The global death toll from coronavirus has reached 88,502 as of Thursday morning.
 
Besides, it has infected 1,518,719 people around the world after the highly contagious disease was first reported in China in December last year, according to worldometer.
 
Of those infected, 1,099,628 are currently being treated with 48,079 being in serious or critical condition.
 
So far, 330,589 people have recovered.
 
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic on March 11.
 
Bangladesh on Wednesday reported three more coronavirus deaths and 54 new cases.

The country has so far confirmed 218 cases and 20 deaths.
 

You’re washing your hands countless times a day to try to ward off the coronavirus.

You should also wash that extension of your hand and breeding ground for germs — your phone. Tests done by scientists show that the virus can live for two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces daily, including phones, keyboards and tablet computers.

But cleaning your phone improperly can damage it. You want to avoid getting moisture inside it or scratching the surface. Don’t spray cleaners directly on the phone, don’t dunk it in cleaning solutions, don’t spray it with compressed-air devices used to clean keyboards and avoid rubbing it with abrasive materials.

Instead, start by turning off the phone and unplugging all cables. Your phone shouldn’t be charging as you clean.

You can use Clorox wipes or wipes with 70% alcohol, which you can get at the drugstore, to wipe down your phone. Apple, which has cautioned against using household cleaners on its phones, says to do that “gently.” AT&T has further recommended wringing out disinfectant wipes before using them on a phone.

You can also use soft cloths to clean the phone, like a microfiber cleaning cloth or the cloths used to clean camera lenses or your glasses. Google says you can dip the cloth in soap and water, as long as you’re careful not to get moisture in the phone. AT&T says paper towels work, too. You can spray them with disinfectant. Again, don’t spray the phone itself.

Samsung, the world’s biggest phone manufacturer, says it’s offering a free phone-sanitizing service involving UV light inside U.S. Samsung stores and service centers. It will expand to other countries in the next few weeks.

The phone-cleaning step is one of many measures public-health authorities are recommending to try to slow the spread of the virus, which has infected 137,000 people worldwide. More than 5,000 have died. Most patients have only mild or moderate symptoms, but the elderly and people with existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable.

A huge bridge section has collapsed in Tuscany, the latest case of Italy’s infrastructure crumbling after years of neglect.

Police and fire crews roped off the access road to the bridge over the Magra River in Albiano Magra in the province of Massa Carrara, according to Carabinieri footage of the scene Wednesday.

Given Italy’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown, there were only two trucks on the provincial road at the time. Italian news reports said one of the drivers was hospitalized.

The Anas road agency had sent inspectors to the bridge last year after a crack developed following heavy rains. The section was cleared for further use, Italian agency ANSA said.

The mayor of Aulla, Roberto Vallettini, had written to Anas flagging that heavy trucks were repeatedly using the two-lane bridge because of nearby road closures.

The bridge collapse comes as Italy is still working to rebuild the heavily used Morandi Bridge in Genoa, which collapsed in 2018 during a rainstorm, killing 43 people

Rio de Janeiro's samba schools usually spend the year furiously sewing costumes for the city's blowout Carnival celebration. Now, nimble fingers are working to protect lives instead, making medical outfits for hospital workers who face a surge of coronavirus patients.

Dr. Wille Baracho on Tuesday carried rolls of fabric into the Unidos de Padre Miguel samba school's workshop in the Vila Vintem favela. Inside, seamstresses perched on plastic chairs busily transformed beige and pale yellow fabric into medical wear.

The initiative started with Baracho and one of his colleagues at a nearby hospital emergency room where they have seen a shortage of materials. Both happen to sit on Padre Miguel's board and saw a chance to redirect labor. The city joined in, donating thousands of yards of fabric, and the seamstresses set to work Friday.

"We have some friends who died already, some who are on leave or sick with the disease," Baracho said, adding that he has found it more fulfilling to produce medical garb than the normal glittery costumes. "I think everyone here would say that. Carnival is a different happiness: fun, a pleasure. This is a mission."

The Unidos da Vila Isabel samba school joined the effort Tuesday, with two seamstresses getting to work in a warehouse. Behind them, huge blue and green feather headdresses sat on the floor.

More will start sewing soon, both from Vila Isabel and elsewhere as top samba schools across the city are expected to sign on, said Eneida Reis, executive director of assistance at RioSaude, a public company that manages municipal health units.

Every willing hand is welcome. At just a single municipal hospital treating COVID-19 patients, doctors and nurses can go through 2,000 sets of scrubs every day, according to city officials.

It's not Rio's first move to channel Carnival spirit toward combating the coronavirus. The parade grounds where samba schools compete, known as the Sambadrome, has started sheltering homeless people who are considered especially vulnerable during the outbreak.

Rio has Brazil's second-biggest cluster of COVID-19 patients, with 1,250 cases, plus a few hundred more in the surrounding metropolitan area, the state health secretariat says.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But it can result in far more severe illness, including pneumonia and death, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.

At the Padre Miguel workshop, Jucelia Abreu and her fellow seamstresses feed fabric through their machines and snip at threads. Others from the samba school are doing the same at home. Together, the team churns out some 450 medical outfits each day.

"The directors asked us if we would be willing to volunteer, and I accepted, because it's very gratifying to help the people," Abreu said through a face mask. "We have to help."

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other hard-hit Japanese prefectures to fortify the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. But this is no European or Wuhan-style lockdown. Here is a look at what Japan's state of emergency entails:

Q. WHY DID ABE DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY?

A. Abe was facing heavy pressure to declare a state of emergency after the number of new cases in Tokyo began doubling every several days in late March. The city of 14 million had 1,196 cases as of Tuesday, up from about 600 a week earlier. Japan focused on dealing with clusters of infections and selective testing for the virus, a strategy that has failed to curb its spread. Experts found that one-third of Tokyo's recent cases were linked to hostess clubs and other night entertainment districts where cluster tracing is difficult. Meanwhile, compliance with calls for working remotely and other social distancing has been weak.

Q. IS ALL OF JAPAN AFFECTED?

A. The state of emergency announced Tuesday applies to only Tokyo, neighboring Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, Osaka, and Hyogo in the west and Fukuoka in the south. That is only seven of Japan's 47 prefectures. Residents are requested to avoid non-essential trips within and outside the designated areas, but there are no restrictions on travel. Some Tokyo residents drew criticism for rushing to escape from Tokyo to the countryside.

Q. DOES A STATE OF EMERGENCY CAUSE A TOKYO LOCKDOWN?

A. No, Abe and officials say Japan cannot legally enforce European-style hard lockdowns. Public transportation is operating as normal. Most state of emergency measures are requests and instructions. Violators cannot be punished unless they fail to comply with orders related to storage or shipment of emergency relief goods and medical supplies.

Q. WHY IS JAPAN NOT IMPOSING A HARD LOCKDOWN?

A. Japan's history of repression under fascist governments before and during World War II has left the public wary of government overreach. The country's postwar constitution lays out strict protections for civil liberties. Abe's government was reluctant to risk severe economic repercussions from more severe measures.

Q. WHAT MEASURES ARE TAKEN IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY?

A. The state of emergency allows prefectural leaders to ask residents to stay home. They can also request closures of schools, some child and senior care or community centers, and stores and businesses that are considered non-essential. They can advise organizers to cancel or postpone events. The governors can also request use of private property to build hospitals and other medical facilities.

Q. WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES?

A. Essential activities and facilities, including banks, grocery stores, postal services, pharmacies and utility companies remain open. Some retail stores and entertainment venues such as movie theaters, concert halls and amusement parks can be asked to shut down. Public schools in Tokyo and some neighboring prefectures already are closed until early May.

Q. CAN PEOPLE STILL GO OUT?

A. Yes, residents can be out for purposes considered essential, including work, hospital visits and grocery shopping, according to a Cabinet Office statement. Residents in designated areas can still go out for a walk, a jog or other individual exercise outdoors for the sake of good health.

Q. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THIS?

A. Abe on Wednesday repeated his request for the people to stay home and reduce interactions with people by up to 80%. But in the downtown Shibuya district, business was almost as usual. Rush hour trains were still crowded and commuters were heading to work, though fewer people were seen in other areas. Akihito Aminaka, an education industry worker, said heeding Abe's request was difficult, because "to me, it sounds like they're saying 'please don't go out, but we won't help you.'"

Q. WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT?

A. Abe also announced an unprecedented 108 trillion yen ($1 trillion) stimulus package, equivalent to about a fifth of annual GDP, to pay for coronavirus measures and protect businesses and jobs. It includes 300,000 yen ($2,750) cash handouts for some hard-hit households. A month-long state of emergency in Tokyo area could cause consumer spending to fall nearly 2.5 trillion yen ($23 billion), according to Nomura Research Institute.