US surpasses China and Italy for most cases Johns Hopkins University data suggests the US has now overtaken China and Italy to have the most confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the world. The US has 82,404, with China’s total now 81,782. Italy is third with 80,589. Global job losses could far exceed estimate of 25 million – UN Global job losses from the coronavirus crisis could far exceed the 25 million estimated just days ago, UN officials said on Thursday, as US jobless claims surged to record levels. The International Labour Organization, a UN agency, estimated a week ago that the figure would rise by between 5.3 million and 24.7 million. But Sangheon Lee of the ILO now says the scale of temporary unemployment, layoffs and the number of unemployment benefit claims is far higher than first expected. UK records biggest daily rise in deaths The number of people who have died from coronavirus in UK hospitals has risen by 115 in a single day to 578, as of 5pm on Thursday. It is the biggest daily rise in deaths across the country since the outbreak began. As of 9am on Thursday, 11,658 out of 104,866 people who have been tested for the virus were confirmed as positive cases. France death toll rises by 365 The number of deaths from coronavirus in France has risen by 365 in 24 hours, from 1,331 to 1,696, according to health officials. There are now 29,155 confirmed cases in the country, as of Thursday. A 16-year-old in the Ile de France region is one of those to have died. Bolsonaro says churches exempt from lockdown Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has exempted churches from coronavirus lockdowns by classifying religious activity as an essential service, heeding requests from evangelical leaders. The rightwing populist was elected with massive support from evangelical voters in 2018 because of his conservative social views. US police enforcing social distancing Police in the US are taking a lead role in enforcing social distancing, with Associated Press reporting that officers in Lakewood, New Jersey, broke up a wedding being held in violation of a ban on large gatherings. In New York City, police have been dismantling basketball hoops and in Austin, Texas, officers are encouraging people to call a hotline to report violators of the city’s orders for people to stay home. South Africa enters lockdown South Africa came under a nationwide military-patrolled lockdown on Friday, joining other African countries imposing strict curfews and shutdowns in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus across the continent. Some 57 million people are to be restricted to their homes during South Africa’s three-week total lockdown which began at midnight. EU leaders clash over economic response European leaders have clashed over how to pull their economies through the coronavirus crisis, as Italy accused other member states of a timid response to an unprecedented economic shock. Backed by France, Spain and seven other eurozone countries, Italy wants a “European recovery bond” or “coronabonds” – namely, EU-backed debt to lift member states out of a recession and increase spending on healthcare. But the idea of shared debt is opposed by Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.