Coronavirus Updates From Around The Globe Today

The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought countries around the world to a standstill. Here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 crisis from around the globe on Monday.

Global COVID-19 cases top 4.7 mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to over 4.7 million, while the death toll has surpassed 315,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 4,713,620, while the death toll increased to 315,185, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

The US currently accounts for the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 1,486,515 and 89,562, respectively.

In terms of cases, Russia has the second highest number of infections at 281,752, followed by the UK (244,995), Brazil (241,080), Spain (230,698), Italy (225,435), France (179,693), Germany (176,369), Turkey (149,435) and Iran (120,198), the CSSE figures showed.

Meanwhile, the UK accounted for the second highest COVID-19 deaths worldwide at 34,716.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (31,908), France (28,111), Spain (27,563) and Brazil (16,118).

Coronavirus death toll tops 28,000 in France

With 483 additional coronavirus-related deaths registered on Sunday, France saw its overall toll of the epidemic rise to 28,108, the Health Ministry said.

Hospitals reported 54 new deaths while retirement homes, which represent a third of the country's total fatalities, reported a one-day rise of 429 deaths, Xinhua news agency reported.

The number of people in hospital with coronavirus infection fell to 19,361 from 19,432 on Saturday, consolidating a continued decline now entering its seventh week. The number of people in intensive care reported a similar downtrend and fell by 45 to 2,087.

A total of 142,411 people have tested positive for the virus since the outbreak and 61,213 patients have recovered.

France cautiously eased the two-month lockdown on Monday to relaunch its battered economy. The first impact of de-confinement would be evaluated "within 10 to 15 days," Health Minister Olivier Veran told local newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche early Sunday.

Italy's new infections, deaths hit two-month low

A day before Italy takes its biggest step yet toward easing its national coronavirus lockdown, it recorded its lowest levels of new infections and deaths since early March -- before the lockdown was put into place.

Italy's Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 675 new cases and 145 deaths over the last 24 hours, down from 875 new cases and 153 deaths on Saturday, and 802 and 165, respectively, a week ago, Xinhua news agency reported.

The total for new infections announced Sunday was the lowest since March 4, and the death total was the lowest since March 9. Italy's national lockdown, the first peacetime lockdown in Europe, went into effect on March 10.

Other data released Sunday made a similar point that the lockdown has been effective in slowly reversing the spread of the pandemic in Italy.

The government reported that 2,366 people were cured of COVID-19 over the last day. The number of active infections fell by 1,836 to 68,351, according to the Civil Protection Department.

UK COVID-19 deaths rise to 34,636

Another 170 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Saturday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 34,636, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma said.

The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

Chairing Sunday's Downing Street press briefing, Sharma told reporters that to conquer the disease "we need to find a safe, workable vaccine".

All phase one participants at the University of Oxford clinical trial have received their vaccine dose on schedule and are now being monitored. The Imperial College London vaccine will move into clinical trials by mid-June with larger scale ones planned for October, he said.

Nepal extends lockdown till June 2

The Nepali government decided to extend the nationwide lockdown by another 15 days as the Himalayan country is witnessing a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, a senior cabinet minister said.

The current lockdown, imposed on March 24, is expiring on Monday. "The cabinet on Sunday decided to extend the lockdown till June 2," Nepali Finance and Communication Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada told a press conference on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the lockdown, the Nepali government has suspended ground and air transport, shut down most of the shops and industries while relaxing it for certain industries and service sector, particularly related to essential food item and medical items and construction sectors.

The extension of the lockdown came hours after the Himalayan country reported the second death from COVID-19 on Sunday.

COVID-19 cases in Nepal have reached 295 on Sunday after the cases nearly tripled in the last 10 days, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.