UK virus death toll tops 40,000 – latest updates

The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 395,000 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year. Here are pandemic-related updates for June 5:

Pedestrians wear masks as they walk near Charing Cross Station in London, June 5, 2020.
AP

Pedestrians wear masks as they walk near Charing Cross Station in London, June 5, 2020.

Friday, June 5, 2020

UK reports over 350 new deaths

Britain's official coronavirus death toll has topped 40,000, after the government on Friday reported a further 357 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said reaching the grim milestone was "a time of sorrow for us all".

"We've got to remember that each one of these is an impact on a family that will never be the same again and my heart goes out to them all," he said.

"And it makes me redouble my determination to deal with this virus."

His ministry said 40,261 people who tested positive for Covid-19 had died as of 0800 GMT on Friday.

Chile's deaths rise by 50 percent in a week

Deaths from the coronavirus in Chile have risen by more than 50 percent in the past week, the health ministry announced Friday, despite a three-week lockdown of the capital Santiago.

Three months after the country registered its first infection, Health Minister Jaime Manalich Friday reported 4,207 new infections and 92 deaths in the previous 24 hours.

Kenyan police kill 15 since start of virus curfew

Kenyan police have been involved in the killing of 15 people since the country put a nighttime curfew in place in March to combat the coronavirus, the policing oversight body said in a statement seen by AFP Friday.

The Independent Policing Oversight Body (IPOA) said it had received 87 complaints against police since the dusk to dawn curfew and heightened security measures were put in place on March 27.

US' CDC reports over 1.8M cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,862,656 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 20,555 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,035 to 108,064.

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as Covid-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on June 4 versus its previous report released on Thursday. 

The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

France sees 46 more deaths

France's coronavirus death toll rose by 46 on Friday, or 0.2 percent, to reach 29,111, which is the fifth-highest total in the world.

The rate of increase is the same as Thursday, while the number of people hospitalised for Covid-19 disease continued its long-running decline, the health ministry said in a statement. 

'No benefit' from hydroxychloroquine - UK trial

A major British clinical trial has found hydroxychloroquine has "no benefit" for patients hospitalised with Covid-19, scientists said Friday, in the first large-scale study to provide results for a drug at the centre of political and scientific controversy.

Hydroxychloroquine, a decades-old malaria and rheumatoid arthritis drug, has been touted as a possible treatment for the new coronavirus by high profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, and has been included in several randomised clinical trials.

The University of Oxford's Recovery trial, the biggest of these so far to come forward with findings, said that it would now stop recruiting patients to be given hydroxychloroquine "with immediate effect".

Italy's records 85 fresh fatalities

Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 85 on Friday against 88 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases jumped to 518 from 177 on Thursday.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 33,774, the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 234,531, the sixth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Spain, Britain and Brazil.

Turkey's daily recoveries up by over 1,600

Turkey on Friday confirmed over 1,600 more recoveries from coronavirus as the country began easing measures against the pandemic, according to the health minister.

The total number of recoveries from the disease reached 133,400 as 1,622 more patients were discharged from hospitals over the past day, Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, citing Health Ministry data.

A total of 18 new fatalities were reported over the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 4,648.

Healthcare professionals did 57,829 tests for the virus in the past 24 hours, raising the total number to more than 2.26 million.

US to allow Chinese carriers to fly two flights a week

The US Transportation Department said on Friday it will allow Chinese passenger air carriers to operate two flights after Beijing said it would ease coronavirus restrictions to allow in more foreign carriers.

On Wednesday, Washington said it planned to bar all Chinese passenger airlines from flying to the United States by June 16 due to Beijing's curbs on US carriers. The revised order Friday cuts in half the four weekly round trip flights Chinese passenger carriers have been flying to the United States and take effect immediately.

US 'largely through' coronavirus pandemic - Trump

President Donald Trump asserted on Friday that the United States has made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, after new jobs numbers showed a surprising increase in employment.

"We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. And that strength let us get through this horrible pandemic, largely through, I think we're doing really well," Trump said at a news briefing.

He also called for a shift in strategy against the coronavirus pandemic to focus resources on protecting "high-risk populations." 

"The best strategy to ensure the health of our people moving forward is to focus our resources on protecting high-risk populations, like the elderly and those in nursing homes, while allowing younger and healthy Americans to get back to work immediately," Trump said in remarks at the White House Rose Garden.

Canada's deaths rise to 7,652 

Canada's Public Health Agency said the country’s total coronavirus cases rise to 94,070 from 93,441 on June 4; 7,652 deaths, up from 7,543.

Iraq records over 1,000 cases in a day

Iraq recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time on Friday, with its total approaching 10,000 confirmed cases, the health ministry said.

At least 285 people have died of Covid-19 in Iraq, it said.

It recorded 1,006 new cases on Friday, out of a total of 9,846 overall. The cases have tripled in the space of around three weeks.

Poland to open borders with Baltic states

Poland and the Baltic states will open their borders to each other next week in an easing of coronavirus travel restrictions, Lithuanian Prime Minister said on Friday after a video conference with his Polish counterpart.

Nigeria proposes steep basic healthcare budget cuts 

Nigeria is proposing slashing its basic healthcare funding by almost half as government finances in Africa's biggest economy take a hit from the novel coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, according to the latest budget proposal documents.

The government proposes cutting its basic healthcare funding by 43 percent from its original 2020 budget to $71 million (25.6 billion naira), according to the budget proposal, now with parliament before final presidential approval.

Spain to further ease restrictions

Spain will further ease a coronavirus lockdown in its two main cities from Monday, but will not start opening its borders to foreign tourists before July 1 while it seeks a common European stance on safe travel, the government said on Friday.

Health Minister Salvador Illa said some restrictions would be lifted in Madrid and Barcelona, which have so far lagged behind the rest of the country's easing programme.

From Monday, bar and restaurant patrons will be allowed to sit inside rather than exclusively on outdoor terraces, while children will be able to play outside at any time of day.

South Africa's cases rise 

Even as South Africa eases its coronavirus lockdown, infection numbers have started to rise quickly and President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday he was particularly concerned about the province around Cape Town.

Western Cape, whose Table Mountain and wine tours make it a leading tourist destination, has become the country's main coronavirus hotspot, with around two-thirds of the country's total 40,792 cases. It has also recorded 651 out of the the country's total of 848 deaths.

South Africa recorded its largest daily jump of cases on Thursday, with 3,267 new cases.

Ugandan premier goes into self-isolation

Uganda's prime minster on Friday said he went into a self-isolation after some of his contacts tested positive for Covid-19.

"I have gone into self isolation after some of my contacts tested positive for Covid-19," Ruhakana Rugunda said in a tweet.

"My own test result is negative, however, I have taken this decision as a health recommended measure," he added.

Japan aims to have vaccines in use by June 2021

Japan aims to put coronavirus vaccines into use by June 2021, the health minister said on Friday, as the country strives to be fully ready to host the Tokyo Olympics, originally planned for this summer but postponed by one year due to the pandemic.

Drugmakers around the world are scrambling to develop a treatment or vaccine for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the highly infectious new coronavirus which has so far killed nearly 400,000 people worldwide.

Swiss to open borders EU countries

Switzerland plans to open its borders to European Union countries, EFTA members and Britain on June 15, the government said on Friday, bringing forward its timetable as cases of the novel coronavirus ebb.

Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter informed her cabinet colleagues of the move, which goes further than an original plan to open borders with neighbours Germany, Austria and France on June 15 and aim to add more countries by July 6.

Meanwhile, the EU may also reopen its external borders as of early July, the bloc’s commissioner for home affairs has announced.

Pandemic 'under control' in France

The Covid-19 pandemic is now "under control" in France, the head of the government's scientific advisory council said, as the country cautiously emerges from a lockdown imposed in March.

"We can reasonably say the virus is currently under control," Jean-Francois Delfraissy told France Inter radio. "The virus is still circulating, in certain regions in particular ... but it is circulating slowly." 

Delfraissy, an immunologist, and his colleagues were appointed to the coronavirus advisory panel as authorities sought to contain an outbreak that has killed more than 29,000 people in France.

The number of daily deaths has fallen, with just 44 reported by the health ministry and 1,163 patients in intensive care – well below the peak of more than 7,000 critical cases in early April.

Delfraissy said around 1,000 new cases were currently being reported in France per day.

Malaysia reports 19 new cases, one new death

Malaysia reported 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases, taking the cumulative total to 8,266 infections.

The health ministry also reported its first death in two weeks, raising the number of fatalities to 116.

Earlier during the day, Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin unveiled an additional economic stimulus package worth around $8.2 billion in a bid to revitalise industries badly hit by the pandemic.

Indonesian capital opens mosques as lockdown eased

Indonesia's capital opened mosques for the first time in nearly three months as the megacity loosens a partial lockdown despite coronavirus cases mounting in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.

Churches and other houses of worship also resumed service after Jakarta's governor announced an easing of restrictions, with shuttered offices, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions slated to start operations in the coming weeks.

Indonesia has confirmed more than 29,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,770 deaths, with infection rates slowing in Jakarta itself. But the country of more than 260 million has among the lowest testing rates in the world.

Iran's death toll crosses 8,100

Iran confirmed 63 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus during the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,134.

A further 2,886 people tested positive for the virus, raising the overall count to 167,156, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.

Jahanpour said 129,741 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,573 patients remain in critical condition.

Some 1.04 million tests have been conducted in the country so far, according to the spokesman.

India reports biggest single-day spike in cases

India registered more than 9,800 new cases of the coronavirus in another biggest single-day spike.

The health ministry said the total number of confirmed cases reached 226,770, with 6,348 deaths, 273 of them in the past 24 hours. The overall rate of recovery is around 48 percent.

There has been a surge in infections in rural areas following the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who left cities after the lockdown in late March.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced India’s contribution of $15 million to the international vaccine alliance during his address to the virtual Global Vaccine Summit hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday.

Czechs drop travel curbs for Austria, Germany, Hungary 

The Czech government agreed to fully open its borders with neighbours Austria and Germany and also allow unrestricted travel with Hungary from noon on Friday, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Twitter.

The decision follows Thursday's full opening of the border with Slovakia

Thailand reports one new case, no new deaths

Thailand reported one new coronavirus infection and no new deaths, taking its total confirmed cases to 3,102, of which 58 have been fatalities.

The new case was a Thai man who had returned from Kuwait and was in quarantine, where most of Thailand's recent cases have been detected, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Covid-19 Administration Centre. A total of 2,971 patients have recovered.

Germany's confirmed cases rise to 183,271

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 394 to 183,271, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed.

The reported death toll rose by 26 to 8,613, the tally showed.

New Zealand extends wage subsidy scheme

New Zealand said that it was extending its wage subsidy scheme to help an additional 40,000 businesses keep staff employed as they recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

After feedback from businesses, the government decided to change the required revenue drop threshold for firms to apply for wage subsidy to 40 percent from 50 percent, finance minister Grant Robertson said in a statement.

Robertson said small businesses would also be given more time to apply for a cashflow loan scheme.

Brazil's official coronavirus death toll passes Italy

Brazil's death toll from the novel coronavirus has surged past 34,000 to become the third-highest in the world, surpassing Italy's, according to official figures.

The South American country reported a new record of 1,473 deaths in 24 hours, bringing its overall toll to 34,021, behind only the US and Britain.

Brazil has now confirmed 614,941 infections, the health ministry said – the second-largest caseload in the world, behind the US.

Experts say under-testing in Brazil means the real numbers are probably much higher.

Argentina extends lockdown in Buenos Aires 

Argentina extended a mandatory lockdown in Buenos Aires, the capital, and some other parts of the country until June 28, as confirmed virus cases continue to rise, surpassing 20,000 earlier in the day.

The three-week extension of the lockdown, which had been due to expire June 7, will impact the capital city, the province of Buenos Aires and some other areas that account for the highest concentration of confirmed infections, President Alberto Fernandez said during a press conference. 

The rest of the country will move to a phase of "mandatory and preventive social distancing".

Mexico sees record increase in cases, 816 more deaths

The number of virus infections in Mexico surpassed the record set just the previous day, and officials reported 816 more deaths as the pandemic engulfs Latin America's major nations.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier defended his government's handling of the outbreak after reported deaths spiked this week. Health officials said the fatalities included many deaths that happened weeks ago and have now been reclassified.

Thursday's additions bring Mexico's tally to a total of 105,680 cases and 12,545 deaths.

China reports five new cases, no deaths

China is reporting five new confirmed virus cases, all of them brought by Chinese citizens from outside the country.

No new deaths were reported, continuing a trend stretching back weeks.

Chinese officials say just 66 people remain in treatment and 299 more are under isolation and being monitoring as suspected cases.

China has reported 4,634 deaths among 83,027 cases since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Spain study confirms few have developed antibodies to virus

A second round of random testing in Spain for antibodies to the virus indicates that a third of those infected do not develop symptoms, Spanish health authorities said.

National Epidemiological Center Director Marina Pollán called the data released Thursday “a wake-up call for public health" that shows "it is not possible to control (an outbreak) by just considering those who are symptomatic".

Results from the latest round of the nationwide testing confirmed the preliminary finding published three weeks ago showing that blood tests had detected the IGG antibody against the virus in only 5 percent of the 63,000 participants.

California gov fears virus spread amid protests

California Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s concerned about the spread of the virus as thousands of people gather for protests against police brutality across the state.

He said Thursday while visiting Stockton the state should prepare for an increase in the positive test rate because of both the protests and the reopening that’s underway.

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