China’s Jilin in lockdown after coronavirus cluster emerges
- The Chinese city of Jilin has imposed travel restrictions, closed off residential areas and banned gatherings after a number of coronavirus cases were confirmed in the northeastern city.
- Support for US President Donald Trump has dropped in the past month as the toll from the coronavirus has risen, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey. Trump now trails challenger Joe Biden by eight percentage points.
- Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, has warned that the country does not yet have the disease under control and that easing lockdowns too soon risks unnecessary deaths.
- More than 4.26 million people around the world have been confirmed with the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 291,000 have died – 82,000 of them in the United States. Nearly 1.5 million people have recovered.
Here are the latest updates.
Wednesday, May 13
08:16 GMT – Philippines records 21 new deaths, 268 more infections
The Philippines’ health ministry recorded 21 more coronavirus deaths and 268 additional infections.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total deaths from the coronavirus have reached 772 while confirmed cases have risen to 11,618. But 145 more patients have recovered, increasing total recoveries to 2,251.
08:05 GMT – Russia suspends use of ventilator type after hospital fires
Russia has suspended the use of Russian-made medical ventilators of a certain model manufactured after April 1, a state healthcare regulator said, following two hospital fires reported to involve two such machines.
The Aventa-M medical ventilator was used at the Saint George’s Hospital in St Petersburg where five people died in a fire on Tuesday, and also in a hospital in Moscow where a fire killed one person on Saturday.
Roszdravnadzor, the regulator, said on Tuesday it was checking the quality and safety of the ventilators in the two hospitals.
07:55 GMT – Saudi Arabia to enforce lockdown in Eid
Saudi Arabia will enforce a countrywide 24-hour curfew during the five-day Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday later this month.
A full lockdown will be imposed from May 23 to 27 following the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the interior ministry said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Read more here.
07:36 GMT – Russia reports more than 10,000 new cases
Russia reported 10,028 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, pushing its nationwide tally to 242,271.
Russia’s coronavirus response centre said 96 people died overnight, bringing the official death toll to 2,212.
07:24 GMT – Chinese city of Jilin under partial lockdown
A northeastern Chinese city has partially shut its borders and cut off transport links after the emergence of a local coronavirus cluster that has fueled growing fears of a second wave of infections in China.
Jilin, with a population of more than four million, suspended bus services and said it will only allow residents to leave the city if they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 48 hours and complete an unspecified period of “strict self-isolation”.
All cinemas, indoor gyms, internet cafes and other enclosed entertainment venues must shut immediately, and pharmacies must report all sales of fever and antiviral medicines, the local government said in a statement.
A cluster of infections was reported in the suburb of Shulan over the weekend, with Jilin’s vice mayor warning Wednesday that the situation was “extremely severe and complicated” and “there is major risk of further spread”.
The city reported six new cases, all linked to the Shulan cluster, bringing the total number of cases linked to a local laundry worker to 21.
07:22 GMT – Dubai reopens parks, hotel beaches
The United Arab Emirates business and tourism hub Dubai has allowed public parks to reopen and hotel guests to access private beaches, state media said, as the emirate gradually lifts restrictions.
Dubai, the most populous of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, on April 24 eased a full curfew to eight hours at night, and allowed dine-in restaurants and shopping malls to reopen at limited capacity.
Public parks are now open for groups of up to five people, state news agency WAM said. Hotel guests must practise physical distancing at beaches.
Tram and ferry services also resumed and groups of up to five can now practise recreational activities in open areas. Mosques, cinemas, public beaches and nightclubs remain closed.
07:16 GMT – Singapore confirms 675 new cases
Singapore’s health ministry said it has confirmed another 675 cases of coronavirus infections, taking the city-state’s tally to 25,346.
Do I have to wash my hands regularly if I’m staying at home?@DrAmirKhanGP answers your #coronavirus questions 👇 pic.twitter.com/JwozKjAxg9
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 11, 2020
06:42 GMT – Austria, Germany, to reopen border mid June
Austria and Germany plan to open their border on June 15 after being closed for two months, the government in Vienna said.
“From June 15, the opening of the border between Germany and Austria will be possible,” Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger told state radio station O1.
06:28 GMT – UK economy shrinks 5.8 percent in March
Britain’s economy shrank by a record 5.8 percent in March from February as the coronavirus crisis escalated and the government ordered a shutdown of much of the country.
In the first three months of the year, gross domestic product contracted by 2.0 percent from the last three months of 2019, the Office for National Statistics said.
That was the largest quarter-on-quarter fall since the end of 2008, during the depths of the financial crisis.
Figures for April are likely to show an even bigger fall because the entire month was spent under lockdown by British companies and consumers.
06:16 GMT – California cancels fall university classes
California’s state university system, the largest in the United States, canceled classes for the fall semester because of the coronavirus, while Los Angeles County said its stay-at-home order was likely to be extended by three months.
In one of the first indications the pandemic will continue to have a significant impact into autumn, the chancellor of California State University said classes at its 23 campuses would be canceled for the semester that begins in September, with instruction moved online.
“Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person, as is the traditional norm of the past, is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity with each other on a daily basis,” the chancellor, Timothy White, said in a statement.
“That approach, sadly, just isn’t in the cards now.”
05:57 GMT – Sumo wrestler infected with coronavirus dies
A 28-year-old sumo wrestler infected with the coronavirus has died, becoming the first sumo wrestler to die from the virus, the Japan Sumo Association said.
Wrestler Shobushi, whose real name is Kiyotaka Suetake, was hospitalised last month, died on Wednesday in a Tokyo hospital due to multiple organ failure related to the coronavirus, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said.
Hello, this is Farah Najjar taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry .
05:20 GMT – Saudi Arabia to impose 24-hour lockdown over Eid holiday
Saudi Arabia will enforce a complete lockdown over the five day Eid holiday at the end of the fasting month to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to a statement on the official Saudi Press Agency.
The lockdown will be in force from May 23 – 27.
The country imposed a full lockdown at the start of the outbreak, but last month relaxed the curfew so that people could go out during the day. On Tuesday, the health ministry said it had confirmed 42,925 cases of coronavirus with 264 deaths.
04:55 GMT – Twitter says staff can work from home ‘forever’ if they want
Twitter says that its staff can work from home “forever” if they are in a role and situation that allows them to do so.
Jennifer Christie, the company’s vice president people, also said Twitter did not expect to be one of the first companies to return to its offices, that there would be no business travel before September and no in-person company events for the remainder of 2020.
Proud of the decisions we made to prioritize decentralization pre-COVID-19 that are allowing us to continue putting our employees first today. Whether you prefer to work from your kitchen or one of our offices there’s a place for you. #LoveWhereverYouWork https://t.co/6SoX5vrrUv
— Jennifer (@jenchristiehr) May 12, 2020
04:50 GMT – Thailand reports no new cases of coronavirus
Thailand has reported no new cases of coronavirus for the first time since March 9.
04:45 GMT – Singapore to test all migrant workers for coronavirus
Singapore plans to test all 323,000 migrant workers who live in company dormitories for the coronavirus, the local Straits Times newspaper reported citing National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
The city-state, which relies on the men for construction and other manual jobs, will use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and serological tests (for antibodies) to ensure they are free of the virus.
The authorities are currently doing 3,000 tests a day in the dormitories, and will step up testing with a view to completing the process by July, Wong said.
Thousands of workers were confined to their dormitories after a spike in coronavirus cases.
04:05 GMT – Handbags at dawn: South Korean shoppers line up for Chanel
More than 100 people defied fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections to queue from as early as 5am outside Chanel in Seoul to buy the French brand’s luxury goods ahead of an expected rise in prices.
54-year-old Lee Ji-yeon told Reuters she was hoping to get a handbag for her daughter who is getting married. Her future son-in-law was queuing at a Chanel concession in a department store, she said.
“We’ve been to the Chanel store several times before and agonising whether to buy it or not,” Lee said. “Since the prices are going up, we decided to buy it now.”
There has been a spike in coronavirus cases in Seoul after an outbreak linked to clubs and bars, with 119 cases across the country now linked to the 29-year-old who tested positive in early May.
03:50 GMT – London mayor says June ‘too early’ to resume Premier League
London mayor Sadiq Khan says it’s “too early” to be discussing the resumption of the Premier League and other high-profile sports in the UK capital because the country is “still in the grips of this crisis, and hundreds of people (are) dying every day”, the Evening Standard reported, citing a spokesman for the mayor.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among the five Premier League clubs in London.
The possibility of games resuming next month got a boost after the government said elite-level sport could resume behind closed doors from June 1.
Teams have been told no tackling will be allowed once training resumes as part of a package of measures to protect people from the virus.
03:30 GMT – Top Jilin city official warns of huge risk from new coronavirus cases
Gai Dongping, the vice mayor of Jilin in China’s northeast, has told reporters the six new cases confirmed on Wednesday morning raised the risk of the virus spreading further and the city was stepping up measures to curb and contain the virus.
The city is the second biggest in the province of the same name and lies nearly 100 kilometres (63 miles) east of the capital Changchun.
Jilin city in NE China’s Jilin Province announced on Wednesday that it will close off all urban areas and villages, and suspend all gatherings following a rebound in #COVID19 cases. https://t.co/j3Lai6C15N pic.twitter.com/pPTtQCx1m5
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 13, 2020
02:45 GMT – Coronavirus hobbles cyclone response for Vanuatu and Pacific
The coronavirus pandemic is slowing efforts to help people in Vanuatu and other parts of the Pacific, after Cyclone Harold tore through the region a month ago destroying homes and livelihoods.
Michel Kerf, who heads the World Bank in the region, said the cyclone had been a “shocking reminder” of Vanuatu’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Read more here.
01:45 GMT – Iceland to ease restrictions on international arrivals from June
The government of Iceland says it plans to ease restrictions on international arrivals no later than 15 June and expects to be able to give travellers a choice between a COVID-19 test on arrival, or two weeks quarantine. A final decision will be made at the end of the month.
“When travellers return to Iceland we want to have all mechanisms in place to safeguard them and the progress made in controlling the pandemic,” Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation said in a statement. “Iceland’s strategy of large-scale testing, tracing and isolating have proven effective so far. We want to build on that experience of creating a safe place for those who want a change of scenery after what has been a tough spring for all of us.”
Iceland has already revised the quarantine regime that was first imposed in January, with essential workers and those involved in vital infrastructure eligible for a modified quarantine that does not require then to stay at home. The scheme will be extended to film makers, scientists and some others from May 15.
More:
01:30 GMT – China confirms seven new cases; focus on northeastern Jilin province
China’s National Health Commission has confirmed seven new cases of coronavirus, six of them in the northeastern province of Jilin where the city of Shulan increased its risk level from medium to high at the weekend.
The new cases were found in Jilin, the province’s second-biggest city, with five of them linked to an earlier case in Shulan. The city of Jilin has temporarily suspended train services as a result of the outbreak.
Jilin Railway Station in #Jilin City, NE China’s Jilin Province, announced temporary suspension of departures and ride-through services starting 6:00 am Wednesday after the province reported a cluster of #COVID19 cases. pic.twitter.com/onXljSyg6D
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) May 13, 2020
China’s other case was found in a traveller returning to Shanghai.
00:05 GMT – Brazil reports more cases than Germany; daily deaths reach record
Brazil’s confirmed cases of coronavirus surpassed Germany on Tuesday as the country recorded 881 deaths in 24 hours – the highest since the outbreak began.
Brazil has confirmed 177,589 cases of coronavirus, compared with 170,508 in Germany.
The country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has sought to downplay the disease and is now battling with state governors over a presidential decree he signed on Monday designating beauty salons and gyms as “essential” services that would allow them to open during lockdowns.
At least 10 governors have said they will not comply with Bolsonaro’s decree.
“Bolsonaro is walking towards the precipice and wants to take all of us with him,” Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel wrote on Twitter.
23:30 GMT (Tuesday) – Trump support ebbs as coronavirus death toll climbs
Americans have become more critical of President Donald Trump over the past month as the coronavirus outbreak in the country has deepened, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll shows 56 percent of those surveyed now disapprove of Trump, up five points from a similar poll in mid-April. Trump’s approval rating slipped four points to 41 percent.
It also found that 46 percent of registered voters would back Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the November 3 election, while 38 percent would vote for Trump.
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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.
Read all the developments from yesterday (May 12) here.