Luxembourg approaches 2,000 cases
The latest figures for Luxembourg, as we reported on Sunday afternoon, show there are 1,950 confirmed covid-19 cases in the grand duchy (up from 1,831 as of Saturday at 5:30pm) and 21 people have died (up from 18).
Trump says peak likely in 2 weeks
US president Donald Trump on Sunday said that he believed the country could be on its way to economic recovery by June 1, following a decision to extend movement restrictions until the end of April. In a media briefing in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said that “peak and death rate is likely to hit in two weeks”, which squashed his aspiration of re-opening American for business by Easter Sunday will not happen. “Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” he said. Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US government infectious disease expert, has predicted a death toll in the US of “between 100,000 and 200,000”. The governors of at least 21 states have ordered “non-essential businesses” to close and told residents to stay home. The Guardian, Reuters, CNBC, Washington Post and Fox News have details.
UK could face 6-month lockdown
Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, has said that it would be “quite dangerous” to “suddenly revert to our normal way of living” after the curve of infections in the UK has been flattened. At a media briefing on Sunday, Harries suggested that the current lockdown cold continue for six months and that the country might not return to normality before autumn. The BBC, Daily Mail, Bloomberg and The Guardian have more. Meanwhile, the BBC has a timelapse video of London’s empty streets on Saturday night.
Indian health professionals face stigma
Healthcare professionals in India are being ostracised by neighbours and landlords, with some being evicted and having to sleep in hospital bathrooms, The Guardian reports. Meanwhile, The BBC reports that prime minister Narendra Modi apologised for the impact of the strict stay-at-home measures on his “poor brothers and sisters” and said he seeks their “forgiveness.”
Market brace for another volatile week
After its biggest weekly gain since 1938, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures looks likely to open on Monday with a fall of about 300 points, CNBC reports. Asian share prices fell on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei down 3.7% at the opening bell. Reuters has graphics that highlight some impressive figures from the last 3 months--$15 trillion wiped off stocks, oil prices falling by 60%, and currencies in Brazil, Mexico and South Africa plummeting more than 20%.
Bolsonaro under pressure
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is facing increasing pressure to change his stance on coronavirus. Forbes suggests he is losing support over his “machismo” approach--he reportedly said if he caught the virus it would be like a “little cold”. The BBC reports that a federal judge banned the government from campaigning against isolation measures. And The Guardian says that Bolsonaro allegedly threatened to sack his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, if he spoke out against the president.
Poll has Biden and Trump neck and neck
A Washington Post-ABC poll has revealed that in a potential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump this November, the challenger is just 2 points ahead among registered voters. Biden leads 49% to 47%, with Trump making up 7 points since February. CNN wonders how long the president’s surge can last, while Fox News says Democrats fear Biden is becoming irrelevant in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
Saudi Arabia tracking citizens in States
In an exclusive report, The Guardian suggests that Saudi Arabia has been engaged in systematic spying to track its citizens as they travel around the United States. A whistleblower says that, starting in November 2019, the kingdom’s three biggest mobile phone companies sent millions of secret tracking requests.
Hit revivals
The UK’s official music chart compiler has published its latest lockdown Top 100 featuring songs that are enjoying an unexpected revival during the coronavirus crisis. Gerry & The Pacemakers’ “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is no.1 after being adopted in support of health workers, but gallows humour also features in renewed popularity for the likes of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by The Police and “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” by REM.
Today’s breakfast briefing is written by Duncan Roberts