As of April 21, the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances.
Summary
Global deaths pass 170,000. More than 170,000 people have lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic so far, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 2.47 million cases worldwide. Just under a quarter of global deaths – 42,000 – have been in the US. The UK has nearly 126,000 cases and more than 16,500 deaths.
Trump announces plan to suspend immigration to US. US president Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he will “temporarily suspend” immigration to the US, referring to the “invisible enemy,” a term he has used in the White House press briefings and on Twitter to refer to coronavirus.
Singapore sees second-wave rise in number of cases. Singapore, which has been lauded for its initial response to the outbreak, has seen a surge in cases, reporting a record 1,426 new coronavirus cases on Monday, mostly among foreign workers.
Hong Kong extends social distancing measures for 14 days. Chief executive Carrie Lam has announced an extension of the city’s social distancing measures. Hong Kong yesterday reported its first day since early March with no new cases, but Lam said “now is not the time to let down our guard”.
Oil price falls to historic low due to coronavirus. The US oil market collapsed into negative prices for the first time as North America’s oil producers run out of space to store an unprecedented oversupply of crude left by the pandemic. However, Trump has downplayed the oil price drop, saying it’s only “short term”.
World Health Organization chief warns that the worst is still ahead of us. The comments, from WHO director general Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros, have revived international concern just as many countries ease restrictive measures aimed at reducing its spread.
Italy’s confirmed cases fall by 20. Italy reported 454 new deaths from coronavirus on Monday, 21 more than on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 24,114. For the first time, the number of people who are infected fell by 20 to 108,237.
COVID-19 Background
COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus, named SARS-CoV-2.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.
Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread.
Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Most international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as does the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. Learn more about the spread of this coronavirus that is causing COVID-19.