More than 1.97 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 128,445 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Graffiti depicting the badge of Superman and Superwoman, and forming a mask with the words "Stay Safe", on a wall in northern England on April 14, 2020. Photo: Oli Scarff / AFP
The highest toll is in the US with 25,992 deaths, followed by Italy (21,067), Spain (18,255), France (15,729) and the United Kingdom (12,107).
China, where the pandemic began has officially reported 3345 deaths linked to the virus.
After weeks of lockdowns in several European countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the number of new cases were tailing off in some areas, such as Italy and Spain, but outbreaks were growing in Britain and Turkey.
"The overall world outbreak - 90 percent of cases are coming from Europe and the United States of America. So we are certainly not seeing the peak yet," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a briefing in Geneva.
Europe
Britain has the sixth-highest death toll globally, with deaths from Covid-19 in hospitals rising to 12,107, but is expected to be much higher when those in the community are included.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2486 to 127,584, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed, meaning the number of new infections rose after four days of decline.
The reported death toll has risen by 285 to 3254, the tally showed.
France said its total death toll rose above 15,000, becoming the fourth country to exceed that threshold after Italy, Spain and the US.
Spain and Austria allowed partial returns to work, but Britain and France extended lockdowns to rein in the new coronavirus.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he has so far secured the agreement of three of the five permanent members of the United Nations' Security Council for a global ceasefire so the world can focus on the epidemic.
It comes after the UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the world truce on 23 March, warning that in war-torn countries, health systems have collapsed.
Russia has reported 3388 new cases, a record daily rise, bringing its overall nationwide tally to 24,490, the country's coronavirus response centre said.
It said 198 people in Russia diagnosed with the virus had now died, an overnight rise of 28.
South Korea holds elections in masks and clinics
South Korea is going ahead with National Assembly elections, despite the outbreak, but strict hygiene measures are being carried out to minimise the risk of infection.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in casting his early ballot for the upcoming parliamentary elections at a polling station in Seoul on 10 April, 2020. Photo: YONHAP / AFP
Voters must come wearing masks and stand at least 1m apart. They will have their temperature taken, disinfect their hands and wear plastic gloves. Only then will they be given their voting slip and be allowed to head into the booth to cast their ballot.
The government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak has dominated all discussions during this election. It has eclipsed fears of a struggling economy and a number of corruption scandals involving presidential aides.
The National Assembly elections are seen as a bit of springboard to test candidates and party popularity ahead of the presidential elections in 2022
More than 11 million people, about 26 percent of the population, have cast their votes in advance. Some by post, but most travelled to early polling stations which were set up around the country on Friday and Saturday.
It's been a record early turnout. It's also the first time that 18-year-olds have been allowed to vote.
Patients being treated for coronavirus were given the option of mailing their ballot.
Health officials controlled the spiralling number of cases in February and March quickly and effectively by aggressively tracing and testing infected patients. The infection peaked in February when about 900 people a day were infected.
Now the number of new cases each day is under 50 and more than 7000 people have recovered from the illness.
United States
US President Donald Trump says he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Photo: AFP
He said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
He accused the UN body of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China, and said it must be held accountable.
Trump has previously accused the WHO of being biased towards China.
The US president has himself come under criticism at home over his handling of the outbreak.
"I am directing my administration to halt funding while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump told a news conference at the White House.
There were more than new 2200 deaths from Covid-19 in the United States, a record toll according to a Reuters tally, even as the country debated how to reopen its economy.
New York City, the US city hardest hit by the pandemic, revised its death toll sharply up to more than 10,000, to include victims presumed to have perished from the lung disease but never tested.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he sympathised with Trump's criticisms of the WHO, especially its "unfathomable" support of re-opening China's "wet markets", where freshly slaughtered animals are sold and where the coronavirus first appeared in the city of Wuhan late last year.
"But that said, the WHO also as an organisation does a lot of important work including here in our region in the Pacific and we work closely with them," Morrison told an Australian radio station on Wednesday.
"We are not going to throw the baby out of with the bathwater here, but they are also not immune from criticism and immune from doing things better."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country would continue to support the WHO.
"At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that. We will continue to support it and continue to make our contributions," she said.
Australia
Australia now has reported 6439 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 63 deaths.
Today, a Ruby Princess passenger become the third person in Canberra to die from the new coronavirus.
The Ruby Princess cruise ship is seen docked at at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Australia. Photo: 2020 Anadolu Agency/ AFP
A Perth man has become the first person in Australia to be jailed for breaching emergency coronavirus laws.
The 35-year-old had flown to Perth from Victoria on 28 March and was provided with a room at a city hotel, where he was required to remain in quarantine for 14 days.
But he wedged open a fire exit door and left on a number of occasions without being detected by staff, with his movements captured by CCTV cameras.
He then used public transport to travel within the metropolitan area.
The man was refused bail and sentenced to a partially suspended jail term of six months and two weeks.
Asia
New cases in mainland China dropped to 46, compared to 89 a day earlier, Chinese health officials reported, with one further death. Most cases were from overseas travellers returning from Russia.
Meanwhile, Taiwan has reported no new coronavirus cases for the first time in more than a month - a sign that its early prevention methods are working.
In Singapore however, the number of cases continue to rise, with 334 new cases reported, bringing the national total to 3252. Singapore has made it mandatory to wear a facemask as soon as you leave your house
India extended a lockdown on its 1.3 billion people until at least 3 May, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said economic sacrifices were needed to save lives as the number of cases exceeded 10,000.
Thailand reported 30 new coronavirus cases and two deaths, with a total of 2643 cases and 43 fatalities. While 1497 patients had recovered and gone home.
Middle East and Africa
A first "solidarity flight" of medical supplies from the World Health Organization landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for distribution in Africa.
A Syrian civil defence worker in a protective suit measures the temperature of a man at the Bab el-Hawa border crossing with Turkey amid the COVID-19 pandemic on April 14, 2020. Photo: Omar Haj Kadour / AFP
Turkey passed a law that will allow the release of tens of thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding in jails and protect detainees.
Iran's death toll was approaching 4700 following eased restrictions on travel within provinces.
Sudan will impose a three-week lockdown on the capital Khartoum after 10 more cases were discovered on Monday.
Namibian borders will remain closed and a partial lockdown in force for a further two-and-a-half weeks until May 4, President Hage Geingob said.
Uganda extended its lockdown by an extra three weeks until May 5.
-Reuters / BBC / ABC
