By Gina Lee and Peter Nurse
The U.S. Congress will vote on a $450 billion package for small businesses and hospitals on Tuesday.
The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that any lifting of lockdowns to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus must be gradual, and if restrictions were to be relaxed too soon, there would be a resurgence of infections.
France’s capital suffers from unrest as the strict lockdown rules to curb the coronavirus threaten the fragile social peace.
Europe:
France People set bins on fire and let off fireworks in low-income suburbs near Paris, French media said on Tuesday, in a new night of unrest as strict lockdown rules to curb the coronavirus threaten fragile social peace in deprived areas.
U.K. NHS supplies of face masks could be put at risk if the government starts advising the public to wear them, hospital bosses have warned. The government's scientific advisers are to meet later Tuesday to discuss whether the public should be urged to wear masks in a bid to combat coronavirus.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,785 to 143,457, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday, marking a slight increase in the number of new infections, from 1,775 on Monday, after two days of declines. The reported death toll rose by 194 to 4,598, the tally showed on Tuesday.
Asia:
Indonesia will ban the mass exodus tradition, locally known as 'mudik,' at the end of the Muslim fasting month in May in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus in the Southeast Asian country, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.
Widodo cited a transport ministry survey that said 24% of Indonesians were insisting on joining the exodus after Ramadan in the world's biggest Muslim-majority country.
China The northwestern province of Shaanxi reported on Tuesday its first cases in nearly three weeks, all involving travellers from overseas. The 21 new infections were all travellers on a commercial flight from Moscow bound for the Chinese capital of Beijing.
South Korea's economy likely shrank at its sharpest pace since 2008 in the first quarter, contracting 1.5% from the previous quarter, as the coronavirus health crisis ravaged business activity and global demand, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.
Hong Kong will extend social restrictions to contain the virus for another 14 days from April 23. The measures will now end on May 7 despite Hong Kong reporting no new cases on Monday since March.
New Zealand could ease some of its lockdown measures by next week.
Americas:
U.S. Congress looks set to vote later Tuesday on a new $450 billion package for small businesses and hospitals impacted by Covid-19.
U.S. crude prices turned negative the first time in history on Monday, with very few buyers turning up for prompt delivery oil in a market woefully glutted by the coronavirus pandemic.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures for May delivery settled the day at minus $37.63, a notional loss of $55.90 per barrel from its Friday settlement of $18.27.
U.S. All immigration into the United States is set to be suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak, with President Donald Trump stating he will sign an executive order to that effect.
