Coronavirus live updates: Global cases top 930,000 as Singapore reports fourth death

This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.

All times below are in Beijing time.

Apple has donated 1.9 million N95 masks to the state of New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday.

“We are so grateful to Apple for this much-needed gift of critical PPE supplies,” Cuomo tweeted. PPE refers to personal protective equipment that medical workers need in order to tend to sick patients.

Apple CEO Tim Cook previously said the company had sourced and donated 10 million masks to the medical community in the United States. The masks are in short supply as medical professionals ask for additional equipment to protect themselves while they treat patients who may have COVID-19.

On Saturday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey tweeted out a picture of 63,000 N95 masks donated by Apple. — Kif Leswing

The first human trial testing a potential vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is “on track” with public distribution still projected in 12 to 18 months, White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday. It would be the “ultimate game changer” in the fight against the pandemic, he said.

U.S. health officials have been fast-tracking work with biotech company Moderna to develop a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. They began their first human trials on March 16. 

“It’ll take a few months to get the data to where we’ll feel confident to go to the phase two, and then a few months from now, we’ll be in phase two and I think we’re right on target for the year to year-and-a-half,” Fauci said at a White House press conference with President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force. — Noah Higgins-Dunn

Based on the latest reported figures from the health ministry, Singapore now has 1,000 recorded instances of COVID-19 infection. The city-state had been praised for its handling of the crisis in January and February by implementing strict measures to quarantine suspected cases and contact tracing for potential exposure to the coronavirus. 

But, the number of cases in Singapore has grown in recent weeks as more residents returned from abroad and tested positive. As of April 1, noon local time, the country reported 74 new cases of COVID-19 infection, of which 20 were “imported,” 29 were linked to previous clusters and 25 had no apparent links discovered yet. 

Three people have died from the disease in Singapore;  245 patients have been discharged and another 291 remain clinically well but isolated as they still test positive for the virus. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

As many as 932,605 cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded around the world and at least 46,809 people have died, according to the latest information compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The United States reported the most number of infections at 213,372, while Italy’s death toll remains the highest for a single country at 13,155. At least 193,177 people appeared to have recovered. 

Italy and Spain each have reported more than 100,000 infection cases as the coronavirus pandemic shows few signs of abating. — Saheli Roy Choudhury

All times below are in Eastern time.

President Donald Trump said that he spoke to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and put in a “big big order” for gowns.

“Let it be shipped directly to the side of the hospital because we save a lot of time when we do that,” Trump said.

Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers around the country have called for more “PPE” or personal protective equipment like gowns and facemasks to protect them from the coronavirus while working at hospitals. — Kif Leswing