Coronavirus updates: One million coronavirus recoveries recorded

António Guterres has told the BBC he has been “shocked but not surprised” by the global coronavirus response.

“Unfortunately…the world was not able to come together,” he said. “Each country went with its own policy.”

More businesses and industries will be allowed to reopen in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said, according to Dawn news.

The country has recorded 16,697 cases and 385 deaths so far.

Mr Khan said the virus was less intense in Pakistan compared to the United States or Europe – a statement he has made before.

He said the decision to reopen was taken after consulting leaders in Egypt and Iran, which have also started to reopen, because the economic cost of continuing the lockdown was too high.

“Iran and Egypt have opened all businesses by maintaining a ban on public gatherings and we will also further ease lockdown by sharing information with these states,” he said.

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Social isolation can be tough. Thanks to video calls we can still check in with parents, grandparents and friends. But did you ever spare a thought for the eels?

Neither did we, until an aquarium in Tokyo put out an appeal. No visitors are allowed in the Sumida Aquarium in the landmark Tokyo Skytree tower and the eels seem to be forgetting what humans look like.

“Creatures in the aquarium don’t see humans except keepers and they have started forgetting about humans,” the aquarium said.

“Garden eels in particular disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by.”

That means the keepers can’t check on their health anymore. To fix this, the aquarium is setting up computer tablets facing the tank, and are asking people to call, show their faces, wave, and talk to the eels.

One note of caution – don’t shout as the eels are very sensitive.

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South Korea recorded nine new infections on Friday – a single-digit rise for the third consecutive day.

Eight of the nine cases were believed to have been brought from oversees.

Thursday was the first day in two and a half months that no locally transmitted cases were reported.

South Korea now has 10,774 infections, with 248 deaths.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged that Australia’s social distancing restrictions could be eased in one week’s time.

Initially, authorities pencilled in 11 May as the decision-making date for when measures might be lifted.

However – as the nation has effectively contained the virus spread – Mr Morrison said the decision would be brought forward to 8 May.

“Australians have earned an early mark through the work they have done,” he said in press conference in Canberra.

Several states this week have begun loosening social restrictions – for example, people in Sydney and elsewhere in New South Wales can now visit other people’s homes.

Children make up a small percentage of those so far diagnosed with coronavirus and often have milder reactions than adults.

But there are cases around the world where they have been left needing intensive care treatment.

The mothers of four-year-old Lincoln, and baby Peyton – who contracted the virus at just three weeks old – told the BBC about their experiences.

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The majority of businesses in Malaysia will be allowed to reopen from 4 May, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is quoted as saying by Reuters.

But he said that those that usually involve large gatherings of employees would remain shut.

The authorities shut down all non-essential businesses, restricted travel and closed schools on 18 March to try to halt the spread of the virus.

Malaysia has more than 6,000 confirmed infections and 102 deaths, according to America’s Johns Hopkins university.

The pandemic has sparked plenty of art, graffiti and murals around the globe.

Some of it to warn and educate, some of it to entertain, all of it worth taking in.

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South Korea’s exports dived 24.3% year-on-year in April because of the coronavirus outbreak and plunging oil prices, the country’s trade ministry says.

Outbound shipments dropped to $36.9bn (£29bn), compared with $48.7bn last year – the worst contraction since 2009. Imports also sank by 15.9% to $37.8bn.

The East Asian nation was once among the world’s biggest virus hotspots – but Thursday was the first day when no locally transmitted cases were recorded.

The government in Seoul put a number of restrictions in place in February, stopping short of a total lockdown.

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Good morning from Delhi. It’s a bright, warm morning in the Indian capital on the 38th day of a nationwide lockdown. The lockdown is supposed to end on 3 May but it’s likely it will continue in most places.

Here’s what else is happening:

• India has recorded a little more than 35,000 active cases and 1,147 deaths so far. The government has said the lockdown has helped slow down the spread of Covid-19 and some states – such as Punjab – have already announced extensions
• Delhi’s state government is ramping up screening in hotspots, saying it has seen a rise in some of these areas despite the strict lockdown. At 3,515, Delhi has the third-highest number of infections in the country.
• The federal government is mulling a bailout package for small and mid-size businesses, according to media reports, to mitigate the devastating effect of the lockdown.

Australian news outlets are reporting the country has re-committed support for Taiwan to rejoin the World Health Organization.

Australia has long supported Taiwan’s bid for observer status and was responding to a call from Taiwan’s health minister this week.

The endorsement comes amid a huge row between Beijing and Canberra this week.

China would attempt to block Taiwanese membership of the WHO as it does not recognise Taiwan as a country – and Taiwanese bids for United Nations membership have been rejected in the past.

Australia has been calling for a global investigation into how the virus started, and that has sparked threats from Beijing about the two nations’ trade relationship.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has so far dismissed China’s criticisms and is standing by his calls for an investigation.

Mainland China has reported 12 new cases, slightly up on four new cases the previous day.

Half of the confirmed infections were imported. From the local transmission, five were in the Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia, where there has been a relative spike in cases in recent weeks.

The overall number of confirmed cases in China now stands at 82,874, although more than 90% of those have recovered.

Chinese numbers also showed 24 new asymptomatic cases for the past day, which the country counts in a separate tally.

There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll at 4,633.

Muslims around the world are fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, while also being subject to lockdown.

For many, being in a tight-knit network is what keeps them going during a difficult, long fast. But coronavirus has forced mosques to shut and many Muslims are spending Ramadan apart.

The BBC’s Sodaba Haidare shares her experience of Ramadan and talks to others about what it’s like fasting in lockdown:

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US President Donald Trump is due to travel on Friday to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, leaving the White House in Washington DC for the first time in more than a month.

The 90km (56 miles) trip was announced in the president’s daily schedule late on Thursday.

It did not say how much time Mr Trump would spend at the retreat.

Mr Trump last left the White House on 28 March, when he travelled to Norfolk, Virginia.

People across the UK have done the sixth weekly Clap for Carers.

This time there were also celebrations for the 100th birthday of Captain Tom Moore – now Colonel Tom Moore – who became a national hero when he raised millions of pounds for healthcare charities.

Watch below:

Today’s headline figure is one million recoveries out of more than three million confirmed cases. The statistic – like all coronavirus data – has to be read with caution though.

Covid-19 has a low mortality rate, which means almost all of those three million infected will eventually recover – even though in some cases it might take a long time.

But precisely how many will recover? That depends on the mortality rate of the virus – i.e. how many people who catch it will die – which we still don’t know.

Estimates by medical journal The Lancet suggest it’s higher than influenza (0.1%) and lower than Sars (9.5%).

If you look at the cases on cruise ships – where you don’t have imported cases or lack of testing – the mortality rate seems to be around 1%, the journal writes.

But because the testing situation is so different from country to country (and no country has a 100% testing rate like those cruise ships) we can only see the ratio of deaths to confirmed infections.

When only people with stronger symptoms get tested, that “death rate” is often higher than 1%.

In reality, it’s likely that many people will catch the virus without being officially recorded – meaning the death rate is lower than “official” ratios may suggest.

The US has seen a number of protests against lockdowns, including in the state of Michigan where protesters have rallied outside – and inside – the state’s capitol as legislators voted on extending the state of emergency. Watch what they had to say below.

Michigan has seen more than 41,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and over 3,700 deaths.

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With the virus curve now “crushed”, Australia’s states and territories are really starting to motor out of lockdown.

The Northern Territory – a sparsely populated, outback region – will charge ahead with lifting group limits and re-opening parks and pools from today.

However, it’s the social easing in New South Wales (which includes Sydney) which will be far more closely watched. People can now visit their friends and families – but households can only accept two visitors at a time.

This is a big step out of isolation for millions of people – and many will be celebrating with dinner parties tonight – but officials are urging people to keep their social circles tight.

While Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia are also easing restrictions, in contrast Victoria (which includes Melbourne) has not relaxed its social rules and does not plan to until 11 May.

Every Australian state is moving at a different pace – read more here.

US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at both China and the World Health Organization over the pandemic.

He said he had a “high degree” of confidence the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory – adding he wasn’t allowed to say whether China “made a mistake” or did “something on purpose”.

Earlier in the day, US intelligence officials said Covid-19 “was not manmade or genetically modified”.

Trump has recently suggested China didn’t warn the US in order to hurt his re-election bid.

He also slammed the WHO, saying it “should be ashamed of itself” for being “like the public relations agency for China”.

More than one million people have now officially recovered from Covid-19, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

The number of confirmed cases is more than three million. The vast majority will recover – but there is a lag between an infection being noted, and the recovery being confirmed.

See the data here.