The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. Here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 crisis from around the globe on Tuesday.
Global COVID-19 cases nearing 5.5 mn: Johns Hopkins
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The overall number of global coronavirus cases was nearing the 5.5 million mark, while the deaths have increased to more than 346,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Tuesday morning, the total number of cases stood at 5,494,287, while the death toll increased to 346,229, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US is also reaching a grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths.
Currently, the country has 1,662,302 confirmed cases and 98,218 deaths, both tallies account for the highest in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 374,898 infections.
This was followed by Russia (353,427), the UK (262,547), Spain (235,400), Italy (230,158), France (183,067), Germany (180,600), Turkey (157,814), India (144,950), Iran (137,724), and Peru (123,979), the CSSE figures showed.
Meanwhile, the UK ranked second after the US with 36,996 COVID-19 deaths, the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (32,877), France (28,460), Spain (26,834), and Brazil (23,473).
WHO appreciates China's openness on identifying COVID-19 source
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it appreciates China's openness to joint efforts by the international science community to identify the source of the virus, and that such a scientific mission should consist of "the right mix of scientific experts from a multinational perspective".
"We've been in discussions day-to-day with our colleagues in China about putting together the necessary scientific inquiries into the origin of the virus," Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said in a press conference in Geneva on Monday, Xinhua reported.
"I think the authorities in China, governments around the world and ourselves are very keen to understand the animal origin of the virus itself. And I am very pleased to hear a very consistent message coming from China, which is one of openness to such an approach," he added.
"So I think we will be very pleased to continue for those discussions. I don't believe there is a date yet for a scientific mission, but we will be looking forward to doing that as so on as possible and with the right mix of scientific experts from a multinational perspective to join such a team," he said.
France sees COVID-19 patients in hospital down to 16,798
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As it entered its third week of de-confinement, France on Monday recorded fewer hospitalized COVID-19 patients, a further sign that a gradual and slow exit from the lockdown is bearing fruit.
In a statement, the country's Health Ministry said 16,798 people infected with the novel coronavirus were receiving treatment in hospital, down from 17,185 on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The number of patients in intensive care units dropped by 46 to 1,609, it added. The update of the epidemic's death tally would be unveiled on Tuesday.
Since the start of the epidemic, 145,279 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in France, 65,199 people have recovered from the disease among hospitalized patients.
Italy's death toll from coronavirus rises by 92 to 32,877
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A further 92 COVID-19 patients had died in the past 24 hours in Italy, bringing the country's toll to 32,877, out of total infection cases of 230,158, according to fresh figures on Monday.
Nationwide, the number of active infections dropped by 1,294 to 55,300 cases, according to the Civil Protection Department, Xinhua reported.
Of those who tested positive for the new coronavirus, 541 are in intensive care, 12 fewer compared to Sunday, and 8,185 are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 428 patients from Sunday.
The rest 46,574 people, or about 84 percent of those who tested positive, are quarantined at home with no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
Recoveries rose by 1,502 compared to Sunday, bringing the nationwide total to 141,981.
The pandemic has visibly slowed down in recent weeks after first striking the country in late February.
On May 18, the ten-week lockdown imposed on March 10 was further eased and shops, restaurants, bars, barber shops, beauty salons, museums, and beachfront operators were all allowed to reopen, provided that they respect rules for social distancing and disinfect facilities.
UK COVID-19 deaths rise to 36,914 as another 121 patients die
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Another 121 COVID-19 patients had died in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 36,914, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday.
The figures included deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.
As of Monday morning, 261,184 people had tested positive in Britain, an daily increase of 1,625, according to the department, Xinhua reported.
At Monday's press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the government intends to allow outdoor markets as well as car showrooms to reopen from June 1, subject to all premises being made COVID-19 secure.
The government plans to allow all other non-essential retailers to reopen from June 15, according to Johnson. But he also said that this move will be "contingent upon" progress in the fight against COVID-19.
"The food retail sector has already responded fantastically well, enabling supermarkets to be kept open in a safe way -- and we will learn lessons from that experience as we allow other retail to open," said Johnson.
Chinese mainland reports 7 new imported COVID-19 cases
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Chinese health authority said on Tuesday that no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in the Chinese mainland on Monday.
Seven imported cases were reported, including five in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, one in Shanghai and one in Fujian, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
No new suspected cases and no deaths related to the disease were reported, according to the commission.
On Monday, nine patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery.
As of Monday, a total of 82,992 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, and 4,634 people had died of the disease.
By Monday, 1,065 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 441 in Taiwan including seven deaths.
A total of 1,030 patients in Hong Kong, 45 in Macao, and 415 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
Poland partly reopens schools as COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000
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The number of deaths caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Poland has reached 1,007 by Monday evening.
With official infection numbers still increasing linearly, reaching 21,631, Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski declared that the peak of the epidemic in the country has passed, Xinhua reported.
"The peak of the epidemic is behind us and is now rather crawling on instead of snowballing," he told news website Wirtualna Polska. Szumowski said earlier that he expected a decision on lifting the compulsory mask-wearing in public spaces on Tuesday.
Infection numbers have been steady at around 300 to 400 new confirmed cases every 24 hours for several weeks, with some days reaching 500. The southern province of Silesia remains Poland's epicentre for new cases of the coronavirus, with miners especially susceptible to the epidemic.
Other large-scale industries were also reported to be hotbeds for the virus. In the voivodeship (region) of Greater Poland in the west of the country, a furniture manufacturing plant reported almost 300 cases over the weekend.
Meanwhile, schools have partly reopened to receive pupils up to the age of 9 for daycare, without scheduled classes. "Parents who need to return to work and cannot stay home with their children will be pleased with the care offered in schools," said Education Ministry spokesperson Anna Ostrowska at a press conference. "As we do in pre-schools, we will constantly monitor the situation."
According to a report from radio station RMF, most parents have decided to keep their children home in the current situation, with an estimated 10 per cent of eligible pupils in Warsaw having returned to school on Monday.
(With Agency Inputs)
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