Despite the growing numbers of infected, numerous countries are reporting a decline in new cases, announcing an ease in coronavirus restrictions after weeks and months of severe lockdowns and travel bans. At the moment, at least 2,360,000 people have recovered from the disease worldwide, while over 50,000 remain in critical condition.
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide has increased by nearly 100,000 over the past 24 hours to surpass 5.4 million, with over 343,000 deaths, the World Health Organization said in a statement.
According to the WHO, the global case tally currently stands at 5,404,512 - a rise by 99,780 over the past day.
The death count worldwide amounts to 343,514 - an increase by 1,486.
GENEVA (Sputnik) - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Switzerland has increased by 15, the Federal Office for Public Health said on Tuesday, as the country eases its coronavirus restrictions.
On Monday, the daily case growth was at 10.
There have been 15 new cases registered in the last 24 hours, making the total number 30,761, as well as 6 fatalities, putting the death toll at 1,648.
The country has conducted a total of 375,115 COVID-19 tests.
ANKARA (Sputnik) - Health authorities in Turkey have detected 948 new cases of the coronavirus infection over the past day, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Tuesday.
This marks the lowest daily increment in new coronavirus cases in Turkey since 25 March.
According to Koca's situation report, posted on Twitter, the cumulative toll since the epidemic's start has now grown to 158,762 cases.
Over the past 24 hours, 28 people died from COVID-19, taking the death toll to 4,397.
LONDON (Sputnik) - The death toll from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom has increased by 134 in the last 24 hours, reaching 37,048, the Health Department said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases has risen by 2,004 to 265,227 in total.
On Monday, the daily increase in fatalities was 121, while the number of new cases was 1,625.
"Another 73 patients, who were diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for the coronavirus infection, died in Moscow", the city's coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the previous day, 76 people infected with the coronavirus died in the city.
"Back at work today after three negative COVID tests", Miller said in the statement.
On 8 May, President Donald Trump confirmed to reporters that Miller tested positive for COVID-19.
Shortly before Miller's infection, one of Trump's valets also tested positive for the disease, but there has been no update on his recovery.
"We will not be issuing any permits for parades in Phase One [of recovery plan]", Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters on Tuesday when asked whether parade activities will be suspended during Independence Day.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US national capital area has reached 13 days of sustained decrease in community spread of the novel coronavirus disease cases (COVID-19) and expects to announce economy reopening plans on 27 May if the trend proceeds, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters on Tuesday.
“We are now at thirteen days of sustained decline", Bowser said during a press briefing. "We hope that the trends will continue, and tomorrow we will be able to provide next steps on Phase 1 opening to be effective on 29 May".
City authorities hoped to reach the 14 days of decrease several days earlier but an unexpected spike of new COVID-19 cases forced them to change those calculations, she added.
TOKYO (Sputnik) - A Japanese COVID-19 vaccine will be put through clinical trials in July, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday.
According to the news outlet, animal trials have proven that the vaccine helps develop antibodies against the coronavirus.
They were originally planned for September, only to be moved to August, and now to July.
The trials, conducted together with the Osaka University, are said to involve testing the vaccine on two dozen people in two hospitals.
If it proves its effectiveness, then it will likely be approved and enter production by the end of the year, the Nikkei noted.
PARIS (Sputnik) - The number of people who have died in France from coronavirus-related complications has reached 28,530, an increase of 315 since the latest previously reported figures last week, the French Public Health Agency (DGS) said.
The last time the DGS released a situation report on the death toll in France was last Thursday. The report stated 28,215 deaths linked to COVID-19.
"A total of 28,530 people have died, of [whom] 18,195 have died in hospitals and 10,335 others in residential care establishments", the agency said.
According to the update, 100,841 people in total have been hospitalised since the beginning of the pandemic, and 16,264 currently remain in hospitals, down from 18,468 last week, including 1,555 patients in intensive care units.
Over the past 24 hours, 318 new people have been admitted to hospitals over the coronavirus infection.
"As of today, I am pleased to say we have hired over 1,700 contact tracers, and they will be will be on duty doing their good work by 1 June", Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
De Blasio noted that New York City has surpassed its goal to recruit 1,000 contact tracers for a major testing and tracing network announced by him in April.
Of the total number of contact tracers, more than 900 will be serving as case investigators who will call residents identified to have positive novel coronavirus test results and track down the people these residents have been in touch with.
Some 770 so-called monitors will call the contacts, bring them in for tests and continue to be in touch with those diagnosed with COVID-19.
De Blasio also said that the New York City will be opening 16 new COVID-19 testing centres across its five boroughs to bring the total to more than 180 sites by the end of June.
With 20,000 novel coronavirus tests currently being performed at centres per day, New York City aims to increase the number to 50,000 by 1 August, the mayor said.
"The multidisciplinary working group analysed international recommendations for the administration of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19, publications on this topic, including the Lancet article, and reports from regional centres of pharmacovigilance showing potentially serious side effects, especially cardiovascular ones, associated with the use of this drug. The working group collectively concluded that there was no sufficiently reliable clinical study demonstrating the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 regardless of the severity of the infection", The French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) and the Agency for the Safety of Health Products (ANSM) said in a statement.
For its part, the ANSM agency announced Tuesday that, taking into account the Lancet study, it has launched a procedure to suspend the inclusion of patients in the clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine. It will take effect in 24 hours, the agency added.
In France, apart from clinical trials, the use of the drug against COVID-19 was allowed only in hospitals and only for severe cases if the treatment was approved by several doctors.
"The number of lives lost - 73 [on Monday]. That is the lowest level that we have seen since this started", Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "In this absurd new reality, that is good news. Any other time and place, when we lose 73 New Yorkers, it is tragic".
On Sunday, 96 people died in the state due to COVID-19, and 109 residents passed away on 23 May.
TORONTO (Sputnik) - The number of Canadians who have contracted the novel coronavirus grew to 85,987 on Tuesday, updated data from the Public Health Agency revealed.
The COVID-19-related death toll rose to 6,566, the data also showed.
The province of Quebec remains the epicentre of the outbreak in Canada, accounting for more than half of all confirmed cases - 47,984 - and 4,069 deaths.
The province of Ontario trails with 26,191 confirmed cases and 2,123 COVID-19-related fatalities. Premier Doug Ford attributed the rising number of cases in the province to people disregarding restrictions on social gatherings during the Mother’s Day weekend.
"The 48th Central Research Institute of the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops of the Russian Defence Ministry, in cooperation with the Gamaleya Federal Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry, are developing a recombinant vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection. Currently, the institute's specialists are completing pre-clinical studies of the experimental vaccine sample — they are due to finish on 1 June", Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
Clinical trials of the experimental vaccine are scheduled to complete by the end of July, the minister added.
Speaking on the coronavirus situation within the ranks of the Russian armed forces, Shoigu said that the army is past the peak of the outbreak.
"The peak of the new coronavirus infection within the armed forces was overcome in the second half of April. Since the beginning of March, a total of 5,500 army members have been infected. To date, 3,500 have been cured and discharged from hospital. We believe that the situation in the armed forces will return to normal by the beginning of June", Shoigu said.
The minister said that the epidemic had not caused "a decrease of combatant value" in the Russian army or otherwise affected scheduled combat training.
"I think the United States is doing the right thing, which is to basically take a risk and have the vaccines produced early, even though they are not certain they will work. That is very expensive, so not all countries want to make that kind of investment. But that is a very effective way", Medicines for Europe Director General Adrian van den Hoven said.
The director general explained that such an investment means that if one of the vaccines under development looks promising, but is not yet approved by medical authorities, the government offers funds to have it manufactured in any case. Therefore, once it is approved, it is already produced and available to be put on the market, although this process contains risks if the treatment fails clinical testing.
"To my knowledge, so far, only the US government is doing that, I do not see any other government in the world using that model, as it is very expensive. But it gives you several, maybe six months of advantage, which is a lot. Compared to the cost of coronavirus, I guess it is not a huge amount of money", van den Hoven said.
European governments are still considering whether to take this step, the director general stated.
"I think they are considering this in Europe as well. They are considering doing so, but I do not know if they will or not," he added.
TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The Israeli Defence Ministry on Tuesday announced that, according to recent research conducted by scientists from the Israel Institute for Biological Research, equivalents of two drugs initially created to treat patients with Gaucher disease can also be used for fighting COVID-19 in case of new outbreaks.
"Research conducted by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) indicates that the analogues of two drugs designed to treat Gaucher’s disease are effective against the coronavirus and may also be effective in the case of future outbreaks of new viruses", the ministry wrote on Twitter.
The effectiveness of drugs is being tested on animals infected with coronavirus.
According to the military, treatment of a new disease, such as COVID-19, using an already approved drug can serve as an effective short-term solution, given that one of the main challenges in the fight against the pandemic is the long time required for both research and approval of new drugs.
Gaucher disease is a genetic disorder that leads to the build-up of fatty deposits in various human organs, including spleen, liver, and bone marrow.
Research conducted by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) indicates that the analogues of two drugs designed to treat Gaucher’s disease are effective against Corona virus and may also be effective in the case of future outbreaks of new viruses pic.twitter.com/CwchURstE2
— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) May 26, 2020
MOSCOW, May 26 (Sputnik) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will increase the number of tests conducted on athletes once the COVID-19 pandemic has ended in order to address "gaps" in testing databases, the agency said in updated guidance distributed to athletes.
"When the sporting landscape returns to a certain normality, these 'gaps' in testing will be addressed cooperatively through additional targeted testing especially given that intelligence-gathering and investigations continue", WADA said in the guidelines, addressing concerns over the reduction in testing during the coronavirus outbreak.
In a press release accompanying the guidance, WADA Director General Olivier Niggli called on national anti-doping bodies to put the health of their athletes at the forefront of their activities and to ensure that sports can begin to return safely.
“Regardless of the situation countries or regions may be facing, WADA continues to urge anti-doping organisations to place athlete health at the forefront of their anti-doping effort", Niggli stated.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has registered 8,915 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (8,946 yesterday), bringing the total count to 362,342, the national coronavirus response centre said on Tuesday.
"Over the past 24 hours, 8,915 COVID-19 cases have been registered in 83 regions. Of these, 3,668 (or 41.1 percent) have been detected with people showing no clinical symptoms", the centre said in a statement.
This brings the total tally to 362,342 (+2.5 percent) in 85 regions across Russia.
Of the new cases, 2,830 were registered in Moscow, 817 in the Moscow Region, and 363 in St. Petersburg (compared to yesterday's 2,560, 831, and 374, respectively).
The country's COVID-19 death toll has increased by 174 (92 yesterday) to 3,807.
The daily increase in COVID-19 recoveries hit a record, as 12,331 patients have recovered in Russia over the past 24 hours (5,499 yesterday). The total number of cured people has grown to 131,129.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - India’s COVID-19 daily increase has dipped to 6,535 after four days of record-breaking growth, with the total count surging past 145,000, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed on Tuesday.
A day before, the increase totalled 6,977. On Sunday, it was 6,767.
The death toll has risen by 146 to 4,167. Recoveries have gone up by 6,050 to 54,440 in the past 24 hours.
The number of active cases is at 80,722.
