BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The world is now in a battle against COVID-19, a disease caused by a previously unknown coronavirus that has spread to over 200 countries and regions.
The following are the updates on the contagious disease.
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia has decided to reschedule holidays before and after the Islamic festivity to prevent the annual exodus usually happening during that period as the death toll of COVID-19 has surged in the country.
The holidays which initially starting from May 26 to 29 are removed to Dec. 28 to 31, Indonesian Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said on Thursday.
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TOKYO -- Japan's health ministry and local governments said that 520 new daily COVID-19 infections were recorded nationwide, bringing the national total to 5,492 cases, with Tokyo recording a new daily record for a second straight day at 191 infections.
The continued rise in cases across Japan and another recorded spike in Tokyo, the epicenter of the nation's pandemic, came following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declaring a state of emergency over the pandemic here on Tuesday.
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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN -- Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, marking the fifth day in a row without new cases since the first case was detected in the sultanate on March 9.
According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Brunei remained at 135. One more patient has recovered, bringing the total recovered cases to 92.
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ADDIS ABABA -- The Djibouti Ministry of Health on Thursday announced the country's first COVID-19 related death.
In a press statement, the ministry said the country recorded its first COVID-19 related death, as well as five new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.
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HANOI -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health on Thursday afternoon confirmed four more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of the cases in the country to 255.
The four new cases, all Vietnamese, include two people recently returning from Russia and Cambodia respectively, and two reportedly in close contact with earlier confirmed cases.
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BUCHAREST -- Romania reported 441 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,202, authorities announced on Thursday.
The deaths rose by 2 to 229 in the same time span, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), the government agency authorized to publish information on COVID-19, informed in its daily announcement.


