April 23 coronavirus news

Indonesia will deploy 175,000 military personal, police and public order officers to enforce travel restrictions for the upcoming Eid holiday, according to National Police Spokesman High Commissioner Asep Adi Saputra.

The security operation will run from April 24 until May 31, to enforce a ban on traveling home for Eid.

The ban was announced this week, but it remains unclear just how fully it will be enforced. The government will not be able to impose official sanctions for the travel ban until at least May 7.

Police have also set up 19 check points around the city of Jakarta as part of the operation.

Jakarta is one of several jurisdictions considered “red zones” for Covid-19, in which stronger restrictions have been issued to contain the virus.

Older adults with Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have several "atypical" symptoms, complicating efforts to ensure they get appropriate treatment, according to physicians.

Covid-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at risk of severe complications or death from this condition ― may have none of these characteristics.

Instead, seniors may seem "off" — not acting like themselves ― early on after being infected by the coronavirus. They may sleep more than usual or stop eating. They may also seem unusually apathetic or confused, losing orientation to their surroundings.

Read the full story here.

At least 842,624 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases. The total number of deaths is 46,785.

States are beginning to include "probable deaths" in their counts. This may look like a surge of virus related deaths.

CNN is tracking COVID-19 cases here.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is an “indispensable partner” in the fight against coronavirus and Germany supports its mandate, the country’s Chancellor Angela Merkel says.

Her comments put her at odds with US President Donald Trump, who has suspended funding for the international body and accused it of “severely mismanaging” the pandemic.

In an address to the German parliament, Merkel said international cooperation was “extremely important” to defeat the outbreak.

At a European level, Merkel says she will work with other leaders to ensure there is a rapid response to the changing situation, adding that Germany ought to be prepared to pay more into the EU budget.

“Our consultations today won't yet be about nailing down details or deciding on the extent but one thing is already clear: in the spirit of solidarity, we should be prepared -- over a limited period of time -- to make… much higher contributions to the EU budget,” she said.

Ahead of a key European Union summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed European solidarity.

Merkel made the remarks in a speech in German parliament on Thursday saying Germany would support other EU members during the coronavirus pandemic.

The German chancellor added that her government is in favor of a European stimulus package to help the block’s economy recover.

At the same time Merkel reiterated her rejection of common European bonds. The so-called corona bonds would help hard-hit countries borrow money at better conditions.

But Merkel said such a measure would take too long to implement as all European countries would have to agree to a change of EU treaties. 

 Read more about "corona bonds" here.

New coronavirus cases hit four figures for a fourth consecutive day in Singapore on Thursday as the Southeast Asian city state grapples with a second wave of infections centered around migrant worker dormitories.

A total of 1,037 new cases were recorded as of 12 p.m. today local time, the country's Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The vast majority of new cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, the statement said. Among the new cases, 21 are Singaporean citizens or permanent residents.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Germany risks squandering the gains it has made in slowing down the spread of Covid-19 if the country opens up too quickly.

The German federal and state governments recently agreed to a flurry of measures to loosen some of the physical distancing restrictions implemented to combat Covid-19, including allowing smaller shops to reopen. 

After the loosening of some restrictions, many people flocked into shopping areas and pedestrian zones this week, leading top German virologists to warn against complacency. Merkel echoed those calls in her speech in parliament.

Germany has reported more than 150,000 coronavirus infections, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has risen to 5,094, the country’s center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute said on Thursday.

To understand what the coming months will be like, try to tune out the politicians. There are way too many mixed messages coming from mayors, governors and presidential advisers. Tune into public health experts and CEOs instead.

Yes, CEOs: I think we're seeing a repeat of mid-March, when corporate leaders moved more swiftly than political leaders to shut down key sectors of American society. Now, in late April, we're seeing companies act much more realistically than elected officials like Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

To be sure, some elected officials are getting it right. But right now chief executives in the media and tech sectors seem to have a better grasp on consumer behavior and psychology than many political pros. Here are some examples:

Read the full story here.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the country is still at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, warning the situation will remain very difficult for some time.

She also vowed to further boost testing for the virus: "Testing, testing, testing is the way forward," she said.

Merkel used the address to express concern that some German states are relaxing social distancing measures too fast.

"We cannot return to daily life like before the virus," she warned. "Let’s remain clever and careful during the pandemic."