Coronavirus around the world

CORONAVIRUS has infected more than six million people across the world and killed more than 370,000, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates on the pandemic from around the world:

■■TANZANIA

Tanzania is entering its sixth week without an update on its coronavirus cases as African health authorities worry and the US issued a new statement of concern.

The East African nation’s data has been frozen at just more than 500 cases since the end of April as the government of President John Magufuli claims the virus has been defeated.

The opposition, however, has alleged that Tanzania’s cases could be in the tens of thousands. citizens for coronavirus in a mass effort that resulted in the isolation of 300 people, authorities said.

The pandemic is believed to have originated last year in the industrial city that went under lockdown for 76 days to try to stop the outbreak.

Wuhan still accounts for the bulk of China’s 83,021 cases and 4,634 deaths from the disease.

The testing effort in the second half of May targeted every resident not already tested and excluded only children under six.

No active, unknown cases of Covid-19 were found from the testing effort, although 300 people who tested positive for the virus without showing symptoms were placed in isolation.

■■AUSTRALIA

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed Australia’s economy into recession for the first time in 29 years. Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the current June quarter will be the second in a row in which the Australian economy has shrunk.

A recession is defined as at least two successive quarters of contraction.

Data released for the March quarter showed a 0.3% contraction since the three months through to December due to destructive wildfires and the early stages of the coronavirus lockdown.

Mr Frydenberg said the Treasury Department had advised that the June quarter result will be worse.

■■CYPRUS

Cyprus has accelerated the lifting of most of the country’s remaining coronavirus restrictions by three weeks, citing its consistently low infection rate since the May 4 end of a stay-athome order.

To date, Cyprus counts 952 confirmed Covid-19 infections and 17 deaths.www