Norway is relaxing some of its coronavirus restrictions
Norway announced it will ease many of the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus, including reopening all schools next week and lifting the maximum number of people allowed at public gatherings. The country has identified 8,034 confirmed cases of the virus,...
It’s just past 8:30 a.m. in Paris and 4:30 p.m. in Sydney. Here’s what you may have missed
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 3.8 million people worldwide and killed at least 269,000. If you’re just joining us now, here are the latest developments: Australia unveils plan to reopen: Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a three-step plan today to begin reopening the...
VE Day: Europe marks 75th anniversary while under lockdown
Leaders across Europe are marking the 75th anniversary of VE Day, as much of the continent remains under lockdown due to coronavirus. A two-minute silence will be held in the UK, followed by an address from the Queen. Closed ceremonies are also being held by...
Coronavirus lockdown sends solo sailor on Pacific odyssey
One man’s dream to spend three years sailing solo around the Pacific nearly turned to disaster after borders started closing around the region, leaving him stranded alone at sea for three months. While people around the globe were panic buying and stocking up, he was...
UK government fails to reach 100,000 daily coronavirus tests for the fifth day in a row
UK government has failed to complete 100,000 daily coronavirus tests for the fifth day in a row, with 86,583 tests carried out on Wednesday and 69,463 on Tuesday. The last time that threshold was reached was Friday, when 105,937 tests were completed, according to the...
Trump offers to send medical equipment to Russia
President Trump has offered to send medical aid to Russia, according to a readout of a phone call with President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and White House said today. Russia hit a grim milestone over the weekend, officially recording the highest number of coronavirus cases...
Denmark to open stores and shopping malls
Denmark will begin to open retail stores and shopping centers as coronavirus restrictions are gradually lifted, the prime minister said today. Professional sport will be allowed to resume without spectators starting Monday. “Phase two” of the government’s plan will see the reopening of restaurants, cafes,...
France will keep its borders closed until “further notice”
France will keep its borders closed until “further notice,” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced today. During the pandemic, “border closure is the rule, and border crossing is the exception,” he explained. National borders, including those shared with European countries, will remain closed until at least June 15,...
Moscow coronavirus restrictions extended until end of the month
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced coronavirus restrictions in the Russian capital are extended until May 31. Wearing masks and gloves will be mandatory for those at work, out shopping or on public transport, the mayor said. While the situation in Moscow has “stabilized,” social distancing...
Italy will resume weddings and masses after 2-month ban
Masses and religious ceremonies such as weddings will resume in Italy on May 18 under strict safety measures, the government announced today. Those services had been banned for almost two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. A protocol signed today by the Italian government and...
UK will likely drop stay-at-home message this weekend, official says
The UK’s lockdown measures are still being debated and nothing is finalized, but the country’s stay-at-home message is likely to be eased this weekend, an official familiar with the deliberations told CNN. The official said changes would likely include allowing Britons to expand their social...
More than 3,000 people have died in Sweden, which never locked down
The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Sweden is at least 3,040, the country’s Public Health Agency said on Thursday. In total, the country has recorded 24,623 Covid-19 cases since the outbreak began. Sweden has taken a relatively relaxed approach to social distancing rules compared with...
Dutch launch independent review of government’s handling of coronavirus
The Dutch Safety Board has begun an independent investigation into the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. The probe will look at the preparations for a pandemic, crisis management, the measures taken and the phasing out of these measures, a statement said Thursday. The Safety...
Moscow mayor says number of cases is “far higher” than previously thought
The estimated number of people infected with coronavirus in the Russian capital is far higher than previously reported, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Thursday. In an interview on state news channel Rossiya-24, Sobyanin said screening studies found that between 2% and 2.5% of the city’s...
Dutch launch independent review of government’s handling of coronavirus
The Dutch Safety Board has begun an independent investigation into the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. The probe will look at the preparations for a pandemic, crisis management, the measures taken and the phasing out of these measures, a statement said Thursday. The Safety...
Russia hits yet another record for new cases
Russia on Thursday recorded a record daily rise in coronavirus cases, reporting 11,231 new cases over the last 24-hour period, the country’s Covid-19 response headquarters said in a statement. All told, Russia has seen 177,160 official cases of coronavirus, and 1,625 deaths. The Russian government...
British doctors are buying their own PPE and relying on donations, medical association says
Nearly half of UK doctors surveyed by the British Medical Association said they had to buy their own personal protective equipment or rely on donations during the coronavirus epidemic. The BMA, a trade union for British doctors, said it surveyed 16,000 doctors in the UK,...
Twelfth Vatican City Covid-19 patient works for the Pope
A twelfth case of Covid-19 in Vatican City is also an employee of Pope Francis, the Holy See press office said on Wednesday. The person has been working remotely since early March and is now under observation at home, according to the director of the...
400,000 surgical gowns sent from Turkey failed to meet British safety standards
An order of around 400,000 surgical gowns ordered by the British government from Turkey in mid-April was never distributed among National Health Service workers because it did not meet safety standards. “If equipment does not meet our specifications or pass our quality assurance processes it...
It’s just past 9 a.m. in Berlin and 4 p.m. in Tokyo. Here’s the latest on the pandemic
If you’re just joining our live coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic, here are the key headlines today: Germany’s death toll rises above 7,000: At least 7,119 people have now died from the coronavirus in Germany, according to the country’s center for disease control. Chancellor...
Coronavirus was circulating in France in December, case report suggests
The coronavirus was circulating in France as early as December, new evidence suggests. Doctors in France discovered that a patient who went to the hospital in late December with respiratory symptoms was positive for COVID-19, according to The Guardian. The man contracted the virus nearly...
‘The Western Balkans belong in the EU’, says Ursula von der Leyen
Western Balkans countries “belong in the European Union”, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed on Wednesday, without mentioning when the six counties might become member states. Von der Leyen made the comment on Twitter following a EU-Western Balkans summit, held online due to the...
Bank of England warns of deepest recession on record
The Bank of England has warned that the coronavirus pandemic will push the UK economy towards its deepest recession on record. It said the economy was on course to shrink 14% this year, based on the lockdown being relaxed in June. Scenarios drawn up by...
Coronavirus PPE: Gowns ordered from Turkey fail to meet safety standards
Some 400,000 surgical gowns ordered from Turkey do not meet British safety standards, the UK government has said. Up to half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) order was flown to the UK by the RAF last month, but has not been given to NHS...
Coronavirus: PM to review lockdown restrictions with cabinet
Boris Johnson will review the coronavirus lockdown in England with his cabinet later, after suggesting some rules could be eased from Monday. By law the government must review the restrictions every three weeks, and Thursday marks the latest deadline. The prime minister will address the...
Coronavirus: UK detention centres ’emptied in weeks’
The number of people held in UK immigration removal centres has dropped by more than two thirds during the pandemic, figures reveal. More than 700 detainees were released between 16 March and 21 April as the government responded to concerns about the spread of infection....
Former CDC director reveals ’10 plain truths’ about the pandemic
Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laid out “10 plain truths” about Covid-19 on Wednesday as he spoke at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the pandemic response. “In my 30 years in global public health,...
Italy sees rise in daily count of deaths and new coronavirus cases
The number of people who have died in Italy from coronavirus has risen again with a further 369 deaths reported in the past 24 hours. Italy has the second-highest death toll in Europe, behind only the UK. In Italy, 29,684 have died since the outbreak...
UK coronavirus death toll passes 30,000
At least 30,076 people have died from coronavirus in the UK, the country’s Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Wednesday. The country now has the highest confirmed death toll in Europe and the second-highest death toll in the world, behind the United States. The number...
Pope Francis employee tests positive for coronavirus in Vatican City
The 12th person infected by coronavirus in Vatican City works for Pope Francis, the Holy See Press Office said today. The person has been working remotely since early March and is now under observation at home, the Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said....