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VOA NEWS

April 30, 2020

This is VOA news. Via remote, I'm Diane Roberts.

More than 3.17 million people are reported to be infected by the new coronavirus around the world, with nearly 224,000 of them having died. Nearly 960,000 have recovered.

A grim milestone in the United States, though, passing one million confirmed coronavirus cases. Some U.S. health officials say they believe the actual number may be higher [be...] because of a lack of testing and reporting. More than 60,000 Americans have died, more than any other country.

Britain has surpassed Spain in COVID-19 deaths with more than 27,000, counting those who have died in places like care homes for the first time. France has more than 24,000 deaths.

The Health Ministry of Guinea-Bissau says its prime minister and three member of its cabinet have tested positive for the new coronavirus. They have been quarantined in a hotel in the capital.

The number of COVID-19 cases rose past the 20,000 mark in Sweden Wednesday, with 107 new deaths in the Nordic country. There have been more than 2,400 deaths since the outbreak began.

Deaths from the coronavirus outbreak have piled up so fast in the Amazon rainforest's [largest city] biggest city that the main cemetery is burying five coffins at a time in collective graves. Soon, the city may run out of coffins.

The [country] country registered a record [6.276 new] 6,276 new coronavirus cases Wednesday.

The accelerating death rate in Brazil is the most concerning of all emerging-market nations, Deutsche Bank analysts told clients in a note on Wednesday.

For more on that story and all the COVID-19 news, please visit us at voanews.com or download our app. From Washington, this is VOA news.

While the world keeps looking for signs of progress against the pandemic, research is also revealing frightening new details about the coronavirus.

Britain and France have both warned of a possible coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children, including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart.

Experts have also warned of longer-term [physiolo...] psychological tolls on both children and adults after weeks or even months in [iolas...] isolation.

A biotech company says a new experimental drug has proved (effective against the) COVID-19 in a major U.S. government study. Gilead Sciences's Remdesivir is potentially the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus.

Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic. That's because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.

Experts warn only a full-scale vaccine will allow the removal of restrictions that have half of humanity under some form of lockdown. But governments are increasingly loosening the more suffocating rules in the face of devastating impact on the global economy.

After a record-long expansion, the U.S. economy is spiraling down at a historic rate because of the virus pandemic. [AB] AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports.

The economy shrank last quarter at a 4.8 per(cent) - its first drop in six years and the plunge is just getting started.

"The second quarter of this year is going to be much worse," Bankrate.com's Mark Hamrick as the Congressional Budget Office estimates a 40 percent drop from April to June, which would be the biggest on record.

As some businesses start to reopen, there are hopes the economy might rebound later in the year. But many economists say there's too much uncertainty like about whether consumers will still be too wary of the virus to resume anything resembling normal economic behavior.

President Trump, though, is optimistic with a strong economy key to his reelection hopes. "The fourth quarter is gonna be fantastic."

Sagar Meghani, Washington.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration will soon release a plan to help oil companies. Treasury (Secretary Steven) Mnuchin said it could include adding millions barrels of oil to already-teeming national reserves as the global coronavirus pandemic crushes demand for gas.

Volkswagen and Toyota said Wednesday they will [deal] delay restarting U.S. production amid the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about the automotive supply network.

VW said it's indefinitely delaying the restart of production at a in the U.S. state of Tennessee. That was supposed to open back up May 3 while Toyota said it will [day] delay resuming North American manufacturing operations to the week of May 11 from the week of May 4.

From Washington, via remote, I'm Diane Roberts.

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