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COVID-19 Live Updates: EU Mulling Aid for Virus-Hit Firms Left Without Support in Home Countries

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The death toll from the coronavirus throughout the world has reached 328,120, while over 4.99 million infections have been detected, and more than 1.89 million... 21.05.2020, Sputnik International

2020-05-21T04:46+0000

2020-05-21T13:16+0000

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countries ease lockdown measures while covid-19 cases surpass 4 mln worldwide, newsfeed, world health organization (who)

People enjoy the weather at a cafe at Gendarmenmarkt square where social distancing measures are applied, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany May 16, 2020.
- Sputnik International

COVID-19 Live Updates: EU Mulling Aid for Virus-Hit Firms Left Without Support in Home Countries

04:46 GMT 21.05.2020 (Updated: 13:16 GMT 21.05.2020)

The death toll from the coronavirus throughout the world has reached 328,120, while over 4.99 million infections have been detected, and more than 1.89 million of those patients have recovered, according to Baltimore, Maryland's Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from national and local authorities, media and other sources.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) spokesperson has warned about a possible second wave of coronavirus and stressed that the pandemic still poses a threat as the global number of those infected is nearing 5 million.

The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 1,551,853, including 93,439 deaths and 294,312 recoveries. Russia has the second largest number of coronavirus cases: 308,705, with 85,392 recoveries and 2,972 fatalities. In Europe, Italy, Spain, and the UK have been among the worst-affected countries.

The World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March.

Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

Table of contents

18:02 GMT 21.05.2020

Iraq Registers 153 New COVID-19 Cases in Record Daily Growth – Health Ministry

18:00 GMT 21.05.2020

Turkish Government Taking Steps to Limit Spread of COVID-19 Among Refugees- UNHCR Official

17:58 GMT 21.05.2020

Spain's Coronavirus Deaths Fall Below 50 as Cases Continue to Slow Down

16:39 GMT 21.05.2020

Canada Surpasses 80,000 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 6,000 Deaths - Health Agency

15:04 GMT 21.05.2020

Kuwait’s COVID-19 Infections Accelerate, Rise by 1,041 Over Past 24 Hours – Ministry

14:53 GMT 21.05.2020

Russian Foreign Ministry Calls EU’s Accusations of COVID-19 Misinformation 'Cynical'

14:52 GMT 21.05.2020

Italy's Prime Minister Says 'Worst Is Behind,' Urges Citizens to Continue Precautions

14:52 GMT 21.05.2020

Serbia Registered 86 New COVID-19 Cases Amid Eased Lockdown - Health Ministry

14:51 GMT 21.05.2020

City Hospital in UK’s Peterborough Exits Lockdown Imposed After Reports of Nearby Violence

14:50 GMT 21.05.2020

Pelosi, Schumer Want US Flags Lowered to Half Staff When COVID-19 Death Toll Hits 100,000

13:31 GMT 21.05.2020

UK Death Toll From Coronavirus Surges to 36,042 From 35,704 Day Before

13:08 GMT 21.05.2020

EU Mulling Aid for Virus-Hit Firms Left Without Support in Home Countries

13:01 GMT 21.05.2020

UK Starts Global Trial of Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine as Medicines Against COVID-19

12:43 GMT 21.05.2020

COVID-19 Death Toll in Finland Reaches 306, Includes Mainly Seniors - Health Authorities

12:11 GMT 21.05.2020

Bangladeshi Pharmaceutical Firm to Begin Remdesivir Delivery to Treat COVID-19

12:10 GMT 21.05.2020

Armenian Health Minister Says 270 Children Infected With COVID-19

12:04 GMT 21.05.2020

Oman Records 327 New COVID-19 Cases, Including 222 Among Foreign Nationals

11:53 GMT 21.05.2020

Nearly 10,000 People Lost Jobs in Japan Since February Due to COVID-19 - Reports

11:13 GMT 21.05.2020

Georgia to Lift Coronavirus State of Emergency, Curfew

11:01 GMT 21.05.2020

Estonia's Coronavirus Record Highest in Baltics as Case Count Reaches 1,800

10:40 GMT 21.05.2020

South Korean Gov't Fears Community Transmission of Coronavirus Via Night Clubs

10:19 GMT 21.05.2020

Eight Football Players of Mexico's Santos Laguna Club Test Positive for COVID-19

09:42 GMT 21.05.2020

10,000 Healthcare Workers Infected With Coronavirus - Iran

09:13 GMT 21.05.2020

Indonesia Total COVID-19 Cases Exceeds 20,000

07:39 GMT 21.05.2020

Russia Registers 8,849 COVID-19 Cases Over Past 24 Hours

06:58 GMT 21.05.2020

Russia Provides Antiviral Drugs to Cambodia to Help Fight COVID-19

06:55 GMT 21.05.2020

Over 7.8Mln COVID-19 Tests Conducted in Russia

05:58 GMT 21.05.2020

Global COVID-19 Count Tops 5 Million, Death Toll Exceeds 328,000

04:58 GMT 21.05.2020

Germany Records 745 New COVID-19 Cases, Total Reaches 176,752

04:58 GMT 21.05.2020

S Korea Records 12 COVID-19 Cases Over Past Day, Down From 32 Yesterday - KCDC

04:57 GMT 21.05.2020

Kyrgyzstan's Coronavirus Case Tally Surpasses 1,300

04:57 GMT 21.05.2020

Number of COVID-19 Cases in India Rises by 5,609 to 112,359

New firstOld first

18:02 GMT 21.05.2020

BAGHDAD, May 21 (Sputnik) - The Iraqi Ministry of Health on Thursday registered its record daily growth in the number of COVID-19 cases as 153 new positive tests have been confirmed over the past 24 hours, amid a rise in cases that has resulted in six Baghdad districts being placed in lockdown for two weeks.

"Today, 153 new cases have been confirmed in the Ministry of Health’s laboratories," the ministry wrote on Facebook.

The vast majority of the new cases were reported in Baghdad, the ministry stated. In total, 113 new positive tests were reported in the Iraqi capital.

Public health authorities in Iraq have also confirmed six deaths relating to complications from the disease over the past 24 hours.

The case total in Iraq now stands at 3,877 and the death toll has reached 140, the ministry confirmed, adding that 2,483 people have been discharged from hospitals, including 45 over the past day.

On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed 113 new cases of the coronavirus disease and three new deaths.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced a two-week lockdown in six districts of Baghdad on Monday amid a rapid rise in positive tests in the capital. These measures could be extended across the country if a further uptick in cases is observed, the ministry said.

18:00 GMT 21.05.2020

MOSCOW, May 21 (Sputnik) - The Turkish government is taking steps to ensure a high degree of social distancing in the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and accommodation facilities for refugees and asylum seekers have been disinfected, spokeswoman of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Turkey Selin Unal told Sputnik.

Temporary accommodation centers house less than two percent of the 3.3 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey, but Unal stated that high levels of hygiene were being observed.

“Reportedly, necessary disinfection has been undertaken in the buildings, and masks, gloves, and disinfectants needed by the personnel have been procured and are being used. Additionally, we understand that measures have been taken to enhance social distancing and other precautionary measures applied across Turkey. This has taken place also in the temporary accommodation centers, as crowding has been reduced while receiving services,” the UNHCR official stated.

Staff working for Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM), the organization that registers and refers asylum cases, have all received training to limit the transmission of COVID-19, Unal remarked.

“DGMM has informed that personnel have received the necessary training in cooperation with provincial directorates of health,” Unal stated.

On Thursday, the country’s Health Ministry announced 961 new cases of COVID-19, a slight decrease from the 972 new positive tests announced the day before. More than 153,500 cases of the disease have been reported in Turkey since the start of the outbreak, resulting in the deaths of 4,249 people.

17:58 GMT 21.05.2020

MADRID, May 21 (Sputnik) - Spain saw the daily increase in coronavirus-related deaths fell below 50 on Thursday as new infection cases continue to slow down, according to Health Ministry figures.

Further 48 coronavirus patients died in the country in the past 24 hours. This is the fifth consecutive day with fewer than a hundred deaths.

The number of new confirmed cases rose by 344 to 233,037, continuing the downward trend seen in the past few weeks. There were 416 cases reported the day before.

The parliament voted on Wednesday to extend the nationwide "state of alarm" until June 7. Spain went into lockdown on March 17, which was relaxed in parts of the country on May 11. The government hopes to return to normal by the end of June.

16:29 GMT 21.05.2020

The number of Canadians who have contracted the novel coronavirus grew by 1,443 cases in 24 hours to 80,555 on Thursday, updated data from Canada’s Public Health Agency revealed.

The COVID-19- related death toll rose by 2.5 percent to 6,062, following two days of percent growth bellow 1 percent, the data also showed.

The province of Quebec remains the epicenter of the outbreak in Canada, accounting for more than half of all confirmed cases - 44,775 - and 3,718 deaths.

The province of Ontario trails with 24,187 confirmed cases and 1,993 COVID-19-related fatalities.

To date, 1,369,734 Canadians have been tested for the deadly disease with 5.9 percent testing positive.

15:04 GMT 21.05.2020

Kuwait has registered 1,041 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours with an increase of 237 positive tests compared to the day before, the country’s Health Ministry said on Thursday, adding that the total number has reached 18,609 despite the country's strict lockdown measures.

On Wednesday, Kuwait’s health authorities have confirmed 804 new cases.

The number of disease-related fatalities has increased by five to 129 so far.

The country’s number of recoveries is also increasing, as 320 people have been discharged from hospitals over the given period. In total, 5,205 people in Kuwait have fully recovered.

The COVID-19 lockdown in Kuwait has been extended until the end of May, and citizens are required to wear face masks when going outside.

Elsewhere in the region, the daily coronavirus infection rate in Qatar has slightly increased by 63 to 1,554 since the day before, the Qatari Health Ministry said, adding that the country’s active COVID-19 case tally now stands at 31,346.

On Wednesday, the ministry registered 1,491 cases.

A further 688 people have been discharged over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,288, according to the ministry’s daily report. The death toll has increased by one to 17 over the past day.

14:53 GMT 21.05.2020

The EU’s accusations against Russia of disinformation on the COVID-19 are cynical, it’s an unscrupulous attempt to distract attention from its problems in the fight against the coronavirus, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag tabloid that, according to the EC, various "sources from Russia" allegedly contribute to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation about the novel coronavirus in the EU. He did not cite any examples. According to Stano, the purpose of such misinformation is to "call into question the credibility and ability of the EU and the member states of the union to overcome the crisis."

"We have repeatedly commented on such accusations by EU officials. We consider them not just baseless, but also unacceptable, see them as unscrupulous attempts to distract the attention of their people from the EU’s internal difficulties in fighting the pandemic. Such attacks against Russia look especially cynical in light of Russia's proven commitment to join forces in the fight against the pandemic with everyone who is interested in this, including individual EU member states," Zakharova said in a briefing.

She emphasised that this was not just determination and desire, but the specific practical experience that Russia already has.

Russia, like many other countries, faced with manifestations of the epidemic that has seized the media, including "biased publications, unverified information, obviously fake news that relate to the epidemiological situation in our country."

"We hope that sanity and a correct attitude will prevail and the EU will stop spreading unproven anti-Russian myths that complicate the already difficult state of our relations," Zakharova said.

14:52 GMT 21.05.2020

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in his address to the parliament's lower house on Thursday that the once worst-affected European country is now over the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, yet calling upon citizens to refrain from mass gatherings and traveling abroad.

"If the worst is behind us, we owe it to the citizens, who have changed their lifestyles," Conte said, as quoted by the ANSA news agency.

He was further quoted as calling upon the public to "take your holidays in Italy."

Citing incidents of young people gathering at night in some Italian cities, the prime minister said that now is "not the time for parties, for movida, for get-togethers."

According to the report, the parliament session was repeatedly disrupted by protests staged by opposition lawmakers so that Speaker Roberto Fico had to suspend it at some point.

As of Thursday, Italian health authorities confirmed a total of 227,364 COVID-19 cases in the country, including 32,330 fatalities and 132,282 recoveries.

14:52 GMT 21.05.2020

Serbia’s coronavirus case count rose by 86 (100 yesterday) to 10,919 while the country is further relaxing movement restrictions, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Earlier in May, Serbia lifted the state of emergency which was imposed in mid-March and allowed most businesses, including cafes and restaurants, to reopen. The Balkan nation has also resumed commercial flights and will open its borders for citizens of neighboring countries next month.

"Over the past 24 hours, 86 new cases were registered, and the overall number of infected people reached 10,919. Two patients died over the past day, and the death toll reached 237 since the start of the pandemic," the ministry said.

At the same time, the number of recoveries reached 5,370.

14:51 GMT 21.05.2020

A major hospital in the UK city of Peterborough has exited a temporary lockdown imposed earlier in the day amid reports of violence nearby, according to a statement published by the hospital on Thursday.

"Our hospital is now running normally following an incident earlier today in which we activated our lockdown procedure. This was a precautionary measure to safeguard patients and staff. The incident is now over. Thank you to all for their patience," the Peterborough City Hospital wrote on Twitter.

The Sky News broadcaster cited a spokesperson for the regional National Health Service trust who stated that patients were delayed access to the hospital premises during the lockdown.

According to local law enforcement officials, several people were assaulted with weapons in the vicinity of the hospital.

"We were called to Welland Road at 10.35am [09:35 GMT] following reports that a number of people had been assaulted and weapons had been used. An investigation is ongoing, however at least two people have sustained injuries consistent with pellets. It is not believed any of the injuries are life-threatening. One of the victims, a 14-year-old boy, is receiving treatment at Peterborough City Hospital," the Cambridge Constabulary said in a statement.

14:50 GMT 21.05.2020

President Donald Trump should order US flags lowered to half staff over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend to coincide as deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reach the 100,000 mark, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter to Trump released on Thursday.

"We are writing to request that you order flags to be flown at half-staff on all public buildings in our country on the sad day of reckoning when we reach 100,000 deaths. It would serve as a national expression of grief so needed by everyone in our country," the lawmakers wrote.

The letter noted that COVID-19-related deaths in the United States had increased to 94,000 and the toll would most likely reach the 100,000 mark during the upcoming three-day holiday weekend that honors deaths of US service members in past wars.

13:27 GMT 21.05.2020

"As of 9am 21 May, there have been 3,090,566 tests, with 128,340 tests on 20 May," the ministry said. "2,064,329 people have been tested of which 250,908 tested positive," the health ministry said.

13:07 GMT 21.05.2020

The European Union is mulling offering aid to companies that have gone through a rough time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but are not receiving relief from their national governments, Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni told Germany’s Handelsblatt.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday proposed establishing a so-called Recovery Fund, which would provide 500 billion euros ($550 billion) in EU budget spending to support the sectors and regions that were hit hardest. The bloc is yet to reach a consensus on how fund the economy reboot.

"We are considering including a new tool in our recovery plan – solvency aid to companies that are not receiving support in their home countries," Gentiloni said in the interview, published on Thursday.

According to the commissioner, such aid is important for pan-European value chains, in particular, in the car industry. The official warned that if one element fails, it will affect all the others.

The EU should also make every effort to help tourism, which makes a significant contribution to economy’s productivity, especially in southern Europe, Gentiloni added.

13:00 GMT 21.05.2020

More than 40,000 health care workers from across the world will take part in a global trial of two anti-malarial drugs - hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine - to check their effectiveness in preventing the COVID-19 infection, and the first tests will begin in the UK cities of Brighton and Oxford on Thursday, according to Bangkok-based Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU).

"A global study to test if either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 in vital frontline healthcare workers will open to UK participants at hospital sites in Brighton and Oxford today. Laboratory evidence shows that these well-established drugs might be effective in preventing or treating COVID-19 but there is no conclusive proof. Despite the lack of strong evidence these drugs are being widely recommended, and they are being widely used in some countries– so finding out if they can protect against COVID-19 - yes or no - is of tremendous importance," MORU said in a press release.

According to the press release, the research, dubbed COPCOV, organized by MORU in cooperation with the University of Oxford and Wellcome charity organization, will enroll over 40,000 frontline health workers and staff from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America who have close contact with coronavirus-infected patients to determine definitively if chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are effective in preventing COVID-19.

Registration of the first participants begins on Thursday in two hospitals located in the cities of Brighton and Oxford. By the end of May, four more COPCOV research sites are expected to open in the UK, and 25 others by the end of June. Research sites are also expected to open in Thailand and Southeast Asia, Italy, Portugal, Africa and South America. The results of the study are expected to be received by the end of 2020.

"Each COPCOV participant will receive either chloroquine or a placebo (in Asia) or hydroxychloroquine or a placebo (in UK, Europe, Africa) for 3 months. Half the participants will receive the drug, half will receive a placebo. Selection will be random and neither the study team nor the participant will know if the participant is taking the drug or a placebo," MORU said.

Hydroxychloroquine has been praised as effective in treating COVID-19 when combined with zinc and azithromycin by some of the world’s leading epidemiologists. At the same time, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned of the danger of side effects of these antimalarial drugs when treating COVID-19.

12:42 GMT 21.05.2020

Health authorities in Finland have recorded two new coronavirus-related fatalities over the past day, down from three the day before, taking the cumulative death toll to 306, the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said on Thursday.

"The total number of registered cases is 6,493," the THL said in a statement, adding that 50 new cases have been recorded in the 24-hour period to Thursday noon.

According to the THL, the median age of those who died from coronavirus-related complications is 84, whereas the majority — 117 — were aged between 80 and 89, and 72 others were older than 90.

Recoveries in Finland count at least 4,800, according to the statement.

The reported dynamics of the past day included 110 patients currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, of which 22 are in intensive care units.

12:10 GMT 21.05.2020

Bangladeshi firm Beximco Pharmaceuticals said it has become the world’s first company to launch the anti-viral drug Remdesivir, which may effectively treat COVID-19 in patients, the firm said in a statement Thursday.

Beximco said it received the go-ahead to produce the US developed drug from the US Directorate General of Drug Administration under the Emergency Use Authorisation.

"We are pleased to be the first generic company in the world to introduce this very important drug for treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients," Nazmul Hassan, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, said.

Hassan went on to say that the drug, which the company has named Bemsivir, will be delivered to government hospitals free of charge.

"We recognise the essential service Government hospitals provide to patients across the country free of charge. We are therefore delighted to donate Bemsivir to patients with severe COVID-19 in Government hospitals," Hassan added in the statement.

Developed by US laboratory Gilead Sciences, Remdesivir was initially generated to treat hepatitis C but was then pitched as treatment for ebola, SARS and MERS with varying degrees of effectiveness.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Remdesivir has been subject of much discussion as treatment for patients.

12:09 GMT 21.05.2020

The number of coronavirus cases among children in Armenia has reached 270, and two of those infected have been diagnosed with pneumonia, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan said on Thursday during a briefing.

“As of now, 270 children under 18 have got infected with the coronavirus in Armenia, and only two of them are diagnosed with pneumonia,” Torosyan said, adding that doctors believe that kids usually only have milder syndromes of the virus.

Additionally, 23 pregnant women are infected with COVID-19, but the cases are not life-threatening, the minister added.

Overall, Armenia has so far confirmed 5,606 COVID-19 cases, 2,581 recoveries and 70 fatalities. On Thursday, 335 new cases and three fatalities were registered, the Health Ministry said.

According to Torosyan, 135 patients are in serious condition, 63 are in critical condition and 15 people are on ventilators.

The official also spoke about financial issues amid the pandemic, saying that Yerevan needed an additional $300 million to fight the outbreak.

“At the moment, the costs for measures against the coronavirus amounted to 2.4 billion drams [$5 million]. This is an extremely small amount, as we, according to various estimates, will need $300 million by the end of the year to reach our goals,” Torosyan said.

The minister added that the government would soon allocate an extra 4.5 billion Armenian drams toward anti-coronavirus measures.

12:02 GMT 21.05.2020

Oman has confirmed 327 more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the majority of positive tests being reported among foreigners, the country’s Health Ministry said on Thursday, adding that the total number of those infected has reached 6,370.

According to the latest statistics published by the ministry, 222 foreign nationals tested positive for the disease over the past day compared to the 105 new cases recorded among Omani residents. On Wednesday, Oman reported 372 new cases of the coronavirus in the country including 220 among foreign nationals and 152 among Omani citizens.

The COVID-19 death toll in Oman has risen by three to 30 since the start of the outbreak, the ministry confirmed.

Meanwhile, the number of recoveries in Oman rose to 1,821.

11:52 GMT 21.05.2020

Close to 10,000 people lost job in Japan since February, with the number of job losses surging after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency over COVID-19, Japanese media reported on Thursday.

According to the Kyodo news agency, citing data provided by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 9,569 jobs had been lost in Japan in the period from February to this past Wednesday. In February alone, the number of job losses totaled 282. It then grew to 835 in March, 2,654 in April and a whopping 5,798 in May.

"We fear more jobs may be lost," the report quoted an unnamed senior ministry official as saying.

It was argued by the agency that layoffs and termination of contracts, especially in small- and medium-sized businesses, surged from April, the month when Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency, with ensuing business closures and mandatory self-isolation.

11:12 GMT 21.05.2020

Georgia will lift the nationwide state of emergency and curfew on Friday, but keep part of the restrictions in force as the COVID-19 outbreak is not yet over, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on Thursday.

The country has been in a state of emergency and keeping to a curfew from 09:00 p.m. to 06:00 a.m. local time (17:00 to 2:00 GMT) since 21 March. The government has extended the lockdown several times.

“The state of emergency will not be extended, and therefore, curfew will be canceled. However, the virus did not disappear … Our responsibility will be even bigger after the emergency is lifted, and the requirements of the Health Ministry experts will be even more important. Certain restrictions from the health ministry will be kept,” Gakharia said during a government session.

According to the prime minister, the Georgian parliament will vote on a bill that allows the authorities to impose COVID-19 restrictions without the declaration of a state of emergency.

Georgia has so far confirmed 721 COVID-19 cases, 485 recoveries and 12 coronavirus-related deaths. On Thursday, the health authorities confirmed eight new cases.

11:00 GMT 21.05.2020

The number of people with the coronavirus infection in Estonia has reached 1,800, steadily the highest among the Baltic region, as the country is in the midst of the first week with a lifted state of emergency, the Estonian Health Board said on Thursday.

According to an update on the board's website, Estonian health authorities have confirmed six new cases over the past day. The death toll has remained unchanged, totaling 64 people.

There are 37 Estonian COVID-19 patients currently undergoing treatment and two of them are on ventilators, the health board said.

Since the onset of the outbreak, Estonia has conducted more than 73,000 tests, as stated in the report.

On Monday, the Estonian government lifted the state of emergency over COVID-19, in effect since March 12. Restrictions and social distancing rules, however, have been kept in place and will be lifted in a phased manner.

In neighboring Lithuania, the number of coronavirus cases has increased by 16 over the past day to a total of 1,594, the government said on its designate COVID-19 website on Thursday. This includes 61 fatalities and 1,049 recoveries.

The number of tests conducted in Lithuania since the outbreak began is now 253,004, an increase of 7,424 since the day before.

The lockdown in Lithuania is due to expire on 31 May.

10:40 GMT 21.05.2020

Authorities in South Korea are worried that recent successes in slowing the spread of the coronavirus infection can be undermined by sporadic clusters that continue to emerge in night clubs and other entertainment facilities, the country's media reported on Thursday.

According to the Yonhap news agency, the majority of 12 cases reported by South Korean health authorities on Thursday were of local transmission, and the spike of 32 cases the day before reeled from the continuous emergence of hotbeds in popular nightlife areas, such as Itaewon in the capital of Seoul.

"The Itaewon outbreak has not led to massive virus spread, but related infections have been reported consistently. That's why health authorities cannot loosen their guard against community spread," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health official, said at a briefing, as quoted by Yonhap.

The number of cases linked to the Itaewon cluster has reached 206 as of noon (03:00 GMT), with 10 new patients registered over the last 24 hours, as health authorities continue to detect secondary and tertiary transmissions linked to Itaewon, according to the report.

In Incheon, a city west of Seoul, the local government reportedly ordered some 2,400 karaoke facilities to halt operations for two weeks in a bid to curb the community transmission.

As of Thursday, the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 11,122 cumulative cases, including 264 fatalities and 10,135 recoveries, which make 91 percent of all cases.

10:19 GMT 21.05.2020

Eight first-team players of the Mexican football club Santos Laguna were diagnosed with COVID-19, Liga MX, the top division of the Mexican football league, said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Santos Laguna said that it started testing its first-team players for COVID-19.

According to Liga MX, eight of them tested positive, all of them asymptomatic. Their names have not been disclosed.

In March, Mexico's football championship was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the testing, Santos Laguna said it had not yet determined the date when players would resume training.

09:41 GMT 21.05.2020

"Around 10,000 health workers have been infected with the deadly disease in Iran and some of them have died," the deputy health minister said, according to ILNA.

09:09 GMT 21.05.2020

07:37 GMT 21.05.2020

Russia has registered 8,849 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (8,764 yesterday), with the total count now reaching 317,554, the national coronavirus response centre said on Thursday.

"Over the past 24 hours, 8,849 COVID-19 cases have been registered in 84 regions. Of these, 3,716 (or 42 percent) have been detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the centre said in a statement.

This brings the total tally to 317,554 (+2.9 percent) in 85 regions across Russia.

Of all the new cases, 2,913 have been registered in Moscow, 892 in Moscow region and 408 in St. Petersburg (compared to yesterday's 2,699, 903 and 455, respectively).

The country's COVID-19 death toll has increased by 127 (135 yesterday) to 3,099.

As many as 7,289 COVID-19 patients have recovered in Russia over the past 24 hours (9,262 yesterday), bringing the total number of cured people to 92,681.

Of these, 3,746 patients have recovered in Moscow, which means that the city's daily number of recoveries exceeds that of new cases for a second day in a row.

06:57 GMT 21.05.2020

Russia has provided Cambodia with a batch of medicines to treat acute respiratory infections amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian Embassy in Cambodia said on Thursday.

According to the diplomatic mission, the aid was delivered during a Wednesday meeting between Russian Ambassador to Phnom Penh Dmitry Tsvetkov and Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bun Heng.

“During the event, а batch of more than 1,000 packages of Russian Scientific and Technological Pharmaceutical Firm 'Polysan' produced medicine 'Cycloferon' was conveyed to the Cambodian side. This company delivered the mentioned medication within the humanitarian action undertaken to assist the Kingdom [of Cambodia] in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection,” the embassy said.

The Russian diplomat and the Cambodian official also discussed bilateral relations in the field of health and prospects of future cooperation, and also shared the experience of their countries in fighting the ongoing pandemic.

Cambodia has so far confirmed 122 COVID-19 cases, and all carriers have already recovered, according to the health authorities.

06:54 GMT 21.05.2020

Over 7.8 million tests to detect COVID-19 have been conducted in Russia since the beginning of the outbreak, and 277,000 suspected carriers remain under medical monitoring across the country, the national public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Thursday.

"Over 7.8 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Russia. As many as 277,000 people remain under medical monitoring," Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement.

A total of 262,000 tests have been conducted over the past 24 hours, the watchdog specified.

05:57 GMT 21.05.2020

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed five million on Thursday, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.

As of 05:55 GMT, there were 5,000,008 coronavirus cases in the world, while the Covid-19 global death toll stood at 328,169. The number of recovered people stood at 1,899,350.

The United States remains the country with the highest coronavirus death toll (over 93,400) and the largest number of confirmed cases (more than 1,550,000). The US is followed by Russia with over 308,000 cases, and Brazil with more than 291,000 cases.

04:58 GMT 21.05.2020

Germany has confirmed 745 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the total count reaching 176,752, the Robert Koch Institute said on Thursday.

The death toll has grown by 57 to 8,147 people within the same period of time.

A day earlier, the country confirmed 797 new cases and 83 fatalities.

More than 158,000 COVID-19 patients have recovered in Germany since the beginning of the outbreak.

04:57 GMT 21.05.2020

South Korea has registered 12 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours - down from 32 yesterday - bringing the overall case count to 11,122, with 91 percent of those infected (10,135) having recovered by now, the Health Ministry's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

One new death was recorded. The death toll now stands at 264, the KCDC said.

A total of 69 people have been discharged from hospitals over the past day.

From 20 May, South Korean graduating class students returned to school after online learning, but on the first day some cities recorded those infected with coronavirus, and schoolchildren were sent home.

South Korea in late April - early May already recorded isolated cases of COVID-19. But a new local cluster is believed to be linked to a 29-year-old man who visited several nightclubs and bars in Seoul, and later tested positive for COVID-19.

04:57 GMT 21.05.2020

Kyrgyzstan's number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has risen by 43 over the past 24 hours - up from yesterday's 27 - to surpass 1,300, the country's coronavirus response centre told Sputnik.

"On May 21, 2020, a total of 43 new cases were registered in the republic," a center spokesman said.

The spokesman said four medical personnel were among those newly infected.

A total of 19 patients have recovered over the past day - up from yesterday's 12.

The case tally in Kyrgyzstan currently stands at 1,313, including 270 medical staff. A total of 919 patients have been discharged from hospitals. The death toll amounts to 14.

04:56 GMT 21.05.2020

India has confirmed 5,609 new cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, which brings the total toll of those infected to 112,359, the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.

The death toll from the disease has reached 3,435, with 132 new fatalities being recorded over the past day. The number of recoveries has risen to 45,299 after growing by 3,002 in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

India's central state of Maharashtra with confirmed 39,297 cases remains the most affected region. It is followed by the southern state of Tamil Nadu, with 13,191 cases, and the western state of Gujarat, with 12,537 cases.