The number of deaths in the US reached a record high in 24 hours; France's number of infections has surpassed that of China.

Hanoi fines people for going out unnecessarily.

Hanoi People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung requested that, starting from April 4th, districts and communes check people on the streets and fine all those who go out without a necessary reason. Mr. Chung emphasized that this is a very important period for the city; if they can get through the next 15 days, the risk of infection will be significantly reduced.

The Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee also ordered the closure of all parks in the city, requesting that people refrain from exercising in parks and instead exercise at home.

Vietnam donates medical equipment to help Laos and Cambodia fight COVID-19.

According to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 3rd, Vietnam has donated medical supplies worth over 7 billion VND to Laos and Cambodia. The medical equipment includes protective clothing, medical masks, antibacterial masks, testing systems, and COVID-19 testing kits.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung affirmed that Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are neighboring countries with special friendly relations, always standing shoulder to shoulder in all circumstances. The Deputy Minister also requested the governments of Laos and Cambodia to continue creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live stable lives and access necessary medical facilities to prevent and control Covid-19.

Singapore introduces new measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On April 3rd, Singapore announced new measures to combat the pandemic, including closing schools from April 8th and most workplaces from April 7th.

According to the South China Morning Post, these are unprecedentedly strict measures taken by the island nation to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Food outlets such as markets and supermarkets, as well as hospitals and banking services, remain open.

The Philippines recorded its highest number of deaths in a single day.

The Philippine Department of Health announced on April 3rd that the country had recorded 29 additional deaths due to Covid-19. This is the highest number of deaths in a single day in the Philippines.

Starting April 3rd, Filipinos are required to wear face masks in public or face penalties. A Philippine Department of Health official emphasized that medical masks, cloth masks, homemade masks, or even face coverings are all acceptable, as long as they cover the wearer's nose and mouth.

China holds national mourning period to commemorate COVID-19 victims.

Today, China is holding a national day of mourning to commemorate the victims of the COVID-19 respiratory disease outbreak.

On the national day of mourning, flags were flown at half-mast throughout China and at Chinese embassies around the world. Public entertainment activities were suspended. A three-minute moment of silence began across China at 10 a.m., while air raid sirens, car horns, train whistles, and ship horns sounded simultaneously.

In addition, on April 3, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that foreign diplomats should stop coming to Beijing, after China temporarily banned most foreigners from entering the country to prevent the virus from spreading from abroad.

Record number of deaths in a single day in the US.

In the past 24 hours, the United States recorded a record number of deaths from Covid-19, with 1,480 people. This is also the highest number of deaths recorded in a 24-hour period by any country affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the world to date.

In New York State, the total number of deaths from the coronavirus has reached a level comparable to the total number of fatalities in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, nearly 3,000 people.

According to Reuters, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (the epicenter of the pandemic in the US) said his city has only days left to prepare for the worst-case scenario of the outbreak.

According to Reuters, President Trump said he would let state governors decide whether to issue stay-at-home orders in their respective states.

The number of infections in New York has surpassed 100,000.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 3rd that 10,482 new cases of Covid-19 had been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 102,863 and making New York the first administrative unit in the world to surpass 100,000 cases.

According to the US Department of Defense, the newly constructed field hospitals in New York will begin admitting patients on April 4th.

The U.S. will test people who come into close contact with the president and vice president.

"Starting today, anyone planning to come near either of the two leaders will be tested for the novel coronavirus to determine if they are asymptomatic carriers, in order to limit the inadvertent spread of the virus," a White House spokesperson announced on March 3.

The White House uses a rapid test from Abbott Laboratory, which yields results in less than 15 minutes. Trump used this kit for a second test on April 2nd and continued to test negative for the coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence had previously tested negative for the virus.

Trump bans mask exports.

Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, banning the export of critical medical equipment amid the continued spread of Covid-19. Accordingly, the acting Secretary of Homeland Security will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "stop the export of N-95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment," President Trump said at a White House press conference on the evening of April 3rd.

"We need these things immediately for domestic use; we must have them right away," he added.

Also at the press conference on April 3, US President Donald Trump announced new government recommendations that all citizens should wear masks when going out to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

"It will be completely voluntary," Trump emphasized. "You're not obligated to do it, and I would choose not to either."

first case in Malvinas

On April 3rd, authorities in the Malvinas Islands, off the southeastern coast of Argentina, announced the first resident in the territory to test positive for SARS-CoV-2. According to the official statement, the patient exhibited symptoms and was hospitalized on March 31st.

He expects the peak of the pandemic to occur in the next few weeks.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on April 3 that the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK would come a little sooner than previously predicted, and would arrive in the next few weeks. He also stressed that the peak depends on how well people adhere to social distancing measures.

On the same day, the British government announced it was rushing to build more field hospitals amid predictions of a rapid increase in infections – after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for increased mass testing.

London opens world's largest field hospital.

One of the UK government's first field hospitals to treat coronavirus patients has opened at the London Exhibition Centre (ExCel London), in the east of the capital. The hospital, named NHS Nightingale, has a maximum capacity of around 4,000 intensive care beds.

Sky News reports that this is the world's largest field hospital for treating Covid-19.

The Nightingale field hospital model will be deployed in several other cities across England to provide hundreds of intensive care beds in preparation for the peak of the coronavirus outbreak and the potential overload of the NHS Nightingale London hospital.

The total number of infections in France has surpassed that of China.

Speaking at a press conference on April 3 in Paris, French Health Minister Jerome Salomon said the total number of infections in the country had increased by 44%, to 82,165, after 17,827 cases were recorded in nursing homes nationwide.

The number of deaths from Covid-19 in the country also increased by 61%, to 6,506, in just two days, after statistics from nursing homes were included.

With these figures, France has surpassed China, becoming the fifth largest outbreak area in the world (after the US, Spain, Italy, and Germany). However, Minister Salomon said it was still too early to talk about the peak of the epidemic.

In Canada, the number of deaths from Covid-19 increased by 20% in one day. According to data from the Public Health Agency on April 3rd, the country recorded nearly 12,000 infections; the number of deaths from the disease also increased by almost 20% from April 2nd.

Russia suspended all flights from April 3rd.

According to Reuters, Russian authorities announced on April 3rd that they would suspend all flights into and out of the country, including repatriation flights, from midnight on April 3rd to limit the potential for a new wave of infections. This suspension applies to all chartered flights bringing Russian citizens home and transporting foreigners out of Russia. Those wishing to fly will have to fill out a special form, which will be available from April 4th.

The government will also allocate 500 million rubles ($6.5 million) for the Foreign Ministry to cover the costs of temporary accommodation for Russian citizens stranded abroad in this situation.

On the same day, Moscow's Deputy Mayor, Anastasia Rakova, stated that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 are the primary carriers of the disease in the city.

According to Rakova, there are many sick children in Moscow, and these are "strong sources of infection," causing all their relatives to become ill.

Germany transforms the country's largest stadium into a field hospital.

Westfalen, Germany's largest stadium with over 80,000 seats, will be converted into a field hospital on April 4th, Borussia Dortmund confirmed in a statement on April 3rd.

Additionally, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Merkel had just completed her self-isolation period and returned to normal work on April 3rd. Prior to that, she had self-isolated and worked from home after coming into contact with a doctor who tested positive for Covid-19 on March 20th.

The EU will repatriate more than 250,000 citizens.

"We have brought 350,000 people home, but 250,000 remain stranded, and many operations are underway," said Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, at a press conference on April 3.

"We will continue our efforts, even though it's getting harder every day. Airlines are grounding their planes and closing airspace. However, little by little, they will all be able to go home," Borrell said.

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for "international cooperation".

On April 3, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for "international cooperation" and "multilateralism" in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first document from this international body on Covid-19 since the outbreak began, according to AFP.

Switzerland, Indonesia, Singapore, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Ghana submitted this draft resolution. The draft received the approval of 188 out of 193 member states.

The resolution also emphasized "the need to respect human rights" and that "there is no place for any form of discrimination, racism, and xenophobia in the response to the pandemic."

Unlike resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly are not binding. However, these resolutions carry strong political weight.

Lan Oanh