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HEALTH-VIRUS-WORLD FACTS
Coronavirus: latest global developments
PARIS, May 22, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in
the coronavirus crisis.
– China hails ‘achievements’ –
China praises its own response to the coronavirus outbreak, Premier
Li Keqiang saying Beijing has made “major strategic achievements”.
The outbreak first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan
late last year and spread globally — sparking accusations that
Beijing had mishandled its initial response. The Asian giant has
become the first to emerge from the crisis after suffering 4,634
deaths.
Li says China now faces “immense” economic challenges — it has not
set an annual growth target for the first time in decades.
– Latin America deaths surge –
Brazil’s death toll — the sixth highest of any country — has
doubled in just 11 days. The epicentre of Latin America’s outbreak has
now recorded more than 20,000 dead.
In Chile, coronavirus deaths have increased by 29 percent over the
past 24 hours.
The United Nations says the economic crisis caused by the pandemic
has left an extra 11.5 million people unemployed in Latin America.
– More than 332,800 deaths –
The pandemic has killed at least 332,870 people worldwide since it
surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100
GMT on Friday based on official sources.
There have been at least 5,109,296 officially recorded cases in 196
countries and territories.
The United States has recorded the most deaths at 94,729. It is
followed by Britain with 36,042, Italy with 32,486, France with 28,215
and Spain with 27,940.
– France to hold delayed elections –
France will hold a second round of municipal elections on June 28
after they were called off in March because of a lockdown, Prime
Minister Edouard Philippe says.
– Russia’s economy plunges –
Russia’s economy is forecast to shrink by 9.5 percent in the second
quarter of 2020 compared with the same period last year, while yearly
GDP will fall by five percent, economy minister Maksim Reshetnikov
says.
Russia is second only to the United States in the number of
registered coronavirus cases, but officials have said the situation is
stabilising.
– Quarantine in Britain –
Britain is to introduce a quarantine period of 14 days for those
arriving in the UK, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis says.
UK retail sales dived by a record 18.1 percent in April with
clothing sales by volume in particular plunging by more than half
compared with the previous month.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1836hrs