In the latest round up of good coronavirus news, China continues to push towards a return to normal, while Brits bought food shopping for two NHS workers – and more
Britain is still in the thick of its devastating battle against the deadly coronavirus with the death toll having risen by 209 in 24 hours.
But as tens of thousands of the most vulnerable receive food parcels across the UK, there are plenty of good news stories in the global fight against Covid-19.
From Brits paying for NHS workers’ shopping to China’s new cases dropping every day to Donald Trump finally abandoning plans to re-open America at Easter.
The Chinese city of Wuhan where the outbreak began has re-opened tube trains and long-distance train services in another step towards ending restrictions that confined millions to their homes for months.
The city has reopened tube trains and long-distance train services in another step towards ending restrictions that confined millions of people to their homes.
Passengers in Wuhan in the central province of Hubei had to wear masks and be checked for fever after service resumed on Saturday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
It said signs were posted telling passengers to sit with empty seats between them.
It comes as mainland China reported a drop in new cases for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that 31 new coronavirus cases were recorded yesterday, including one locally transmitted infection, dropping from 45 cases a day earlier.
Four new deaths were reported, taking the cumulative death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the mainland to 3,304, from 81,470 infections.
The number of new infections has fallen sharply in the mainland from the peak in February.
Hubei province, where Wuhan is situated, reported no new cases for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday.
The government is now exhorting businesses and factories to reopen for business as it rolls out various fiscal and monetary stimulus to drive a recovery from what many now expect to be an outright economic contraction in January-March.
Guatemala, meanwhile, will use nearly $26 million from an emergency fund to help thousands of the country’s neediest families, President Alejandro Giammattei said on Sunday.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that 31 new coronavirus cases were recorded yesterday, including one locally transmitted infection, dropping from 45 cases a day earlier.
Four new deaths were reported, taking the cumulative death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the mainland to 3,304, from 81,470 infections.
The number of new infections has fallen sharply in the mainland from the peak in February.
Hubei province, where Wuhan is situated, reported no new cases for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday.
The government is now exhorting businesses and factories to reopen for business as it rolls out various fiscal and monetary stimulus to drive a recovery from what many now expect to be an outright economic contraction in January-March.
Guatemala, meanwhile, will use nearly $26 million from an emergency fund to help thousands of the country’s neediest families, President Alejandro Giammattei said on Sunday.
Donald Trump has finally backed down on his insistence that the US would be open as normal by Easter – an assertion roundly slammed by medical experts.
Yesterday the US president extended his stay-at-home guidelines until the end of April after a top medical adviser said more than100,000 Amercians could die from the outbreak.
The reversal by Trump, which he said would be disclosed in greater detail on Tuesday, came as the US death toll topped 2,460 from the respiratory disease, according to a Reuters tally, with more than 141,000 cases, the most of any country in the world.
Earlier on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that the pandemic could ultimately kill between 100,000 and 200,000 people in the US if mitigation was not successful.
Across the border in Canada, more good news as the wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that she has recovered from Covid-19.
“I am feeling so much better,” Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said in a statement on social media, adding she received the clearance from her doctor and Ottawa Public Health.
Mr Trudeau’s office announced on March 12 that she had tested positive for coronavirus after she fell ill after returning from a trip to London.
The prime minister and his family have been in self isolation at home since then.
He and their three children did not show symptoms.
Back in Britain, two paramedics had their food bought for them in Sainsbury’s after shoppers rallied round to show their support.
The pair entered the store in Loughton, Essex, on Sunday and were quick to catch the attention of other locals.
Adam Brooks said : “As I walked around the aisles I noticed two young female paramedics and I said ‘keep going guys’ and walked on, other shoppers also praised them too.”
Mr Brooks said that by the time he had reached the checkouts several people had lined up to pay for their shopping.
He said: “A guy said to them, ‘Well done, you are doing amazing work’ and the paramedics looked emotional.
“He edged closer to them and said, I must pay for your shopping and then he tapped his card on the terminal.
“They couldn’t thank him enough. It was a nice thing to witness.”
While an artist known for putting motivational posters on city streets across the world is now sending notes directly to NHS staff.
Andy Leek, 34, is behind Notes To Strangers, a public arts project in which he leaves colourful and positive messages for people to walk past in their daily lives.
He has now switched to creating posters for NHS staff working during the coronavirus pandemic, in a project entitled Notes To NHS Staff.
More than 1,300 posters have been sent to hospitals across the country for staff to post in break rooms, kitchens, corridors and offices.
Leek, from London, said the project was focused on helping and appreciating NHS staff, who he described as “incredible”.
