Blogroll

More than 1.7 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 108,252 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 0200 GMT.

The United States needs to ramp up testing for the coronavirus as the White House considers when and how to lift stay-at-home restrictions and lockdowns triggered by the pandemic, U.S. health experts said on Sunday.

South Africa on Sunday reported a further 145 cases of the coronavirus, taking the total number in the country to 2,173, a statement from the Health ministry said.

The number of Canadian deaths from the new coronavirus rose by more than 12% to 674 in a day, official data showed on Sunday, and Quebec officials opened a probe into the deaths of 31 people in a seniors' residence.

Americans spent Sunday on lockdown as the U.S. toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic surpassed 20,500 deaths and more than half a million confirmed cases over the Easter weekend.

The coronavirus outbreak spread further into Portuguese care homes over the Easter weekend, with 100 new cases of COVID-19 reported in a single residence and care homes accounting for around one in eight of the country's 504 deaths.

Several Dutch cellular broadcasting towers have been damaged by arson or sabotage in the past week by opponents of a rollout of a new 5G telecommunications network, newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Saturday.

The Trump administration views May 1 as a target date for relaxing stay-at-home restrictions across the United States, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Sunday, but he cautioned that it was still too early to say that target would be met.

Chinese cities near the border with Russia said on Sunday they would tighten border controls and quarantine measures on arrivals from abroad after the number of imported cases of COVID-19 hit a record high.

India said on Sunday its hospital network is adequately prepared to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, with over 100,000 beds ready to cater to a potential surge in patient numbers.

Democratic Republic of Congo recorded a second Ebola death in days following more than seven weeks without a new case, the World Health Organization said on Sunday.

Malaysia's health ministry reported 153 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, raising the cumulative total to 4,683, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia on Sunday reported 399 new cases of the coronavirus, its biggest daily jump so far, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,241, according to data provided by a health ministry official, Achmad Yurianto.

The Philippines recorded 50 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, its highest in a single day, taking the toll to 297.

Thailand reported 33 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, for a total of 2,551 cases, as well as three more deaths, taking the southeast Asian nation's toll to 38.

Germany's number of confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 2,821 on Sunday to 120,479, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.

The United States surpassed Italy on Saturday as the country with the highest reported coronavirus death toll, recording more than 20,000 deaths since the outbreak began, according to a Reuters tally.

The technology arm of Britain's National Health Service has been working on a mobile phone app with Alphabet Inc's Google and iPhone maker Apple that the government hopes will help in ending the coronavirus lockdown, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Mexico reported 375 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the country's total to 4,219 cases and 273 deaths, the health ministry said.

Panama registered 260 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, taking the country's total to 3,234 cases and 79 deaths, the healthy ministry said.