(Bloomberg) —
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the party should consider a virtual nominating convention this summer because the coronavirus has led to limits on public gatherings.
The U.K. faces a tighter lockdown if needed to halt the spread of the disease after cases rose to more than 47,000 and deaths approached 5,000. Spain’s deaths from the virus fell for a third day on Sunday.
Key Developments:
Global cases pass 1.2 million; deaths top 66,000: Johns HopkinsU.S. cases exceed 312,000, a quarter of the world totalU.K. to tighten lockdown if neededIndia bans exports of “game changer” virus drugReligious gatherings move onlineThe fast spread pits treating patients against finding a cure
Biden Suggests Virtual Convention (10:15 a.m. NY)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the party should consider a virtual nominating convention this summer because the coronavirus has led to limits on public gatherings.
“We’re going to have to do a convention, we may have to do a virtual convention,” Biden said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think we should be thinking about that right now. The idea of holding a convention is going to be necessary. But we may not be able to put 10, 20, 30,000 people in one place.”
Pentagon to Issue Mask Guidance (9:49 a.m. NY)
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the Pentagon will issue guidance Sunday on personnel wearing face coverings, after U.S. health officials recommended the step for Americans.
“We’re going to move toward face coverings,” Esper said on ABC’s “This Week” broadcast. “We want to take every measure to protect our troops.”
U.K. Coronavirus Cases Rise (9:25 a.m. NY)
Cases rose to 47,806 from 41,903 on Saturday. Total deaths were 4,934 versus 4,313, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, rising at a slower pace than those reported on Saturday.
The U.K. will tighten a nationwide lockdown if needed to halt the spread, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, even as pressure builds on the government to explain how it will eventually ease economically devastating measures.
As many as 4,000 low-risk prisoners will be freed in England and Wales as cases inside prisons climb. Selected inmates with less than two months to serve will be released and monitored with electronic devices, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement
Denmark May Ease Restrictions (7:56 a.m. NY)
Denmark may announce a loosening of restrictive measures aimed at curbing the outbreak as soon as Monday, local media reported.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is seeking to present some watering down of the measures at a press conference in coming days, Berlingske and TV2reported, without saying where they got the information. The country’s confirmed cases of the virus rose to 4,369 on Sunday, with 179 deaths.
Scottish Official Warned About Trip (7:30 a.m.)
Police in Scotland have visited the country’s chief medical officer after photos were published of her and her family traveling to their second home. Legal instructions about not leaving your home without a reasonable excuse apply to everyone, Police Scotland said in a statement on Twitter.
Catherine Calderwood accepted a warning about her actions, the chief constable said. Earlier, she apologized on Twitter, saying she didn’t have legitimate reasons to be out of the house and didn’t follow the advice she is giving others.
Jakarta Commuters Must Wear Masks (7:28 a.m. NY)
Commuters in the Indonesian capital will be barred from using public transit if they aren’t wearing face masks. The country has more than 2,000 cases of Covid-19 and Jakarta is among the world’s most-densely populated cities, with more than 10 million residents.
Abu Dhabi Waives Charges for NHS (7:20 a.m. NY)
Abu Dhabi’s state-owned exhibitions company is waiving charges for Britain’s health service to use its giant London conference center as an emergency hospital, following a similar move by Blackstone Group Co.
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Co. PJSC had initially been asking as much as 3 million pounds ($3.68 million) per month for the site near London’s Canary Wharf financial district, the Sunday Times reported earlier. The center has been turned into a 4,000-bed field hospital for virus cases, making it one of the largest in the world.
Singapore Reports Most Cases in a Day (7:17 a.m. NY)
Singapore had 120 new cases, the most in a day, bringing the total to 1,309. Of the new cases, only four involved patients with recent travel history, officials said at a briefing on Sunday.
Two complexes for foreign workers have been declared “isolation areas” and any individuals residing there will have to stay in their rooms for 14 days to avoid the spread of the virus, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo. The buildings house almost 20,000 people.
Europe Needs Marshall Plan (7:09 a.m. NY)
“Massive investments, a Marshall Plan for Europe” is needed to emerge from the virus crisis, EU commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a column published by Welt am Sonntag. “At the center there should be a strong new EU budget,” accepted by all member states to ensure solidarity and modernization, she said. Funds must be allocated “particularly smart and in a sustainable way.”
Budapest Sees More Cases if Rules Broken (6:30 a.m. NY)
Budapest may see coronavirus cases surge if lockdown rules continue to be broken, Hungary’s chief medical officer said.
The number of infections climbed to 733, with 34 people dead. The figure of 313 registered infections in Budapest could rise fast, Chief Medical Official Cecilia Muller said on Sunday, at the daily information session. Police said some are losing patience with the restrictions, gathering in parks and using the almost empty streets for illegal drag racing.
Spain Deaths Slow for Third Day (5:35 p.m. HK)
Spain saw a decline in the number of new deaths from the coronavirus for the third consecutive day, raising hopes that the worst of the country’s outbreak may be over.
The Health Ministry reported 674 fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,418. The number of confirmed cases rose to 130,759, from 124,736 a day earlier. The latest daily death toll is now lower than in the U.K., which reported 708 fatalities on Saturday.
Starmer to Work With Johnson on Virus (5:30 p.m. HK)
The new leader of the U.K. Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said he’ll work “constructively” with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on tackling the Covid-19 outbreak, but wouldn’t be drawn on whether he’d consider joining a potential government of national unity.
“I’m not going to score party political points and I won’t demand the impossible,” Starmer told the BBC on Sunday. He said mistakes have been made in the U.K.’s response to the outbreak but said it’s important to look forward and urged the government to publish its strategy for ultimately ending the lockdown.
U.K. Adviser Sees Peak in 7-10 Days (4:50 p.m. HK)
Imperial College London Professor Neil Ferguson, who advises the government on its response to the pandemic, told the BBC he sees the outbreak in the U.K. peaking in the next 7-10 days. Asked about a potential strategy for ending the nationwide lockdown, he predicted a series of measures including ramping up testing and immunity certificates. Ferguson predicting the death toll in the U.K. would be in the range of 7,000 to just over 20,000. It’s 4,313 as of Saturday.
On the same show, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the U.K. needs 18,000 ventilators, as many as twice the current supply. It will have a further 1,500 by the end of the week, he said.
Iran to Ease Some Restrictions (4:18 p.m. HK)
Iran will ease some social-distancing measures from April 11 and allow “low-risk” business activity to resume, President Hassan Rouhanisaid, even as the country continues to report a rise in coronavirus cases.
Tehran province, the epicenter of the outbreak in Iran, will be excluded from a plan that involves allowing two-thirds of government employees to return to work, Rouhani said in a coronavirus task-force meeting shown on state TV. Holy shrines, schools and universities will remain closed.
Iran’s fatalities from coronavirus rose to 3,603 after 151 deaths and 2,483 new cases in the past 24 hours. Total infections reached 58,226.
Johnson Still Has Temperature (3:50 p.m. HK)
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in good spirits as he works from his Downing Street office after testing positive for Covid-19 more than a week ago, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News on Sunday.
France Ready to Take on Debt (3:45 p.m. HK)
France will beef up measures to help the economy as much as needed and is ready to take on debt to avoid a collapse, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
“We will provide the necessary financial means as long as the crisis lasts,” he said. “But rebuilding will be long, difficult and costly.”
Le Maire said that more than 100,000 companies have already made requests for state-backed loans worth a total of 20 billion euros ($21.6 billion) to help weather the crisis.
India Bans Exports of Malaria Drug (3:42 p.m. HK)
India banned exports of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that U.S. President Donald Trump has touted as a “game changer” in the fight against Covid-19.
Exports of the drug and its formulations have been prohibited “without any exceptions” and with immediate effect, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in an April 4 order on its website. The trade regulator last month restricted overseas shipments of the drug, allowing only limited exceptions such as on humanitarian grounds and to meet prior commitments.
More Than 130 New Cases in Tokyo (2:40 p.m. HK)
The city found more than 130 new coronavirus infections Sunday — a record for daily confirmed cases — local outlet Kyodo reported, citing unnamed sources close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
The city found more than 110 new coronavirus cases Saturday, the first time its daily confirmed infections passed the 100 mark, national broadcaster NHK reported.
Singapore Will Announce Additional Support (2:27 p.m. HK)
The city-state is set to unveil further support for businesses and households on Monday, following a previously announced S$48 billion ($33.4 billion) stimulus package to buffer the virus’s impact. Authorities plan to waive foreign worker levies for April and boost an existing jobs support program, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said Saturday. He didn’t elaborate on other measures or how much authorities will spend.
Bangladesh Announces Stimulus Amid Virus (1:30 p.m. HK)
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rolled out a 727.5 billion taka ($8.6 billion) stimulus package, which is 2.52% of the country’s GDP, to cushion the impact of the outbreak.
Low-income groups will be affected the most by the outbreak as economic costs will mount in the days to come, she said. The government will prioritize fiscal benefits and low-cost loans for businesses, including small and medium enterprises. Bangladesh has 70 cases, with nine reported Saturday.
Malaysia Asks Courts to Stop Jailing Lockdown Dodgers (1:17 p.m. HK)
Malaysia’s prisons department sent a letter to the federal court asking the judiciary to stop jailing violators of the country’s movement control order, the Star newspaper reported. The prisons department director-general is said to have signed a letter that states social distancing was impossible in prisons due to overcrowding, according to the report.
Prison chiefs worry that incoming inmates could become sources of infections as their health status is unknown.
Trump, India’s Modi Discuss Virus, Supply Chains (10:37 a.m. HK)
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone call in which they “agreed to remain in touch on the issue of global supply chains for critical pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and to ensure they continue to function as smoothly as possible during the global health crisis,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a readout.
China Adds 30 New Confirmed Virus Cases (8:19 a.m. HK)
China reported that it had 30 new infections April 4, including 25 imported cases. It also said there had been three more deaths. China also reported 47 new asymptomatic cases for April 4, including 16 cases from abroad.
Pelosi Aims to Bring Up Next Virus Stimulus This Month (8:10 a.m. HK)
Communities in the U.S. “cannot afford to wait” for the next coronavirus stimulus, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to House lawmakers, adding “it is my hope that we will craft this legislation and bring it to the floor later this month.”
The next package “must go further in assisting small businesses including farmers, extending and strengthening unemployment benefits and giving families additional direct payments,” according to Pelosi. She said it would give more resources to state and local governments, health care including hospitals and medical workers, and first responders.
Queen to Address Britain (8 a.m. HK)
Queen Elizabeth will strike an optimistic note about the U.K.’s collective response to the coronavirus in a special broadcast Sunday to the U.K. and Commonwealth nations, according to excerpts reported by the BBC and the Guardian. Other than her annual Christmas address, the monarch rarely makes public pronouncements of this kind.
U.S. Warned of ‘Deadly Period’ (6:50 p.m. NY)
Trump offered a stark warning about the days ahead as his top medical adviser said cases in hard-hit cities like New York, Detroit and New Orleans will likely reach a peak within a week.
“There’s going to be a very, very deadly period, unfortunately,” Trump said at the White House on Saturday. “It’s not going to be a good-looking situation.” Trump compared the casualties to a world war, without giving specific estimates.
Deborah Birx, the U.S. State Department immunologist advising the White House on its response, warned that even if new cases slow, or fall, deaths will lag.
“If mitigation in New York worked — and we believe it is working — cases are going to start to go down, but the mortality will lag,” she said. Administration officials have estimated as many as 240,000 could die.
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