UK's confirmed COVID-19 death toll rises to 34,466, up 468
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
Italy to allow travel to and from abroad from June 3
Italy's government on Saturday approved a decree which will allow travel to and from abroad from June 3, in a major development as it moves to unwind one of the world's most rigid coronavirus lockdowns.
The government will allow free travel across the country from that same day. Some regions had pushed for a swifter rollback, but Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has insisted on a gradual return to normal to prevent a second wave of infections, Reuters reported.
Zimbabwe to ease coronavirus curbs, but lockdown to remain for now
Zimbabwe will keep its coronavirus lockdown for the time being, though businesses will be allowed to open for longer and the restrictions will be reviewed every two weeks, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Saturday.
The southern African nation, which has reported 42 cases and four deaths from the novel coronavirus, went into lockdown on March 30 and has been gradually easing the measures to help revive its troubled economy reports Reuters.
Economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak will exacerbate climate-induced shocks and monetary woes afflicting an economy battling shortages of foreign exchange, food electricity and medicines.
“Zimbabwe will... continue on the level two lockdown for an indefinite period. The country needs to ease out of the lockdown in a strategic and gradual manner,” Mnangagwa said in a live broadcast.
UK's confirmed COVID-19 death toll rises to 34,466, up 468
A total of 34,466 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 468 in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The figures are as of 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on May 15. Including deaths due to suspected cases, Britain’s toll is over 40,000 reports Reuters.
Saudi Arabia's coronavirus cases top 50,000: ministry
The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia topped 50,000 on Saturday, the health ministry said.
A ministry official reported 2,840 new cases, taking the cumulative total to 51,980. That was up from an average of around 1,500 new cases a day over the past week reports Reuters.
The death toll in the kingdom increased by 10 to 302, the official said on state TV.
Saudi Arabia recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2, several weeks after the initial outbreak in Asia.
China's Wuhan conducted 113,609 COVID-19 tests on May 15: officials
The city of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, conducted 113,609 nucleic acid tests on May 15, the local health authority said on Saturday.
Wuhan has launched a city-wide testing campaign after confirming last weekend its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since its release from a virtual lockdown on April 8 to contain the spread of the pathogen reports Reuters.
The number of tests administered on May 15 in the city of 11 million residents was more than 50% higher than the 72,791 tests conducted a day earlier, and was also the highest since the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission started publishing the data on Feb. 21.
Qatar coronavirus infections top 30,000: Reuters tally
Qatar’s number of novel coronavirus infections topped 30,000 on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally based on official figures.
The health ministry reported 1,547 new cases on Saturday, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency. That took the cumulative total to 30,972, according to the Reuters count.
Spain reports 102 coronavirus deaths overnight, lowest in eight weeks
Spain’s overnight death toll from the coronavirus was 102 on Saturday, the health ministry said, marking the lowest 24-hour rise since mid March reports Reuters
The cumulative death toll rose to 27,563, while the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 230,698 on Saturday from 230,183 on Friday, the ministry said.
Trial begins to see if dogs can detect coronavirus in human
A UK trial is set to begin to see whether specialist medical sniffer dogs can detect coronavirus in humans.
The dogs are already trained to detect odours of certain cancers, malaria and Parkinson's disease by the charity Medical Detection Dogs, BBC reported.
India's coronavirus infections surpass China, but contagion slowing
India's total novel coronavirus cases rose to 85,940 on Saturday, taking it past China, where the pandemic originated last year, though a strict lockdown enforced since late March has reduced the rate of contagion.
State leaders, businesses and working class Indians have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen the battered economy, but the government is expected to extend the lockdown, which would otherwise expire on Sunday, though with fewer restrictions, Reuters reported.
Indonesia reports 529 new coronavirus cases, 13 new deaths
Indonesia reported 529 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 17,025.
Indonesia also reported 13 new deaths, taking the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 1,089, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto told an online news conference, Reuters reported.
The Southeast Asian country has tested 135,725 people, Yurianto said.
Yurianto said 35,069 patients with suspected acute respiratory illnesses were being treated across the country.
Malaysia reports 17 new coronavirus cases with one new death
Malaysian reported 17 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the cumulative total to 6,872.
Health authorities there reported one new death, with total fatalities at 113, Reuters reported.
Philippines records 11 new coronavirus deaths, 214 more infections
The Philippines’ health ministry on Saturday reported 11 more coronavirus deaths and 214 additional infections.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have risen to 12,305, most of which are in the capital, while deaths reached 817. But 101 more patients have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,561, Reuters reported.
The Philippines on Saturday started loosening its lockdown in the capital and other major cities to slowly restart an economy weighed down by quarantine measures.
Russia reports 9,200 new coronavirus infections
Russia reported 9,200 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, down from 10,598 new cases reported the previous day.
Russia’s coronavirus taskforce said the overall number of cases nationwide stood at 272,043. It added that 119 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 2,537, Reuters reported.
Bangladesh confirms 16 more deaths from coronavirus, 930 new cases
Bangladesh today reported 16 more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 930 new cases of infection testing 6,782 samples in the last 24 hours.
With this, the death toll from the deadly virus rose to 314 and the number of total infections stood at 20,995, The Business Standard reported.
Singapore reports 465 new coronavirus cases, taking total to 27,356
Singapore registered 465 new coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Saturday, taking the city-state’s total to 27,356 cases.
The vast majority of the newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, the health ministry said in a statement. Four are permanent residents, Reuters reported.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 620 to 173,772
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 620 to 173,772, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.
The reported death toll rose by 57 to 7,881, the tally showed, Reuters reported.
US CDC reports 1,412,121 coronavirus cases, 85,990 deaths
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,412,121 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 27,191 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 2,043 to 85,990.
The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as Covid-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4pm ET on May 14, compared with its count a day earlier, Reuters reported.
The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.
China reports eight new Covid-19 cases, up from four a day earlier
Mainland China reported eight new confirmed Covid-19 cases for May 15, up from four the previous day, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Saturday.
Six of the eight confirmed cases are so-called imported infections, while two are locally transmitted in northeastern Jilin Province, Reuters reported.
The number of new asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus rose to 13 from 11, the NHC said.
The number of confirmed cases in the mainland stands at 82,941 and the death toll at 4,633.
Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Thailand on Saturday reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths as the country begins to reopen businesses and ease restrictions.
“Today there are two zeros ... thank you all Thais who have given their cooperation,” a spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, said, Reuters reported.
This is the second day since March 9 that the country has reported no new daily cases.
Thailand on Sunday will allow malls and department stores to re-open. It will also shorten a nighttime curfew by one hour, to 2300 to 0400, from 2200 to 0400.
Thailand has reported a total of 3,025 cases of the coronavirus and 56 fatalities.
Cambodia says all Covid-19 patients recovered, no new cases for a month
Cambodia’s last patient with the new coronavirus has recovered and left hospital, leaving the Southeast Asian country with zero cases, the health ministry said on Saturday, while urging continued vigilance.
No easing of restrictions related to the virus - including school closures and border entry checks and quarantines - were included in the Ministry of Health statement, AFP reported.
Cambodia has reported 122 cases of the virus that causes Covid-19 and no deaths from the disease since it emerged in China and started spreading around the world, infecting more than 4.5 million and killing about 300,000 since January.
Cambodia’s last reported new case was on April 12. A total of 14,684 tests have been done since January, the ministry said.
More than 4.5 million coronavirus cases worldwide
More than 4.5 million novel coronavirus cases have been officially detected across the globe with more than three-quarters of infections in Europe and the United States, according to an AFP tally at 2030 GMT on Friday using official sources.
At least 4,503,811 infections including 305,424 deaths have been reported globally, with Europe the hardest hit region with 1,848,790 cases and 164,145 deaths, AFP reported.
The United States has 1,432,045 infections and 86,851 fatalities.
France daily coronavirus toll dips, total tops 27,500
France on Friday reported 104 new coronavirus deaths, a lower figure than in previous days, as its overall toll from the pandemic hit 27,529.
Recent positive trends continued, with 96 fewer people in intensive care for a total of 2,203, a figure that had exceeded 7,000 at the peak of the crisis, the health ministry said, AFP reported.
The latest figures came as France on Friday enjoyed the fifth day of the partial easing of a nationwide lockdown imposed on March 17 to battle the virus.
New York City lockdown extended until May 28
Lockdown measures in New York City have been extended until May 28, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday.
He clarified the date at a press conference after signing an executive order on Thursday night that also mentioned June 13, AFP reported.
Cuomo said the Big Apple’s stay-at-home order would last to May 28 unless the city meets guidelines relating to death rates and new infections that would allow it to begin reopening earlier.
He did not explain what emergency measures would expire on June 13 but the order suggested they in part concerned the mandatory wearing of masks.
His announcement came as restrictions were eased in the state’s five least populated regions allowing businesses there to get back to work gradually.
US adds 1,680 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours
The United States recorded 1,680 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its grim total to 87,493, according to the latest real-time tally Friday reported by Johns Hopkins University.
The country — hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities — has now confirmed a total of 1,442,924 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported, AFP reported.