Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:
Confirmed global death toll exceeds 250,000
At least a quarter of a million people are now known to have died as a result of the pandemic, researchers say. Globally, 3,062 new deaths and 61,923 new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours, taking total cases to 3.58 million. Experts worry the available data is underplaying the true impact of the pandemic.
France’s death toll tops 25,000
The number of people who have died in France increases by 306 to 25,201 on Monday, the sharpest rate of increase in four days. On Sunday, only 135 new deaths were reported, but on Sundays the data reporting from nursing homes is often delayed, leading to a catchup during the week.
Germany set to ease restrictions – report
The country’s state premiers will agree on further measures to ease restrictions during a telephone call with the chancellor, Angela Merkel, on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report.
They are expected to give the green light for large shops to reopen, probably from 11 May, according to the report.
Tech giants ban location tracking in contact-tracing apps
Apple and Google say they will ban the use of location tracking in apps they are building to slow the pandemic that use a new contact-tracing system.
The firms, whose operating systems power 99% of smartphones, said last month they would work together to create a system for notifying people who have been near others who have tested positive for Covid-19.
Carnival to resume cruises in August
Carnival Cruise Line announces plans to resume operations at the beginning of August, despite dozens of deaths on cruise ships during the pandemic and investigations into the industry’s possible role in spreading the disease around the planet.
Another 288 die in Britain
The UK death toll reaches 28,734 as 288 more people are confirmed to have died. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, says that is the smallest daily increase since the end of March, although he acknowledges that the daily reported rise in deaths tends to be lower on Mondays than later in the week.
Millions of Italians allowed to return to work
Millions of people are allowed to return to work in Italy as Europe’s longest lockdown starts to ease. In all, 4.4 million Italians are able to return to work and restrictions on movement are being eased.
Italy’s death toll far higher than reported
Thousands of coronavirus-related deaths have never been officially attributed to the pandemic, says Italy’s statistics bureau, Istat. In its first report of the impact on Italy’s mortality rate, covering 86% of the population, it says that deaths were up 39% compared with the average of the previous five years.
