Coronavirus latest: at a glance
Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:
Global cases pass six million
The world has passed the milestone of six million confirmed coronavirus cases, with 6,048,384 confirmed infections worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The US is the worst-affected country in terms of cases and deaths, with 1,769,776 infections and 103,685 fatalities.
Donald Trump postpones G7 summit
In a dramatic pivot, US president Donald Trump has postponed the Group of Seven summit that he wanted to hold in June. He will also expand the list of countries invited to attend the rescheduled event to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his return to Washington from Cape Canaveral in Florida, Trump said the G7 in its current format was a “very outdated group of countries”. He added: “I’m postponing it because I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world.”
Concerns of UK test and trace system
British ministers have been accused of creating a “false sense of security” by launching a test and trace system that is not yet capable of controlling local outbreaks. A series of concerns have been raised over the gaps in the system launched last week, with local health chiefs warning that they have not been given the time, powers or data to prepare for outbreaks in their area. They said that they were given details of their roles just four working days before Matt Hancock, the health secretary, launched test and trace last week.
Spanish lockdown to be extended
Spain’s prime minister has said he will ask parliament to agree to a last two-week extension of the state of emergency lockdown until 21 June, after which the government will no longer restrict citizens’ movements, newspaper El Pais reported. Pedro Sanchez told regional government leaders that this would be the last lockdown as infection rates have reduced dramatically in one of the European countries worst hit by the pandemic. The country’s death toll rose by four on Saturday to 27,125, the health ministry said.
Brazil cases near 500,000.
Brazil registered a record 33,274 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, its health ministry said, raising the total to 498,440 in a country with one of the world’s worst outbreaks. The death toll in Brazil from Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, increased to 28,834, with 956 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.
Los Angeles shuts down Covid-19 testing amid protests.
Coronavirus testing centres in Los Angeles, California have been closed due to safety concerns amid protests over the death of George Floyd, according to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the centres were being closed “because of the safety worries across the city”.
South Korea reports 27 new cases
South Korea has reported 27 new cases of the coronavirus, including 21 from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where officials have been scrambling to stem transmissions linked to club-goers and warehouse workers. The figures announced by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday brought national totals to 11,468 cases and 270 deaths. Twelve of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.
Two of Islam’s holiest sites re-open
Large numbers of mosques across Saudi Arabia have reopened for the first time in more than two months, but worshipers have been ordered to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed to the public. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site for Muslims after Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina, also reopened for prayers for the first time since it was closed since mid-March.
