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This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.
- Global cases: At least 2,790,986.
- Global deaths: At least 195,920.
- Most cases reported: United States (890,524), Spain (219,764), Italy (192,994), France (159,495), and Germany (154,545).
The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 9:40 a.m. Beijing time.
All times below are in Beijing time.
10:00 am: Singapore’s daily cases drop below 1,000 for first time this week
Singapore reported 897 new cases of Covid-19 as of Friday noon, as its number of daily cases fall below 1,000 for the first time this week.
Cases have soared in the last month. On April 1, Singapore had just around 1,000 cases, but within less than a month, it has spiked to more than 10,000. The majority of the explosion in cases has been attributed to an outbreak among its migrant worker population.
The country’s ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chan Heng Chee, told CNBC that Singapore “knew that the foreign workers would be a stress point” in its fight against coronavirus, but that acting earlier would have made little difference in containing the spike in those cases. — Weizhen Tan
9:35 am: Daily cases in Italy rise again, but fatalities drop
New infections in Italy as of Friday rose by 3,021, an increase from the 2,646 the day before, according to Reuters.
Deaths, however, climbed by 420 — the smallest daily tally since March 19, the report said, citing Italy’s Civil Protection Agency. That was a decline from 464 the day before.
That brought its total number of confirmed cases to 192,994, the third highest after the U.S. and Spain.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said last week that the country will start lifting lockdown measures from May 4, but that the re-opening will be cautious and gradual, according to Reuters. — Weizhen Tan
An ambulance is seen in the coliseum area, during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on April 21, 2020 in Rome, Italy.
Antonio Masiello | Getty Images
9:25 am: China reports 12 new cases, no deaths
China reported just 12 new cases as of April 24, according to its National Health Commission (NHC). 11 were attributed to travelers coming from overseas. That takes the country’s total to 82,816 cases, according to government data.
For the 10th straight day, there were no new deaths, with total fatalities remaining at 4,632, according to the NHC.
Separately, there were 29 new asymptomatic cases, where people tested positive for the virus but did not show any symptoms. That brings its number of asymptomatic cases currently under medical observation to 983, the NHC said. — Weizhen Tan
All times below are in Eastern time.
8:20 pm: Hollywood’s small businesses in crisis
Hollywood may be known for its big studios with thousands of employees and giant sound stages. But of the 5,900 businesses in Hollywood, 99.5% have less than 500 employees, and over 90% have fewer than 10 employees.
Those are costumers, prop rentals, caterers, and trailer rental companies, sound mixing specialists and film editors — everything used in the making of movies, TV shows, or commercials.
After Covid-19 caused entertainment productions to come to a screeching halt, the vast majority of those companies have seen their revenues plummet to zero in the past month. forcing many to lay off or furlough employees. —Julia Boorstin
6:48 pm: FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn discusses trials in the works for coronavirus vaccines and therapeutics
6:24 pm: As working from home becomes more widespread, many say they don’t want to go back
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of Americans to work from home. But when it’s all over, many people are thinking that trip from the kitchen to the living room may not be such a bad commute.
States of Play, a joint CNBC/Change Research survey of swing states, finds 42% of respondents nationwide say they are working from home – a huge jump from only 9% who say they worked completely from home before the pandemic. Some 14% say they are working from home more than before, while 19% are working from home for the first time.
A 58% majority report they are still working outside the home.
Once the economy reopens, 24% say they’d like to work either entirely or more from home compared to how they worked before, while 55% plan to head back to the office and 20% are not sure. —Jackson Burke
4:35 pm: Kegs are going bad as coronavirus keeps restaurants closed. Boston Beer has a solution
As bars and restaurants remain shuttered in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Boston Beer is turning millions of dollars of expired beer into ethanol to recoup some of its lost sales.
Beer sales rose 11.6% in the week ended April 11, according to Nielsen data, as consumers drink more at home. But the spike doesn’t benefit craft brewers as much because they rely on sales in restaurants and bars. The shift in consumption trends is leading to expired kegs for many craft beer manufacturers.
Supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have led farmers to dump milk and crush eggs, even as grocery stores struggle to keep high-demand food items in stock.
Boston Beer, parent of Sam Adams, is taking a less wasteful approach when it comes to the $5.8 million in beer returned by retailers and distributors during its first quarter.
The company’s founder and chairman Jim Koch said on CNBC’s “The Exchange” Friday that it will distill the returned beer into ethanol, so it can be blended into gasoline. The company, the second-largest craft brewer in the nation, according to the Brewers Association, has been recycling stale beer like this for decades to ensure freshness, but lately it has stepped up the volume. —Amelia Lucas
Read CNBC’s coverage from the U.S. overnight: California launches meal delivery program for seniors, US coronavirus death toll tops 50,000
