Coronavirus Pandemic: Updates
More than 332,800 deaths
The pandemic has killed at least 332,870 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Friday based on official sources. There have been at least 5,109,296 officially recorded cases in 196 countries and territories. The United States has recorded the most deaths at 94,729. It is followed by Britain with 36,042, Italy with 32,486, France with 28,215 and Spain with 27,940.
China hails 'achievements'
China praises its own response to the coronavirus outbreak, Premier Li Keqiang saying Beijing has made "major strategic achievements". Li says China now faces "immense" economic challenges -- it has not set an annual growth target for the first time in decades.
India sees record cases
India registered some 6,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus yesterdayu, the country's biggest jump in 24 hours, as New Delhi eases a nationwide lockdown. The country reported a total of over 118,000 confirmed cases yesterday. Included in the total are 3,583 deaths.
Latin America deaths surge
Brazil's death toll -- the sixth highest of any country -- has doubled in just 11 days. The epicentre of Latin America's outbreak has now recorded more than 20,000 dead. In Chile, coronavirus deaths have increased by 29 percent over the past 24 hours. The United Nations says the economic crisis caused by the pandemic has left an extra 11.5 million people unemployed in Latin America.
France to hold delayed polls
France will hold a second round of municipal elections on June 28 after they were called off in March because of a lockdown, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says.
Russia's economy plunges
Russia's economy is forecast to shrink by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same period last year, while yearly GDP will fall by five percent, economy minister Maksim Reshetnikov says.
Quarantine in Britain
Britain is to introduce a quarantine period of 14 days for those arriving in the UK, Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis says. UK retail sales dived by a record 18.1 percent in April with clothing sales by volume in particular plunging by more than half compared with the previous month.
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