North America

New York state virus deaths spike to 385, with 100 fatalities reported in the past day

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that the populous US state’s coronavirus death tally has jumped to 385, with 100 fatalities in the past day. New York is at the epicenter of America’s coronavirus battle and the state has now counted 37,258 positive cases, as it scrambles to prepare hospitals and create overflow capacity for an influx of new patients. The grim announcement comes hours after the total […]

Trump to discuss coronavirus with China’s Xi later Thursday

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said he will speak by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later Thursday as the United States overtook China as the country with the most coronavirus cases. Trump told a press conference he would be speaking to Xi at 9:00 pm (0100 GMT Friday). With 82,404 cases of infection, the United States has now surpassed virus hotspots China and Italy, according to a tracker run by […]

US has world’s most confirmed coronavirus cases: trackers

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The United States now has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world, according to data gathered both by Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times. In reaching the grim milestone on Thursday, the country of 330 million people surpassed virus hotspots China and Italy. Johns Hopkins said the US has 82,404 cases, while the Times said there were at least 81,321 people who tested positive […]

Coronavirus pushes 3.3 million to claim US jobless benefits

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic sparked an explosion of Americans filing for unemployment benefits, surging to 3.3 million last week — the highest number ever recorded, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The normally routine report is at the frontlines of the economic crisis caused by the outbreak, which has forced widespread closures of restaurants, shops and hotels and brought airline travel to a virtual halt, prompting the […]

More than 1,000 US coronavirus deaths, near 70,000 cases: tracker

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus rose to 1,031 in the United States on Wednesday, with 68,572 confirmed cases nationwide, a tracker run by the Johns Hopkins University showed. The tracker had shown 827 just a few hours earlier. The United States has the third-highest number of confirmed cases behind China and Italy, and the US death rate is now 1.5 percent, based on reported cases. The […]

IMF approves $1.3 bilion aid program for Jordan

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The IMF on Wednesday approved a $1.3 billion aid plan for Jordan, made all the more necessary by the global coronavirus pandemic. The program was initially announced at the end of January before the novel virus rocked the world’s economy. “Changes were made to the program to support unbudgeted spending covering emergency outlays and medical supplies and equipment,” the IMF said in a statement. “If the impact of the outbreak […]

Jobless benefits spat snags Senate’s huge US relief package

by Michael Mathes WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Republican opposition to expanding certain unemployment benefits was delaying Senate passage Wednesday of the largest economic rescue package in modern US history, amid fears that New York could be the next epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The United States now has over 65,000 confirmed cases, the third-highest number globally behind China and Italy. About half are in New York state. “We still have the trajectory going up,” […]

Coronavirus could become seasonal: top US scientist

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — There is a strong chance the new coronavirus could return in seasonal cycles, a senior US scientist said Wednesday, underscoring the urgent need to find a vaccine and effective treatments. Anthony Fauci, who leads research into infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, told a briefing the virus was beginning to take root in the southern hemisphere, where winter is on its way. “What we’re starting to see now… […]

US freezes overseas troop movements in virus lockdown

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered a 60-day freeze Wednesday on moves by US troops and civilian defense employees overseas in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The move stopped the deployment or redeployment of some 90,000 US service members for the next two months. It also freezes in place the families of service members who traveled overseas with their deployments. “This measure is taken to aid […]

New York governor says, social distancing slowing coronavirus

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Social distancing appears to be slowing the spread of the coronavirus in New York, the epicenter of America’s pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. In his daily update on efforts to contain the deadly pandemic, Cuomo said projection rates suggested hospitalizations were increasing at a slower rate than before. “The arrows are headed in the right direction,” he told reporters. Cuomo said New York was still “on the way […]

US coronavirus cases cross 60,000, 827 dead: tracker

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the United States reached 60,115 on Wednesday while 827 people had died, a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University showed. The tracker showed 600 deaths around 24 hours earlier. The US has the third highest number of confirmed cases behind China and Italy, and the US death rate is now 1.38 percent, based on reported cases. The true number of […]

US Senate to vote on pandemic relief as fears grow in New York

by Chris Lefkow WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Senators were poised Wednesday to pass the largest rescue package in modern US history for businesses and ordinary Americans devastated by the coronavirus amid fears that New York could be the next epicenter of the pandemic. The United States now has over 62,000 confirmed cases, the third-highest number globally behind China and Italy. About half are in New York state. “We still have the trajectory going up,” […]