Global COVID-19 updates from around the world today

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

Global COVID-19 cases top 6 mn: Johns Hopkins

The total number of global coronavirus cases has topped the 6 million mark, while the deaths have surged to more than 369,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

As of Sunday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,059,017, while the death toll increased to 369,106, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.

Currently, the US has 1,770,165 confirmed cases and 103,776 deaths, both tallies account for the highest in the world, according to the CSSE.

Meanwhile in terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 498,440 infections.

This was followed by Russia (396,575), the UK (274,219), Spain (239,228), Italy (232,664), France (188,752), Germany (183,189), India (181,827), Turkey (163,103), Peru (155,671) and Iran (148,950), the CSSE figures showed.

Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 38,458 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.

The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (33,340), Brazil (28,834), France (28,774) and Spain (27,125).

Belgian Prince contracts COVID-19 after lockdown party

A Belgian prince has contracted coronavirus after attending a party during lockdown in Spain, the country's royal palace says.

Prince Joachim, 28, travelled from Belgium to Spain for an internship on 26 May, the palace said, the BBC reported on Saturday.

Two days later, he went to a party in the southern city of Cordoba, before testing positive for COVID-19.

Spanish reports suggest the prince, a nephew of Belgium's King Philippe, was among 27 people at the party.

Under Cordoba's lockdown rules, a party of this size would be a breach of regulations, as gatherings of no more than 15 people are currently permitted.

Spanish police have launched an investigation into the party. Those found to have flouted lockdown rules could be fined up to $11,100.

Everyone who attended the party is said to be in quarantine. Prince Joachim, the youngest son of Princess Astrid and 10th in line to the Belgian throne, is said to have mild coronavirus symptoms.

Rafaela Valenzuela, a representative of the Spanish government in Cordoba, condemned the party, calling those who attended "irresponsible".

"I feel surprised and angry. An incident of this type stands out at a moment of national mourning for so many dead," she said.

The party was first covered by Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, which cited a document from the Andalucian authorities but did not name the prince.

Belgian media have since confirmed with the palace that Prince Joachim was in Spain, where he remains.

The prince is known to have a long-standing relationship with a Spanish woman, reported to be Victoria Ortiz.

Spain is in the process of emerging from one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. It outlined a four-stage plan on 4 May to start easing the lockdown, which saw children under 14 confined to their homes for six weeks.

The country said it was moving to a second phase from 1 June for 70 per cent of Spaniards, leaving only major cities under tighter restrictions.

Spain has among the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world. As of Saturday, the country had 239,228 infections and 27,125 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Italy COVID-19 hospitalisations dip

The COVID-19 hospitalisations decreased in Italy on Saturday, the Civil Protection Department said, continuing a positive trend for the hard-hit Mediterranean nation as it geared up for the end of domestic travel restrictions next week.

Total active infections stood at 43,691, down from 46,175 on Friday, according to the Civil Protection Department, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of these infections, 450 are in intensive care unit (ICU), 25 fewer compared to Friday, and 6,680 are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 414 from the day before. The remaining 36,561, or about 84, are isolated at home with no symptoms or only mild symptoms

The densely populated, highly industrialized Lombardy region whose capital is Milan, where the pandemic first broke out on February 21, still had the lion's share of cases, with 21,809 active infections, up by 221 compared to Friday.

Lombardy authorities said Saturday that since the pandemic began, swabs have been carried out on 741,447 people and that the region has so far seen a total of 88,758 infections, 50,878 recoveries, and 16,079 fatalities.

Nationwide, recoveries jumped by 2,789 compared to Friday, bringing the total to 155,633, while another 111 people died, bringing the death toll since the pandemic began to 33,340.

The overall number of COVID-19 cases combining infections, fatalities, and recoveries has risen to 232,664.

On Friday, the Health Ministry said in a statement that based on its nationwide COVID-19 monitoring activities during the week of May 18-24, "at the moment in Italy there are no reported critical situations."

Health Minister Roberto Speranza followed this up with a tweet, writing that "the monitoring data are encouraging. The significant sacrifices of the lockdown have produced these results."

"We must continue on the path we have taken, gradually and cautiously," the minister added.

Speranza made this comment as Italians got ready to take holiday trips, visit distant friends and family, or relocate to their summer homes, beginning on June 3.

Under terms of a national lockdown that went into effect on March 10 and subsequent decrees by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte that progressively relaxed the restrictions, Italians are forbidden from traveling across the borders of the country's 20 regions until June 2.

"Beginning on June 3, it will be possible to travel between different regions," the government said on its website on May 27.

"However, the central government can impose limitations on interregional travel... to specific areas of the national territory, based on the proportion of epidemiological risk that is effectively present in those areas," the government added.

As well, people with fevers and those who are isolated at home because they have tested positive to the new coronavirus are forbidden from traveling.

In a statement on Saturday, the National Confederation of Farmers (Coldiretti) said that 7 million Italians are planning a vacation trip next month, breathing some much-needed oxygen into the country's stalled tourist industry.

"The freedom to cross-regional borders beginning on June 3 will have a significant economic and employment impact on tourism," Coldiretti wrote.

Italy's tourist season normally begins in March, but this year the sector lost 81 million visitors between March and May due to the lockdown.

Tourist spending ground to a halt, causing estimated losses of almost 20 billion euros (US $22.21 billion) for hotels, restaurants, transportation firms, and retailers over the past three months, according to Coldiretti estimates.

The hardest-hit sector has been food and wine, which is the "main spending item for foreign and Italian tourists alike," Coldiretti said.

"Food has become the true added value of Made-in-Italy holidays," Coldiretti continued.

Italy is the world leader in terms of gastronomic tourism thanks to its many prized, unique wines and gourmet delicacies, but also because it has "the greenest agriculture in Europe" with over 60,000 organic farms, Coldiretti said.

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