WASHINGTON 20 Apr (ANA) - Coronavirus-related deaths in the US topped 40,000 with New York recording nearly half of all fatalities.  Governor Andrew Cuomo said the coronavirus curve is "on the descent" after hospitalisations and deaths continue to fall.

Iran partially reopened its capital, Tehran, allowing "low-risk businesses", including shops, factories and warehouses to resume operations. But Algeria, Morocco, Croatia and Spain extended lockdowns, while Uzbekistan prolonged social distancing measures.

The Nigerian president's chief of staff died from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. Abba Kyari's was the highest-profile death in the West African country.

Globally, more than 2.3 million people have been infected and more than 164,000 people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.(ANA)

FA/ANA/20 April 2020-------