The UK is embarking on a large-scale study of 300,000 people to find out what proportion of the population has already had the coronavirus and how many may have some immunity to it as a result. Studies are being undertaken around the world to work out how widespread the infection is. So far, they have found the proportion of people with antibodies showing they have been infected is low. The World Health Organization said this week it appears that only around 2 to 3% of people in the general population have been infected – with or without symptoms. The results of the new major British study will be crucial for planning a strategic endgame to the pandemic in the UK. Some 25,000 people will be invited to take part in the first wave of the study in England. It is expected it will be extended to 300,000 people over the next 12 months. World faces recession of "unprecedented depth in post-war period" says Fitch The world is on track for a recession of “unprecedented depth in the post-war period”, ratings agency Fitch says. In a note issued on Thursday, Fitch chief economist Brian Coulton said the agency now expected world gross domestic product to tumble by 3.9% in 2020. “This is twice as large as the decline anticipated in our early April GEO [global economic outlook] update and would be twice as severe as the 2009 recession,” he said. Fitch said the slump implied a US$2.8tn fall in global income levels from last year. Coulton said unprecedented floods of cash pumped into the economy by governments “will serve to cushion the near-term shock”. “But with job losses occurring on an extreme scale and intense pressures on small and medium-sized businesses, the path back to normality after the health crisis subsides is likely to be slow,” he said. Other things that happened in that White House press briefing include Trump saying he would hold Independence Day celebrations on the Washington Mall on July 4th this year, before comparing photographs of the crowd at his celebrations last year to Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s address at the Washington Mall in 1963, during the civil rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The day Trump is talking about was also when Dr King delivered his “I have a dream” speech. Trump also announced he had signed an executive order halting immigration to the US for 60 days – he flagged earlier this week that he would be doing so. The Guardian’s Washington Correspondent, David Smith, will be bringing you the full story on the ban shortly. The US president also took the opportunity to say he had discouraged Georgia’s governor from reopening the state. The US president says he told Georgia governor Brian Kemp that he disagreed “very strongly” with the decision to reopen businesses in the state. “I think it’s too soon,” he says. 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 unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all 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. Just to recap that appearance by the Director of the US Centers for Disease Control at today’s White House Press briefing: Trump said Dr Robert Redfield, current Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was misquoted in the media. Dr Redfield warned yesterday that a wave of coronavirus next winter would coincide with the normal influenza season. Dr Redfield was then called upon to confirm that he was misrepresented, and said it was important to emphasise that he didn’t say next season would be “worse”, but that it would be “more difficult and potentially complicated”. Trump took particular issue with the Washington Post’s coverage of Dr Redfield’s comments. Dr Redfield was asked by a reporter whether he was accurately quoted by the Washington Post. He was, he said. Trump then jumped in to say the headline was the problem. The Post’s headline was “CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating”. Here is their response to Trump’s criticism. Dr Redfield was then asked why he retweeted the article if it was inaccurate. Trump stepped in, immediately, to say that the journalist speaking wasn’t called upon to ask a question. Here is our coverage of Dr Redfield’s comments yesterday: Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Helen Sullivan and I’ll be with you for the next few hours. A reminder that you can get in touch at any time on Twitter @helenrsullivan. In today’s White House press briefing, which included an extraordinary appearance by CDC chief Dr Robert Redfield (more on this in a moment), Trump announced that he had signed the order halting immigration to the US for 60 days. The text of that oder has not yet been released to the public. The US president also said he had discouraged Georgia’s governor from reopening the state. Here are the most important recent developments from around the world: Trump signs immigration order. Trump said he had signed the order halting immigration to the US just before coming into the room to deliver the White House press briefing. Trump also said his discouraged Georgia’s governor from reopening. The US president says he told Georgia governor Brian Kemp that he disagreed “very strongly” with the decision to reopen businesses in the state. “I think it’s too soon,” he says. Missing Wuhan citizen journalist reappears. A Chinese citizen journalist who was missing for almost two months after posting videos from Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak has re-appeared, claiming that he was detained by police and forcibly quarantined. World has ‘a long way to go’, warns WHO chief. The director general of the World Health Organizsation has said that there is still “a long way to go” in tackling the coronavirus crisis around the world. Covid-19 infections in Singapore pass 10,000. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Singapore has passed 10,000, despite concerted and strenuous attempts to contain the spread of the infection in the city state. “US handling Covid-19 like 3rd world country,” says Nobel prize economist. Donald Trump’s botched handling of the Covid-19 crisis has left the US looking like a third world country and on course for a second Great Depression, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has said. The first coronavirus case has been recorded at among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The outbreak of the virus at crowded camps has been feared since the start of the crisis. Spain announced it plans to phase out its lockdown in the second half of May. The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, also asked lawmakers to extend the country’s state of emergency until 9 May. Germany approved its first human trials for a Covid-19 vaccine. 200 healthy people between 18 and 55 will receive several variants of the vaccine candidate. Pope Francis called for unity among EU member states on the eve of European Ccouncil summit to discuss a huge but divisive economic stimulus package to respond to the coronavirus crisis. EU states have clashed repeatedly over financial responses to the epidemic. At least 34 crew members have tested positive for coronavirus on a cruise ship docked in Japan for maintenance. The outbreak onboard the Italian-operated Costa Atlantica adds to concerns about testing and hospital capacity in Nagasaki, where only 102 beds are available. Half of France’s working population has signed up to the country’s temporary unemployment scheme, according to the minister of labour, Muriel Pénicaud. 10.2 million private sector workers have applied for support, or one employee out of two and six companies out of 10, she said. Coronavirus-related deaths in the UK may be as high as 41,000, according to a Financial Times analysis of the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Their findings include deaths that occurred outside hospitals updated to reflect recent mortality trends. The European commission has said the UK was well aware of its coronavirus procurement initiative when it decided not to participate. Its account contradicts the UK government claim that a “misunderstanding” was to blame for the UK not getting involved. Officials in Beijing dismissed the US state of Missouri’s move to sue the Chinese government over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak as “nothing short of absurdity” and lacking any factual or legal basis.