Health News Roundup: Thailand reports 89 new coronavirus cases; SoftBank CEO Son's coronavirus poll shows 80% favor state of emergency and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Malaysia reports 150 new coronavirus cases; four more deaths

Malaysia reported 150 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, including four deaths. That took the country's total to 3,483 confirmed infections and 57 deaths, the health ministry said.

Philippines records 8 new coronavirus deaths, 76 more infections

The Philippine health ministry on Saturday reported 76 additional coronavirus infections and eight new deaths. In a bulletin, the health ministry said a total of 144 people have died in the Philippines while 3,094 were infected, the majority of whom were reported in the past four weeks.

Indonesia coronavirus cases top 2,000 amid concerns over data

Indonesia said on Saturday that coronavirus cases had topped 2,000 and deaths risen to 191, but doubts have been raised over official figures by data showing a big jump in funerals last month in the capital Jakarta. Health Ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there had been 106 new confirmed infections, taking the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 2,092, with 10 new deaths.

Thailand reports 89 new coronavirus cases, one more death

Thailand reported 89 new coronavirus cases and one more death on Saturday. The latest numbers from the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration took the total in the southeast Asian nation to 2,067. Twenty people have died.

Australia coronavirus cases stable, cruise ships sent home

Australia reported a sustained fall in new coronavirus infections and conducted the biggest peacetime maritime operation on Sydney Harbour on Saturday, refueling foreign cruise ships before expelling them from local waters. Confirmed cases rose by 198 over the 24-hour period to Saturday afternoon, bringing the national total to 5,548, health ministry data showed. The death toll from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, rose to 30.

New York in 'race against time' as Trump stresses face masks are voluntary

Two of the principal U.S. coronavirus hot spots - New York and Louisiana - reported their biggest jumps in COVID-19 deaths yet on Friday, as the White House sent mixed messages on whether Americans should cover their face if they venture outdoors. Surging deaths in New York City and New Orleans showed that a wave of lethal coronavirus infections expected to overwhelm hospitals, even in relatively affluent, urban areas with extensive healthcare systems, has begun to crash down on the United States.

SoftBank CEO Son's coronavirus poll shows 80% favor state of emergency

More than 80% of respondents to a Twitter poll initiated by SoftBank Group Corp's CEO Masayoshi Son would support a declaration of a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus, as the number of cases exceeded 100 in Tokyo for the first time on Saturday. The poll by Son, who has 2.5 million Twitter followers, showed 82% of almost 240,000 respondents indicated support for tighter controls by authorities to fight the spread of the virus. The poll closed on Saturday evening.

Exclusive: Amazon in contact with coronavirus test makers as it plans pandemic response

Amazon.com Inc has been in contact with the CEOs of two coronavirus test makers as it considers how to screen its staff and reduce the risk of infection at its warehouses, according to internal meeting notes seen by Reuters. The chief executives of Abbott Laboratories and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc have told Amazon they would like to work with the e-commerce company, though the U.S. government is taking up all of their testing capacity at present, the notes said.

Tokyo area sees daily coronavirus cases topping 100 for first time: NHK

Some 118 people were newly infected with the novel coronavirus in the Japanese capital of Tokyo, NHK public broadcaster reported on Saturday, citing metropolitan government officials. It marked the first time that daily confirmed cases exceeded 100 in the Tokyo area, bringing the number of confirmed cases there to 891, NHK said.

Britain unlikely to lift coronavirus lockdown until end of May: government expert

Britain is unlikely to lift its stringent lockdown rules until the end of May, a leading government adviser said on Saturday, warning that the spread of the coronavirus must first slow and intense testing be introduced. The government has put Britain into a widespread shutdown, closing pubs, restaurants, and nearly all shops, while ordering people to stay home unless absolutely essential to venture out.

(With inputs from agencies.)