KEY POINTS:
- Total Global Cases: 785,797
- Total Global Deaths: 37,816
- Total Global Recoveries: 165,607
- Active Cases: 582,374 (552,886 in mild condition; 29,488 in critical condition)
- Closed Cases: 203,423 (165,607 recovered; 37,816 deaths)
- The COVID-19 pandemic is now affecting 200 countries and territories around the world, as well as 2 international conveyances – Diamond Princess Cruise Ship harbored in Yokohama, Japan, and the Holland America’s MS Zaandam Cruise Ship.
- The Philippines has reported 128 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 1,546.
- Wuhan, China’s ground-zero for the COVID-19 outbreak, re-opens for business.
- Japan to expand its entry ban to include people traveling from the U.S., South Korea, China, and most of Europe.
- Doctors battling the COVID-19 outbreak in India are being infected.
- United States COVID-19 death toll nears 3,000, confirmed cases exceed 160,000.
Below are some of the latest news and updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept across the world.
Philippines. On Monday, the Philippines has reported 128 new COVID-19 cases and 7 additional deaths – this brings the total confirmed cases to 1,546 and the fatalities to 78. Recent big jumps in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines were attributed to the arrival of test kits and the opening of new laboratories processing samples across the country. There is an additional 920 PUIs (patients under investigation) and 6,321 PUMs (persons under monitoring).
President Rodrigo Duterte, in a late night address on Monday night, admits that the Philippines is short on both money and medical supplies. He further states that the country has been short of resources even before the COVID-19 outbreak. He adds that even the United States is having trouble addressing the pandemic. President Duterte says, “We have allotted ₱200 billion for low income households who are badly affected by this crisis. Beneficiary households will receive emergency support for their two months based on the regional minimum wage.” President Duterte also said that the government is providing assistance to the agricultural industry, adding “To our farmers and fisherfolk, we have not forgotten you, and government is now employing quick response measures to help you during the crisis as well as ensure food productivity, sufficiency.”
Under the “Bayanihan” law President Duterte declared a state of national emergency and gained broad powers to readjust the national budget and implement other measures to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
China. As authorities lifted more of the anti-virus controls that kept tens of millions of people at home for about two months, Wuhan, China’s ground-zero for the COVID-19 outbreak, re-opens for business. Around 70-80% of shops opened; however, many still imposed limits on how many people could enter. Shopkeepers also set up dispensers for hand sanitizer and checked customers for signs of fever. Wuhan’s subway and bus services has also resumed, easing curbs that cut most access to the city of 11 million people. The train station reopened last Saturday, bringing thousands of people to what is the transportation and manufacturing hub of central China. The final restrictions preventing people from leaving Wuhan are due to end on April 8.
According to the National Health Commission, China has suffered 3,186 COVID-19 deaths, including 2,547 in Wuhan as of Sunday. The country has a total of 81,518 confirmed cases.
Japan. Japan will reportedly expand its entry ban to include people traveling from the U.S., South Korea, China, and most of Europe. This measure will apply to foreign nationals who have been to any of the listed regions within 14 days of arriving in Japan. Furthermore, Japanese citizens – regardless of where they have traveled to – and foreigners who have traveled outside the banned areas will also be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days and watch for symptoms of COVID-19. The government may also ban entry from, and travel to, some countries in south-east Africa and Asia.
India. Doctors battling the COVID-19 outbreak in India are being infected. After a patient at a hospital in Northern India tested positive for COVID-19, it wasn’t long after some of the medical staff started to exhibit symptoms as well. Doctors at Nalanda Medical College in Bihar state, short of personal protective equipment, treated the patient while only wearing a standard surgical kit – plastic-coated apron, gloves, and three-ply mask. They ate in a mess hall shared by 83 doctors, all of whom are now worried that they were exposed to the virus.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of a global shortage of medical equipment in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, India’s struggling hospitals find themselves fighting an accelerating pandemic with too few doctors, health workers, personal protective equipment, ventilators, masks, beds, test kits, and other essential supplies.
United States. At least 3,166 people have died in the United States due to COVID-19 and there is a total of 164,253 confirmed cases. The total includes COVID-19cases from every state, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, as well as repatriated cases. Each day sees more reports of fatalities than the previous day – there were more than 500 reports of deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, the most fatality reports in a single day in the United States.
Of the total reported fatalities, 1,218 deaths were reported in New York, the hardest-hit state with a total of 66,497 cases. NYC Health reported that 42% of confirmed cases have been in adults ages 18 to 44, and only about 17% have been in adults over the age of 65.
Spain. For the third day in a row, Spain reported over 800 daily deaths due to COVID-19 according to data released by the Spanish Health Ministry on Monday. Over the last 24 hours, 812 people have died, bringing the death toll to 7,340. There are currently 87,956 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. As of Friday, about 10,000 Spanish healthcare professionals have been confirmed to have COVID-19. With the increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths, Spain has tightened its lockdown, suspending non-essential activities.
Italy. Italy’s death toll continues to rise, as the national doctor association reported on Monday that 63 doctors have died. The Italian Institute of Health reported that 8,358 healthcare workers are infected with COVID-19, a big jump of 595 from the previous day.
Italian health officials that the number of new COVID-19 confirmed cases fell on Sunday; however, it is not enough of a push to roll back the lockdown restrictions. In fact, they are expecting Italy to be under lockdown for another two weeks.
Germany. Germany sees low fatalities despite its high infection rate. The country has some of the world’s highest infection numbers but its mortality rate is much lower than that of its neighbors. There is a total of 66,885 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Germany, but only 645 fatalities.
