Home Europe Coronavirus latest: Greece extends confinement in migrant camps, France to approve €40bn aid package

Coronavirus latest: Greece extends confinement in migrant camps, France to approve €40bn aid package

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Over 6.7 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 400,000 deaths have been recorded globally so far, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The US has the world”s highest number of deaths, over 109,800, while the UK is Europe’s worst-hit country, accounting for over 40,000 fatalities.

Greece extends confinement in migrant camps

Greece has extended confinement in its migrant camps until June 21, the Hellenic Parliament’s Official Gazette announced.

Confinement in migrant camps was already extended twice, the last time on May 21, until June 7.

No coronavirus deaths have been recorded among migrants, while only a few dozen of COVID-19 cases were reported.

More than 33,000 asylum seekers live in five camps on the Aegean islands, with a capacity for only 5,400 people, and some 70,000 in other facilities on the mainland.

France to approve new rescue package in next week’s budget

The French government is presenting on Wednesday a new rectified budget, the third since March, aiming to release an additional €40 billion for the sectors most affected by the coronavirus crisis, like tourism and automotive.

The new budget forecasts France GDP will drop by 11% in 2020, instead of the previously stated 8%, the country’s biggest recession since 1945.

South Korea struggles to contain second coronavirus wave

South Korea has reported 57 additional cases of the coronavirus, marking a second day in a row that its daily jump is above 50 as authorities struggle to suppress a spike in fresh infections.

South Korea’s caseload peaked in late February and early March but a later significant easing amid aggressive tracing, testing and treatment prompted authorities to loosen strict social distancing rules.

The country has since seen an increase in new infections, mostly in the Seoul region, where about half of its 51 million people live.

India reports biggest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases

India reported 9,971 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, in a new biggest single-day spike, just as it prepares to reopen shopping malls, hotels and religious places next week after a 10-week lockdown.

India has now surpassed Spain as the fifth hardest-hit in terms of infections, with over 246,000 cases. Fatalities have been nearly 7,000.

Brazil stops publishing total COVID-19 data

Brazil’s government has stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections.

The move came after months of criticism from experts saying Brazil’s statistics are woefully deficient so it may never be possible to gain a real understanding of the depth of the pandemic in what has so far been Latin America’s hardest-hit nation, accounting for over 35,900 deaths.

Meanwhile, the governor of Rio de Janeiro announced lockdown will be relaxed from Saturday.

The decree signed by Governor Wilson Witzel authorized the partial reopening of bars, restaurants, shopping centers and the resumption of certain sports activities.

Peru’s hospitals struggling with medical oxygen shortage

Peru, Latin America’s second country per number of cases, is facing a shortage of medical oxygen.

According to sources from the Ministry of Health, the country lacks some eight thousand bottles of it.

The government announced measures to increase the supply of oxygen cylinders and import them, if necessary, as it called on people to “be careful” and try not to “get sick” because the “health system is very affected”.

The country has been in lockdown for 83 days.

Saturday’s key updates

  • Denmark reopens swimming pools and gyms on Monday
  • Sri Lanka to reopen to tourists in August
  • OPEC, allied nations extend nearly 10M barrel cut by a month
  • Thousands of Europeans defy gathering bans in George Floyd protests
  • Prince William secretly working on coronavirus helpline
  • Bolsonaro says Brazil could leave WHO
  • Merkel calls for courage and determination to overcome crisis
  • Cyprus to reopen for tourism on Tuesday
  • Belgium denounces “competition” between states amid frontier reopening

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