What you need to know about the coronavirus right now (April 20)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
India reports record daily death toll
India reported 1,761 deaths from Covid-19 overnight, its highest daily toll, with large parts of the country now under lockdown as a second wave has left people fighting for hospital beds, oxygen and medicines.
The world’s second most populous country is grappling with its biggest public health emergency after it lowered its guard when infections fell to a multi-month low in February, health experts and officials say.
On Tuesday, the health ministry reported 259,170 new infections, the world’s highest daily rate. It has reported daily infections above the 200,000 mark for six days. read more
U.S. will boost ‘Do Not Travel’ advisories to 80% of world
The U.S. State Department said it will boost its “Do Not Travel” guidance to about 80% of countries worldwide, citing “unprecedented risk to travelers” from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The State Department already listed 34 out of about 200 countries as “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” including places like Chad, Kosovo, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Mozambique, Russia and Tanzania.
Getting to 80% would imply adding nearly 130 countries. read more
Thailand battles new wave
Thai health authorities on Tuesday assured the public there were sufficient hospital beds for the rising number of coronavirus patients, amid a new wave of infections this month that has spread fast across the country.
Thailand’s policy of hospitalizing all those who test positive for COVID-19, even those without symptoms, has prompted concern about its capacity in the event of a surge in the number of patients with severe symptoms.
Authorities reported 1,443 new cases and 4 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing total infections to 45,185 with 108 fatalities overall. Thailand has been credited for its swift containment of earlier outbreaks but has yet to start mass vaccinations. read more
Ontario premier under fire
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province expects to face a delay in the supply of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Ford has faced criticism in recent days as Ontario’s pandemic spirals out of control, and he has sought to shift the blame to the sluggish supply of vaccines coming from the federal government.
No other Canadian province reported a drop in AstraZeneca supply on Monday.
New Zealand airport worker tests positive
New Zealand authorities reported that a worker in Auckland airport has tested positive for Covid-19, but doubted whether the new case would warrant ordering a pause in quarantine-free travel with Australia.
Australia and New Zealand opened a travel bubble on Monday after both countries had closed borders in March 2020 to non-citizens and permanent residents.
“When we opened, on both sides, we of course knew we would continue to have cases connected to our border,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “We accept that’s going to be part of our journey together, I think Australia accepts that.”
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