Local authorities interview residents at the Santa Cruz neighborhood, which has been put in quarantine, in Medellin, Colombia, on June 1, 2020. (Photo by AFP)
More than 6.38 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 around the world, and some 379,131 people have died of the disease, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
One-third of all the deaths have occurred in the United States, which stands on the top of the list of the worst-affected counties with 1,831,821 confirmed cases and 106,180 fatalities.
Some 2.7 million patients have recovered from the disease around the world.
The virus continues to rip through Latin America, the "red zone" of transmissions in the world, according to the UN, with more than one million cases and over 50,000 deaths.
Brazil alone has reported half a million of those cases and more than 31,000 deaths.
Italy, which at one point was the hardest hit country, has started to reopen its borders for the European summer, after three months of economically crippling lockdown measures.
The following is the latest on the coronavirus pandemic from around the world:
Brazil sets new daily record for deaths
Brazil has set another daily record in coronavirus deaths, with 1,262 people having lost their lives in the 24 hours to Tuesday evening, the countrys Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The latest figure pushed the countrys overall tally to 31,199 - the fourth-highest death toll in the world, after the US, Britain, and Italy.
And while many countries are emerging from weeks of quarantine, others are tightening their restrictions as infection rates fluctuate from country to country.
Peru extends national emergency
Peru has extended its national emergency until the end of this month.
Peruvian officials reported 4,845 additional cases of infection and 133 new deaths on Tuesday. Those figures pushed the countrys overall tallies to 174,884 cases and 4,767 deaths.
Peru has the second-highest number of cases in South America, behind Brazil.
Bolivia set to hold polls in September
In Bolivia, authorities are making door-to-door checks as part of efforts to contain the virus, which has infected 10,991 people and killed 343.
The Andean countrys presidential election, which has been postponed due the epidemic, will be held on September 6.
Contagion ‘at maximum intensity in Mexico
Mexico has begun reopening several sectors of the economy, including the mining and construction and tourist industries, as the countrys deputy health minister said on Tuesday that the epidemic had reached its maximum intensity in Mexico.
The ministry reported an additional 3,891 cases and 470 more deaths on Tuesday.
Those took the countrys tallies to 97,326 cases and 10,637 deaths. Health authorities say the real number of cases is higher.
Italy opens borders to EU travelers
Italy opened its doors to travelers from Europe on Wednesday.
The number of active cases in the country dropped to below 40,000 on Tuesday, for the first time since March 20, according to Italys Civil Protection Agency. There are currently 39,893 people being treated for COVID-19.
Italy, the first European country to be hit hard by the epidemic, has officially reported 33,350 deaths and 233,515 confirmed cases to date.
French daily death toll passes 100
The number of the deaths from COVID-19 in France rose by 107 in a 24-hour period for the first time in 13 days.
The figure pushed the total tally to 28,943, the fifth-highest in the world, according to the French Health Ministry.
France, with 188,450 confirmed cases of COVID-19, began the second phase of easing lockdown restrictions on Tuesday, under which cafés and restaurants are allowed to reopen indoor sitting in the areas where the infection rate has significantly diminished.
Germany lifts travel warning for Europe
Germany is set to lift a travel warning for Europe on Wednesday, according to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
The travel warning will be replaced by travel advice that provides tourists with detailed information about the situation in each European country. The wider global travel warning still applies, though.
On Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Germany increased by 342 to 182,370, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases. The reported death toll rose by 29 to 8,551.
Russia reports over 8,500 new cases
Russia reported 8,536 additional cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking its nationwide tally to 432,277.
The death toll in the country reached 5,215 after authorities registered another 178 deaths in the past day.
Russia is now the third in the world in terms of confirmed cases of infection.
South Korea approves emergency use of remdesivir
South Korea on Wednesday approved imports of the antivirus drug remdesivir, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
"Remdesivir can help reduce the amount of coronavirus in the body," the ministry said in a statement. "This can help the patients condition improve faster."
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the drug last month after a US government study said it reduced hospitalization stays by 31 percent, or about four days.
Japanese health authorities have also approved Gilead Sciences Incs remdesivir to treat COVID-19.
The drug is considered an investigational treatment for COVID-19 elsewhere in the world, according to Gilead.
South Korea reported 49 new cases of the viral infection on Tuesday, bringing the countrys total to 11,590 cases, with 273 deaths.
New Zealand considers restoring normal life
New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will decide to lift all social distancing measures to return the country to normal life.
She said on Wednesday that she would wait until Monday to see if recent changes, like the removal of restrictions on the number of people in bars and at social gatherings, had led to a rise in cases of infection.
"If it hasnt, then we will be in a good position to move," she said during a televised news conference.
There will be no immediate plans to reopen the countrys border, though.
New Zealand has had 1,504 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 22 deaths.
SOURCE: PRESS TV
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/18106
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