Tokyo confirmed 97 new cases, marking the biggest single-day increase. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gave authorities a shoot-to-kill green light when dealing with protesters who attempt to riot or disrupt the food distribution during lockdown.
In the West, Spain's social security data showed close to 900,000 workers lost their job since March 12 when the country went on lockdown. China and the US sparred after the latter questioned the accuracy of official Chinese figures.
Russia cases jump to more than 3,500
Russia's case tally jumped to 3,548 on Thursday, a record daily increase of 771, Russia's crisis response centre said.
Cases have been recorded in 76 of Russia's more than 80 regions, but Moscow remains the epicentre of the outbreak with 595 cases, the centre said. Thirty people have died across the country, it said.
900,000 Spanish workers lost jobs
Spain's social security data showed close to 900,000 workers lost their job since March 12 when the country went on lockdown.
Some 898,822 workers lost their jobs since March 12 in Spain, social security data showed, more than half of which are temporary workers.
The number of people officially registered as unemployed in the country rose to 3.5 million in March, the highest level since April 2017.
Greece seals off migrant camp
Greece sealed off a migrant camp near Athens after 21 of its residents tested positive — beginning with a new mother at an Athens hospital.
"From today the facility is placed under sanitary isolation for two weeks," the migration ministry said in a statement.
The woman, reportedly from Africa, tested positive after giving birth at an Athens hospital this week.
The ministry said that of 63 people subsequently tested at the Ritsona camp, some 80km north of Athens, 20 were positive but without symptoms. No staff were found to be carrying the virus, it said.
Greece, with 11-million population, recorded 50 deaths and 1,415 cases of novel coronavirus.
Tokyo confirms 97 new cases
Tokyo confirms 97 new coronavirus cases, a daily record high.
JAL executives to take 10% pay cut
Japan Airlines Co. executives will voluntarily take a 10% cut in monthly remuneration from April to June, a source close to the matter said.
For the summer flight schedule starting March 29, JAL will see over 80% of international flights reduced through the end of April compared to its initial plan.
Japan eyes tax moratorium for firms
The Japanese government will grant a moratorium on tax payments by companies that have seen their monthly revenues since February fall by 20% or more from the previous year due to the epidemic, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The government aims to help virus-hit firms hold enough cash in hand to continue their business by temporarily exempting them from any sort of tax payment including corporate and consumption taxes, as well as social security premiums such as pension and health insurance fees, they said.
China says it acted openly
Some US officials want to shift the blame for the outbreak, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a briefing in Beijing, addressing earlier reports the country concealed the extent of its outbreak.
Ms Hua said China understands the pressure the US faces and can relate to what the country is going through.
Earlier, President Donald Trump cast doubt on the accuracy of official Chinese figures after US lawmakers, citing an intelligence report, accused Beijing of a cover-up.
The controversy around Beijing's transparency has strained ties, adding to bad feelings triggered by a conspiracy theory in China that the US military was to blame for the virus.
Boeing may announce staff buyouts
The US planemaker is expected to announce voluntary staff buyouts in a message to its 161,000 employees, said a person familiar with the plans.
No details were available on the size of the workforce reductions at Boeing, or the areas where they might occur, said the person.
Philippine lockdown protesters can be shot
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gave authorities the green light to shoot dead protesters who attempt to riot or disrupt food distribution during a lockdown.
More than 100 residents of a poor community in Quezon City in the capital region hit the streets on Wednesday asking for food from the government, but were dispersed by cops for allegedly violating quarantine rules, the Philippine Star reported. Local authorities said the protesters — some of whom were arrested — were wrongly told by an unidentified person that cash and food would be distributed, prompting them to leave their homes.
"My orders to the police, the military and the village officials: if there’s a commotion, if they fight back and your life becomes at risk, shoot them dead," Mr Duterte said in a televised address late Wednesday. He also warned leftist groups against causing food riots.
Cops won’t shoot people dead, and they understand that Mr Duterte "just overemphasised" following the law during a crisis, police chief Gen Archie Gamboa told ABS-CBN News Channel on Thursday.
Chinese county back in lockdown
A county in central China has been put under lockdown again after a flareup in cases, pointing to the difficulty of sustaining containment when carriers show no signs of sickness.
Jia county, with a population of about 640,000, issued a directive Wednesday asking all residential compounds to be sealed off, and those visiting and leaving homes to produce identity cards, wear masks and submit to temperature checks.
Climate conference postponed
A pivotal round of global climate talks scheduled for November in Scotland has been postponed.
Rounds of preliminary talks in the lead up to the COP26 conference, one of the world’s largest diplomatic gatherings with more than 26,000 expected attendees, had become difficult as lockdowns spread around the world. A new date for the summit will be set for 2021, the United Nations said in a statement.
Australia seeks to end cruise standoffs
Australian police and military will soon begin taking doctors on helicopters to several cruise ships stranded near Sydney to assess nearly 9,000 crew for the virus, officials said.
The military-style operation, due to begin by the weekend, is aimed at resolving a standoff between cruise line operators and authorities who fear a wave of new imported coronavirus cases would overwhelm local hospitals.
Australian scientists test vaccines
Tests have begun in Australia of two potential vaccines on ferrets, as scientists worldwide race to develop one at record speed.
One from the University of Oxford would deliver a bit of defective virus that is unable to replicate, but would be enough to provoke an immune response.
Another from drugmaker Inovio would be an injection of genetic material from the virus. Results from the tests are expected within two to three months, although it is expected to take much longer to develop a proven vaccine.
North Korea insists it’s clear
North Korea remains totally free of the coronavirus, a senior health official in Pyongyang has insisted, despite mounting scepticism overseas as confirmed global infections near 1 million.
The already isolated, nuclear-armed North quickly shut down its borders in January after the virus was first detected in neighbouring China, and imposed strict containment measures.
Experts have said North Korea is particularly vulnerable to the virus because of its weak medical system, and defectors have accused Pyongyang of covering up an outbreak.
Singapore cases reach 1,000
Cases in Singapore have now reached 1,000 including four deaths, with the numbers growing steadily in recent days due to a rise in both infections brought in from overseas and local transmissions.
The city-state's government, which has won praise for its handling of the outbreak, is slowing tightening restrictions, with many entertainment venues now closed and people being told to work from home where possible.