(Bloomberg) — American intelligence officials concluded that China concealed the extent of the outbreak there. The Pentagon aims to provide as many as 100,000 body bags for civilian use in the U.S.
New York and New Jersey said deaths have doubled in the past three days, while Florida ordered residents to stay home after weeks of rejecting calls to do so. President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing whether to halt flights from some of the hardest-hit cities.
France and Spain reported their deadliest days. Italy and Germany moved to extend lockdowns. In the U.K., some 1 million people have surged onto welfare. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan would ask all arrivals from overseas to go into quarantine. A cruise-ship standoff is intensifying off Australia.
Key Developments:
- Global cases top 937,000; 47,000 dead: Johns Hopkins
- Young age of many N.Y. patients surprises doctors
- Los Angeles mayor says entire city should wear masks: AP
- Pivotal climate conference is postponed
- Locked up, beaten and shamed: virus laws lead to abuse
Australia Offers Free Childcare to Aid Workers (11:34 a.m. HK)
Australia is offering free childcare to about 1 million families, as the government steps up efforts to cushion the impact of the coronavirus. The support will “deliver hip pocket relief” to families while ensuring childcare centers can stay open during the crisis. The sector is expected to receive A$1.6 billion ($973 million) over the coming three months in taxpayer subsidies, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.
South Korea Adds 89 Cases in 24 Hours (9:24 a.m. HK)
South Korea reported 89 new infections in 24 hours, taking the country’s tally to 9,976.
The death toll has reached 169, the health ministry said in a statement.
Trump Seeks Walmart’s Help for Surgical Gowns (8:40 a.m. HK)
Walmart Inc. will help the U.S. government procure surgical gowns amid a shortage of personal protective equipment, after President Trump called Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon directly.
The world’s largest retailer will delve into its sprawling global supply chain to identify a company to make an undisclosed number of gowns, a Walmart spokesman said.
Thousands Stranded in Cruise-Ship Standoff (8:29 a.m. HK)
A cruise-ship operator with six vessels stranded off Australia is calling on the nation to help evacuate thousands of crew as the outbreak ravages the industry.
Carnival Plc said it needs Australia’s help to bring crew to shore so they can return to their home countries. The government had a duty to act on humanitarian grounds, Carnival said.
Global Times Slams Report of China Concealment (8:06 a.m. HK)
U.S. intelligence’s conclusion that China under-reported its infections is an attempt to divert attention from surging deaths in the U.S. and other Western nations, Global Times’s Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin said.
Hu, who made the remarks on his own Weibo account, said there was no way to seriously fabricate data in today’s China, especially about an incident that has drawn such widespread attention.
