U.K. has Europe’s highest COVID-19 toll
Russia reports 10K new cases for third day in row
LONDON — Britain now has Europe’s highest official coronavirus death toll after the latest round of daily figures Tuesday showed it overtaking Italy, and the number of infections rose sharply again in Russia, even as other nations made great strides in containing the scourge.
China marked its third week with no new reported deaths, while South Korea restarted its baseball season.
Britain surpassed Italy as Europe’s hardest-hit nation, even as the rate of deaths and hospitalization declined and the government prepared to take tentative steps out of lockdown.
The British government said another 693 people died in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings after testing positive for COVID-19, taking the total to 29,427 — above Italy’s 29,315.
Both figures are almost certainly underestimates because they include only people who tested positive.
Yet official British statistics released Tuesday on people who died with suspected COVID-19 put the country’s toll at more than 30,000 as of April 24, or one-third higher than the government count at the time. A comparable figure for Italy was not available.
In Russia, the number of infections rose sharply again, with Moscow reporting more than 10,000 new cases for three days in a row.
At the same time, European countries that have relaxed strict lockdowns after new infections tapered off were watching their virus numbers warily.
“We know with great certainty that there will be a second wave. The majority of scientists are sure of that. And many also assume that there will be a third wave,” said Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany’s national disease control center.
French President Emmanuel Macron took heat from parents, teachers and mayors, who pushed back against his plans to gradually reopen schools next week with classes capped at 15 students.
In Britain, which, unlike other European nations, remains in lockdown, a trial began Tuesday of a mobile phone app that authorities hope will help contain the outbreak.
The app, which warns people if they have been near an infected individual, is being tested on the Isle of Wight, off England’s southern coast. The government hopes it can be rolled out across the country later this month.
Widely seen as a success story,
South Korea reported only three new cases of the virus, its lowest total since Feb. 18. Schools will reopen in phases starting with high school seniors on May 13, but the highlight Tuesday was the baseball season, which began with no spectators allowed.
Other places in the Asia-pacific region have also suppressed outbreaks, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand, which has reported no new cases for two days.
But experts said India, a nation of 1.3 billion people, has yet to see the peak of its outbreak.
After India relaxed some lockdown restrictions on Monday, thousands of people turned up at liquor stores without following social distancing recommendations.
Police used batons to disperse the crowds. On Tuesday, Indian authorities imposed a special tax of 70 percent on liquor purchases.