Boris Johnson receives oxygen treatment in ICU amid questions about who's running the UK - CNN

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said in an interview with the BBC that the Prime Minister was "not on a ventilator" but had "received oxygen support."

He told BBC Radio 4's Today program that Johnson was "receiving the very best care" at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, after being taken into intensive care at 7 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) on Monday.

"And of course, one of the reasons for being in intensive care is to make sure that whatever support the medical team consider to be appropriate can be provided," he said.

Johnson's hospitalization has highlighted the lack of a formal line of succession in the UK government. Johnson nominated the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who also holds the title of First Secretary of State, to deputize for him "where necessary."

Few formal powers are invested specifically in the UK prime minister and key decisions are taken collectively by the Cabinet or its sub-committees. Many statutory powers are held by individual secretaries of state. But in recent decades, holders of the UK's top political office have adopted a more presidential style, and the sweeping nature of the ruling Conservative Party's most recent election victory was attributed to Johnson's personal appeal with voters.

"The Prime Minister has a team around him who ensure the work of government goes on," Gove told the BBC. He said Johnson had a "stripped-back diary" last week to make sure he could follow the medical advice of his doctors.

Gove confirmed that Raab was now in charge of seeing through Johnson's plan to tackle the novel coronavirus. "Dominic [Raab] takes on the responsibilities of chairing the various meetings the PM would've chaired but we're all working together to implement the plan that the PM has set out," he said.

But Gove sidestepped a question about who held the "nuclear codes," saying he would not discuss national security issues.

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the House of Commons defense select committee, tweeted good wishes to Johnson but added: "It is important to have 100% clarity as to where responsibility for UK national security decisions now lies. We must anticipate adversaries attempting to exploit any perceived weakness."

Johnson was taken to hospital on Sunday evening. At the time, Downing Street said the decision was a precaution because the Prime Minister continued to suffer from a cough and a fever ten days after testing positive for the coronavirus. But his condition deteriorated on Monday, Downing Street said, and he was moved to the intensive care unit at St. Thomas' Hospital.

Gove told Sky News on Tuesday morning that Cabinet ministers were not told about the Prime Minister's deteriorating condition until nearly an hour after Johnson was taken into intensive care.

Asked whether the government had been up front with the public about Johnson's condition, and whether the Cabinet had been taken by surprise, he replied: "Yes we were. The [daily coronavirus] briefing that was given at 5 o'clock was given at a time when we didn't know about the deterioration in the Prime Minister's condition."

"We were informed subsequently. The Prime Minister was admitted to intensive care at 7 o'clock, and that information wasn't given to us in government -- to those in the cabinet -- until just before 8 o'clock."

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2020-04-07 09:42:56Z
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UK PM Johnson in intensive care, needed oxygen after COVID-19 symptoms worsened - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care on Tuesday after receiving oxygen support for serious COVID-19 complications, leaving his foreign minister to lead the government’s response to the accelerating outbreak.

Johnson’s personal battle with the virus has shaken the British government just as the United Kingdom enters what scientists say is likely to be one of the most deadly weeks of the pandemic, which has killed 5,373 people in Britain and 70,000 worldwide.

Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital across the River Thames from the House of Commons late on Sunday after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms, including a high temperature and a cough, for more than 10 days.

His condition rapidly deteriorated over the next 24 hours, and he was moved to an intensive care unit, where the most serious cases are treated. Although he had received oxygen, his office said on Monday he was still conscious and was moved to intensive care in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.

“He’s not on a ventilator no,” Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told LBC radio on Tuesday. “The prime minister has received some oxygen support and he is kept under, of course, close supervision.”

“The prime minister is in intensive care, being looked after by his medical team, receiving the very, very best care from the team at St Thomas’,” Gove said.

Johnson is the first leader of a major power to be hospitalised for the new coronavirus.

While Britain has no formal succession plan should a prime minister become incapacitated, Johnson had asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him “where necessary,” Downing Street said..

Raab entered Downing Street on Tuesday to chair the government’s COVID-19 emergency response meeting.

Earlier on Monday, Johnson had said he was in good spirits and Raab had told a news conference that the prime minister was still running the government, although Raab also said he had not spoken to him directly since Saturday.

Raab takes the helm at a pivotal time. The official death toll in the United Kingdom currently stands at 5,373, and last week the health minister said the deadliest peak for deaths was projected to be Easter Sunday, April 12.

The United Kingdom is in a state of virtual lockdown, a situation due to be reviewed early next week, and some ministers have suggested it might need to be extended because some people were flouting the strict rules.

The pound edged lower against the dollar and the euro in Asia on Tuesday, trading at $1.2234 following a 0.3% decline on Monday.

BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE

Johnson’s move to intensive care added to the sense of upheaval that the coronavirus crisis has wrought after its spread caused widespread panic, sowed chaos through financial markets and prompted the virtual shutdown of the global economy.

“The government’s business will continue,” a sombre Raab, 46, told reporters.

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) before a meeting on Brexit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, August 22, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

“The focus of the government will continue to be on making sure that the prime minister’s direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge, will be taken forward.”

There have also been calls for ministers to detail what the exit plans were from the shutdown, which has hammered the world’s fifth-biggest economy after the government ordered restaurants, bars, and nearly all shops to close and told people to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus.

Johnson tested positive for the virus on March 26.

After 10 days of isolation in an apartment at Downing Street, he was admitted to hospital. He was last seen in a video message posted on Twitter on Friday when he looked weary.

Downing Street said repeatedly on Monday that Johnson remained in charge and was reading documents, but the move to intensive care revealed the gravity of his condition.

James Gill, a doctor and a clinical lecturer at Warwick Medical School, said the news of Johnson’s admission to intensive care was “worrying” but not completely out of line with other people suffering complications.

“So far we have seen a deterioration in line with other cases of COVID-19 infections,” he said. “Admission to ITU is worrying news, (but) this is not all together uncommon with this disease, and may be looked at from a positive that the PM is getting the very best care that the NHS has to offer.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said all Americans were praying for his recovery.

“He’s been really something very special - strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up,” Trump told a news briefing, adding he had asked two pharmaceutical firms developing potential COVID-19 therapies to get in touch with the British government to offer their services.

Slideshow (21 Images)

Johnson, who is not a smoker, said recently that he wanted to lose weight. He plays tennis and while mayor of London used to cycle around the capital.

Johnson’s pregnant 32-year-old fiancée, Carrie Symonds, also had symptoms but said on Saturday she was feeling better.

The face of the 2016 Brexit campaign, Johnson won a resounding election victory in December before leading the United Kingdom out of the European Union on Jan. 31.

Reporting by Paul Sandle, Michael Holden, Costas Pitas and Kate Kelland; Writing by Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-04-07 09:32:24Z
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UK PM Johnson in intensive care, needed oxygen after COVID-19 symptoms worsened - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care on Tuesday after receiving oxygen support for serious COVID-19 complications, leaving his foreign minister to lead the government’s response to the accelerating outbreak.

Johnson’s personal battle with the virus has shaken the British government just as the United Kingdom enters what scientists say is likely to be one of the most deadly weeks of the pandemic, which has killed 5,373 people in Britain and 70,000 worldwide.

Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital across the River Thames from the House of Commons late on Sunday after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms, including a high temperature and a cough, for more than 10 days.

His condition rapidly deteriorated over the next 24 hours, and he was moved to an intensive care unit, where the most serious cases are treated. Although he had received oxygen, his office said on Monday he was still conscious and was moved to intensive care in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.

“He’s not on a ventilator no,” Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told LBC radio on Tuesday. “The prime minister has received some oxygen support and he is kept under, of course, close supervision.”

“The prime minister is in intensive care, being looked after by his medical team, receiving the very, very best care from the team at St Thomas’,” Gove said.

Johnson is the first leader of a major power to be hospitalised for the new coronavirus.

While Britain has no formal succession plan should a prime minister become incapacitated, Johnson had asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him “where necessary,” Downing Street said..

Raab entered Downing Street on Tuesday to chair the government’s COVID-19 emergency response meeting.

Earlier on Monday, Johnson had said he was in good spirits and Raab had told a news conference that the prime minister was still running the government, although Raab also said he had not spoken to him directly since Saturday.

Raab takes the helm at a pivotal time. The official death toll in the United Kingdom currently stands at 5,373, and last week the health minister said the deadliest peak for deaths was projected to be Easter Sunday, April 12.

The United Kingdom is in a state of virtual lockdown, a situation due to be reviewed early next week, and some ministers have suggested it might need to be extended because some people were flouting the strict rules.

The pound edged lower against the dollar and the euro in Asia on Tuesday, trading at $1.2234 following a 0.3% decline on Monday.

BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE

Johnson’s move to intensive care added to the sense of upheaval that the coronavirus crisis has wrought after its spread caused widespread panic, sowed chaos through financial markets and prompted the virtual shutdown of the global economy.

“The government’s business will continue,” a sombre Raab, 46, told reporters.

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) before a meeting on Brexit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, August 22, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

“The focus of the government will continue to be on making sure that the prime minister’s direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge, will be taken forward.”

There have also been calls for ministers to detail what the exit plans were from the shutdown, which has hammered the world’s fifth-biggest economy after the government ordered restaurants, bars, and nearly all shops to close and told people to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus.

Johnson tested positive for the virus on March 26.

After 10 days of isolation in an apartment at Downing Street, he was admitted to hospital. He was last seen in a video message posted on Twitter on Friday when he looked weary.

Downing Street said repeatedly on Monday that Johnson remained in charge and was reading documents, but the move to intensive care revealed the gravity of his condition.

James Gill, a doctor and a clinical lecturer at Warwick Medical School, said the news of Johnson’s admission to intensive care was “worrying” but not completely out of line with other people suffering complications.

“So far we have seen a deterioration in line with other cases of COVID-19 infections,” he said. “Admission to ITU is worrying news, (but) this is not all together uncommon with this disease, and may be looked at from a positive that the PM is getting the very best care that the NHS has to offer.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said all Americans were praying for his recovery.

“He’s been really something very special - strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up,” Trump told a news briefing, adding he had asked two pharmaceutical firms developing potential COVID-19 therapies to get in touch with the British government to offer their services.

Slideshow (21 Images)

Johnson, who is not a smoker, said recently that he wanted to lose weight. He plays tennis and while mayor of London used to cycle around the capital.

Johnson’s pregnant 32-year-old fiancée, Carrie Symonds, also had symptoms but said on Saturday she was feeling better.

The face of the 2016 Brexit campaign, Johnson won a resounding election victory in December before leading the United Kingdom out of the European Union on Jan. 31.

Reporting by Paul Sandle, Michael Holden, Costas Pitas and Kate Kelland; Writing by Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-04-07 09:20:08Z
52780704870161

UK PM Johnson in intensive care with worsening coronavirus symptoms - Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care on Tuesday after receiving oxygen support for serious COVID-19 complications, leaving his foreign minister to lead the government’s response to the accelerating outbreak.

Johnson’s personal battle with the virus has shaken the British government just as the United Kingdom enters what scientists say is likely to be one of the most deadly weeks of the pandemic, which has killed 5,373 people in Britain and 70,000 worldwide.

Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital across the River Thames from the House of Commons late on Sunday after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms, including a high temperature and a cough, for more than 10 days.

His condition rapidly deteriorated over the next 24 hours, and he was moved to an intensive care unit, where the most serious cases are treated. Although he had received oxygen, his office said on Monday he was still conscious and was moved to intensive care in case he needed to be put on a ventilator.

“He’s not on a ventilator no,” Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told LBC radio on Tuesday. “The prime minister has received some oxygen support and he is kept under, of course, close supervision.”

“The prime minister is in intensive care, being looked after by his medical team, receiving the very, very best care from the team at St Thomas’,” Gove said.

Johnson is the first leader of a major power to be hospitalised for the new coronavirus.

While Britain has no formal succession plan should a prime minister become incapacitated, Johnson had asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him “where necessary,” Downing Street said..

Raab entered Downing Street on Tuesday to chair the government’s COVID-19 emergency response meeting.

Earlier on Monday, Johnson had said he was in good spirits and Raab had told a news conference that the prime minister was still running the government, although Raab also said he had not spoken to him directly since Saturday.

Raab takes the helm at a pivotal time. The official death toll in the United Kingdom currently stands at 5,373, and last week the health minister said the deadliest peak for deaths was projected to be Easter Sunday, April 12.

The United Kingdom is in a state of virtual lockdown, a situation due to be reviewed early next week, and some ministers have suggested it might need to be extended because some people were flouting the strict rules.

The pound edged lower against the dollar and the euro in Asia on Tuesday, trading at $1.2234 following a 0.3% decline on Monday.

BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE

Johnson’s move to intensive care added to the sense of upheaval that the coronavirus crisis has wrought after its spread caused widespread panic, sowed chaos through financial markets and prompted the virtual shutdown of the global economy.

“The government’s business will continue,” a sombre Raab, 46, told reporters.

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) before a meeting on Brexit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, August 22, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

“The focus of the government will continue to be on making sure that the prime minister’s direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and can pull the country through this challenge, will be taken forward.”

There have also been calls for ministers to detail what the exit plans were from the shutdown, which has hammered the world’s fifth-biggest economy after the government ordered restaurants, bars, and nearly all shops to close and told people to stay at home to curb the spread of the virus.

Johnson tested positive for the virus on March 26.

After 10 days of isolation in an apartment at Downing Street, he was admitted to hospital. He was last seen in a video message posted on Twitter on Friday when he looked weary.

Downing Street said repeatedly on Monday that Johnson remained in charge and was reading documents, but the move to intensive care revealed the gravity of his condition.

James Gill, a doctor and a clinical lecturer at Warwick Medical School, said the news of Johnson’s admission to intensive care was “worrying” but not completely out of line with other people suffering complications.

“So far we have seen a deterioration in line with other cases of COVID-19 infections,” he said. “Admission to ITU is worrying news, (but) this is not all together uncommon with this disease, and may be looked at from a positive that the PM is getting the very best care that the NHS has to offer.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said all Americans were praying for his recovery.

“He’s been really something very special - strong, resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up,” Trump told a news briefing, adding he had asked two pharmaceutical firms developing potential COVID-19 therapies to get in touch with the British government to offer their services.

Slideshow (11 Images)

Johnson, who is not a smoker, said recently that he wanted to lose weight. He plays tennis and while mayor of London used to cycle around the capital.

Johnson’s pregnant 32-year-old fiancée, Carrie Symonds, also had symptoms but said on Saturday she was feeling better.

The face of the 2016 Brexit campaign, Johnson won a resounding election victory in December before leading the United Kingdom out of the European Union on Jan. 31.

Reporting by Paul Sandle, Michael Holden, Costas Pitas and Kate Kelland; Writing by Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-04-07 08:15:08Z
52780704870161

Japan to announce state of emergency: Live coronavirus updates - Al Jazeera English

Japan is expected to announce a state of emergency later on Tuesday amid a spike in coronavirus cases, as Singapore began a partial lockdown and other countries extended stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease.

In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with coronavirus late last month, was moved to intensive care in a London hospital after his condition worsened on Monday evening.

More:

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab will be leading the UK government response to the coronavirus while Johnson is in hospital. 

In Europe, there are indications that the pace of infections in hard-hit Spain and Italy is slowing, although the death toll continues to rise.

Globally, the number of people diagnosed with the virus now exceeds 1.3 million. More than 74,500 people have died while nearly 285,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates:

Tuesday, April 7

07:40 GMT - Russia's daily rise in cases passes 1,000 

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia rose by more than 1,000 for the first time to reach 7,497 in the past 24 hours, the country's crisis response centre said. 

The number of reported cases rose by 1,154 while deaths rose by 11 to 58, the centre said.

07:30 GMT - British PM Johnson not on ventilator, says minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who spent the night in intensive care with a deteriorating case of coronavirus, has been given oxygen but is not on a ventilator, a minister said.

"The prime minister has received some oxygen support," senior cabinet minister Michael Gove told LBC radio, adding that "he has not been on a ventilator" but it was there if needed.

Read more here. 

07:20 GMT - Finland extends border controls until May 13

Finland's government has extended and tightened border controls restricting travel to and from the country until May 13 in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Finland has followed with mounting concern neighbouring Sweden's liberal pandemic strategy, fearing cross-border commuters could speed up the spread of the virus in northern parts of Finland with an ageing population and limited intensive care resources.

"The government's aim is to further reduce movement in the inherent commute area across the borders with Sweden and Norway," Finland's government said in a statement.

06:45 GMT - Boris Johnson still in intensive care: Cabinet minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still in intensive care but his team are working together to fight the coronavirus outbreak, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said. 

"As we speak, the prime minister is in intensive care, being looked after by his medical team, receiving the very, very best care from the team at St Thomas' and our hopes and prayers are with him and with his family," Gove told BBC television.

Read more here. 

06:30 GMT - Hundreds of animals die at Pakistan pet markets

Abandoned when Pakistan's largest cities went into lockdown, hundreds of caged cats, dogs and rabbits have been found dead inside pet markets hurriedly shuttered as the coronavirus spread.

Animals still alive in the corner of Karachi's sprawling Empress Market were rescued only after activists appealed to the authorities for access, AFP news agency reported.

"When we got inside, the majority of them were dead, about 70 percent. Their bodies were lying on the ground," Ayesha Chundrigar, who runs ACF Animal Rescue, told AFP.

06:00 GMT - Dubai extends closure of commercial activities 

Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, has extended the closure of commercial activities until April 18 as part of efforts to contain coronavirus, the Dubai Economic Department said in a statement on Twitter.

During this period, sectors exempted from the lockdown will operate as usual, the statement said.

Dubai announced a two-week lockdown starting on April 4 at 8 p.m. (1600 GMT) to disinfect the emirate and contain the coronavirus.

A general view of deserted Al Ras district, famous for its gold and spice markets, after a full lockdown, following the coronavirus outbreak in Dubai, United Arab Emirates [File: Christopher Pike/Reuters] 

05:55 GMT - Germany's coronavirus cases rise to 99,225

Germany's confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 3,834 in the past 24 hours to 99,225, rising again after four consecutive days of drops, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.

The reported death toll rose by 173 to 1,607.

05:38 GMT - No change in Boris Johnson's condition: Reuters

There has been no change in Boris Johnson's condition, two sources close to him said on Tuesday, after the British prime minister was taken into intensive care following a deterioration in his coronavirus symptoms.

Johnson was given oxygen on Monday and taken to an intensive care unit at a central London hospital in what Downing Street said was a precautionary measure after his condition had worsened.

UK PM in intensive care, Europe virus cases slow

Hello. This is Saba Aziz in Doha, taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

---

05:30 GMT -

I will shortly be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha.

Before I go a brief summary of the morning's developments:

• Donald Trump and other world leaders have been showing their support for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who has COVID-19 and was moved to an intensive care unit on Monday night.
• Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to announce a state of emergency that will include Tokyo. He's also preparing a record rescue package for the economy,
• Singapore has started a partial month-long lockdown amid a sudden surge in cases, while the Philippines is extending its lockdown of Luzon for the rest of April.
• China reported no new deaths from the coronavirus for the first time since it started publishing data in January.

04:50 GMT - Japan readies record economic stimulus package 

Japan's government is finalising its biggest-ever stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990bn) - equal to 20 percent of economic output - to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the country's economy.

The measures are expected to include cash payouts to households and small businesses as well as deferred tax payments.

More on that story here.

04:30 GMT - Singapore tables bill for 'safe' elections during coronavirus outbreak

Singapore's government has tabled a bill to ensure that if a general election were called during the COVID-19 outbreak, it could be held safely.

The city-state began a month-long partial lockdown on Tuesday to try and curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and does not have to go to the polls until early 2021.

However, the government, which controls nearly all the seats in parliament, has said it is not ruling out holding the ballot before the deadline.

Some opposition parties have said would be a health risk.

The Elections Department said the temporary arrangements would the "ensure the safety of voters, candidates and election officials, should the next General Election (GE) take place amid the COVID-19 situation."

More:

03:50 GMT - World leaders send support to UK Johnson in COVID-19 battle

World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have been sending their support to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the 55-year-old was taken into intensive care in a London hospital.

Johnson, who won an election last December, also received good wishes from across Britain's political spectrum.

More on that story here.

President @realDonaldTrump expressed America's well wishes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/C3AfUuuVyv

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 6, 2020

03:30 GMT - New Zealand's health minister demoted after taking family to beach

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted the country's health minister for breaching nationwide lockdown rules but rejected his offer to resign because it could jeopardise plans to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister David Clark drove his family to the beach in the early stages of a lockdown that started in late March.

"Under normal conditions, I would sack the minister of health. What he did was wrong and there are no excuses," Ardern said in Wellington.

Instead, she demoted Clark to the bottom of cabinet rankings and stripped him of his role as associate finance minister.

"I expect better and so does New Zealand," she said.

Clark said in a statement that he had been "an idiot".

03:05 GMT - South Korea's delivery drivers pay price for online shopping spree

Like many other people cooped up in their homes during coronavirus lockdowns, South Koreans have turned to delivery - for basic supplies, meals and other goods.

Delivery drivers like Ha Woong, already required to make super-fast deliveries, now find themselves with even more work. And this is taking a toll on their health.

But their push for better working conditions is on hold.

Kelly Kasulis has more on the story here.

02:50 GMT - Human Rights Watch urges Philippines action on prisons

Human Rights Watch is urging the Philippines to reduce the number of inmates in its jails amid concerns of a "serious outbreak" of the coronavirus in the world's most overcrowded prisons.

The group said the number of prisoners stood at 215,000 as of November 2019, in a system with the capacity for 40,000 inmates.

It called on the authorities to release those detained or convicted for low-level and non-violent offences.

02:35 GMT - Philippines Duterte extends Luzon lockdown until end of April 

The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the lockdown of the country's main island of Luzon, including Manila, until the end of April.

The measures were due to come to an end next week and cover more than half the population of the Philippines. Many of Manila's poorer residents were already struggling.

02:30 GMT - Jakarta governor gets approval for restrictions

Anies Baswedan, the governor of Jakarta, has been given the Health Ministry's approval to impose strict social restrictions in the Indonesian capital, according to detik.com and other Indonesian media.

A Health Ministry official told Reuters news agency, however, that the ministry had yet to give its approval for the measures.

Menkes telah menyetujui usulan Anies Baswedan untuk menerapkan PSBB. Setelah itu, Anies bisa melakukan tindakan-tindakan pembatasan yang dirasa perlu. https://t.co/DxpHdfGnOr

— detikcom (@detikcom) April 7, 2020

02:05 GMT - Japan's Abe expected to announce state of emergency

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce a state of emergency later on Tuesday covering Tokyo and six other prefectures.

Abe's due to speak to the media at 7pm (10:00 GMT) after discussions with a panel of experts.

The government is also planning to finalise a stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990 billion) - equal to 20 percent of Japan's economic output.

"Japan and countries overseas and facing their biggest crisis in recent years because of the coronavirus outbreak," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday.

01:20 GMT - China reports no new coronavirus deaths for first time

China's National Health Commission has reported no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since it started publishing figures on the virus late last year.

The milestone comes as the country prepares to lift all travel restrictions on Wuhan, the city where the virus first emerged at a seafood market late last year.

After a 76-day lockdown, #Wuhan, the hardest-hit city by #COVID19 outbreak in #China, will lift its outbound travel restrictions on Wednesday. As the city is preparing to spring back to normalcy, disinfection work in transportation hubs is currently in progress. pic.twitter.com/F3SRjgSb69

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 7, 2020

Latest data shows 32 new cases of coronavirus nationwide, all of them imported.     

There were also 30 new asymptomatic infections bringing the national total to 1,033. About a quarter of those were also imported from overseas, the commission said.

23:30 GMT (Monday) - Save the Children launches $100m appeal

Save the Children has launched a $100m appeal - its biggest ever - to help children and their families in some of the world's most fragile nations during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The pandemic is now spreading across the world's poorest countries further crippling health systems where children are already missing out on life-saving treatment for malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition," Save the Children's Chief Executive Inger Ashing said in a statement. "It will leave many children without caregivers, out of school and in danger. We only have a matter of weeks to take swift action that will determine how many lives we can save."

Save the Children estimates about 1.5 billion children around the world are out of school, which in poorer nations could increase the risk of them being forced into work or marriage, it said.

23:45 GMT Monday - UN Security Council to hold first coronavirus talks on Thursday    

The UN Security Council is expected to hold its first meeting on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday,  diplomats have told AFP news agency.     

"Meeting confirmed for Thursday," one diplomat told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. It was to be held behind closed doors at 3pm (19:00 GMT).

Nine of the 10 non-permanent members formally requested a meeting with a presentation by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, last week.

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution calling for "international cooperation" and "multilateralism" in the fight against COVID-19 - the first text to come out of the world body since the outbreak began.

I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can find all the updates from yesterday (April 6) here.

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2020-04-07 07:28:30Z
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Japan to announce state of emergency: Live coronavirus updates - Al Jazeera English

Japan is expected to announce a state of emergency later on Tuesday amid a spike in coronavirus cases, as Singapore began a partial lockdown and other countries extended stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease.

In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with coronavirus late last month, was moved to intensive care in a London hospital after his condition worsened on Monday evening.

More:

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab will be leading the UK government response to the coronavirus while Johnson is in hospital. 

In Europe, there are indications that the pace of infections in hard-hit Spain and Italy is slowing, although the death toll continues to rise.

Globally, the number of people diagnosed with the virus now exceeds 1.3 million. More than 74,500 people have died while nearly 285,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates:

Tuesday, April 7

06:45 GMT - Boris Johnson still in intensive care: Cabinet minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still in intensive care but his team are working together to fight the coronavirus outbreak, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said. 

"As we speak, the prime minister is in intensive care, being looked after by his medical team, receiving the very, very best care from the team at St Thomas' and our hopes and prayers are with him and with his family," Gove told BBC television.

Read more here. 

06:30 GMT - Hundreds of animals die at Pakistan pet markets

Abandoned when Pakistan's largest cities went into lockdown, hundreds of caged cats, dogs and rabbits have been found dead inside pet markets hurriedly shuttered as the coronavirus spread.

Animals still alive in the corner of Karachi's sprawling Empress Market were rescued only after activists appealed to the authorities for access, AFP news agency reported.

"When we got inside, the majority of them were dead, about 70 percent. Their bodies were lying on the ground," Ayesha Chundrigar, who runs ACF Animal Rescue, told AFP.

06:00 GMT - Dubai extends closure of commercial activities 

Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, has extended the closure of commercial activities until April 18 as part of efforts to contain coronavirus, the Dubai Economic Department said in a statement on Twitter.

During this period, sectors exempted from the lockdown will operate as usual, the statement said.

Dubai announced a two-week lockdown starting on April 4 at 8 p.m. (1600 GMT) to disinfect the emirate and contain the coronavirus.

A general view of deserted Al Ras district, famous for its gold and spice markets, after a full lockdown, following the coronavirus outbreak in Dubai, United Arab Emirates [File: Christopher Pike/Reuters] 

05:55 GMT - Germany's coronavirus cases rise to 99,225

Germany's confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 3,834 in the past 24 hours to 99,225, rising again after four consecutive days of drops, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.

The reported death toll rose by 173 to 1,607.

05:38 GMT - No change in Boris Johnson's condition: Reuters

There has been no change in Boris Johnson's condition, two sources close to him said on Tuesday, after the British prime minister was taken into intensive care following a deterioration in his coronavirus symptoms.

Johnson was given oxygen on Monday and taken to an intensive care unit at a central London hospital in what Downing Street said was a precautionary measure after his condition had worsened.

UK PM in intensive care, Europe virus cases slow

Hello. This is Saba Aziz in Doha, taking over from my colleague Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

---

05:30 GMT -

I will shortly be handing over the blog to my colleagues in Doha.

Before I go a brief summary of the morning's developments:

• Donald Trump and other world leaders have been showing their support for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who has COVID-19 and was moved to an intensive care unit on Monday night.
• Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to announce a state of emergency that will include Tokyo. He's also preparing a record rescue package for the economy,
• Singapore has started a partial month-long lockdown amid a sudden surge in cases, while the Philippines is extending its lockdown of Luzon for the rest of April.
• China reported no new deaths from the coronavirus for the first time since it started publishing data in January.

04:50 GMT - Japan readies record economic stimulus package 

Japan's government is finalising its biggest-ever stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990bn) - equal to 20 percent of economic output - to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the country's economy.

The measures are expected to include cash payouts to households and small businesses as well as deferred tax payments.

More on that story here.

04:30 GMT - Singapore tables bill for 'safe' elections during coronavirus outbreak

Singapore's government has tabled a bill to ensure that if a general election were called during the COVID-19 outbreak, it could be held safely.

The city-state began a month-long partial lockdown on Tuesday to try and curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and does not have to go to the polls until early 2021.

However, the government, which controls nearly all the seats in parliament, has said it is not ruling out holding the ballot before the deadline.

Some opposition parties have said would be a health risk.

The Elections Department said the temporary arrangements would the "ensure the safety of voters, candidates and election officials, should the next General Election (GE) take place amid the COVID-19 situation."

More:

03:50 GMT - World leaders send support to UK Johnson in COVID-19 battle

World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have been sending their support to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the 55-year-old was taken into intensive care in a London hospital.

Johnson, who won an election last December, also received good wishes from across Britain's political spectrum.

More on that story here.

President @realDonaldTrump expressed America's well wishes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/C3AfUuuVyv

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 6, 2020

03:30 GMT - New Zealand's health minister demoted after taking family to beach

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has demoted the country's health minister for breaching nationwide lockdown rules but rejected his offer to resign because it could jeopardise plans to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister David Clark drove his family to the beach in the early stages of a lockdown that started in late March.

"Under normal conditions, I would sack the minister of health. What he did was wrong and there are no excuses," Ardern said in Wellington.

Instead, she demoted Clark to the bottom of cabinet rankings and stripped him of his role as associate finance minister.

"I expect better and so does New Zealand," she said.

Clark said in a statement that he had been "an idiot".

03:05 GMT - South Korea's delivery drivers pay price for online shopping spree

Like many other people cooped up in their homes during coronavirus lockdowns, South Koreans have turned to delivery - for basic supplies, meals and other goods.

Delivery drivers like Ha Woong, already required to make super-fast deliveries, now find themselves with even more work. And this is taking a toll on their health.

But their push for better working conditions is on hold.

Kelly Kasulis has more on the story here.

02:50 GMT - Human Rights Watch urges Philippines action on prisons

Human Rights Watch is urging the Philippines to reduce the number of inmates in its jails amid concerns of a "serious outbreak" of the coronavirus in the world's most overcrowded prisons.

The group said the number of prisoners stood at 215,000 as of November 2019, in a system with the capacity for 40,000 inmates.

It called on the authorities to release those detained or convicted for low-level and non-violent offences.

02:35 GMT - Philippines Duterte extends Luzon lockdown until end of April 

The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the lockdown of the country's main island of Luzon, including Manila, until the end of April.

The measures were due to come to an end next week and cover more than half the population of the Philippines. Many of Manila's poorer residents were already struggling.

02:30 GMT - Jakarta governor gets approval for restrictions

Anies Baswedan, the governor of Jakarta, has been given the Health Ministry's approval to impose strict social restrictions in the Indonesian capital, according to detik.com and other Indonesian media.

A Health Ministry official told Reuters news agency, however, that the ministry had yet to give its approval for the measures.

Menkes telah menyetujui usulan Anies Baswedan untuk menerapkan PSBB. Setelah itu, Anies bisa melakukan tindakan-tindakan pembatasan yang dirasa perlu. https://t.co/DxpHdfGnOr

— detikcom (@detikcom) April 7, 2020

02:05 GMT - Japan's Abe expected to announce state of emergency

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce a state of emergency later on Tuesday covering Tokyo and six other prefectures.

Abe's due to speak to the media at 7pm (10:00 GMT) after discussions with a panel of experts.

The government is also planning to finalise a stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990 billion) - equal to 20 percent of Japan's economic output.

"Japan and countries overseas and facing their biggest crisis in recent years because of the coronavirus outbreak," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday.

01:20 GMT - China reports no new coronavirus deaths for first time

China's National Health Commission has reported no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since it started publishing figures on the virus late last year.

The milestone comes as the country prepares to lift all travel restrictions on Wuhan, the city where the virus first emerged at a seafood market late last year.

After a 76-day lockdown, #Wuhan, the hardest-hit city by #COVID19 outbreak in #China, will lift its outbound travel restrictions on Wednesday. As the city is preparing to spring back to normalcy, disinfection work in transportation hubs is currently in progress. pic.twitter.com/F3SRjgSb69

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 7, 2020

Latest data shows 32 new cases of coronavirus nationwide, all of them imported.     

There were also 30 new asymptomatic infections bringing the national total to 1,033. About a quarter of those were also imported from overseas, the commission said.

23:30 GMT (Monday) - Save the Children launches $100m appeal

Save the Children has launched a $100m appeal - its biggest ever - to help children and their families in some of the world's most fragile nations during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The pandemic is now spreading across the world's poorest countries further crippling health systems where children are already missing out on life-saving treatment for malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition," Save the Children's Chief Executive Inger Ashing said in a statement. "It will leave many children without caregivers, out of school and in danger. We only have a matter of weeks to take swift action that will determine how many lives we can save."

Save the Children estimates about 1.5 billion children around the world are out of school, which in poorer nations could increase the risk of them being forced into work or marriage, it said.

23:45 GMT Monday - UN Security Council to hold first coronavirus talks on Thursday    

The UN Security Council is expected to hold its first meeting on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday,  diplomats have told AFP news agency.     

"Meeting confirmed for Thursday," one diplomat told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. It was to be held behind closed doors at 3pm (19:00 GMT).

Nine of the 10 non-permanent members formally requested a meeting with a presentation by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, last week.

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution calling for "international cooperation" and "multilateralism" in the fight against COVID-19 - the first text to come out of the world body since the outbreak began.

I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur with Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can find all the updates from yesterday (April 6) here.

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2020-04-07 07:03:00Z
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Coronavirus: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in ICU - Vox.com

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to an intensive care unit after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.

“Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital,” a spokesperson for the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Monday.

This is a troubling development for the leader of the United Kingdom, who confirmed on March 27 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. At the time, Johnson, who is 55, said he had “mild symptoms,” including a fever and persistent cough. He said he would continue to run the country in self-isolation.

In the days since his initial diagnosis, however, Johnson’s condition has apparently worsened. On Sunday evening, the prime minister was admitted to St. Thomas’s Hospital in London for treatment, shortly after Queen Elizabeth II delivered a rare address to the country about the coronavirus crisis.

Less than 24 hours later, his spokesperson said he had been admitted to the intensive care unit.

According to reports, Johnson is still conscious, but he’s been moved to the ICU as a precaution, in case he requires the aid of a ventilator. ITV reporter Robert Peston said that Johnson required the aid of oxygen on Monday, but the prime minister is not currently on a ventilator, as of Monday 5 pm ET.

Still, this is a startling development, as the leader of the United Kingdom is now dealing with the same debilitating virus that is causing an unprecedented national emergency.

The UK has been under strict stay-at-home orders since March 23.

The UK has more than 52,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 5,300 deaths as of April 6, but it’s not clear the crisis has reached its peak there. The UK government lagged behind some other European countries in adopting strict social distancing measures, and has also lagged in scaling up testing.

The UK’s early coronavirus response faced sharp criticism after the government balked on banning mass gatherings and closing schools, choosing instead to pursue the extremely controversial approach of exposing a large portion of the British population to the virus to help establish “herd immunity.”

Weeks before Johnson’s diagnosis, the prime minister said in a March 3 speech that he had visited a hospital, where he believed there were a few coronavirus patients, and that he “shook hands with everybody.”

Johnson and the UK government have reversed course since then, suspending large gatherings; ordering restaurants, bars, and pubs to shut; and advising people to stay indoors. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also threatened to tighten the nationwide lockdown if people disobey social distancing rules.

The prime minister being sent to the hospital over the coronavirus underscores the magnitude of the global crisis.

Dominic Raab, the UK’s foreign secretary, was previously tasked with standing in for Johnson should he become unable to perform his duties as prime minister. The UK doesn’t have a clear line of succession, unlike, say, the United States, if the prime minister is unable to lead or dies. But Downing Street said again Monday that Raab would “deputize for [Johnson] where necessary.”

Raab stood in for the prime minister Monday during the government’s meeting on the crisis. And Johnson’s cabinet members, including Hancock (who also tested positive for the coronavirus but is now out of self-isolation), are continuing to help lead the country through the public health emergency.

Raab, in an interview Monday, said that the government’s business — and focus on the coronavirus — will continue. “The focus of the government will continue to be on making sure, at the prime minister’s direction, all the plans for making sure that we can defeat coronavirus and pull the country through this challenge will be taken forward,” Raab said.

Still, Johnson’s battle with the virus adds another layer of uncertainty to the UK’s coronavirus crisis.

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2020-04-06 21:34:08Z
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