Health

Global coronavirus infections surpassed 2.5 million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, with U.S. cases nearing 800,000.

A new Moscow hospital built in just over a month began admitting patients infected with the new coronavirus on Tuesday to help the Russian capital cope with a growing number of cases that have stretched its medical infrastructure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized at-home sample collection for LabCorp's COVID-19 diagnostic kit, the agency said on Tuesday, allowing patients to send in their nasal swab samples to the company's labs for diagnosis.

The Swiss death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 1,187, the country's public health agency said on Tuesday, rising from 1,142 people on Monday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests that the novel coronavirus originated in bats in China late last year and it was not manipulated or constructed in a lab.

Thailand's cabinet approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners for three more months on Tuesday, in a bid to prevent long queues at immigration centres and stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests that the novel coronavirus originated in bats in China late last year and it was not manipulated or constructed in a laboratory.

Japan will decide during its Golden Week holiday between April 29 and May 6 whether to extend its month-long state of emergency to fight a widening coronavirus outbreak, government and ruling party sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Some 4.1% of adults tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in a study of Los Angeles County residents, health officials said on Monday, suggesting the rate of infection may be 40 times higher than the number of confirmed cases.

A northwestern province on the frontline of China's coronavirus battle reported on Tuesday its first cases in nearly three weeks, all involving travellers from overseas, as imported infections started to level off elsewhere.

Indonesia reported 375 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 7,135.

The Philippines' health ministry on Tuesday recorded nine new coronavirus deaths and 140 additional confirmed cases.

Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols said on Tuesday the hyperimmune immunoglobins it is developing as a treatment against SARS-COV-2 could be ready in mid-July.

Denmark will not allow public gatherings to exceed 500 persons until at least Sept. 1, the Danish health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Russia recorded 5,642 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 52,763, the Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said on Tuesday.

China is in talks with some countries to establish fast-track procedures to allow travel by business and technical personnel to ensure the smooth operation of global supply chains, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Singapore said on Tuesday it had preliminarily confirmed 1,111 new coronavirus cases, taking the city-state's total infections to 9,125.

Denmark will increase the maximum number of people allowed to meet in public to 500 from May 10, up from a 10-person limit, broadcaster TV2 reported on Tuesday citing the health ministry.

Reported cases of the coronavirus have crossed 2.46 million globally and 169,863 people have died, according to a Reuters tally as of 0200 GMT on Tuesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he will suspend all immigration into the country.

Japanese police have reported that 11 people whose deaths were deemed to be unnatural in the past month subsequently tested positive for the new coronavirus, media said on Tuesday.