April 6 coronavirus news

By Helen Regan, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton, Amy Woodyatt and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 9:18 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020
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6:36 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

US edges closer towards 10,000 deaths

A deceased coronavirus patient is loaded into a waiting funeral home van outside Wyckoff Heights hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on April 2.
A deceased coronavirus patient is loaded into a waiting funeral home van outside Wyckoff Heights hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on April 2. B.A. Van Sise/NurPhoto/Getty Images

There are at least 337,646 cases of coronavirus in the U.S, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States. At least 9,648 people have died in the U.S. from coronavirus. 

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. territories, as well as all repatriated cases.

Wyoming is the only state not reporting a death from coronavirus.

6:21 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Chinese tourist sites packed as country comes out of lockdown, but experts say risk still high

From CNN's Ben Westcott and David Culver, CNN

Large numbers of people flocked to popular tourists sites and major cities across China over the country's holiday weekend, despite warnings from health authorities that the risk posed by the coronavirus pandemic remains far from over.

Images from the Huangshan mountain park in Anhui province on Saturday April 4 showed thousands of people crammed together, many wearing face masks, eager to experience the great outdoors after months of travel restrictions and strict lockdown measures.

Such was the rush to get into the popular tourist spot, that at 7.48 a.m., authorities took the unusual step of issuing a notice declaring that the park had reached its 20,000 person daily capacity, and would not be accepting any more visitors, according to state media Global Times.

Restaurants and parks packed: Meanwhile in Shanghai, the famous Bund waterfront was packed with shoppers and tourists, after weeks of being near deserted. Many of the city's restaurants that were shuttered only days ago also appeared to be doing a brisk trade, with several requiring reservations.

A similar story played out in the capital Beijing, with locals flocking to the city's parks and open spaces.

Caution urged: The abrupt return to apparent normality comes more than three months after the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The outbreak, which has since spread around the world infecting more than a million people, saw much of China brought to a near standstill in an effort to contain transmissions.

At its peak, thousands of new cases were recorded in China every day. However, in recent weeks the rate of infection has slowed significantly. On Monday, China reported just 39 new cases, all but one of which were imported. To date, China has recorded 82,641 cases and 3,335 deaths.

But while the government is slowly relaxing restrictions, Chinese health experts have urged the public to continue to practice caution.

Read the full story:

6:12 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

South Korea’s football captain to carry out mandatory military service during coronavirus pandemic

From CNN’s Jane Sit in Hong Kong and Aleks Klosok in London

Son Heung-Min is pictured during a Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in Birmingham, England, on February 16.
Son Heung-Min is pictured during a Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in Birmingham, England, on February 16. Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

South Korea’s football captain, Son Heung-Min, will carry out mandatory military service with the Marine Corps in his homeland as football’s coronavirus shutdown continues, his agent has confirmed to CNN.

The 27-year-old returned to South Korea on Saturday 28 March and is in the process of completing his 14 days in self-quarantine.

“He will move to Jeju Island as soon as he has completed self-quarantine, and will receive three weeks of basic military training at the 9th Brigade of the Marine Corps beginning on 20th April,” said his agent.
“Basic military training in the army is usually scheduled for four weeks, but the Navy (the Marine Corps) has been changed to three weeks from 2019,” he added.

Military service: Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to perform at least 21 months of military service.

However, any South Korean athletes who win Olympic medals or Asian Games titles are exempt from military conscription.

Son, who represents English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at club-level, earned his exemption in 2018 when he led South Korea to win the football gold medal at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

Despite the exemption, athletes are still required by law to serve a mandatory four-week national service in the South Korean military – albeit with the Marine Corps being an exception of three-weeks.

Premier League suspended: On Friday it was confirmed the England’s Premier League season had been indefinitely suspended amid the ongoing pandemic with the League announcing it would resume play “only when it is safe and appropriate to do so.”

6:00 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Ventilators held in Turkey to fly to Spain today

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London

Spanish-bought ventilators and other medical equipment held in Ankara by Turkish authorities will take off for Spain on Monday, Spanish foreign minister Arancha González Laya said in an interview with Spanish network Antena 3. 

The equipment is expected to be available for distribution among regional governments in Spain on Tuesday. The ventilators, produced by a company in Turkey, have been held by local authorities in Ankara since Friday. 

On Friday, the foreign minister said the ventilators would not arrive on time because “the Turkish government understands that they are a priority for the treatment of its patients.”

However, Ankara said that the exporting company lacked the proper authorization because Turkey introduced strict controls on the export of medical equipment a month ago, as the novel coronavirus in the country started to worsen.

The situation was resolved late on Saturday, with the Spanish foreign minister tweeting thanks to her Turkish counterpart for authorizing the export.

“We will always stand by our friend Spain,” Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted back. “We will overcome these difficult times together.”

5:54 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Austria will gradually reopen shops after Easter

From CNN's Stephanie Halasz

A closed street food stall is pictured in Vienna, Austria on April 2.
A closed street food stall is pictured in Vienna, Austria on April 2. David Visnjic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Austria will gradually reopen shops after Easter, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday.

Smaller shops, DIY shops and garden shops will reopen as of April 14, Kurz said at a press conference. 

All shops, shopping centers and hairdressers will open as of May 1, while restaurants and hotels will open in mid-May at the earliest, in a step-by-step system.

No major events will be held until the end of June, Kurz said.

There will be home-schooling until the middle of May, and decisions on schooling will be made towards the end of April.

Kurz added that social distancing and the wearing of masks must be adhered to where necessary.

The situation in Austria: There have been more than 12,000 confirmed cases in Austria, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. At least 200 people have died.

5:35 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

"People are fighting over products to fight coronavirus," Spain's foreign minister says

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London

Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said governments are “fighting” over medical supplies to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

“People are fighting over the products to fight the coronavirus,” she said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, explaining that the country is looking for alternative producers as the main global supplier is not able to meet demand.
“The Chinese market is very complicated because the demand is much greater than the supply," she said.

The foreign minister said that Spain was prioritizing contracts with “exclusive” supplies but also incentivizing local companies to produce some of the equipment instead of buying it from abroad.

“National production is a very important aspect and will allow us not only to tackle the coronavirus on national territory but also to help other countries that do not have that many resources,” she said.

6:42 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Japan will declare state of emergency

From CNN’s Will Ripley and Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a parliamentary session on April 2 in Tokyo.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a parliamentary session on April 2 in Tokyo. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will declare a state of emergency on Tuesday, lasting for approximately one month, he announced Monday.

Abe will hold a press conference on Tuesday to further explain the declaration. 

A different tactic: Abe says Japan’s state of emergency will differ from Western countries, adding that "basic economic activity" will continue, giving examples including public transportation and supermarkets.

The Prime Minister’s advisory committee recommended that a state of emergency be declared for seven Japanese prefectures, including the Japanese capital of Tokyo and its second largest city Osaka. The full list of prefectures affected is: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka.

Economic relief: Abe also announced details of a massive JPY ¥108 trillion (USD $989 billion) economic stimulus package. The size of the economic relief package — 20-percent of Japan’s GDP — is unprecedented.

The stimulus includes JPY ¥6 trillion (USD $54 billion) in cash handouts for families who have lost significant income and small business owners. Also included, JPY ¥26 trillion (USD $238 billion) in extension of deadlines for tax and social welfare payments. Zero-interest loans will also be provided to private financial institutions, but Abe did not specify the amount.

This post has been corrected to better reflect the details of Japan’s stimulus package.

5:17 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Former British PM Tony Blair fears for economic damage from UK "lockdown"

From CNN's Simon Cullen and Jo Shelley

Former British Prime Minster Tony Blair speaks at an event in London in December 2019.
Former British Prime Minster Tony Blair speaks at an event in London in December 2019. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the economic damage caused by the UK’s social distancing rules and government-mandated shutdown of some businesses is “enormous” and could eventually affect the county’s ability to run its health-care system.

“I am terrified by the economic damage we are doing every week this lockdown continues,” Blair told BBC radio on Monday.
“If it goes on for a long period of time, then that economic damage doesn’t just affect the economy per se, it also affects your ability to operate your health-care system effectively.”

Blair said the only real way to ease the restrictions is to dramatically increase the number of coronavirus tests being carried out.

“If I was handling this situation now I think I would put a senior minister in charge of testing and nothing else,” he said, adding that the minister would need to be supported with business and technology experts to advise on how to increase testing rates to an industrial scale.

“Unless you’re able to get mass testing -- at scale, with speed -- I don’t see how you get a way out of this lockdown.”

5:03 a.m. ET, April 6, 2020

It's just past 2:30 p.m. in New Delhi and 10 a.m. in Dublin. Here's the latest

A man wearing a face mask sits in front of a closed shop during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in New Delhi, India, on April 6.
A man wearing a face mask sits in front of a closed shop during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in New Delhi, India, on April 6. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

If you're just joining us now, here's what has happened since our last catch-up.

Boris Johnson in hospital: The British prime minister was admitted to hospital yesterday for tests, but continues to lead the government, authorities said today. Johnson tested positive for coronavirus on March 27, and is still experiencing symptoms 10 days later, so went to the hospital as a "precautionary step."

Scottish scandal: Scotland’s chief medical officer resigned after being caught leaving her home without a proper excuse. Police issued her with a formal warning on Sunday for breaking Scotland’s strict measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

Irish leader steps in: Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar, a former doctor, has rejoined the medical register and will work one shift a week to help out, according to national broadcaster RTE.

Spike in Japan: Japan's health ministry announced 378 new cases and three more deaths nationwide by the end of Sunday. A US military commander in Japan declared a public health emergency for military bases today, citing the rise in cases in nearby Tokyo.

Commuters wearing face masks pass through Shinagawa station in Tokyo, Japan, on April 6.
Commuters wearing face masks pass through Shinagawa station in Tokyo, Japan, on April 6. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images

Controversial drug: India has imposed a blanket export ban on a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as possible therapy for coronavirus. This ban comes just as Trump called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release more of the drug to the US.

And finally, some good news: The Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are both essential workers, so they are exempt from movement restrictions, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told children today. But they may be busy with their own families during this pandemic -- so if children aren't visited by the Bunny this year, they could organize their own social distancing version of an Easter egg hunt, she suggested.