Deaths cross 350,000 as life limps back in some countries
Several nations are easing lockdowns while virus devastates South America
PARIS:More
than 350,000 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded globally even as some countries began easing lockdowns linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
An AFP tally showed 350,196 deaths from 5,589,389 cases, including 173,713 in Europe from 2,057,414 infections. But diagnosed cases reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections as many countries test only serious cases or lack testing capacity.
Countries hit particularly hard such as Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Britain have all started easing their lockdowns, as people head to shops, sunbathe at beaches and run in parks after months of confinement. Switzerland announced on Wednesday it would remove most of its remaining coronavirus restrictions on June 6. Moscow’s mayor announced easing lockdown restrictions in the city on June 1, citing the slowing of the coronavirus outbreak in Russia’s capital.
Spain on Wednesday will begin a 10-day official mourning for the more than 27,000 people who died of the disease in the country, with all flags on public buildings lowered to half-mast.
The virus continued its march in Latin America, which has outpaced Europe and the US in daily infections. As Brazil’s daily death rate climbed to its highest, a University of Washington study warned that its total death toll could climb five-fold from the current 25,000 to 125,000 by early August. The forecast came from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.