Coronavirus update: Global caseload passes 8mn as fears of 2nd wave grip Chinese capital

The novel coronavirus has now infected more than eight million people and killed over 436,000 across the world, with alarms being sounded in China over the detection of more than 100 new cases in the capital Beijing in the course of a few days.

According to Johns Hopkins University, which compiles data on the pandemic, reported that there were now 8,018,742 cases and 436,406 deaths across the globe.

This comes as the virus, which first emerged in China’s Wuhan late last year, seems to reemerge in areas that had reported no new infections over the past weeks.

New Zealand reports first virus cases in 24 days

New Zealand reported two new coronavirus cases on Tuesday — both of them being women from the same family who had traveled to the UK — ending a 24-day streak of no new infections in the country.

Last week, New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions after declaring that it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus.

The new infections took the number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand to 1,506, while the number of deaths related to the COVID-19 respiratory disease remained at 22.

Beijing imposes restrictions amid fears of second coronavirus wave

The Chinese capital imposed restrictions on the movement of high-risk people on Tuesday to curb the spread of a potentially new wave of the coronavirus outbreak to other cities and provinces.

High-risk people are now banned from leaving Beijing, where transportation services are also suspended.

Beijing has reported 106 coronavirus cases since Thursday, the most serious flare-up in China since February.

“Beijing will take the most resolute, decisive, and strict measures to contain the outbreak,” Xu Hejian, a spokesman at the Beijing City government, told a news conference on Tuesday.

China’s financial hub of Shanghai on Tuesday started to require travelers from medium- to high-risk COVID-19 areas in China to be quarantined for two weeks.

Hong Kong eases coronavirus restrictions

Hong Kong eased an earlier eight-people gathering limit in the city, which has recorded a total of 1,113 cases and four fatalities since the outbreak began in late January.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said on Tuesday that groups of up to 50 people would be allowed to meet starting from Friday, amid a fall in the number of infections.

Delhi’s local health minister admitted to hospital with high fever

The health minister in the state government of India’s Delhi was admitted to hospital with high fever and was undergoing a COVID-19 test.

“Due to high grade fever and a sudden drop of my oxygen levels last night I have been admitted to RGSSH (Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital). Will keep everyone updated,” Satyendar Jain said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Several senior officials from finance, foreign affairs, and law departments that are all based in Delhi have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus over the past few weeks.

India has reported 343,091 coronavirus cases so far — the world’s fourth-highest toll, after the United States, Brazil, and Russia — and at least 9,900 deaths.

Thailand sees no new cases or deaths

Thailand reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths on Tuesday and marked 22 consecutive days without a domestic transmission.

The country has had 3,135 confirmed coronavirus cases and 58 deaths.

Indonesia’s virus cases surpass 40K

Meanwhile, the number of infections in Indonesia increased to 40,400, after 1,106 new cases were reported on Tuesday.

Indonesia also reported 33 more deaths on Tuesday, taking the total to 2,231, Health Ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.

Mexico’s coronavirus cases exceed 150K

The number of coronavirus infections in Mexico increased by 3,427 to 150,264 on Monday, the Health Ministry said.

The ministry also reported 439 additional fatalities. That took the total number of deaths attributed to the disease to 17,580.

Brazil’s coronavirus deaths near 44K

Brazil’s Health Ministry said that the death toll from the coronavirus had climbed to 43,959 — up by 627 — on Monday.

The ministry also registered nearly 20,000 new infections on Monday, bringing the total to 888,271 cases.

Russia’s coronavirus cases jump by 8,248

Russia on Tuesday reported 8,248 new infections and 193 deaths linked to the virus. Those took the overall tolls in the country to 545,458 cases and 7,284 deaths.

Despite the high numbers of cases, museums, libraries, and zoos in the capital, Moscow, reopened on Tuesday after more than two months of closure.

Moscow started to ease its lockdown measures last week.

Ukrainian president’s wife hospitalized with COVID-19

The wife of Ukraine’s president, Olena Zelenska, was admitted to hospital after contracting the coronavirus, the presidential office said on Tuesday.

Her condition was stable, it added.

Zelenska announced last week that she had tested positive for COVID-19, while her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and their two children had tested negative.

Spain mulls imposing quarantine on UK visitors in tit-for tat move

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya says her country is mulling imposing a quarantine on visitors from the United Kingdom when it opens its borders next week in response to a similar move by London.

“We will be checking what the UK will be doing and we will be in a dialog with the UK to see whether or not we should be introducing reciprocity as they have different measures than the rest of the European Union,” Gonzalez Laya said in an interview with the BBC.

Germany’s infections increase to 186,839

Germany registered 378 new confirmed coronavirus cases, taking its total to 186,839, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

According to the tally, the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus increased by nine to 8,800.

US congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s father dies of COVID-19

The father of Somali-born US Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar died on Monday night of complications caused by the new coronavirus.

“It is with tremendous sadness and pain to say goodbye to my father,” the Minnesota congresswoman said in a tweet late on Monday. “No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew and loved him.”

UAE allows outbound travel from June 23

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that citizens and residents would be allowed to travel to specific destinations as of June 23, according to state news agency (WAM).

The news agency said the list of the destinations would be announced later.

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