Sign up here for our daily coronavirus newsletter on what you need to know, andsubscribe to our Covid-19 podcast for the latest news and analysis.

New York and Italy, the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak, reported the fewest new deaths in more than a week. France had the smallest increase in five days.

President Donald Trump said signs “keep showing” the virus in the U.S. has passed its peak. He praised several governors for steps to reopen their states.

Spain will extend a lockdown for two weeks after joining the U.S. and Italy with more than 20,000 deaths. As the U.S. and Canada agreed to extend border limits to May 20, Israel planned to ease some limits.

31,905 in U.S.Most new cases today

-16% Change in MSCI World Index of global stocks since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23

-1.​091 Change in U.S. treasury bond yield since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23

Key Developments

• Virus Tracker: Cases top 2.3 million; deaths exceed 158,000
• States don’t share Trump’sconfidence in a quick reopening
• What areturn to work will look like in offices
• Milan’svirus trend threatens plan to restart Italy
• Onerestaurant’s story shows how recession spreads
• A wild ride for global supply chainscaptured in seven charts

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis teamhere. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus.

Liner Heads to Genoa to End Journey (6 a.m. HK)

Carnival Corp. will dock one of its last remaining ships at sea in Genoa, Italy, next week, allowing almost 2,000 travelers to return home and ending a dramatic series of weeks for the cruise line.

Once the Costa Deliziosa reaches port, only one other ship is seeking a port to unload passengers. Carnival has struggled to find places to dock after suspending sailing in mid-March amid the outbreak.

The cruise liner set sail in early January from Venice with 1,814 guests and 898 crew members on an around-the-world journey. There are no Covid-19 cases reported on the ship, Carnival said in a statement.

Trump Cites Positive Trends (5:15 p.m. NY)

Trump said signs keep showing the coronavirus has passed its peak, noting the U.S has “produced better health outcomes” than most other counties.

The president said the mortality rate is lower than for much of Western Europe except for Germany. He said Spain -- which has more than 20,000 fatalities --- has a mortality rate four times higher than the U.S., which has more than 37,000 deaths.

Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Vermont have taken “concrete steps” to reopen their economies, the president said at his daily White House briefing.

U.K. Draws Up Schools Plan (5:10 p.m. NY)

Senior U.K. government ministers have drawn up a three-phase plan that would allow schools to reopen as early as May 11, the Sunday Times reported.

The proposal, to be presented to Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he returns to work, also envisages reopening clothing stores and garden centers, and the resumption of full bus and rail services.

A second phase, beginning in late May or early June, would see more businesses reopen, while pubs and stadium events wouldn’t be allowed until at least July.

California Not Close to Reopening: Governor (4:20 p.m. NY)

California reported 87 deaths, one of the highest daily counts so far, as Governor Gavin Newsom said the state may not be close to loosening measures imposed to curb the spread. Total deaths rose to 1,072, Newsom said. The number of cases climbed 5.3%, while patients in intensive care fell by a “modest” 0.1%, he said.

“For those that think we’re out of the woods, those who think we’ve turned the page, those who think we can go back to the way things used to be, I caution you on the basis of that 87 number,” Newsom said.

Los Angeles County, the state’s biggest by population, reported a record 81 deaths as it added 642 new cases, county officials said, calling it “a sad milestone.”

South Africa Has Biggest Rise in Cases (4:15 p.m. NY)

South Africa reported 251 new infections on Saturday, its biggest daily increase, bringing the total to 3,034. That’s as community screening is rolled out, increasing the number of tests. About 7,194 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told reporters one person is testing positive for every 38 checked. Deaths climbed by two to 52.

U.S. Cases Climb at Slower Pace (4 p.m. NY)

U.S. confirmed cases rose 3.4% from Friday, below the average daily increase of the past week, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The national daily increase has been 4.9% in the past week.

New York’s cases jumped 5.2% from the previous day, data showed. Delaware had a 12% increase in cases. Fatalities almost doubled to 37,079 from 18,769 a week ago, according to the data.

Deaths rose by more than 20% in West Virginia and Montana, and by more than 10% in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware and New Mexico, according to data as of 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Brazil Cases, Deaths Rise (3:36 p.m. NY)

Brazil reported 2,917 new cases and 206 deaths in 24 hours, according to the nation’s Health Ministry. Total deaths rose to 2,347 from 2,141 on Friday. Sao Paulo state, epicenter of the nation’s outbreak, had 13,894 cases and 991 deaths, the government said.

Spain to Extend Lockdown 2 Weeks (3:05 p.m. NY)

Spain plans to extend a nationwide lockdown through May 9. The government will submit the proposal to Congress before the current state of emergency expires April 25, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. While the government will not relax confinement, it will seek to allow children to leave their homes under strict rules, he said.

Israel Eases Restrictions (2:30 p.m. NY)

Israel will ease the lockdown imposed on the economy as the virus outbreak showed signs of slowing. Starting Sunday, offices can double the number of workers they use to 30% of staff, and stores selling goods likes home furnishings and electronics can reopen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address Saturday night. Malls will remain closed.

Israel has 13,265 confirmed cases and 164 people have died.

N.J. Hospital Data Improves (2:15 p.m. NY)

New Jersey reported signs the coronavirus curve is flattening, with hospital discharges outpacing admissions and a slower rate of growth in cases and deaths. Governor Phil Murphy said new cases increased by less than 10% for a 12th straight day -- 3,026 for a total of 81,420. The 231 additional fatalities follow four straight days of more than 300 deaths. Deaths have passed 4,000.

Turkey Extends Quarantine Steps (2:10 p.m. NY)

Turkey extended quarantine measures in major cities for another 15 days as the spread of the coronavirus shows signs of slowing. The rules announced earlier this month apply to Istanbul, which has the bulk of reported cases, and 30 other cities.

New cases increased by 4.8% on Saturday, compared with a 12% increase 10 days earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Health Ministry data. Another 121 deaths were reported Saturday, raising the total to 1,890.

French Death Rate Slows (1:50 p.m. NY)

Deaths in France rose by 642 to 19,323 fatalities, the Health Ministry said in an emailed statement, the smallest increase in five days. The number of infections rose by 5,715 to 173,956. Only the U.S., Spain and Italy have more fatalities.

The number of people hospitalized fell for a fourth day to 30,639, the biggest decline yet. Patients in ICU beds, an indicator of the outbreak’s intensity and its impact on the hospital system, fell for a 10th day to 5,833, the lowest since March 31, according to health ministry data.

South Africa to Speed Reforms (1:40 p.m. NY)

South Africa will gradually ease regulations in various sectors to restart activity after the five-week national lockdown ends, and will work on fast-tracking some structural reforms to help the recovery.

A group led by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday “agreed on the need for a risk-adjusted approach” to the resumption of economic activity. The nation is on day 23 of the shutdown. While the restrictions halted all activity except essential services, the government this week said mines can resume work at 50% capacity.

The group’s recommendations will be considered by the Cabinet on April 20, the presidency said.

Read the fullstory.

Italy Has Fewest Deaths Since April 12 (12:20 p.m. NY)

Italy reported the fewest deaths in six days as new cases remained stable. The country registered 482 fatalities down from 525 a day earlier, the lowest since April 12. Total deaths are 23,227. There were 3,491 new cases compared with 3,493 a day earlier, with the total now 175,925. Patients in intensive care fell for a 15th day.

Pennsylvania Reports Most Daily Deaths (12:17 p.m. NY)

Pennsylvania reported 80 new deaths, the most on a single day, taking statewide fatalities to 836. A day earlier, the state had 49 deaths. The health department had 1,628 new cases, bringing the state’s total to 31,069.

Denmark Extends Aid Programs (12:15 p.m. NY)

Denmark extended aid programs to businesses and workers by a month, to July 8, and added new measures to increase spending by about 100 billion kroner ($15 billion), according to a statement.

The government said companies that pay dividends, buy back shares or are registered in tax havens won’t be eligible for the programs, which now amount to 400 billion kroner with loans and guarantees.

N.Y. Deaths Lowest in Almost Two Weeks (11:45 a.m. NY)

New York reported 540 deaths in the past 24 hours, down from 630 the previous day, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state’s death toll is now 13,362. It’s the first time the daily toll dropped below 600 in 12 days. The state reached a peak of 799 deaths on April 9.

Cuomo said new hospitalizations fell slightly, but for a third straight day the daily admissions remained higher than 1,900.

— With assistance by Steve Geimann

Source: Read Full Article