Covid-19 infections growing exponentially, deaths near 50,000, says WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday it was deeply concerned about the near-exponential escalation of the new coronavirus pandemic, with the number of deaths doubling in a week.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged citizens around the globe to stand together to fight Covid-19, as he braced for the millionth confirmed case.
"As we enter the fourth month since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection," he told a virtual news conference.
"Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new cases, reaching almost every country. The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths."
Coronavirus: China concealed extent of outbreak, US intelligence says
China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it's suffered from the disease, the US intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the White House, according to three US officials.
The officials asked not to be identified because the report is secret, and they declined to detail its contents. But the thrust, they said, is that China's public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete.
Two of the officials said the report concludes that China's numbers are fake.
Britain's Prince Charles, recovered from bug, says it is distressing time for nation
Britain's Prince Charles, who has recovered after testing positive for coronavirus, praised the selfless devotion of healthcare workers on Wednesday and said it was a strange and distressing time for the nation.
Heir-to-the-throne Charles, 71, came out of self-isolation on Monday after suffering what he said were "luckily... relatively mild symptoms" and his office said he was now in good health.
Britain is in a state of virtual lockdown, with the public told they must stay at home other than for essential trips, such as to buy food.
Coronavirus: Tommy the robot nurse helps keep doctors in Italy safe from bug
He doesn't wear a mask but he is helping save lives from coronavirus just the same. Meet Tommy, the robot nurse.
Tommy is one of six new robots helping flesh-and-blood doctors and nurses care for coronavirus patients at the Circolo Hospital in Varese, a city in the northern Lombardy region that is the epicentre of the outbreak in Italy.
"It's like having another nurse without problems related to infection," said Doctor Francesco Dentali, director of intensive care at the hospital.
Tennis: Federer 'devastated' as Wimbledon cancelled due to coronavirus
Former champion Roger Federer said he was "devastated" that Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War II because of the coronavirus.
Wimbledon chiefs pulled the plug on the oldest Grand Slam tournament on Wednesday in response to the continued chaos caused by the pandemic.
Federer, who has won a record eight Wimbledon men's singles titles, reacted with a single word, tweeting: "devastated." Serena Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon women's singles champion, was also rocked by the news as the American tweeted: "I'm Shooked (sic)".
