Coronavirus live news: China warns of Covid-linked ‘racial violence’ overseas

Via Reuters: Mexico’s health ministry reported on Friday an additional 4,346 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country as well as 625 new deaths, bringing the country’s confirmed total to 110,026 cases and 13,170 deaths.

Victoria has recorded no new coronavirus cases for the first time since the pandemic began.

“We’ve been able to achieve this through Victorians doing an incredible job of keeping themselves & each other safe,” the Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos, tweeted.

It comes as health authorities in the state are pleading with Black Lives Matters protesters not to go ahead with today’s protest, amid fears the virus could spread.

Organisers of the protest have told people attending to wear masks, observe social distancing, and not protest in groups larger than 20 people.

There are 178 Covid-19 cases acquired through unknown transmission.

Seven people are in hospital, with one in intensive care. So far, 1,586 people have recovered and 19 people have died in Victoria.

Just a bit more on filming resuming in California from 12 June, according to Reuters, producers will need approval from local health officials before filming can restart.

The guidelines developed by representatives from Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros, NBCUniversal and unions would require extensive coronavirus testing, daily symptom checks and other safeguards before actors and crew can return to work.

Again on the China travel warning regarding Australia, the Australian opposition spokesman for housing, Jason Clare, told the ABC there had been a “spike in racist abuse” but said Australia is one of the safest countries in the world.

“The borders are shut,” he said. “They’ll probably be shut for some time until we’ve got a treatment or a vaccine. But I’m sure I speak on behalf of all of the tourist operators up and down and right across Australia when I say that we want to get tourists back when it’s safe to do so. So I hope that the government is working with the Chinese government to ensure that when we can open the border again, we can get Chinese tourists back.”

Government MP Jason Falinski said the relationship with China was “strained” and there had been unfortunate incidents in Australia, and it was something Australia and China needed to resolve.

Good morning, and welcome to today’s global coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

I’m Josh Taylor and I will be taking you through the news this morning.

China’s ministry of culture and tourism has told Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Australia, claiming racial discrimination and violence against Chinese people in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“There has been an alarming increase recently in acts of racial discrimination and violence against Chinese and Asians in Australia, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the ministry said in a statement reported by Reuters.

It did not give any specific examples of such discrimination or violence, but there have been reports in Australia and other countries like the US of people being racially abused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In other coronavirus news:

• The World Health Organization has issued new guidance advising people aged over 60 or with health issues to wear a medical-grade mask when they are out and cannot physically distance
• The UK becomes the second country with 40,000 recorded Covid-19 deaths, following the US
• Sweden has recorded its third consecutive day of over 1,000 new cases
• Patients who have died or have been admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 have been found to have been deficient in vitamin K
• The US unemployment rate has dropped to 13.3%, with the US adding 2.5m jobs.
• Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has threatened to pull the country out of the World Health Organization unless it stops being a “partisan political organisation”
• Mass black lives matter protests will get under way in cities across Australia later this day, despite New South Wales police securing a court ruling banning the protest in Sydney, and the Victorian and federal governments warning against participating in the protests due to the risk of coronavirus