Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdowns Show Signs of Working, but New Challenges Emerge

A senior White House official warned the Trump administration in January that a pandemic would cost millions of lives and trillions of dollars. Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, remains in intensive care. China reported its first day since January with no deaths.

RIGHT NOW South Carolina, after weeks of delay, has become the latest state to issue a stay-at-home order.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Glimmers of hope, and new challenges, as the world struggles to beat back the virus.

• A top White House official warned in January that a pandemic could imperil millions of Americans.

• Britain is gripped by concerns for the health of its prime minister, and questions of succession.

• Black Americans face alarming rates of coronavirus infection in some states.

• Wall Street rallies as investors take heart in signs of progress.

• China reports no new virus deaths for the first time since January.

• The Wisconsin election fight previews battle over virus-era voting.

Glimmers of hope, and new challenges, as the world struggles to beat back the virus.

The grim, grinding news from the worldwide struggle with the coronavirus has begun to be leavened by scattered indications that the spread of the scourge might be slowing. While Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain remained in intensive care Tuesday morning, New York officials expressed cautious optimism that the state and city might be reaching a turning point, and Italy yet again reported a lower daily death toll. China, where the pandemic began late last year, claimed its first day since January with no deaths at all.

Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first appeared, will lift its lockdown today as other nations began discussing plans to ease restrictions.

But from London to New York, officials warned that lockdowns and social distancing would need to remain in place for some time to ensure that the first signs of success were not swamped by a resurgence of the pathogen. South Carolina issued a stay-at-home order on Tuesday, leaving only eight states that have yet to do so.

Investors around the world chose to focus on the upside. Wall Street staged a huge rally on Monday, and the gains were expected to continue on Tuesday as global stocks pushed higher.

In Asia, markets rose on news that Japan would spend some 20 percent of its gross domestic product to stabilize its economy, even as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepared to declare a state of emergency after infections surged in Tokyo and Osaka.

But Britain was dealing with a crisis that sent shudders worldwide, as its prime minister, 55, was moved into intensive care so he would be near a ventilator should his lungs fail. The government admitted that Mr. Johnson’s condition had deteriorated significantly.

To read more, visit NYTIMES: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/world/coronavirus-live-updates.html