Coronavirus Global Updates, April 13: China’s daily cases surge to six-week high, UK’s death toll crosses 10,000

China on Monday saw a surge in the nation’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases as it reported the highest number of new daily cases in nearly six weeks, the National Health Commission said. A total of 108 new coronavirus cases were reported on Sunday, up from 99 a day earlier. COVID-19 LIVE updates

More than 1.8 million infections have been reported worldwide, with over 1,14,000 deaths globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The US has the highest death toll, with over 555,000 confirmed cases. Britain’s death toll on Monday crossed 10,000.

Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers, also known as OPEC+ nations, on Monday finally agreed their biggest-ever oil output cut. Oil prices jumped more than $1 a barrel after this decision.

US’s Easter Sunday grim

Easter Sunday in the US was low-key as most Americans confined to their homes because of the quarantine lockdown due to the coronavirus infection. The death toll in the nation crossed 22,000.

With 42 states imposing strict stay-at-home orders most churches were shuttered, although many erected crosses outside or even offered drive-through services conducted by priests, pastors or ministers wearing latex gloves and surgical masks.

 Relatives attend a burial ceremony of victims of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the southern town of Cisternino, Italy. (Reuters)

The largest number of deaths were reported from and around New York City.

Trump thanks Russian President and Saudi Crown Prince on oil deal

US President Donald Trump on Sunday thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud for their deal along with other oil-producing countries to calm global energy markets, the White House said. Trump spoke with the two leaders over the phone.

 Protesters wave placards outside the GEO Aurora Processing Center to call for the release of detainees over concerns of the spread of the new coronavirus at the ICE facility Thursday in Aurora, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

In separate readouts of the call, the White House said Trump welcomed the commitment by Russia and Saudi Arabia to return oil production to levels consistent with global energy and financial market stability.

Trump, during his phone call, thanked them for working with each other, and other oil producing states to calm global energy markets, the White House said.

France’s death toll crosses 14,000

The overall death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen to nearly 14,400, but for the fourth day in a row, slightly fewer people were admitted into intensive care, giving health officials a reason to grasp for good news.

 Police officers checks their phones as they walk on Trocadero plaza during a nationwide confinement to counter the new coronavirus, in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

The country’s Health Ministry said that the country is reaching a “very high plateau” and reflected initial signs that nearly four weeks of confinement and the “drastic reduction in contacts” are producing an effect, a statement said.

Of the 31,836 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19, more than 1,600 were admitted in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry added.

Italy records lowest number of deaths in three weeks

Italy on Monday recorded the lowest number of new coronavirus deaths in three weeks, with 431 people dying on the earlier day, bringing its total to 19,899. It was the lowest day-to-day toll since March 19.

 Wuhan: A medical worker from China’s Jilin Province, in red, embraces a colleague from Wuhan as she prepares to return home at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province. (AP/PTI Photo)

For the ninth day running, intensive care admissions were down and hospitalizations overall were down. More than 4,000 people tested positive as Italy began its fifth week under nationwide lockdown, continuing a general flattening in its infection curve.

Italy crossed the 1 million virus test mark on Monday, doubling the number of tests since the end of March. Overall, 156,363 people have been confirmed as positive, though officials note that the true number of infected could be as much as 10 times that, particularly in hard-hit Lombardy.

Israel’s former chief rabbi dies of coronavirus

Israel’s former chief rabbi Eliahou Bakshi-Doron, who was known for promoting interfaith dialogue, died Monday of the new coronavirus, the Shaare Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem said.

 Volunteers wait to check temperatures at the entrance of a street in Beijing. (Giulia Marchi/The New York Times)

Bakshi-Doron, 79, was the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel between 1993 and 2003. Born in Jerusalem in 1941, he was chief rabbi of the northern port city of Haifa for 18 years before being elected chief rabbi of Israel.

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The rabbi was hospitalised some days ago but suffered from pre-existing conditions that led to his condition deteriorating, the hospital said in a statement.