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Coronavirus pandemic - World News

Deaths from Covid-19 in Italy climbed by 53 on Thursday against 71 the day before, Reuters reports citing the country’s civil protection agency, pushing the total to death toll from the outbreak to 34,167.

Italy, which back in February became of the first countries hit by a major coronavirus outbreak, has the fourth highest death toll in the world, after the US, Britain and Brazil.

According to the latest update, the daily tally of new cases rose by 379, compared to 202 on Wednesday. Italy has so far confirmed 236,142 cases of coronavirus, the seventh highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain, Britain and India.

People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 30,637 from 31,710 the day before.
 
France reports further 27 deaths

France’s coronavirus death toll rose by 27 on Thursday, versus an average daily increase of 50 over the last 15 days, to 29,346, the fifth-highest total in the world.

On Wednesday, 23 Covid-19 deaths were reported.
 
Italy reports 53 coronavirus deaths, 379 new cases

Deaths from the COVID-19 in Italy climbed by 53 on Thursday against 71 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the daily tally of new cases rose to 379 from 202 on Wednesday.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 34,167, the agency said, the fourth-highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.

The number of confirmed cases is 236,142, the seventh-highest global tally behind those of the US, Russia, Brazil, Spain, UK and India.

People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 30,637 from 31,710 the day before.

The northern region of Lombardy, where the outbreak was first identified, remains by far the worst affected of Italy's 20 regions, accounting for 252 of the 379 new cases reported on Thursday.

There were 236 people in intensive care on Thursday, down from 249 on Wednesday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 171,338 were declared recovered against 169,939 a day earlier.
 
US stock markets have seen steep falls, while several states have reported rising Covid-19 caseloads

Texas saw a one day record of more than 2,500 new cases on Wednesday

Shutting US economy again to deal with a surge is not a viable option, the US Treasury Secretary says

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the Test and Trace system is "critical" to control the virus

More than 31,000 close contacts identified during the first week of the test and trace system in England

Number of confirmed cases in Russia passes 500,000 - third highest in the world, behind the US and Brazil

There have been more than 7.3 million infections globally and more than 416,000 deaths
 
Attendees at Trump's election rally in Tulsa are asked to sign a waiver over the coronavirus

They are asked to promise they won't sue the president or organisers if they catch the virus by attending

Health officials in the US warn that large events like rallies could generate a new wave of infections

Asian financial markets have fallen following a US slump overnight over fears of a second wave

Latin America has now recorded more than 1.5 million virus cases and 70,000 deaths

In India patients are being turned away from hospitals but officials warn the virus has not yet peaked

There have been 7.5m cases worldwide and more than 420,000 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University
 
India is now reporting more than 297,000 cases of coronavirus, surpassing the UK as having the fourth highest number of infections in the world. Indian authorities reported 10,956 new cases on Friday, the nation's biggest single-day increase.

Here are some of the other biggest headlines from around Asia:

Twitter has removed more than 170,000 accounts it says were tied to an operation to spread pro-China messages. Some of the accounts posted about the coronavirus outbreak. The tech firm said the network of accounts, based in China, had links to an earlier state-backed operation it broke up last year

The wife of Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan, has reportedly given birth to their baby boy. Dr Li was a key whistleblower trying to warn about China's coronavirus outbreak

Asian stock markets have fallen, a day after Wall Street suffered its biggest slump since March

Hong Kong has enjoyed remarkable success in tackling coronavirus, despite anti-government protests that have rocked the territory. But now it faces another existential challenge from China's plan to impose a national security law,
 
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, has tested positive for coronavirus, but her husband, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and their two children have tested negative.
 
Summary

Prosecutors question Italy PM over handling of virus crisis. The Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, was questioned for three hours on Friday by the prosecutor investigating an alleged failure by authorities to quarantine two Lombardy towns at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Breast milk has no links to spread of coronavirus says WHO. Breastfeeding mothers do not seem to be passing on Covid-19 to their infants, a World Health Organization expert said. New mothers infected with the virus should generally continue breastfeeding if they wish to and should not be separated from their babies

UK travellers unable to fly to Greece as country reopens. Athens announced that the suspension of air links with Britain, in effect since March, will continue to be enforced until 30 June.

Germany to lift land border checks late Monday. The country will on Monday night end border checks with its neighbours introduced to fight the coronavirus

Turkish medical association says coronavirus lockdown eased too soon. The country’s top medical association has criticised the decision to ease coronavirus restrictions, saying moves were not backed by science and came too soon, before the country had overcome the pandemic’s initial wave.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Turkey rose above 1,000 in the last 24 hours for the first time since 29 May.

Delhi coronavirus deaths twice as high, say authorities. Deaths from coronavirus in New Delhi are almost twice as high as official figures show, a city leader said, as India overtook Britain with the fourth-highest number of cases worldwide.

Macron to visit London in first trip since pandemic. French president Emmanuel Macron will meet Britain’s Prince Charles when he visits London next week, his first trip abroad since the coronavirus crisis.
 
Brazil's COVID-19 death toll passes Britain, world's second highest

Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll overtook Britain’s on Friday to become the second highest in the world after the United States, according to numbers released by the Brazilian Health Ministry.

Brazil reported a total of 828,810 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 25,982 new infections in the last 24 hours, and another 909 fatalities, raising the death toll to 41,828, the Health Ministry said. Of the total cases of COVID-19, 365,063 have recovered, the ministry said.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...tain-worlds-second-highest-idUKKBN23J35U?il=0
 
Brazil became the country with the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world with 41,828 fatalities, surpassing the death toll of the United Kingdom and second only to the United States.

The UK economy has dwindled 25 percent over March and April as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, dwarfing previous downturns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the coronavirus pandemic puts women at "heightened risk" of dying in childbirth.

More than 7.6 million people have now been confirmed to have the coronavirus and at least 424,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
Lockdown in parts of Beijing due to COVID-19 clusters

Parts of Beijing were placed under lockdown on Saturday as six new domestic coronavirus cases were reported, fuelling fears of a resurgence in local transmission.

People were prevented from leaving their homes at 11 residential estates in south Beijing's Fengtai district after most of the cases were linked to a nearby meat market, city officials said in a press briefing.

Beijing's first COVID-19 case in two months, announced on Thursday, had visited Xinfadi meat market last week and had no recent travel history outside the city.

China's domestic outbreak had been brought largely under control through vast, strict lockdowns that were imposed after the disease was first detected in the central city of Wuhan last year.
 
Brazil's death toll becomes second highest in the world, surpassing the UK's with more than 41,000 victims

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro continues to play down the virus, focusing on the economic damage of lockdown

Outbreak from a wholesale market in Beijing leads to fears of a second wave of the virus in the Chinese capital

Hong Kong's iconic Ocean Park theme park reopens after more than four months of temporary closure

From today, people living alone in England and Northern Ireland will be able to form a support bubble with another household

The Queen's official birthday will be marked later with a new ceremony instead of the annual Trooping the Colour parade

British Airways' treatment of staff during the coronavirus crisis "is a national disgrace", MPs claim
 
Malaysia has reported 43 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 8,445 infections.

The health ministry also reported one new death, taking total fatalities from the outbreak in the country to 120.

Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia has reported 1,014 new cases and 43 new deaths.
 
Russia records more than 8,700 new cases

Russia reported 8,706 new coronavirus cases, bringing its cumulative infection tally to 520,129.

The authorities said 114 people had died of the virus in the last 24 hours, raising the official national death toll to 6,829.
 
Latest from around the world:

There are fears of a second wave of the virus in Beijing after an outbreak at a wholesale market in the China's capital. Forty-five new cases have been recorded after the city went weeks without any new infections. The local area has now been put back under lockdown

Brazil's death toll has surpassed the UK's to become the second-highest in the world. More than 41,000 people have died - but despite this, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro continues to focus on the economic impact of lockdown restrictions

US President Donald Trump will address more than 1,000 military cadets at a graduation ceremony later today, despite warnings against mass gatherings

At the same time, the US states of Oregon and Utah have halted their plans to ease lockdown restrictions after local spikes in cases of Covid-19

India has recorded its highest daily spike in infections - it has the fourth-highest number of cases in the world

Meanwhile in the UK, from today, people living alone in England and Northern Ireland are able to form a "support bubble" with another household. The rules are different in Wales and Scotland

Today is also the Queen's official birthday - but because of the pandemic, it was marked with a socially-distanced ceremony in Windsor instead of the traditional Trooping the Colour parade
 
No death figures from Spain for a week

For almost a week Spain's death toll has been stuck at 27,136, as officials haven't been reporting the number of daily deaths in the country.

The health ministry's emergencies coordinator, Fernando Simon, acknowledged last week that the national death toll had been "frozen" because of discrepancies in the figures, which he blamed on data-reporting delays in some regional areas.

Some regions have hit back at this, saying that they've been submitting all of the required data but it hasn't been reflected in the overall toll.

Spain switched to a new method of collecting data on confirmed cases and fatalities on 25 May, which resulted in much lower daily figures than were being recorded under the old system.
 
MenInG said:
Russia records more than 8,700 new cases

Russia reported 8,706 new coronavirus cases, bringing its cumulative infection tally to 520,129.

The authorities said 114 people had died of the virus in the last 24 hours, raising the official national death toll to 6,829.
Click to expand...

Russia's total coronavirus cases exceed 520,000

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia reported 8,706 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, raising its cumulative tally above 520,000 as data showed that more than 2,700 people infected with the virus had died in April.

With 520,129 cases, Russia has the third-highest number in the world after the United States and Brazil. Its official death toll stands at 6,829, many times lower than the figure seen in other countries with serious outbreaks.

The Kremlin has denied any problem with its official data after the World Health Organization (WHO) said Russia’s low death rate was “difficult to understand”.

Rosstat, the country’s state statistics service, on Saturday published data showing that 2,712 people infected with the coronavirus had died in April. The virus was identified as the main cause of death in 1,660 cases, the data showed.

Rosstat’s total death tally was significantly higher than that published earlier by Russia’s coronavirus taskforce, which releases data on new cases and deaths on a daily basis. Data from the taskforce indicated that the virus had caused 1,145 deaths in April.

In a briefing on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, who chairs the taskforce, said that the statistics on the number of deaths might need to be revised, the RIA news agency reported. The taskforce declined to comment further.

Moscow’s health department this week raised its death toll for May, citing changes in the way it determines the cause of death for patients suffering from other health problems.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...coronavirus-cases-exceed-520000-idUSKBN23K07Y
 
Russia more than doubles April virus death toll

Russia has more than doubled its official coronavirus death toll for April to 2,712 after changing how it classifies fatalities.

Officials warned that May's death toll was likely to be even worse in Russia, which has the world's third largest number of cases with 520,129.

Russia's death toll has been much lower than in other countries with large outbreaks, raising questions over possible under reporting of deaths.

The April figures from Rosstat, the official statistics agency, include 1,270 deaths where the virus was the main cause. But they now also include deaths where the victim tested positive for the virus but it was not the main cause of death.
 
Italy’s official coronavirus death toll rose by 78 to 34,301 on Saturday, according to officials.

The total number of confirmed infections in the country climbed by 346 to 236,651.
 
India reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus infections as the country passed a grim milestone of 300,000 cases.

Brazil became the country with the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world with 41,828 fatalities, surpassing the death toll of the United Kingdom and second only to the United States.

More than 7.6 million people have now been confirmed to have the coronavirus and at least 426,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Italy death toll rises by 78 to 34,301

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 78, the Civil Protection Agency has said, while the tally of new cases increased by 346.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 34,301, the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 236,651, the seventh highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Brazil, Spain, Britain and India.
 
Turkey reports 1,459 new cases

The number of new coronavirus cases in Turkey has risen to 1,459 in the last 24 hours from 1,195 a day earlier, Health Ministry data showed increasing after travel restrictions were lifted and facilities reopened at the start of the month.

The daily number of cases had previously been below 1,000 since late May. In the last 24 hours, 14 people died, bringing total fatalities to 4,792, the ministry data showed.

There have been a total 176,677 cases of COVID-19 in Turkey.
 
Israel's infections rise as economy and schools reopen

Israel has noted a spike in coronavirus cases as schools, businesses, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and other establishments reopen, the Haaretz newspaper reports.

177 schools and educational institutions throughout the country have closed after 493 students and teachers tested positive, and 25,821 people within the Israeli education system are currently in preventative quarantine.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tested negative for coronavirus after three of his security personnel tested positive, and an employee at president Reuven Rivlin’s residence also tested positive on Saturday.

18,972 infections have so far been recorded in the country, rising by 177 since Friday. 300 people have died.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 597 people tested positive and two people have died. In the Gaza Strip, 72 people were diagnosed and one person has died.
 
Confirmed coronavirus cases in the US have increased by 22,317 to 2,038,344 since Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday.

The CDC said that the number of deaths had risen by 711 to 114,625.
 
Brazil has registered 850,514 confirmed cases of new coronavirus and the total death toll reached 42,720, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.

Brazil registered 21,704 new cases over the last 24 hours and 892 deaths.
 
Deaths worldwide pass 430,000. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government figures, there have been 430,128 known coronavirus deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The number of cases stands at 7,766,952. The true figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, due to differing definitions and testing rates, time lags and suspected underreporting.

China reports 57 new virus cases, highest daily count since April. China on Sunday reported 57 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily figure since 13 April, as concerns grow about a resurgence of the disease. The National Health Commission said 36 of the new cases were domestic infections in Beijing, with 2 more domestic infections in northeastern Liaoning province. Local health officials said they were close contacts of the Beijing cases. The new cluster of domestic infections has prompted fresh lockdowns with people ordered to stay home in 11 residential estates near to the market. The cases are the first in Beijing in two months.

Chile Health Minister resigns amid coronavirus deaths. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Saturday replaced Health Minister Jaime Manalich amid controversy over the country’s figures for deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. Pinera said Manalich had spared “no effort” in carrying out his “difficult and noble duty” to protect Chileans’ health. He replaced him with Oscar Enrique Paris, an academic and medical doctor.

Half of Brits support Brexit transition extension, survey finds. More than half of people in Britain support an extension to the Brexit transition period, while three-quarters believe the UK should work very closely with the European Union to combat coronavirus, a survey suggests.

New York State sees lowest deaths since pandemic started. New York saw its lowest death toll since the pandemic started on Friday. State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday in the US, and the lowest number of hospitalisations since late March.
Evacuation flight for British Nationals leaves Columbia. The flight is operated by the South American country’s flag carrying airline Avianca. On Saturday night 230 passengers, mostly British nationals, were boarding the aircraft. The plane will return back to Colombia from the UK with Colombian evacuees on Sunday.

Egypt saw a record daily rise in infections and deaths, as it confirmed 1,677 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths on Saturday. In total, the Arab world’s most populous country has registered 42,980 cases including 1,484 deaths, the ministry said in a statement.

Israel has noted a spike in coronavirus cases as schools, businesses, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and other establishments reopen, leading to 177 schools and educational institutions throughout the country closing again after 493 students and teachers tested positive for the virus.

France reported 24 new coronavirus deaths over the 24 hours to Saturday, taking the total to 29,398 and marking the fourth day with under 30 fatalities.

The president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, reproached citizens on Saturday for their reduced adherence to health measures designed to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Lebanese protesters took to the streets in Beirut and other cities on Saturday in mostly peaceful protests against the government, calling for its resignation as the small country sinks deeper into economic distress amid lockdown restrictions.
The main developments in Australia:

NRL postpones match amid Covid-19 scare. The National Rugby League has postponed a match between Canterbury and the Sydney Roosters following a coronavirus scare.

Victoria confirms nine new cases, announces easing of restrictions. The state of Victoria, Australia has announced nine new cases of coronavirus today, three of whom are in hotel quarantine. In addition to 50 people being allowed in cafes, restaurants and pubs and patrons being allowed to consume alcohol without a meal, restrictions on some community sports will be eased. Non-contact community sport will return on 22 June – for both adults and kids, both indoor and outdoor.

NSW recorded nine new Covid-19 cases from 13,591 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday. Eight of the cases are among returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a teacher at Laguna Street Public School in southern Sydney. All students at the primary school have been deemed close contacts and have been told to self-isolate. The school will stop on-site learning until 24 June. Authorities are investigating the source of the teacher’s infection. No cases are in intensive care.

The 50-person limit at cafes, restaurants, and churches will be scrapped in NSW with venues instead to follow the one person per four-square-metre rule.

The new rule, announced by the NSW government on Sunday, will be in place from 1 July and applies to most indoor venues including pubs and workspaces. Outdoor cultural and sporting venues with a capacity of up to 40,000 will from 1 July also be allowed to seat 25% of their normal capacity.

The Queensland state government is committing AU$250m (US$172m) to reduce elective surgery waitlists, which have blown out following the pandemic. More than 7,000 Queenslanders have waited longer than medically recommended for their procedures.
Western Australia reports zero new coronavirus cases. WA Western Australia has reported no new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with the State’s total number of cases remaining at 602, according to the WA Department of Health.
 
BEIJING: Dozens of people tested positive for the coronavirus in Beijing as parts of the city were locked down on Saturday after the emergence of a new cluster linked to a wholesale food market.

People were ordered to stay home at 11 residential estates in south Beijing’s Fengtai district and the nearby Xinfadi market was closed as authorities raced to contain the outbreak that has fuelled fears of resurgence in local transmission.

Most of the six new domestic infections reported on Saturday were linked to the meat and vegetable market, health officials said, which provides much of the capital’s food supply.

Official news agency Xinhua reported at least one of the cases was “severe”. But another 45 asymptomatic cases — which China counts separately — were detected after mass testing of nearly 2,000 workers at the market on Friday, city health official Pang Xinghuo later told reporters.

Another worker tested positive at a farmers’ market in the city’s northwestern district of Haidian — a close contact of one of the confirmed cases linked to Xinfadi.

Beijing’s first Covid-19 case in two months, announced on Thursday, had visited Xinfadi market and had no recent travel history outside the city.

China’s domestic outbreak had been brought largely under control through strict lockdowns that were imposed after the disease was first detected late last year.

These measures had mostly been lifted as the infection rate dropped, and the majority of recent cases were citizens living abroad who were tested as they returned home during the pandemic.

Among the six new domestic cases announced on Saturday were three Xinfadi market workers, one market visitor and two employees at the China Meat Research Centre, seven kilometres away. One of the employees had visited the market last week.

Authorities closed the market, along with another seafood market visited by one of the patients, for disinfection and sample collection on Friday.

Reporters saw hundreds of police officers, many wearing masks and gloves, and dozens of paramilitary police deployed at the two markets, with no one allowed to leave Xinfadi.

Officials in Fengtai — which has more than two million residents — announced on Saturday that the district has established a “wartime mechanism” to deal with the fresh wave.

Police cars were patrolling the streets outside blocked-off neighbourhoods and a reporter saw one bus carrying workers in hazmat suits.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1563427/beijing-areas-locked-down-due-to-new-virus-cluster?preview
 
Egypt's Health Ministry has announced 1,677 new confirmed cases of coronavirus - the highest 24-hour infection total since the virus was first detected in the country in mid-February.

China reported 57 new confirmed - and nine asymptomatic - COVID-19 cases, for June 13, the highest since April 13, according to data released by the national health authority on Sunday.

African leaders say China will ensure the supply of 30 million testing kits and 10,000 ventilators each month for the continent as the coronavirus pandemic accelerates there.

Brazil now has the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world with 42,720 fatalities, surpassing the death toll of the UK and second only to the US.

More than 7.75 million people in total have been infected with the coronavirus, about 3.7 million have recovered, and at least 429,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
 
India records 11,929 coronavirus cases in 24 hours – its highest single-day figure to date

Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia all report a record number of Covid-19 infections, amid mounting concerns about its spread in Latin America

In the UK, leading psychologists have called the delay in getting children back to school a “national disaster” that endangers their mental health

UK PM Boris Johnson has launched a review of the 2m distancing rule, after warnings it could cripple the hospitality industry

The Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria plan to ease restrictions at libraries, community centres and nightclubs despite increases in new infections

There have now been more than 7.7 million cases worldwide and more than 430,000 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University
 
Deaths worldwide pass 430,000. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government figures, there have been 430,128 known coronavirus deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The number of cases stands at 7,766,952. The true figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, due to differing definitions and testing rates, time lags and suspected underreporting.

China reports 57 new virus cases, highest daily count since April. China on Sunday reported 57 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily figure since 13 April, as concerns grow about a resurgence of the disease. The National Health Commission said 36 of the new cases were domestic infections in Beijing, with 2 more domestic infections in northeastern Liaoning province. Local health officials said they were close contacts of the Beijing cases. The new cluster of domestic infections has prompted fresh lockdowns with people ordered to stay home in 11 residential estates near to the market. The cases are the first in Beijing in two months.

Poll: UK government losing public approval over handling of virus. Less than a third of the public now approve of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer. The poll found that approval of the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis is down four points to a new low. Only three in 10 people approve, giving the government an overall approval rating of -18 for its handling of the pandemic.

Chile Health Minister resigns amid coronavirus deaths. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Saturday replaced Health Minister Jaime Manalich amid controversy over the country’s figures for deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. Pinera said Manalich had spared “no effort” in carrying out his “difficult and noble duty” to protect Chileans’ health. He replaced him with Oscar Enrique Paris, an academic and medical doctor.

Half of Brits support Brexit transition extension, survey finds. More than half of people in Britain support an extension to the Brexit transition period, while three-quarters believe the UK should work very closely with the European Union to combat coronavirus, a survey suggests.

New York State sees lowest deaths since pandemic started. New York saw its lowest death toll since the pandemic started on Friday. State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday in the US, and the lowest number of hospitalisations since late March.

Evacuation flight for British Nationals leaves Columbia. The flight is operated by the South American country’s flag carrying airline Avianca. On Saturday night 230 passengers, mostly British nationals, were boarding the aircraft. The plane will return back to Colombia from the UK with Colombian evacuees on Sunday.

Egypt saw a record daily rise in infections and deaths, as it confirmed 1,677 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths on Saturday. In total, the Arab world’s most populous country has registered 42,980 cases including 1,484 deaths, the ministry said in a statement.
Israel has noted a spike in coronavirus cases as schools, businesses, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and other establishments reopen, leading to 177 schools and educational institutions throughout the country closing again after 493 students and teachers tested positive for the virus.

France reported 24 new coronavirus deaths over the 24 hours to Saturday, taking the total to 29,398 and marking the fourth day with under 30 fatalities.

The president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, reproached citizens on Saturday for their reduced adherence to health measures designed to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Lebanese protesters took to the streets in Beirut and other cities on Saturday in mostly peaceful protests against the government, calling for its resignation as the small country sinks deeper into economic distress amid lockdown restrictions.
The main developments in Australia:

Australia considering shorter quarantine for students and low-transmission countries. Senior Morrison government ministers have flagged shorter quarantine periods for international students and business travellers as part of a suite of measures to reopen Australia to international travel. The Sunday Telegraph reported the Coalition was considering halving quarantine times to one week for countries with low rates of Covid-19 infection, including Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

NRL postpones match amid Covid-19 scare. The National Rugby League has postponed a match between Canterbury and the Sydney Roosters following a coronavirus scare.

Victoria confirms nine new cases, announces easing of restrictions. The state of Victoria, Australia has announced nine new cases of coronavirus today, three of whom are in hotel quarantine. In addition to 50 people being allowed in cafes, restaurants and pubs and patrons being allowed to consume alcohol without a meal, restrictions on some community sports will be eased. Non-contact community sport will return on 22 June – for both adults and kids, both indoor and outdoor.

NSW recorded nine new Covid-19 cases from 13,591 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday. Eight of the cases are among returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a teacher at Laguna Street Public School in southern Sydney. All students at the primary school have been deemed close contacts and have been told to self-isolate. The school will stop on-site learning until 24 June. Authorities are investigating the source of the teacher’s infection. No cases are in intensive care.

The 50-person limit at cafes, restaurants, and churches will be scrapped in NSW with venues instead to follow the one person per four-square-metre rule.

The new rule, announced by the NSW government on Sunday, will be in place from 1 July and applies to most indoor venues including pubs and workspaces. Outdoor cultural and sporting venues with a capacity of up to 40,000 will from 1 July also be allowed to seat 25% of their normal capacity.

The Queensland state government is committing AU$250m (US$172m) to reduce elective surgery waitlists, which have blown out following the pandemic. More than 7,000 Queenslanders have waited longer than medically recommended for their procedures.
Western Australia reports zero new coronavirus cases. WA Western Australia has reported no new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with the State’s total number of cases remaining at 602, according to the WA Department of Health.
 
According to AP, Egypt, Ukraine and North Macedonia have also reported their highest single-day totals of new infections.

Egypt’s Health Ministry announced 1,677 new confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, in the United States, case numbers are rising in some states as US President Donald Trump pushes to reopen businesses despite warnings by public health experts.
 
India is to convert another 500 railway carriages to create 8,000 more beds for coronavirus patients in Delhi amid a surge in infections

An area of the Chinese capital Beijing has been put under strict lockdown measures after the city's first coronavirus cases in more than 50 days

The Iranian government has reported its coronavirus death toll has risen above 100 in a day for the first time since April
 
Spain is going to re-establish travel connections with other EU countries from next Sunday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said.
The only exception is Portugal, which is keeping its own land border closed until 1 July.

The UK is included - but the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office still advises against all but essential international travel.
Spain was initially planning to restart full EU travel on 1 July, but it has decided to lift "border checks with all member countries on 21 June" instead, Sánchez said in a televised speech earlier today.

The country had one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, but on 4 May, the government outlined its four-stage plan to start easing the restrictions.
 
Australia's two largest states, New South Wales and Victoria, have announced their latest plans to ease lockdown restrictions.

NSW officials have said the 50-person limit at funerals will be lifted immediately, while nightclubs and music festivals will be allowed to operate from August if new cases of coronavirus remain low.

Meanwhile in Victoria, indoor businesses will be allowed to have up to 50 seated customers at a time - an increase from the current limit of 20 - from 22 June.

Restaurants in parts of the country, including Sydney, had already reopened earlier this month.

Australia has had 7,320 confirmed cases, and a total death toll of 102.
 
Deaths worldwide pass 430,000. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government figures, there have been 431,141 known coronavirus deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic. The number of cases stands at 7,835,340. The true figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, due to differing definitions and testing rates, time lags and suspected underreporting.

Italy registered a further 44 deaths on Sunday, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the number of new cases rose by 338. The total death toll now stands at 34,345, and the number of confirmed cases amounts to 236,989.

Chile’s finance minister Ignacio Briones has announced a new two-year $12 billion citizen support and economic stimulus package to help tackle the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, after reaching a cross-party agreement in the early hours of Sunday. This follows the health minister’s resignation amid amid controversy over the country’s figures for deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.

China reports 57 new virus cases, highest daily count since April. China on Sunday reported 57 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily figure since 13 April, as concerns grow about a resurgence of the disease. The National Health Commission said 36 of the new cases were domestic infections in Beijing, with 2 more domestic infections in northeastern Liaoning province. Mass testing has been underway since.

Cases in Pakistan could double by end of June. Pakistan’s planning minister has warned the number of coronavirus cases in the country could double by the end of June and peak at more than a million infections a month later.

Sri Lanka has staged mock election to test coronavirus measures. The poll was due to be held on 25 April but was cancelled and postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic, which official figures show has infected nearly 2,000 people and killed 11 in the country. New health measures – to be implemented at polling booths and counting centres – were trialled on Sunday in four of the 22 electoral districts. The vote will be held by 5 August.

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is emerging from the coronavirus crisis with minimal losses, having handled it better than the United States where party political interests got in the way. With 528,964 confirmed cases, Russia has the third-highest number of infections after Brazil and the US. However, its official death toll stands at 6,948, much lower than in many other countries, including the United States which has had over 115,000 deaths. The veracity of Russian statistics has been called into question.

The Australian government will spend another A$1.5bn on infrastructure and fast-track approval for projects in a bid to stimulate the country’s economy post-lockdown, prime minister Scott Morrison will say on Monday.

Iran’s daily virus death toll has exceeded 100, for the first time in two months. In televised remarks, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari announced 107 Covid-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll to 8,837.
 
Colombia's confirmed coronavirus cases rise above 50,000

Reported coronavirus cases in Colombia have risen to over 50,000, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday, as neighbouring Ecuador approaches the same milestone.

Colombia has reported 50,939 cases of coronavirus and 1,667 deaths. In Ecuador, cases have surpassed 46,700 and deaths stand at 3,896.

The disease overwhelmed Ecuador’s health system, in some cases leaving authorities unable to collect the bodies of the deceased and forcing the government to temporarily store corpses in refrigerated shipping containers.

Colombia’s economy has been battered by the twin ills of a coronavirus quarantine put in place by President Ivan Duque and falling oil prices.

The country entered a national lockdown in late March which is expected to lift on July 1.

However, as certain sectors start to reopen and the quarantine begins to lift, medics are bracing for a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The lockdown has led to thousands of businesses being shuttered, causing rising joblessness.

In April, unemployment in Colombia hit an historic 23.5% in urban areas, equivalent to more than 4 million people out of work, as the government promised further aid measures to help those most affected.

Colombia’s economy will contract 5.5% in 2020, according to the finance ministry, due to the semi-paralysis caused by the quarantine.

The country looks set to widen its fiscal deficit to 6.1% of GDP - equivalent to more than 60 trillion pesos (12.72 billion pounds) - from an original 2.2% of GDP.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...rus-cases-rise-above-50000-idUKKBN23L0VQ?il=0
 
Beijing has recorded 36 new locally-transmitted coronavirus cases, amid fears of a second wave in the Chinese capital.

Another 36 cases were also recorded on Saturday. The city had previously seen no new cases in more than 50 days.

The country's Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called on officials to take "decisive measures", warning that the risk of further spread remained high.

The outbreak has been linked to the city's largest wholesale market.

A total of 79 cases are linked to the Xinfadi market, said the Global Times.

Three other provinces - Liaoning, Hebei and Sichuan - have also reported confirmed or suspected cases connected to Beijing.

Local media reports say the virus was discovered on chopping boards used for imported salmon at the market, prompting major supermarkets in Beijing to pull the fish from their shelves.

According to China's National Health Commission, Beijing recorded one new virus case on Thursday and six new cases on Friday - the first cases in almost two months.

On Saturday, 36 new local cases were recorded in Beijing, all related to Xinfadi market - which has been described by state media outlet CGTN as the biggest wholesale market in all of Asia.

The market was quickly placed under lockdown and restrictions were imposed in 11 nearby neighbourhoods.

On Monday, ten more neighbourhoods around the market were restricted, said CGTN. No visitors or deliveries are allowed, but residents can come and go.

Schools and nurseries near the market were told to shut and the re-opening of primary schools, originally scheduled for today, has now been postponed, reported the Global Times.

Some 10,000 market staff will be tested for the virus.

The chief epidemiologist of China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus strain found in Beijing did not resemble the type circulating across the rest of the country, suggesting it might have been brought in from elsewhere.

This potential new wave of cases came as normal life had begun resuming across Beijing and most parts of China.

People had cautiously returned to workplaces and students back to schools - though virus restrictions still remained in place.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53046454
 
Shops in England selling non-essential items open for first time in almost three months

From Monday, anyone on public transport in England must wear a mask

In France, travel to other EU countries is allowed, and cafes and restaurants can open

Other European countries are also easing border restrictions

In Beijing, a spike in cases continues, with 36 more cases recorded

Globally, there have been 7.9m confirmed cases since the outbreak began and 433,000 deaths
 
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the country has "won its first victory" over the virus, and a number of restrictions will now be lifted.

In a televised speech to the nation, he said France would reopen its borders to travellers from the European Union from Monday.

Restaurants and cafes will also be able to reopen fully, not only outdoors. Schools, except for high schools, will open from 22 June. Macron however warned the virus could still return.

He also said the disease had exposed France’s "shortcomings" - and that the country had been overly dependent on global supply chains.
 
China has turned to mass testing and district lockdowns in Beijing after a jump in cases connected with a wholesale food market in the capital.

Australia is looking to infrastructure spending to boost its economy - the country is facing its first recession in 30 years as a result of the coronavirus.

More than 7.9 million people around the world have been confirmed to have the coronavirus. Nearly 3.8 million have recovered, while at least 433,394 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US, Brazil and the UK have recorded the most deaths, while the US, Brazil and Russia have confirmed the most cases.
 
MenInG said:
French President Emmanuel Macron has said the country has "won its first victory" over the virus, and a number of restrictions will now be lifted.

In a televised speech to the nation, he said France would reopen its borders to travellers from the European Union from Monday.

Restaurants and cafes will also be able to reopen fully, not only outdoors. Schools, except for high schools, will open from 22 June. Macron however warned the virus could still return.

He also said the disease had exposed France’s "shortcomings" - and that the country had been overly dependent on global supply chains.
Click to expand...

Coronavirus: France announces significant lifting of restrictions

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a number of coronavirus restrictions are being lifted.

Cafes and restaurants are reopening across France and travel to other European countries will be allowed.

People will also be able to visit family members in retirement homes, which have been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Germany, Belgium, Croatia and Switzerland are fully reopening borders with EU countries on Monday.

Travellers from the UK will be able to visit these four countries without quarantine or restrictions upon arrival, though they still face quarantine on return to the UK.

Meanwhile, UK and Spanish travellers to France are being asked to go into two-week quarantine upon arrival there.

What do the changes mean for France?
More than 29,400 people have died of coronavirus in France, and the country has had almost 194,000 confirmed cases - although the number of new cases has slowed markedly in recent days.

President Macron first imposed a strict lockdown on 17 March. These remained in place until 11 May, when the country began to cautiously ease restrictions.

In a televised address on Sunday, Mr Macron said France had won its "first victory" but he warned the virus could return.

"As soon as tomorrow, we will be able to turn the page on this first chapter across all our territory," he said.

Restaurants, hotels and cafés were allowed to reopen in many parts of France earlier this month - provided distancing rules were observed.

Mr Macron confirmed that from Monday, this would also happen in the Paris region, which recorded the highest number of cases in the country.

He also said that schools would reopen from 22 June - except for high schools.

However, the president added, "this does not mean that the virus has gone and that we can completely drop our guard. The summer of 2020 will be a summer unlike any other and we will need to watch the evolution of the epidemic to be prepared in case it comes back with renewed strength."

Mr Macron also confirmed that the second round of municipal elections, originally scheduled for March, would go ahead on 28 June.

But, he added, mass gatherings would need to remain "tightly controlled" because they were "the main occasions for spreading the virus".

All of mainland France will now be in the "green zone" virus alert level while the overseas territories of Mayotte and French Guiana will remain at the "orange" alert level. Both territories still have high numbers of cases, which are threatening to overwhelm their hospital systems.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52978327
 
Global coronavirus cases reach over 8 million as outbreak expands in Latin America

Global cases of the novel coronavirus reached over 8 million on Monday, as infections surge in Latin America, according to a Reuters tally.

About 25% of those cases, or 2 million infections, are in the United States, though the fastest-growing outbreak is in Latin America which now accounts for 21% of all cases.

Brazil’s COVID-19 cases and deaths have surged to make it the No.2 hot spot in the world, behind only the United States.

Although Brazil’s official death toll from the pandemic has risen to nearly 44,000, the true impact is likely far greater than the data show, health experts said, citing a lack of widespread testing in Latin America’s largest country.

In the United States, which has over 116,000 deaths, testing is still ramping up months after the start of the outbreak.

After cases declined in much of the United States for weeks, many areas are now reporting record new cases and hospitalizations. Fears of a second wave in hard-hit states - or a failure to get a grip on the first wave in some others - have led health experts to plead with the public to wear masks, avoid large gatherings and maintain social distance.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...k-expands-in-latin-america-idUKKBN23M34T?il=0
 
Coronavirus deaths near 44,000 in Brazil, No.2 global hotspot

Brazil’s death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to nearly 44,000 on Monday, according to Health Ministry data, as the country continued easing restrictions on circulation despite the world’s second-worst outbreak after the United States.

Brazil registered 627 new fatalities on Monday, down from an average of nearly 1,000 over the past week. Reporting of fatalities typically slows over the weekend.

Although Brazil’s official death toll from the pandemic has risen to 43,959, the true impact is likely far greater than the data show, health experts say, because of a lack of widespread testing in Latin America’s largest country.

The Health Ministry registered about 20,000 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 888,271 infections.

Despite the severity of the outbreak, many Brazilian states and cities have begun easing social distancing rules in recent weeks amid growing public fatigue and repeated demands from President Jair Bolsonaro to get the economy going.

On Monday, Mike Ryan, the World Health Organization’s top emergencies expert, said Latin America remained a cause for concern.

“Brazil cannot be singled out in the Americas - there are many other countries in the Americas like Mexico, Chile and others who have had significant number of cases and continue to have an upswinging epidemic,” he said. “I would characterize the situation in Central and South America as being of concern.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-h...0-in-brazil-no-2-global-hotspot-idUKKBN23M2ZJ
 
There have now been more than 8m confirmed virus cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University

The US has reported the most Covid-19 deaths followed by Brazil and the UK

NZ reports two new cases after a month without any, both recent arrivals from the UK

UK teachers say their students are doing far less work than normal while learning at home

Hospitals in the Indian capital Delhi are overwhelmed, but officials have ruled out a new lockdown

The US FDA withdraws hydroxychloroquine as a virus treatment, saying it is ineffective

An "invasive" contact tracing app in Gulf states puts users' privacy at risk, say rights groups

The 2021 Oscars and Bafta ceremony have both been pushed back because of the virus
 
The wife of Ukraine's president has been admitted to hospital with coronavirus.

It was announced last week that Olena Zelensky, 42, had tested positive for Covid-19 but that her husband Volodymyr and two children had not.

It was confirmed this morning that Mrs Zelensky had been moved to a hospital where she is said to be in a stable condition and not requiring supplementary oxygen.

"The president's wife is in isolation [and] doctors are observing her," the presidential office said in a statement.

The number of new Covid-19 cases in Ukraine has been rising for the past week after most quarantine restrictions were eased.
 
Two weeks after lifting most restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19, Turkey is facing a sharp increase in the number of new infections, raising fears of a second wave of the virus.

The number of new cases on Monday reached 1,592, and the daily rate has increased by more than 1,000 for the last four days. In total Turkey has recorded a total of 178,831 infections and 4,825 deaths.

From the beginning of June cafes, restaurants, gyms, parks, beaches and museums have been allowed to reopen and stay-at-home orders for over-65s and under-20s have been eased. Some international flights resumed on 10 June.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has made several appeals to the public to follow precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks in public places.

“In our fight against the virus, the mask is our social responsibility. Let’s protect each other from the virus by wearing a mask. Let’s warn those who wander around without a mask, and those who pretend to wear masks,” he tweeted on Monday.

Nationwide sample testing began on Monday with an initial 50,000 people across all 81 provinces, to determine how widely the coronavirus has managed to spread again.

The government has been keen to stress that Turkey is open to holidaymakers during the peak summer season as the country continues to grapple with an economic downturn predating the pandemic.
 
Russia has reported 8,248 new coronavirus cases today, bringing its nationwide infection tally to 545,458. The authorities said 193 people had died of the virus in the last day, raising the official death toll to 7,284.
 
Latest coronavirus figures
Oman: 25,269 cases (745), 114 deaths (6)

Russia: 545,458 cases (8,248), 7,284 deaths (193)

Indonesia: 40,400 (1,106), 2,231 deaths (33)

Malaysia: 8,505 cases (11), 121 deaths (0)

Philippines: 26,781 cases (364), 1,103 deaths (5)
 
Poland recorded 407 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, raising the total number of cases to 30,195. Sixteen new virus-related deaths were reported on Tuesday, taking the total to 1,272.

More than half of Tuesday’s new cases, 216, were recorded in Upper Silesia, where there is an ongoing outbreak among coal miners and their families. Mass testing of miners is taking place at 12 mines that suspended production at the end of last week.

About 20% of all Poland’s cases are among coal miners. However, 98% of the miners are asymptomatic and just 12% of them have spread the infection to their own families, according to the health ministry. As a result, there is ample capacity in Silesia’s hospitals for treating coronavirus patients.

Poland has recorded far fewer cases and deaths than in many western European countries – eight times fewer cases and 17 times fewer deaths per million inhabitants than in Spain for example - but because of such outbreaks, infections have not yet peaked and the country’s R rate is back above 1.

==

Countries across Latin America are still seeing a sharp rise in the numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths, and the region remains a cause for concern, says Mike Ryan, emergencies programme head at the World Health Organization:

Brazil has become the country with the world's second-highest number of infections - more than 888,000 - and deaths, nearly 44,000. Experts say the figures are likely to be higher because of insufficient testing while the outbreak is believed to be weeks away from its peak

In Mexico, there are more than 17,500 deaths and more than 150,000 confirmed cases, though authorities say the real number of infected people is also likely to be significantly higher

And Chile has extended a state of catastrophe by 90 days amid a surge in cases - in total, more than 180,000 infections have been confirmed with around 3,300 deaths

Speaking on Monday, Ryan said: "Brazil can't be singled out in the Americas - there are many other countries in the Americas like Mexico, Chile and others who have had significant number of cases and continue to have an upswinging epidemic."
 
More than 437,000 people have died worldwide and more than 8m infections have been registered.

While economies in Western nations have been reopening after months of lockdown, there is concern about the rate of the spread in Latin America, with Peru reporting nearly 233,000 cases and more than 6,500 deaths, the second-highest numbers on the continent after Brazil.

But no country can lower its guard: New Zealand reported two imported cases, ending a 24-day run of no new infections, and the Chinese capital Beijing is trying to contain a new outbreak.
 
Summary

Steroid found to help prevent deaths of sickest coronavirus patients. A cheap steroid has become the first life-saving treatment in the Covid-19 pandemic, described by scientists as “a major breakthrough” and raising hopes for the survival of thousands of the most seriously ill.

Beijing outbreak ‘extremely severe’, say authorities. Authorities in Beijing have described the city’s coronavirus outbreak as “extremely severe” as dozens more cases emerged and travel from the city was curtailed.

Australia accuses China of spreading ‘fear and division’ as diplomatic tensions escalate. Australia’s foreign minister has accused China of spreading disinformation while declaring Canberra would take a more active role in global bodies.

French police fire tear gas at healthcare protest. French police fired tear gas after being pelted with objects during a Paris demonstration led by healthcare workers demanding more investment in the health system, AFP journalists have reported.

Virus ‘hunger pandemic’ threatens Latin America says UN. The coronavirus crisis is pushing 40 million people into food insecurity in South and Central America and the Caribbean, the UN has warned.

Spain says British visitors may face quarantine. Britain’s inbound travel restrictions and high coronavirus infection rate mean that as Europe reopens for continental travellers, visitors from the UK risk being shut out, with Spain the latest country to say arrivals may face quarantine.

Global oil demand could hit record growth rate next year, IEA warns. The world’s oil demand could climb at its fastest rate in the history of the market next year, and may reach pre-crisis levels within years, unless new green policies are adopted, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Germany appeals to nation to download coronavirus app. The German government has appealed to its citizens to download a newly available coronavirus warning app as it launched what it insisted was its most sophisticated tool yet for tackling the pandemic.
 
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France’s death toll has risen by 138 to 29,547 people, as the health ministry included weekly data for the death toll in nursing homes.

The number of people who died in hospitals increased by 38 to 19,090 on Tuesday, compared to 29 on Monday and an average of 25 over the past seven days.

The ministry also reported that in the past seven days 73 people died of the virus in nursing homes, more than double the 34 reported a week ago and 23 reported two weeks ago.

==

The US has suffered 496 more deaths and recorded 18,577 new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That increases the overall totals to 116,140 and 2,104,346, respectively.
 
Thousands of doctors, nurses and hospital staff in France have been protesting to demand more investment in the health system.

Like in many countries, the French public expressed their significant gratitude and support to medics during the pandemic - now health workers want this to be followed with more resources.

Around 18,000 people attended the protests in Paris, which ended with violent action by a small group who threw stones and overturned a car. Police made 20 arrests.

Unions are asking for pay rises, a recruitment drive and more beds in hospitals, and say Covid-19 exposed the weaknesses of the French health service.

President Emmanuel Macron says his government is three weeks into a consultation and has announced bonuses for staff who worked through the crisis.
 
Any visitors for Russian President Vladimir Putin must pass through a special disinfection tunnel, state media report

The report says a person is put through "finely dispersed water fog" which covers them in a "disinfecting solution"

Russia has 500,000 infections, the third highest after Brazil and the US - but it is testing widely

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said their two new cases were an "unacceptable failure of the system"

Beijing's virus spike continues, as restrictions on travel are tightened

Brazil reports almost 35,000 new cases - its highest daily figure

In England, Premier League football resumes on Wednesday evening

Globally, there have been 8.1m confirmed cases since the outbreak began, and 441,000 deaths
 
Brazil sees almost 35,000 new cases in 24 hours

Brazil has reported a staggering 34,918 new virus cases on Tuesday - its highest daily figure yet.

It comes on the same day that one of its top officials said the situation was under control.

Walter Braga Netto, head of the office of the president's chief of staff, said: "There is a crisis, we sympathise with bereaved families, but it is managed."

Brazil has the second highest number of cases in the world after the US, with more than 923,000 cases.
 
New Zealand military will now run the country’s border and quarantine operations after two people who were allowed out early later tested positive for coronavirus.

Assistant chief of defence Darryn Webb will be able to use military resources and personnel, if needed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Ms Ardern said that border controls must be rigorous and disciplined, and needed to have the confidence of ministers as well as all New Zealanders. She added that the two new Covid-19 cases represented "an unacceptable failure of the system".

The two women who came from the UK via Australia had not been tested on the third day of their arrival or before they left quarantine as per the government’s rules. They were granted acompassionate exemption to leave managed isolation in Auckland to visit their dying parent in Wellington.

Health Minister David Clark has temporarily suspended all exemptions after the incident.
 
India and Pakistan have reported a record number of daily deaths from the coronavirus taking the death toll to 3,307 in Pakistan, and increasing the total number to 11,903 in India.

The WHO has welcomed as "great news" the findings of a University of Oxford study that found dexamethasone, a widely available steroid, helped save the lives of people with severe COVID-19.

More than 8.1 million people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus around the world. Nearly four million have recovered, while approaching 444,000 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US has the most cases and deaths, followed by Brazil.
 
Brazil has set a new record of daily cases – 34,918 patients were registered as having coronavirus in the past 24 hours. There are now more than 920,000 cases in the country, second only to the US. And nearly 1,300 deaths were registered, taking the death toll to 45,241.

The infection rate is showing no signs of slowing – at this rate, Brazil is likely to register a million cases by the end of the week. The country is the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic – a crisis that is worsening by the day.

With so little testing in Brazil, it’s thought that the true number of infections is far higher than official figures suggest.

But under pressure from the country’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, who has criticised quarantine measures as economically damaging, major cities are starting to re-open – all before the country is believed to have even reached the peak.
 
Prosecutions urged after infections at party in Portugal

The mayor of Lagos, in Portugal's Algarve region, has called for the prosecution of the organisers of an illegal party on 7 June, after at least 16 people tested positive.

The party, in a sports hall in the village of Odiáxere, drew more than 100 people, according to local officials, so flouting the current legal limit of 20.

Some 100 tests have been done but tracing all who attended and their contacts has been difficult. Several businesses in Lagos, which is popular with tourists, have closed temporarily for deep cleaning after employees tested positive.

Portugal has 37,336 cases and 1,522 deaths.
 
More than 8.1 million people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus around the world. Nearly four million have recovered, while approaching 444,000 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US has the most cases and deaths, followed by Brazil.
 
Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Deaths and infections.

* More than 8.21 million people have been reported to be infected by coronavirus globally and 443,428* have died.

Europe.

* Germany’s smartphone app to help trace coronavirus infections has been downloaded 6.5 million times in the first 24 hours since its launch. * Russia reported 7,843 new cases of the coronavirus, its lowest daily caseload registered since April 30, pushing the nationwide total to 553,301. * Access to credit in the Polish economy could be limited by the coronavirus crisis, but the risks of a crunch have been lessened by actions already taken, the central bank said.

Americas

* New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six U.S. states, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their economies.

* The Trump administration said it would extend existing restrictions on non-essential travel at land ports of entry with Canada and Mexico.

* Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said he had been diagnosed with coronavirus, is receiving treatment and will work remotely and through his aides.

* Mexico went into the coronavirus outbreak insisting it would beat the pandemic without mass testing, but with deaths surging as it prepares to exit lockdown, the strategy looks increasingly untenable.


Asia-Pacific.

* Scores of flights to and from Beijing were cancelled, schools shut and some neighbourhoods blocked off as officials ramped up efforts to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has fanned fears of wider contagion.

* Japanese researchers confirmed the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater plants, a finding that could serve as a signal for future outbreaks.

* Delhi’s local health minister checked into hospital and was being tested for the coronavirus as India reported more than 10,500 new infections.

Middle East and Africa

* Israel signed an agreement with Moderna Inc for the future purchase of its potential vaccine should the company succeed in its development.

* Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos has suspended plans to reopen places of worship after a review of the new outbreak, the state governor said.
 
The global death toll from coronavirus is approaching half a million people, with more than 8.2 million confirmed cases of the disease worldwide. The Johns Hopkins University tracker is recording more than 445,000 deaths from Covid-19 across the world, as of Wednesday evening UK time. One in four fatalities are in the US, making it by far the worst-hit country.

America’s top public health expert has warned the nation it is “still in the first wave” of coronavirus infections and deaths, as six states report record numbers of new cases amid continued rapid easing of lockdown restrictions. However, the state of New York recorded 17 coronavirus deaths on 16 June, its lowest daily death toll since the start of the outbreak. Just 10 weeks ago 800 New Yorkers died in a single day, so the decline is extraordinary.

Germany has agreed to ban large events, including festivals and fairs, for another four months to guard against a second spike in cases. Chancellor Angela Merkel held a meeting of all 16 state premiers where they agreed to extend the ban on big events until at least the end of October.

Millions of people in Beijing are living under renewed restrictions as a spike in virus cases continues. The city reported another 31 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 137 in the past week. Before the recent spike, the Chinese capital had gone 57 days without a locally-transmitted case.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has halted trials of the malaria drug championed by Donald Trump for treating coronavirus. WHO said it had stopped testing hydroxychloroquine as part of its multi-country trial because it had showed no benefit. It comes two days after US regulators revoked the emergency authorisation for its use, amid growing evidence it doesn’t work and could cause serious side-effects.

WHO welcomed the UK’s successful trial of dexamethasone, the low-cost anti-inflammatory drug found to save lives when used on coronavirus patients. The global body said it marked a “lifesaving breakthrough” in the fight against the virus and ordered its own analysis on the drug. However, some scientists - including South Korea’s top public health official - expressed caution on the drug.
 
Strict lockdown in Santiago as Chile cases soar

Chile has announced a stricter lockdown in its capital after Covid-19 infections nationwide soared past 200,000.

Chile is one of the worst affected nations in South America and Santiago has been badly hit.

Residents of Santiago now face what has been termed "maximum" restrictions on movement.

The infection rate nationwide rose to 220,628, the health ministry said, after 31,412 previously unconfirmed cases were added to 4,757 new ones.

Chile has also recorded 3,383 deaths.

In a joint ministerial briefing, officials said residents of Santiago would be granted permission to leave their homes just twice a week instead of five times.

This is despite lockdowns lasting three months having already been in place in some parts of the capital.
 
There are more than 240,000 virus cases in Peru, which puts the total over hard-hit Italy

The Americas have become the new focus of the global coronavirus outbreak

Regional leaders in Bolivia want the government to re-impose lockdown after a big jump in cases

A BBC investigation finds at least 130,000 more people than expected died during the pandemic

In the UK, there is some uncertainty about when a contact tracing app might launch

Thousands of people in Germany have been told to go into quarantine after an outbreak at an abattoir

Globally there are 8.3m recorded cases with more than 448,000 deaths
 
At least another 130,000 people worldwide have died during the coronavirus pandemic on top of 440,000 officially recorded deaths from the virus, according to BBC research.

A review of preliminary mortality data from 27 countries shows that in many places the number of overall deaths during the pandemic has been higher than normal, even when accounting for the virus.

These so-called "excess deaths", the number of deaths above the average, suggest the human impact of the pandemic far exceeds the official figures reported by governments around the world.
 
Peru's number of confirmed infections now stands at 240,908, higher than in Italy - which for a long time was Europe's worst-affected country.

Peru now has the second-highest number of cases after Brazil's total of almost a million. Peru's death toll stands at 7,257, still far behind Brazil's more than 45,000.

Latin America is the current epicentre of the pandemic, with more than four million confirmed infections - the worst-hit countries are Brazil, Peru and Chile. Health experts believe the actual numbers in all those countries to be much higher.

Peru has just extended a lockdown until 30 June and numbers of daily infections seem to be on a downward trend. The latest daily figure of around 3,700 cases is only half of what it was in late May at the peak of the crisis.
 
Kazakhstan's influential former president Nursultan Nazarbayev has begun self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus.

His spokesman Aidos Ukibay, who made the announcement on Twitter, said there was "no reason for concern" about the news.

Nazarbayev, 79, resigned from the presidency last year after three decades in power. But he still holds sweeping powers as Yelbasy, or national leader, and as chair of Kazakhstan's security council.

He is one of several government figures to self-isolate in Kazakhstan, where an outbreak is worsening. The government ended a nationwide lockdown last month, but restrictions are being reintroduced due to a sharp rise in infections.

Nearly 16,000 cases have now been reported - the figure has more than tripled since the lockdown was eased last month
 
Indonesia reports 1,331 new coronavirus cases, its biggest daily rise

Indonesia reported 1,331 new coronavirus infections, its, its biggest daily increase since the outbreak started locally, taking its total number of cases to 42,762.

Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said 63 more deaths were reported, with total fatalities now at 2,339, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.

Indonesia on Wednesday overtook Singapore with the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.
 
Russia's new coronavirus cases rise at lowest in six weeks

Russia reported 7,790 new cases of the novel coronavirus, its lowest daily rise in infections in six weeks, bringing the nationwide total to 561,091.

Russia's coronavirus crisis response centre said 182 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 7,660 since the crisis began.
 
Brazil nears 50,000 coronavirus deaths and one million cases

Brazil’s Health Ministry reported new COVID-19 statistics on Thursday showing the country fast approaching 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths.

With the world’s worst outbreak outside the United States, Brazil now has 978,142 confirmed cases and 47,748 deaths, up 1,238 from Wednesday, the ministry said.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...aths-and-one-million-cases-idUKKBN23P3NG?il=0
 
Leading US government expert Dr Anthony Fauci tells AFP news agency the US does not need more lockdowns

The US has the highest number of confirmed infections and - with almost 120,000 deaths - fatalities as well

The World Health Organization hopes millions of vaccines can be produced this year and 2bn by the end of 2021

Japan allows more businesses back to work and Singapore also lifts some restrictions

Widespread testing of thousands in New Zealand has not thrown up new cases, officials say

South Asian people are most likely to die from coronavirus in hospital in Great Britain, a major analysis shows

Globally, there are almost 8.5m cases and more than 453,000 deaths with the coronavirus
 
Latest from Europe

As the day begins in Europe, we bring you the latest of what's happening around the continent in the fight against coronavirus.

Leaders of EU countries are to hold a videoconference later on Friday to try to resolve divisions over a coronavirus recovery fund. Several northern European nations are opposing part of the EU Commission plan which involves offering €500bn (£450bn) in grants to countries worst affected by the pandemic

Hungary's PM Viktor Orban says he will not hesitate to take the necessary steps in case of a second wave of the virus, Reuters reports.

Hungarian lawmakers voted in favour of repealing extraordinary powers granted to Mr Orban to fight the virus on Tuesday

In the UK, after people experienced shortages of toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, pasta and flour, it seems bikes are now the latest item to be in short supply.
 
Summary
Here are the most important recent developments in the global coronavirus pandemic:

Global death toll from Covid-19 passes 450,000. The number of people who have lost their lives in the pandemic so far stands at 453,289, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. There are 8,464,739 known cases worldwide. Both figures are likely to be higher, due to differing testing rates and definitions, time lags and suspected underreporting.

The US on Thursday questioned China’s credibility on reporting fresh coronavirus cases in Beijing and called for neutral observers to assess the extent of the outbreak. China has locked down the capital as it seeks to prevent a second wave of Covid-19, reporting 158 cases since a fresh cluster was detected last week. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, an outspoken critic of China, urged greater transparency during talks Wednesday in Hawaii with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi, as David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for East Asia who accompanied Pompeo, said “I would hope that their numbers and their reporting are more accurate than what we saw in the case of Wuhan and other places in the PRC, but that remains to be seen.”

China publishes genome data for coronavirus behind new outbreak. China has published the genome data for the coronavirus behind the latest Covid-19 outbreak in the capital, Beijing, the website of state-backed National Microbiology Data Center showed on Friday. State-backed Beijing News also reported that the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention submitted the genome sequencing data for the virus to the World Health Organization, which had previously sought access to the data.

Tokyo lifts remaining business restrictions. Tokyo lifted all remaining restrictions on businesses on Friday, although officials urged caution over a possible second wave of the coronavirus. The measure, the final phase of a three-step easing of preventive measures in the Japanese capital, means live music venues, nightclubs and similar establishments where it is difficult to avoid the “three Cs” – closed spaces, crowded places and close contact – will be allowed to reopen with the blessing of local authorities.

Anthony Fauci thinks return to full lockdowns is unlikely. The US does not require more widespread lockdowns to get its Covid-19 outbreak under control, despite the fact that the national daily infection rate is not showing signs of decline, leading government expert Anthony Fauci told AFP in an interview Thursday. “I don’t think we’re going to be talking about going back to lockdown,” he said when asked whether places like California and Texas that are seeing a surge in their caseload should reissue stay-at-home orders.“I think we’re going to be talking about trying to better control those areas of the country that seem to be having a surge of cases.”

WHO eyes 2bn vaccine doses by end of 2021. The World Health Organization said Thursday that a few hundred million Covid-19 vaccine doses could be produced by the end of the year - and be targeted at those most vulnerable to the virus. The UN health agency said it was working on that assumption, with a view to two billion doses by the end of 2021, as pharmaceutical firms rush to find a vaccine. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said researchers were working on more than 200 vaccine candidates around the world, including 10 that are in human testing.

San Quentin: outcry after Covid-19 cases at California prison triple in two weeks. The number of coronavirus cases in California’s San Quentin state prison has tripled within the last two weeks, prompting advocates, families and attorneys to demand urgent action to fast track the release of prisoners and curb the spread among correctional officers. San Quentin, California’s oldest prison and home to the state’s only death row for male prisoners, reported its first batch of 15 positive cases on 3 June. Since then, that number has risen to 46. Organizers are pointing to the 30 May transfer of more than 100 incarcerated people from the California Institution for Men (CIM) in Chino as a catalyst for the spread of Covid-19 in the prison:

India lifts export ban on hydroxychloroquine. India Thursday fully lifted an export ban on hydroxychloroquine, a drug favored by US President Donald Trump as a treatment against coronavirus, as questions remain over the malaria medicine’s effectiveness against Covid-19. The directorate general of foreign trade said in a notice that “hydroxychloroquine and its formulations” were now “free” to be exported.

‘Extensive testing’ in New Zealand has not uncovered new cases. Covid-19 testing of thousands of people in New Zealand has not uncovered any new cases, health officials say. The testing was undertaken after a quarantine bungle when two women were allowed out of managed isolation without being tested – and later turned out to have the coronavirus. Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director-general of health, is giving a news conference in the capital, Wellington, during which he said the day of zero new cases of Covid-19 to report was “very reassuring”.

Non-essential shops in Wales can reopen from Monday. All non-essential shops in Wales will be able to reopen from Monday so long as physical distancing can take place, as part of the devolved government’s cautious easing of lockdown restrictions.But the Labour-led administration is not expected to change its guidance that people should not travel more than five miles. The government will review the requirement to stay local by 6 July.

Mexico confirms record new cases. Mexico’s health ministry reported on Thursday a record 5,662 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 667 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 165,455 cases and 19,747 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

Chinese medical expert says coronavirus under control in Beijing. “The epidemic in Beijing has been brought under control,” said Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Diseases Prevention and Control, although he said the capital can still expect sporadic new cases. The city has recorded 158 infections since confirming the first on 11 June in its worst outbreak since early February, which has been traced to the sprawling wholesale food centre of Xinfadi in the south-west of the city.
 
Indonesia reported 1,041 new coronavirus infections on Friday, taking its total number of cases to 43,803.

Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 34 more deaths reported, with total fatalities now at 2,373, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.

So far, 366,581 people have been tested, according to the country’s COVID-19 task force.
 
Spain increases coronavirus death toll to 28,313

Spain reported on Friday a total of 28,313 coronavirus deaths as of Thursday, after adjusting its database to avoid duplications and errors, a health ministry official said.

The death toll had not been updated since June 7, when Spain reported 27,136 deaths, while the country was implementing a new methodology for logging deaths and cases.
 
Turkey is imposing a partial curfew for Saturday and the following weekend, after a surge of coronavirus infections that followed the general lifting of restrictions two weeks ago.

The government says its aim is to safeguard up to four million students taking high school and university entrance exams.

Essential shops and some businesses will remain open, but the authorities hope the measures will stop large crowds gathering on the streets. The number of exam centres has been increased, and students must wear new masks when entering.

Turkey has introduced other new restrictions over recent days. The authorities say they had been expecting the increase in the number of infections, but Turkey’s medical association says it’s alarmed by the upward trend.
 
The global coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, with Thursday's 150,000 new cases the highest in a single day, World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The United Kingdom's chief medical officers have agreed to lower the country's coronavirus alert level from four to three.

New confirmed cases of coronavirus remain stable in Beijing as officials say situation is under control.

German biopharmaceutical company CureVac has started a clinical trial for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

In Honduras, President Juan Orlando Hernandez became the latest world leader to be hospitalised after testing positive for the coronavirus.

More than 454,000 people have died as a result of the new coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 8.4 million people have been confirmed to hav
 
Summary

Spain expects imminent decision on travel corridor with UK.

Spain expects a decision in the coming hours in its talks with Britain on whether to establish a travel corridor to avoid imposing a quarantine on travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Spanish foreign ministry source said on Friday.

“Spain is willing to be open to the United Kingdom. We are in talks with them about their quarantine. We are in a position to open without a quarantine,” the source added.

Shops in Wales are set to reopen on Monday.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said the “R” rate in Wales continues to be below one1 and the number of deaths reported every day is at the lowest point since lockdown began.

Each of the different nations in the UK are in charge of their own coronavirus lockdown restrictions, and this week has seen the lockdown eased slightly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Italy: Covid-19 was present in two big cities two months before first case was detected.

In Italy traces of coronavirus have been found in samples taken from sewage water in Milan and Turin in December, according to a study by Italy’s Higher Health Institute (ISS).

Researchers examined 40 samples collected between October 2019 and February 2020, as well as 24 control samples between September 2018 and June 2019.

Coronavirus traces were also found in wastewater samples collected in Bologna on 29 January.
 
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