New Zealand’s director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced 78 new suspected and confirmed cases of the coronavirus overnight (73 confirmed), bringing the country’s total to 283. On average 1400 tests are being done everyday, and 27 people have now recovered from the illness. Seven people are being treated in hospital, though none are requiring intensive care. Dr Bloomfield said stockpiling of medicines was becoming an issue around the country, and new measures would be brought in limiting supply to one month for general medicines, and three months for oral contraceptives. “There is no issue with the medicine supply chain,” Dr Bloomfield said. “These are unprecedented times for New Zealand and other countries around the globe. We are all in this together. We will expect the number of cases to increase for at least the next ten days.” In other US news from the last few hours, as rounded up by Maanvi Singh in San Francisco: Donald Trump continued to fixate on the idea that the country could scale back distancing measures within a fortnight, even as his top public health official, Anthony Fauci, signaled that the virus could be seasonal and resurge even after it abates. Senate leaders struggled to smooth over last-minute snags as they rush to pass a $2.2tn emergency relief package. Republican senators complained that the bill’s expansion of unemployment benefits would allow some to make more money on unemployment than they would if they were working. House speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled that Congress would pass the bill, but the logistics of how remained unclear, especially with several representatives under quarantine. New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, signaled early signs that physical distancing measures were working. But the number of cases and deaths in New York are continuing to mount. A Democratic debate in April looks unlikely. Though Joe Biden appears to be the presumptive nominee, Bernie Sanders is remaining in the race. More than 1m Californians filed for unemployment. Last week, the state’s governor Gavin Newsom asked residents to shelter in place, businesses to close down unless they provide essential services. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unsettled the future feels, we will remain with you. We hope to help all of us make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Make a contribution - The Guardian In US news, Politico reports that the Trump administration “failed to follow [the National Security Committee’s] pandemic playbook.” “The 69-page document, finished in 2016, provided a step by step list of priorities – which were then ignored by the administration,” Politico writes. The article explains that the White House playbook indicated that government should have kicked off a nationwide effort to obtain personal protective equipment two months ago. ‘Is there sufficient personal protective equipment for healthcare workers who are providing medical care?’ the playbook instructs its readers, as one early decision that officials should address when facing a potential pandemic. ‘If YES: What are the triggers to signal exhaustion of supplies? Are additional supplies available? If NO: Should the Strategic National Stockpile release PPE to states?’ The Australian market has opened about 1.6% up even as more companies announced they were shutting down operations and standing down thousands of staff. Job losses and stand-downs among Australian listed companies now total more than 65,000 since the middle of last week after retailer Premier Investments and travel agent Flight Centre laid off staff on Thursday morning. Casino operator Star Entertainment Group was the biggest gainer among top 200 companies, rising more than 15% even though its operations are shut down due to the crisis. Gold miner Northern Star Resources was the biggest loser, shedding 9% after it withdrew profit forecasts and cancelled its dividend. New cases in China increase, all from abroad Mainland China reported an increase in new confirmed coronavirus cases, all of which involved travellers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. The commission said in a statement that a total of 67 new cases were reported as of end-Wednesday, up from 47 a day earlier, putting the total accumulated number of confirmed coronavirus cases to date at 81,285. The commission also reported a total of 3,287 deaths at the end of Wednesday, up 6 from the previous day. Summary Hello and welcome to today’s global coronavirus pandemic liveblog with me, Helen Sullivan. With a third of the world’s population – or roughly 2.6 billion people – now under lockdown orders or advice, many of you will be reading this from your homes. I’ll do my best to bring you the most important developments in this unprecedented crisis as they happen. You can get in touch directly throughout the day with tips, news, questions or jokes on Twitter @helenrsullivan. The economic downturn and job losses caused by the pandemic is likely to be worse than the 2008 recession, according to World Trade Organization projections. The global death toll passed 21,000. In all, 21,152 people have died as a result of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The institution says there have been at least 451,355 cases around the world, while 112,982 people have recovered. US authorities prepared to bring home tens of thousands of people more than they had expected. As many as 50,000 Americans may need their government’s help in getting home, the US State Department said. More than 400,000 volunteered to help the UK’s health service. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, says the government had hoped 250,000 people would volunteer to help those in isolation by delivering medicines, driving patients to and from hospital appointments and making regular phone calls to check up on them. The UK identified nearly 1,500 new cases. The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care says that, as of 9am on Wednesday (GMT), 9,529 people have tested positive; an increase of 1,452 since its last update, which was as at 9am on Tuesday. A further 28 people died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in the UK to 465. Hopes were raised that antibody tests could soon be rolled out in the UK. Experts said tests that show whether or not a person has had the virus would first be used to work out how many people contract the virus but remain asymptomatic, before being given to NHS workers. Italy’s infection rate slowed for the third consecutive day. The World Health Organization said the country could reach its peak number of coronavirus cases on Sunday. Argentina reported its largest one-day increase in cases. According to local media reports, officials in the country say the latest figures show 86 new cases in 24 hours – the highest daily figure of the pandemic to date. Belgian hospital admissions increased by half. With experts warning the disease has not yet reached its peak, the country’s federal crisis centre said 434 people had been admitted to hospital in 24 hours; an increase of 50% on the previous day. Spain’s deputy prime minister tested positive. Carmen Calvo was hospitalised on Sunday with a respiratory infection. She is doing well and receiving medical treatment, according to the Spanish government. The UN launched a global humanitarian response plan. Its secretary general, António Guterres, called on governments to work together to combat the pandemic. Widespread New York closures are likely, the state’s governor warned. Andrew Cuomo said New York City could begin closing streets to traffic, while parks and playgrounds could yet see mandatory closures if New Yorkers continue to ignore calls to self-quarantine.