Coronavirus deaths soared across Europe and the United States on Sunday despite heightened restrictions, as Germany banned gatherings of more than two people and Chancellor Angela Merkel went into quarantine.

In the US, President Donald Trump ordered emergency medical stations for hot spots, hospitals scrambled to find ventilators, and a trillion-dollar proposal to rescue America’s reeling economy crashed to defeat.

As the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US soared past 400 on Sunday, the self-proclaimed wartime president predicted “a great victory” in America.

“It’s gonna be a victory that, in my opinion, will happen much sooner than originally expected,” Trump said at a 90-minute news conference with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

The death toll from the virus - which has upended lives and closed businesses and schools across the planet - surged to more than 14,500.

The epicentre is firmly in Europe after shifting from China where the illness was first detected late last year.
Accurate Covid-19 figures are difficult to obtain because many of the victims suffered from other illnesses, and infection rates are uncertain because of a lack of testing in many countries.

On Monday, China’s National Health Commission reported 39 new cases, all imported from abroad and nine new deaths.

On Friday, China reported no new cases of coronavirus from local transmissions for the first time since reporting began in January. The Covid-19 respiratory illness caused by the virus has infected 81,093 people across mainland China and killed 3,270.
A total of 72,703 people have recovered, according to official figures.

New Zealand announces move to enter lockdown

New Zealand will go into a nationwide lockdown within two days as the government takes radical steps to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Everyone will be required to go into self-isolation, all non-essential businesses will close and schools will be shut, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday in Wellington. These measures, which will remain in place for at least four weeks, are aimed at breaking the chain of community transmission, she said.

Ardern said without these steps, her advice is that tens of thousands of lives will be at risk and health services would be inundated.

Abe hints at possibility of postponing Tokyo Olympics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said for the first time on Monday that the Tokyo Olympic Games may need to be postponed if the event cannot be held in its “complete form” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Sunday after an emergency meeting that it is stepping up its “scenario planning” for the 2020 Games due to start on July 24, including a possible postponement.

Abe said that while cancelling the Games was not an option, a delay was now on the cards if that was the only way to hold the event in its complete form.

“If that becomes difficult, we may have no option but to consider postponing the Games,” he told parliament.

He said he had conveyed his views to Tokyo Games chief Yoshiro Mori on Sunday evening, who then discussed the issue with IOC President Thomas Bach.

Tokyo 2020 organisers have started drafting alternative dates for the Olympics, sources have told Reuters.

Trillion-dollar US economic rescue package crashes

A trillion-dollar Senate proposal to rescue the reeling US economy crashed to defeat Sunday after receiving zero support from Democrats, and with five Republicans absent from the chamber because of virus-related quarantines.

Democrats said the Republican proposal failed to sufficiently protect millions of American workers during the coronavirus crisis.

The bill, which proposed up to US$2 trillion in funding for American families, thousands of shuttered or suffering businesses and the nation’s critically under-equipped hospitals, fell far short despite intense negotiations between Republicans, Democrats and President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Senate roll call was 47-47, when it needed 60 votes to advance. Five senators are in self quarantine and did not vote, including Senator Rand Paul, who announced Sunday he has tested positive for the Covid-19 illness.

The shock Senate result heaps major pressure on Congress to come together and greenlight a federal government intervention - likely the largest of its kind in US history - as soon as possible.

Singapore Airlines grounds most of its fleet

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has joined other major carriers to virtually ground all but a handful of passenger flights and planes as the impact of the pandemic destroys the global travel industry.

The airline announced on Monday it would cut its flight capacity by 94 per cent until the end of April, up from half, and ground 185 of its 196 aircraft.

SIA described the situation as “the greatest challenge that the SIA Group has faced in its existence” and said it was taking steps to shore up its liquidity.

The city state on Sunday joined several countries and territories in banning all visitors except residents and citizens from entry.
Cathay Pacific announced last week it would operate just 4 per cent of passenger flights in April and May, keeping open a handful of “vital arteries” including London, Vancouver and Singapore.

Over the weekend, Emirates, the world’s largest long-haul airline, announced and then u-turned on a total grounding of passenger services in favour of a skeleton service. However, the United Arab Emirates decreed late on Sunday that all passenger and transit flights would be barred as of Wednesday, potentially forcing the grounding of Emirates and Etihad planes, two major Middle East airlines.

Trudeau predicts crisis to last months

The Canadian death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped almost 50 per cent to 19 in less than a day and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau predicted on Sunday the crisis would last for months.

Ottawa said late on Saturday that 13 people had died from the respiratory illness caused by the virus, but on Sunday that number had grown to 19.

The number of confirmed cases rose to 1,302 from 1,099, with a further 69 people listed as probably suffering from the highly contagious virus.

Canada has already closed its borders to all but essential travel and announced a C$27 billion aid package for the people and businesses most affected by the crisis.

There is no “silver bullet” to solve the crisis Canadians are facing, he said.

Spain moves to extend state of emergency

Spanish government sought to extend until April 11 a state of emergency that it has imposed to try to control Europe’s second-worst outbreak of coronavirus while some regions on Sunday asked for harsher confinement measures to combat the pandemic.
Spain’s death toll jumped to over 1,700, with more than 28,000 cases of infection.

“We are at war,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a news briefing, calling on Europe to launch a massive, coordinated public investment programme like the post World War Two Marshall Plan.

The nationwide state of emergency, announced on March 14 and intended to last 15 days, bars people from all but essential outings.

Boris Johnson warns of tougher action

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday he may impose tougher controls on the British public as packed parks, markets and cafes at the weekend showed thousands of people defying government warnings about social distancing.

The PM gave notice of potential tougher action as the latest health department figures revealed that 281 people had now died from Covid-19 in the UK, an increase of almost 50 fatalities in the past 24 hours, and there are 5,683 confirmed cases.

Earlier, he warned that Britain was “accelerating” along the same coronavirus path as the one devastating Italy.

Britain’s death toll mirrors the figure that Rome declared just over two weeks ago, on March 7, before Italy became the world’s most affected country.

Curfew in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has announced an evening curfew will be in effect from 7pm to 6am for 21 days.

In neighbouring United Arab Emirates, the government has announced all malls, shopping centres and restaurants will be closed for at least two weeks, allowing restaurants to offer only food delivery service. The decision affects some of world’s biggest malls and indoor mall attractions in the emirate of Dubai.

Gulf Arab countries have already closed schools, gyms, parks, beaches and mosques to the public. Saudi Arabia has also suspended all commercial flights and closed Islam’s holiest site to pilgrims.

Harvey Weinstein may have coronavirus

Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for coronavirus, just days after he started his 23-year state prison sentence, according to a published report.

The movie mogul, who turned 68 on Thursday, is one of two inmates infected by Covid-19 at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, just outside of Buffalo, according to the Niagara Gazette.

He’s since been placed in isolation, the Niagara Gazette reported, citing officials connected to the state prison system. Officials believe he had the coronavirus before arriving at Wende, the paper reported.

A spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision couldn’t confirm Sunday whether Weinstein has been sickened with the fast-spreading infection.

Bogota prison riot over coronavirus kills nearly two dozen

A prison riot in Colombia’s capital Bogota late on Saturday left 23 prisoners dead and 83 injured, the justice minister said on Sunday, as detainees protested sanitary conditions amid the global outbreak of coronavirus.

The Andean country will enter a nationwide lockdown meant to stem infections from Tuesday night. So far 231 people have been confirmed infected with the disease and two have died.

Graphic mobile phones videos were posted to social media showing what appeared to be the inside of the prisons. Some showed small fires, others injured prisoners and guards. In one video, a man says the incarcerated have been “abandoned like dogs” amid the virus outbreak.

First French doctor dies as death toll rockets

The first French doctor battling the coronavirus has died as the death toll in the country spiralled to 674 Sunday.

With the outbreak spreading to eight regions - and 112 more dying in a single day - authorities admitted their count does not include those who died at home and in old people’s homes.

With hospitals flooded with 7,240 victims, the military are having to transfer some from the worst-hit areas.The 67-year-old emergency room medic who died worked at Compiegne hospital, north of Paris, the town’s mayor said.

He was hailed as a hero by his family for coming back from holiday to treat the first major outbreak in the country. His wife, a family doctor, is now also sick with the virus and has been quarantined at home.

Switzerland calls up army reservists

Switzerland has called up thousands of army reservists to help in the battle against coronavirus, the first time it has done so since World War II.

In order to relieve hospitals under pressure, the army announced it could mobilise up to 8,000 personnel.

Lieutenant-Colonel Raoul Barca, in charge of a battalion of 750 soldiers, said it was the first time that reservists had been called up since 1939.

“The situation is serious... the coming days will be critical for the health care system,” director-general of health for the Geneva canton Adrien Bron said.

Schools, universities and creches have been closed in Switzerland as part of measures to limit the transmission of the virus.
The country has recorded 7,000 infections including 60 deaths from the disease.