April 12 coronavirus news

The UK is “likely to be one of the worst, if not the worst, affected countries in Europe,” Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a UK government adviser said Sunday.

"The numbers in the UK have continued to go up, I do hope that we're coming close to the number of new infections reducing, and in a week or two the number of people of people needing hospital reducing," he said, adding that he hoped the number of UK deaths would plateau and start to fall in a couple of weeks.

He told BBC's Andrew Marr that Germany had so far managed to keep its numbers low by introducing testing at a "remarkable" scale early on and isolating those who had contracted the virus.

Farrar also said a second or third wave of coronavirus was "probably inevitable."

He said he thought a vaccine will be available during autumn this year, but that it will not be available on the scale required to protect people around the world.

WATCH: Farrar tells Amanpour: 'The lockdown cannot go into 2021'

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Farrar: 'The lockdown cannot go into 2021' - CNN Video

Spain recorded 619 deaths due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours, according to new data from the Spanish Health Ministry on Sunday. 

This is the highest daily death toll for the past three days and represents a 3.7% increase. The total number of fatalities stands at 16,972.

There are currently 86,656 active cases in the country, and 62,391 people have recovered.

Lockdown extended, but restrictions eased: The nationwide lockdown has been extended to almost the end of April, for a total of six weeks. But the government, pointing to a much slower rate of increase in the number of deaths and of new cases, will ease restrictions on Monday for some workers, allowing construction sites and factories to resume activity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says society cannot return to its old ways once the coronavirus epidemic has passed.

The Church of England’s most senior cleric recorded his Easter message on an iPad at his kitchen table, as large gatherings have been banned under social distancing rules.

“After so much suffering, so much heroism from key workers and the NHS and their equivalents all across the globe. Once the epidemic is conquered here and elsewhere, we cannot be content to go back to what was before – as if all was normal,” he said.

Archbishop Welby used his sermon to call for the “resurrection of our common life.”

“Even in the dark days of this Easter we can feed on hope. We can dream of what our country and our world will look like after the pandemic.”

“At this very difficult time in the life of the nation and of the world, our prayers today are especially with those who are suffering, with those who care for them, and for all who mourn,” the Archbishop said.

Easter under lockdown: The Pope told the world to "not yield to fear" ahead of Easter Sunday, which most Christians will mark from their homes instead of church. Francis himself will be livestreaming a service on YouTube.

Two doctors in Bogota, Colombia are the latest Covid-19 related fatalities in the country, the Minister of Health Dr. Fernando Ruiz announced on Saturday. 

The doctors were identified as Carlos Fabián Nieto, 33, and Dr. William Gutiérrez, 59. According to the minister, they were working in two of the most reputable medical institutions in the Colombian capital.

Ruíz said the two doctors who died received the best care and had the best protection, but he said "we are facing a phenomenon that in the world takes the lives of many people and among them, unfortunately, health workers."

According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, Colombia has more than 2,700 confirmed cases of the virus.

The Chinese city of Suifenhe, which borders Russia, has banned all types of gatherings in the city, the local government announced Saturday. 

Border closed and measures in place: After locking down the border with Russia on Thursday over fears of coronavirus transmissions, local authorities imposed stern measures in the city. Public gatherings are now banned and facilities are shut, according to the statement. 

Among the locations closed include hotels, travel agencies, public bath houses, tourist destinations, bars, karaoke bars, internet bars, cinemas, gyms, swimming pools and chess rooms.

Wet markets, supermarkets and pharmacies are considered "essential businesses" and will stay open, authorities said. 

Russia reports jump in cases: Russia reported its largest daily increase in cases since the outbreak began on Sunday, with the number of confirmed coronavirus jumping by 2,186 within 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 15,770, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

There are at least 530,006 cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 20,608 people have died in the U.S. from coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the United States.

Grim milestone: The US has the most coronavirus related deaths in the world.

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other U.S. territories, as well as all repatriated cases. 

Wyoming is the only state that is not reporting a death from coronavirus.

This Easter Sunday, the Rev. Tim Kesicki, the head of the Jesuit order in North America, will officiate a Mass around his family's dining room table.

The service will include just Kesicki, his sister and parents at their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But it won't necessarily be a quiet Mass.

"During the homily, it is not uncommon for my mom to offer comments," Kesicki said, laughing. "It's very welcome, of course."

Kesicki, who lives in Washington, DC, has celebrated Mass with his family before, a perk of being an ordained Catholic priest.

But for many Christians, Easter this year will be dramatically different: a home-bound, shelter-in-place holy day. No Easter parades, no egg hunts at church, no church at all. As there's been all Lent, there's a solemness in the air. It doesn't escape many Christians that they're celebrating Jesus' resurrection at a time of rampant sickness and death.

More than 1.7 million people around the world have been infected by the novel coronavirus, and over 100,000 have died, according Johns Hopkins University. The collateral damage can seem nearly as stunning. More than 16 million Americans were out of jobs in just the last three weeks.

The pandemic has emptied St. Peter's Square of pilgrims, silenced the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and shuttered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the site of the first Easter two millennia ago.

Sanctuaries across the world, normally filled with Easter lilies and families wearing spring pastels and holiday hats, sit vacant this Sunday.

Read the full story here.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia jumped by 2,186 within 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 15,770, according to Russian state news agency TASS on Sunday.

The jump is the largest daily increase in cases in Russia since the outbreak began.

The number of coronavirus deaths in Russia rose to 130 -- an increase of 24 deaths in the past day, TASS reported. 

Concentration in Russian capital: Most of the cases are concentrated in Moscow, which has a total of 10,158 coronavirus cases. In the last day, the Russian capital recorded 1,306 new coronavirus cases and 14 deaths. 

China’s southern City of Guangzhou denied discriminatory practices towards foreigners in implementing coronavirus containment measures.

Here's some background: CNN reported Saturday the African community in Guangzhou is on edge after accounts shared widely on social media of people being left homeless this week. Africans have been evicted from their homes by landlords and turned away from hotels, despite many claiming to have no recent travel history or known contact with Covid-19 patients.

CNN interviewed more than two dozen Africans living in Guangzhou many of whom told of the same experiences: being left without a home, being subject to random testing for Covid-19, and being quarantined for 14 days in their homes, despite having no symptoms or contact with known patients.

Consulate sends warning: On Saturday, the US Consulate in Guangzhou sent out a message to those registered as US citizens with the embassy, warning African-Americans to avoid travel to the city due escalating scrutiny and policies by Chinese officials in relation to Covid-19. The message warned that the Chinese legal system “can be opaque” and that US citizens could be subject to “heightened scrutiny by Chinese local law enforcement and state security.”

Chinese officials have denied discriminatory practices towards foreigners.

He added foreigners need to strictly abide by Chinese laws and show identification documents when requested by police. Those who refuse to do so are subject to punishment, Cai said, adding most foreigners have been cooperative.

Guangzhou’s director of foreign affairs said the city has a “zero tolerance” policy toward discrimination, adding "we treat all foreigners in Guangzhou equally. We are opposed to differentiated treatment targeting certain groups,” according to state media.