narvikk/iStock(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 22,000 people around the world, including at least 1,000 in the United States.
Spain’s death toll has eclipsed that of China where cases of the illness caused by the new respiratory virus, known officially as COVID-19, were first detected back in December. Spain’s count of over 4,000 deaths is now second only to that of Italy, where more than 7,500 people have died from the virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Worldwide, there are more than 487,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, spanning every continent except Antarctica. With more than 69,000 cases, the United States has the third-highest national total behind Italy and China. The virus has rapidly spread across every U.S. state as well as Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. At least 117,000 people around the world have recovered from COVID-19.
Here’s how the news is developing Thursday. All times Eastern:
7:40 a.m.: Prince Charles still working in self-isolation, royal source says
Charles, Prince of Wales, is working at his desk as usual while self-isolating at his estate in Scotland, a royal source told ABC News.
The source said Charles has received hundreds of get well soon wishes sent to his official royal residence in London, Clarence House.
A Clarence House spokesman confirmed in a statement Wednesday that Charles had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and “has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health.”
His wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has tested negative for the virus, according to the spokesman. The couple is currently self-isolating at Birkhall, their private residence in Scotland.
Charles, 71, is the first child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He is the heir apparent to the British throne.
6:32 a.m.: Russia grounds all international flights over coronavirus
The Russian government has ordered the grounding of all international flights as part of new measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia’s civil aviation agency Rosaviatsiya will halt “regular and charter air flights from Russian airports to and from foreign countries,” with the exception of flights evacuating Russian citizens from abroad, according to the decree published Thursday on the government’s website.
The new travel restriction comes into force at midnight on Friday.
As of Thursday, there were 840 diagnosed cases of the novel coronavirus in Russia, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
5:27 a.m.: Nearly 90% of the world’s student population is out of school due to pandemic
More than 1.5 billion students are not attending schools and universities because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Governments across the globe have closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the outbreak. More than 160 countries have implemented nationwide school closure, impacting over 87 percent of the world’s student population, according to UNESCO monitoring.
Several other nations have implemented localized school closures and, should those become nationwide, millions more students would be affected, UNESCO warned.
3:30 a.m.: Diagnosed cases approach half a million worldwide
The number of diagnosed cases worldwide of the novel coronavirus will likely reach half a million in the coming days, the latest data from Johns Hopkins University shows.
China still has the highest tally with more than 81,000 diagnosed cases, but Italy isn’t far behind with over 74,000. The U.S. count is approaching 70,000.
Meanwhile, the global death toll topped 21,000 on Thursday, with Italy and Spain as the two worst-affected countries.
A third of the world’s population is under some kind of coronavirus-related movement restrictions as governments scramble to contain the spread of the disease.
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