India, Russia see virus case increases
South Korea records biggest jump in 50 days
MOSCOW — India saw another record daily jump in coronavirus cases Thursday while Russia reported a steady increase in its caseload even as it moved to ease restrictions in sync with the Kremlin’s political plans.
India, home to more than 1.3 billion people, reported more than
6,500 new infections, another record daily surge that brought the nation’s total to more than 158,000 infections. The spike comes as the nation’s twomonth-old lockdown is set to end Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is preparing a new set of guidelines to be issued this weekend, possibly extending the lockdown in worst-hit areas as it promotes economic activity. Earlier this month, the country allowed reopening of shops and manufacturing and resumption of some trains and domestic flights and vehicles’ movement.
South Korea on Thursday reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days, a setback that could erase some of the hard-won gains that have made it a model for the rest of the world. Health officials warned that the resurgence is getting harder to track and social distancing and other steps need to be taken.
And in Russia, high daily numbers of new coronavirus infections underlined the risks of reopening the economy, which has been battered by the outbreak.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will hold a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in World War II on June 24, declaring that the nation has passed the peak of the pandemic that had forced the Kremlin to postpone the celebrations.
The massive May 9 parade marking Russia’s most important holiday was intended to emphasize the nation’s role in World War II and underline its international clout, with French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders set to attend. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Moscow will resend the invitations to Macron and others.
The government’s anti-coronavirus task force reported more than 8,300 new infections Thursday, about the same as in the previous day and lower than the peak levels of more than 11,000 cases earlier this month.
Russian officials reported 174 new deaths, repeating the highest daily toll recorded two days ago and bringing the nation’s total to 4,142.
In other developments:
U.N. Secretary-general Antonio Guterres told a high-level meeting Thursday that COVID-19 could also lead to “a loss of $8.5 trillion in global output, the sharpest contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s.”
The French way of life is set to largely resume next week, with most virus-related restrictions easing. In a speech on Thursday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe promised that “freedom will, at last, again become the rule.”
Spanish authorities are reporting no setbacks in the gradual easing of restrictions on movement over the past month as some regions prepare to loosen limits further starting Monday.
Italy’s education minister is promising students they will return to school in September. Minister Lucia Azzolina told RAI state TV Thursday evening that come September all of the nation’s schoolchildren “will hear the school bell ring” again.
Up to six people from different households will be allowed to meet outdoors next week as part of another modest easing of the coronavirus lockdown in England, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday.
A coronavirus travel ban between Turkey’s worst-affected cities is being lifted while restaurants, cafes and sports facilities will reopen on Monday, the country’s president said Thursday.