**Philippines Armed Forces Chief Felimon Santos Jr. has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to a CNN report, Santos has been on home quarantine since March 24 after coming into contact with a senior officer who had tested positive for the virus. Santos received his results Thursday night and informed the Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana. There are 707 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 45 deaths in the Philippines.
** Coronavirus infected cases jumped to 81,321 in the US while the death toll crossed 1000. The US now leads the world in confirmed cases. New York Times said a failure to take pandemic seriously even as it engulfed China left the country blind to the crisis. The US is now facing an acute shortage of masks and protective gear to protect doctors and murses on the frontlines as well as ventilators to keep critically ill alive.
** Quoting John Hopkins University, CBS News said there are now more than 85,000 Covid-19 cases in the US and nearly 1300 deaths. The report also said almost 3.3 million people filed for unemployment last week as the virus shuttered business and halted normal across the country.
** According to Worldometers Italy reported 80,589 cases and deaths 8,215. But the country also boasts of 10,361 recoveries.
** Russia has reported three deaths due to Covid-19. According to Statista.com as of March 26, 2020, Moscow had the highest number of people infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Russia with 546 cases, followed by the Moscow Oblast with 41 cases. Of the three patients who died in Moscow, two deceased directly due to the virus. In total, 840 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Russia, and 38 people were cured, excluding three nationals who were evacuated from the cruise Diamond Princess and tested positive for the virus.
** Japan has confirmed 1,307 cases of COVID-19, out of which 45 have died while 310 have recovered. Tokyo reported 47 cases of the infection the biggest number in a single day, Kyodo news reported.