Global COVID-19 cases top 5.4 mn: Johns Hopkins
The overall number of global coronavirus cases has surged past the 5.4 million mark, while the deaths increased to more than 345,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 5,406,537, while the death toll increased to 345,036, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
Currently, the US has the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 1,643,098 and 97,711, respectively.
In terms of cases, Brazil accounted for the second highest number of infections at 363,211.
This was followed by Russia (344,481), the UK (260,916), Spain (235,772), Italy (229,858), France (182,709), Germany (180,328), Turkey (156,827), India (156,827), Iran (135,701), and Peru (119,959), the CSSE figures showed.
Meanwhile, the UK came in second after the US with 36,875 COVID-19 deaths, the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (32,785), Spain (28,752), France (28,370), and Brazil (22,666).
UK COVID-19 deaths rise to 36,793 as another 118 patients die
Another 118 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Saturday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 36,793, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday.
The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community, Xinhua reported.
Chairing Sunday's Downing Street daily press briefing, Johnson confirmed that primary schools in England will partially reopen from June 1, including the reception, year one, and year six in primary schools.
He added that he intends for secondary schools to provide "some contact" for year 10 and year 12 students to help them to prepare for exams next year from June 15.
"By opening schools to more pupils in this limited way we are taking a deliberate cautious step," he told reporters, noting that the government "wants to start getting our children back into the classroom in a way that is as manageable and as safe as possible."
Acknowledging that a June 1 opening may not be possible for all schools, Johnson said the government will continue to support and work with the sector.
Responding to the reported "breach of lockdown measures" of his top adviser Dominic Cummings, Johnson said Cummings acted "responsibly, legally and with integrity".
As to the vaccine development, Johnson said he wants to see a "much more international approach" to the coronavirus pandemic and a vaccine will be developed "all the faster if we collaborate across countries".
Italy's COVID-19 death toll rises by 50 to 32,785
A further 50 COVID-19 patients had died in the past 24 hours in Italy, bringing the country's death toll to 32,785, out of total infection cases of 229,858, according to fresh figures on Sunday.
The number of recoveries rose to 140,479, an increase of 1,639 compared to Saturday. Nationwide, the number of active infections fell by 1,158 to 56,594, according to the Civil Protection Department, Xinhua reported.
Of those active infections, 553 are being treated in intensive care, a decrease of 19 compared to Saturday, and 8,613 people are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 82 over the past 24 hours.
The remaining 47,428 people, or 84 percent, are in isolation at home without or with only mild symptoms.
US imposes travel restrictions on Brazil due to COVID-19
The White House announced on Sunday that the US has imposed travel restriction on Brazil, which has become the nation with the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases.
"Today, the President has taken decisive action to protect our country by suspending the entry of aliens who have been in Brazil during the 14-day period before seeking admittance to the United States," the White House said in a statement, Xinhua reported.
The statement said the action would "help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country," noting that this measure would not apply to the flow of commerce between the two countries.
7 COVID-19 patients discharged in Chinese mainland
Seven COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
There were 83 patients still being treated, the commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
Altogether 78,268 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by the end of Sunday, the report said.
As of Sunday, a total of 82,985 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, and 4,634 people had died of the disease.
(IANS)
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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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Global COVID-19 cases top 5.8 mn: Johns Hopkins
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The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 5.8 million, while the deaths have increased to more than 360,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Friday morning, the total number of cases stood at 5,808,672, while the death toll increased to 360,289, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
Currently, the US has 1,721,479 confirmed cases and 101,573 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 438,238 infections.
This was followed by Russia (379,051), the UK (270,508), Spain (237,906), Italy (231,906), France (186,384), Germany (182,196), India (165,386), Turkey (160,979), Iran (143,849), and Peru (141,779), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 37,919 COVID-19 deaths, the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (33,142), France (28,665), Spain (27,119), and Brazil (26,754).
S.Korea reports 58 more COVID-19 cases, 11,402 in total
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South Korea reported 58 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 12 midnight on Friday (local time), raising the total number of infections to 11,402.
The daily caseload rose sharply for the past three days, recording 79 on Thursday and 40 on Wednesday each.
A new cluster infection was found at a logistics centre of local e-commerce operator Coupang in Bucheon, just west of the capital Seoul, Xinhua reported.
At least 90 patients have been traceable to the distribution centre in just five days since the first relevant case was confirmed on May 23.
Of the new cases, three were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,235.
No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 269. The total fatality rate stood at 2.36 per cent.
A total of 23 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 10,363. The total recovery rate was 90.9 per cent.
Since January 3, the country has tested more than 885,000 people, among whom 849,161 tested negative for the virus and 24,557 are being checked
Italy: Over 150,000 COVID-19 recoveries, death toll at 33,142
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The novel coronavirus infection trend continued downward in Italy as the number of recoveries jumped by 3,503 on Thursday, bringing the total to 150,604, the Civil Protection Department said.
Meanwhile, another 70 people died, bringing the death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, to 33,142 on Thursday.
The total active infections stood at 47,986, down by 2,980 from Wednesday, according to the department, Xinhua reported.
The Lombardy region, where the pandemic officially first broke out in late February, still had the lion's share of cases with 22,913 active infections.
At the other end of the spectrum was the northern Valle d'Aosta region in the Alps with 23 cases.
Of those who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, 489 are in intensive care, down by 16 compared to Wednesday, and 7,379 are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 350.
The rest -- 40,118 people, or 84 per cent of those who tested positive -- are isolated at home because they are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms.
The overall number of coronavirus infections, fatalities and recoveries has risen by 593 to 231,732 over the past 24 hours.
As the pandemic visibly slowed down in recent weeks, Italy further eased the lockdown on May 18. Shops, restaurants, bars, barbershops, beauty salons, museums, and beachfront operators were all allowed to reopen, provided that they respect rules for social distancing and disinfect facilities.
Israel reports 79 new COVID-19 cases, highest since May 2
Israel's Ministry of Health has reported 79 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily rise since May 2. The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel reached 16,872, while the number of recoveries increased by 109 to 14,679.
The death toll from the virus rose to 284, with three new deaths reported, while the number of patients in serious condition dropped from 41 to 37, out of 106 patients currently hospitalized.
The ministry said on Thursday that it considered new steps to deal with the unusual increase in new infections with the deadly respiratory disease, Xinhua reported.
The ministry also urged the public not to be complacent, and strictly follow the guidelines on taking precautionary measures, including wearing face masks, ensuring hygiene and keeping social distance.
"The mood that the coronavirus pandemic behind us is wrong," the ministry added.
Part of the increase in coronavirus cases is related to a high school in Jerusalem, where 11 students and seven staff members were tested positive in recent days.
As a result, the school was closed, and by Sunday, coronavirus testing for all 1,400 students and staff is scheduled to be completed.
Earlier on Thursday, Israel's ministries of higher education, education and health announced that universities and colleges will reopen on Sunday, under restrictions.
France to further ease lockdown as COVID-19 situation improves
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France will further unwind anti-coronavirus lockdown from June 2, lifting 100-km travel restriction and allowing non-essential businesses, parks and beaches to reopen, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Thursday.
The last three weeks of the first phase of deconfinement had "good results," Philippe told a press meeting. "During this phase 2, freedom will become the rule again and bans will be the exception."
The prime minister, however, warned that "the virus is still present at different speeds throughout the territory." He stressed that high vigilance was recommended in Paris and Ile-de-France region and two overseas departments of Mayotte and Guiana where the virus was circulating faster that other zones, Xinhua reported.
Starting from next week, the order which forced people to stay within 100 kilometers of their homes will be lifted, but the ban on gathering of more than 10 people is maintained. Night clubs and stadiums will remain closed.
Restaurants, cafes and bars in low risk areas will be able to receive customers, providing they respect health protocol and social distancing. In Great Paris region, classified as "orange" zone, they can only open outside spaces to avoid a resurgence of the epidemic.
All the cities will also be allowed to reopen parks and public gardens. In "orange" zones, people should wear a mask when in parks and public gardens. Colleges and high schools will be able to reopen.
Access to beaches, monuments, museums, gymnasiums, swimming pools will be permitted, except in the capital and surrounding areas, which should wait for three more weeks.
From June 22, holiday resorts, cinemas can also open with strict respect of social distancing rules.
From June 15, France will open its borders to European visitors without imposing a two-week quarantine, Philippe added.
France has started to lift a national lockdown on May 11 by resuming gradually economic activities while ramping up tests and increasing vigilance to avoid the epidemic resurgence.
Health Minister Olivier Veran said the virus' reproduction rate, known as the "R0" rate, was below 1 almost across the whole country. That means each person who caught the virus is infecting less than one person and so the epidemic is regressing.
"What determines this variable is you and your behaviour, social distancing, wearing of masks and other safety measures," said Veran.
As of Thursday, France had 15,208 people hospitalized with the COVID-19, 472 down from a day before. The number of patients in intensive care fell by 72 to 1,429. Coronavirus-related fatalities increased by 66 to 28,662, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.
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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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Spain reports no new COVID-19 deaths for 2nd consecutive day
Spain registered no death from COVID-19 on Monday, the second consecutive day without new death reports, according to the data published by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare.
The ministry on Tuesday confirmed a total of 27,127 deaths from the virus, no change compared with the number reported on Monday and Sunday. Over the past seven days, altogether 34 people lost their lives to the virus-caused disease, Xinhua news agency reported.
There was an increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 detected by PCR tests (which discover if the coronavirus is active in the body). The Health Ministry reported 137 new infections, more than the 71 cases registered in the previous 24 hours, bringing the country's total confirmed cases to 239,932.
Madrid and Catalonia remained the worst-hit with 90 of the new cases from these two regions.
Provincial minister dies of COVID-19 in Pakistan
Minister for Human Settlement of Pakistan's southern Sindh province Ghulam Murtaza Baloch died of COVID-19 in provincial capital of Karachi on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the provincial government said.
Some other political figures including the National Assembly speaker, governor of Sindh and several other lawmakers and ministers have also been tested positive of the disease, Xinhua news agency reported.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Pakistan.
Italy marks Republic Day with tribute to COVID victims
Italy marked its annual Republic Day with a tribute to the almost 33,500 Italians who lost their lives to the novel coronavirus.
The national holiday is the anniversary of June 2, 1946, when a majority of Italians voted in favor of being a republic instead of a monarchy in a national referendum that was also the first time women were allowed to vote, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Tuesday morning, Italian President Sergio Mattarella placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument in the central Piazza Venezia, in the presence of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and other top officials.
Then the Air Force acrobatics team -- the Frecce Tricolori (Italian for "three-coloured arrows") -- flew in formation over the capital, leaving smoke trails in the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.
This year, beginning on May 25, the Frecce Tricolori have flown over the capitals of Italy's 20 regions in what the Air Force called "a symbolic hugging of the entire nation with the three-coloured smoke in a sign of unity, solidarity and recovery."
"One of the crucial principles of acrobatic flight is that of flying together while maintaining the right distance," the Air Force said in a statement. "This principle can become a metaphor for ... our daily lives now: distant, but united."
The Frecce Tricolori also flew over the town of Codogno in the northern Lombardy region, where the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out on Feb. 21 and where the first red-zone was set up.
Instead of presiding over the traditional military parade in Rome, which was cancelled this year, Mattarella on Tuesday travelled to Codogno to "pay tribute to all the victims and to bear witness to the courage of all Italians" in the battle against the new coronavirus.
(With Agency Inputs)
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Global COVID-19 cases top 6.4 mn: Johns Hopkins
The total number of global coronavirus has increased to over 6.4 million, while the death toll has topped 385,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Thursday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,429,453, while the death toll increased to 385,873, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 1,851,530 confirmed cases and 107,148 deaths, the US currently accounts for the highest number of infections and fatalities in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 584,016 infections.
This was followed by Russia (431,715), the UK (281,270), Spain (240,326), Italy (233,836), India (216,824), Germany (184,121), Peru (178,914), Turkey (166,422), Iran (160,696), France (114,400), Chile (113,628) and Mexico (101,238), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 39,811 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (33,601), Brazil (32,548), France (29,024), Spain (27,128) and Mexico (11,729).
South Korea reports 39 more COVID-19 cases, 11,629 in total
South Korea reported 39 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 12 a.m. on Thursday, raising the total number of infections to 11,629.
The daily caseload stayed above 30 for four straight days due to small cluster infections from religious gatherings in the metropolitan area, Xinhua reported.
Of the new cases, six were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,275.
No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 273. The total fatality rate stood at 2.35 per cent.
A total of 32 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 10,499. The total recovery rate was 90.3 per cent.
Since Jan. 3, the country has tested more than 973,000 people, among whom 934,030 tested negative for the virus and 28,199 are being checked.
Five COVID-19 patients discharged in Chinese mainland
Five COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
There were 69 patients still being treated, Xinhua reported citing the Commission.
Altogether 78,319 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by the end of Wednesday, the report said.
As of Wednesday, a total of 83,022 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, and 4,634 people had died of the disease.
UK COVID-19 deaths hit 39,728 as another 359 patients die'
Another 359 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 39,728, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Wednesday.
The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. As of Wednesday morning, 279,856 people in Britain have tested positive for the disease, a daily increase of 1,871, said the department, Xinhua reported.
Home Secretary Priti Patel on Wednesday revealed details of the government's plans to impose 14-day isolation on almost all people entering or returning to Britain from June 8.
Imported cases of the novel coronavirus posed a more significant threat now and it was now important to "protect our hard-won progress as we move in the right direction," she told lawmakers in the House of Commons (lower house of the parliament).
A breach of self-isolation could result in a 1,000 pounds (about $1,260) fixed penalty notice in England, or potential prosecution, according to Patel.
France's COVID-19 deaths top 29,000
France on Wednesday reported 81 new COVID-19 deaths, a slower increase over the 107 fatalities registered a day earlier, bringing the country's toll from the coronavirus-caused disease to 29,021 since March 1.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that more than a third of the fatalities (10,350) occurred in retirement homes, Xinhua reported.
Figures released by the ministry showed that the number of patients hospitalized or admitted to intensive care units continued to decline.
Currently, 13,514 people are hospitalized, 514 less than on Tuesday. The number of patients in intensive care decreased by 43 to 1,210, it added.
A total of 151,677 people have tested positive for the coronavirus to date, including 352 new infections confirmed in the last 24 hours. The number of patients who have recovered stood at 69,455, a single-day increase of 668.
WHO includes hydroxychloroquine in solidarity trial again
The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) will return to the solidarity trial for the potential treatment of coronavirus disease.
At a press conference in the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "On the basis of the available mortality data, the members of the committee recommended that there are no reasons to modify the trial protocol.
"The Executive Group received this recommendation and endorsed continuation of all arms of the solidarity trial, including hydroxychloroquine."
The world health body had temporarily suspended the usage of HCQ from the solidarity trial for coronavirus treatment on May 25 soon after a study published in one of the most reliable medical journals which had suggested that the drug could cause more fatalities among Covid-19 patients.
However, the WHO chief said that the decision was taken as a precaution while the safety data was reviewed.
Ghebreyesus also said that the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee will continue to closely monitor the safety of all therapeutics being tested in the solidarity trial.
"So far, more than 3,500 patients have been recruited in 35 countries. WHO is committed to accelerating the development of effective therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics as part of our commitment to serving the world with science, solutions and solidarity," he said.
Soon after HCQ was suspended from the trial, the Indian government had said that the antimalarial drug has been known for its benefits for a very long time and its usage will be continued on the frontline workers including police and healthcare professionals as prophylaxis. The government had also said that studies were being conducted and the drug would be included in the clinical trial also for the treatment of coronavirus disease.
US President Donald Trump also had strongly advocated the use of HCQ and called it a "game-changer". He went to the extent of saying that he had taken the medicine.
(With Agency Inputs)
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Global COVID-19 cases top 6.6 mn: Johns Hopkins
The total number of global coronavirus has increased to over 6.6 million, while the death toll has topped 389,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Friday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,601,349, while the death toll increased to 389,645, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 1,872,557 confirmed cases and 108,208 deaths, the US currently accounts for the highest number of infections and fatalities in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 584,016 infections.
This was followed by Russia (440,538), the UK (283,079), Spain (240,660), Italy (234,013), India (226,713), France (189,569), Germany (184,472), Peru (183,198), Turkey (167,410), Iran (164,270), Chile (118,292) and Mexico (105,680), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 39,987 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Italy (33,689), Brazil (32,548), France (29,068), Spain (27,133) and Mexico (12,545).
S.Africa records highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases
South Africa has recorded 3,267 COVID-19 cases since Wednesday, the highest daily surge since the disease break out in early March.
The new infections took the nationwide tally to 40,792, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in his daily update on Thursday, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, the country reported 56 more deaths related with COVID-19 since Wednesday, also the highest daily record, the minister said.
"This brings the total national deaths to 848," Mkhize said.
Of the new deaths, 54 were in Western Cape Province.
A total of 21,311 recoveries has so far been reported, translating to a recovery rate of 52.24 per cent, he said.
France's COVID-19 death toll rises by 44 to 29,065
France has registered 44 new deaths from COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, taking the national death toll to 29,065, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.
The new single-day deaths, lower than 81 registered on Wednesday and 107 on Tuesday, only include hospital casualties as those occurring in nursing homes and medico-social establishments will be updated on a weekly basis on Tuesdays, said the ministry in a statement.
The number of patients hospitalized decreased by 413 to 13,101, of whom 1,163 were receiving intensive treatment, down by 47.
France is now the world's fifth worst-hit country in terms of human loss caused by COVID-19 after the United States, Britain, Italy and Brazil. Of the 29,065 people who have succumbed to the coronavirus-caused disease, 18,715 are in hospitals.
In total, the country had recorded 152,444 confirmed cases, a single-day increase of 767, higher than Wednesday's 352. A total of 69,976 patients had recovered and returned home since early March.
COVID-19 pandemic still threatening Canadians' health: Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic remains serious in Canada.
The rise in infections has slowed across all age groups and in most regions of the country, but Trudeau said the situation remains serious in some regions where large numbers of new cases are still being reported, as well as in places like long-term care homes, Xinhua reported.
"I want to be very clear. We're not out of the woods. The pandemic is still threatening the health and safety of Canadians," Trudeau said at a press conference on Thursday.
"While we start loosening some restrictions, we also have to strengthen other measure... And as people head back to work, it's even more important that we keep a two-meter distance from others, wash our hands, and wear a mask when physical distancing is not always possible," Trudeau added.
Meanwhile, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam warned that Canada could see "explosive growth" in new COVID-19 cases if reopening is not done with caution.
According to new short-term federal model released by Health Canada on Thursday, as of June 15, the country could see between 97,990 and 107,454 cases, and between 7,700 and 9,400 deaths.
"These models all tell us that if we relax too much, or too soon, the epidemic will most likely rebound with explosive growth as a distinct possibility," Tam said.
As of Thursday afternoon, according to CTV News, Canada reported 93,700 cases of COVID-19, with 7,636 deaths and 51,685 recoveries.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 6.7 mn: Johns Hopkins
Washington, June 6 (IANS) The total number of global coronavirus has increased to over 6.7 million, while the death toll has topped 394,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Saturday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,731,824, while the death toll increased to 394,787, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 1,897,239 confirmed cases and 109,127 deaths, the US currently accounts for the highest number of infections and fatalities in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 614,941 infections.
This was followed by Russia (449,256), the UK (284,734), Spain (240,978), India (236,184), Italy (234,531), France (190,180), Peru (187,400), Germany (184,924), Turkey (168,340), Iran (167,156), Chile (122,499) and Mexico (110,026), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 40,344 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (34,021), Italy (33,774), France (29,114), Spain (27,134) and Mexico (13,170).
Chinese mainland reports no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases
Chinese health authority said on Saturday that no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland on Friday.
Three imported cases were reported in Guangdong Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
No deaths related to the disease were reported, said the commission, adding that one new suspected case from abroad was reported in Shanghai on Friday.
The commission said 257 asymptomatic cases, including 41 from overseas, were still under medical observation.
By Friday, 1,102 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 443 in Taiwan including seven deaths.
A total of 1,045 patients in Hong Kong, 45 in Macao, and 429 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
UK COVID-19 deaths top 40,000 as another 357 patients die
Another 357 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 40,261, the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Friday.
The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. As of Friday morning, 283,311 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain, a daily increase of 1,650, said the department, Xinhua reported.
Charing Friday's Downing Street press briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the number of people on ventilators in hospital has dropped to 571, from a peak of more than 3,000 on April 12. These are "encouraging trends", he said.
Hancock also announced that all hospital visitors and out-patients will have to wear face coverings from 15 June.
All hospital staff, whether working in a clinical setting or not, will have to wear a type one or two surgical mask, he added.
Earlier in the day, British government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance told reporters in a virtual briefing that the R-number -- the average number of people that will contract coronavirus from an infected person -- for England was between 0.7 and one, while it remained between 0.7 and 0.9 for Britain as a whole.
France's coronavirus death toll up by 46 to 29,111
France saw its overall toll of the coronavirus epidemic rise to 29,111 on Friday, after it recorded 46 deaths in the last 24 hours, slightly up from Thursday's 44, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The updated tally only includes hospital fatalities as those occurring in nursing homes and medico-social establishments will be updated on a weekly basis on Tuesdays, Xinhua reported.
The number of people in hospital with coronavirus infection fell to 12,696 from Thursday's 13,101, consolidating a continued decline now entering its second month. In a similar downtrend, the number of people in intensive care decreased by 69 to 1,094.
A total of 611 people have tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours compared with Thursday's 767, making the total number of infections to 153,055 since the outbreak of the epidemic. Up to 70,504 have been discharged from hospitals since early March.
"The virus is still present on the national territory and remains dangerous, in particular for the elderly and those suffering chronic diseases," the ministry said.
"Let's not relax our efforts by applying barrier gestures. Let's continue collectively to show caution and common sense to break the chains of contamination and curb the epidemic," it added.
(IANS)
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Global COVID-19 cases top 6.8 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The total number of global coronavirus has surged to over 6.8 million, while the death toll was nearing 400,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Sunday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,855,858, while the death toll increased to 398,321, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 1,919,430 confirmed cases and 109,791 deaths, the US currently accounts for the highest number of infections and fatalities in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 645,771 infections.
This was followed by Russia (458,102), the UK (286,294), India (246,622), Spain (241,310), Italy (234,801), Peru (191,758), France (190,759), Germany (185,450), Iran (169,156), Turkey (169,218), Chile (127,745) and Mexico (110,026), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 40,548 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (35,026), Italy (33,846), France (29,145), Spain (27,135) and Mexico (13,170).
The number of cases outside China exceeded 6,715,000, according to the CSSE data.
France's COVID-19 deaths up by 31 to 29,142
France saw its overall death toll of the coronavirus pandemic rise to 29,142 as it recorded 31 more deaths, the Health Ministry has said.
The updated tally only includes hospital daily fatalities as those occurring in nursing homes and medico-social establishments will be updated next Tuesday.
The number of people in hospital with coronavirus infection fell to 12,479, including 1,059 in intensive care, Xinhua reported on Saturday.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, France has registered 153,634 confirmed cases of infection, including 579 since Friday.
On Friday, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, head of the scientific council that advises the French government on COVID-19, said the coronavirus pandemic has been put "under control" in the country as a result of the nearly two-month lockdown.
Meanwhile, he warned that French people should not relax "too much" their efforts, recommending continued distancing measures, wear mask in public transport and frequently wash their hands.
Italy's COVID-19 death toll rises by 72 to 33,846
Italy recorded another 72 COVID-19 victims in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 33,846, the Civil Protection Department said on Saturday.
Total active infections stood at 35,877, a decrease of 1,099 from Friday. Meanwhile, another 1,297 COVID-19 patients recovered, bringing the total to 165,078 on Saturday.
Of those active infections, 293 are in intensive care, down by 23 compared to Friday, and 5,062 are hospitalized with symptoms, down by 299, the Civil Protection Department said, Xinhua reported. The remaining 30,582, or about 85 percent, are isolated at home because they are asymptomatic or have very light symptoms.
The overall number of COVID-19 cases -- combining active infections, fatalities, and recoveries -- rose by 270 to 234,801 cases over the past 24 hours.
The pandemic began in late February in northern Italy. As it slowed down visibly in recent weeks, Italy further eased the 10-week lockdown.
From June 3, people in Italy were allowed to move freely within the country. Travel restrictions were also eased the same day, so travellers from European Union and passport-free Schengen-area countries, as well as the UK, Andorra, and Monaco, can visit Italy without subjecting to quarantine.
S.Korea reports 57 more COVID-19 cases, 11,776 in total
South Korea reported 57 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 12 a.m. on Sunday, raising the total number of infections to 11,776.
The daily caseload hovered above 50 for the second straight day due to small cluster infections relevant to religious gatherings, night spots, a distribution centre and a health product retailer in the metropolitan area, Xinhua reported.
Of the new cases, four were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,292.
No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 273. The total fatality rate stood at 2.32 per cent.
A total of 21 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 10,552. The total recovery rate was 89.6 per cent.
Since January 3, the country has tested more than 1.01 million people, among whom 974,512 tested negative for the virus and 26,481 are being checked.
India surpasses Spain, ranked 5th worst-hit COVID-19 country
As per the calculation noted on Saturday with biggest-ever jump of 9,887 new COVID-19 cases, India has now become the fifth-worst coronavirus-hit country in the world surpassing Spain with around 244,000 cases.
In the morning, the number from the Health Ministry was reported 236,657 when India overtook Italy, which has recorded 234,531 cases.
Now, India seems to have crossed the European country Spain, a COVID-19 epicentre weeks ago, with 240,978 cases.
On Saturday morning, the Health Ministry data said India reported 9,887 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours in the biggest one-day spike so far.
There has been a minor fall in recovery rate compared to Friday, from 48.27 per cent to 48.20 per cent. The number of deaths reported in the last 24 hours is 294, taking the total in India to 6,642.
The country on Friday took over Italy, one of the biggest sufferers of the disease, in terms of total cases. Figures from America's Johns Hopkins University around Friday midnight showed India has 2,35,769 corona positive cases and Italy has 2,34,531.
Though the count of recoveries has risen, India still has more than 1 lakh active cases across the country. The cases have been rising sharply, by 8,000 or more, for several days now.
Globally, the total number of global coronavirus has increased to over 6.7 million, while the death toll has topped 394,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As of Saturday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 6,731,824, while the death toll increased to 394,787, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 1,897,239 confirmed cases and 109,127 deaths, the US currently accounts for the highest number of infections and fatalities in the world, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 614,941 infections.
This was followed by Russia (449,256), the UK (284,734), India (244,000), Spain (240,978), Italy (234,531), France (190,180), Peru (187,400), Germany (184,924), Turkey (168,340), Iran (167,156), Chile (122,499) and Mexico (110,026), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 40,344 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (34,021), Italy (33,774), France (29,114), Spain (27,134) and Mexico (13,170).
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Global COVID-19 cases cross 7 mn mark: Johns Hopkins University
In a new grim milestone, the global number of COVID-19 cases has crossed the 7 million mark, while the deaths have surged to more than 402,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Monday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 7,006,436, while the death toll increased to 402,699, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US continues with the world's highest number of confirmed cases and deaths at 1,940,468 and 110,503, respectively, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 691,758 infections.
This was followed by Russia (467,073), the UK (287,621), India (257,486), Spain (241,550), Italy (234,998), Peru (196,515), France (191,102), Germany (185,750), Iran (171,789), Turkey (170,132), Chile (134,150), Mexico (117,103) and Saudi Arabia (101,914), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 40,625 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest number of fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (36,455), Italy (33,899), France (29,158), Spain (27,136) and Mexico (13,699).
Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases pass 180,000 mark
The number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent reached 183,474, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Sunday.
The Africa CDC in its latest update said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases rose from 176,807 on Saturday afternoon to 183,474 as of Sunday afternoon, Xinhua reported.
The death toll from the pandemic also rose from 4,902 Saturday afternoon to 5,041 as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Africa CDC.
The continental disease control and prevention agency, which noted that the virus has so far spread into 54 African countries, also said that some 81,367 people who have been infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far.
France sees 13 new deaths from COVID-19, lowest since March 10
France reported on Sunday 13 additional deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, its lowest since March 10, bringing the country's toll to 29,155, according to data released by the National Public Health Agency.
In total, 12,461 people remain hospitalized for COVID-19 infection, including 1,053 in intensive care, down by 18 and six respectively, Xinhua reported.
With 343 new cases detected, the total of confirmed infections rose to 153,977.
France further eased confinement measures on June 2, allowing non-essential businesses to resume activities and free movement for the public
Saudi Arabia's COVID-19 cases exceed 100,000
Saudi Arabia registered 3,045 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total cases to 101,914, the health ministry tweeted.
The death toll reached 712 after the reporting of 36 new fatalities. The recoveries increased to 72,817 with the 1,026 newly recovered cases, Xinhua reported.
Saudi Arabia has 28,385 actives cases, of which 1,564 are in critical condition.
In mid-February, Saudi Arabia offered generous support to China to help fight the deadly virus. As the virus raged in Saudi Arabia, a team of eight Chinese medical experts visited the kingdom on April 15 to assist its anti-coronavirus fight.
Nine COVID-19 patients discharged in Chinese mainland
Nine COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
There were 65 patients still being treated, the commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
Altogether 78,341 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Sunday, the report said.
As of Sunday, a total of 83,040 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported on the mainland, and 4,634 people had died of the disease.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 7 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The global number of COVID-19 cases has increased to over 7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 406,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Tuesday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 7,097,717, while the death toll increased to 406,402, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US continues with the world's highest number of confirmed cases and deaths at 1,960,642 and 110,990, respectively, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 707,412 infections.
This was followed by Russia (476,043), the UK (288,834), India (265,928), Spain (241,717), Italy (235,278), Peru (199,696), France (191,313), Germany (186,109), Iran (173,832), Turkey (171,121), Chile (138,843), Mexico (120,102), Saudi Arabia (105,283), and Pakistan (103,671), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 40,680 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest number of fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (37,134), Italy (33,964), France (29,212), Spain (27,136) and Mexico (14,053).
New Zealand declared COVID free nation
New Zealand has lifted almost all of its coronavirus restrictions after reporting no active cases in the country.
At midnight local time (12:00 GMT), all of New Zealand moved to level one, the lowest of a four-tier alert system, the BBC reported on Monday.
Under new rules, social distancing is not required and there are no limits on public gatherings, but borders remain closed to foreigners.
New Zealand has reported no new Covid-19 cases for more than two weeks.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters she did "a little dance" when she was told the country no longer had any active virus cases.
"While we're in a safer, stronger position, there's still no easy path back to pre-Covid life, but the determination and focus we have had on our health response will now be vested in our economic rebuild," Ardern said.
"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone. So can I finish with a very simple, 'Thank you, New Zealand'."
Pakistan COVID-19 peak by July end or August: Imran
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases will continue to rise in the country, and a peak will be witnessed by the end of July or beginning of August.
In a televised address on Monday, the premier said that there might be difficult times ahead for the country if the people keep on taking COVID-19 as common flu, and do not follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) formed by the government to control the spread of the disease, reports Xinhua news agency.
Khan urged the people to follow the SOPs to slow down the spread of the disease as the option of locking down the whole country is not practicable in Pakistan.
"A lockdown does not mean it will end COVID-19. It can only slow down the spread of the virus. Sadly, the lockdown also slowed down the economy, creating hard times for our poor people.
"We have reopened the economy with SOPs and precautions so our poor people can earn a livelihood," he said.
Khan said that right now the government is making efforts to slow down the spread of the disease, "so that when we hit the peak, our hospitals are not overburdened and intensive care units are available during the peak. SOPs will help us achieve this".
The prime minister's address came after the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 100,000 in the country.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has risen to 103,671 with 2,067 deaths, according to the data by the country's Health Ministry.
Iran re-emerges as hardest-hit Mideast country by COVID-19
Iran has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, as the country is witnessing a respike of the pandemic with its confirmed cases going beyond 173,000.
Iran reported a total of 173,832 coronavirus cases on Monday after an overnight registration of 2,043 new ones, Xinhua news agency reported.
The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 8,351 Iranians, up by 70 in the past 24 hours. Besides, 136,360 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 2,619 remain in critical condition.
In Turkey, now the second hardest-hit country in the Middle East, the COVID-19 cases increased by 989 on Monday to 171,121, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.
Meanwhile, 19 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,711, and the total recoveries grew to 141,380, Koca said.
With no significant signs of slowdown in the pandemic, Saudi Arabia registered 3,369 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the accumulated infections in the kingdom to 105,283.
The death toll from the virus increased to 746 with 34 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, while the number of recoveries reached 74,524 after 1,707 more have recovered.
Egypt on Monday registered 1,365 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 35,444, said the health ministry.
The death toll from the disease in the North African country rose to 1,271 after 34 fatalities were added, while a total of 9,375 recoveries have been registered.
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 169 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number to 18,032. while the death toll remained at 298.
Israel has decided to stop all steps to ease restrictions that were planned for the coming days given an increase in COVID-19 morbidity, the prime minister's office said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced 568 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 39,376.
Meanwhile, 469 more patients have fully recovered from the virus, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 22,275.
Kuwait reported 662 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 32,510 and the death toll to 269, the health ministry said
The Omani Ministry of Health announced 604 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 17,486.
In Morocco, a total of 78 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number in the North African country to 8,302.
The number of people cured increased to 7,408 with 44 new recoveries, said Mouad Mrabet, coordinator of the Moroccan Center for Public Health, at a press briefing.
Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased by 19 cases to 1,350, while the death toll remained at 30.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 7.3 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The global number of COVID-19 cases has increased to over 7.3 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 416,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As of Thursday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 7,357,011, while the death toll increased to 416,084, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US continues with the world's highest number of confirmed cases and deaths at 1,999,552 and 112,895, respectively, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in second place with 772,416 infections.
This was followed by Russia (493,023), the UK (291,588), India (276,583), Spain (242,280), Italy (235,763), Peru (207,794), France (192,068), Germany (186,522), Iran (177,938), Turkey (173,036), Chile (148,456), Mexico (129,184), Pakistan (113,702) and Saudi Arabia (112,288), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 41,213 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest number of fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (39,680), Italy (34,114), France (29,322), Spain (27,136) and Mexico (15,357).
France's COVID-19 death toll rises to 29,319
Another 23 patients with the COVID-19 in France died in the past 24 hours, taking the country's death toll to 29,319 since March 1, the Health Ministry said.
Patients hospitalized dropped by 283 to 11,678, confirming the downward trend since early April. Some 933 remained in intensive care, down by 22. The number of confirmed cases increased by 545 to 155,136, said the ministry in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Nearly a month after the start of de-confinement, all of the epidemiological indicators are at satisfactory levels throughout the metropolitan territory and do not indicate an epidemic resurgence," the ministry said.
It urged people to keep vigilant and continue to respect barrier gestures and physical distancing because the virus is still circulating in many regions.
France, one of the European countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, declared a state of health emergency on March 24. In May, the government decided to extend it until July 10.
No new COVID-19 deaths in Spain but cases on rise
The Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for a third straight day, while the number of new cases continued to edge up.
According to the ministry, a total of 27,136 people in Spain have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus till Wednesday. The figure has remained unchanged since Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The ministry also informed that 40 people lost their lives to the virus in the past seven days, with eight of Spain's 17 Autonomous Communities reporting no deaths in the period. The seven-day death toll is down from the 50 it reported on Tuesday.
Wednesday, however, continued to see a rise in the number of new cases detected by PCR tests, which discover if the coronavirus is active in the body. The ministry registered 167 new infections, compared with Tuesday's 84 and Monday's 48.
As of Wednesday, Spain has registered a total of 242,280 infections.
Italy's COVID-19 death toll up by 71 to 34,114
Italy reported a further 71 COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll since the pandemic began in the country to 34,114, the Civil Protection Department said.
The total number of active infections has decreased to 31,710, down by 1,162 compared to Tuesday, it said in its daily bulletin on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Of these active infections, 249 are in intensive care (down from 263 on Tuesday) and 4,320 are hospitalized with symptoms (down from 4,581 in the past 24 hours). The remaining 27,141, or almost 86 per cent, are isolated at home because they are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.
Meanwhile, another 1,293 COVID-19 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 169,939.
The overall number of COVID-19 cases combining infections, fatalities and recoveries rose to 235,763 over the past 24 hours, an increase of 202 cases from Tuesday.
Iraq records 1,146 new COVID-19 cases, tally touches 15,414
The Iraqi Health Ministry confirmed 1,146 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number to 15,414 in the country.
It said on Wednesday that 34 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 426, while 6,214 patients have recovered, Xinhua news agency reported.
The new cases were detected after 7,835 testing kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, out of 330,526 tests carried out since the outbreak of the disease in Iraq.
China has been helping Iraq with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. China also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq.
US to conduct key studies on three possible COVID-19 vaccines: Fauci
The US government will fund and conduct key studies on three experimental coronavirus vaccines, said the nation's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.
"The coronavirus vaccine effort is progressing very well and we expect more than one candidate vaccine to be in advanced clinical testing by early summer," Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Wednesday.
"This is good news for the overall coronavirus vaccine effort," he said, reported Xinhua news agency.
Phase 3 trials, which typically involve tens of thousands of people and measure whether a vaccine is safe and effective, will begin with one by Moderna in July, then an Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in August and one by Johnson & Johnson in September, according to the CNN report.
Fauci said the funding decision came from the Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the National Institutes of Health and other agencies.
He said that the testing plans still track with the timeline that he has suggested in the past: a vaccine at scale by the end of the year or early next year.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 7.5 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The global number of COVID-19 cases has increased to over 7.5 million, while the death toll was nearing 421,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Friday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 7,500,777, while the deaths increased to 420,993, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
The US continues with the world's highest number of confirmed cases and deaths at 2,022,488 and 113,803, respectively, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in second place with 802,828 infections.
This was followed by Russia (501,800), the UK (292,860), India (286,605), Spain (242,707), Italy (236,142), Peru (214,788), France (192,493), Germany (186,691), Iran (180,156), Turkey (174,023), Chile (154,092), Mexico (133,974), Pakistan (125,933) and Saudi Arabia (116,021), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, the UK continues in the second position after the US with 41,364 COVID-19 deaths, which also accounts for the highest number of fatalities in Europe.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are Brazil (40,919), Italy (34,167), France (29,349), Spain (27,136) and Mexico (15,944).
Israel reports 214 new COVID-19 cases, 18,569 in total
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Israel surpassed 200, for the first time since April 25, according to the Ministry of Health.
It said on Thursday that 214 new patients were added, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 18,569, Xinhua news agency reported.
The death toll from the virus increased from 299 to 300, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 31 to 34, out of 120 patients currently hospitalised.
The number of recoveries rose to 15,250, with 63 new recoveries, while the number of active cases reached 3,019, the highest since May 18.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if the increase in infections continues, restrictions that were lifted would have to be reimposed.
France's COVID-19 death toll rises to 29,346
The COVID-19 pandemic has since early March claimed 29,346 lives in France, the world's fifth highest toll after the United States, Britain, Brazil and Italy, official data published by the Health Ministry showed.
On daily basis, the tally grew by 27, slightly higher than Wednesday's 23, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The total number of people with the COVID-19 who need hospital treatment fell by 213 to 11,465. The same downward trend was reported in intensive care units, with 903 patients requiring life support, a one-day decrease of 30, it added.
Since the pandemic outbreak, France has reported a total of 155,561 COVID-19 cases, up by 425, compared to 545 confirmed on Wednesday.
"The gradual and cautious lifting of confinement has resulted in a favourable development of the epidemiological situation on national territory, but the epidemic is far from over," the ministry said. "Our individual and collective behaviour conditions the future of the epidemic."
Spain reports no COVID-19 deaths for 4th consecutive day
The Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for a fourth consecutive day.
According to the ministry on Thursday, a total of 27,136 people have died from COVID-19 in Spain, with 32 people losing their lives to the virus in the past seven days, Xinhua news agency reported.
The ministry also reported 156 new cases detected by PCR tests, which discover if the coronavirus is active in the body. The figure was down from 164 a day earlier.
Of the new cases, 99 were in the regions of Madrid and Catalonia.
As of Thursday, Spain reported a total of 242,707 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Iraq records 1,261 new COVID-19 cases, 16,675 in total
The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded 1,261 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 16,675 in the country.
It said that 31 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 457, while 6,568 patients have recovered, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
The new cases were recorded after 9,342 test kits were used across the country during the past 24 hours, and a total of 339,868 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Ryadh Abdul Amir, head of the Health Ministry's Public Health Department, said in a statement that the latest increase of infections "is serious and could lead to extending the full curfew in the country."
On June 6, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, took several measures including the continuation of the full curfew until June 13, and then replacing it with a partial curfew starting on June 14.
The committee also announced to prevent the movement between provinces, except for the health, security and public service personnel, and ordered security forces to tighten the control of the implementation of health restrictions.
China has been helping Iraq with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.
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Global COVID-19 cases near 7.9 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The overall number of global COVID-19 cases was nearing 7.9 million, while the death toll has surged to over 432,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Monday morning, the total number of cases stood at 7,893,700, while the fatalities stood at 432,922, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 2,093,508 cases and 115,732 deaths, the US continues with the world's highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 867,624 infections.
This was followed by Russia (528,267), India (320,922), the UK (297,342), Spain (243,928), Italy (236,989), Peru (229,736), France (194,153), Germany (187,518), Iran (187,427), Turkey (178,239), Chile (174,293), Mexico (146,837), Pakistan (139,230), Saudi Arabia (127,541) and Canada (100,043), the CSSE figures showed.
Regarding fatalities, Brazil has overtaken the UK in the second position with 43,332 COVID-19 deaths.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (41,783), Italy (34,345), France (29,410), Spain (27,136) and Mexico (17,141).
Chinese mainland reports 49 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Chinese health authority said on Monday that it received reports of 49 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Sunday, of which 39 were domestically transmitted and 10 were imported.
Of the domestically transmitted cases, 36 were reported in Beijing and three in Hebei Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report, Xinhua reported.
On Sunday, one person was discharged from hospital after recovery. No deaths related to the disease were reported, according to the commission.
As of Sunday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,181, including 177 patients who were still being treated, with two in severe condition.
Altogether 78,370 people had been discharged after recovery and 4,634 people had died of the disease, the commission said.
COVID-19 death figure in Spain unchanged for a week
The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Spain has been unchanged for a week now, at 27,136, according to the data published by the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare on Sunday.
But the ministry also noted that there have been 26 deaths "in the past seven days," and that "a validation of the number of deaths is being carried out to allow us to correct the numbers, which will be updated weekly", Xinhua reported.
The Health Ministry also reported 48 new cases of COVID-19, drastically lower from the 130 reported 24 hours earlier, taking the tally to 243,928.
Meanwhile, Spain will reopen to travel from European Union (EU) countries -- with the exception of Portugal -- on June 21, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced at a televised press conference Sunday.
COVID-19 cases in Israel surpass 19,000
Israel's Ministry of Health reported 83 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 19,055.
According to the ministry, the number of death cases remained 300 for the third consecutive day, while the number of patients in serious condition has dropped from 35 to 33, out of 133 patients currently hospitalised, Xinhua reported.
The number of recoveries reached 15,375, with 18 new recoveries, while the number of active cases increased to 3,380.
Earlier on Sunday, the ministry agreed to ease restrictions for pro soccer and basketball players who all must undergo home quarantine as part of resuming training and matches.
Iraq's COVID-19 cases exceed 20,000
The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iraq climbed on Sunday to 20,209, after the health ministry reported 1,259 new cases since Saturday.
The new cases were 587 in the capital Baghdad, 122 in Dhi Qar, 81 in Najaf, 79 in Maysan, 69 in Kirkuk, 51 in Basra and Sulaimaniyah each, 39 in Wasit, 38 in Karbala, 36 in Erbil, 32 in Diyala, 29 in Anbar, 12 in Salahudin, 10 in in Babil, nine in Duhok and Diwaniyah each, four in Nineveh and one in Muthanna, the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua reported.
Meanwhile, 58 more died from the coronavirus during the day, with 29 in Baghdad's hospitals, bringing the death toll to 607, while a total of 8,121 patients have recovered, according to the statement.
The new cases were recorded after 9,920 testing kits were used across the country during the day. A total of 369,870 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the disease.
Blood donation key to strengthening COVID-19 response: WHO
Countries must invest in robust infrastructure and public awareness campaigns to boost donation of safe blood and strengthen the response to COVID-19 pandemic, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day.
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said that governments should roll out incentives that promote the donation of safe blood amid shortages of the commodity during COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply of safe blood is at risk. Regular blood donation drives are being postponed, and stay-at-home orders and fear of infection are preventing donors from accessing services," said Moeti, Xinhua reported.
According to Moeti, the disruptions to the global supply chain linked to the disease had already worsened the shortage of equipment required to facilitate blood donation and transfusion.
Moeti said that the use of blood plasma from patients who had recovered from COVID-19 to minimize severity of the disease to those infected reaffirmed the need for countries to have an adequate supply of the commodity.
She hailed efforts by African countries to ramp up blood donation in order to support the use of plasma in the treatment of COVID-19 amid a spike in the number of cases in the continent.
"In Mauritius, 150 people who have recovered from COVID-19 have indicated they are willing to give plasma in line with the national decision to use serum plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients in intensive care," said Moeti.
She said the pandemic presents African countries with an opportunity to improve their national blood donation services and ensure they collect, process and store COVID-19 convalescent plasma in a safe manner.
Ghana's health minister tests positive for COVID-19
Ghana's Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has tested positive for the coronavirus, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said here.
"I would like to take this opportunity to wish our hardworking and indefatigable minister for health Kwaku Agyemang-Manu speedy recovery from the virus infection which he contracted in the line of duty," Akufo-Addo said on Sunday in his latest COVID-19 national broadcast, Xinhua reported.
The health minister, who has been leading the public education on observing the disease prevention protocols, became the latest Ghanaian government official to have tested positive for the virus.
The president also announced the death of Kobina Sam, mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, as a result of COVID-19 related complications.
As of Sunday night, Ghana has recorded 11,964 cases of COVID-19 with 54 deaths.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 8 million
The number of global confirmed COVID-19 cases has topped 8 million, reaching 8,003,021, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 435,619 people worldwide have died of the disease, the data showed on Monday, Xinhua reported.
The US suffered the most from the pandemic, with 2,110,791 cases and a death toll of 116,090.
Countries with over 200,000 cases also include Brazil, Russia, India, Britain, Spain, Italy and Peru, according to the Johns Hopkins tally.
US COVID-19 cases top 2.1 million
The number of COVID-19 cases in the US topped 2.1 million on Monday, reaching 2,100,749, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the national death toll reached 115,827, according to the tally, Xinhua reported.
New York remains the hardest-hit state with 383,944 cases and 30,825 fatalities.
Other states with over 100,000 cases include New Jersey, California, Illinois and Massachusetts, the tally showed.
Beijing reports 27 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Beijing reported 27 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and three new asymptomatic cases on Monday, the municipal health commission said on Tuesday.
By Monday, Beijing had reported 526 confirmed domestically transmitted cases, including 411 who had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and nine deaths, Xinhua reported.
There were still 106 patients receiving medical treatment, and 10 asymptomatic cases were under medical observation.
So far, 174 imported cases have been reported in Beijing, with one still hospitalized.
US partially ends HCQ, CQ use for COVID-19
The US is partially stopping the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which President Donald Trump personally obtained from India, and chloroquine (CQ) to treat COVID-19, suspending it in hospital settings but allowing it elsewhere under doctor's care.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday that it was withdrawing the emergency use authorisation (EUA) for treating coronavirus patients in hospitals with the two politically controversial anti-malarial drugs because data showed they "are unlikely to be effective" and had "serious side effects".
But Health Secretary Alex Azar clarified that the FDA ruling was limited to hospital use with "the most extreme cases" and the medicines have not been completely banned and doctors can continue to prescribe them.
"We continue to study in out-patient settings, as well as preventive. That data is not yet in," he added.
When President Donald Trump was asked about the FDA decision by reporters at the White House, he deferred to Azar, who said: "If a doctor wishes to prescribe it, working with a patient, they may prescribe it for any purpose that they wish to do so.
"They may be used in hospitals, they may be used in outpatient, they may be used at home, all subject to a doctor's prescription."
The FDA said the withdrawal of the EUA was "in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks".
(With Agency Inputs)
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Global COVID-19 cases top 8.3 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The total number of global COVID-19 cases is over 8.3 million while the deaths have surged to more than 448,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Thursday morning, the total number of cases stood at 8,329,221, while the fatalities increased to 448,474, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 2,162,851 cases and 117,713 deaths, the US continues to be the country with the highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in second place with 955,377 infections.
This was followed by Russia (552,549), India (354,065), the UK (300,717), Spain (244,683), Peru (240,908), Italy (237,828), Chile (220,628), Iran (195,051), France (194,805), Germany (188,604), Turkey (182,727), Mexico (159,793), Pakistan (154,760), Saudi Arabia (141,234) and Canada (101,491), the CSSE figures showed.
With 46,510 COVID-19 deaths, Brazil accounts for the second highest number of fatalities in the world.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (42,238), Italy (34,448), France (29,578), Spain (27,136), Mexico (19,080) and India (11,903).
Beijing reports 21 new confirmed COVID-19 cases
Beijing reported 21 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and three new asymptomatic cases on Wednesday, the municipal health commission said on Thursday.
By Wednesday, Beijing had reported 578 confirmed domestically transmitted cases, including 411 (who had been discharged from hospitals after recovery) and nine deaths, Xinhua reported.
There were still 158 patients receiving medical treatment, and 15 asymptomatic cases under medical observation.
So far, 174 imported cases have been reported in Beijing, with one being still hospitalized.
Israel reports 288 new COVID-19 cases, 19,783 in total
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 288 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total cases to 19,783.
This is the highest number of daily cases since April 23, when 305 new cases were recorded in the country.
The number of death cases increased from 302 to 303, while the number of patients in serious condition dropped from 39 to 36, out of 136 patients currently hospitalized, Xinhua reported.
The number of recoveries rose to 15,487, with 38 new recoveries while the number of active cases rose to 3,993- the highest since May 13.
Earlier on Wednesday, emergency regulations were reimposed to deal with the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The Israeli parliament voted to approve the new regulations after the previous regulations expired at midnight on Monday.
The regulations make wearing masks in public places mandatory and require people suspected of being infected with the virus to stay in home quarantine.
The regulations also impose fines on those who violate them.
China's inactivated Covid-19 vaccine shows promise in initial trials
An inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate has shown promising results in both safety and efficacy in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials, according to the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).
The vaccine, developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products under the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) affiliated to Sinopharm, involved 1,120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 in its clinical trials, which started on April 12, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
The results revealed a good safety record, with no cases of adverse effects during the clinical trials.
The vaccine receivers inoculated with two injections in different procedures and doses have produced high titers of antibodies.
For those receiving two middle-dose injections at intervals of 14 days and 21 days, the seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibodies reached 97.6 per cent.
For those receiving two middle-dose injections at an interval of 28 days, the seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibodies reached 100 per cent.
The CNBG is actively promoting overseas cooperation in phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine and has secured the intention of cooperation of several companies and research institutions from other countries.
Several US states hit record highs for COVID-19 cases
Several US states have hit record highs for new COVID-19 cases in recent days, raising fears of a new wave of the virus.
On Tuesday, nine states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas either reported new single-day highs or set a record for seven-day new case averages, Xinhua news agency quoted an analysis by The Washington Post as saying on Wednesday.
That trend continued in some states on Wednesday.
Oklahoma registered another record for single-day new cases, and California set another record in its rolling average while North Carolina's average dropped by one case, breaking a streak of 15 new highs in a row.
With 2,162,851 cases and 117,713 deaths, the US continues to be the country with the highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.
An influential COVID-19 model produced by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington has revised its projections, forecasting nearly 170,000 COVID-19 deaths in the US by October 1.
As all 50 states moved to relax restrictions, hot spots have emerged in South Carolina and Missouri and cities such as Houston and Phoenix.
Week-over-week case counts are on the rise in half of all states, according to a report by The Hill.
Meanwhile, infections have dwindled in other states that were initially hit harder.
The reopening of businesses nationwide and planned school resumption are growing concerns for a new wave of infections.
"There are blueprints that will allow businesses and schools to open safely. If they follow these blueprints, it will be possible to operate safely," Robert Schooley, a professor of medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
He said in some places in the country, it is likely that businesses will do very well, but in others, where public health measures are not taken seriously, the population will be at a "significantly increased risk" for a resurgence of the disease.
According to Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, the country might not see a "turning point" for a year.
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Global COVID-19 cases top 8.4 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The overall number of global COVID-19 cases has topped to over 8.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 453,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As of Friday morning, the total number of cases stood at 8,463,533, while the fatalities increased to 453,268, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 2,189,128 cases and 118,421 deaths, the US continues with the world's highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the CSSE.
In terms of cases, Brazil comes in the second place with 978,142 infections.
This was followed by Russia (560,321), India (366,946), the UK (301,935), Spain (245,268), Peru (240,908), Italy (238,159), Chile (225,103), Iran (197,647), France (195,272), Germany (189,817), Turkey (184,031), Mexico (165,455), Pakistan (160,118), Saudi Arabia (145,991), Bangladesh (102,292) and Canada (101,877), the CSSE figures showed.
With 47,748 COVID-19 deaths, Brazil accounts for the second highest number of fatalities in the world.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (42,373), Italy (34,514), France (29,606), Spain (27,136), Mexico (19,747) and India (12,237).
WHO concerned over rising COVID-19 cases in Europe
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe rang the "alarm bells" by pointing out disturbing increases in "incidence and numbers" of coronavirus infections in eastern Europen countries despite weeks of COVID-19 cases declining in other nations.
"In the past month, the number of European countries showing significant increases in cumulative incidence has more than tripled from six to 21 countries," Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said during a regular virtual meeting hosted in Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Kluge's remarks dispelled any notion of taking false security from WHO statistics that could show the European region had "stabilized at around 17,000 to 20,000 cases per day on average due to weeks of cases declining in other countries".
"COVID-19 is still in a very active phase in many countries. It is crucial that we continue to recover and rebuild following the lockdown," said the WHO official.
Kluge emphasized the need to remain diligent and lift restrictions with care, citing the reopening of schools in a few countries that resulted in local "flares."
In his oft-repeated clarion call to countries in the region, Kluge asked them to strengthen the preparedness and readiness of their emergency services and routine health system delivery, because he was "hoping for the best but preparing for the worst" of a likely resurgence of COVID-19.
"We are not out of the woods. Lockdowns and social distancing have gained us time," he said, reiterating that "the risk remains high across all countries."
Kluge said that "it is important that the authorities fully invest in having an aggressive track, test and trace surveillance system to avoid costly additional lockdowns in the weeks and months ahead should the virus rebound."
Canada PM Trudeau announces national contact tracing app against COVID-19 pandemic
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will begin testing a mobile contact tracing app against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The app will compile confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and notify Canadians when they've been in proximity to someone who has the virus, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
The Trudeau government intends to make the app available for download in early July and that the program will be compatible with the 30 million smartphones in Canada.
"I want to stress that this will be completely voluntary. It will be up to individual Canadians to decide whether to download the app or not. But the app will be most effective when as many people as possible have it," Trudeau said at his Thursday press conference in Ottawa.
Trudeau said the case monitoring and exposure notification application is a "crucial" public health step as more Canadians begin resuming some semblance of normal life, including returning to work.
"It'll actually allow us to have a better sense of when there are spikes or resurgences of a virus in a particular area or not because more people will be getting that notification and calling their local public health authorities, so any level of uptake would be useful," Trudeau said, adding that he hopes Canadians view the app as an easy added layer of protection.
The Public Health Agency of Canada on Thursday recommended wearing a non-medical mask or face-covering in public places, especially crowded ones, when physical distancing of two meters from other people isn't possible to do consistently. Such places include stores, shopping areas and public transportation.
As of Thursday afternoon, Canada reported 100,148 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8,299 deaths, according to CTV.
730 test positive, thousands quarantined after German slaughterhouse outbreak
Around 730 workers at a slaughterhouse in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) had tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Thursday, German news agency DPA reported.
Local authorities had ordered the Toennies Group meatpacking plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck in the district of Guetersloh to be temporarily closed on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, around 7,000 people are under quarantine in Guetersloh. Schools and daycare centres will be closed from Thursday until June 29.
Regional media WDR reported Thursday that Guetersloh authorities plan to carry out around 5,300 more tests within the next few days.
The state of NRW has launched an investigation into the source of the infections.
Toennies said in a statement on Wednesday that the company will now primarily take care of the employees infected and in quarantine. It also said official tests have been carried out at other Toennies Group locations in recent weeks and there are currently no abnormalities.
In early May, an outbreak of more than 200 cases was seen at a Westfleisch meat-processing plant in Coesfeld, NRW.
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Amid the ongoing global fight against the virus, here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 crisis from around the globe:
Global COVID-19 cases top 8.7 mn: Johns Hopkins University
The total number of global COVID-19 cases has surged to over 8.7 million, while the deaths were nearing 463,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
By Sunday morning, the total number of cases stood at 8,768,285, while the fatalities increased to 463,999, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update.
With 2,254,630 cases and 119,714 deaths, the US continues with the world's highest number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, according to the CSSE.
Brazil comes in second place with 1,032,913 infections and 49,976 deaths.
In terms of cases, Russia ranks third (576,162), and was followed by India (395,048), the UK (304,580), Peru (251,338), Spain (245,938), Italy (238,275), Chile (236,748), Iran (202,584), France (196,724), Germany (190,670), Turkey (186,493), Mexico (175,202), Pakistan (171,666), Saudi Arabia (154,233), Bangladesh (108,775) and Canada (102,762), the CSSE figures showed.
The other countries with over 10,000 deaths are the UK (42,674), Italy (34,610), France (29,636), Spain (28,322), Mexico (20,781) and India (12,948).
Iran's confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 202,584 with 2,322 new cases
Iran reported 2,322 new cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed novel coronavirus cases to 202,584, according to official IRNA news agency.
Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during his daily update on Saturday that 115 people died overnight, taking the total fatalities over the virus to 9,507, Xinhua news agency reported.
So far, 161,384 have recovered and 2,842 remain in critical condition, said Lari.
According to the health spokeswoman, 1,395,675 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Saturday.
The Iranian health official said that seven provinces are still in high-risk condition.
Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on February 19.
COVID-19 cases top 108,000 in Bangladesh, deaths reach 1,425
Bangladesh reported over 3,240 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total in the country to over 108,000.
A total of 3,240 new COVID-19 positive cases and 37 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh, Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a media briefing on Saturday afternoon, Xinhua news agency reported.
"The total number of positive cases is now 108,775 and death toll stands currently at 1,425 with the fresh fatalities," she added.
According to the official, 14,031 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.
She said 1,048 more COVID-19 patients were announced as recovered during the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries so far to 43,993.
COVID-19 cases in Russia increase by 7,889, total at 576,952
Russia recorded an increase of 7,889 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 576,952, the country's coronavirus response center said in a statement.
The death toll rose by 161 to 8,002, while 334,592 people have recovered, including 10,186 over the last 24 hours, said the statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Moscow, the country's worst-hit region, reported 1,057 newly confirmed cases, taking its tally of infections to 212,978.
On Friday, about 310,000 people were still under medical observation, while more than 16.6 million virus tests have been conducted nationwide, Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said Saturday in a statement.
Turkish Prez says "loses position" in fight against COVID-19
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the recent figures signalled that Turkey "lost some position" in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"But I believe that we will remove the pandemic from our agenda in a short time by obeying the hygiene, mask and distancing rules," Erdogan said at a televised speech in Istanbul on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
On June 1, the Turkish government allowed cafes, restaurants, sports facilities, parks, beaches, and museums to reopen and partially lifted restrictions on international and domestic travels in line with the normalization process.
Soon after, the number of new coronavirus cases started to pose an upward trend across the country.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Friday, however, announced that the daily increase of coronavirus cases started to decline again in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
Turkey reported 1,214 new COVID-19 cases and 23 more deaths the previous day, taking the tally of infections to 185,245, and the death toll to 4,905
Beijing tests 2.3 million people for COVID-19
Some 2.3 million people in Beijing have received nucleic acid tests over the past week as the city strives to contain domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases following a fresh coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese capital's wholesale food market.
Beijing authorities have set up a total of 2,083 sampling sites in 474 locations across the city, with 7,472 medical staffers taking shifts to conduct tests, Xinhua news agency reported.
Since June 13, people working in the wholesale market of Xinfadi, to which most newly-emerged cases were related, residents in nearby communities, and people who visited the market have been organized to take nucleic acid tests.
The city has also prioritized the testing for employees of restaurants, grocery stores, wholesale markets and courier and food delivery, according to the municipal government.
Beijing reported 22 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, three suspected cases and three asymptomatic cases on Saturday, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission said on Sunday.
From June 11 to 20, Beijing had reported 227 confirmed domestically transmitted cases, all of whom were receiving treatment in hospitals, it added.
Meanwhile, there are 18 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation, and one imported case hospitalized in Beijing.
(With Agency Inputs)
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