Coronavirus is continuing to spread around the world, with 1,897,381 people infected and 121,033 to have died. Across the globe, people are being urged to self-isolate to prevent the spread of the virus, and now in the United States, the death toll from coronavirus had risen to 23,604 surpassing China’s death toll – 3,341 – where the disease originated.
Another hot-spot for the virus, the total number of infected people in Italy now stands at 159,516.
Cases and deaths have slowed in China, but more cases are breaking out around the world.
Now Spain’s death toll has also surpassed that of China, with 18,056 to have died in Spain while infections in the country have reached 172,541.
Since the virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, outbreaks have been confirmed in more than 100 countries and territories.
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Now the global total death toll has reached 121,033, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned it could get worse before it gets better.
In the UK, 88,621 cases have been confirmed, with the numbers growing each day.
In press conferences, Mr Johnson has urged the public to abide by the strict measures he had imposed.
The Prime Minister urged people to stay home, only leaving for essential food shopping, key jobs and one form of exercise per day.
It comes as a Public Health England (PHE) briefing warned health chiefs the epidemic in the UK could last until spring next year and could lead up to 7.9 million people being admitted to hospital.
Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020, which were passed in January, a person who is required to be kept in isolation can be taken there by a constable, with the use of “reasonable force, if necessary”.
Failure to comply with restrictions, or absconding from isolation, is punishable with a fine of up to £1,000.
Now, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has left hospital where he was treated for coronavirus, now recovering in his country home, Chequers.
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The UK is currently in the fourth week of lockdown, and there is no date as yet for when restrictions will lift.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has said “people will need to wait” to find out when lockdown measures will be lifted.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, I think people will need to wait until we have seen the evidence and the recommendations that come from that after the assessment of the first three weeks of lockdown.
“There are legislative elements which will need to be sorted out at the appropriate time, but we will continue to review the evidence.”
Ms Coffey added: “I’m conscious that people would like to know sooner but it would be irresponsible of the Government to just issue messages now without having been through that assessment and the recommendations and careful consideration of it.
“So people will have to just wait a little bit longer and more will be said at the end of this week.”
Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street press conference, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab praised the public for staying at home over the Easter weekend and added: “Our plan is working.
“Please stick with it, and we’ll get through this crisis together.”
Why is it called coronavirus? What does corona mean?
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coronaviruses are a group of viruses which produce symptoms similar to that of flu.
Symptoms can range from a runny nose, cough, sore throat and fever, but can also escalate to pneumonia.
Coronavirus gets its name from the word ‘corona’ which means crown in Latin.
Coronavirus has a series of crown-like spikes on its surface, which is the reason for the name.
Other well-known coronaviruses include severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
The first SARS outbreak came in China between November 2002 and July 2003 which triggered 8,098 cases, resulting in 774 deaths reported in 17 countries.
MERS was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States.
Most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Many of them have died.
Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO health emergencies programmes, said China had “a laser focus” on stopping the coronavirus outbreak.
He said: “We are at an important juncture in this event. We believe these chains of transmission can still be interrupted.
Referring to China he continued: “They are taking extraordinary measures in the face of what is an extraordinary challenge.”
The coronavirus has remained “remarkably stable”, according to Dr Ryan, a veteran of outbreaks including the SARS epidemic as well as Ebola outbreaks in West Africa.
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