Coronavirus latest: Singapore reports 690 new cases; Covid-19 has killed more Americans than the Vietnam war; Brazil’s death toll passes China
- British Airways set to cut up to 12,000 jobs; Russia worried about effect on ‘nuclear cities’
- Brazil passes 5,000 deaths from Covid-19; pug becomes first known dog in US to test positive
The United States has recorded its 1 millionth coronavirus case as countries including Spain took tentative steps back towards normal life by preparing to reopen some businesses.
Excitement over partial easing of lockdowns has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US – where millions of jobs have gone – reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths, a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam war. Communist Vietnam, a neighbour of China, has recorded 270 cases and no deaths, Johns Hopkins said.
And the overall US caseload rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump’s re-election chances. But some countries have reported falling infection numbers, and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns.
France said on Tuesday that shops, markets and some schools could reopen next month, with face masks required on public transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead, saying “the situation remains very difficult”. But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month.
The new coronavirus has killed at least 216,000 people since it was first detected in China in December.
At least 3,113,447 cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories, although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures.