May 12 coronavirus news

Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has moved here.

 If you’re just joining us, here are the latest developments from around the globe:

Russia is reporting the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally. 

As of Tuesday evening, Russia has at least 232,243 confirmed cases and at least 2,116 people have died from the virus, according to JHU. 

Tuesday is the tenth consecutive day that Russia has reported more than 10,000 new cases.

People walk down a street in downtown Reykjavik, Iceland, on April 30.

Iceland expects to start lifting restrictions on international arrivals to the country “no later than June 15,” the government said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Travelers will likely have to choose between being tested for Covid-19 or a two-week quarantine upon arrival. All arrivals will also be required to use the official tracing app during their stay.

The government also announced that some professionals arriving in Iceland from May 15, including essential workers, “scientists, filmmakers, and athletes will be eligible for a modified quarantine.” This means companies can request an exemption from quarantine if they can guarantee safety procedures in their work environment.

“These measures do not preclude the option of bilaterally opening borders between coronavirus-free countries,” the government added. 

Since January, Iceland residents arriving from “high-risk” areas have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The rule was extended to all travelers on April 24, as Iceland kept its Schengen borders open throughout the pandemic.

So far, Iceland has only seen three confirmed infections of Covid-19 in May, according to the statement. 

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Friday, May 1.

Canada is looking to strengthen surveillance at US border crossings as discussions continue between the two countries about when and how to reopen the border to nonessential travel. 

The Canadian government is looking at administering questionnaires, contact tracking apps, temperature and medical history checks.

“We’re going to be very, very careful about reopening any international travel, including the United States before we feel that it is time,” Trudeau said.

Some background: Canada and the US agreed to close the border to nonessential travel in March and the current agreement, already extended, expires May 21. There is still no decision on whether the border agreement will remain in place beyond that date. 

Canadian premiers and mayors across the country have expressed concern about fully reopening the border as the US continues to deal with Covid outbreaks and significant community spread. 

“Preventing transmission from outside of Canada into Canada, once we have controlled the spread within Canada, will be an essential part of ensuring that we don’t fall back into a second wave that could be as serious as this wave we’re going through, or even more so,” Trudeau said.

A large flag of Italy hangs from the facade of Palazzo Medolago Albani in Bergamo Alta, the heart of the hardest-hit province in Italy, in the Lombardy region, on March 17.

The worst-hit Italian region of Lombardy has reported a small increase in the number of Covid-19 cases for the second day in a row. This comes after a few days where active case numbers were going down, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency.

On Tuesday, active cases in the region increased by 264, making a total of 30,675. However, Lombardy officials said the increase in cases could be explained by the additional data that was collected from the past few days.

Across Italy, at least 30,911 people have died from Covid-19, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency on Tuesday. That is an increase of 172 since the day before and a variation in line with previous days.

The total number of cases in Italy, including deaths and recoveries, is now 221,216.

The French death toll from coronavirus is now at least 26,991, with an increase of 348 reported deaths, according to the French Health Ministry.

In addition to the number of deaths, the ministry also said that 21,595 people remain in hospital.

Canada’s National Research Council said Tuesday it would collaborate with China’s CanSino Biologics Inc, one of the few companies globally with a vaccine already in clinical trials.

The partnership could eventually see CanSino’s vaccine receive approval for human trials in Canada.

According to the NRC statement, CanSino’s vaccine candidate received Chinese regulatory approval earlier this year. That allows CanSino Biologics to move ahead with human clinical trials in China.

It is one of only a handful of vaccine candidates in the world so far approved for initial safety testing in humans. 

The NRC said it would scale up production for CanSino’s vaccine candidate at a government facility in Montreal, and that CanSino was preparing a clinical trial application to Canada’s drug regulator, Health Canada.

The NRC previously collaborated with CanSino in its work on an Ebola vaccine. 

Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa addresses a session at the Lower Chamber of the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on Wednesday, April 22.

New coronavirus cases brought into Spain from abroad could become one of the country’s “greatest risks”, said Fernando Simón, Spain’s Director of Health Emergencies.

Simón was explaining the reasons behind the newly announced 14-day mandatory quarantine for international travelers arriving in Spain, starting on May 15th. 

Simón continued to explain “If a Spaniard living on the peninsula, for example, cannot go to their second residence, like in the Balearics, but another person living abroad can travel there by air,” then more logical norms have to be put in place, he said.

The quarantine measures are similar to those in place in other European countries, Simón added.

Spain registered 176 daily new deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, up from 123 new registered on Monday but still among the lowest daily death tolls since mid-March. A total of 26,920 people have died from the virus in Spain, according to Health Ministry data released Tuesday.

Speaking at a separate press conference, Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said the possibility of a second wave of infections “can’t be dismissed” but added that the public’s compliance with the government’s measures against the coronavirus is the best way to avoid this.

Illa and Simón were among Spanish officials who paid tribute to nurses on International Nurses Day. Nurses are “one of the groups with the highest risk of infection”, Simón said Tuesday.

Spain’s Health Ministry reported a total of 48,860 health workers have been infected with coronavirus since the start of the outbreak, while the General Council of Official Medical Colleges, the Spanish doctors’ professional body (CGCOM), said a “large number” had died, including 48 doctors. 

Viewers in India watch a televised address to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hyderabad, India, on Tuesday, May 12.

In a national address Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an additional financial package to help India’s ailing economy during the coronavirus outbreak. 

Modi said the new stimulus package, along with previous measures taken by the Indian government, would account for about $266 billion, which is around 10% of the country’s GDP. 

“This package will work to bring about a self-reliant India,” Modi said. He did not release any further details on the package.

Lockdown: He also announced that phase four of the lockdown, which is due to begin on May 18, will start with a different set of instructions and measures in place.

The Indian government had extended the nationwide lockdown, with some ease in the restrictions till May 17. New changes for the coming phase will be announced in the next few days, said Modi.

During the address, Modi emphasized the need for India to become a self-reliant country.

We have to save ourselves and also move forward. Today as the world is in trouble, we have to strengthen our resolve, he said. “I have full faith that following all the rules, we will fight coronavirus and move ahead as well,” added Modi. 

An imam holds the Friday sermon during Ramadan in a near empty mosque in Milan, Italy on May 1.

Mosques in Italy will remain closed until after the celebrations that end the period of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr beginning May 23, the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy (UCOII) said on Tuesday.

“This is the choice of our communities who…responsibly expressed their position considering the lives of the most vulnerable people in the mosques,” president of the UCOII, Yassine Lafram, said in a statement.

The UCOII also urged all other mosques to keep their prayer rooms closed until the end of Ramadan and added it still hadn’t received any guidelines from the government regarding the May 18 opening of religious celebrations. 

According to the Italian government’s de-escalation plan, Catholic mass celebrations will resume on May 18. 

Prosecutor Salvatore De Luca talks during a news conference in Palermo, Sicily on July 17, 2019.

An operation against mafia clans accused of being “ready to exploit the coronavirus crisis” has seen 91 people arrested in Sicily, Italy, on Tuesday, the Italian Financial Police and Prosecutor Salvatore De Luca told CNN.

The 91 people that were arrested were ready to exploit businesses in need due to the coronavirus crisis, De Luca, who led the investigation told CNN.

The anti-mafia operation called “hands in the dough” also led to the seizure of real estate property worth about $16 million, the Financial Police said in a statement.

Operations are still underway across the entire country. Around 500 policemen are involved in the search for drugs, weapons and cash, the Financial Police said.

“The operation went on for three and a half years and the investigation will continue. It showed us that there was a series of classic illicit activities; extortion, drugs, and then there are the more recent activities in the Cosa Nostra crime portfolio like slot machines and online gambling, luxury watches and coffee,” De Luca said.

“There were significant arrests within the Aquasanta Family clan of the Cosa Nostra mafia, which is highly structured on family blood lines,” De Luca added.

Regarding the seizure property, De Luca said, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. As always happens with very complex investigations, we are able to seize the majority of property, in part of companies and businesses, but this is representative of just a small part of the cash flow that the mafia moves. Often, cash disappears in foreign banks.”

The prosecutor said he expects to see a “great merciless advance” from the Sicilian mafia when the market reopens. 

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese thanked the judiciary and the police for the “brilliant” results. “The investigation confirms that the current delicate situation constitutes a scenario of strong interest for criminal partnerships that intend to seize the opportunity to exercise their influence and find consensus and to conquer large sectors of the legal economy,” Lamorgese said in a statement Tuesday.

The UK’s Royal family has held video calls with nurses across the Commonwealth to mark International Nurses Day.

The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Princess Royal, The Countess of Wessex and Princess Alexandra spoke with healthcare professionals working in Australia, India, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Bahamas, Cyprus, Tanzania and the UK, Kensington Palace said in a statement.

People gather along the banks of the river Seine in Paris on May 11, as France eased lockdown measures.

Drinking alcohol on banks of the river Seine and along the Canal Saint-Martin in central Paris is now banned, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced on Monday night.

The river banks and Canal Saint-Martin areas are iconic spots for Parisians — especially young people — to gather, picnic and enjoy sunny days and long evenings.

Parks and gardens are still closed in Paris as the French capital is located in the red zone, preventing their reopening. France started easing its national lockdown on Monday, May 11.

The Police Prefecture press office told CNN on Tuesday there is currently no stated end to the ban, meaning it will be enforced until it is no longer deemed necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The empty Tuileries Garden is pictured in Paris during lockdown on April 9.

Parks and public gardens in Paris will remain closed, French Health Ministry Olivier Veran said Tuesday.

This comes after Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo asked for the green spaces to be reopened if visitors wear face masks.

“Considering the need of Parisians, Paris is a very dense city, I’m asking again for a reopening of parks and gardens” she said on Twitter Tuesday.

Veran said Tuesday he had seen video of people gathering on the Seine river banks Monday and although that’s a “reflex which can be understood” he stressed that it was also dangerous. “No we will not open parks and gardens in Paris, in the Parisian region or in any other region classified as red” he added. 

Since April 28, France has been classified into green zones where the infection rate and ICU occupancy is low, and red zones where it is higher. Green zones, unlike the red ones, were able to start reopening parks and public gardens on May 11.

Police officers walk through Victoria station in central London on March 24.

A British railway ticket office worker has died from Covid-19 after being spat on while she was working at Victoria station, in central London, her union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), revealed on Tuesday.

Belly Mujinga, 47, had an underlying health condition and on March 22nd she and a colleague were on shift, on the concourse by the ticket office for Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), when a member of the public assaulted them, spat and coughed over them and told the two that he had the novel coronavirus. Mujinga died two weeks later on April 5.

According to TSSA, Mujinga and her colleague pleaded for police to be called onto the scene. In a statement to CNN, British Transport Police said they have now launched an investigation into the incident.

“Enquiries are ongoing,” it added in the statement.

Mujinga had underlying respiratory problems for which she had had an operation, regular hospital appointments and had previously needed to take time off work, according to TSSA. The association says GTR knew about her condition and, even after the incident, only stood Mujinga down after her doctor called her work around March 25.

GTR is investigating the accusations, it said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday.

Both Mujinga and her colleague fell ill from Covid-19 within days of the assault, according to TSSA. On April 2, just 11 days after the incident, Mujinga was taken to Barnet Hospital in an ambulance and put on a ventilator.

The TSSA also reported the incident to the Railways Inspectorate, which is the safety arm of the Office for Road and Rail (ORR). A spokesperson for the ORR told CNN on Monday the office was investigating the incident.

TSSA revealed Mujinga’s story as the British Government urged some people to return to work if they are not able do it from home, easing some of the restrictions it had put in place to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Rather than talking about the easing the lockdown, the government must first ensure that the right precautions and protections have been taken so that more lives are not lost,” TSSA’s Cortes said. “Our rail industry needs to have a very serious look at what tasks are deemed ‘essential’ and must put protections in place for all our members and our passengers.”

The TSSA also called on the Government to implement additional measures to compensate frontline workers from the railway industry for their work during these difficult times.

Danish Prime Minster Mette Frederiksen, center, speaks during a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 12.

Denmark is establishing a new government agency to prepare for future epidemics or another wave of the coronavirus.

It will be part of the Ministry of Justice – not a health agency.

The agency should be up and running by August, in time to address another potential wave of Covid-19 or a future epidemic. It will be responsible for the supply and storage of enough protective equipment, testing and testing facilities, epidemic-related infrastructure, cooperation between private and public sectors, and so forth. 

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made the announcement at a press conference today, saying that this will help public health authorities focus on their core task of taking care of people. “What we understand now is that what started as a health challenge became a challenge for the entire society,” she said.

The announcement comes a day after Danish health authorities shifted their guidance on what is a safe distance, from two meters down to one meter. 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is pictured with his spokesman Dmitry Peskov in December 2019.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told state-run news agency RIA Novosti that he has been hospitalized with coronavirus.

Putin has largely been working from a residence in the Moscow region via videoconferencing, with only a few in-person meetings.

Later on Tuesday, Peskov told the TASS news agency that the last time he had seen the President in person was “over a month ago.”

Three Russian ministers have previously tested positive for coronavirus, including Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who is still in hospital, as well as Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova and Minister of Housing Vladimir Yakushev.

Russia has struggled to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus and now has more confirmed cases – 232,000 – than anywhere in the world outside of the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University figures.

While the country’s official death toll is relatively low, with more than 2,000 fatalities reported, some critics and experts say the figure is almost certainly underestimated.

Moscow’s mortality rate surged by 18% in April compared to the same month last year, as well as compared to the April average for the past decade, according to data released by the city’s civil register office.

Peskov’s announcement came hours after a fire at a hospital in Russia left at least five coronavirus patients dead.

The fire broke out on the sixth floor of an intensive care unit at the St. George Hospital in St. Petersburg, killing five patients connected to ventilating equipment, TASS reported, citing medical personnel.

According to initial findings, the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in a ventilator or its malfunction, state news agencies said.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster, left, and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill arrive at Stormont Parliament Buildings in Belfast on May 12.

Northern Ireland announced on Tuesday a five-step plan to ease the coronavirus lockdown, but did not set out dates for each step.

The government said, “steps we are all taking are working and, if we continue to work together, they will enable the restrictions to be relaxed in stages when the time is right.”

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but has some degree of self-government, as do Scotland and Wales.

The 12-page document says the stages will be guided by the principles of necessity, proportionality, reliance on evidence, protection of healthcare capacity and control of transmission.

Under Step One, those who cannot work from home will be encouraged to return to work on a phased basis. Large outdoor based retail centers, outdoor spaces and sports amenities will be allowed to reopen. Groups of four to six people not from the same household may meet outdoors maintaining social distance. Drive-through church services will operate and worshippers will have access to the church for private worship.

Under Step Two non-food retail stores may reopen provided they apply social distancing measures. the demand for public transport is expected to increase and citizens are encouraged to walk or cycle to alleviate this. The definition of key workers will be expanded allowing further categories of people to return to work. Groups of up to 10 people may meet outdoors. Non-contact sport teams may resume training in small groups and select libraries and open air museums may open. Indoor activities between two to four people will be permitted for a period of 10 minutes.

Under Step Three there will be a phased return of office workers but work that can be done at home should be done there. Schools may begin to welcome prioritized students on a part-time basis alternating part time and remote learning. Gatherings of up to 30 people will be held with social distancing. Museums, galleries, concerts resume. Indoor activities for short periods permitted for larger groups.

Under Step Four contact retail including hairdressers and tattoo parlors may reopen. Schools will reopen to all students incorporating remote and in-school teaching. Businesses will be encouraged to stagger start times to offset increased public transport demand. Church services may resume, outdoor professional sport fixtures may take place behind closed doors and outdoor concerts will be held on a restricted basis. Indoor and outdoor gatherings of large groups must last under 10 minutes with social distancing measures.

Under Step Five all citizens are permitted to return to work with hospitality businesses allowed to reopen. Schools return on full time basis. Full public transport service will operate. Extended groups may meet subject to social distancing or other mitigation measures. Nightclubs reopen, concerts resume and close physical contact sports returns. Large indoor gatherings of people where social distance not maintained likely.

People wait in line at a coronavirus testing station in the nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea, on May 12.

In an interview with CNN, the mayor of Seoul called the new cluster of coronavirus cases in the country “another lesson for us” and that “we should always be alert” as the reemergence of the virus can happen any place and any time.

In a briefing earlier, the mayor said over 100 cases of coronavirus have been linked to a nightclub cluster in South Korea. The cluster emerged in the capital’s Itaewon entertainment district over the past few days, raising fears of a second wave of infections.

Speaking with Paula Hancocks in Seoul, Mayor Park Won-soon said Tuesday “We cannot be safe even though we have zero cases for a long time and anytime the outbreak can come to our society.”

Park said the stakes were high in containing and outbreak in the capital metro area with 25 million people. He said if “the disease penetrates Seoul, the Korean peninsula is penetrated.”

Park also called the virus a “battle of time” and that the government should be finished tracing potential cases from the Itaewon district within the week.

Some background: This week government officials have warned against the stigmatization of the virus in the LGBT community as the cluster of night clubs in question in the Itaewon district that is known to cater to LGBT patrons. Homophobia is still rife in South Korea and the country is less accepting of same-sex couples when compared to nearby democracies like Japan and Taiwan.

Park said the government is working closely to ensure patient confidentially.

Park added that the government guarantees led to an increase in people getting tested on Monday and Tuesday.

When pressed if it was the right decision to reopen nightclubs before other venues like schools, Park said the country had to prepare for the expansion of the virus alongside allowing life to continue. “There is high demand of the citizens to allow some extent of activities including the economic activities” he said.