IMF predicts zero growth in Latin America and the Caribbean for decade to 2025 The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, combined with other problems in recent years, meant Latin America and the Caribbean would likely see “no growth” in the decade from 2015 to 2025. Alejandro Werner, who heads the IMF’s Western Hemisphere department, said the global lender was racing to process 16 requests for emergency assistance, about half of which were from Caribbean nations devastated by a halt in tourism. Other countries had asked about traditional IMF programs or extensions of existing financing arrangements, he said. Summary Hello and welcome to today’s coronavirus live blog with me, Helen Sullivan. The White House has issued “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again”, which includes three phases of reopening each dependent on infections within a state. Trump said 29 states will be able to start reopening soon – and that those who meet the requirements for Phase 1 will be able to do so as soon as Friday. Elsewhere, Japan has extended its state of emergency to the entire country; the UK has extended its lockdown by three weeks; and Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has fired his health minister. I’ll be with you for the next few hours – get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan. Global coronavirus cases pass 2.1 million. The total number of coronavirus cases across the world has reached at least 2,138,763, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of cases of coronavirus registered globally passed 1.5 million on 9 April. Deaths have passed 142,000. US president Donald Trump has issued guidelines for reopening the country, with three phases each dependent on states meeting certain criteria. Trump says states who meet Phase 1 criteria can reopen tomorrow (on Friday), and that 29 states will reopen “relatively soon”. Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has sacks his popular health minister Luiz Mandetta, after a weeks-long stand-off between the two men over radically different views of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government announces lockdown extension for three weeks. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson as he recovers from Covid-19, confirmed the extension following advice from the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies. 5 million more Americans sign on as unemployed. The US labour department announced that another 5.24 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, making a total of 22.2 million since 14 March. The largest number of people to ask for unemployment benefits in a four-week period before the Covid-19 crisis came in 1992, when 2.7 million sought support. France registered 753 more deaths from coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 17,920, the fourth highest tally in the world. But the number of people in hospital has declined for a second day running. Australia PM says more Covid-19 measures needed. Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, said the country had succeeding in flattening the infection curve but that a “more extensive surveillance regime” needed to be implemented if they were to forge “the road out” of lockdown. EU chief: ‘Europe owes Italy an apology’. Europe owes Italy “a heartfelt apology” for not offering assistance when the country was suffering in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the European Union executive said. New York State lockdown extended to 15 May. Governor Andrew Cuomo also announced that starting on Friday, anyone aged two and older would be required to wear face coverings in public. Another 606 people have died from the virus in New York, the lowest figure in 10 days, bringing the total above 12,000 in the state. IMF: Asian economies will not grow this year. Economies in Asia will see zero growth this year for the first time in 60 years, the International Monetary Fund has said. Singapore reports biggest jump yet in cases. Singapore reported at least 728 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, the biggest jump yet in numbers in the city-state, which had fought hard to keep its outbreak under control. Japan declares nationwide state of emergency. Japan has expanded its state of emergency to cover the entire country. According to AFP, the declaration allows regional governors to urge people to stay indoors, but with no punitive measures or legal force the measure is weaker than strict lockdowns seen in other parts of the world. Facebook to warn users who ‘like’ misinformation. Facebook will begin showing notifications to users who have interacted with posts that contain “harmful” coronavirus misinformation, the company announced.