Health News (Reuters)

Britons applauded health workers from their front doors and windows again on Thursday in what has become a weekly moment of cacophony and solidarity during the coronavirus lockdown.

Spain reported another substantial increase in daily deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the overall toll to more than 19,000, but figures from the region of Catalonia suggest the true total could be several thousand higher.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy increased by 525 on Thursday, down from 578 the day before, but the number of new cases accelerated sharply to 3,786 from a previous 2,667.

On March 21, two days after President Donald Trump first touted chloroquine drugs as a “gamechanger” in the fight against COVID-19, administration officials privately described what they felt was a “win” in the president’s efforts to build an emergency stockpile of the drugs: a hefty donation of pills from Bayer AG.

Britain extended its nationwide lockdown for at least another 3 weeks on Thursday, as stand-in leader Dominic Raab ordered Britons to stay at home to prevent the spread of a coronavirus outbreak which has already claimed over 138,000 lives globally.

Belgium has begun testing more than 210,000 residents and staff at nursing homes, which now account for about half of the coronavirus-related deaths in the country.

Singapore's health ministry confirmed 728 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, a new daily record, taking the total in the city-state to 4,427.

South Korean health officials are investigating several possible explanations for a small but growing number of recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again.

Prince William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth, has opened an emergency COVID-19 hospital built in just eight days in the exhibition centre of Britain's second city, Birmingham.

Prince Harry has paid tribute to the families of children with severe health needs for peservering under the unique stresses of the coronavirus lockdown in Britain, drawing on his own, new experiences of parenthood.

Abbott Laboratories Inc said on Thursday a recent ramp up in coronavirus tests production would help it ride out a tough current quarter as the outbreak chokes demand for its other diagnostic kits.

Coronavirus cases in Africa could shoot up from thousands now to 10 million within three to six months according to very provisional modelling, a regional World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thursday.

New measures to help protect residents in Irish nursing homes from the coronavirus are not being implemented fast enough, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said as his acting government faced criticism for the speed of its response.

Peng Jing stifles a laugh as she looks into the eyes of her tuxedo-clad fiancee, Yao Bin, who is in turn trying not to step on the long train of her white wedding dress.

China reported fewer new coronavirus cases on Thursday that involved travellers arriving from abroad, but said locally transmitted infections rose, with the capital Beijing seeing new local cases for the first time in more than three weeks.

Portugal's parliament was expected on Thursday to extend a national lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus for a further 15 days, while providing a chance to some businesses to reopen if the spread of the disease slows further.

Portugal's parliament was expected on Thursday to extend a national lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus for a further 15 days, while providing a chance to some businesses to reopen if the spread of the disease slows further.

Lawmakers will quiz ministers via videolink next week as part of moves to make Britain's centuries-old House of Commons a "hybrid" parliament to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Britons will applaud health workers and carers from their front doors and windows again on Thursday in what has become a weekly moment of social solidarity during the coronavirus lockdown.

Australia will retain curbs on public movement for at least four more weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, dashing speculation the sustained low growth in new cases could spur a quicker return to normal.