Latest On Coronavirus

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2020) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 353,000, over 5.65 million cases of infection were detected, and over 2.32 million of those patients were cured, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from federal and local authorities, media and other sources.

As of 21.00 GMT Wednesday, the number of people infected globally is 5,651,806, of them 353,246 died.

The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 1,694,599, including 99,983 fatalities and 384,902 recoveries.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree on the extension of self-isolation, pass regime and other restrictive measures, which were introduced in the city to constraint COVID-19 spread, until June 14, but some of restrictions will be eased from June 1.

The Moscow-based Vnukovo International Airport said it started gradually lifting the restrictions that were imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Switzerland will significantly relax its coronavirus-related restrictive measures starting from June 6, and will entirely lift the nationwide state of emergency on June 19, the government said.

The Greek government will begin allowing tourists from at least 20 countries to visit from mid-June without the need for individuals to self-isolate upon arrival, as part of efforts to open up the economy and ease COVID-19 lockdown measures, Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported, citing government sources.

The Latvian authorities are not planning to extend the nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic beyond June 9, the country's Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins said, adding that some limitations would remain in force.

New York State is shifting its focus to economic reopening as the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to decrease, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may extend the country's lockdown in 11 cities on May 31, the India Today newspaper reported.

Israel is gradually lifting its coronavirus-related restrictions and has allowed bars, restaurants, pubs and swimming pools to reopen starting Wednesday, the joint statement by the prime minister's office, the country's health and finance ministries said.

Scandinavian airline SAS said on Wednesday that it would resume flights within and between Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as flights to select destinations in the United States, from June 1 in light of gradual abatement of coronavirus-related restrictions worldwide.

Young people will disproportionally bear the brunt of the novel coronavirus crisis, with over one in six individuals having become unemployed since the onset of the pandemic, the United Nations' International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a report.

The outlook for the US economy remains highly uncertain despite the country's emergence from COVID-19 lockdowns, and most leaders of industry are pessimistic about the rate of recovery, the Federal Reserve said in its monthly Beige Book report.

The European Commission is proposing to create a new European Union recovery instrument, dubbed as Next Generation EU, worth 750 billion Euros ($826 billion) to support the bloc's economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The European Union and member states should negotiate an economic recovery plan to cope with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic at such a pace that would ensure it is in place by January 1, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

EU economy may shrink 16 percent this year if it is hit by a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic with subsequent re-introduction of related restrictions, the European Commission said.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined his seven-point plan for social and economic restoration following the COVID-19 pandemic, including drastic changes in state governance.

France's GPD could fall by 20 percent in the second quarter of 2020, after already declining by 5.8 percent in the first quarter, making this year's economic recession the sharpest since 1948 despite gradual resumption of the country's economic activity amid easing of its lockdown restrictions, national statistics agency INSEE said.

The BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summits, expected to be held in Russia in July, will be postponed, and new dates will be determined taking into consideration the epidemiological situation development, the Kremlin said.

Some 2,500 workers of aerospace manufacturer Boeing will go on unpaid leave in the United States amid the COVID-fuelled crisis in the aerospace industry, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing union officials.

All anti-crisis measures in Russia have already amounted to 3.3 trillion rubles ($46.5 billion), Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov said.

Moscow will send teams of doctors, medicines and COVID-19 antibodies tests to Russian regions that need help in the fight against the coronavirus, Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova told reporters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in a phone conversation with his counterpart from Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying that New Delhi is ready to assist in dealing with the disease if necessary.

Ethiopia wants to open laboratories across the country to ensure adequate testing and treatment of patients with COVID-19 and counts on receiving assistance from Russia to this end, Ethiopian Ambassador to Russia Alemayehu Tegenu told Sputnik.

Deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) developed by the Japanese Nikkiso Co company are able to effectively weaken the coronavirus, media reported. According to the Kyodo news agency, UV-LEDs can reduce the COVID-19 infection capacity by over 99.9 percent and have no serious side-effects on the human body or environment.

Previous infection with other types of coronaviruses might help a person have a quicker response to COVID-19 but there is still no evidence that it could protect them from getting the COVID-19, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme Michael J. Ryan said.

The WHO does not advise the use of hydroxychloroquine for the coornavirus treatment outside randomized trials and without proper clinical supervision, Ryan also said.

Meanwhile, France on Wednesday officially banned hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 after a series of medical studies revealed that the malaria drug could be harmful.

The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation from the United Kingdom to participate in the summit on COVID-19 vaccine in June.

The Ukrainian cabinet extended on Wednesday the ban on export of goods for countering epidemics, including personal protective gear, to July 1.