Morning digest: Trump halts WHO funding over handling of coronavirus; longer lockdown essential to break chain of infection, says government; and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

April 15, 2020 07:23 am | Updated 07:23 am IST

President Donald Trump. File

President Donald Trump. File

Trump halts WHO funding over handling of coronavirus

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the  coronavirus pandemic  while his administration reviews its response to the global crisis.

Longer lockdown essential to break chain of infection, says government

India on Tuesday registered an increase of 1,211  COVID-19 cases  and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours, making it the largest spike in cases since January. The total number of cases stands at 10,815, with 353 deaths. As many as 1,189 persons have been discharged after treatment, the Union Health Ministry said.

France becomes fourth country to pass the 15,000 coronavirus death toll

France said its total death toll from COVID-19 infections rose above 15,000 on Tuesday, becoming the fourth country to exceed that threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States, while the rate of increase in cases and fatalities is re-accelerating.

Migrant workers protest outside Bandra railway station

Over a thousand migrant workers gathered outside Bandra railway station on Tuesday afternoon, demanding that they be sent home at the earliest as they are unable to sustain themselves during the lockdown. The police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse them.

Workers face heat, hunger as lockdown is extended

As Prime Minister  Narendra Modi announced the extension of the countrywide lockdown  by another 19 days, there is only one question resonating among the 300-odd construction workers living in sheds in the shadow of under-construction luxury apartments near the Noida Expressway: why couldn’t the government arrange transport for them to return to their homes?

Coronavirus | Bhopal gas survivors left in the lurch

Four of the five patients who died of  COVID-19  in Bhopal were survivors of the city’s 1984 gas tragedy, and were suffering from respiratory illnesses that made them more vulnerable to the disease.

Infections have ‘certainly’ not peaked yet, warns WHO

Spain and Austria allowed partial returns to work on Tuesday but Britain and France extended lockdowns to try to rein in a pandemic which the World Health Organisation warned had not yet peaked.

Coronavirus | Survey of India maps to bolster Arogya Setu app

To “complement” the Arogya Setu App, a government endorsed application that helps trace the contacts of those who may have been infected by  COVID-19 , the Survey of India (SoI), the country’s apex map maker has made public a trove of maps.

Barack Obama endorses Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign

Former U.S. President Barack Obama finally endorsed his vice president Joe Biden's presidential campaign on Tuesday in an effort to bring the Democratic Party together ahead of the election.

Migrant workers in Surat take to the streets again

For the  second time in less than a week , hundreds of restless  migrant workers  in Surat came out on the road, complaining about the lack of food and demanding that they be allowed to return to their home towns, even as the authorities  extended the lockdown  to contain the  COVID-19  pandemic till May 3.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.