Summary of Latest Developments.

The US government was slow to understand how fast coronavirus was spreading from Europe, which accelerated outbreaks across the country, said Dr Anne Schuchat, the number-two official at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The World Health Organization has reiterated that the coronavirus is believed to be "natural in origin", responding to a claim by US President Donald Trump that he had seen evidence that indicated the virus emerged from a virology institute in Wuhan, China.

Worldwide, the number of confirmed infections stands at almost 3.4 million, with some 239,000 deaths and around 1.08 million recoveries.

The coronavirus is ravaging Brazil's poor, tightly-packed neighbourhoods where the disease is harder to control. There were 92,000 cases in Brazil with 6,400 deaths reported as of Friday.

Here are the latest update:

Australia reports coronavirus cases at meat factory.

A small cluster has emerged at a meat factory in the Australian state of Victoria, health officials said on Saturday, as parts of the country started easing physical distancing restrictions after suppressing the infection rate to below one percent.

Three of the cases in Victoria were related to a meat-processing facility, said its health minister. A total of eight employees have tested positive.

In Australia's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) two out of five new cases were recorded at the Newmarch aged care facility in Sydney, where about 60 people have been infected and 13 have died.

Local clusters of COVID-19 and cruise ship infections have accounted for a large percentage of Australia's nearly 6,800 cases and 93 deaths.

Thailand reports six new coronavirus cases, no new deaths.

Thailand reported six new coronavirus cases and no new deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,966, according to Reuters news agency.

Three of the new cases were found on the southern resort island of Phuket, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman of the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

While more than half of Thailand's nearly 3,000 cases were concentrated in Bangkok, Phuket has the highest rate of infection per population, Taweesin said. Since Thailand first detected the coronavirus in January, a total of 54 patients have died, 2,732 have recovered and 180 are still hospitalised, according to official figures.

NASA, SpaceX urge spectators to skip launch.

NASA and SpaceX have urged spectators to stay home for the first home launch of astronauts in nearly a decade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Top officials warned the public against traveling to the US state of Florida for the May 27 launch of two NASA astronauts aboard a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station, the Associated Press news agency reported.

It will be the first launch of astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in nine years - ever since the last space shuttle flight in 2011. It also will be the first attempt by a private company to fly astronauts to orbit.

Singapore to ease restrictions starting on May 12.

Singapore announced on Saturday that it will ease some restrictions in the country, allowing some businesses to operate starting on May 12, according to Reuters news agency.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that as the number of cases in the broader community drop, more restrictions will be lifted in the weeks to come.

The government also said that it will allow some students in small groups to return to school beginning on May 19.

IMF approves $643m in pandemic aid for Ecuador.

The International Monetary Fund has approved a request from Ecuador for emergency financing to fight the coronavirus pandemic, granting a $643m loan, the Andean country's economy ministry has announced.

Ecuador has been among the hardest-hit countries in Latin America by the coronavirus, with 24,675 confirmed cases and 883 deaths, plus a further 1,357 deaths that were likely caused by the virus.

"This financing will allow us to have the necessary liquidity to support the reactivation of the economy, and protect jobs," the ministry said in a statement.

Source:News Agencies.