Coronavirus cases hit 1.5 million, deaths near 100k

The coronavirus pandemic notched up another round of record death tolls within the US and Europe, immersing the enthusiasm of American President Donald Trump, who insisted there was light at the edge of the tunnel.

The virus has now killed quite 92,000 people and infected over 1.5 million, saving almost no country and tipping the earth into a destructive crisis as global economics shakes to a halt.

While the US and therefore the UK continued to report a high number of deaths and cases, France saw its number of dead go past 10,000 as the country prepared to increase its lockdown actions. Spain reported 446 new deaths and Italy confirmed 610 further deaths because the two countries still bear the brunt. In Italy, which is now going to extend its lockdown until May 3, as approximately 100 doctors have died since the pandemic reached the country in February.

The pandemic is marching into areas previously only lightly affected: in Africa, Ethiopia declared a state of emergency and Liberia said it had been locking down its capital Monrovia.

Its deadly tentacles also crept deep into the Amazon rainforest, with the first case detected among the Yanomami, domestic people isolated from the globe until the mid-20th century and at risk of disease.

Also on Thursday, the US accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of placing politics first by ignoring Taiwanese warnings over China’s coronavirus outbreak, laying out its case against the UN body.