World News Roundup: Spain close to reversing coronavirus curve, says PM; PM Johnson 'getting better' in intensive care and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Spain close to reversing coronavirus curve, says PM

Spain's latest coronavirus data is encouraging and the country is close to the beginning of a decline in the epidemic, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday. "The fire starts to come under control," he told parliament before a vote on the extension of a state of emergency by another two weeks until April 26.

PM Johnson 'getting better' in intensive care

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was getting better on Thursday in intensive care where he is battling COVID-19 as his government extended its bank overdraft facility and reviewed the most stringent shutdown in peacetime history. Johnson, 55, was admitted to St Thomas' hospital on Sunday evening with a persistent high temperature and cough and was rushed to intensive care on Monday. He has received oxygen support but not been put on a ventilator.

Cases of novel coronavirus in Russia surge past 10,000 after record daily rise

Russia on Thursday reported a record one-day rise in cases of novel coronavirus, pushing the official tally to more than 10,000, a day after President Vladimir Putin said the coming weeks would prove decisive in the fight against the virus. The number of cases jumped by 1,459 and 13 more people died, the national coronavirus crisis response centre said on its website. That brings the overall death toll to 76.

'Sadness in my heart': Residents of China's Hubei, freed from lockdown, face suspicion

Driving to a factory in China's southeastern province of Fujian to meet a friend, Ye Jing was stopped by a security guard soon after returning from two months of lockdown in Hubei, the province hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. "His whole manner and actions changed," the shoe factory manager said, after the guard spotted her Hubei licence plate and asked where she was from.

China seeks to contain 'silent carriers' of new coronavirus

China took new measures on Wednesday to try to prevent asymptomatic "silent carriers" of the new coronavirus from causing a second wave of infections, as the country reported another modest rise in confirmed cases. While new cases have declined from their peak since China imposed strict travel restrictions, authorities have called for continued vigilance amid fears of a fresh resurgence of infections as the economy cranks back to life and more people move around.

Thais queue for booze before 10-day alcohol ban in Bangkok

People queued to buy wine, beer and spirits in Bangkok on Thursday after the Thai capital announced a 10-day ban on alcohol sales to try to limit social activities before the traditional new year and curb the spread of the coronavirus. "The announcement prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages at all shops … from April 10 to April 20," Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang told a news conference.

Pass the salt: The minute details that helped Germany build virus defences

One January lunchtime in a car parts company, a worker turned to a colleague and asked to borrow the salt. As well as the saltshaker, in that instant, they shared the new coronavirus, scientists have since concluded.

Czechs hope targeted 'smart quarantine' plan will let them lift blanket restrictions

The Czech Republic is planning to roll out a system of quickly tracking and isolating contacts of people with coronavirus to eventually allow the lifting of blanket restrictions that are slowing the rise in infections but also crippling the economy. Over the past five days, the average daily increase in new cases was 224, down from the previous five days despite more people being tested, and giving a total of 5,335 infections in the country of 10.7 million.

The death toll stands at 104. Singapore reports 287 new coronavirus cases in biggest daily jump

Singapore confirmed 287 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the biggest daily increase yet, taking the total in the city-state to 1,910, its health ministry said. More than 200 of the new cases were linked to outbreaks in foreign worker dormitories. Singapore has quarantined thousands of workers in dormitories after they were linked to several cases of the COVID-19 respiratory disease.

China reclassifies dogs as pets, not livestock, in post-virus regulatory push

China has drawn up new guidelines to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock, the agriculture ministry said, part of a response to the coronavirus outbreak that the Humane Society called a potential "game changer" in animal welfare. Though dog meat remains a delicacy in many regions, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a notice published on Wednesday that dogs would no longer be considered as livestock. It uses that designation for animals that can be bred to provide food, milk, fur, fibre and medicine, or to serve the needs of sports or the military.