Hundreds of Millions of Measles Vaccinations Postponed

CEO Says Britain Undercounts Elderly Deaths From Virus

LONDON — The boss of one of Britain's biggest elderly home operators says the number of reported coronavirus deaths among elderly residents is much higher than has been officially reported.

The government says outbreaks of Covid-19 have been reported in one in eight U.K. care homes.

But David Behan, chairman of home operator HC-One, said cases of the new coronavirus had been reported in 232 of the firm's homes — two-thirds of the total. He says 311 residents have died with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

Ros Altmann, a former government minister who campaigns for older people, said frail elderly people were being overlooked in the pandemic. “We must not forget that the mark of a civilized society must reflect how it treats its most vulnerable and oldest citizens,” she said.

The U.K.'s official daily tally of Covid-19 deaths, which stands at more than 11,000, includes only people who have died in hospitals. Deaths in other settings are reported separately once a week. Figures were due later Tuesday.

Germany Tries to Standardize Tech Tracing

BERLIN — Germany's foreign minister is calling for a single smartphone app to be used across the European Union to help countries coordinate when and how to relax their pandemic lockdown measures.

Heiko Maas said in an interview published Tuesday that "It's important we don't end up with a patchwork of 27 corona(virus) apps and 27 data protection regimes, but coordinate as best as possible."

Maas told Germany's Funke media group that this would help roll back travel restrictions and border closures imposed across the bloc in recent weeks to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

He said a contract tracing app already being jointly developed by several countries showed that the EU "doesn't have to copy the Big Brother methods of authoritarian states" but can safeguard personal privacy.

Nigeria Extends Lockdown Against Virus

JOHANNESBURG — Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, has extended its coronavirus lockdown of the continent's biggest city, Lagos, and the capital, Abuja, for another two weeks.

President Muhammadu Buhari in a national address Monday night said the measures severely disrupt livelihoods but have given authorities time for advances including the raising of testing capacity to 1,500 per day. Nigeria has nearly 350 cases, of which are from local spread.

"The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown are unimaginable," Buhari said.

The lockdown also affects Ogun state.

Turkey to Release 90,000 Prisoners — but Not Activists

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's parliament has approved legislation that will free some 90,000 prisoners to ease overcrowding in prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, that does not include journalists and activists, who will remain behind bars.

The legislation, approved early Tuesday, reduces some sentences and places 45,000 convicts who are serving terms in open prisons under temporary house arrest.

Prisoners convicted of drug-related charges, sexual abuse, murder, domestic abuse and terrorism, however, were kept out of the scope of the measure designed to reduce the country's more than 280,000-strong prison population. Dozens of journalists, activists opposition politicians and others will remain incarcerated because many of them have been imprisoned on terror-related charges.

Opposition parties and human rights groups have criticized the measure that was passed with the votes of the ruling party and its nationalist allies.

"Those convicted in unfair trials under Turkey's overly broad antiterrorism laws are ... now condemned to face the prospect of infection from this deadly disease," said Amnesty International's Turkey Campaigner, Milena Buyum.

As well as reducing some prison terms, the legislation releases women with young children, the sick and prisoners older than 65.

The prison releases were expected to begin this week.

On Monday, the justice minister announced that 17 prisoners in open prisons were infected and three of them died.

New Zealand May Have Turned the Corner

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country appears to be over the worst of its coronavirus outbreak but it is no time to let up on strict lockdown measures.

The country recorded just 17 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,366. There were also four new deaths, the worst day yet on that measure, bringing the total number of deaths to nine.

New Zealand lawmakers will decide early next week what will happen after an initial four-week lockdown ends on April 22.

As the economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak hit New Zealand, the operators of the country's Burger King restaurants have been placed into bankruptcy proceedings.

Also, one of the country's largest media companies has announced plans to lay off 200 employees.

New Zealand has been in a strict lockdown for nearly three weeks and all restaurants, including those serving fast food, have been closed. Company receivers KordaMentha said Tuesday they hope to sell dozens of Burger King restaurants to a new franchise owner and get them reopened after the lockdown ends.

NZME, which runs a number of radio stations and newspapers, announced to the New Zealand stock market it is reducing its workforce by 15% through layoffs and by not filling vacant positions. NZME stock is down by more than 60% in the past year.

German company Bauer Media announced this month it was closing its New Zealand operation and would no longer publish many of the country's weekly magazines.

Singapore Deaths Concentrated on Immigrant Workers

SINGAPORE — Singapore has reported 386 new coronavirus cases, its biggest daily jump, to raise its tally to 2,918.

Most of the new cases are linked to foreign workers living in crowded dormitories, that have become a headache for the government. Health authorities also reported a ninth death late Monday.

The tiny state of nearly 6 million people has tightened precautions with a four-week "circuit breaker," shutting down nonessential businesses and schools until May 4.

It has quarantined tens of thousands of foreign workers in their dorms and moved some to alternative sites to reduce crowding. More 200,000 Asian immigrant workers live in 43 registered dormitories that house up to 20 men per room, with shared toilets, cooking and other facilities.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli wrote on Facebook late Monday that the remaining three weeks of partial lockdown will form "a critical window that will determine if we can successfully flatten the curve, prevent large-scale community spread, and save our loved ones."

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