Live COVID-19 updates: Japan to declare nationwide state of emergency amid continued COVID-19 spread

Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-16 19:54:54|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe has decided to declare a nationwide state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic to combat the further spread of the virus as cases of infections continue to rise, public broadcaster NHK said Thursday.

The planned move comes as the number and pace of cases continue to increase across Japan with confirmed new COVID-19 infections rising by 188 nationwide, including 149 cases in Tokyo, according to health ministry and local authorities as of Thursday afternoon.

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MANILA -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported on Thursday 207 new infections from COVID-19, bringing the total number of the coronavirus cases in the country to 5,660.

The number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in the Philippines surpassed the death toll for the second day in a row on Thursday after the DOH reported a record-high 82 more recoveries and 13 new fatalities.

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JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government reported 380 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections in the archipelagic country to 5,516.

The government's spokesperson for the COVID-19-related matters Achmad Yurianto told a press conference that 27 new deaths were registered, raising the total number of fatalities to 496.

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LAGOS -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria has risen to 407 after 34 new cases were reported, the country's disease control center said.

In an update released late Wednesday, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said so far 12 people have died from COVID-19 and 128 been discharged in the West African nation.

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NEW DELHI -- At least 72 families were required to remain in home quarantine in the Indian capital city after a deliver agent from a pizza chain restaurant tested positive for novel coronavirus, officials said Thursday.

The families living in several localities of south Delhi have been asked to remain inside their houses.

Reports said the delivery agent, a teenager, has delivered pizzas until April 12. Fifteen days before that date, he had delivered food packets to 72 families in south Delhi areas like Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar and Savitri Nagar.

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SYDNEY -- An Australian company has put the call out for volunteers in the country's first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, expected to take place in coming weeks.

Clinical research company Nucleus Network revealed on Wednesday it would test the effectiveness and safety of a Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, developed by U.S. based biotechnology company Novavax.

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BEIJING -- China stands ready to enhance anti-epidemic cooperation with Iran, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

As comprehensive strategic partners with mutual understanding and support, China and Iran have helped each other through thick and thin in the fight against COVID-19 and have jointly written a chapter of cooperation, Wang said.

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BERLIN -- Germany on Thursday morning reported that 130,450 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country, an increase of 2,866 over the past 24 hours, according to Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's disease control agency.

The death toll rose to 3,569, up 315 from a day ago, according to the RKI. Enditem

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