.

Doubts have emerged over the future of COVID resolution at United National Security council as US last week "broke silence procedure" on it and it is unclear how France and Tunisia who are the "penholders" intend to go forward with the draft.

Doubts have emerged over the future of COVID resolution at United National Security council as US last week "broke silence procedure" on it and it is unclear how France and Tunisia who are the "penholders" intend to go forward with the draft. "It will take a bit more time. if the US had not broken silence probably another of the P5 would have. COVID Still under discussion", told a diplomatic source from New York to WION. “Breaking the silence” is standard diplomatic language and not just in UNSC to describe when a party or parties does not agree with the text or some parts of the text. If there is usually a deadline and when no-one breaks the silence before then, it means there is consensus. UNSC member countries are hopeful that some solution will come out soon. Another source from New York told WION "Discussions on the COVID-19 resolution are ongoing". Currently, a Franco-Tunisian resolution is on the table with both the countries being the penholder for the draft on COVID. The US-China tiff on the COVID resolution continues especially in the context of WHO and the emergence of COVID crisis which was first reported in China in December of 2019. "The problem is with the language in the text mentioning WHO that the US don’t agree on", a 3rd source told WION. The former President of the United Nations Security Council has said "differences over the role of the World Health Organization" has "stalled" any outcomes over COVID resolution at the core UN body. Speaking exclusively to WION last week, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations Ambassador José Singer Weisinger, "Security Council can’t remain silent" and "cannot remain inactive towards the response." While the first case of COVID was first reported China's Wuhan in December, it was only during the Presidency of the Dominican Republic in the month of April that it was formally discussed. President of UNSC decides the agenda of the body and it is president for a period of one month. All 15 countries rotationally become the president of UNSC each month, with Estonia being the President for the current month.

United National Security Council covid resolution in limbo

The number of positive coronavirus cases globally has crossed the 4 million mark as the total cases reported are nearly 4,026,691.

As many as 276,894 people have lost their lives due to the deadly virus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-sent-coronavirus-tests-to-us-for-processing-297776">Also read:&nbsp;Britain sent coronavirus tests to US for processing</a>

United States is one of the worst-hit countries by coronavirus. The total positive cases in America rose to 1,320,413, including 78,644 deaths.

Germany saw a sudden rise in the positive cases which increased the total tally to 168,049 and the total deaths to&nbsp;7,327.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-sees-rapid-spike-in-coronavirus-patients-297693">Also read:&nbsp;Maldives sees rapid spike in coronavirus patients</a>

Italy and Spain are aiming to partially open the lockdown as the cases have slowed down, with Italy having total&nbsp;217,185 positive, including&nbsp;30,201 deaths, and Spain having&nbsp;240,711 positive cases, including 26,299 deaths.

United Kingdom and Russia are struggling to contain the spread of virus as the number of cases rose to 211,364 (31,241 deaths) and&nbsp;198,676 (1,827 deaths) respectively. However, few relaxations in the lockdown of the uK are expected soon.

After months of no new positive case, Wuhan, the alleged epicentre of the virus, has reported new positive cases, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to&nbsp;82,887 and&nbsp;4,633 fatalities.

A total of 201 countries have been infected by the virus in the past 6 months.

The number of positive coronavirus cases globally has crossed the 4 million mark as the total cases reported are nearly 4,026,691. As many as 276,894 people have lost their lives due to the deadly virus.

The number of positive coronavirus cases globally has crossed the 4 million mark as the total cases reported are nearly 4,026,691. As many as 276,894 people have lost their lives due to the deadly virus. Also read: Britain sent coronavirus tests to US for processing United States is one of the worst-hit countries by coronavirus. The total positive cases in America rose to 1,320,413, including 78,644 deaths. Germany saw a sudden rise in the positive cases which increased the total tally to 168,049 and the total deaths to 7,327. Also read: Maldives sees rapid spike in coronavirus patients Italy and Spain are aiming to partially open the lockdown as the cases have slowed down, with Italy having total 217,185 positive, including 30,201 deaths, and Spain having 240,711 positive cases, including 26,299 deaths. United Kingdom and Russia are struggling to contain the spread of virus as the number of cases rose to 211,364 (31,241 deaths) and 198,676 (1,827 deaths) respectively. However, few relaxations in the lockdown of the uK are expected soon. After months of no new positive case, Wuhan, the alleged epicentre of the virus, has reported new positive cases, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 82,887 and 4,633 fatalities. A total of 201 countries have been infected by the virus in the past 6 months.

Global COVID-19 tally crosses the 4 million mark

After his military aide tested positive for coronavirus, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would undergo the COVID-19 test every day.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-coronavirus-cases-surge-to-38-million-death-toll-at-269584-297351">Also read: Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.8 million, death toll at 269,584</a> 
 
A military aide of Trump, whom officials described as a personal vale, tested positive for coronavirus. The president said he had very little contact with him.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-the-covid-19-pandemic-deepens-virus-symptoms-multiply-297322">Also read: As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply</a>

"I have had very little contact, personal contact, with this gentleman. I know who he is. Good person. But I have had very little contact. (Vice President) Mike (Pence) has had very little contact with him. But Mike was tested and I was tested. We were both tested," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lambasts-us-for-coercing-countries-to-plant-covid-19-accusations-against-it-297110">Also Read: China&nbsp;lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations</a>&nbsp;

Responding to questions, Trump said he, the vice president and other staff of the White House would be tested for coronavirus every day.

"I just had a test. I had one yesterday and one today, and it is negative. Mike just had a test and it is negative," he said.

"But they do the tests and it just shows you that the fallacy -- it is what I have been saying -- testing is not a perfect art. No matter what you do, testing is not a perfect art. So we test once a week. Now we are going to go testing once a day. But even when you test once a day, somebody could -- something happens where they catch something," the president said.

After his military aide tested positive for coronavirus, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would undergo the COVID-19 test every day. Also read: Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.

After his military aide tested positive for coronavirus, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would undergo the COVID-19 test every day. Also read: Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.8 million, death toll at 269,584 A military aide of Trump, whom officials described as a personal vale, tested positive for coronavirus. The president said he had very little contact with him. Also read: As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply "I have had very little contact, personal contact, with this gentleman. I know who he is. Good person. But I have had very little contact. (Vice President) Mike (Pence) has had very little contact with him. But Mike was tested and I was tested. We were both tested," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. Also Read: China lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations Responding to questions, Trump said he, the vice president and other staff of the White House would be tested for coronavirus every day. "I just had a test. I had one yesterday and one today, and it is negative. Mike just had a test and it is negative," he said. "But they do the tests and it just shows you that the fallacy -- it is what I have been saying -- testing is not a perfect art. No matter what you do, testing is not a perfect art. So we test once a week. Now we are going to go testing once a day. But even when you test once a day, somebody could -- something happens where they catch something," the president said.

Trump to undergo covid-19 test every day as military aide tests positive for coronavirus

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.8 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-the-covid-19-pandemic-deepens-virus-symptoms-multiply-297322">Also read: As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply</a>

COVID-19 has now infected 3,846,861 people worldwide and 269,584 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around &nbsp;1,285,807 people of that tally have recovered.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lambasts-us-for-coercing-countries-to-plant-covid-19-accusations-against-it-297110">Also Read: China&nbsp;lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations</a>&nbsp;

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

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The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

As of Friday morning, 1,257,023 people have been infected with the coronavirus across the US, while the death toll has surged to 75,662, according to the Johns Hopkins University.&nbsp;

Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan.&nbsp;

The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January.

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.8 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply COVID-19 has now infected 3,846,861 people worldwide and 269,584 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.8 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply COVID-19 has now infected 3,846,861 people worldwide and 269,584 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,285,807 people of that tally have recovered. Also Read: China lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. As of Friday morning, 1,257,023 people have been infected with the coronavirus across the US, while the death toll has surged to 75,662, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan. The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples. (With inputs from agencies)

Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.8 million, death toll at 269,584

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-the-covid-19-pandemic-deepens-virus-symptoms-multiply-297322">As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply</a> 
 
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Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-the-covid-19-pandemic-deepens-virus-symptoms-multiply-297322">READ MORE</a>

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North Korea's Kim Jong Un has sent a "warm greetings" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a "verbal message", the state news agency of North Korea reported Friday, after weeks of speculation about his health. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-sends-verbal-message-to-xi-jinping-for-chinas-success-on-its-handling-of-covid-19-297320">READ MORE</a> 
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As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer.

As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer. READ MORE Kim Jong-un sends 'verbal message' to Xi Jinping for China's success on its handling of COVID-19 North Korea's Kim Jong Un has sent a "warm greetings" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a "verbal message", the state news agency of North Korea reported Friday, after weeks of speculation about his health. READ MORE

Morning News Brief: Coronavirus symptoms multiply, Russia reports record increase in cases and more

Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer.

What began as a familiar flu-like cluster of chills, headaches and fever has rapidly expanded over the last three months into a catalogue of syndromes affecting almost all the body's organs, from the brain to the kidneys. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lambasts-us-for-coercing-countries-to-plant-covid-19-accusations-against-it-297110">Also Read: China&nbsp;lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations</a>&nbsp;

The new coronavirus can also push the immune system into overdrive, unleashing an indiscriminate assault -- known as a cytokine storm -- on pathogens and their human hosts alike.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-china-censors-european-unions-friendship-letter-297279">Also Read:&nbsp;Now, China censors European Union's 'friendship letter'</a>

"Most viruses can cause disease in two ways," explained Jeremy Rossman, a senior lecturer in virology at the University of Kent.

"They can damage tissue where the virus replicates, or they can cause damage as a side-effect of the immune system fighting off the disease."

Doctors suspect, for example, that COVID-19 is behind the hospitalisation in recent weeks of several dozen children in New York, London and Paris diagnosed with a rare inflammatory disorder similar to toxic shock syndrome.

Affecting mainly young children, the painful disease attacks artery walls and can cause organ failure.

Dozens of medical studies in recent weeks have detailed other potentially lethal impacts including strokes and heart damage.

Researchers from the urology department of Nanjing Medical University, writing this week in Nature Reviews, described patients developing severe urinary complications and acute kidney injury.

They also observed "dramatic changes" in male sex hormones.

'1-in-10,000 still a lot'

"After recovery from COVID-19, young men who are interested in having children should receive a consultation regarding their fertility," they concluded.

Does that mean that COVID-19 causes a uniquely broad array of symptoms? Not necessarily, virologists and other experts say.

"If it is a common disease, then even rare complications will happen frequently," Babak Javid, a consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals said.

There are nearly 3.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, but the true number of infections -- taking into account undetected and asymptomatic infection — "is going to be in the tens, possibly hundreds of millions," he said.

"So if one-in-1,000, or even one-in-10,000, get complications, that is still thousands of people."

Some of the rarer symptoms associated with COVID-19 are also known to have been triggered by influenza, which kills several hundred thousand people worldwide every year, he noted.

For the new coronavirus, frontline general practitioners across the globe have been the first to look for patterns in the unfolding pandemic.

"At the outset, we were told to watch out for headaches, fever and a light cough," recalls Sylvie Monnoye, a family doctor in central Paris for nearly three decades.

"Then they added a runny nose and a scratchy throat. After that, digestive problems, including stomach aches and severe diarrhoea."

The list kept growing: skin lesions, neurological problems, sharp chest pains, loss of taste and smell.

A feeling of confusion

"We started to think that we should suspect everything," Monnoye said, dressed from head-to-toe in protective wear.

Some patients were so terrified, she added, that they cowered in the corner of her office afraid to touch anything or get too close to her.

An internal US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report with a breakdown of symptoms for 2,591 COVID-10 patients admitted to hospital between March 1 and May 1 chimes with such anecdotal accounts.

Three-quarters of the patients experienced chills, fever and/or coughing, with nearly as many showing shortness of breath.

These are, by far, the most common COVID-19 symptoms.

Nearly a third complained of flu-like muscle aches, while 28 per cent experienced diarrhoea and a quarter nausea or vomiting, according to the internal report, leaked to the media.

Some 18 per cent had headaches, while 10 to 15 per cent were hit by chest or abdominal pain, runny nose, sore throat and/or a feeling of confusion.

Less than one per cent of the CDC cohort had other symptoms, including seizures, rashes and conjunctivitis.

Health authorities have been slow in alerting the public to this panoply of possible impacts.

Loss of smell

Until the end of April, the CDC itself only listed three on its website: coughing, fever and shortness of breath. The update included only a few more: chills, muscle pain, headaches and loss of smell or taste. France's health officials made a similar update on May 5.

A loss of smell and taste was found in only 3.5 per cent of patients included in the CDC report, but experts suspect these symptoms are -- for reasons unknown -- far more prevalent in less severe cases where people were not hospitalised.

Monnoye said it was among the most common of the symptoms she encountered, and agreed that it was "probably linked to a milder form of the disease".

"I don't have any patients with these symptoms who had serious complications," she said.

The loss of taste and smell, experts note, is extremely rare with other types of virus.

Another cluster of symptoms rarely found within flu patients appears to arise from blood clots.

Heart problems, liver thrombosis, lung embolisms and brain damage in COVID-19 patients have been traced to such clots in a flurry of recent studies. Others have described kidney failure and even gummed-up dialysis machines.

"When one is very sick with COVID, you can have a problem with blood clots forming, and that seems to be much, much more common than with other viral infections," added Javid.

"Compared to influenza, you are much more likely to become seriously ill, and to die."

Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer. What began as a familiar flu-like cluster of chills, headaches and fever has rapidly expanded over the last three months into a catalogue of syndromes affecting almost all the body's organs, from the brain to the kidneys.

Every week, it seems, the list of coronavirus symptoms — ranging from disagreeable to the deadly — grows longer. What began as a familiar flu-like cluster of chills, headaches and fever has rapidly expanded over the last three months into a catalogue of syndromes affecting almost all the body's organs, from the brain to the kidneys. Also Read: China lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations The new coronavirus can also push the immune system into overdrive, unleashing an indiscriminate assault -- known as a cytokine storm -- on pathogens and their human hosts alike. Also Read: Now, China censors European Union's 'friendship letter' "Most viruses can cause disease in two ways," explained Jeremy Rossman, a senior lecturer in virology at the University of Kent. "They can damage tissue where the virus replicates, or they can cause damage as a side-effect of the immune system fighting off the disease." Doctors suspect, for example, that COVID-19 is behind the hospitalisation in recent weeks of several dozen children in New York, London and Paris diagnosed with a rare inflammatory disorder similar to toxic shock syndrome. Affecting mainly young children, the painful disease attacks artery walls and can cause organ failure. Dozens of medical studies in recent weeks have detailed other potentially lethal impacts including strokes and heart damage. Researchers from the urology department of Nanjing Medical University, writing this week in Nature Reviews, described patients developing severe urinary complications and acute kidney injury. They also observed "dramatic changes" in male sex hormones. '1-in-10,000 still a lot' "After recovery from COVID-19, young men who are interested in having children should receive a consultation regarding their fertility," they concluded. Does that mean that COVID-19 causes a uniquely broad array of symptoms? Not necessarily, virologists and other experts say. "If it is a common disease, then even rare complications will happen frequently," Babak Javid, a consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals said. There are nearly 3.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, but the true number of infections -- taking into account undetected and asymptomatic infection — "is going to be in the tens, possibly hundreds of millions," he said. "So if one-in-1,000, or even one-in-10,000, get complications, that is still thousands of people." Some of the rarer symptoms associated with COVID-19 are also known to have been triggered by influenza, which kills several hundred thousand people worldwide every year, he noted. For the new coronavirus, frontline general practitioners across the globe have been the first to look for patterns in the unfolding pandemic. "At the outset, we were told to watch out for headaches, fever and a light cough," recalls Sylvie Monnoye, a family doctor in central Paris for nearly three decades. "Then they added a runny nose and a scratchy throat. After that, digestive problems, including stomach aches and severe diarrhoea." The list kept growing: skin lesions, neurological problems, sharp chest pains, loss of taste and smell. A feeling of confusion "We started to think that we should suspect everything," Monnoye said, dressed from head-to-toe in protective wear. Some patients were so terrified, she added, that they cowered in the corner of her office afraid to touch anything or get too close to her. An internal US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report with a breakdown of symptoms for 2,591 COVID-10 patients admitted to hospital between March 1 and May 1 chimes with such anecdotal accounts. Three-quarters of the patients experienced chills, fever and/or coughing, with nearly as many showing shortness of breath. These are, by far, the most common COVID-19 symptoms. Nearly a third complained of flu-like muscle aches, while 28 per cent experienced diarrhoea and a quarter nausea or vomiting, according to the internal report, leaked to the media. Some 18 per cent had headaches, while 10 to 15 per cent were hit by chest or abdominal pain, runny nose, sore throat and/or a feeling of confusion. Less than one per cent of the CDC cohort had other symptoms, including seizures, rashes and conjunctivitis. Health authorities have been slow in alerting the public to this panoply of possible impacts. Loss of smell Until the end of April, the CDC itself only listed three on its website: coughing, fever and shortness of breath. The update included only a few more: chills, muscle pain, headaches and loss of smell or taste. France's health officials made a similar update on May 5. A loss of smell and taste was found in only 3.5 per cent of patients included in the CDC report, but experts suspect these symptoms are -- for reasons unknown -- far more prevalent in less severe cases where people were not hospitalised. Monnoye said it was among the most common of the symptoms she encountered, and agreed that it was "probably linked to a milder form of the disease". "I don't have any patients with these symptoms who had serious complications," she said. The loss of taste and smell, experts note, is extremely rare with other types of virus. Another cluster of symptoms rarely found within flu patients appears to arise from blood clots. Heart problems, liver thrombosis, lung embolisms and brain damage in COVID-19 patients have been traced to such clots in a flurry of recent studies. Others have described kidney failure and even gummed-up dialysis machines. "When one is very sick with COVID, you can have a problem with blood clots forming, and that seems to be much, much more common than with other viral infections," added Javid. "Compared to influenza, you are much more likely to become seriously ill, and to die."

As the COVID-19 pandemic deepens, virus symptoms multiply

Over the last couple of days, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing its highest ever spike in cases with the daily new case figures ranging between 500 and 771. &nbsp;A closer look at the government data also reveals that a little over 5 per cent (273/5409) of Tamil Nadu’s Corona Virus positive cases are children who are aged 12 and below. Nearly 60 children in this age category alone were infected over the last 48 hours. WION spoke to Doctors and Medical experts from the Government and Private sector to understand what these many numbers of Covid-19 cases among children mean.&nbsp;

Dr Subramanian Swaminathan&nbsp;

Infectious Diseases Specialist

This increase in cases among children is very much an expected trend and cases in children will grow in parallel with cases in adults. Initially, the testing was maximum in adults and now as more children are being tested we have more cases turning positive. We must also realize that social distancing doesn’t apply to children, especially in the below 12 age group. Even when we don’t have children stepping out of homes, there is a possibility of transmission from a parent who goes out for work. That is exactly why we have schools being held in abeyance for as long as possible. It is difficult to read patterns from the numbers in children, but certainly, there is no point in mass-testing among children, as children eventually recover and the high-risk category are the elderly and those with other ailments.

Dr K&nbsp;Kolandaisamy&nbsp;

Retired Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Our strategy is to delay the spread of the virus, we have been testing and isolating the positive cases and their contacts. It is only natural that children also get infected from their contacts at home, but there is nothing to worry about it. The real risk is for the elderly, cancer patients, those who have undergone organ transplants and those with other medical complications, lifestyle disorders. It is this high-risk portion of our population that needs the maximum protection. When healthy people get affected, they are asymptomatic (no or very fewer symptoms) and have the immunity to recover from it, and this applies to children and those who are maintaining good health, irrespective of age.&nbsp;

Right from the time of the swine flu outbreak, our health department has been following the strategy of posting staff who are between 25-50 years of age in the frontlines. Those who are above 50 and have existing health issues are posted on the desk, data entry jobs that minimize their exposure to risk. We always ensure the frontline staff are aged below 50, besides being non-smokers, non-diabetic and free of co-morbidities. If we save the vulnerable population, then there is no need to worry even when the numbers are rising.&nbsp;

Madhusudhan Reddy, Joint Commissioner (Health), Chennai Corporation&nbsp;

The purpose of the lockdown is to slow the spread of the virus and ensure that the government machinery, infrastructure has adequate time to respond to people’s needs and saves lives. While the lockdown cannot eradicate the virus, it can delay the transmission so that the medical facilities can cope up with the increasing cases. It is certain that an eternal lockdown is also not possible due to the social-economic harm that it can cause. The public must not worry about the spike in numbers, as it is a result of increased testing. For instance, Tamil Nadu had done a total of nearly 3000 tests as on April 1st, but as on date, the total tests have exceeded 2 lakh. Presently we are testing over 13,000 people on a daily basis and this includes entire families as well.

Initially, most of the cases we observed were the middle-aged males who had stepped outside for work, but with time it spread to the women in the house, the elderly and eventually also children. With more testing, gender balance and age balance will be achieved.

Dr K.E.Vivekanandan, Head of the Dept,&nbsp;

Professor of Pediatrics, Govt Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai&nbsp;

We have seen about 30 Pediatric Covid-19 cases in our hospital so far, but there has been no serious case. A good number of them have been discharged and some of them are under quarantine in the hospital post-recovery. We have seen positive cases in newborn babies as well, but even then, with mother’s milk alone and nil medication, we are able to treat them. If they are older than a year we prescribe certain medicines that aid in the recovery. A normal diet along with some vitamin syrups are what we prescribe for the little patients in our care.

All the pediatric cases we have seen in our hospital so far are asymptomatic and the infection was transmitted from their parents. Since the children themselves don’t go out, they get it from their parents and elders. So, when we have a Covid-19 positive child, naturally there would be a positive case in the same house, or perhaps they could have been living in a containment zone with many cases. We have seen a total healing rate in kids and there was no instance of high fever or cough or breathlessness. In the case of mid cold and flu, we provide the usual medication and syrups. If there are children living in containment zones who are exhibiting mild symptoms, it is better for parents to take them to the nearest health centre.

Even for a majority of adults in our hospital, we have seen that there are no symptoms at all. They would be totally normal but they test Covid-19 positive. The way ahead is to intensify testing even further in the risky areas, containment zones in the cities where cases are high.

Over the last couple of days, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing its highest ever spike in cases with the daily new case figures ranging between 500 and 771. A closer look at the government data also reveals that a little over 5 per cent (273/5409) of Tamil Nadu’s Corona Virus positive cases are children who are aged 12 and below.

Over the last couple of days, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing its highest ever spike in cases with the daily new case figures ranging between 500 and 771. A closer look at the government data also reveals that a little over 5 per cent (273/5409) of Tamil Nadu’s Corona Virus positive cases are children who are aged 12 and below. Nearly 60 children in this age category alone were infected over the last 48 hours. WION spoke to Doctors and Medical experts from the Government and Private sector to understand what these many numbers of Covid-19 cases among children mean. Dr Subramanian Swaminathan Infectious Diseases Specialist This increase in cases among children is very much an expected trend and cases in children will grow in parallel with cases in adults. Initially, the testing was maximum in adults and now as more children are being tested we have more cases turning positive. We must also realize that social distancing doesn’t apply to children, especially in the below 12 age group. Even when we don’t have children stepping out of homes, there is a possibility of transmission from a parent who goes out for work. That is exactly why we have schools being held in abeyance for as long as possible. It is difficult to read patterns from the numbers in children, but certainly, there is no point in mass-testing among children, as children eventually recover and the high-risk category are the elderly and those with other ailments. Dr K Kolandaisamy Retired Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Our strategy is to delay the spread of the virus, we have been testing and isolating the positive cases and their contacts. It is only natural that children also get infected from their contacts at home, but there is nothing to worry about it. The real risk is for the elderly, cancer patients, those who have undergone organ transplants and those with other medical complications, lifestyle disorders. It is this high-risk portion of our population that needs the maximum protection. When healthy people get affected, they are asymptomatic (no or very fewer symptoms) and have the immunity to recover from it, and this applies to children and those who are maintaining good health, irrespective of age. Right from the time of the swine flu outbreak, our health department has been following the strategy of posting staff who are between 25-50 years of age in the frontlines. Those who are above 50 and have existing health issues are posted on the desk, data entry jobs that minimize their exposure to risk. We always ensure the frontline staff are aged below 50, besides being non-smokers, non-diabetic and free of co-morbidities. If we save the vulnerable population, then there is no need to worry even when the numbers are rising. Madhusudhan Reddy, Joint Commissioner (Health), Chennai Corporation The purpose of the lockdown is to slow the spread of the virus and ensure that the government machinery, infrastructure has adequate time to respond to people’s needs and saves lives. While the lockdown cannot eradicate the virus, it can delay the transmission so that the medical facilities can cope up with the increasing cases. It is certain that an eternal lockdown is also not possible due to the social-economic harm that it can cause. The public must not worry about the spike in numbers, as it is a result of increased testing. For instance, Tamil Nadu had done a total of nearly 3000 tests as on April 1st, but as on date, the total tests have exceeded 2 lakh. Presently we are testing over 13,000 people on a daily basis and this includes entire families as well. Initially, most of the cases we observed were the middle-aged males who had stepped outside for work, but with time it spread to the women in the house, the elderly and eventually also children. With more testing, gender balance and age balance will be achieved. Dr K.E.Vivekanandan, Head of the Dept, Professor of Pediatrics, Govt Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai We have seen about 30 Pediatric Covid-19 cases in our hospital so far, but there has been no serious case. A good number of them have been discharged and some of them are under quarantine in the hospital post-recovery. We have seen positive cases in newborn babies as well, but even then, with mother’s milk alone and nil medication, we are able to treat them. If they are older than a year we prescribe certain medicines that aid in the recovery. A normal diet along with some vitamin syrups are what we prescribe for the little patients in our care. All the pediatric cases we have seen in our hospital so far are asymptomatic and the infection was transmitted from their parents. Since the children themselves don’t go out, they get it from their parents and elders. So, when we have a Covid-19 positive child, naturally there would be a positive case in the same house, or perhaps they could have been living in a containment zone with many cases. We have seen a total healing rate in kids and there was no instance of high fever or cough or breathlessness. In the case of mid cold and flu, we provide the usual medication and syrups. If there are children living in containment zones who are exhibiting mild symptoms, it is better for parents to take them to the nearest health centre. Even for a majority of adults in our hospital, we have seen that there are no symptoms at all. They would be totally normal but they test Covid-19 positive. The way ahead is to intensify testing even further in the risky areas, containment zones in the cities where cases are high.

Over 5% of Tamil Nadu’s Covid-19 cases are children; health experts say no reason to worry 

More than a third of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Afghan capital have been among doctors and other healthcare staff, two senior health officials said on Thursday, in a sign that the war-torn country is struggling to deal with the pandemic.

The officials cited a lack of protective equipment for medics as well as a lack of awareness among some medical staff of the precautions needed to avoid infection.&nbsp;

The high rate of infection among healthcare workers has sparked alarm among medics and some doctors have closed their clinics.&nbsp;

However, it is not clear whether the disproportionate rate of infection might be at least in part because medical staff are more likely to be tested for the illness. Few people with the classic COVID-19 symptoms of high fever and respiratory problems are being tested in Afghanistan, because of a shortage of testing kits.

The total of 925 confirmed cases in Kabul has included some 346 medical staff, a government health official and an Afghan doctor who is on the board of a government-led pandemic task force said.

As of Thursday, 3,563 people have tested positive and 106 people have died from COVID-19 in Afghanistan, according to official figures.

The two officials, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly, said at least 13 doctors had died in different parts of the country last month and in the first week of May.&nbsp;

At least nine of those doctors had been attached to public, private or military hospitals in Kabul, two other health officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The government has said it is providing the best available facilities to deal with the health crisis, which it calls a big challenge.

The rate in Kabul compares with a global rate of infection for medical staff issued on Wednesday by the International Council of Nurses, which said 6% of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 were among healthcare workers, based on data from 30 countries.&nbsp;

Some doctors have closed their clinics, putting a strain on limited health resources in Afghanistan.

"I have decided to suspend my practice for two months, many doctors will not open their clinics and private nursing homes... pregnant women are being told to find midwives instead of coming to hospitals," said a cardiologist in Kabul.&nbsp;

With a population of more than 37 million, Afghanistan has roughly 172 hospitals, and four doctors per 10,000 people, according to a 2019 government report. The healthcare system is dependent on millions of dollars in foreign donor aid for support.

At least six doctors who Reuters spoke with say the government has not made accurate data about COVID-19 cases public, and many hospitals are teetering on the verge of collapse.

"The situation is so bad that it`s best for doctors to sit at home," said a Western doctor who has been working in Kabul for six years.

The health ministry said it is collecting data on confirmed cases but in some cases infections are not reported to the ministry. There are parts of the country that are under the control of the militant Taliban group where it is hard for the government to access data.

The government also says that while it is doing its best to protect people, a large part of the response to the pandemic is dependent on foreign aid. 
Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz has tested positive for the illness, the minister said on Thursday.

More than a third of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Afghan capital have been among doctors and other healthcare staff, two senior health officials said on Thursday, in a sign that the war-torn country is struggling to deal with the pandemic.

More than a third of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Afghan capital have been among doctors and other healthcare staff, two senior health officials said on Thursday, in a sign that the war-torn country is struggling to deal with the pandemic. The officials cited a lack of protective equipment for medics as well as a lack of awareness among some medical staff of the precautions needed to avoid infection. The high rate of infection among healthcare workers has sparked alarm among medics and some doctors have closed their clinics. However, it is not clear whether the disproportionate rate of infection might be at least in part because medical staff are more likely to be tested for the illness. Few people with the classic COVID-19 symptoms of high fever and respiratory problems are being tested in Afghanistan, because of a shortage of testing kits. The total of 925 confirmed cases in Kabul has included some 346 medical staff, a government health official and an Afghan doctor who is on the board of a government-led pandemic task force said. As of Thursday, 3,563 people have tested positive and 106 people have died from COVID-19 in Afghanistan, according to official figures. The two officials, who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly, said at least 13 doctors had died in different parts of the country last month and in the first week of May. At least nine of those doctors had been attached to public, private or military hospitals in Kabul, two other health officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The government has said it is providing the best available facilities to deal with the health crisis, which it calls a big challenge. The rate in Kabul compares with a global rate of infection for medical staff issued on Wednesday by the International Council of Nurses, which said 6% of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 were among healthcare workers, based on data from 30 countries. Some doctors have closed their clinics, putting a strain on limited health resources in Afghanistan. "I have decided to suspend my practice for two months, many doctors will not open their clinics and private nursing homes... pregnant women are being told to find midwives instead of coming to hospitals," said a cardiologist in Kabul. With a population of more than 37 million, Afghanistan has roughly 172 hospitals, and four doctors per 10,000 people, according to a 2019 government report. The healthcare system is dependent on millions of dollars in foreign donor aid for support. At least six doctors who Reuters spoke with say the government has not made accurate data about COVID-19 cases public, and many hospitals are teetering on the verge of collapse. "The situation is so bad that it`s best for doctors to sit at home," said a Western doctor who has been working in Kabul for six years. The health ministry said it is collecting data on confirmed cases but in some cases infections are not reported to the ministry. There are parts of the country that are under the control of the militant Taliban group where it is hard for the government to access data. The government also says that while it is doing its best to protect people, a large part of the response to the pandemic is dependent on foreign aid. Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz has tested positive for the illness, the minister said on Thursday.

Large number of COVID-19 cases among Afghan medics spark alarm in Kabul

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.7 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-analysis-dispels-theory-that-said-covid-19-was-in-circulation-long-before-dec-19-296906">Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19</a>

COVID-19 has now infected &nbsp;3,753,219 people worldwide and 263,843 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,245,560 people of that tally have recovered.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-worse-than-pearl-harbor-911-for-us-says-trump-297102" hreflang="en">Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump</a>

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

So far, more than 73,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, and Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predicted the US toll could top 100,000 by the end of May.

Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan.&nbsp;

The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January.

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.7 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19 COVID-19 has now infected 3,753,219 people worldwide and 263,843 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.7 million worldwide on Thursday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19 COVID-19 has now infected 3,753,219 people worldwide and 263,843 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,245,560 people of that tally have recovered. Also read: Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. So far, more than 73,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, and Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predicted the US toll could top 100,000 by the end of May. Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan. The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples. (With inputs from agencies)

Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.7 million, death toll at 263,843

China reported a surge in exports and a plunge in imports after restrictions imposed on movement to contain the novel coronavirus.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-worse-than-pearl-harbor-911-for-us-says-trump-297102" hreflang="en">Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump</a>

Exports rose 3.5 per cent whereas imports fell 14.2 per cent in the same period according to data. It was expected that exports would tank 15.7 per cent and imports would fall 11.2 per cent in April from a year earlier.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-keep-coronavirus-task-force-indefinitely-says-trump-amid-rising-us-death-toll-297041" hreflang="en">Will keep coronavirus task force indefinitely, says Trump amid rising US death toll</a>

Chinese exports and imports fell 6.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively in March from the previous year.

China’s medical export rose in April as it shilled goods to various parts of the world, according to Chinese economists.

According to them, the export data was strong in April. The trade surplus of the country for the month of April stood at $45.34 billion compared to the predicted data of $6.35 billion.

China’s trade surplus stood at $19.9 billion in March. With the fall in the number of cases, China is reopening its economy and people are getting back to work.

But the situation is worrisome in the rest of the world as more than 3.74 million people are infected so far according to data. Several economies have stopped their activities due to lockdown, hitting the demand and supply in the market.

Even though China is curbing the virus spread, demand seems to be a major concern for the country, according to economists.

Though there has been some rise in the demand, the low-income group have been the worst hit by the lockdown restrictions on movement.

Services expenditure will be lower compared to last year as people would be reluctant to go to malls, to dine or to move along with family.

China reported a surge in exports and a plunge in imports after restrictions imposed on movement to contain the novel coronavirus. Also read: Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump Exports rose 3.

China reported a surge in exports and a plunge in imports after restrictions imposed on movement to contain the novel coronavirus. Also read: Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump Exports rose 3.5 per cent whereas imports fell 14.2 per cent in the same period according to data. It was expected that exports would tank 15.7 per cent and imports would fall 11.2 per cent in April from a year earlier. Also read: Will keep coronavirus task force indefinitely, says Trump amid rising US death toll Chinese exports and imports fell 6.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively in March from the previous year. China’s medical export rose in April as it shilled goods to various parts of the world, according to Chinese economists. According to them, the export data was strong in April. The trade surplus of the country for the month of April stood at $45.34 billion compared to the predicted data of $6.35 billion. China’s trade surplus stood at $19.9 billion in March. With the fall in the number of cases, China is reopening its economy and people are getting back to work. But the situation is worrisome in the rest of the world as more than 3.74 million people are infected so far according to data. Several economies have stopped their activities due to lockdown, hitting the demand and supply in the market. Even though China is curbing the virus spread, demand seems to be a major concern for the country, according to economists. Though there has been some rise in the demand, the low-income group have been the worst hit by the lockdown restrictions on movement. Services expenditure will be lower compared to last year as people would be reluctant to go to malls, to dine or to move along with family.

China’s export rose and imports plunged amid lockdown restrictions to curb the coronavirus

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-worse-than-pearl-harbor-911-for-us-says-trump-297102">Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/04/30/138688-trump-reuters.jpg?itok=YZZiy1Tk" />Renewing his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-worse-than-pearl-harbor-911-for-us-says-trump-297102">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-one-out-of-five-children-in-us-left-hungry-since-virus-crisis-study-297103">Nearly one out of five children in US left hungry since virus crisis: Study</a> 
 
<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/04/30/138687-usa-corona-reuters.jpg?itok=7_Lr0eXU" />

Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research out Wednesday highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-one-out-of-five-children-in-us-left-hungry-since-virus-crisis-study-297103">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lambasts-us-for-coercing-countries-to-plant-covid-19-accusations-against-it-297110">China lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations against it</a> 
 
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The United States is pressuring its allies and trying to coerce other countries to help it plant accusations against China on issues concerning COVID-19 responsibility, said a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lambasts-us-for-coercing-countries-to-plant-covid-19-accusations-against-it-297110">READ MORE</a> 
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Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump Renewing his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Coronavirus 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11 for US, says Trump Renewing his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11. READ MORE Nearly one out of five children in US left hungry since virus crisis: Study Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research out Wednesday highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis. READ MORE China lambasts US for coercing countries to plant COVID-19 accusations against it The United States is pressuring its allies and trying to coerce other countries to help it plant accusations against China on issues concerning COVID-19 responsibility, said a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. READ MORE

Morning News Brief: China lambasts US, Covid-19 'worse' than 9/11 and more

The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic researches the world's most dangerous diseases. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-says-enormous-evidence-virus-came-from-wuhan-lab-296446">Also read: US Secretary of State Pompeo says 'enormous evidence' virus came from Wuhan lab</a> 
 
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the lab in Wuhan — the city where the disease was first detected late last year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-lashes-out-at-pompeo-calls-his-coronavirus-origin-theory-insane-296778">Also read: China lashes out at Pompeo, calls his coronavirus origin theory 'insane'</a> 
 
But the World Health Organization said Washington had offered no evidence to support the "speculative" claims, and scientists believe the coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, possibly at a Wuhan market selling wild animals.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/intel-shared-among-us-allies-contradicts-trumps-claims-says-coronavirus-outbreak-more-likely-came-from-market-296696" hreflang="en">Intel shared among US allies contradicts Trump's claims, says coronavirus outbreak more likely came from market</a>

The top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci has echoed the WHO's statement, telling National Geographic that all evidence so far "strongly indicates" a natural origin.

China has strongly denied the allegations, but speculation and conspiracy theories have persisted.

Here are some key questions about the Wuhan Institute of Virology:

What do its researchers do?

Work by the lab's scientists helped to shed light on the COVID-19 pathogen in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan.

In February, they published work concluding that the new virus shared a 79.6 per cent sequence identity to the SARS coronavirus and that it was 96 per cent identical at the whole-genome level to a coronavirus found in bats.

The lab's researchers had already conducted extensive investigations on the links between bats and disease outbreaks in China and had highlighted the need to prepare for viruses potentially spreading out of their natural reservoirs into human communities.

Scientists think COVID-19 originated in bats and could have been transmitted to people via another mammal like a pangolin, but there is no definitive answer so far.

What does it handle?

The Wuhan institute houses the largest virus bank in Asia which preserves more than 1,500 strains.

The complex contains Asia's first maximum-security lab equipped to handle Class 4 pathogens (P4) such as Ebola.

The 300-million-yuan ($42 million) P4 lab opened in 2018. A P3 lab has been in operation since 2012.

While the US intelligence community said it had concluded the coronavirus was not human-made, it added that it would continue to investigate if the outbreak started from contact with infected animals or from "an accident" at the Wuhan lab.

Could there be a leak?

US diplomatic cables seen by The Washington Post earlier said that officials were concerned about inadequate safety standards related to researchers' handling of SARS-like bat coronaviruses in the high-security lab.

The institute has said it received samples of the then-unknown virus on December 30, determined the viral genome sequence on January 2 and submitted information on the pathogen to the WHO on January 11.

Shi Zhengli, one of China's leading experts on bat coronaviruses and deputy director of the Wuhan P4 lab, said she would "bet her life that (the new coronavirus) had nothing to do with the lab", according to Chinese state media.

And in an interview with Scientific American, Shi said the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence did not match any of the bat coronaviruses her laboratory had previously collected and studied.

What do scientists know about the virus?

Researchers have noted that while there is no proof for the lab accident theory, there is also no clear evidence that the virus came from the Wuhan market.

A study by a group of Chinese scientists published in The Lancet in January found that the first COVID-19 patient had no connection to the market, and neither did 13 of the first 41 confirmed cases.

Professor Leo Poon of The University of Hong Kong said the scientific community's consensus was that the virus is not human-made.

"We need to look at the origin of this virus. It is important because, from a public health point of view, we want to know how it happened, and (if we can) learn from this," he said.

David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, added: "We have a hypothesis that it came from a live animal market, and I haven't seen anybody provide evidence that shows to the contrary."

The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic researches the world's most dangerous diseases. Also read: US Secretary of State Pompeo says 'enormous evidence' virus came from Wuhan lab US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the lab in Wuhan — the city where the disease was first detected late last year.

The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic researches the world's most dangerous diseases. Also read: US Secretary of State Pompeo says 'enormous evidence' virus came from Wuhan lab US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the lab in Wuhan — the city where the disease was first detected late last year. Also read: China lashes out at Pompeo, calls his coronavirus origin theory 'insane' But the World Health Organization said Washington had offered no evidence to support the "speculative" claims, and scientists believe the coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, possibly at a Wuhan market selling wild animals. Also read: Intel shared among US allies contradicts Trump's claims, says coronavirus outbreak more likely came from market The top US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci has echoed the WHO's statement, telling National Geographic that all evidence so far "strongly indicates" a natural origin. China has strongly denied the allegations, but speculation and conspiracy theories have persisted. Here are some key questions about the Wuhan Institute of Virology: What do its researchers do? Work by the lab's scientists helped to shed light on the COVID-19 pathogen in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan. In February, they published work concluding that the new virus shared a 79.6 per cent sequence identity to the SARS coronavirus and that it was 96 per cent identical at the whole-genome level to a coronavirus found in bats. The lab's researchers had already conducted extensive investigations on the links between bats and disease outbreaks in China and had highlighted the need to prepare for viruses potentially spreading out of their natural reservoirs into human communities. Scientists think COVID-19 originated in bats and could have been transmitted to people via another mammal like a pangolin, but there is no definitive answer so far. What does it handle? The Wuhan institute houses the largest virus bank in Asia which preserves more than 1,500 strains. The complex contains Asia's first maximum-security lab equipped to handle Class 4 pathogens (P4) such as Ebola. The 300-million-yuan ($42 million) P4 lab opened in 2018. A P3 lab has been in operation since 2012. While the US intelligence community said it had concluded the coronavirus was not human-made, it added that it would continue to investigate if the outbreak started from contact with infected animals or from "an accident" at the Wuhan lab. Could there be a leak? US diplomatic cables seen by The Washington Post earlier said that officials were concerned about inadequate safety standards related to researchers' handling of SARS-like bat coronaviruses in the high-security lab. The institute has said it received samples of the then-unknown virus on December 30, determined the viral genome sequence on January 2 and submitted information on the pathogen to the WHO on January 11. Shi Zhengli, one of China's leading experts on bat coronaviruses and deputy director of the Wuhan P4 lab, said she would "bet her life that (the new coronavirus) had nothing to do with the lab", according to Chinese state media. And in an interview with Scientific American, Shi said the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence did not match any of the bat coronaviruses her laboratory had previously collected and studied. What do scientists know about the virus? Researchers have noted that while there is no proof for the lab accident theory, there is also no clear evidence that the virus came from the Wuhan market. A study by a group of Chinese scientists published in The Lancet in January found that the first COVID-19 patient had no connection to the market, and neither did 13 of the first 41 confirmed cases. Professor Leo Poon of The University of Hong Kong said the scientific community's consensus was that the virus is not human-made. "We need to look at the origin of this virus. It is important because, from a public health point of view, we want to know how it happened, and (if we can) learn from this," he said. David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, added: "We have a hypothesis that it came from a live animal market, and I haven't seen anybody provide evidence that shows to the contrary."

China's Wuhan laboratory at the heart of the Washington-Beijing virus spat

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-accuses-beijing-of-aggressive-behaviour-in-south-china-sea-296896">US accuses Beijing of aggressive behaviour in South China Sea</a> 
 
<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/05/06/139411-south-china-sea-reuters.jpg?itok=EcgVyXm1" />

The novel coronavirus that broke out in China's Wuhan in December, 2019 has infected more that 3.5 million in the world, and killed 2,50,000. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-accuses-beijing-of-aggressive-behaviour-in-south-china-sea-296896">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-makes-significant-breakthrough-in-developing-antibodies-for-covid-19-296897">Israel makes 'significant breakthrough' in developing antibodies for COVID-19</a> 
 
<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/03/29/134781-untitled-design-10.jpg?itok=VPq0koyE" />

The researchers have wrapped up the development phase and moved to patent and mass produce the potential treatment. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-makes-significant-breakthrough-in-developing-antibodies-for-covid-19-296897">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/women-hail-victory-as-sudan-moves-to-ban-genital-cutting-296915">Women hail victory as Sudan moves to ban genital cutting</a> 
 
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The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a "rite of passage" for girls and a way to preserve their chastity. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/women-hail-victory-as-sudan-moves-to-ban-genital-cutting-296915">READ MORE</a> 
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US accuses Beijing of aggressive behaviour in South China Sea The novel coronavirus that broke out in China's Wuhan in December, 2019 has infected more that 3.5 million in the world, and killed 2,50,000.

US accuses Beijing of aggressive behaviour in South China Sea The novel coronavirus that broke out in China's Wuhan in December, 2019 has infected more that 3.5 million in the world, and killed 2,50,000. READ MORE Israel makes 'significant breakthrough' in developing antibodies for COVID-19 The researchers have wrapped up the development phase and moved to patent and mass produce the potential treatment. READ MORE Women hail victory as Sudan moves to ban genital cutting The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a "rite of passage" for girls and a way to preserve their chastity. READ MORE

Morning News Brief: Israel develops key Covid antibody, Sudan bans female genital mutilation and more

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-analysis-dispels-theory-that-said-covid-19-was-in-circulation-long-before-dec-19-296906">Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19</a>

COVID-19 has now infected 3,665,912 people worldwide and 257,337&nbsp;people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,202,595 people of that tally have recovered.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-covid-19-timeline-shifts-weeks-earlier-in-wake-of-new-evidence-296722">Also read | France COVID-19 timeline shifts weeks earlier in wake of new evidence</a>

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

The UnitedStates is the worst-hit country, with more than 70,000 deaths, ahead of Britain where fatalities topped 32,000.

The US-registered 2,333 more deaths over the 24 hours to Tuesday evening, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, more than twice as many as the day before.

Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan.&nbsp;

The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January.

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19 COVID-19 has now infected 3,665,912 people worldwide and 257,337 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read | New analysis dispels theory that said COVID-19 was in circulation long before Dec '19 COVID-19 has now infected 3,665,912 people worldwide and 257,337 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,202,595 people of that tally have recovered. Also read | France COVID-19 timeline shifts weeks earlier in wake of new evidence A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. The UnitedStates is the worst-hit country, with more than 70,000 deaths, ahead of Britain where fatalities topped 32,000. The US-registered 2,333 more deaths over the 24 hours to Tuesday evening, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, more than twice as many as the day before. Some scientific models suggest the figure will rise to 3,000 a day by June. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to investigate any early suspicious cases of the coronavirus before December 2019 when the first human cases were officially identified in China's Wuhan. The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on December 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that other earlier cases could emerge after retesting samples. (With inputs from agencies)

Global coronavirus cases surge to 3.6 million, death toll at  257,337

The government on Wednesday said no data or security breach has been identified in Aarogya Setu after an ethical hacker raised concerns about a potential security issue in the app.

The app is the government's mobile application for contact tracing and disseminating medical advisories to users to contain the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, a French hacker and cybersecurity expert Elliot Alderson had claimed that "a security issue has been found" in the app and that "privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake".

Dismissing the claims, the government said "no personal information of any user has been proven to be at risk by this ethical hacker".

"We are continuously testing and upgrading our systems. Team Aarogya Setu assures everyone that no data or security breach has been identified," the government said through the app's Twitter handle.

The tweet gave point-by-point clarification on the red flags raised by the hacker. 
&nbsp; 
"We discussed with the hacker and were made aware of the following... The app fetches user location on a few occasions," it said but added that this was by design and is detailed in the privacy policy. 
&nbsp; 
The app fetches users' location and stores on the server in a secure, encrypted, anonymised manner - at the time of registration, at the time of self-assessment, when users submit their contact tracing data voluntary through the app or when it fetches the contact tracing data of users after they have turned COVID-19 positive, it said. 
&nbsp; 
On another issue that users can get COVID-19 stats displayed on the home screen by changing the radius and latitude-longitude using a script, Aarogya Setu said that all this information is already public for all locations and hence does not compromise on any personal or sensitive data.

"We thank the ethical hacker on engaging with us. We encourage any users who identify vulnerability to inform us immediately...," it said.&nbsp;

Responding to Aarogya Setu's clarification, Alderson tweeted, "I will come back to you tomorrow".

The government on Wednesday said no data or security breach has been identified in Aarogya Setu after an ethical hacker raised concerns about a potential security issue in the app.

The government on Wednesday said no data or security breach has been identified in Aarogya Setu after an ethical hacker raised concerns about a potential security issue in the app. The app is the government's mobile application for contact tracing and disseminating medical advisories to users to contain the spread of COVID-19. On Tuesday, a French hacker and cybersecurity expert Elliot Alderson had claimed that "a security issue has been found" in the app and that "privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake". Dismissing the claims, the government said "no personal information of any user has been proven to be at risk by this ethical hacker". "We are continuously testing and upgrading our systems. Team Aarogya Setu assures everyone that no data or security breach has been identified," the government said through the app's Twitter handle. The tweet gave point-by-point clarification on the red flags raised by the hacker. "We discussed with the hacker and were made aware of the following... The app fetches user location on a few occasions," it said but added that this was by design and is detailed in the privacy policy. The app fetches users' location and stores on the server in a secure, encrypted, anonymised manner - at the time of registration, at the time of self-assessment, when users submit their contact tracing data voluntary through the app or when it fetches the contact tracing data of users after they have turned COVID-19 positive, it said. On another issue that users can get COVID-19 stats displayed on the home screen by changing the radius and latitude-longitude using a script, Aarogya Setu said that all this information is already public for all locations and hence does not compromise on any personal or sensitive data. "We thank the ethical hacker on engaging with us. We encourage any users who identify vulnerability to inform us immediately...," it said. Responding to Aarogya Setu's clarification, Alderson tweeted, "I will come back to you tomorrow".

No security breach in Aarogya Setu app, the government assures after ethical hacker raises privacy concerns

The US Treasury Department on Monday said it plans to borrow nearly $3 trillion in the second quarter of 2020 - a record for any quarter - as the federal government contends with the impact of the coronavirus.

In a statement, Treasury said it would borrow $2.999 trillion during the April-June quarter, $3.055 trillion more than its previous estimate, assuming an end-June cash balance of $800 billion.

“It is larger than what we would typically do in a year,” a senior Treasury official said. The Treasury’s net borrowing last fiscal year, for example, was $1.28 trillion.

In February, Treasury said it expected to pay down $56 billion in net marketable debt in the April-June period.

Treasury said it expects to borrow $677 billion during the July-September quarter, assuming an end-September cash balance of $800 billion.

It borrowed $477 billion through credit markets in the January-March quarter, ending the period with $515 billion in cash.

Additional details of Treasury’s quarterly refunding will be announced at 08:30 a.m (1230 GMT) on Wednesday. In February, Treasury said it would announce details of a planned new 20-year bond in May.

The US Treasury Department on Monday said it plans to borrow nearly $3 trillion in the second quarter of 2020 - a record for any quarter - as the federal government contends with the impact of the coronavirus.

The US Treasury Department on Monday said it plans to borrow nearly $3 trillion in the second quarter of 2020 - a record for any quarter - as the federal government contends with the impact of the coronavirus. In a statement, Treasury said it would borrow $2.999 trillion during the April-June quarter, $3.055 trillion more than its previous estimate, assuming an end-June cash balance of $800 billion. “It is larger than what we would typically do in a year,” a senior Treasury official said. The Treasury’s net borrowing last fiscal year, for example, was $1.28 trillion. In February, Treasury said it expected to pay down $56 billion in net marketable debt in the April-June period. Treasury said it expects to borrow $677 billion during the July-September quarter, assuming an end-September cash balance of $800 billion. It borrowed $477 billion through credit markets in the January-March quarter, ending the period with $515 billion in cash. Additional details of Treasury’s quarterly refunding will be announced at 08:30 a.m (1230 GMT) on Wednesday. In February, Treasury said it would announce details of a planned new 20-year bond in May.

US treasury expects to borrow a record $3 trillion in the second quarter

A group of Democratic Senators on Monday said there has been a surge in hate crime against Asian-Americans amid coronavirus pandemic and urged the Trump administration to take concrete steps to arrest the spike.

In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Eric S Dreiband, the 16 Senators, including Kamala Harris, requested the Trump Administration to address this discrimination like it had been done in the past.

The Senators said hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) during the pandemic and the inadequate federal response to address these racist and xenophobic attacks is a sharp break from the efforts of past administrations, Republican and Democratic alike.

There are more than 20 million Americans of Asian descent and two million AAPI individuals are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, as health care workers, law enforcement agents, first responders, and other essential service providers, they said.

"It is critical that the Civil Rights Division ensure that the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans are protected during this pandemic," the Senators said.

In the last month alone, Asian American organizations received nearly 1,500 incidents of anti-Asian harassment and discrimination against AAPI individuals across the country, they said.

This comes after the FBI assessed in March that hate crime incidents against Asian Americans were likely to surge across the country, endangering AAPI communities, the Democratic Senators said.

They said on March 14 this year, a man stabbed two Asian American children -- aged 2 and 6 -- and their father at a Sam''s Club in Texas because "he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus."

Despite warnings that using offensive and stigmatizing language to refer to COVID-19 could stoke anti-Asian bias, President Trump and his administration's officials have referred to the coronavirus as the "Chinese Virus," "Wuhan Virus," and at least one White House official even called it the "Kung Flu," the lawmakers rued.

"Such harmful rhetoric contradicts guidance by public health experts," they said.

The World Health Organization's guidance in naming infectious diseases warns against using names that stigmatize certain communities, the Senators said.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also recognizes the "stigma and discrimination that can occur when people associate a disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality," they said.

A group of Democratic Senators on Monday said there has been a surge in hate crime against Asian-Americans amid coronavirus pandemic and urged the Trump administration to take concrete steps to arrest the spike.

A group of Democratic Senators on Monday said there has been a surge in hate crime against Asian-Americans amid coronavirus pandemic and urged the Trump administration to take concrete steps to arrest the spike. In a letter to Assistant Attorney General Eric S Dreiband, the 16 Senators, including Kamala Harris, requested the Trump Administration to address this discrimination like it had been done in the past. The Senators said hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) during the pandemic and the inadequate federal response to address these racist and xenophobic attacks is a sharp break from the efforts of past administrations, Republican and Democratic alike. There are more than 20 million Americans of Asian descent and two million AAPI individuals are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, as health care workers, law enforcement agents, first responders, and other essential service providers, they said. "It is critical that the Civil Rights Division ensure that the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans are protected during this pandemic," the Senators said. In the last month alone, Asian American organizations received nearly 1,500 incidents of anti-Asian harassment and discrimination against AAPI individuals across the country, they said. This comes after the FBI assessed in March that hate crime incidents against Asian Americans were likely to surge across the country, endangering AAPI communities, the Democratic Senators said. They said on March 14 this year, a man stabbed two Asian American children -- aged 2 and 6 -- and their father at a Sam''s Club in Texas because "he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus." Despite warnings that using offensive and stigmatizing language to refer to COVID-19 could stoke anti-Asian bias, President Trump and his administration's officials have referred to the coronavirus as the "Chinese Virus," "Wuhan Virus," and at least one White House official even called it the "Kung Flu," the lawmakers rued. "Such harmful rhetoric contradicts guidance by public health experts," they said. The World Health Organization's guidance in naming infectious diseases warns against using names that stigmatize certain communities, the Senators said. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also recognizes the "stigma and discrimination that can occur when people associate a disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality," they said.

Rise in hate crime against Asian-Americans amid pandemic: US senators

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-250000-die-of-coronavirus-worldwide-confirmed-recoveries-near-12-lakh-296685">More than 250,000 die of coronavirus worldwide; confirmed recoveries near 12 lakh</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/04/30/138850-untitled-design-5.jpg?itok=hilHTCb-" /> 
Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. READ MORE 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-faces-increasing-global-backlash-over-coronavirus-warns-internal-report-296619">China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus: Warns internal report</a>

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Global anti-China sentiment is currently at its highest -- ever since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, an internal report has warned.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-faces-increasing-global-backlash-over-coronavirus-warns-internal-report-296619"> READ MORE</a>

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-nominates-indian-americans-as-us-representative-to-ibrd-federal-court-judge-296684">Trump nominates Indian-Americans as US representative to IBRD, federal court judge</a> 
 
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United States President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-Americans for key positions in his administration. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-nominates-indian-americans-as-us-representative-to-ibrd-federal-court-judge-296684">READ MORE</a> 
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More than 250,000 die of coronavirus worldwide; confirmed recoveries near 12 lakh Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

More than 250,000 die of coronavirus worldwide; confirmed recoveries near 12 lakh Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. READ MORE China faces increasing global backlash over coronavirus: Warns internal report Global anti-China sentiment is currently at its highest -- ever since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, an internal report has warned. READ MORE Trump nominates Indian-Americans as US representative to IBRD, federal court judge United States President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-Americans for key positions in his administration. READ MORE

Morning News Brief: Over 250,000 die of coronavirus, China faces global backlash and more

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-impact-president-xi-jinpings-belt-and-road-initiative-set-to-be-derailed-296657">COVID-19 impact: President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative set to be derailed</a> 
 
COVID-19 has now infected 3,642,068 people worldwide and 252,024 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Around 1,193,990 people of that tally have recovered.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/political-leaders-defy-their-own-by-breaking-self-made-coronavirus-protocols-296661" hreflang="en">Political leaders defy their own by breaking 'self-made' coronavirus protocols!</a>

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-has-questions-to-answer-over-coronavirus-outbreak-says-uk-296580">Also Read:&nbsp;China has questions to answer over coronavirus outbreak, says UK</a>

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to the United States.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression.

Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years.

Meanwhile, The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support "speculative" claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. "We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus, so from our perspective, this remains speculative," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 impact: President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative set to be derailed COVID-19 has now infected 3,642,068 people worldwide and 252,024 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.6 million worldwide on Tuesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 impact: President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative set to be derailed COVID-19 has now infected 3,642,068 people worldwide and 252,024 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 1,193,990 people of that tally have recovered. Also read: Political leaders defy their own by breaking 'self-made' coronavirus protocols! A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Also Read: China has questions to answer over coronavirus outbreak, says UK The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to the United States. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression. Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years. Meanwhile, The World Health Organization said Monday that Washington had provided no evidence to support "speculative" claims by the US president that the new coronavirus originated in a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. "We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus, so from our perspective, this remains speculative," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing.

More than 250,000 die of coronavirus worldwide; confirmed recoveries near 12 lakh

Continuing to reaching out countries with medicines, India has cleared 2.50 metric ton of Hydroxychloroquine to Mexico. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Mexico City, Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra talked about the recent conversation between foreign ministers of both the countries, how the mission is reaching out to the stranded Indians. No case of COVID has been reported in the Indian community in Mexico &amp; about 265 Indians have registered for repatriation.&nbsp;

WION: EAM Spoke to Mexican FM, how are we reaching out to the country at the time of covid crisis? any cooperation underway? 
 
Manpreet Vohra: EAM and Foreign Minister Ebrard exchanged notes on the Covid-19 situation and the various strategies being followed. They agreed that India and Mexico will share experiences of best public health practices. Post-Covid economic recovery was also a focus of their conversation.

WION: Have we talked about some covid containment model with them or have they shown interest on ours? 
 
Manpreet Vohra: EAM informed FM that, in response to Mexico’s request, Government of India had cleared the commercial export of 2.50 MT of Hydroxychloroquine API to Mexico.

WION: How many Indians stranded in Mexico and how are we reaching out to them? 
 
Manpreet Vohra: About 265 Indians stranded in Mexico have registered with us and await the opportunity to return home soon. The Embassy is in regular touch with them and has provided dedicated 24x7 emergency contact service. Wherever required, help with visa extensions, accommodation arrangements etc is being provided by us. I have personally held a Facebook Live interaction with them to assuage their concerns. Fortunately, all of them are in good health and fair spirits. There has not been a single case of infection reported so far among any of the 6500-strong Indian community in Mexico. Am proud and happy that they are taking all precautions and observing social distancing and other guidelines of the Mexican Government.

WION: How has been the situation on the ground, how are our diplomats doing, is it tough? 
 
Manpreet Vohra: Mexico is witnessing an increasing number of confirmed cases and the healthcare system is facing considerable challenges. In recent weeks, the Mexican Government has tried hard to increase hospital capacities and critical supplies. My colleagues in the Embassy and their family members are safe and well so far. &nbsp;All of us are taking the necessary precautions. We are mostly working from home but making full use of technology and ensuring that no aspect of our work suffers. Lockdown can be difficult for anyone, and this is an unprecedented crisis, but we are all determined to face the challenge and eventually prevail over it.

Continuing to reaching out countries with medicines, India has cleared 2.50 metric ton of Hydroxychloroquine to Mexico. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Mexico City, Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra talked about the recent conversation between foreign ministers of both the countries, how the mission is reaching out to the stranded Indians.

Continuing to reaching out countries with medicines, India has cleared 2.50 metric ton of Hydroxychloroquine to Mexico. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Mexico City, Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra talked about the recent conversation between foreign ministers of both the countries, how the mission is reaching out to the stranded Indians. No case of COVID has been reported in the Indian community in Mexico & about 265 Indians have registered for repatriation. WION: EAM Spoke to Mexican FM, how are we reaching out to the country at the time of covid crisis? any cooperation underway? Manpreet Vohra: EAM and Foreign Minister Ebrard exchanged notes on the Covid-19 situation and the various strategies being followed. They agreed that India and Mexico will share experiences of best public health practices. Post-Covid economic recovery was also a focus of their conversation. WION: Have we talked about some covid containment model with them or have they shown interest on ours? Manpreet Vohra: EAM informed FM that, in response to Mexico’s request, Government of India had cleared the commercial export of 2.50 MT of Hydroxychloroquine API to Mexico. WION: How many Indians stranded in Mexico and how are we reaching out to them? Manpreet Vohra: About 265 Indians stranded in Mexico have registered with us and await the opportunity to return home soon. The Embassy is in regular touch with them and has provided dedicated 24x7 emergency contact service. Wherever required, help with visa extensions, accommodation arrangements etc is being provided by us. I have personally held a Facebook Live interaction with them to assuage their concerns. Fortunately, all of them are in good health and fair spirits. There has not been a single case of infection reported so far among any of the 6500-strong Indian community in Mexico. Am proud and happy that they are taking all precautions and observing social distancing and other guidelines of the Mexican Government. WION: How has been the situation on the ground, how are our diplomats doing, is it tough? Manpreet Vohra: Mexico is witnessing an increasing number of confirmed cases and the healthcare system is facing considerable challenges. In recent weeks, the Mexican Government has tried hard to increase hospital capacities and critical supplies. My colleagues in the Embassy and their family members are safe and well so far. All of us are taking the necessary precautions. We are mostly working from home but making full use of technology and ensuring that no aspect of our work suffers. Lockdown can be difficult for anyone, and this is an unprecedented crisis, but we are all determined to face the challenge and eventually prevail over it.

India clears commercial export of 2.50 MT of Hydroxychloroquine  to Mexico: Manpreet Vohra

More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.

The total income of the travel industry was valued at $4.97 billion between May 1 to May 3, as per the Ministry.

On Sunday alone, local tourists made 30.94 million outings across the nation, bringing the total travel industry income to $1.78 billion, as indicated by the officials.

Most of the travellers hail from China's greatest populace areas, with enormous numbers making trips from Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan, the city where the principal instances of Covid-19 were accounted for.

The domestic Air travel industry is also showing first signs of recovery, according to press statements from travel analytics companies.

It was estimated that the number of domestic trips in China would increase to about 2.38 billion trips by 2020, indicating an increase of over 50 per cent compared to the number of trips made within China ten years ago.&nbsp;

Tourism has become an important contributor to the domestic economy in China since the beginning of reform and opening in the early eighties.&nbsp;

The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this travel boom.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.

More than 85 million Chinese travellers flocked to airports and railway stations over the weekend after the country’s government relaxed lockdown restrictions for its annual May Day holiday which started May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday. The total income of the travel industry was valued at $4.97 billion between May 1 to May 3, as per the Ministry. On Sunday alone, local tourists made 30.94 million outings across the nation, bringing the total travel industry income to $1.78 billion, as indicated by the officials. Most of the travellers hail from China's greatest populace areas, with enormous numbers making trips from Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan, the city where the principal instances of Covid-19 were accounted for. The domestic Air travel industry is also showing first signs of recovery, according to press statements from travel analytics companies. It was estimated that the number of domestic trips in China would increase to about 2.38 billion trips by 2020, indicating an increase of over 50 per cent compared to the number of trips made within China ten years ago. Tourism has become an important contributor to the domestic economy in China since the beginning of reform and opening in the early eighties. The emergence of an affluent middle class and an easing of movement restrictions for locals and foreign visitors are both supporting this travel boom. (With inputs from agencies)

China sees 85 million domestic tourist trips in three days as government lifts travel restrictions 

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today.

Govt also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspots), Green and Orange Zones.&nbsp;

The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxation in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones. Green Zone will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date, or no confirmed cases in the last 21 days.

Here is list of activities prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zone

1) All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for medical/security purposes or as permitted by MHA.

2) All passenger movement by trains, except for security purposes or for purposes as permitted by MHA.

3) All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.

4) All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic cultural or religious functions/other gatherings.

5) Inter-state buses for public transport, or as permitted by the MHA. 
6) Inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons, or as permitted by MHA.

7) All schools, colleges, education /training/-coaching institutions etc.

8) Hospitality services other than those used for housing, health/police/government officials/healthcare workers, stranded persons including tourists, and those used for quarantine facilities.

9) All religious places/places of worship for public.

Measures for well being and safety of persons

1) To be identified in red and orange zones.

2) No movement of persons allowed other than medical emergencies and supply of essential goods and services.

3) Aarogya Setu App compulsory for all residents of containment zones.

4) Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am.

5) Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below ten years to stay at home, except for essential requirements and health purposes.

6) OPDs and medical clinics permitted outside containment zones with social distancing norms and other precautions.

In the Red Zones, e-commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement with the remaining persons working from home.

In the Orange Zones, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 2 passengers only. The Centre has also allowed inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers the statement said.

In the Green Zones, the Centre has allowed all activities except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However, buses can operate with upto 50 per cent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50 per cent capacity. 
 
(WIth inputs from ANI)

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today.

The government has issued a new set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or restricted in Red, Orange and Green Zones after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks starting from today. Govt also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in this period based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into Red (hotspots), Green and Orange Zones. The guidelines have permitted considerable relaxation in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones. Green Zone will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date, or no confirmed cases in the last 21 days. Here is list of activities prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the zone 1) All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for medical/security purposes or as permitted by MHA. 2) All passenger movement by trains, except for security purposes or for purposes as permitted by MHA. 3) All cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places. 4) All social/political/sports/entertainment/academic cultural or religious functions/other gatherings. 5) Inter-state buses for public transport, or as permitted by the MHA. 6) Inter-state movement of individuals except for medical reasons, or as permitted by MHA. 7) All schools, colleges, education /training/-coaching institutions etc. 8) Hospitality services other than those used for housing, health/police/government officials/healthcare workers, stranded persons including tourists, and those used for quarantine facilities. 9) All religious places/places of worship for public. Measures for well being and safety of persons 1) To be identified in red and orange zones. 2) No movement of persons allowed other than medical emergencies and supply of essential goods and services. 3) Aarogya Setu App compulsory for all residents of containment zones. 4) Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities strictly prohibited between 7 pm and 7 am. 5) Persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below ten years to stay at home, except for essential requirements and health purposes. 6) OPDs and medical clinics permitted outside containment zones with social distancing norms and other precautions. In the Red Zones, e-commerce activities are permitted only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate up to 33 per cent strength as per requirement with the remaining persons working from home. In the Orange Zones, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 2 passengers only. The Centre has also allowed inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers the statement said. In the Green Zones, the Centre has allowed all activities except the limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. However, buses can operate with upto 50 per cent seating capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50 per cent capacity. (WIth inputs from ANI)

Lockdown 3.0 till May 17: What is prohibited and what will be allowed

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue.

The state government concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

He said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow suit.

He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund.

"Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that ''No tickets to be sold at any station''. Railways has subsidised 85% &amp; state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted.

The BJP leader further clarified that for each ''Shramik Express'', special trains being run for migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to the state government concerned.

State governments are supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he said.

Seeking to corner the central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a statement announced the party's decision and said this would be the Congress' humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers.

In a tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards.

Mr Swamy, in a tweet, said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement."

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue.

The BJP said on Monday the railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state government has to pay the remaining 15 per cent, soon after the Congress attacked the central government over the issue. The state government concerned can also pay for the tickets, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. He said the Madhya Pradesh government is doing so and asked Rahul Gandhi to tell the Congress-ruled states to follow suit. He was responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the railways for charging poor migrant labourers ticket fare, even as it donated over Rs 151 crore to the PM-CARES Fund. "Rahul Gandhi ji, I have attached guidelines of MHA which clearly states that ''No tickets to be sold at any station''. Railways has subsidised 85% & state govt to pay 15%. The state govt can pay for the tickets (Madhya Pradesh's BJP govt is paying). Ask Cong state govts to follow suit," Patra tweeted. The BJP leader further clarified that for each ''Shramik Express'', special trains being run for migrants, about 1,200 tickets to the destination are handed by the railways to the state government concerned. State governments are supposed to clear the ticket price and hand over the tickets to workers, he said. Seeking to corner the central government, the Congress on Monday said its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a statement announced the party's decision and said this would be the Congress' humble contribution in standing shoulder to shoulder with these workers. In a tweet, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that migrant workers returning home will not have to pay money as the rail travel will be free from now onwards. Mr Swamy, in a tweet, said, "Talked to Piyush Goel office. Govt will pay 85% and the State Govt 15%. Migrant labour will go free. The Ministry will clarify with an official statement."

Railways has subsidised 85% fare of special trains for migrants: BJP

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world. He also talked about how the mission is reaching out to Indians stranded in the country, many of the tourist and short term visitors.

WION: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country?

Pranay Verma: COVID pandemic has impacted lives and travel all over the world. Our Embassy and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City have actively been reaching out to Indian nationals who are held up in Vietnam in the wake of travel restrictions. Most people who are stranded in Vietnam are tourists and business travellers or short term visitors who could not return to India before the travel restrictions came up. We have extensively used social media tools to inform all our Indian nationals in Vietnam including community members who live in Vietnam as well as those who are visiting Vietnam and are held up about our 24*7 emergency coordinates. We have launched an online drive to register Indian Nationals in Vietnam. We are encouraging them to contact us for any assistance from Visa extension, any logistics or subsistence needs that are required to make their extended stay in Vietnam manageable. At the same time, the Indian community in Vietnam and the community organisation like the Indian business chamber have been extremely helpful in playing a proactive role in establishing contacts through social media networks within the larger community to ensure that any person in need is quickly identified and reached out to. We are also in touch with the Vietnamese authorities to seek assistance in making sure those currently held back in Vietnam do not face any undue hardships. Thankfully, we have had no cases of Indian nationals in Vietnam catching the COVID virus infection. In short, other than return to India, which is not something which we can control from here, we stand ready to extend and are extending all possible assistance to make the stay of our stranded citizens in Vietnam as convenient as practically possible.

WION: How are India and Vietnam cooperating on COVID pandemic? Are we sending HCQ or importing kits or anything?

Pranay Verma: India and Vietnam have maintained close contact during the fight against COVID 19. PM Modi spoke telephonically to Vietnamese PM on April 13th and discussed the situation arising out of the pandemic and the steps our two countries are taking to address the challenge. We are also engaged via diplomatic channels, exchanging information on best practices. India traditionally plays the role of a major provider of pharmaceuticals to Vietnam and this engagement has continued during COVID 19 outbreak. If you look at the way both India and Vietnam have approached the COVID 19 pandemic, there are many similarities in terms of early and precise actions taken, including travel restrictions, containment strategies- quarantine and social distancing enforcements, contact tracing etc. while ensuring at the same time significant ramping up of medical preparedness. Largely as a result of these actions, one can say, both countries have been able to witness among the lowest per capita incidence of infections.&nbsp;

WION: Have we shared any Indian containment model or anything to learn from Vietnam's containment model?

Pranay Verma: As I said, we are closely engaged with Vietnam, by exchanging information and best practices and prevention and containment strategies. We are providing detailed briefings to the Vietnamese side on actions India is taking. The Vietnamese side has appreciated the enormity and scale of action taken in India to enforce social distancing through the lockdown. Similarly, we are also regularly updating authorities in India about developments in Vietnam, their best practices, achievements including indigenous development of testing kits, use of technology in contact tracing, enforcing social distancing and the overall success in managing the pandemic.

WION: How has the ground situation in Vietnam changed, how are Indian diplomats faring?

Pranay Verma: As of date, COVID situation in Vietnam appears to have been largely contained. Vietnam has reported 271 total positive cases since the first case was reported in late January. Vietnam has not seen any case of community transmission since around the middle of April. Thanks for inquiring about the well being of our diplomats and our officials. &nbsp;Throughout social distancing restrictions that were put in place in Vietnam since April 1, the embassy and our consulate general has remained open, though with reduced staff strength. We have been particularly alert that our consular services are not disrupted and that we are actively able to extend consular assistance to Indian nationals throughout this period. With social distancing norms now relaxed since April 22nd, life seems to be gradually coming back to normal, schools have reopened from this week and we are also back to work in full strength and all our diplomats, officials and local staffs are in good spirits.

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world.

Vietnam has appreciated the scale of action taken in India on lockdown and social distancing norms, India's Envoy to Vietnam Pranay Verma said. Speaking exclusively to Our Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Hanoi, Pranay Verma said both the countries have had similar approaches in dealing with the crisis and currently both "have among the lowest per capita incidents of infections" in the world. He also talked about how the mission is reaching out to Indians stranded in the country, many of the tourist and short term visitors. WION: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country? Pranay Verma: COVID pandemic has impacted lives and travel all over the world. Our Embassy and consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City have actively been reaching out to Indian nationals who are held up in Vietnam in the wake of travel restrictions. Most people who are stranded in Vietnam are tourists and business travellers or short term visitors who could not return to India before the travel restrictions came up. We have extensively used social media tools to inform all our Indian nationals in Vietnam including community members who live in Vietnam as well as those who are visiting Vietnam and are held up about our 24*7 emergency coordinates. We have launched an online drive to register Indian Nationals in Vietnam. We are encouraging them to contact us for any assistance from Visa extension, any logistics or subsistence needs that are required to make their extended stay in Vietnam manageable. At the same time, the Indian community in Vietnam and the community organisation like the Indian business chamber have been extremely helpful in playing a proactive role in establishing contacts through social media networks within the larger community to ensure that any person in need is quickly identified and reached out to. We are also in touch with the Vietnamese authorities to seek assistance in making sure those currently held back in Vietnam do not face any undue hardships. Thankfully, we have had no cases of Indian nationals in Vietnam catching the COVID virus infection. In short, other than return to India, which is not something which we can control from here, we stand ready to extend and are extending all possible assistance to make the stay of our stranded citizens in Vietnam as convenient as practically possible. WION: How are India and Vietnam cooperating on COVID pandemic? Are we sending HCQ or importing kits or anything? Pranay Verma: India and Vietnam have maintained close contact during the fight against COVID 19. PM Modi spoke telephonically to Vietnamese PM on April 13th and discussed the situation arising out of the pandemic and the steps our two countries are taking to address the challenge. We are also engaged via diplomatic channels, exchanging information on best practices. India traditionally plays the role of a major provider of pharmaceuticals to Vietnam and this engagement has continued during COVID 19 outbreak. If you look at the way both India and Vietnam have approached the COVID 19 pandemic, there are many similarities in terms of early and precise actions taken, including travel restrictions, containment strategies- quarantine and social distancing enforcements, contact tracing etc. while ensuring at the same time significant ramping up of medical preparedness. Largely as a result of these actions, one can say, both countries have been able to witness among the lowest per capita incidence of infections. WION: Have we shared any Indian containment model or anything to learn from Vietnam's containment model? Pranay Verma: As I said, we are closely engaged with Vietnam, by exchanging information and best practices and prevention and containment strategies. We are providing detailed briefings to the Vietnamese side on actions India is taking. The Vietnamese side has appreciated the enormity and scale of action taken in India to enforce social distancing through the lockdown. Similarly, we are also regularly updating authorities in India about developments in Vietnam, their best practices, achievements including indigenous development of testing kits, use of technology in contact tracing, enforcing social distancing and the overall success in managing the pandemic. WION: How has the ground situation in Vietnam changed, how are Indian diplomats faring? Pranay Verma: As of date, COVID situation in Vietnam appears to have been largely contained. Vietnam has reported 271 total positive cases since the first case was reported in late January. Vietnam has not seen any case of community transmission since around the middle of April. Thanks for inquiring about the well being of our diplomats and our officials. Throughout social distancing restrictions that were put in place in Vietnam since April 1, the embassy and our consulate general has remained open, though with reduced staff strength. We have been particularly alert that our consular services are not disrupted and that we are actively able to extend consular assistance to Indian nationals throughout this period. With social distancing norms now relaxed since April 22nd, life seems to be gradually coming back to normal, schools have reopened from this week and we are also back to work in full strength and all our diplomats, officials and local staffs are in good spirits.

India's scale of action on COVID-19 containment appreciated by Hanoi: Indian envoy to Vietnam

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places.

As spring slipped into summer and the lockdown, which began on March 25, continued, people waited eagerly for electricians to service air-conditioners, plumbers to repair washing machines and broken taps, domestics to get back for the deep cleaning that never did get done and a host of other urgent jobs.

On the other end of the spectrum were the band of workers, trained in myriad necessary jobs that keep the household machine going smoothly, who found themselves without jobs and money.

Many of them, like Manoj Koli, an electrician for over 20 years, said they were reduced to scrambling for food and the lifting of some lockdown restrictions will hopefully mean a semblance of normalcy.

"I haven't earned a single rupee since March 21. It will be difficult to get back to work until electrical shops selling spare parts like wires and sockets also open. It is still too early to tell," Mr Manoj told PTI.

"With some electrical shops now open, that problem should hopefully be resolved. But I should get some work before all of that," the electrician, who lives in south Delhi's Dakshinpuri locality with his parents, wife and children, added.

The lockdown, to curtail the spread of coronavirus, has been extended for two weeks till at least May 17. Several restrictions have been lifted and several remain.

Declaring that the time had come to reopen Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday evening, "Self-employed people like technicians, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, sanitation workers, domestic helps, and people involved with laundry and ironing are allowed to work."

Navigating the coronavirus crisis, which has pushed Indians into the four walls of their homes, has been traumatic for everybody, but most of all perhaps for those like Manoj who depend on their everyday work to make a living.

He said the pandemic could not have come at a worse time.

Every April, he would be flooded with calls for AC servicing and repairs from his clients and could manage to make as much as Rs 40,000 a month.

This year, the calls didn't come and neither did the money.

There are lakhs of people like Mr Manoj.

According to Rajesh Kumar of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), the Delhi government does not have any official records of the numbers of unorganised skilled labour, including plumbers, electricians and carpenters. But it could be as high as six-seven lakh.

"The government should have created a record of these people before announcing a lockdown. It is understandable that the lockdown has been extended, but the government should have also been prepared with solutions for the problems of all kinds of people in the state," the IFTU general secretary said.

Subhash Mohanty, a plumber, said he is grateful he could procure the Delhi government's rations soon after the lockdown was announced.

"There has been no work for the last one month. I got some calls for work in the last few days, but I had to turn them down because there is a coronavirus case in my area, and I cannot step out of here," Mohanty, who stays in Tughlakabad Extension with his wife and two children, said.

Bikram Kumar, who works as a carpenter in south Delhi localities, said surviving the lockdown is getting more difficult each day and he can't wait to get back to work.

On a good month, he would make between Rs 10-20,000 a month, a part of which he would send to his home in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district where his wife and four children live. Since the lockdown, he has barely managed to make enough to feed himself and said he has been surviving on biscuits and water.

"Had there been public transport, I would have gone back home. At least, we have produce from farms. Now crops are also getting spoilt because nobody is there to harvest them," Bikram, who lives with his nephew in Lal Kuan area near Okhla industrial estate, said.

The last few weeks have been an emotional and financial drain for those like Kobita who came back to work on Monday to clean and cook in homes.

"During the lockdown period, I tried to go to some of my employers' houses to collect my salary but was stopped by police. Today, many junctions opened up, and it was a relief. I was getting worried that many of my employers won't call me back at all," said Kobita, who works in Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi.

With no public transport, she now has to walk about 30 minutes from her home but is not complaining.

"At least I have work," she said.

If Kobita, Manoj, Subhash and Bikram are desperate to get back to work, homemakers like Lata Srinivasan are equally anxious for them to attend to long pending jobs.

Almost every house is in need of an electrician who can service their ACs, but most are wary about inviting any outsider into their homes for fear of contracting the disease that has infected over 42,000 people in India and killed at least 1,373.

The total number of cases in Delhi has crossed 4,500 with 64 fatalities.

Srinivasan (68), is stuck with two unserviced ACs and a broken refrigerator in this heat and could not do anything about it because her society was not letting any service personnel in.

Her 10 year-old fridge finally gave up three days into the lockdown, and since then she has been figuring out ways to prevent her perishable food from going bad.

"I was buying vegetables once in two days, and keeping them in the open under the fan," Ms Srinivasan, who lives in an apartment complex in IP Extension in east Delhi, said.

Her society allowed electricians and plumbers to work from Monday but with strict instructions.

"We need to buy masks, gloves, and sanitisers for the technicians. They need to fill up a form giving their personal details at the society office, where their tools will be sanitised, and then the employers need to escort them to and from their houses so they don't go anywhere else," she said.

With the lockdown being relaxed somewhat, she is hoping day-to-day life will become smoother.&nbsp;

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places.

Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places. As spring slipped into summer and the lockdown, which began on March 25, continued, people waited eagerly for electricians to service air-conditioners, plumbers to repair washing machines and broken taps, domestics to get back for the deep cleaning that never did get done and a host of other urgent jobs. On the other end of the spectrum were the band of workers, trained in myriad necessary jobs that keep the household machine going smoothly, who found themselves without jobs and money. Many of them, like Manoj Koli, an electrician for over 20 years, said they were reduced to scrambling for food and the lifting of some lockdown restrictions will hopefully mean a semblance of normalcy. "I haven't earned a single rupee since March 21. It will be difficult to get back to work until electrical shops selling spare parts like wires and sockets also open. It is still too early to tell," Mr Manoj told PTI. "With some electrical shops now open, that problem should hopefully be resolved. But I should get some work before all of that," the electrician, who lives in south Delhi's Dakshinpuri locality with his parents, wife and children, added. The lockdown, to curtail the spread of coronavirus, has been extended for two weeks till at least May 17. Several restrictions have been lifted and several remain. Declaring that the time had come to reopen Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday evening, "Self-employed people like technicians, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, sanitation workers, domestic helps, and people involved with laundry and ironing are allowed to work." Navigating the coronavirus crisis, which has pushed Indians into the four walls of their homes, has been traumatic for everybody, but most of all perhaps for those like Manoj who depend on their everyday work to make a living. He said the pandemic could not have come at a worse time. Every April, he would be flooded with calls for AC servicing and repairs from his clients and could manage to make as much as Rs 40,000 a month. This year, the calls didn't come and neither did the money. There are lakhs of people like Mr Manoj. According to Rajesh Kumar of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), the Delhi government does not have any official records of the numbers of unorganised skilled labour, including plumbers, electricians and carpenters. But it could be as high as six-seven lakh. "The government should have created a record of these people before announcing a lockdown. It is understandable that the lockdown has been extended, but the government should have also been prepared with solutions for the problems of all kinds of people in the state," the IFTU general secretary said. Subhash Mohanty, a plumber, said he is grateful he could procure the Delhi government's rations soon after the lockdown was announced. "There has been no work for the last one month. I got some calls for work in the last few days, but I had to turn them down because there is a coronavirus case in my area, and I cannot step out of here," Mohanty, who stays in Tughlakabad Extension with his wife and two children, said. Bikram Kumar, who works as a carpenter in south Delhi localities, said surviving the lockdown is getting more difficult each day and he can't wait to get back to work. On a good month, he would make between Rs 10-20,000 a month, a part of which he would send to his home in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district where his wife and four children live. Since the lockdown, he has barely managed to make enough to feed himself and said he has been surviving on biscuits and water. "Had there been public transport, I would have gone back home. At least, we have produce from farms. Now crops are also getting spoilt because nobody is there to harvest them," Bikram, who lives with his nephew in Lal Kuan area near Okhla industrial estate, said. The last few weeks have been an emotional and financial drain for those like Kobita who came back to work on Monday to clean and cook in homes. "During the lockdown period, I tried to go to some of my employers' houses to collect my salary but was stopped by police. Today, many junctions opened up, and it was a relief. I was getting worried that many of my employers won't call me back at all," said Kobita, who works in Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi. With no public transport, she now has to walk about 30 minutes from her home but is not complaining. "At least I have work," she said. If Kobita, Manoj, Subhash and Bikram are desperate to get back to work, homemakers like Lata Srinivasan are equally anxious for them to attend to long pending jobs. Almost every house is in need of an electrician who can service their ACs, but most are wary about inviting any outsider into their homes for fear of contracting the disease that has infected over 42,000 people in India and killed at least 1,373. The total number of cases in Delhi has crossed 4,500 with 64 fatalities. Srinivasan (68), is stuck with two unserviced ACs and a broken refrigerator in this heat and could not do anything about it because her society was not letting any service personnel in. Her 10 year-old fridge finally gave up three days into the lockdown, and since then she has been figuring out ways to prevent her perishable food from going bad. "I was buying vegetables once in two days, and keeping them in the open under the fan," Ms Srinivasan, who lives in an apartment complex in IP Extension in east Delhi, said. Her society allowed electricians and plumbers to work from Monday but with strict instructions. "We need to buy masks, gloves, and sanitisers for the technicians. They need to fill up a form giving their personal details at the society office, where their tools will be sanitised, and then the employers need to escort them to and from their houses so they don't go anywhere else," she said. With the lockdown being relaxed somewhat, she is hoping day-to-day life will become smoother.

Lockdown restrictions eased, electricians, house helps take steps back to work

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said.

Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic.

"We don't know if the current situation will continue for six months or a year," Khan said while addressing the media along with his top advisors. "I know that the worst hit due to the lockdown will be poor."

Khan said the government so far disbursed 81 billion rupees among 6.6 million deserving families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

Pakistan markets reopen but few wear masks

In the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, life was returning to normal at fruit and vegetable markets after the government began relaxing some lockdown measures it had imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many vendors and shoppers, however, did not follow official health recommendations and were not seen wearing face masks or practising physical distancing at the Sabzi Mandi market on April 30.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said. Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 16,817 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 385, the health ministry said. Yesterday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that the coronavirus crisis could continue for months and the lockdown was not a solution to the pandemic. "We don't know if the current situation will continue for six months or a year," Khan said while addressing the media along with his top advisors. "I know that the worst hit due to the lockdown will be poor." Khan said the government so far disbursed 81 billion rupees among 6.6 million deserving families under Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. Pakistan markets reopen but few wear masks In the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, life was returning to normal at fruit and vegetable markets after the government began relaxing some lockdown measures it had imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many vendors and shoppers, however, did not follow official health recommendations and were not seen wearing face masks or practising physical distancing at the Sabzi Mandi market on April 30.

Coronavirus cases in Pakistan rise to 16,817, with 385 deaths

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night. The schedule did not indicate how long Trump would stay at Camp David.

Trump has been holding regular press events at the White House to highlight his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump's last trip away from the White House was on March 28 to Norfolk, Virginia, where he bid farewell to the Navy's USNS Comfort hospital ship as it sailed to New York City to help take the pressure off civilian hospitals.

Trump, who faces re-election in November, said on Wednesday he would visit Arizona next week for an "industry"-related event.

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night.

US President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Trump will make the 70-mile (40 km) trip to Camp David on Friday evening, according to a schedule released by the White House on Thursday night. The schedule did not indicate how long Trump would stay at Camp David. Trump has been holding regular press events at the White House to highlight his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's last trip away from the White House was on March 28 to Norfolk, Virginia, where he bid farewell to the Navy's USNS Comfort hospital ship as it sailed to New York City to help take the pressure off civilian hospitals. Trump, who faces re-election in November, said on Wednesday he would visit Arizona next week for an "industry"-related event.

Trump to leave White House today for the first time in a month

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-new-zealand-taiwan-and-finland-have-kept-coronavirus-at-bay-295902">Also Read: How New Zealand, Taiwan and Finland have kept coronavirus at bay</a>

The enormous pressure on states to reopen, despite a lack of wide-scale virus testing and other precautions urged by health experts, was highlighted in new Labor Department data showing some 30 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits since March 21.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-not-man-made-or-genetically-modified-us-intelligence-community-295906">Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community</a> 
 
The jobless toll amounts to more than 18.4% of the U.S. working-age population, a level not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Physical separation of people - by closing schools, businesses and other places of social gatherings - remains the chief weapon against a highly contagious respiratory virus with no vaccine and no cure.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-us-agencies-to-investigate-what-china-hid-gravitas-295938/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But as economic pain grows to historic proportions, agitation to relax stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace restrictions has mounted, especially in regions where the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be waning.

For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of protesters - including armed militia group members - thronged Michigan's state Capitol in Lansing demanding an end to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home orders.

The latest protest was sparked by the Democratic governor's request, ignored by Republican lawmakers, to extend emergency powers she had invoked in a state hard hit by both the virus and closures to combat it.

WHITE HOUSE STEPS BACK

Weeks after insisting he had "total" authority to decide when and how to reopen the nation's economy, President Donald Trump has largely left it to each governor to decide on a state-by-state basis.

Although the White House declined to extend its April 16 reopening guidance, which recommended an economic restart in stages only after strict safeguards are put in place, medical experts said those conditions remained unmet and that acting prematurely risked a resurgence of the outbreak.

Safely lifting social distancing rules, they insisted, will require vastly expanded virus screening and the means to trace close social contacts of infected people so they too can be tested and isolated.

"You can't just leap over things to a situation where you're really tempting (the virus) to rebound. That's the thing I get concerned about," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" show.

About two dozen states, mostly in the South, the Midwest and mountain West, have moved to relax restrictions since Georgia led the way late last week. Texas and Florida, among others this week, outlined plans for doing so in the days ahead.

But no companies are required to reopen, and it was not clear how many business owners and their employees would return to work, and how many patrons would venture back into stores and restaurants.

The number of coronavirus cases is still climbing in many parts of the country, although peaks appear to have been reached in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, and other places.

Pennsylvania, Kansas, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota and Nebraska all reported a record number of new cases on Thursday, though greater testing could account for some of the increases, revealing infections already present but undetected.

Several states, including New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and the District of Columbia, posted new highs in their daily death tolls.

The number of known infections for the nation as a whole has climbed well past 1 million confirmed cases, including at least 62,000 deaths, well beyond the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War.

PATCHWORK

In the latest of a patchwork of announcements across the country in recent days, Florida on Wednesday became one of the largest states to ease some of the restrictions that have crippled business activity.

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel," Governor Ron DeSantis said as he unveiled his phase-one plan due to start on Monday to relax the mandatory workplace closures and stay-at-home orders imposed four weeks ago.

Texas unveiled a similar reopening strategy to take effect on Friday. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to allow state parks and golf courses to reopen on Saturday. After a White House visit on Thursday, he said the federal government was giving his state 550,000 coronavirus testing kits, along with 750,000 swabs to take samples, marking a "huge step" toward his goal of doubling New Jersey's testing capacity by late May.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the closure of beaches and parks in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, after crowds jammed the popular shoreline last weekend.

Newsom, a Democrat, has said that curbside retail, manufacturing and other "lower-risk workplaces" should reopen in California within weeks as testing and contact-tracing improve.

In one of the first major reopenings anticipated in U.S. sports, NASCAR announced its auto racing competition would return with 10 races at its North and South Carolina tracks in mid- to late-May.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said his state would hire thousands of workers to trace the contacts of people who test positive for the coronavirus. He also announced a halt to New York City subway service from 1 to 5 a.m. to disinfect trains.

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce.

As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in a place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving coronavirus-stricken commerce. Also Read: How New Zealand, Taiwan and Finland have kept coronavirus at bay The enormous pressure on states to reopen, despite a lack of wide-scale virus testing and other precautions urged by health experts, was highlighted in new Labor Department data showing some 30 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits since March 21. Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community The jobless toll amounts to more than 18.4% of the U.S. working-age population, a level not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Physical separation of people - by closing schools, businesses and other places of social gatherings - remains the chief weapon against a highly contagious respiratory virus with no vaccine and no cure. But as economic pain grows to historic proportions, agitation to relax stay-at-home orders and mandatory workplace restrictions has mounted, especially in regions where the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be waning. For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of protesters - including armed militia group members - thronged Michigan's state Capitol in Lansing demanding an end to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home orders. The latest protest was sparked by the Democratic governor's request, ignored by Republican lawmakers, to extend emergency powers she had invoked in a state hard hit by both the virus and closures to combat it. WHITE HOUSE STEPS BACK Weeks after insisting he had "total" authority to decide when and how to reopen the nation's economy, President Donald Trump has largely left it to each governor to decide on a state-by-state basis. Although the White House declined to extend its April 16 reopening guidance, which recommended an economic restart in stages only after strict safeguards are put in place, medical experts said those conditions remained unmet and that acting prematurely risked a resurgence of the outbreak. Safely lifting social distancing rules, they insisted, will require vastly expanded virus screening and the means to trace close social contacts of infected people so they too can be tested and isolated. "You can't just leap over things to a situation where you're really tempting (the virus) to rebound. That's the thing I get concerned about," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC's "Today" show. About two dozen states, mostly in the South, the Midwest and mountain West, have moved to relax restrictions since Georgia led the way late last week. Texas and Florida, among others this week, outlined plans for doing so in the days ahead. But no companies are required to reopen, and it was not clear how many business owners and their employees would return to work, and how many patrons would venture back into stores and restaurants. The number of coronavirus cases is still climbing in many parts of the country, although peaks appear to have been reached in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, and other places. Pennsylvania, Kansas, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota and Nebraska all reported a record number of new cases on Thursday, though greater testing could account for some of the increases, revealing infections already present but undetected. Several states, including New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and the District of Columbia, posted new highs in their daily death tolls. The number of known infections for the nation as a whole has climbed well past 1 million confirmed cases, including at least 62,000 deaths, well beyond the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. PATCHWORK In the latest of a patchwork of announcements across the country in recent days, Florida on Wednesday became one of the largest states to ease some of the restrictions that have crippled business activity. "There is a light at the end of the tunnel," Governor Ron DeSantis said as he unveiled his phase-one plan due to start on Monday to relax the mandatory workplace closures and stay-at-home orders imposed four weeks ago. Texas unveiled a similar reopening strategy to take effect on Friday. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to allow state parks and golf courses to reopen on Saturday. After a White House visit on Thursday, he said the federal government was giving his state 550,000 coronavirus testing kits, along with 750,000 swabs to take samples, marking a "huge step" toward his goal of doubling New Jersey's testing capacity by late May. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the closure of beaches and parks in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, after crowds jammed the popular shoreline last weekend. Newsom, a Democrat, has said that curbside retail, manufacturing and other "lower-risk workplaces" should reopen in California within weeks as testing and contact-tracing improve. In one of the first major reopenings anticipated in U.S. sports, NASCAR announced its auto racing competition would return with 10 races at its North and South Carolina tracks in mid- to late-May. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said his state would hire thousands of workers to trace the contacts of people who test positive for the coronavirus. He also announced a halt to New York City subway service from 1 to 5 a.m. to disinfect trains.

Half of US states easing coronavirus restrictions as jobless numbers grow

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 &nbsp;people have been killed due to this pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-not-man-made-or-genetically-modified-us-intelligence-community-295906">Also read |&nbsp;Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community</a>

Around 1,014,809 people of that tally have recovered.

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A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-coronavirus-spreads-to-russias-secret-nuclear-cities-295663">Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities</a>

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression.

Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members, promising to be in constant contact "on all the main issues."

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 3.2 million worldwide on Friday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. COVID-19 has now infected 3,257,520 people worldwide and 233,405 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Also read | Coronavirus not man-made or genetically modified: US intelligence community Around 1,014,809 people of that tally have recovered. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. Also read: Now, coronavirus spreads to Russia's 'secret' nuclear cities The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. As the pandemic spreads in the US, the country's economy is likely to face its worst crisis since the Great Depression. Millions of US citizens have lost their jobs and consumer spending has seen its biggest decline in 40 years. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members, promising to be in constant contact "on all the main issues."

Coronavirus global death toll passes 230,000; confirmed recoveries hit 1 million