Beds are seen in one of the seven new Intensive Care Units (ICU) in Vall d'Hebron Hospital, in Barcelona, Spain, March 26, 2020. (Vall d'Hebron Hospital via Xinhua)
-- Spain: Coronavirus deaths pass 10,000 mark
-- Germany: 6,156 new confirmed cases
-- Denmark: New guidelines issued for COVID-19 tests
-- U.S.: Jobless claims surge to record 6.65 mln
-- Britain: To applaud again for frontline medical staff
-- Belgium: Deaths top 1,000
BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The world is now in a battle against COVID-19, a disease caused by a previously unknown coronavirus that has spread to over 200 countries and regions.
The following are the updates on the contagious disease.
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MADRID -- Spain suffered its highest number of deaths from COVID-19 in a 24-hour period, taking the total number of fatalities in the country to over 10,000, the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services confirmed Thursday.
A total of 10,003 people have died of the infectious disease in Spain as of Thursday, 950 more than the death toll of 9,053 on Wednesday, while the total number of COVID-19 cases rose by 8,102 to 110,238 over the past 24 hours.
A total of 54,113 people are in need of hospital treatment, an increase of 2,695 from Wednesday, with 6,092 requiring treatment in an intensive care unit -- an increase of 220 in the last 24-hour period.
More than 300,000 Spaniards had lost their jobs during March, said the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Social Security, indicating the impact of COVID-19 on the Spanish economy.
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A bicyclist is seen near the Brandenburger Gate in Berlin, capital of Germany, March 28, 2020. (Photo by Binh Truong/Xinhua)
BERLIN -- Germany registered 6,156 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 140 deaths over the past day, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Thursday.
The average number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany increased from 81 to 88 on Thursday although there were regional differences, according to the RKI, the federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention.
On Wednesday, the German government extended the social contact restrictions to April 19 after a telephone conference between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states.
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COPENHAGEN -- Denmark's National Board of Health on Wednesday evening issued new guidelines to expand COVID-19 tests, saying doctors can now refer patients to regional COVID-19 clinics for diagnostic tests after a brief telephone consultation.
The patients include those with mild symptoms, the high-risk group suffering from a chronic illness, and people who have difficulty self-quarantining at home or have close contact with COVID-19 patients.
"The new guideline also makes it much easier to get a test if you are in the health and elderly sector or working with socially disadvantaged people," said the report.
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A resident wearing mask is seen in a metro station in Washington D.C., the United States, March 31, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)
WASHINGTON -- The number of initial jobless claims in the United States surged by 3.34 million to reach 6.65 million last week as COVID-19 devastates the economy, setting a second straight record, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.
In the week ending March 28, the number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits spiked by 3,341,000 to 6,648,000, the bureau said.
The newly released number came after the figure spiked by 3 million to reach a record 3.3 million in the previous week, which was revised up slightly to 3.31 million.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to impact the number of initial claims. Nearly every state providing comments cited the COVID-19 virus," according to the report.
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VIENNA -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday announced that it is dispatching a first batch of equipment to rapidly detect the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to over 40 countries.
The first batch of supplies, worth around 4 million euros (4.37 million U.S. dollars), will help countries use a nuclear-derived technique known as real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, the most sensitive technique for detecting viruses currently available, according to a statement on the IAEA website.
The IAEA has been using its own resources and extra-budgetary funding from member states to provide emergency COVID-19 assistance. Member states, including the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia, have so far contributed more than 9.5 million euros (10.38 million dollars).
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People applaud for the National Health Service (NHS) staff from their balcony and window in London, Britain on March 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
LONDON -- The British people are being called on to take part in another mass round of applause Thursday night for frontline healthcare workers battling the novel coronavirus pandemic as part of the Clap For Our Carers campaign.
Residents from all corners of Britain are expected to come together to salute the British National Health Service (NHS) staff and carers from doorsteps, windows and balconies again at 8:00 p.m. (1900GMT).
It comes exactly a week after the first nationwide round of applause last Thursday.
A statement on the Clap for our Carers website read: "Every Thursday evening at 8 p.m. we'll be standing up and applauding all those who care for us and are ensuring our world can keep on turning."
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BRUSSELS -- A further 183 patients had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Belgium, raising the country's death toll to 1,011, according to fresh figures released Thursday by public health institute Sciensano.
In the last 24 hours, Belgium also reported 1,384 new cases of confirmed coronavirus infection, taking the total to 15,348, according to Sciensano Institute which is in charge of monitoring and analyzing COVID-19 data collected from its network of partners.
After a drastic drop in the number of new cases observed on March 31, the curve of new cases, as well as that of new deaths, is on the rise. ■
