Health News Roundup: Indonesia reports 325 new coronavirus cases, total 6,248; Putin orders daily coronavirus projections as Russia's tally nears 37,000 and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Indonesia reports 325 new coronavirus cases, total 6,248

Indonesia reported 325 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking the total number of infections in the world's fourth most populous country to 6,248. Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto also reported 15 new deaths, taking the total to 535.

Spain's coronavirus deaths surpass 20,000 but daily increase slows: health ministry

Spain's death toll from coronavirus rose by 565 on Saturday, down from a rise of 585 on Friday, the Health Ministry said, bringing the total to 20,043 deaths in one of the world's hardest-hit countries. The number of overall coronavirus cases rose to 191,726 on Saturday from 188,068 on Friday, it added.

Protective gear, cellphone, video chats: How America's clergy minister to COVID-19 patients

Reverend Manuel Dorantes closed his eyes, took a breath to calm his fear and prayed when word came that Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich had put out a call for volunteers. Cupich, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, needed two dozen young priests to take on the sacred duty of administering the last rites to those dying from the new and highly contagious coronavirus.

Malaysia reports 54 new coronavirus cases, 2 new deaths

Malaysian health officials reported 54 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the lowest daily increase since the government imposed curbs on movement and business on March 18, taking the cumulative total to 5,305. The health ministry also reported 2 new deaths, bringing total fatalities to 88.

Putin orders daily coronavirus projections as Russia's tally nears 37,000

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to provide daily forecasts of the spread of the novel coronavirus as Russia recorded almost 5,000 new cases in a single day. Coronavirus infections in Russia began rising sharply in April after reporting far fewer infections than many western European countries in the outbreak's early stages.

Safe sex under lockdown: Argentine official has some advice for digital lovers

An Argentine official has given some on-air sex education for onanistic lovers in the time of the coronavirus, underscoring how the pandemic and lockdown in response to it are shaking up every aspect of people's lives. Jose Barletta, a doctor with the country's health ministry, said in a televised broadcast that people needed to wash their hands after sex - whether it was in person or, as is increasingly the case, over digital channels.

Adherence to social distancing spurs dip in projected U.S. coronavirus deaths

Better-than-expected social distancing practices have led an influential research model to lower its projected U.S. coronavirus death toll by 12%, while predicting some states may be able to safely begin easing restrictions as early as May 4. The University of Washington's predictive model, regularly updated and often cited by state public health authorities and White House officials, projected on Friday that the virus will take 60,308 U.S. lives by Aug. 4, down from 68,841 deaths forecast earlier in the week.

North Korean lecturers say there are confirmed coronavirus cases in the country: RFA

North Korean authorities told citizens in public lectures that there were confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country as early as the end of March, in contrast to official Pyongyang claims that it has not had any confirmed cases, Radio Free Asia reported on late Friday. The lecturers, speaking to organizations and neighborhood watch groups, said there were COVID-19 cases within the country, without giving any numbers, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing two sources, one in Pyongyang and one in Ryanggang province.

Doctors criticize UK government over coronavirus protection shortages

Doctors and health workers criticized the British government on Saturday for suggesting that gowns used to protect them while treating coronavirus patients could be re-used, as supplies run low across the country. Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak of the coronavirus in which more than 14,000 people have already died - the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.

Dutch Coronavirus infections reach 31,589, 142 new deaths: authorities

Confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have risen by 1,140 to 31,589, Dutch health authorities said on Saturday. The death toll among people known to have been infected with the novel coronavirus increased by 142 to 3,601, the Dutch Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.