Summary of Latest Developments.

World leaders have rallied around the United Nations for an initiative to help the most vulnerable countries gain access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatment tools for the coronavirus as soon as they emerge. Noticeably absent: The United States, which is the hardest hist country in the world, and China, where the virus first appeared.

The World Health Organization's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is teaming up with countries and partners worldwide to accelerate work on drugs and a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Africa's coronavirus cases have surged 43 percent in the past week but its countries are dangerously behind in the global race for scarce medical equipment. Ten nations have no ventilators at all. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent is competing with the developed world in terms of obtaining supplies and equipment. "The very future of the continent will depend on how this matter is handled."

The death toll in the United States surpassed 51,000 amid more than 890,000 cases. But the number of daily deaths in New York has gone down, with 422 reported on Friday - the lowest since April 1.

Close to 196,000 people have died due to the pandemic, with 2.7 million infected globally, out of whom almost some 781,000 have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Japan economy minister cancels appearances after contact with infected staffer.

A key government official in charge of Japan's economic response to the coronavirus outbreak has called off his public appearances on Saturday to work from home after it was discovered that he had been in contact with a staffer who was infected with the virus.

In a statement, the office said that it had discovered that Nishimura had visited a university hospital last week with an office staff person who later tested positive for the virus.

In past weeks, the minister has become the face of Japan's economic efforts to deal with the coronavirus.

"Neither the minister nor the staffer who tested positive for the virus has shown any symptoms, but as a precaution, the minister will remain at home until he receives further notice on his condition from health authorities," the office said in a statement.

Maryland sends out emergency alert after Trump disinfectant comments.

The US state of Maryland has sent out an alert telling residents "that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route."

The message, posted on Twitter on Friday, comes after President Donald Trump in a Thursday press conference asked his administration's medical experts to look into injecting disinfectants into the body to kill the coronavirus or exposing the body to ultra-violet light. 

Experts have said the statements were dangerous and should be not be tried under any circumstances. 

Trump later claimed he was being sarcastic and falsely said that only made the comments in response to a reporters question. The president had made the comments without solicitation while looking at his coronavirus response coordinator Dr Deborah Birx and Department of Homeland Security science official Bill Bryan.

Maryland had reportedly received over 100 calls to its coronavirus hotline asking about the president's comments. 

ALERT?: We have received several calls regarding questions about disinfectant use and #COVID19.

This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.

— Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MDMEMA) (@MDMEMA) April 24, 2020

Thailand reports 53 new cases, one new death.

Thailand has reported 53 new coronavirus cases and the death of a 48-year-old Thai man who was infected with the virus along with four other family members.

Of the new cases, three were linked to previous cases, one had no known links, and 42 are migrant workers who have been under quarantine at an immigration detention centre in the southern province of Songkhla.

Seven other new cases were reported from the southern province of Yala, where authorities are aggressively testing the population because of high infection rates there, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

Since the outbreak escalated in January, Thailand has reported a total of 2,907 cases and 51 deaths, while 2,547 patients have recovered and gone home.

UN special rapporteur sounds alarm on response to COVID-19.

The United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression has sounded the alarm over some of the response to the global health emergency following the coronavirus pandemic.

In a social media post on Saturday, David Kaye showed a summary of his report to the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded that some policies carried out to help contain the deadly disease "may be failing to meet the standards of legality, necessity and proportionality".

He wrote in the summary that access to information, independent media and other free expression rights "are critical to meeting the challenges of the pandemic."

is #COVID19 a pathogen of repression? check out my new report to the @UNHumanRights Council for answers. i call for robust promotion of freedom of expression to advance public health. https://t.co/aaGAjray0E pic.twitter.com/QQa196Jabr

— David Kaye (@davidakaye) April 24, 2020

IMF approves $309m in aid for Mozambique.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced the payment of emergency aid of $309m to Mozambique to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

"The pandemic should have a significant impact on the economy of Mozambique, halting an emerging recovery after two powerful tropical cyclones that struck in 2019," the institution said in a statement.

Source:News Agencies.