Coronavirus latest: National and international news

Scientists advising the German government on coronavirus is not concerned that the reproduction rate – known as the ‘R’ rate – has been above one for three days in a row.

Lars Schaade of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said only if the ‘R’ value rose above 1.2 or 1.3 for several days would he be worried.

Hundreds of workers in German slaughterhouses – many from Eastern Europe – have tested positive and now thousands more tests are being done in that sector.

Mr Schaade said: “If the second decimal digit were above one, that would not yet be critical. But the higher it goes above one, like 1.2 or 1.3, and over a longer period of time, it would create a situation where we would pay very close attention and think about measures how to counter steer that.”

New coronavirus hotspots are emerging in Republican heartland communities across multiple states, contradicting Donald Trump’s claims that infection rates are declining in the US.

On Monday Trump said: “All throughout the country, the numbers are coming down rapidly.”

Yet county-specific figures show a surge in infection rates in towns and rural communities in red states such as Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and North and South Dakota, according to the New York Times.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s chief scientific adviser, said “great progress” has been made in producing a coronavirus vaccine.

Scientists across the world are working on creating a vaccine, with optimism increasing that there will be one available in the future.

Trials have already begun on workable vaccines, including on one undertaken by professors at Oxford University.

Sir Patrick said this week: “You can never guarantee there will be a vaccine, it’s a tough thing to do,” Sir Patrick said.

“I will say there’s been great progress made, though.

“There’s been a number of vaccine programmes around the world, which are progressing.

“There’s a number in the clinic now, so far so good. The chances are a bit higher than they were of getting a vaccine, but you never know until you’ve got one.”

Speaking alongside Sir Patrick, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said he was confident a solution, whether that be a vaccine or drugs to treat the disease, would be found.

Deaths from the coronavirus epidemic in Italy climbed by 172 on Tuesday, against 179 the day before, but the daily tally of new cases doubled to 1,402, from 744 on Monday.

However, the rise in new cases was partly due to late reporting by the hard-hit Lombardy region, which said it had found 419 infections from previous weeks that it had not logged.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 30,911, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 221,216, the fifth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Spain, Britain and Russia.

A 113-year-old woman – believed to be the oldest woman in Spain – has recovered from the coronavirus, officials have said.

Maria Branyas was diagnosed with Covid-19 after the country went into lockdown in March.

But after weeks in isolation, Ms Branyas recovered, having suffered only mild symptoms.

It means she has lived through the flu pandemic of 1918-19, the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War and the coronavirus.

Brazil has recorded its highest daily rise in the number of deaths from  coronavirus.

It registered 881 new deaths on Tuesday, the health ministry said. The total death toll now stands at 12,400.

It means Brazil, which is at the centre of the Latin American outbreak, is now the sixth worst affected country in terms of recorded deaths.

And experts say the real figure may be far higher due to a lack of testing in the country.

“Brazil is only testing people who end up in the hospital,” Domingo Alves from the University of Sao Paulo Medical School told AFP news agency.

Pictured top: Sir Patrick Vallance (Picture: PA)