24th April, 2020: Coronavirus at a glance:
Latest World Update:
Coronavirus Cases: 2,718,699
Deaths: 190,654
Recovered: 745,620
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said there were "worrying upward trends" in early epidemics in parts of Africa and central and South America, warning that the "virus will be with us for a long time".
More than 2.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. At least 178,000 have died, with the US accounting for about a quarter of all deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The United Nations is warning global hunger could double as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, putting 265 million people at risk.
Australia is trying to build support internationally for an independent review of the origins and spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are the latest updates:
Wednesday, April 22
23:59 GMT - New virus timeline in US; California had 2 deaths weeks earlier
Two people with the coronavirus died in California as much as three weeks before the US reported its first death from the disease in late February - a gap that a top health official says may have led to delays in issuing stay-at-home orders in the nation's most populous state.
Dr Sara Cody, health director in Northern California's Santa Clara County, says the deaths were missed because of a scarcity of testing and the federal government's limited guidance on who should be tested.
The infections in the two patients were confirmed by way of autopsy tissue samples that were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for analysis. The county coroner's office received the results on Tuesday, officials say.
"If we had had widespread testing earlier and we were able to document the level of transmission in the county, if we had understood then people were already dying, yes, we probably would have acted earlier than we did, which would have meant more time at home," Cody says.
23:52 GMT - Global air traffic could drop by up to 1.2 billion passengers
International air passenger traffic could drop by as many as 1.2 billion travellers, or two-thirds, by September 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic weighs on demand, the United Nations aviation agency says.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) estimates that international capacity could drop by as much as two-thirds from previous forecasts for the first three quarters of 2020.
"Europe and the Asia-Pacific will be hardest hit by the capacity and revenue impacts, followed by North America. Similarly, the most substantial reduction in passenger numbers is expected to be in Europe, especially during its peak summer travel season, followed by the Asia-Pacific," it adds.Coronavirus has led to widespread flight cancellations and grounding of aircraft.
Protect yourself and others around you by knowing the facts and taking appropriate precautions. Follow advice provided by your local public health agency.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Stay home if you feel unwell.
If you have a fever, a cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.
Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Avoiding unneeded visits to medical facilities allows healthcare systems to operate more effectively, therefore protecting you and others.
