Coronavirus live updates: Fauci expresses ‘cautious optimism’ US outbreak slowing, UK PM discharged

This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. All times below are in Eastern time. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks. 

• Global cases: More than 1.78 million
• Global deaths: At least 109,800
• US cases: More than 530,000
• US deaths: At least 20,600 

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed “cautious optimism” that the deadly coronavirus outbreak is slowing down in the U.S., and said that parts of the country may start to reopen as soon as May.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the entire country won’t suddenly turn back on like a “light switch.” But there are “indications” that some of the metrics used to gauge the crisis “are starting to level off” in some areas, he said.

Asked when parts of the U.S. could start to relax some of their strict social-distancing measures, Fauci said that the process could probably start “at least in some ways, maybe next month.” –Kevin Breuninger

The death toll from the novel coronavirus in English hospitals rose by 657 to 9,594, officials said. Of the 657, there were 42 patients aged between 30 and 98 who had no known underlying health condition.

Figures for the whole of the U.K. were expected to be published later on Sunday. –Reuters 

Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose for the first time in three days, as some businesses prepared to reopen under an easing of the country’s strict lockdown regime. 

A total of 619 people died over the past 24 hours, health ministry data showed, bringing the cumulative toll to 16,972. Confirmed cases increased by around 2.6% to 166,019. –Reuters