Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:
Global confirmed death toll passes 320,000
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, at least 322,457 people are known to have died while at least 4,881,619 are confirmed as having been infected since the outbreak began.
The figures, which are based on official and media reports, are likely to significantly underestimate the scale of the pandemic due to differing testing and statistical recording regimes, as well as suspected undercounting.
Pandemic will push 60m into poverty, says World Bank chief
Shutdowns around the world could undo three years of gains in alleviating poverty, the president of the World Bank warns. In the latest prediction, David Malpass says the organisation estimates that up to 60 million people could be pushed below the poverty line as the global economy shrinks by around 5%.
Cambridge University cancels face-to-face lectures for a year
There will be no “face-to-face lectures” at the University of Cambridge in the 2020/21 academic year, the institution says. Lectures will continue virtually, while it may be possible for smaller teaching groups to take place in person if it conforms to social distancing requirements.
British centenarian to be knighted for fundraising
A British war veteran whose sponsored walks around his garden raised £33m for NHS charities is to receive a knighthood. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, recommended Capt Tom Moore for the honour, which will be formally announced on Wednesday.
US confirms border closure extension
The US’s land borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel by the agreement of the three nations, a US official says. The closures were set to expire this week.
WHO assembly approves Covid-19 response audit
A resolution on the need to investigate the global response to the pandemic wins endorsement at the World Health Organization’s annual ministerial meeting.
None of the WHO’s 194-member states raised objections to the resolution brought by the EU on behalf of more than 100 countries including Australia, China and Japan.
Al-Aqsa mosque to reopen
Islam’s third holiest site will reopen next week, authorities say. The Islamic endowment overseeing the site in Jerusalem under Jordanian custodianship had taken the unprecedented step of closing it to worshippers in March as other major holy sites were shuttered across the Middle East.
UK reports 545 more deaths
The UK reports 545 more deaths, taking its total to 35,341. The environment secretary, George Eustice, announced the latest figure at the government’s daily briefing on the epidemic. The UK remains the world’s second-worst affected country by deaths after the US.
Afghanistan suffers worst day
Afghanistan records its biggest one-day rise in infections as about half of tests done in a 24-hour period come back positive. The health ministry confirms 581 new cases out of 1,200 tests, marking the country’s worst day of the crisis – the previous high was 414. Five patients died overnight, taking the death toll to 178.
