April 21 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton and Rob Picheta, CNN

Updated 9:13 p.m. ET, April 21, 2020

28 Posts

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2:11 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

Crude oil is back above $1 after the oil market's worst day on record

By CNN's Jazmin Goodwin and Laura He

An aerial view shows oil pumpjacks at the Huntington Beach Oil Fields amid the coronavirus pandemic in Huntington Beach, California on April 20. Mario Tama/Getty Images

US oil prices are back in positive territory on Tuesday after a stunning collapse Monday that saw levels crash below zero, trading at the lowest level since NYMEX opened futures trading in 1983.

US oil futures popped more than 100% -- albeit to trade at just $1.65 a barrel. The May contract for West Texas International, which expires Tuesday, finished regular trading Monday at -$37.63 a barrel.

The June contract, which is now being traded more actively, rose 4.5% to $21.35 a barrel during Asian trading hours, still a troublesomely low number.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused oil demand to drop so rapidly that the world is running out of room to store barrels. At the same time, Russia and Saudi Arabia flooded the world with excess supply. Analysts also attributed Monday's plunge to frantic last minute trading because of the quickly expiring May contract.

"Regardless of what OPEC does, there will be structural demand loss for oil due to less travel," wrote Stephen Innes chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp in a Tuesday research note.
"At a minimum, oil prices will be the last asset class to recover from lockdown."

Futures for Brent crude, the global benchmark, moved slightly lower to $25.39 a barrel on Tuesday.

1:56 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

Japan denies IOC's claim that it agreed to share the costs of delaying the Tokyo Olympics

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at a news conference in Tokyo on April 21. Kyodo News via Getty Images

Japan has refuted a statement by the International Olympic Committee that it will share the costs of delaying the 2020 Olympic Games.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan had not reached an agreement with the IOC on addressing the additional costs resulting from the delay, and that discussions were ongoing.

"The IOC and Japan-side have agreed that the handling of the situation including the costs from the delay is a shared task, and that both sides will assess and discuss together," he said.

Earlier, the IOC had published a statement on its website saying that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed to shoulder the costs of delaying the Olympics under existing agreements.

Abe and IOC president Thomas Bach agreed on March 24 to postpone the Olympics until 2021 following weeks of mounting pressure to delay the Games amid the coronavirus pandemic.

1:46 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

More than 50 journalists have tested positive for coronavirus in this Indian city

From CNN's Swati Gupta in New Delhi

Police personnel march through Kandivali in Mumbai, India, during the nationwide lockdown on April 17. Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

A total of 53 journalists tested positive for Covid-19 last week in in Mumbai, India, according to the local council body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

BMC said it had tested 167 journalists in the city who were reporting on the crisis. Those who tested positive are now in isolation.

The positive cases include reporters, cameramen, photographers, and van operators, said Amey Ghole, head of the BMC Health Committee.

"It is shocking that more than 50 journalists of electronic media, particularly camera persons, have been found corona positive in Mumbai. Every journalist should take proper care," tweeted senior cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar yesterday.

The Mumbai Press Club issued a public appeal to the state’s chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray, asking for better safeguards for journalists.

"As can be seen the pandemic shows no signs of dying away, and journalists are forced to continue to work to provide news and information to the public. While some of us have the privilege of working from home, many journalists have still to venture out in hazardous zones and common spaces, and require immediate protection," said the letter.

Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, has recorded the highest number of cases in India. At least 4,666 people have tested positive in the state and 232 have died.

3:33 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

Pakistan sees highest single-day spike in cases

From CNN's Sophia Saifi in Islamabad

Pakistan reported 796 new coronavirus infections in the country's highest single-day jump in cases during the epidemic, according to the health ministry.

The South Asian country has recorded 9,216 cases and 192 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

According to data available on the health ministry's website, the average number of tests per day in Pakistan since April 15 was at 6,000, a number which the ministry has announced is due to increase.

Last week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan extended the country's partial lockdown until the end of April.

This post was updated with information on testing.

1:26 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

Georgia's reopening is a high-stakes public health bet -- and will likely please Trump

Analysis from CNN's Stephen Collinson

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp listens to a question from the media at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on April 16. Ron Harris/Pool/AP

Georgia's fervently pro-Trump governor's early breakout from a coronavirus shutdown is stirring fears of a deadly new wave of infections and warnings that he is derelict in his duty and acting on political motives.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp plans to open nail salons, massage therapists, bowling allies and gyms from Friday. Restaurants and movie theaters come back on line statewide next Monday.

However, there is no genuine sign that the Peach State's duel with the virus is anywhere near over -- and Kemp's berth on the Trump train raises questions about whether Georgia's move is politically motivated.

It's a wager with the health and ultimately the lives of many Georgia citizens and potentially the frontline medical workers who will treat newly infected patients that Kemp admitted will catch the disease.

It also appears to flout the logic of epidemiology and warnings by the top government infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was absent from the White House briefing Monday, that "there is still a long way to go" in battling the pandemic.

"I think this is the right approach at the right time. It's not just throwing the keys back to these business owners," Kemp said, but admitted his move could cause more infections.

Read the full analysis here:

Georgia's reopening is a high-stakes public health bet -- and will likely please Trump

1:06 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

Hong Kong extends closures and social distancing rules for another 14 days

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during her weekly news conference at the government headquarters in Hong Kong on April 21. Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

Hong Kong is extending social distancing measures and closures for another 14 days, with city leaders warning that it's too soon to relax the rules.

The city reported no new cases yesterday, a promising sign that its outbreak may be slowing after a second wave saw cases spike in March. But Chief Executive Carrie Lam warned at a briefing that Hong Kong couldn't let its guard down and risk having containment measures be in vain.

Social distancing measures due to end on April 23 have been extended through May 7.

They include:

A ban on public gatherings of more than four people.
Restaurants and other catering premises must make sure their tables are at least 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) apart, or that there is some kind of partition between tables. Some small cafes and restaurants, without sufficient space to spread out seating, are only serving takeout and delivery during this period.
People must have their temperatures tested before entering dining establishments.
All travelers arriving at the Hong Kong airport are required to be tested. If they test negative, they will still have to follow mandatory quarantine rules.
Bars, gyms, playgrounds, nightclubs, karaoke centers, beauty salons, and massage parlors are among some of the businesses ordered to close.

12:51 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

About 780,000 jobs were cut in Australia after government shutdown measures

People line up outside a social security office in Melbourne, Australia on April 20. William West/AFP/Getty Images

An estimated 780,000 jobs were cut in Australia after the country announced business closures and shutdown measures, according to new government data.

The data, collected and released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Taxation Office, showed that jobs nationwide decreased by 6% between March 14 and April 4.

On February 20, the country had just over 13 million employed people in its labor force, according to the ABS. Assuming that number held steady over the next few weeks, that would mean about 780,000 jobs were lost.

People aged under 20 were worst hit; jobs in this demographic fell by 9.9%.

Geographically, the states of Victoria and Tasmania had the biggest decreases in jobs.

In terms of sector, the accommodation and food services industries were predictably the hardest hit -- more than a quarter of all jobs in these sectors were cut. The next highest cuts came in the arts and recreation services industries.

12:36 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

The soap opera "Neighbours" is resuming production during the pandemic. Here's how

From CNN's Jessie Yeung

The coronavirus pandemic has halted production on TV shows and movies around the world. But in Australia, the beloved soap opera "Neighbours" will resume filming this week -- with a number of creative tweaks.

"The health and safety of cast and crew is paramount and we have been following the government guidelines closely," said Jason Herbison, the show's executive producer.

"Due to the style of our show and the vast size of our production studios and back lot, we realized we are in a position to resume filming in a way that protects everyone's health and still delivers the 'Neighbours' viewers know and love."

Here's how they're doing it:

The actors won't be holding hands, kissing or other types of close contact.
The production sites are divided into different sections, and crews don't cross over the dividing lines -- so if anybody is infected, producers and health officials can easily identify their contacts and movements.
The cast and crew have been divided into three separate groups to minimize contact with each other.
There will be no more than 20 people in any given area each day.
People will be spread out to achieve social distancing, with 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) between each other at all times.
To tie it all together, Herbison said the show will use "creative editing" so the measures don't look too obvious for viewers.

Read more here:

Australian TV icon 'Neighbours' is resuming production -- with new social distancing rules

12:20 a.m. ET, April 21, 2020

2 Georgia mayors surprised by governor's announcement about resuming business

From CNN’s Angela Barajas and Hira Humayun

Albany Mayor Bo Dorough (left) and Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. (right) speak with CNN's Don Lemon. CNN

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on Monday that certain businesses in the US state could reopen as soon as Friday -- catching local mayors and officials off guard.

The mayors of Albany and Augusta, both Georgia cities, told CNN they were surprised by Kemp's announcement.

"We were all caught off guard quite frankly surprised that the governor moved as swiftly as he did to open the state back up," Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. said.

State Rep. CaMia Hopson from Albany also criticized the move, saying reopening "may be beneficial to our economy but is in no way beneficial to the health of our city."

"I’ve already heard from several health care workers who have worked tirelessly, risking their lives to care for those who have been impacted by Covid-19, feel that this is a slap in their faces," she said.

Hopson added that the city doesn't have the capacity to support a potential surge in cases if the reopening causes further infections -- and she believes a statewide shelter-in-place order should continue for several more weeks.

"We appreciate all of the support that the state has provided us during this crisis; however, we cannot safely get people back to work without making sure people in Albany, Georgia, especially our health providers, can stay safe.”