Michigan prisoner eligible for parole dies during coronavirus crisis

A Michigan prisoner who declined to be paroled earlier this year after decades behind bars has died from COVID-19 complications.

William Garrison died at a hospital after nearly 44 years in prison. The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 500 inmates in Michigan prisons and killed 17.

The 60-year-old Garrison was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man during a 1976 robbery when Garrison was 16 years old. He could have been paroled two weeks ago but decided to wait until September, when he would be eligible for a complete release without the rigors of parole supervision, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The parole board approved his application in March.

UK getting 84 metric tons of PPE

Britain is due to receive a major shipment of personal protection equipment from Turkey.

The consignment of 84 metric tons of safety equipment includes 400,000 medical gowns.

Governments and hospitals are scrambling to source supplies of personal protection equipment as supplies run low during the pandemic. Turkey has ramped up production equipment to meet the booming demand.

Turkish officials have said that 88 countries had asked Turkey to supply PPE.

Sri Lanka to relax curfew

Sri Lanka’s government has announced it will start relaxing a countrywide curfew.

from Monday satisfied that it has brought the spread of the new coronavirus under control.

The president’s office announced that curfew in 18 of the country’s 25 districts will be in force from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day starting Monday. Curfew in the remaining seven districts, where most of the patients have been reported, will start Wednesday, and 25 areas identified as high-risk localities will remain locked down.

The government has instructed that only one third of state workers should report to their offices in Colombo. In other areas 50 percent of the state workers will be required to report to their offices.

Sri Lanka has so far reported 248 COVID-19 patients with seven deaths, while 86 have recovered.

Italy death toll tops 23K

‘The Health Ministry in Italy says there were 3,491 new coronavirus cases, nearly identical to the previous day increase in confirmed infections.

There were 482 more deaths, raising the overall official toll to 23,227 in Italy, which has Europe’s highest number of deaths.

The country is approaching the end of its sixth week of nationwide lockdown, with people allowed out of their homes only for essential work or buying food and tending to family members.

Overall, Italy has nearly 176,000 confirmed cases.

Turkey deaths now 1,890

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s health minister says 121 more people have died of COVID-19, with total deaths at 1,890.

Minister Fahrettin Koca shared the figures on Twitter on Saturday, saying 3,783 more people were infected of the novel coronavirus. The total number of confirmed infections is 82,329.

“Despite an increase in tests, there’s a decrease in number of new cases,” Koca tweeted and urged: “Precaution, treatment.”

Also Saturday, the interior ministry extended for 15 days a ban on entering and leaving 31 provinces by land, air or sea. These provinces, including Istanbul and capital Ankara, are on a weekend lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

US-Canada border closure extended

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the U.S. and Canada have agreed to keep the border closed to nonessential travel for another 30 days.

Trudeau says it will keep people on both sides of the border safe amid the pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S.-Canada border will be among the first borders to open. Nearly 200,000 people normally cross the border daily.

The U.S. has more confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 than any country in the world. The U.S. and Canada agreed last month to limit border crossings to essential travel amid the pandemic. The agreement was due to expire this week.

Sweden has 1,511 deaths

Sweden has reported 111 new COVID-19 deaths, with total deaths at 1,511.

Swedish health officials say 13,822 people have confirmed infections. Most of the infections and deaths have been recorded in Stockholm, which has 897 fatalities.

Swedish state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told Swedish broadcaster TV4, “pressure on the intensive care units seems to be easing and pressure on health care services has been somewhat relieved. We hope this is a trend that is continuing.”

On Friday, the Swedish government defended its approach of pursuing relatively liberal policies to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying it shared the “same goals” as other nations fighting COVID-19. The government has advised the public to practice social distancing, but schools, bars and restaurants remain open. Only gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned.

Africa cases top 20K

JOHANNESBURG — Africa’s coronavirus cases have surpassed 20,000, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of deaths across the continent surpassed 1,000 on Saturday.

Fifty-two of Africa’s 54 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, and the World Health Organization has expressed concern that local spread is increasing.

Africa could be the next hotspot in the pandemic. Modeling by Imperial College London says under the best-case scenario with “intense” social distancing, some 300,000 people in Africa could die this year from COVID-19.

Protest set in Texas

A protest is expected at the Texas Capitol, even as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott says restrictions to curb the coronavirus pandemic will begin easing next week.

The protest Saturday in Austin, Texas, is the latest in demonstrations across the country that have been organized by small-government groups and supporters of President Donald Trump.

The Texas protest is organized by Owen Shroyer, a host of Infowars, which is a part of a company owned by conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones. He also broadcast a small protest this week outside the governor’s mansion in Texas.

Abbott announced Friday that Texas will begin lifting some restrictions on retailers next week, plus reopen state parks and allow doctors to resume elective surgeries. He says more restrictions would be lifted on April 27.

Texas has more than 17,300 cases and at least 428 related deaths. Texas ranks last in the U.S. in testing per capita, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of data collected by The COVID Tracking Project.

Disease cuts Spain’s population

BARCELONA — Spaniards are still grieving lost loved ones with shocking frequency and under restrictions that limit burials to three attendees.

“The data shows that the disease is decreasing in the population, but we still have a significant number of deaths. So this is not over yet,” says Spanish health official Fernando Simón.

Early Saturday at a Barcelona cemetery, the silence was broken by three nuns singing hymns as the coffin of sister Inmaculada Louzán was placed into a niche by cemetery workers. The sister of Nazareth died at 80 of coronavirus-related complications after caring for members of the congregation at a nursing home, where she contracted the virus.

Spain has reached 20,000 deaths and more than 190,000 total infections. Spain’s health authorities reported 565 deaths in the last 24 hours.

No salute for queen’s birthday

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth doesn’t want a gun salute for her birthday because she doesn’t think it’s appropriate during the coronavirus pandemic.

The British monarch, who turns 94 on Tuesday, decided not to publicly mark the occasion in any special way, including the artillery salute she traditionally gets on her birthday.

“Her Majesty was keen that no special measures were put in place to allow gun salutes as she did not feel it appropriate in the current circumstances,” Buckingham Palace said. She’ll also be keeping private any phone and video calls with her family.

The queen has previously stressed the importance of lockdown measures, saying in her Easter message that “by keeping apart we keep others safe.”

France dismantles field hospital

The French military is dismantling a field hospital set up to relieve the pressure on overwhelmed medical centers.

The dismantling of the makeshift hospital in the eastern city of Mulhouse began Friday as the virus has receded in the region, a military official told The Associated Press.

The field hospital held 30 beds and treated dozens of patients that couldn’t fit in Mulhouse hospitals. Hospitals in nearby Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg also took in French patients from the area.

Lawmaker Olivier Bech told local broadcaster France Bleu Alsace that 15 of the field hospital’s beds are now empty.

France has more than 18,000 confirmed deaths from the virus.

Greece worries over Easter celebrations

As Orthodox Easter approaches, the Greek government is concerned about keeping the faithful from flouting quarantine measures.

Authorities are worried people will show up at churches on Saturday night to celebrate at the stroke of midnight. They also will fine those leaving their homes to celebrate Easter Sunday in the countryside.

The government decided not to distribute the Holy Light to churches across the country, as is the custom. It arrives on the eve of Easter every year from Jerusalem, having been lit there at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

France closer on relief measure

France’s lower house of parliament approved an emergency budget overnight that takes into account the government’s 110 billion euro ($120 billion) plan to save the economy from virus-related collapse.

The budget includes bonuses for medical staff, funds to help struggling workers and families, and aid to businesses including strategic industries like aviation and car manufacturing.

The bill goes to the Senate on Tuesday. The government has warned that France’s economy, one of the world’s biggest, could shrink 8% this year and see its worst recession since World War II.