A man, wearing a protective face mask, pushes a dolly filled with empty containers, as he and a child go in search of water in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 20, 2020, during a relaxation of restrictive measures amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Coronavirus Global Updates: The number of infections of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease crossed 9.5 million globally on Friday, with the United States reporting the highest number (2,418,570), followed by Brazil (1,228,114), Russia (613,148), and India (473,105) on the fourth position.
Globally, the death toll touched 488,740, with the recovery at 488,740. The US reported the highest number of deaths in the world, while Brazil reported the highest number of recoveries. India stood at the fourth position when it came to the total number of recovered people, with the number at 271,697.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo played down concerns Thursday that the European Union might refuse to allow Americans into the 27-nation bloc as it considers lifting restrictions on overseas travellers starting next week. “It’s a challenge for all of us to decide how and when to open up our economies and our societies. Everybody’s trying to figure that out,” he said.
Here are the top developments from around the world:
A visitor looks at the view from the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Thursday, June 25, 2020. The Eiffel Tower reopened after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark’s longest closure since World War II. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Israel says it reached deal with UAE to jointly fight virus
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that his government and the United Arab Emirates will soon announce a partnership in the fight against the coronavirus. The deal, if confirmed, would come despite recent warnings from UAE officials that Israel’s planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank would harm its efforts to improve relations with Arab states.
In a speech to graduating Israeli fighter pilots, Netanyahu said an announcement was expected in a few moments and came after months of intense contacts. “This collaboration will be in the fields of research and development, technology, in areas that will improve the confidence in health throughout the region,” he said.
People queue up prior to visit the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, Thursday, June 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Panama sees surge of coronavirus infections after reopening
In the weeks since Panama loosened restrictions in an attempt to gradually reactivate its economy, new coronavirus infections have surged, especially in the densely populated poorer neighborhoods of its capital. Since late March, Panama had managed to maintain its daily new infections below 200 with a strict lockdown. But this month those numbers have nearly tripled and reported deaths are coming twice as fast.
Amid the worsening situation, President Laurentino Cortizo replaced his health minister Wednesday without explaining why. “We all knew this was going to happen,” said Dr. Xavier Saenz-Llorens, one of the advisers of the Health Ministry’s pandemic team. He was referring to the increase in infections once measures were eased.
In this June 10, 2020, file photo a woman carries shopping bags as she leaves a grocery store in New York. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted, File)
China reports further decline in new virus cases
China reported a further decline in newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday, with 13 cases. Eleven were in Beijing, where mass testing has been carried out following an outbreak that appears to have been largely brought under control. The other two cases were brought by Chinese travelers from overseas, according to the National Health Council.
No new deaths were reported and 389 people remained in treatment for COVID-19, with another 107 in isolation. Case numbers both nationally and in Beijing were down from Thursday. China has reported 4,634 COVID-19 deaths from 83,462 total cases.
A billboard depicting Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic is seen on a building in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Djokovic has tested positive for the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Some US states pause reopening as virus cases near record high
The coronavirus crisis deepened in Arizona on Thursday, and the governor of Texas began to backtrack after making one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to reopen, as the daily number of confirmed cases across the U.S. closed in on the peak reached during the dark days of late April.
While greatly expanded testing probably accounts for some of the increase, experts say other measures indicate the virus is making a comeback. Daily deaths, hospitalizations and the percentage of tests that are coming back positive also have been rising over the past few weeks in parts of the country, mostly in the South and West.
People wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus walk through a shopping and office complex in Beijing, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Several states set single-day case records this week, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma. Florida reported over 5,000 new cases for a second day in a row. Mississippi’s Dobbs blamed a failure to wear masks and observe other social-distancing practices.
Mexico treasury secretary gets virus
Mexico pushed past 25,000 reported coronavirus deaths and 200,000 confirmed cases Thursday, as the treasury secretary said he tested positive and would self-isolate while working from home.
Worker in full protective gear amid the new coronavirus pandemic disinfect a vehicle at Corabastos, one of Latin America’s largest food distribution centers, in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Treasury Secretary Arturo Herrera said he had only minor symptoms and planned to self-isolate as he continued to work from home. It was unclear how recently he was in close contact with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who refuses to use a face mask and has resumed public tours across Mexico.