Nations are starting to ease coronavirus restrictions, stating that the number of new coronavirus cases is declining. Countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are lifting lockdown and travel bans, also allowing businesses to reopen after several months of being closed.
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Senate has confirmed White House lawyer Brian Miller to be the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery.
Miller was confirmed on Tuesday with a 51-40 vote.
Miller will provide oversight to the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law to provide relief to the US public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Miller said he will "maintain open communication" with all lawmakers and intends to be as transparent as possible.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that 6,194,533 people have been infected with the new coronavirus globally.
The daily situation report estimated the number of infections confirmed in the past 24 hours at 113,198. Further 4,242 virus-related deaths were reported during the same period.
Americas continue to lead in the number of overall coronavirus cases, with 2.9 million people contracting the respiratory disease and more than 163,000 dying from it.
Europe has the world's highest death toll of more than 182,000, with 2.1 million cases confirmed. Africa brings up the rear with 108,121 cases and 2,700 virus-related deaths.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow has registered 61 deaths of patients infected with COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the Russian capital's death toll to 2,685, the city's coronavirus response center said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Another 61 patients, who were diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for the coronavirus infection, died in Moscow," it said.
This figure is the city's lowest one-day COVID-19 death toll since 23 May, when 59 deaths were registered.
In the previous day, 71 people infected with the coronavirus died in Moscow.
PARIS (Sputnik) - The number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded in France since the start of the outbreak has reached 28,940, data published by the Health Ministry on Tuesday shows.
The health authority reported 84 virus-related deaths in hospitals in the past day, bringing the number of those who died in hospitals to 18,590. The total number of coronavirus deaths in other medical-social institutions now stands at 10,350.
Overall, 101,738 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since the epidemic began. Of them, 14,288 people are receiving treatment now, including 1,253 in intensive care units. This is down from, 16,264 and 1,555 patients, respectively, a week ago.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Most parts of the US state of Virginia will be able to begin a new phase of economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic beginning 5 June, Governor Ralph Northam told reporters on Tuesday.
“Our health data continues to look good. Based on that, I feel comfortable allowing most of Virginia to move into phase 2 this Friday, June 5,” Northam said.
The governor said the state’s capital and biggest city - Richmond - as well as suburbs of Washington, DC in Northern Virginia will remain in the initial phase of the recovery plan until the situation improves.
“They only moved into phase one last Friday, and we need more time to monitor their health metrics,” he said.
Speaking of entering the new phase, the governor said it means more flexibility for some businesses. Restaurants and fitness centers can resume indoor activities with serious limitations, while pools, museums and botanical gardens can reopen with some restrictions, he said.
“Gatherings will be limited to 50 people, rather than 10,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, Northam called on people to continue staying at home, if it is possible.
“We still strongly encourage teleworking and physical distancing,” he said. “Face covering required at indoor spaces.”
The governor has promised to provide more details on a new phase of the recovery plan on Thursday.
As of Tuesday, Virginia registered 46,239 COVID-19 cases and 1,407 deaths, most of them occurred in the city of Richmond and in the northern parts of the state near the US national capital.
“I think it is reasonable to expect that there will be some form of a vaccine that could be available at some level to a certain population by the end of the year, or the first [days] of the next year”, Sammons-Jackson, director of the Military infectious Disease Research Program at the US Army Medical Research and Development Command, told a virtual media briefing. “That's based on the goals presented from efforts engaged in Operation Warp Speed. Certainly that would be the intent”.
“Operation Warp Speed” is the code for the Trump administration’s initiative to develop a COVID-19 vaccine at the pace at which the Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb during World War II.
Spain on Tuesday registered zero deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours for the second day in a row, according to the country's Health Ministry.
Since the epidemic's beginning, Spain has confirmed a total of 27,127 COVID-19 fatalities, the same number as in the reports for Sunday and Monday, making it the second day without new deaths.
The number of confirmed cases has increased by 137 to 239,932, a negative trend compared to Monday's 71 new cases.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom’s COVID-19 death toll has risen by 324 over the preceding 24 hours, a significant rise from the 111 new fatalities reported the day before, the country’s Department of Health and Social Care said on Tuesday.
The latest increase to the country’s COVID-19 death toll is the largest in four days and takes the overall number of coronavirus disease-related deaths in the country to 39,369.
On Monday, the department registered 111 new fatalities over the preceding 24 hours, indicative of the lower number of cases and deaths reported by the country's public health authorities on weekends and non-working days.
The number of new cases also increased on Tuesday when compared to figures released the day before. Public health authorities in the UK confirmed 1,613 new positive tests for COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the country’s case total to 277,985.
The department on Monday reported 1,570 new cases of the disease, which was the lowest daily increase to the case total since 25 March, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
TORONTO (Sputnik) - The number of Canadians who have contracted the novel coronavirus increased to 92,151 on Tuesday, Public Health Agency data revealed.
The virus-related death toll rose to 7,344, the data also showed.
The province of Quebec remains the epicentre of the outbreak in Canada, accounting for more than half of all confirmed cases - 51,354 - and 4,661 deaths.
The province of Ontario trails with 28,709 confirmed cases and 2,293 COVID-19-related fatalities.
Ontario and Quebec account for more than 86 percent of all infections and 94 percent of deaths in Canada.
"At the moment, in Europe, in Western Europe, we are seeing a steady decline. It is not speedy but there is a steady decline in new cases being reported daily, so that means that the number of new cases is still significant but the number reported each day is coming down except for Russia and Eastern Europe where we are still seeing the rise", the spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Harris said during a briefing, without providing any statistical data for Russia.
"The reopening of cafes, hotels and restaurants marks the return of happy days! There is no doubt that the French will be there to regain this part of the French spirit, our culture and our art of living", French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter.
He added that the businesses in this sector would continue to benefit from state support "at these difficult times".
La réouverture des cafés, hôtels et restaurants signe le retour des jours heureux ! Nul doute que les Français seront là pour retrouver cette part de l’esprit français, de notre culture et de notre art de vivre. En ces temps difficiles, l'État continuera à soutenir ce secteur.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 2, 2020
According to the British Office for National Statistics at least 12,739 people had died in care homes in England and Wales as of 22 May. At the same time, the statistics regulator stressed in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, that the government numbers are "still far from complete and comprehensible".
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Mexico continues to be at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, having registered 237 new coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 10,167, the country’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday, adding that the number of active cases rose from yesterday's 90,664 to 93,435.
"To date, unfortunately, 10,167 people have died in Mexico", Jose Luis Alomia, the director of epidemiology at the Health Ministry, said during a press conference, broadcast on Twitter.
In the past 24 hours, the ministry's laboratory confirmed 237 COVID-19 cases among deceased patients, while another 851 fatalities are being investigated as suspicious.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has registered 8,863 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (9,035 yesterday), which means that the daily increase is down to 2.1 percent from yesterday's 2.2 percent, the national coronavirus response centre said on Tuesday.
"The Russian Federation has recorded a cumulative total of 423,741 cases of coronavirus infection (+2.1 percent) in 85 regions", the centre said in a statement, adding that 8,863 cases have been recorded in 84 regions over the past 24 hours.
As many as 3,715 cases (41.9 percent) have been detected with people showing no clinical symptoms, the response centre specified.
Of the new cases, 2,286 were registered in Moscow, 732 in the Moscow Region, and 376 in St. Petersburg (compared to yesterday's 2,297, 728, and 364, respectively).
The country's COVID-19 death toll has grown by 182 (162 yesterday) to 5,037.
As many as 11,108 COVID-19 patients have recovered in Russia over the past 24 hours (3,994 yesterday). The total number of cured people has grown to 186,985.
A total of 11.1 million tests to detect COVID-19 have been conducted in the country since the beginning of the outbreak, and 304,000 suspected virus carriers across Russia remain under medical observation, Russian public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said.
"Our strategy of 'go hard, go early' has paid off... and in some cases, beyond expectations", PM Jacinda Ardern stated at a news conference.
According to her, the country has almost eliminated the virus, which means all social distancing measures and limits on mass gatherings could be lifted next week.
Some 8,171 fresh coronavirus infections have been registered over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 198,706.
Health Ministry data shows that Maharashtra is still reporting the highest number of new cases, while Tamil Nadu witnessed the biggest jump. Fresh cases in the national capital declined to 990.
The COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 5,598 in India, nearly 2.8% of total COVID-19 patients.
