Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:
More than 5 million cases worldwide
After the biggest single-day increase in cases worldwide so far in the pandemic, the number of confirmed infections has passed 5 million, with the Johns Hopkins University data currently listing 5,016,171. The true number is likely to be significantly higher, due to differing testing rates, delays and under-reporting. This is true for deaths, too. At least 328,471 people have lost their lives in the pandemic so far.
World sees largest daily rise in cases
The World Health Organization gave a stark warning on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, after 106,000 new cases were recorded worldwide over the past 24 hours – the most in a single day so far. Speaking in Geneva, the WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the virus was spreading in poorer countries, just as wealthier nations were emerging from lockdown.
Wuhan bans eating wild animals
In China, the city at the centre of the initial coronavirus outbreak has officially banned eating wild animals. A notice on the Wuhan municipal government’s website on Wednesday said that it is now prohibited to eat, hunt or breed wild animals, including terrestrial animals deemed as protected, as well as those that exist in the wild or are bred.
IOC warns Tokyo Olympics will have to be scrapped if delayed beyond 2021
The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, has warned that the Tokyo Games would have to be scrapped if the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for them to take place next year. But Bach added that the IOC is committed to holding the Games, even though the outbreak could force organisers to take precautions, including quarantining athletes.
Russia’s Covid-19 death toll passes 3,000
The official coronavirus death toll in Russia passed 3,000 on Thursday, as a US transport plane made its way to deliver ventilators to help treat Russian patients with severe symptoms. Officials said 127 people had died of the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours, bringing the total official death toll to 3,099. The country’s nationwide tally of confirmed cases of coronavirus, the world’s second highest, reached 317,554, after 8,849 more people tested positive for the virus.
EasyJet to resume some flights in France and UK
EasyJet is to resume a small number of flights in the UK and France on 15 June, with increased safety measures onboard including mandatory wearing of face masks, as it returns to the skies after grounding its entire fleet on 30 March.
Afghanistan runs out of hospital beds for Covid-19 patients
Afghanistan’s health ministry has said it has run out of hospital beds for Covid-19 patients in most parts of the war-torn country. Officials warned of a human catastrophe on the eve of Eid with streets “full of dead bodies” amid a continued surge of transmission across the nation, as Kabul recorded its worst day of the crisis for the second day running.
Europe warned about second wave of coronavirus infections
Europe should brace itself for a second wave of coronavirus infections, according to the director of the EU agency responsible for advising governments on disease control. “The question is when and how big. That is the question in my view,” said Dr Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Trump considers an in-person G7 meeting despite pandemic
Donald Trump has said he may seek to revive a face-to-face meeting of Group of Seven leaders near Washington, after earlier cancelling the gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I am considering rescheduling the G7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, DC, at the legendary Camp David,” the US president tweeted on Wednesday. “The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all – normalization!”