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Keeping you up to date on the latest novel coronavirus (Covid-19) news from around the world.
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Coronavirus toll at 11:00 GMT Thursday
Paris – The novel coronavirus has killed at least 482 802 people since emerging in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 11:00 (GMT) on Thursday.
At least 9 450 110 cases of Covid-19 have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 4 672 300 are considered recovered.
The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.
The United States is the worst-hit country with 121 979 deaths from 2 381 369 cases. At least 656 161 people have been declared recovered.
After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 53 830 deaths from 1 188 631 cases, Britain with 43 081 deaths from 306 862 cases, Italy with 34 644 deaths from 239 410 cases, and France with 29 731 deaths from 197 755 cases.
- AFP
Virus resurging in Europe as restrictions ease - WHO
Copenhagen – Europe has seen a surge of Covid-19 cases since countries began easing restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the potentially fatal virus, the World Health Organisation said on Thursday.
"Last week, Europe saw an increase in weekly cases for the first time in months," the WHO's regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters.
He said more than two dozen countries in Europe had seen resurgences of the deadly virus.
"Thirty countries have seen increases in new cumulative cases over the past two weeks. In 11 of these countries, accelerated transmission has led to very significant resurgence that if left unchecked will push health systems to the brink once again in Europe," he warned.
Kluge did not identify the countries by name, nor provide detailed numbers.
- AFP
New coronavirus cluster at Italy courier warehouse - report
Rome – A cluster of new coronavirus cases has emerged at a warehouse in the Italian city of Bologna used by express courier Bartolini, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.
The company uncovered 44 asymptomatic cases – including two drivers – after testing all workers at the warehouse in central-northern Italy following the discovery of two members of staff with the virus, the Resto del Carlino daily said.
Bartolini (BRT) has closed the warehouse although deliveries continue. It was expected to test all staff who have come into contact with those with the virus, the daily said.
- AFP
Romania reports record high coronavirus infection numbers
BUCHAREST – Romania reported its highest number of daily infections with the new coronavirus in two months on Thursday, as it prepares to assess a new phase of relaxation next week.
President Klaus Iohannis ordered a strict lockdown in early March to help rein in the outbreak and replaced the state of emergency with a softer state of alert in May, that is set to run until mid-July.
"Today, unfortunately, we witness higher numbers than usual, but I hope this will change ... I call on the population to maintain rules of hygiene, those rules of precaution and physical distance," Health Minister Nelu Tataru said.
The government said Romania has recorded 25 286 cases of Covid-19 infections so far, of which about 18 000 patients recovered and 1 565 died. Over the past 24 hours it recorded 460 new cases.
- REUTERS
Senegal president self-quarantines after contact with Covid-19 case
DAKAR – Senegalese President Macky Sall is quarantining for two weeks after coming into contact with someone who has since tested positive for the coronavirus, state television said on Thursday.
The measure is precautionary as an initial Covid-19 test of Sall has come back negative, it said.
- REUTERS
Indonesia reports 1 178 new coronavirus infections, cases pass 50 000
JAKARTA – Indonesia reported 1 178 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking its total number of cases to 50 187.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 47 more deaths recorded, with total fatalities now at 2 620, the highest Covid-19 death toll in East Asia outside of China.
- REUTERS
US jobless claims top 47.2m with 1.48m new filings
Washington – Another 1.48 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday, a worse-than-expected figure that showed the continuing potency of the coronavirus pandemic.
The new claims brought the total since the business shutdowns began in mid-March to more than 47.2 million, while the insured unemployment rate indicating people actually receiving benefits dropped half a point to 13.4% in the week ended 13 June.
- AFP
France announces 'large scale' virus testing campaign
Paris – France said on Thursday it was launching a "large scale" coronavirus testing campaign in a bid to identify any dormant infection clusters.
Some 1.3 million people in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, will receive vouchers for a virus test, Health Minister Olivier Veran told Le Monde newspaper. Even those who display no symptoms would be eligible, he said.
People who live near previous hotspots will be targeted in a bid to identify asymptomatic carriers who may be transmitting the virus without knowing it, said the minister.
The tests would determine if a person is currently infected, not whether they had had the virus previously.
The government will start with a pilot campaign in Ile-de-France and three other regions – between them accounting for about three-quarters of people who required intensive care for coronavirus complications.
- AFP
Greece woos tourists with pledge of 'maximum' virus safety
Athens – Greece has taken every possible care to shield tourists from Covid-19 as it prepares to open additional airports to travellers on 1 July, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday.
With a quarter of the nation's economy dependent on tourism, the government faces an urgent challenge to reassure potential visitors they can safely vacation in Greece as Europe begins to open back up to travel.
"Every possible care has been taken to enable us to receive visitors with the maximum safety possible from July 1," he told a Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) event.
Greece on 1 July will open regional and island airports to passenger flights, mostly from Europe.
"All destinations on the mainland and islands have reinforced medical facilities," the PM said.
While Greece officially declared a launch to the tourism season on 15 June, many hotel owners have been sceptical about reopening owing to low demand, leaving thousands of seasonal employees in a precarious situation.
- AFP
Half a million Senegalese school children return to class
Dakar – Half a million Senegalese schoolchildren returned to class on Thursday, under instructions to wear face masks and keep a distance from each other, after three months of absence.
The government in the West Africa state shut schools in mid-March in a bid to curb coronavirus infections.
It initially intended to open them again on 5 June, but delayed the decision at the last minute after several teachers were found to have caught the virus.
Thursday's reopening affects 551 000 children out of some 3.5 million in Senegal, with only pupils who are sitting exams this year returning to class.
"We have reduced the number of pupils in the classes, some of which have fewer than 20 (people)," said Abdoul Diop, a headmaster in the capital Dakar, where class sizes are often large.
Diop explained that all his students were wearing masks – which the school had made available, alongside hand sanitisers.
Senegal has recorded 6 233 coronavirus cases to date, with 94 fatalities.
- AFP
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