Health News Roundup: Coronavirus very likely of animal origin, no sign of lab manipulation: WHO; Indian presidential palace isolates 500 people in coronavirus alarm and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO warns lifting of coronavirus lockdowns must be gradual

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that any lifting of lockdowns to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus must be gradual, and if restrictions were to be relaxed too soon, there would be a resurgence of infections. Lockdown measures have proved effective, and people must be ready for a new way of living to allow society to function while the coronavirus is being kept in check, said Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

Swiss coronavirus death toll nears 1,200, positive tests top 28,000

The Swiss death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 1,187, the country's public health agency said on Tuesday, rising from 1,142 people on Monday. The number of positive tests increased to 28,063 from 27,944 on Monday, an increase of 119, it said. The infection rate has slowed of late from a peak of 1,300 new positive tests per day at the end of March.

U.S. revs up ventilator production for coronavirus patients as need wanes

The Trump administration, under pressure to do more to ramp up coronavirus testing in order to safely reopen the battered U.S. economy, is highlighting this week a $2.9 billion program to build 187,000 ventilators this year. The administration's ventilator surge is accelerating as medical experts are forecasting the need for the devices - used to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe - will fall. Many of the ventilators will now be sent to other countries in need, the administration says.

Mexico has entered most serious 'Phase 3' spread of coronavirus epidemic: health ministry

Mexico has entered its most serious stage in the spread of the coronavirus, which the government calls "Phase 3", as the spread of the virus is intensifying, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Tuesday.

China finds African swine fever in pigs in Sichuan province

China's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had detected the deadly African swine fever virus in pigs transported to the southwestern province of Sichuan. The case is one of more than a dozen reported by the ministry in the past two months, as the disease continues to infect pigs in the world's top pork producer.

Spain records 430 more coronavirus deaths

Deaths in Spain from the new coronavirus rose by 430 in the last 24 hours to a total of 21,282 on Tuesday, the government said. That was higher than the previous day's increase of 399, though officials are confident the pandemic is slowing in one of the world's worst-hit nations.

Coronavirus very likely of animal origin, no sign of lab manipulation: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that all available evidence suggests the novel coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that his government was trying to determine whether the virus emanated from a lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic emerged in December.

LabCorp to prioritize at-home COVID-19 test distribution for healthcare workers

LabCorp said on Tuesday its at-home coronavirus testing kit had won U.S. authorization and it would prioritize distribution for healthcare workers who may have been exposed to the virus or are symptomatic. Shares of LabCorp were up 4.4% at $152 in premarket trading, after the company said it expects to make the test kits available to customers in the United States in the coming weeks.

Dutch Supreme Court expands euthanasia laws for dementia patients

The Dutch Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that doctors could legally carry out euthanasia on people with advanced dementia who had earlier put their wishes in writing even if they could no longer confirm them because of their illness. The ruling is a landmark in Dutch euthanasia legislation which up to now had required patients to confirm euthanasia requests. This had not been considered possible for mentally incapacitated patients like advanced dementia sufferers.

Indian presidential palace isolates 500 people in coronavirus alarm

About 500 people entered self-isolation at India's presidential palace on Tuesday after a worker's relative tested positive for the coronavirus in the latest alarm close to public figures as the pandemic spreads through densely populated South Asia. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his wife had tested negative for the coronavirus, his spokesman said, after at least 20 palace officials were infected last week.