Summary for Monday, 6th April
As with every day, news is moving very fast, so we'll be bringing you all the major developments as they happen, as well as useful information to protect yourself and your family, and some positive stories of communities helping each other out as well.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.
"This is a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus."
The prime minister remains in charge of the government, but the foreign secretary is expected to chair a coronavirus meeting on Monday morning.
Read more here: PM admitted to hospital over virus symptoms
The number of infections and deaths in the state of New York has dropped for the first time, say officials.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the number of patients requiring hospital treatment was down for the first time in a week and that deaths were down from the previous day - from 630 deaths on Saturday to 594 on Sunday.
But he also added that it was too early to know how significant this data was.
There have so far been 4,159 deaths in New York, making it the hardest-hit area in the US.
Read more about what's happening in New York here.
After a fortnight of tight restrictions on Australian society, the curve appears to be flattening. But officials are urging people to remain vigilant and to stay indoors.
Here's the latest:
But it was a very different scene this year, as Pope Francis delivered his Palm Sunday address to only a handful of people seated in the vast St Peter's Basilica.
The cruise ship has docked in the city of Wollongong, south of Sydney
We've been covering the Ruby Princess cruise ship disaster for weeks now - the vessel is the largest source of infections in Australia, accounting for 11 deaths and more than 600 cases.
On Sunday, New South Wales police announced they would begin a criminal investigation into how passengers were allowed to disembark when there were sick people on board.
For weeks now, the ship had been stuck floating off Sydney's coast with about 1,000 crew on board. Last week, officials had to evacuate some who had fallen ill - and that number has now jumped to about 200.
Due to the crew's welfare and the police probe, the vessel was finally allowed to dock at a port south of Sydney this morning. Australia says it will take the sick crew to hospital, but no-one else will be allowed off.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce the move later on Monday though it's thought it won't come into effect that same day. It likely won't be for the entire country but for big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka only.
The decision would give the government the power to implement stricter measures to ask people to stay at home or to close businesses. It will not, though, give Mr Abe the power to impose full lockdowns like we've seen in China, or some European countries, where there are heavy fines for breaking the rules.
Japan has had more than 3,600 confirmed infections and 85 deaths. There's particular concern for Tokyo, where the number of people with confirmed infections has been sharply rising and now exceeds 1,000.
Italy has reported the highest number of deaths from the virus, a sobering 15,887 people.
There have been 69,444 deaths globally.
But it's worth remembering too that most people will recover. The university says 260,247 people have so far, the bulk of them in China.
This is obviously not true.
Yet several 5G mobile phone masts in Britain have been set on fire and video clips of that are circulating online - along with the conspiracy claims backed by several influential social media voices.
Medical experts and scientists are branding it as "complete rubbish" and "the worst kind of fake news".
Read our full piece debunking the 5G conspiracy theory here.
Eating exotic animals is a sign of status and wealth in some Asian countries. Add to this the use of some animals in traditional medicine and you have a thriving trade in wild animals, some procured illegally, creating a breeding ground for disease and the chance for viruses to leap to humans.
China has already brought in a ban on the consumption of wildlife, which is expected to become law later this year.
So could the pandemic be a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade?
Ready our full story here.
Health authorities are urging people to wear cloth masks so that medical-grade face masks will still be available for frontline workers.
There's concern over Indonesia's growing number of cases and deaths, and its capability to handle an outbreak. Officially it has close to 2,300 positive cases. But the country is vast, comprising of thousands of far-flung islands, and there is a serious lack of testing. Some estimate as few as 2% of infections are being reported.
The country also has the highest death toll from the virus in Asia after China, with about 200 coronavirus-related deaths - again, these are only officially reported figures and the true figure is still unknown.
There are also deep fears that the pandemic may overwhelm the healthcare system, which is already considered poor even in good times, particularly in rural areas.
Read more about Indonesia's fears of a hidden virus surge in this piece from the BBC's Resty Woro Yuniar and Aghnia Adzkia.
Since last week, Japan has not allowed UK nationals to enter the country - along with citizens from dozens of other countries.
The British Foreign Office's travel advice for Japan also says UK residents should avoid "all but essential international travel" and says citizens currently travelling abroad are "strongly advised to return now".
This Wednesday is also the airline's cut off date for flights from Australia via Singapore.
The pandemic has brought global aviation essentially to a standstill with many carriers around the world cancelling almost all their flights.
Officials said 47 more people had been confirmed with the virus and three had died. Overall, South Korea now has 10,237 confirmed infections although more than 6,400 of those have already recovered. The death toll stands at 183.
The government has extended social distancing rules for another two weeks but the country has so far avoided more stringent lockdown measures seen in Europe and the Unites States - largely through a campaign of thorough testing.
China has seen a slight uptick with 39 new infections compared to 30 the previous day. All but one of the new cases were imported from abroad, officials said. The country also registered 78 new asymptomatic cases.
Imported and asymptomatic cases, who can give it to others but show no symptoms, have become China's main focus in recent weeks.
The start of Spring in South Korea has brought concerns people may start dropping their guard
Throughout the outbreak, there's been one country that's emerged as a model to emulate - South Korea.
It's been widely praised for its aggressive approach to tracing and testing for cases of COVID19. And today, it reported fewer than 50 new infections for the first time since late February.
But its vice health minister says its too soon to tell if the rate of infection is on a downward trend, based on one day's data alone.
The fear now is one of complacency. Spring has arrived and tens of thousands of people were out in parks viewing the cherry blossom over the weekend – despite the closure of flower festivals and many of the main blossom viewing areas.
There are also images of long queues for nightclubs in Seoul’s trendy Gangnam area.
South Koreans have been warned the outbreak within the country is not over yet and won’t be for some time to come, but that message is not being heard by all.
, sources tell local media - suggesting that restrictions will continue in affected areas beyond the current lockdown.
The health ministry says 30% of all active cases (3,219) are linked to a weeks-long event organised by a Muslim congregation that sparked a new wave of Covid-19 cases.
Cases in the southern state of Tamil Nadu rose to 571 on Sunday after 86 new infections were reported, making it one of the worst-hit states.
The UK announced the first seven flights that will bring British nationals in Indiaback home, adding that more flights will follow soon.
India may start rapid testing for antibodies needed to fight the virus
as soon as Thursday in areas considered high-risk, reports say.
Nadia, along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions had all developed a dry cough, said the Bronx zoo's chief veterinarian.
The big cats are believed to have been infected by a zookeeper - but all are expected to make a full recovery.
This case is being described as unusual because coronavirus transmissions from humans to animals have been rare and not well understood so far.
For most people, the virus causes symptoms like a cough or fever - but we still don't know much about what symptoms it could cause in animals, or in fact, very much at all about the different ways animals could be affected by it.
Read more about their symptoms here.
The two countries have been locked in an oil price war for the last month.
Traders are concerned that, with large parts of the world in lockdown, there will be too much crude available, putting pressure on prices.
In Asian trade, the global benchmark Brent crude fell 12%, while US-traded oil, known as West Texas Intermediate, was more than 10% lower.
Read more here
At Sunday night's press conference in the White House, Mr Trump again praised the drug - and when a reporter asked Dr Anthony Fauci of the government's Coronavirus Task Force what he thought of the drug, the president cut in and didn't let the expert speak.
Instead, Mr Trump told the reporter Dr Fauci had answered this already about 15 times didn't need to do so again.
We had earlier reported that local media were saying 100 people had died from Covid-19, but this was not yet confirmed by the health ministry.
The country has been seeing a steady spike in cases recently, as the spread has been doubling every 4.1 days, according to officials
Around 20,000 foreign workers have now been told to stay in the dormitories where they're required to live, after two dormitories emerged as new Covid-19 clusters. These places have now been sealed off.
During their time in isolation, the workers will get their salaries, as well as three meals a day, plus masks, hand sanitisers and thermometers.
But six workers in one dormitory told news outlet The Straits Times that they were living in squalid conditions, with overflowing toilets, cockroaches and queues for food.
There are now 1,300 cases and six deaths in Singapore.
Read more on the virus situation in Singapore here.
This week we'll get snapshots of the impact on businesses' and nations' finances with company earnings, economic data and central bank decisions.
On the business front Samsung reports initial first quarter earnings on Tuesday. While smartphone sales are expected to have dropped sharply, robust memory chip demand looks likely to be the brightspot.
On Thursday Japan's Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, is due to post its second quarter earnings. The company closed some of its Chinese stores in January and is now shutting more outlets in other countries, including the US and Indonesia.
Australia's central bank holds a monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia has already slashed interest rates over the last 12 months to a record low of 0.25% and policymakers have ruled out negative interest rates ahead of this meeting.
It's South Korea's turn on Thursday with expectations the central bank will again cut its benchmark rate, this time to 0.5%.
And as the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was the coronavirus' first epicentre, sees its 76-day lockdown end on Wednesday, we get inflation numbers out of the world's second-largest economy.
They come after China last week released data showing a surprisingly strong rebound in manufacturing activity and economists will be looking for signs that upward pressure on both consumer prices and so-called "factory gate" prices continued to ease last month.
The Chinese online retail billionaire-turned philanthropist said in a tweet that the consignment includes hundreds of ventilators, large amounts of protective clothing and other medical supplies.
The first planeload of protective and medical equipment donated to the continent by Mr Ma arrived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa last month.
"I understand some of you have not yet booked in the hope there will be more opportunities later on," said Daniel Pruce in a video posted on Twitter.
"Let me stress. This is it... something better will not come along."
Four flights from the Philippine tourist spots of Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Siargao - where the majority of stranded Britons are - are due to leave tomorrow.
They will connect to Manila's main airport and fly onwards to London's Heathrow airport. The total cost per passenger, regardless of where they are flying from, is £1,000 ($1,220).
And it's clear the country's taking these rules very seriously - with very few exemptions allowed.
Scotland's top medical officer, Catherine Calderwood - who had fronted adverts urging the public to stay home - was found making two trips to her second home, something that's been expressly banned.
She had at first said she would continue in her role but faced calls to step down.
Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman said her actions "undermined Scotland's pandemic response and her own credibility".
Dr Calderood has now resigned.
It's a clear message that Scotland is sending - stressing the importance of everyone following the rules during this critical time.
Raymond Coombs, 38, said he had been drunk and did it as a prank. He later said he regretted doing the "foolish, sensitive act". Police arrested him on Saturday after he posted the video to Facebook where it went viral and sparked outrage.
He had faced two criminal charges – including the violation of a public health order - but these were later dropped.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had described him as an "idiot".
Here's more news from the rest of the South Asia region:
On 23 March, a 56 year old man living in a vast, labyrinthine slum in the western Indian city of Mumbai went to see a doctor. He was feeling feverish and had a bad cough.
The garment trader lived in Dharavi where more than half a million people are spread over 2.5 grubby sq km, which is less than a square mile. (Imagine a population larger than Manchester living in an area smaller than Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.)
A few days later, he died - after becoming the first person to be infected from Covid-19 in the slum.
An outbreak of coronavirus in a place where social distancing is an oxymoron could easily turn into a grave public health emergency and overwhelm the city's stretched public health system.
Nobody realises this more than the officials racing to track and contain the infection.
Read the full story here
The woman agreed to be quarantined but refused to pay the expenses. She was deported back to Taiwan late on Sunday.
- Infections and deaths have fallen in Spain and Italy in recent days - suggesting lockdowns have worked
- The slowly improving situation in those countries gives the US "hope", says a key Trump adviser
- At his Sunday press briefing, Mr Trump said "we see light at the end of the tunnel"
- But 1,200 people with the virus in the US died in the past 24 hours and the Surgeon General warned of a hard week
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hospital after suffering 'persistent symptoms'
- The news was announced on Sunday evening shortly after the Queen addressed the nation
- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce state of emergency
Welcome to our live coverage
Hello, and welcome to another day of live reporting on the global coronavirus pandemic. Coverage is starting here in Singapore and in Sydney, and later in the day we'll hand over to colleagues in the UK and then North America.As with every day, news is moving very fast, so we'll be bringing you all the major developments as they happen, as well as useful information to protect yourself and your family, and some positive stories of communities helping each other out as well.
UK's PM in hospital with virus
There was a major political development in the UK last night, as it was announced that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been taken to hospital. Mr Johnson was confirmed to have the virus on Friday 27 March, and has been in isolation.A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.
"This is a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus."
The prime minister remains in charge of the government, but the foreign secretary is expected to chair a coronavirus meeting on Monday morning.
Read more here: PM admitted to hospital over virus symptoms
New York cases drop for first time
Here's a bit of good news this Monday morning.The number of infections and deaths in the state of New York has dropped for the first time, say officials.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the number of patients requiring hospital treatment was down for the first time in a week and that deaths were down from the previous day - from 630 deaths on Saturday to 594 on Sunday.
But he also added that it was too early to know how significant this data was.
There have so far been 4,159 deaths in New York, making it the hardest-hit area in the US.
Read more about what's happening in New York here.
What's happening in Australia?
Frances Mao - SydneyAfter a fortnight of tight restrictions on Australian society, the curve appears to be flattening. But officials are urging people to remain vigilant and to stay indoors.
Here's the latest:
- Australia has had more than 5,700 cases, including 37 deaths
- Almost 300,000 tests have been conducted, in what PM Scott Morrison says is the highest testing rate per capita globally
- The Ruby Princess cruise ship is now the subject of a criminal investigation, after being linked to 11 deaths and more than 600 infections
- A limited number of MPs are returning to Canberra so parliament can resume on Wednesday to legislate response measures. Almost half of Australia's 227 lawmakers have been excused - in a bid to limit how many are travelling.
Pope speaks in near-empty Basilica
It's the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar, leading up the Easter Sunday. In the Catholic Church this is usually marked by a service in the Vatican attended by thousands.But it was a very different scene this year, as Pope Francis delivered his Palm Sunday address to only a handful of people seated in the vast St Peter's Basilica.
The Ruby Princess returns with sick crew on board
The cruise ship has docked in the city of Wollongong, south of Sydney
We've been covering the Ruby Princess cruise ship disaster for weeks now - the vessel is the largest source of infections in Australia, accounting for 11 deaths and more than 600 cases.
On Sunday, New South Wales police announced they would begin a criminal investigation into how passengers were allowed to disembark when there were sick people on board.
For weeks now, the ship had been stuck floating off Sydney's coast with about 1,000 crew on board. Last week, officials had to evacuate some who had fallen ill - and that number has now jumped to about 200.
Due to the crew's welfare and the police probe, the vessel was finally allowed to dock at a port south of Sydney this morning. Australia says it will take the sick crew to hospital, but no-one else will be allowed off.
Japan expected to declare state of emergency
Parts of Japan are expected to go into a state of emergency in the coming days. That's according to Japanese media, as the number of confirmed infections continues to rise despite measures to contain the virus.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce the move later on Monday though it's thought it won't come into effect that same day. It likely won't be for the entire country but for big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka only.
The decision would give the government the power to implement stricter measures to ask people to stay at home or to close businesses. It will not, though, give Mr Abe the power to impose full lockdowns like we've seen in China, or some European countries, where there are heavy fines for breaking the rules.
Japan has had more than 3,600 confirmed infections and 85 deaths. There's particular concern for Tokyo, where the number of people with confirmed infections has been sharply rising and now exceeds 1,000.
Global confirmed cases close to 1.3 million
The number of confirmed virus cases around the world has reached 1,273,990, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which has been keeping track of the developing data for months The US still has the highest number of confirmed cases, with 337,274, followed by Spain and Italy at 131,646 and 128,948 respectively.Italy has reported the highest number of deaths from the virus, a sobering 15,887 people.
There have been 69,444 deaths globally.
But it's worth remembering too that most people will recover. The university says 260,247 people have so far, the bulk of them in China.
No, 5G does not spread the virus
Conspiracy theories around the pandemic are plenty. On the more bizarre end of the spectrum is the claim that somehow, the 5G technology which delivers faster mobile internet is linked to the spread of the virus.This is obviously not true.
Yet several 5G mobile phone masts in Britain have been set on fire and video clips of that are circulating online - along with the conspiracy claims backed by several influential social media voices.
Medical experts and scientists are branding it as "complete rubbish" and "the worst kind of fake news".
Read our full piece debunking the 5G conspiracy theory here.
Will the virus stop global wildlife trade?
It is thought this new virus - SARS-CoV-2 - originated at a market in Wuhan, China, which was selling wild animals alongside other food and produce.Eating exotic animals is a sign of status and wealth in some Asian countries. Add to this the use of some animals in traditional medicine and you have a thriving trade in wild animals, some procured illegally, creating a breeding ground for disease and the chance for viruses to leap to humans.
China has already brought in a ban on the consumption of wildlife, which is expected to become law later this year.
So could the pandemic be a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade?
Ready our full story here.
Indonesia makes mask-wearing mandatory
Indonesia has become the latest country to make it compulsory for everyone to wear face masks outside, with a new rule kicking in on Sunday.Health authorities are urging people to wear cloth masks so that medical-grade face masks will still be available for frontline workers.
There's concern over Indonesia's growing number of cases and deaths, and its capability to handle an outbreak. Officially it has close to 2,300 positive cases. But the country is vast, comprising of thousands of far-flung islands, and there is a serious lack of testing. Some estimate as few as 2% of infections are being reported.
The country also has the highest death toll from the virus in Asia after China, with about 200 coronavirus-related deaths - again, these are only officially reported figures and the true figure is still unknown.
There are also deep fears that the pandemic may overwhelm the healthcare system, which is already considered poor even in good times, particularly in rural areas.
Read more about Indonesia's fears of a hidden virus surge in this piece from the BBC's Resty Woro Yuniar and Aghnia Adzkia.
BA to suspend Japan flights
British Airways will stop all flights to and from Japan this Wednesday 8 April.Since last week, Japan has not allowed UK nationals to enter the country - along with citizens from dozens of other countries.
The British Foreign Office's travel advice for Japan also says UK residents should avoid "all but essential international travel" and says citizens currently travelling abroad are "strongly advised to return now".
This Wednesday is also the airline's cut off date for flights from Australia via Singapore.
The pandemic has brought global aviation essentially to a standstill with many carriers around the world cancelling almost all their flights.
S Korea and China infections remain low
South Korea has reported fewer than 50 new infections for the first time since late February when the country was the worst-hit outside of China.Officials said 47 more people had been confirmed with the virus and three had died. Overall, South Korea now has 10,237 confirmed infections although more than 6,400 of those have already recovered. The death toll stands at 183.
The government has extended social distancing rules for another two weeks but the country has so far avoided more stringent lockdown measures seen in Europe and the Unites States - largely through a campaign of thorough testing.
China has seen a slight uptick with 39 new infections compared to 30 the previous day. All but one of the new cases were imported from abroad, officials said. The country also registered 78 new asymptomatic cases.
Imported and asymptomatic cases, who can give it to others but show no symptoms, have become China's main focus in recent weeks.
Is South Korea getting complacent?
The start of Spring in South Korea has brought concerns people may start dropping their guard
Throughout the outbreak, there's been one country that's emerged as a model to emulate - South Korea.
It's been widely praised for its aggressive approach to tracing and testing for cases of COVID19. And today, it reported fewer than 50 new infections for the first time since late February.
But its vice health minister says its too soon to tell if the rate of infection is on a downward trend, based on one day's data alone.
The fear now is one of complacency. Spring has arrived and tens of thousands of people were out in parks viewing the cherry blossom over the weekend – despite the closure of flower festivals and many of the main blossom viewing areas.
There are also images of long queues for nightclubs in Seoul’s trendy Gangnam area.
South Koreans have been warned the outbreak within the country is not over yet and won’t be for some time to come, but that message is not being heard by all.
What's happening in India?
- Good morning from Delhi. We're a day shy of reaching the half-way mark in a three-week shutdown here, prompting many to wonder if restrictions will really ease once we cross the finish line.
Here's a quick breakdown of the latest news here in India: - Some 80% of cases are being reported from 62 districts
as soon as Thursday in areas considered high-risk, reports say.
Tiger tests positive for virus
The latest victim of the coronavirus? A four-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.Nadia, along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions had all developed a dry cough, said the Bronx zoo's chief veterinarian.
The big cats are believed to have been infected by a zookeeper - but all are expected to make a full recovery.
This case is being described as unusual because coronavirus transmissions from humans to animals have been rare and not well understood so far.
For most people, the virus causes symptoms like a cough or fever - but we still don't know much about what symptoms it could cause in animals, or in fact, very much at all about the different ways animals could be affected by it.
Read more about their symptoms here.
Oil slides as Saudi-Russia talks delayed
Global oil prices have dropped after Saudi Arabia and Russia postponed a meeting about a deal to cut output as the pandemic hits demand.The two countries have been locked in an oil price war for the last month.
Traders are concerned that, with large parts of the world in lockdown, there will be too much crude available, putting pressure on prices.
In Asian trade, the global benchmark Brent crude fell 12%, while US-traded oil, known as West Texas Intermediate, was more than 10% lower.
Read more here
Trump blocks Fauci from answering
US President Donald Trump has been praising a malaria drug called Hydroxychloroquine as a possible cure for Covid-19. His medical advisers though have been somewhat more reserved on this, saying repeatedy there have been no studies to sufficiently confirm this.At Sunday night's press conference in the White House, Mr Trump again praised the drug - and when a reporter asked Dr Anthony Fauci of the government's Coronavirus Task Force what he thought of the drug, the president cut in and didn't let the expert speak.
Instead, Mr Trump told the reporter Dr Fauci had answered this already about 15 times didn't need to do so again.
India death toll rises to 109
In the past few minutes, we've got confirmation that the number of deaths in India has officially reached109, as confirmed cases climb to 4,067.We had earlier reported that local media were saying 100 people had died from Covid-19, but this was not yet confirmed by the health ministry.
The country has been seeing a steady spike in cases recently, as the spread has been doubling every 4.1 days, according to officials
Singapore quarantines 20,000 migrant workers
Here in Singapore, we saw the highest spike in daily cases yesterday, with 120 new confirmed infections.Around 20,000 foreign workers have now been told to stay in the dormitories where they're required to live, after two dormitories emerged as new Covid-19 clusters. These places have now been sealed off.
During their time in isolation, the workers will get their salaries, as well as three meals a day, plus masks, hand sanitisers and thermometers.
But six workers in one dormitory told news outlet The Straits Times that they were living in squalid conditions, with overflowing toilets, cockroaches and queues for food.
There are now 1,300 cases and six deaths in Singapore.
Read more on the virus situation in Singapore here.
Asian ec
As tens of millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region cope with lockdowns and other measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, their countries' economies are also under extreme pressure.This week we'll get snapshots of the impact on businesses' and nations' finances with company earnings, economic data and central bank decisions.
On the business front Samsung reports initial first quarter earnings on Tuesday. While smartphone sales are expected to have dropped sharply, robust memory chip demand looks likely to be the brightspot.
On Thursday Japan's Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, is due to post its second quarter earnings. The company closed some of its Chinese stores in January and is now shutting more outlets in other countries, including the US and Indonesia.
Australia's central bank holds a monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia has already slashed interest rates over the last 12 months to a record low of 0.25% and policymakers have ruled out negative interest rates ahead of this meeting.
It's South Korea's turn on Thursday with expectations the central bank will again cut its benchmark rate, this time to 0.5%.
And as the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was the coronavirus' first epicentre, sees its 76-day lockdown end on Wednesday, we get inflation numbers out of the world's second-largest economy.
They come after China last week released data showing a surprisingly strong rebound in manufacturing activity and economists will be looking for signs that upward pressure on both consumer prices and so-called "factory gate" prices continued to ease last month.
Alibaba's Ma sends medical kit to Africa
Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has said that another shipment of medical equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic is on its way to Africa.The Chinese online retail billionaire-turned philanthropist said in a tweet that the consignment includes hundreds of ventilators, large amounts of protective clothing and other medical supplies.
The first planeload of protective and medical equipment donated to the continent by Mr Ma arrived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa last month.
UK ambassador appeals to Brits in Philippines
The British ambassador has made a "last chance" appeal to Britons stranded in the Philippines - calling on them to book repatriation flights leaving the country on Tuesday."I understand some of you have not yet booked in the hope there will be more opportunities later on," said Daniel Pruce in a video posted on Twitter.
"Let me stress. This is it... something better will not come along."
Four flights from the Philippine tourist spots of Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Siargao - where the majority of stranded Britons are - are due to leave tomorrow.
They will connect to Manila's main airport and fly onwards to London's Heathrow airport. The total cost per passenger, regardless of where they are flying from, is £1,000 ($1,220).
Day draws to a close in US
As another day draws to a close in the US, here's a round-up of what's happened there over the last few hours:- The number of new infections and deaths in New York, the worst hit state in the country, has dipped. The state reported 594 deaths on Sunday, down from 630 on Saturday.
- President Trump described the cases as "levelling off", saying he saw "light at the end of the tunnel".
- US top adviser Dr Anthony Fauci however, said the short-term outlook was "really bad". The US Surgeon General Jerome Adams echoed this, saying the upcoming week would be "the hardest and saddest week of most Americans' lives.
- In cities like Washington DC, Detroit and New Orleans, the number of virus cases continue to grow - many governors have warned of a dire shortage of medical supplies, including ventilators and face masks.
- Several southern and Midwestern states, however, have resisted enforcing a lockdown.
- The US has reported 337,274 confirmed infections and 9,619 deaths from Covid-19, by far the highest tally in the world.
Scottish official resigns after flouting lockdown
It's been two weeks since the UK entered a state of lockdown - people have been told to only leave their homes if they have a "reasonable excuse" like exercise or shopping for basic necessities.And it's clear the country's taking these rules very seriously - with very few exemptions allowed.
Scotland's top medical officer, Catherine Calderwood - who had fronted adverts urging the public to stay home - was found making two trips to her second home, something that's been expressly banned.
She had at first said she would continue in her role but faced calls to step down.
Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman said her actions "undermined Scotland's pandemic response and her own credibility".
Dr Calderood has now resigned.
It's a clear message that Scotland is sending - stressing the importance of everyone following the rules during this critical time.
NZ man in court for coughing on shoppers
In New Zealand, a man has been convicted of "offensive behaviour" after he filmed himself deliberately coughing on other people in a supermarket in Christchurch.Raymond Coombs, 38, said he had been drunk and did it as a prank. He later said he regretted doing the "foolish, sensitive act". Police arrested him on Saturday after he posted the video to Facebook where it went viral and sparked outrage.
He had faced two criminal charges – including the violation of a public health order - but these were later dropped.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had described him as an "idiot".
Bangladesh unveils $8bn stimulus package
Bangladesh has announced a $8bn (£6.5bn) stimulus package to help cushion the blow to its economy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the announcement in a televised speech on Sunday, adding that it would support low-cost loans for a variety of businesses. The country has around 70 confirmed cases and nine deaths so far.Here's more news from the rest of the South Asia region:
- Four men from Sri Lanka have tested positive in India after they attended a weeks-long event organised by a Muslim congregation that's been in the news for setting off Covid-19 clusters across India.
- Pakistan's federal health ministry has told the Supreme Court that infections could reach 50,000 by the end of April
- - a projection based on how the pandemic has progressed across the world. The country is the worst-affected in South Asia as cases jumped beyond 3,000 on Sunday.
- Nepal confirmed three new cases over the weekend, taking the total number of infections to nine. The Himalayan country is under lockdown until 7 April.
Race to halt the virus in a vast Indian slum
Soutik Biswas - India CorrespondentOn 23 March, a 56 year old man living in a vast, labyrinthine slum in the western Indian city of Mumbai went to see a doctor. He was feeling feverish and had a bad cough.
The garment trader lived in Dharavi where more than half a million people are spread over 2.5 grubby sq km, which is less than a square mile. (Imagine a population larger than Manchester living in an area smaller than Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.)
A few days later, he died - after becoming the first person to be infected from Covid-19 in the slum.
An outbreak of coronavirus in a place where social distancing is an oxymoron could easily turn into a grave public health emergency and overwhelm the city's stretched public health system.
Nobody realises this more than the officials racing to track and contain the infection.
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South Korea deports Taiwanese woman
South Korea has deported a Taiwanese woman who refused to stay at a quarantine facility, reports news outlet Yonhap. All international arrivals into the country have to go through a two-week period of self-isolation, either at their homes or government-designated facilities. These cost around $81 (£66) a day.The woman agreed to be quarantined but refused to pay the expenses. She was deported back to Taiwan late on Sunday.