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HEALTH-VIRUS-WORLD FACTS
Coronavirus: latest global developments
PARIS, June 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments in
the coronavirus crisis.
– Brazil leaps to third place –
Brazil’s death toll from the new coronavirus surpasses Italy’s to
become the third-highest in the world, underlining the problem the
virus is posing for Latin America, the pandemic’s latest epicentre.
Brazil reports a new record of 1,473 deaths in 24 hours, bringing
its overall toll to 34,021. It has now confirmed 614,941 infections,
the second-largest caseload in the world, behind the United States.
– Pandemic ‘under control’: France –
The pandemic is now “under control” in France, the head of the
government’s scientific advisory council says, as Europe cautiously
lifts a lockdown imposed in March.
“The virus is still circulating, in certain regions in
particular… but it is circulating slowly,” Jean-Francois Delfraissy
tells France Inter radio.
– More than 390,000 deaths –
The pandemic has killed at least 390,868 people worldwide since it
surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100
GMT on Friday, based on official sources.
The United States is the worst-hit country with 108,211 deaths,
followed by Britain with 39,904, Brazil with 34,021, Italy with
33,689, and France with 29,065 fatalities.
– Borders reopen –
The Czech Republic says it will fully open borders with Austria and
Germany on Friday, 10 days earlier than planned.
– Easing restrictions –
Las Vegas casinos throw open their doors on Thursday after 11 weeks
of closure, with roulette wheels and slot machines whirring to life
minutes after midnight.
The Indonesian capital Jakarta reopens mosques for the first time
in nearly three months.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancels a weekend curfew,
pointing to concerns over the economy.
– Economic pain –
Top oil producing countries decide to meet Saturday via video
conference instead of next week to assess their current agreement on
output cuts amid the pandemic, which has led to a supply glut.
New orders for German manufacturing firms saw their sharpest fall
on record in April during the shutdown, plunging 25.8 percent from
March.
And German-owned luxury car brand Bentley says it will axe around
1,000 jobs in the UK, almost one-quarter of its workforce there, due
to the coronavirus-induced downturn.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1829hrs