As of 8 am, May 16, 2020:
Worldwide: 4,523,916 cases, 303,825 deaths, 1,609,475 recoveries
There are now 4,523,916 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 worldwide. There have been 303,825 deaths. The United States has the highest number of cases, with 1,468,777 infections, followed by Russia (262,843) and the United Kingdom (236,711). The US also accounts for the highest number of deaths out of all countries with infections (87,774), followed by the United Kingdom (33,998) and Italy (31,610).
1,609,475 people worldwide have recovered from Covid-19.
Singapore: 793 additional cases, 1,275 discharged from hospital, 5 new clusters
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on May 15 that there are 752 new Covid-19 cases in the country. Singapore now has a total of 26,891 confirmed cases. 1,275 more people have been discharged from the hospital. A total of 7,248 individuals have now recovered.
There are 1,124 people under treatment in hospitals, with 18 in critical condition in intensive care units. The country’s death count remains at 21, with nine others who had tested positive for Covid-19 dying of other causes.
Singapore also has 5 new infection clusters: 80 Kaki Bukit Industrial Terrace, 48 Toh Guan Road East, 55 Tuas South Avenue 1, 119 Tuas View Walk 1 and 33 Tuas View Walk 2.
France: First juvenile death from inflammatory disease believed linked to Covid-19
With recent reports of a rare inflammatory disease linked to Covid-19 emerging from Europe and the US, France has reported the first death of a child with this condition, a 9-year-old boy who was positive for the coronavirus but was asymptomatic. However, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died of a “neurological injury” afterward. Children with this condition are said to be showing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, “inflammation, swollen limbs, skin rashes, and most seriously a heart attack,” said the Director of the National Health Agency, Jérôme Salomon. Around 135 children in France have fallen ill with the condition so far. A spokeswoman for the national health agency said that while Kawasaki disease is commonly found in chidden until the age of 5, this inflammatory disease has been observed in those from the ages of 5 to 14. One 14-year-old UK child has died of the condition.
South Korea: 153 cases now linked to nightclub superspreader
There have been at least 153 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus linked to the man who went club-hopping on May 2 in Itaewon, Seoul. 46,000 tests have been administered so far, and of the 5,500 people present in the clubs that night, 4,300 have been tested. The country’s LGBTQ community has been the target of hate speech recently as several of the clubs the super spreader visited are places that the gay community frequents.
China: Possible second wave feared
Eleven new asymptomatic cases have emerged in Wuhan, the city in central China where the outbreak began. Authorities have announced they intend to test all 11 million residents for the virus in the next 10 days. New cases have also been reported in China’s northeastern province of Jilin. Xinhua reported on May 14 that “Wuhan has detected several to more than a dozen asymptomatic infections every day. Although these asymptomatic infections are all treated in isolation, they still cause concern in the society.”
Germany enters recession
Germany, which has the largest economy in Europe, has officially entered a recession. The country suffered its biggest contraction since the 2008 global financial crisis, having shrunk by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of this year amid the coronavirus crisis. Consumer spending, capital investment, and exports have all fallen to record lows in the last two months.
EU economy predicted to shrink by 7.4% this year
The economy of the European Union is expected to shrink by 7.4 percent for 2020, the worst recession in EU history, even as its wealthier members are spending hundreds of billions of euros to plug leaks. Economists say that even more stimulus will be necessary.
US to vote on US$3 trillion relief package
As the country reels from the severe economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the US House of Representatives will be voting on a US$3 trillion relief package that neither President Trump nor the Senate is in favor of, deeming it too excessive. The package includes an additional round of $1200 for individuals plus around $1 trillion for state, local and tribal governments. President Trump has shown reluctance to extend more aid to certain Democratic states. Even as the country has recorded the highest number of infections and deaths around the globe, states have begun to reopen, amid warnings from health experts. “Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back, and we’re starting the process,” Mr Trump said on May 15.—/TISG
Read also:Coronavirus: latest global developments