Germany extends virus restrictions until April 19
Germany will extend its current restrictions on public life to limit the spread of the coronavirus by two weeks until April 19, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

“We assessed the situation today and confirmed that the restrictions… will be valid up to and including April 19. We will reassess the situation on the Tuesday after Easter,” Merkel said in a telephone conference following a video meeting with regional state premiers.

War-torn Libya reports new cases
Officials in Libya reported two new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections in the war-torn country to 10.

The testing of 11 samples found two positive for COVID-19, the National Anti-Disease Center said on Facebook.

The UN has urged a suspension of hostilities in Libya to help efforts to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

Soccer-UEFA suspends Champions League
UEFA has suspended all Champions League and Europa League matches “until further notice” due to the coronavirus pandemic, European football’s governing body said.

All national team games scheduled for June have also been postponed, including play-off matches for Euro 2020, which has been moved to 2021.

World risks food crisis, officials warn
The world risks facing a food shortage if authorities fail to manage the continuing coronavirus outbreak properly, the heads of three global agencies – WTO, WHO, and the UN – have warned.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdowns, every effort must be made to ensure that trade flows as freely as possible, specially to avoid food shortages” from developing, they said in a statement.

Singapore reports 74 new cases
Singapore reported 74 new coronavirus cases in its biggest intraday jump, bringing the total tally to 1,000.

Twenty of the new cases were imported while 54 were locally transmitted, the health ministry said in a statement. Ten of the locally transmitted cases are linked to a previous case in an old people’s home.

Five more cases were discharged on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recoveries in the city-state to 245, the health ministry said.

America’s FDA says malaria drugs in shortage
The US Food and Drug Administration said malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and related chloroquine are in shortage due to a surge in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The drugs, which have been tried with some success to treat the disease caused by the virus, were added to the agency’s website that lists drug shortages on Tuesday.

Switzerland past ‘bottleneck’ in coronavirus testing
Switzerland no longer faces shortages in coronavirus testing, its top health official dealing with the pandemic said.

“There are no bottlenecks any more,” Daniel Koch, head of the Federal Office of Health’s communicable diseases division, told a news conference in Bern. “We did 16,000 tests since yesterday.”

Tracking Africa’s coronavirus cases
More than 200 people have died from COVID-19 including former heads of state since first case was confirmed in February.

Of Africa’s 54 countries, only five have yet to report a case of the virus.

Portugal PM says restrictions could last months
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that the country may be facing “one, two, three months” of restrictions on movement of people, as the number those who have died from the virus nears 200.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to decide later on Wednesday whether to extend a state of emergency, declared on March 18, which restricted non-essential travel and led thousands of businesses to close their doors.

“We don’t know whether this will last one, two, or three months and this is obviously scary for everyone,” Costa told SIC television channel.

With Easter weekend approaching, he reminded the Portuguese that “families cannot go home to visit their families. .. this year, we must tell emigrants not to come – and if they do, not to leave their homes”.

UK death toll rises by 563
The number of people with coronavirus who have died in hospital in the United Kingdom rose by 563 to a total 2,352, the government said.

It added there were 29,474 confirmed cases of the virus, up from 25,150 on Tuesday.

As of 9am 1 April, a total of 152,979 people have been tested of which 29,474 tested positive.

As of 5pm on 31 March, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,352 have sadly died.

Erdogan: Turkey may need more measures if ‘voluntary quarantine’ is ignored
Turkey will have to take additional measures if the coronavirus outbreak widens and citizens do not abide by a “voluntary quarantine,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Erdogan has stopped short of announcing a full lockdown across Turkey, mainly for economic reasons. He reiterated that Ankara was determined to continue production and exports.

Qatar says it will pay worker salaries in full
Qatar has announced that workers under quarantine and treatment in the country will receive full salaries without deductions.

In a press conference on Tuesday, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) also said it was mandatory for employers and companies to follow the necessary government policy, adding that a hotline service has been launched to receive workers’ grievances.

Turkey sends supplies to Spain and Italy
Turkish officials said that health supplies for Spain and Italy departed from Etimesgut airport in the captial Ankara.

Domestically produced protective masks, face gears, eye gears, overalls and anti-bacterial fluids were transported by an A400 military aircraft in the morning, they told Al Jazeera.

The supplies include protective masks and face gears, according to authorities.

New Zealand police urge virus-testing tent thieves to get tested
Hapless thieves who stole a coronavirus testing tent in New Zealand have put themselves at risk of contracting the virus and should get tested, police warned.

The tent was stolen from outside an Auckland hospital where it had been set up to test Kiwis for COVID-19, police said in a video posted on Facebook.

East Health Trust chief Loretta Hansen said staff discovered the tent was missing when they arrived early Tuesday morning to begin a day of testing.

“Some fool, idiot, come and stole our tent – our COVID-19 testing tent,” she said. “They chopped it off at the ground level. It was bolted in by concrete, and they just chopped it off.”

Former Somali PM dies after contracting coronavirus
Somalia’s former Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has died in a London hospital after contracting coronavirus, his family told BBC’s Somali service.

He was 83 and held office between November 2007 and February 2009.

US death toll exceeds 4,000
The total US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped 4,000, more than double the number from three days earlier, according to a tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The number of deaths was 4,076, more than twice the 2,010 recorded late on Saturday, while China’s death toll stood at 3,310.

More than 40 percent of recorded deaths nationally were in New York state, the Johns Hopkins data showed.

The number of confirmed US cases has reached 189,510, the most in the world, though Italy and Spain have recorded more fatalities.

Spain reports more than 100,000 coronavirus cases
The number of cases of coronavirus in Spain surpassed 100,000, while the number of fatalities reported overnight reached a new record at 864.

The number of cases rose to 102,136 up from 94,417 on Tuesday, the health ministry said.

Overall fatalities caused by the disease rose to 9,053 from 8,189 the previous day. The daily death toll was the nation’s highest yet at 864, though the increase was lower in percentage terms than previous days.

Iran’s coronavirus death toll rises to 3,036: official
Iran’s death toll from the new coronavirus reached 3,036, with 138 deaths in the past 24 hours, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, adding the country had 47,593 infections.

“We had 2,987 new cases of infected people in the past 24 hours and 15,473 people have recovered from the disease,” Jahanpur said.

White House projects up to 240,000 deaths in US
The White House has projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the US from the coronavirus pandemic even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained.

The projections were presented during a White House briefing on Tuesday. They suggest if no social distancing measures had been put in place across the country, between 1.5 million to 2.2 million people would have died.

Indonesia confirms 149 new coronavirus infections
Indonesia confirmed 149 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 1,677, a health ministry official said.

Achmad Yurianto reported 21 new deaths from the virus, taking the total to 157, while 103 had recovered.

Philippines reports 227 new coronavirus cases, eight more deaths
The Philippines recorded 227 new coronavirus cases and eight more deaths, the health ministry said.

The latest figures brought the total number of infections and deaths in the country to 2,311 and 96, respectively.

UK coronavirus deaths rise 27 percent in one day

Panama: 13-year-old girl with coronavirus dies, officials say

 British boy, 13, dies of coronavirus ‘without any family close by’
Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, a 13-year-old boy from London who tested positive for COVID-19, has died.

He is believed to be the United Kingdom’s youngest coronavirus victim.

“Ismail was only 13 years old without any pre-existing health conditions and sadly he died without any family members close by due to the highly infectious nature of Covid 19,” the family said in a statement on Tuesday.

Tokyo’s Nikkei drops more than 4 percent on growing virus concern
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index dropped more than 4 percent amid a broader market rout, with fears growing of a possible lockdown in the capital.

Market sentiment in Tokyo also suffered from a key survey showing confidence among Japan’s biggest manufacturers plunging into negative territory for the first time in seven years, as the coronavirus pandemic hits demand and disrupts production.

The market faced additional selling pressure in late trade after US stock index futures dropped while investors remained nervous about a possible Tokyo lockdown, brokers said.

Survivors of coronavirus share their experiences
As COVID-19 spreads around the world, infected and recovered patients are sharing their experiences on social media.

One pieve of advice most of them agree on is that the virus and illness it causes should not be taken lightly.

“Don’t think this won’t touch you,” one survivor says.

Russian plane takes off for US with help on board
A Russian military transport plane is headed for the US with medical equipment and masks to help Washington fight coronavirus, Russian state television reported.

President Vladimir Putin offered Russian help in a phone conversation with President Donald Trump on Monday, in which the two leaders discussed how best to respond to the virus.

The flight, organised by the Russian defence ministry, is likely to be unpopular with some critics of Trump who have urged him to keep his distance from Putin and argue that Moscow uses such aid as a geopolitical and propaganda tool to advance its influence, something the Kremlin denies.

“Trump gratefully accepted this humanitarian aid,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited as saying by the Interfax news agency.

UK aims to test 25,000 a day for coronavirus by mid-April: Minister
Britain is aiming to increase the number of tests for coronavirus to 25,000 a day by the middle of the month from its present capacity of 12,750 a day, housing minister Robert Jenrick told national Sky News.

The UK has so far reported more than 25,000 cases and over 1,800 deaths because of coronavirus.

Minister Jenrick says the UK’s test capacity for coronavirus currently stands at 12,750 a day

 Russian manufacturing activity shrinks in March: Survey
Russian manufacturing activity shrank in March for the 11th straight month and at its sharpest pace since November as the coronavirus outbreak and falling client demand affected production, a survey of businesses showed.

The Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for factory activity fell to 47.5 in March from 48.2 in February, remaining below the 50.0 mark dividing expansion from contraction.

With uncertainty clouding the global economic outlook, business confidence fell to its lowest since the measure of future output was first included in the survey eight years ago.

No deliveries: Japan Post suspends service to more than 150 countries
Japan Post will stop delivering letters and parcels to more than 150 countries from Thursday as flights are cancelled because of the coronavirus.

Mail will continue to the US, France, Australia and Hong Kong among a handful of places.

Other national postal services in Asia, including Hong Kong and Malaysia, have also reduced services because of the lack of flights.

South Korea reports 101 new cases, most linked to overseas arrivals
South Korea has confirmed 101 new cases of coronavirus, most of them in and around Seoul, the capital.

Many are linked to people arriving from overseas, and the country on Wednesday began to enforce mandatory quarantine on all those coming from abroad, including South Korean students. Those who break the rules risk a fine of as much as $8,200 or jail, while foreigners can be expelled.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control says the country has recorded 9,887 cases so far with more than 5,560 people recovered. The death toll stands at 165 people.

Cluster of infections among medics at hospital in northern Mexico
Some 29 doctors and nurses at a hospital in northern Mexico have been diagnosed with coronavirus, according to a report from Reuters, citing the regional health department.

The outbreak at the government-owned IMSS General Hospital in Monclova in the northern border state of Coahuila is thought to have started when a doctor picked up the virus from a patient at his private practice.

Germany reports 5,453 additional cases
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute says the country confirmed an additional 5,453 cases of coronavirus with a further 149 deaths.

The country now has recorded a total of 67,366 cases, approximately 16,100 people recovered, and 732 deaths.

Taiwan to donate 10 million masks to countries most in need, share expertise
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen says the country will donate masks and other vital medical supplies to its allies and countries hardest-hit by the coronavirus, and collaborate on developing treatments and vaccines.

The masks will go to the US, the hardest-hit European countries and Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies, according to Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

“Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is helping,” she said.

Tsai also said Taiwan is spending the equivalent of $35bn on measures to support its export-led economy through the crisis.

Japan to do ‘whatever is needed’ to control coronavirus
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters the government would do “whatever is needed” to control the coronavirus, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepared to chair a meeting of his coronavirus task force on Wednesday evening.

Japan has reported some 2,200 cases and 66 deaths. New infections in Tokyo rose to a daily record of 78 on Tuesday, for a total of more than 500. Schools have been closed since March 2 and expectations are growing the shutdown will be extended.

Reporters Without Borders tracking impact of virus on journalism
Reporters without Borders (RSF) has launched its “Tracker 19” tool to document state censorship, deliberate disinformation and their effect on people’s right to reliable news and information during a global pandemic.

Among its most recent entries are Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s attacks on the media, restrictions on the right to inform in Thailand and Turkmenistan’s decision to ban the word “coronavirus”.

Malaysia tightens lockdown in ‘second phase’
Malaysia is tightening its lockdown, as the so-called Movement Control Order that was originally to have come to an end on March 31 enters its “second phase”.

The Home Ministry says that, for the next two weeks, public transport will operate only during limited hours in the morning and evening, while private vehicles (including e-hailing services) will be banned from the roads between 10pm (14:00 GMT) and 6am (22:00 GMT).

Malaysia has deployed the military to help enforce a nationwide stay-at-home order lasting till April 14

Taiwan asks people to wear masks when using public transport
Everyone using public transport in Taiwan will need to wear masks from today, while people with fevers will not be allowed into stations or airports.

Taiwan starts asking all citizens to wear masks when they take public transportation today, as the country remains on high alert about the #COVID19 outbreak. Those who are feverish will not be allowed to go to trains stations or airports.

Taiwan has been widely praised for its efforts to curb the virus’ spread on the island. Al Jazeera’s Erin Hale wrote earlier on Taiwan’s approach as well as the difficulties it faces because of its exclusion from the WHO.

The US government’s emergency stockpile of medical equipment has nearly run out of protective gear.

Masks, respirators, gloves, gowns and face shields are all in short supply, two officials at the Department of Homeland Security told Reuters.

China’s National Health Commission has yet to release its daily update on coronavirus cases, with asymptomatic cases expected to be added to the tally.

We will bring you the numbers once they’re announced.

Hong Kong says pet cat tests positive for coronavirus
Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has revealed that a cat has tested positive for the coronavirus – the third pet to do so in the territory.

The short-haired cat was sent for quarantine when its owner tested positive for COVID-19. The animal does not have any symptoms, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Earlier two dogs tested weak positive or positive during repeated tests for the virus.

Hong Kong is urging that pet cats, dogs and other mammals should be quarantined if anyone in the household is confirmed with COVID-19.

Trump’s ‘Coronavirus Guidelines for America’
US President Trump has just shared on Twitter his “Coronavirus Guidelines for America” after warning the country faced a “very painful” two weeks as it confronts the virus.

The recommendations advise the elderly and those with underlying health conditions to stay at home and urge those feeling sick to stay at home and seek medical attention.

UN chief: ‘COVID-19 worst crisis since WWII’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the coronavirus pandemic is the most serious crisis facing the world since World War II, threatening people in every country and carrying the risk of “enhanced instability, enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict.”

The UN chief was speaking at the launch of a report on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19.

Al Jazeera