Worldwide coronavirus cases pass 7 million mark, over 402k dead

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has now surpassed the 7 million mark, while the deaths from the fast-spreading disease have crossed 402,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

As of Monday morning, the overall number of cases stood at 7,006,436, while the death toll increased to 402,699, according to the university’s latest update.

Of those diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus, some 1,942,363 were reported in the US, which has recorded 110,514 fatalities.

As the world’s large economies — including the US, the UK, Brazil and India — are grappling with the fast-spreading virus, the South Pacific country of New Zealand says it has eliminated the transmission of the viral infection and will soon return to normal life.

The following is the latest news on the pandemic around the globe:

New Zealand free of COVID-19

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that her government has eliminated the transmission of the virus domestically, and the country will get back to life without restrictions.

“While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand,” she said.

​“We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort,” Ardern added.

She said her government would lift all containment measures except for border controls.

The South Pacific country of about five million people reported its last case of infection with the virus on May 22.

Indonesia eases capital restrictions

Meanwhile, Indonesia has eased lockdown restrictions in the capital Jakarta, while new cases and fatalities are still being reported across the country.

Health authorities reported 672 new COVID-19 and 50 deaths for Sunday.

The figure takes the nation’s total tall to 31,186 known cases and 1,851 deaths.

India opens malls, temples as peak yet to come

Elsewhere in Asia, India opened malls and temples in several cities on Monday, as part of measures to relax a ten-week lockdown, although the country has overtaken the UK in terms of the coronavirus cases.

Health experts have warned that the outbreak will reach to the peak in July.

The number of new cases rose by 9,983 to 257,486, government figures showed Monday.

This has put the country of 1.3 billion population on course to surpass Spain in terms of positive cases as well.

The reported death toll of 7,202, is, however, lower than the fatalities recorded in other badly-hit countries.

Pakistan’s cases exceed 100,000

Pakistan has launched a crackdown on businesses that breached social safety measures after the country’s confirmed cases of coronavirus exceeded 100,000 on Monday.

The country — which has so far recorded 2,067 deaths and 103,671 cases — lifted lockdown last month, but promulgated protocols for the reopening of markets, industries and public transport.

The government has now “directed administrations to crack down on places [where] protocols are not being followed,” said Planning Minister Asad Umar.

Many markets and shops have been sealed because of non-compliance over the last few days, Umar said.

Pakistan, which has been setting records for the number of new daily infections over the last 10 days, is now the 16th country to exceed 100,000 cases of COVID-19.

This is while the county has yet to reach the peak of the outbreak.

South Korea reports 38 new cases

South Korea has raised concerns over a second wave of the outbreak in the capital Seoul as the country entered the final phase of its plan to reopen schools.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 38 new cases on Monday morning.

Authorities have tightened distancing restrictions, which had been relaxed recently, to prevent another wave of the outbreak.

The county has reported a total number of 11,814 cases and 273 deaths.

China reports four new cases

China, the country where the virus first showed up, registered four new confirmed cases in the mainland as of end of Sunday.

The National Health Commission said the four cases were imported by travelers from overseas.

Italy reports 53 new deaths

Italy reported 53 additional deaths on Sunday, according to the Civil Protection department, which took the total death toll to 33,899 since the outbreak emerged in the country in late February.

Officials also reported 197 new cases, down from 270 the day before.

The country, with a total number of 234,998 cases, lifted restrictions on inter-regional travel, as well as travel to and from other European countries last week.

Brazil records 1,382 new deaths, over 12k cases

Brazil recorded 37,312 total deaths, while overall cases in the country reached 685,427, data from the Health Ministry showed on Sunday.

Based on the government cumulative figures, the number of new deaths is 1,382, with 12,581 new confirmed cases over the last 24 hours.

Over the weekend, officials removed months of national data on the pandemic from a government website as the far-right government of President Jair Bolsonaro has increasingly come under fire for the handing of the virus crisis.

The total number of confirmed cases stands at 84,191 and the death toll remains unchanged at 4,634.

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