MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2020) Deaths from the new coronavirus globally passed the 340,000 mark on Saturday, with nearly 5.3 million people contracting the viral disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
China's National Health Commission said Saturday that no new cases were recorded between Thursday and Friday, in what is the country's first since the outbreak began in December. Its zero-death streak has continued for over a month.
South Korea's coronavirus tally inched upwards to 11,165 from 11,143 recorded on Friday, according to the Health Ministry's latest figures. It braced for a second wave in May, linked to a cluster of nightclubs, after seemingly getting on top of the outbreak.
Germany's disease control institute reported 638 new cases on Saturday. The virus came back with a vengeance after the country began relaxing restrictions on public life in April. The outbreak was traced back to abattoirs, several of which have since closed.
The number of confirmed cases in Belarus, where the government has long downplayed the epidemic, increased by 941 over the past 24 hours, continuing the upward trend seen since early May. The total tally is now 35,244.
New York has recorded 84 virus-related deaths, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday. This is the first time that the daily death toll dropped below 100 since the state went into lockdown in March.
Japan's Tokyo has reported two new cases, the lowest daily count since April 7 when a state of emergency was declared to contain the spreading disease. Japan has so far confirmed 17, 280 cases, including 838 deaths.
The US Department of Homeland Security has lifted some of its virus-fueled travel restrictions, allowing some foreign professional athletes participating in national leagues to enter the country.
The Ukrainian capital of Kiev began easing coronavirus curbs on Saturday, reopening larger stores and allowing public transport to restart services. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko admitted this was despite the city failing to meet all criteria.
Spain will welcome back foreign tourists in July after seeing a steady decline in new cases, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced. The country recorded 48 new deaths on Saturday. Daily deaths have been below 100 for seven consecutive days.
India's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the government was hopeful that international flights would resume before August or September. Domestic flights are expected to restart on Monday.
The centuries-old Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem will reopen on Sunday for the first time in two months after it was shut amid the pandemic. The church is believed to stand on the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and burial.
US rental car giant Hertz has filed for bankruptcy after seeing a dramatic fall in demand and future bookings due to the health crisis. The company has decided to keep all subsidiaries around the world open as it looks to restructure its financial operation.
Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have presented their own plan for the EU's economic recovery based on loans as an alternative to a $550-billion fund proposed by Germany and France.
Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te has announced that an experimental vaccine against COVID-19 was expected to go into the human trial phase in fall.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law to allow mail-in and other forms of distance voting in national elections and referendums. A co-author of the bill said it did not cover the delayed vote on constitutional changes.
Russia's Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute plans to start producing a coronavirus vaccine by the end of summer. Alexander Gintsburg, its director, has told Sputnik that human trials may begin by June 15. Steps are being taken to make the drug widely available.
