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Coronavirus latest: Trump unveils plan to reopen US; China’s Wuhan revises death toll
- Singapore confirms 623 new coronavirus infections on Friday, with a majority of cases being foreign workers living in dormitories
- The central Chinese city of Wuhan has revised its death toll to include people who died at home in the early stages of the epidemic
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Authorities in Britain and New York state in the United States have announced they will extend lockdowns designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, even as US President Donald Trump unveiled a three-phase plan on when and how to reopen the country.
“Our experts say the curve has flattened and the peak is behind us,” Trump said at a press conference, stressing that each state would act individually, based on its own data. “We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time. “We’re starting our life again. We’re starting rejuvenation of our economy again. This is a gradual process.”
Trump also indicated that 29 states would be able to reopen, and flagged the resumption of professional sports, although likely without fans. In some states, protesters have begun taking to the streets to urge governors to rethink restrictions.
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The US has become the epicentre of the pandemic, with more than 32,000 deaths reported and nearly 700,000 infections confirmed.
Trump has sharply criticised China over the virus that was first detected in its metropolis of Wuhan. In recent days, his position appears to have drawn support from other Western politicians.
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In the UK, Britain’s acting leader Dominic Raab said it could no longer be “business as usual” with China when the coronavirus pandemic is over, the latest sign of hardening attitudes towards Beijing as the crisis drags on.
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