April 26 coronavirus news

Children in Spain had their first taste of freedom on Sunday after a state of emergency was imposed on March 14, bringing some of the strictest confinement measures in Europe in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Children enjoying the outdoors chirped "bien," which means good, when asked by CNN how they felt about being able to walk outside their homes in the capital, Madrid.

The government announced this week that from Sunday kids up to the age of 14 will now be able to play outside for one hour a day while accompanied by an adult.

They are not allowed to venture further than one kilometer (0.62 miles) from their home, but are able to bring out their toys to play.

This sliver of normality brought some smiles to Madrid's streets. Nine-year-old Lucia Ibanez told CNN that she missed "the streets and the park" the most during lockdown.

Dr. Anthony Fauci jokingly said that if any actor was going to portray him on "Saturday Night Live," he'd want Brad Pitt.

On Saturday night, Fauci got his wish.

In a surprise appearance, Pitt played Fauci at the opening of Saturday's "SNL," which was produced remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"First, I'd like to thank all the older women in America who have sent me supportive, inspiring and sometimes graphic e-mails," Pitt as Fauci said.

Pitt's Fauci then explained that there's been a lot of misinformation out there about the coronavirus, and that "yes, the President has taken some liberties with our guidelines."

He then said he'd like to explain what President Trump was "trying to say."

"And remember, let's all keep an open mind," Pitt's Fauci said.

The sketch then proceeded to show clips of Trump talking about the outbreak. The first had Trump saying that the country would have a vaccine "relatively soon."

"Relatively soon is an interesting phrase. Relative to the entire history of earth? Sure, the vaccine is going to come real fast," Pitt's Fauci said. "But if you were going to tell a friend, 'I'll be over relatively soon' and then showed up a year and a half later, well, your friend may be relatively pissed off."

Read the whole article here.

All hospitalized coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the original epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, have been discharged from hospitals, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday.

As of Saturday, 46,452 total cases have been confirmed in Wuhan, according to a statement from NHC on Sunday.

Wuhan was the first city in the world to go into lockdown due to the virus. It has been slowly returning to something that might be described as normal, after months of fear and anxiety.

But the scars of the viral outbreak, which for 76 days shut down the Chinese city and much of the surrounding Hubei province, lie just beneath the surface. Many citizens are worried about a second outbreak and businesses are struggling to get back on their feet.

The first known cases of the virus were detected in Wuhan in mid-December. In the weeks that followed, case numbers spiked and from January 23 until April 8, residents were unable to leave the city as the Chinese government attempted to contain the outbreak.

But despite the attempts to halt the spread of the virus, it has now infected more than 2.6 million people worldwide.

Read our piece on Wuhan's slow path to normality.

Spain's children are finally allowed to leave their homes for the first time in over six weeks after the government announced a relaxation of the strictest confinement measures in Europe.

In the capital Madrid, parents were seen by CNN venturing out with their children in tow on Sunday morning.

Kids up to the age of 14-years-old will now be able to play outside for one hour a day while accompanied by an adult, according to a decree by Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE).

The guidelines also stressed that children should be in groups no larger than three alongside one adult, and should not venture further than one kilometer (0.62 miles) from their home. They are also allowed to bring their toys.

This comes as the daily coronavirus death rate has dropped in the country, which also has the world’s second-highest number of coronavirus cases (223,759), after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Gradual easing: In a speech on Saturday evening, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced he will present his plan for the "de-escalation phase" in his country next Tuesday.

Sánchez told Spaniards that the country has had a small and modest victory, but there is a still a long way to go before they win the battle against coronavirus.

The PM also announced that if Spain continues to show improvement, citizens will be allowed to go outside to play sports and walk with family members in early May. The country's health minister will oversee the arrangements and guidance, he said.

The process would be gradual, "asymmetrical" and coordinated, Sánchez emphasized.

Hindu Rao, one of the largest hospitals in the Indian capital New Delhi, has been closed for a deep clean, after a nurse there tested positive for coronavirus.

"Since she has been on duty in various locations within the campus over the last two weeks, we are closing down the hospital till we fully sanitize and complete contact tracing," said Varsha Joshi, commissioner for the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. He added that a thorough inquiry will be conducted.

The hospital will only be functional again after the sanitization work finishes, per Health Ministry guidelines, she added. 

Delhi has reported 3,424 positive coronavirus cases, including 53 deaths.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the country's battle against coronavirus a "people-driven" movement and urged citizens to join the government in the struggle.

"People of our country are fighting this war along with the administration. We are also fighting poverty," Modi said Sunday, in his monthly radio broadcast. "I am proud that all of us are part of it. All of us are soldiers in this fight."

Modi said that demonstrations of solidarity, such as clapping and lighting candles, have lifted the morale of frontline workers. He also lauded workers of different sectors, saying "be it in cities or a village, everywhere we can see people getting involved in this fight against the pandemic."

"While some are feeding the poor, some are making masks, others are selling their lands to raise money for this fight. Some are even contributing their pensions. Our hardworking farmers are also ensuring no one is hungry," he added.

Referring to how coronavirus is altering life in India, and around the world, Modi said the most prominent change had been mask-wearing.

Modi also thanked Indians for celebrating festivals such as Easter and Ramadan at home. 

India has been under nationwide lockdown since March 24, with no plan to relax restriction until at least May 3.

As of Sunday, the country has reported 26,496 coronavirus cases and 825 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Spain eases restrictions: After over a month of confinement, Spanish children are now allowed out on walks as the country attempts a return to normality with the number of coronavirus cases decreasing.

Devastating milestone: Worldwide coronavirus death toll passed 200,000 on Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of deaths across the world.

Varying measures: The state of Western Australia will begin relaxing some lockdown measures Monday, while Hawaii extended the statewide stay-at-home order until May 31, 

Prison release: Several Italian Mafia bosses have been released from prison under a new coronavirus regulation, the country's national anti-Mafia prosecutor said.

Mobile testing units: The UK government announced Sunday that mobile testing units will travel around the UK as they attempt to increase access to coronavirus testing. The network of testing units will be operated by the military, and target vulnerable sites such as care homes, police stations and prisons.

Hunt for a vaccine: It might be necessary to start manufacturing coronavirus vaccines even before they have been fully tested to see if they can protect people from infection, said Richard Hatchett, the CEO of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

India has reported 1,990 new coronavirus cases on Sunday -- the highest single-day jump so far, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 26,496, according to its health ministry. 

A total of 824 coronavirus-related deaths have occurred in India, with the western state of Maharashtra -- home to India’s financial capital Mumbai -- being the worst-affected state with 7,628 cases and 323 deaths, the ministry said. 

According to the India Council of Medical research (ICMR), a total of 625,309 samples have been tested as of Sunday. 

India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday announced an extension of a ban on public gatherings until June 30, making it the first Indian state to have extended a ban on gatherings beyond the end of the nationwide lockdown on May 3.

On March 25, India entered a nationwide coronavirus lockdown which was further extended until May 3. The Indian government has since relaxed some of the restrictions to allow crop harvesting and for some non-essential stores to open up.

Daily confirmed coronavirus cases slowed for the third day in Germany, according to Sunday figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious disease.

The number of infections increased by 1,737 to reach 154,175, RKI said. The country's death toll stands at 5,640 -- an increase of 140 deaths within the last day. 

The institute previously said the number of daily Covid-19 infections needs to fall to a few hundred per day before further lockdown measures can be lifted.

Germany has been easing its lockdown: Last week, Chancellor Angela Merkel laid out a list of steps the country would undertake to begin lifting its lockdown, and on Monday stores up to 800 square meters in size began reopening, as long as they have hygiene and social distancing measures in place.

Bookshops, car dealerships and bike stores can also now reopen regardless of their size. Restaurants, bars and gyms will remain closed.

Merkel also announced that the country would increase its contact-tracing efforts, deploying a team of five officers for every 20,000 people in the population to trace those who may have come into recent contact with every confirmed case.

Read more about the lifting of lockdowns here.