Health News Roundup: France's death toll from COVID-19 rises by 218; FDA authorizes remdesivir drug as emergency drug for COVID-19 and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

France's death toll from COVID-19 rises by 218 to 24,594

The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 218 to 24,594 on Friday, while hospitalizations for the disease and people in ICU units continued to decline, France's public health chief said on Friday. Jerome Salomon said the death toll had increased 0.9% compared with Thursday, a lower rate of increase than over the previous 24 hours.

FDA authorizes remdesivir drug as emergency treatment for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted authorization to Gilead Sciences Inc for emergency use of its experimental antiviral drug remdesivir to treat patients with COVID-19, it said in a letter to Gilead. During a meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O'Day called the move an important first step and said the company was donating 1.5 million vials of the drug to help patients.

Potential UK COVID-19 vaccine producer eyes making a million doses a month

A manufacturer of a possible COVID-19 vaccine being developed by British scientists said on Friday it may know by the end of May if it can make a million doses a month with a view to building stocks for commercial supply when the vaccine is approved. Cobra Biologics is one of the firms working to make a potential vaccine known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 being developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.

Alberta to launch Canada's first contact tracing app as economy slowly reopens

The Canadian province of Alberta said on Friday it would soon launch the country's first phone app to trace contacts of people infected with the coronavirus, as the country slowly restarts its economy. Ontario, the most populous province, said it was looking at options for such apps.

CDC reports 1,062,446 coronavirus cases, 62,406 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,062,446 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 30,787 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 2,349 to 62,406. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on April 30, compared with its count a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/2IVY1JT)

Japan PM Abe leaning towards extending state of emergency, to decide May 4

Japanese Prime |(Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he was leaning towards extending the country's state of emergency for about a month as experts said coronavirus restrictions should remain in place until the number of cases falls further. The emergency is now due to expire on May 6 but Abe said the situation remains tough and further cooperation is needed from Japanese citizens, although he would make a final decision on May 4 after consultations with experts.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

VIRUS RHETORIC ESCALATES Countries must ease lockdowns slowly, be ready for virus to jump back: WHO

Countries must lift lockdowns gradually, while still being "on the look-out" for COVID-19 and ready to restore restrictions if the virus jumps back, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. Vulnerable people in institutions, including those in long-term care facilities, prisons and migrant dormitories, must be protected, its top emergency expert Dr. Mike Ryan said.

Maker of coronavirus trial drug aims for wide distribution: Gilead CEO

Gilead Sciences, which manufactures remdesivir, is focused on making the experimental coronavirus drug accessible and affordable to as many people as possible once it is approved, Chief Executive Officer Daniel O'Day said on Friday. Interest in remdesivir has been high as there are no approved treatments or preventive vaccines yet for COVID-19, and early U.S. government trial results on Wednesday showed the drug helped patients recover more quickly from the illness caused by the new coronavirus than patients given a placebo.

U.S. airlines now requiring masks, promise more safety measures

With the largest U.S. airlines now set to mandate - and provide - facial coverings for all passengers over the next two weeks, many are turning their focus to other measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus during air travel. United Airlines Holdings Inc, for example, told journalists on Friday that it has purchased hundreds of hospital-type electrostatic fogging machines that it will start using in June to decontaminate airplane cabin surfaces and crevices before every flight.