Paris: Over 2.5 million people have been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus worldwide, with 80 per cent of cases in Europe and the United States, according to an AFP tally Tuesday based on official figures.
There have been 2,503,429 recorded cases and 172,551 deaths around the world. Europe, the most affected continent, has 1,230,522 official infections and 108,797 fatalities, while the US, the country where COVID-19 is spreading most rapidly, has 788,920 cases and 42,458 deaths.
However these figures likely reflect just a fraction of the actual number of cases, as many countries only test the most serious cases.
United States
The United States is preparing a "substantial contribution" to help Yemen combat the coronavirus, but it may have to find alternatives to the World Health Organization to spend it, a senior US official told Reuters.
The US Senate Democratic Leader said he thinks Republicans and Democrats have agreed on a fourth coronavirus spending bill, and that the Trump administration has also agreed to a national testing strategy.
Mexico and Haiti have detected infections among migrants deported recently from the United States.
Europe
Italy will announce before the end of this week plans to start easing its lockdown starting from May 4, its prime minister said.
The true extent of the death toll in Britain was more than 40% higher than the daily figures from the government indicated by April 10, according to data that includes deaths in the community.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel signalled readiness to finance economic recovery in Europe from the pandemic through a bigger European Union budget and the issuance of joint debt via the European Commission.
Police and youths clashed for a second night in a low-income Paris suburb on Sunday as strict lockdown rules threaten a fragile social peace in deprived areas.
Spain's San Fermin bull-running festival has been suspended for the first time in four decades.
Asia-Pacific
Thailand approved a second automatic visa extension for foreigners to prevent long queues at immigration centres.
Indonesia will ban the mass exodus tradition, locally known as 'mudik,' at the end of the Muslim fasting month in May.
A northwestern province on the frontline of China's coronavirus battle reported its first cases in nearly three weeks, all involving travellers from overseas.
Middle East and Africa
Millions of children in the Middle East will become poorer as their caregivers lose jobs from lockdowns, according to the U.N. Children's Fund.
Shopping malls and bazaars reopened in Iran despite warnings by health officials that a new wave of infections could ripple through the country.
South Africa will increase welfare provision to help poor households suffering because of a lockdown.
The palm oil market is set to miss out on a key high-demand period in 2020 as coronavirus-driven lockdowns during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan dent demand in key importing countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
