Global coronavirus infections cross 4.2 mn, death toll moves past 285,000

More than 4.2 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 285,339 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 1044 GMT on Tuesday.

Deaths and infections

• For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open in an external browser.
• For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open in an external browser.

Europe

• The United Kingdom's death toll topped 38,000 as of early May, by far the worst yet reported in Europe, raising questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the crisis. The data came a day after Johnson set out a gradual plan to get Britain back to work, including advice on wearing home-made face coverings.
• Spain ordered a two-week quarantine for all travellers arriving from abroad from this Friday as the country emerges from a national lockdown.
• Factory and construction workers in Russia were set to return to work after President Vladimir Putin ordered a gradual easing of lockdown measures despite a sharp increase in new cases.
• Denmark is "very unlikely" to be hit by a second wave of coronavirus, the country's chief epidemiologist said, after the government laid out plans for increased testing and a contact tracing system.
• Deaths in France on Monday were almost four times higher than Sunday and new confirmed cases more than doubled over 24 hours, as the country started unwinding an almost two-month national lockdown.
• Italy said it would give regions the power to roll back restrictions, in a move that is likely to see most remaining curbs lifted next week.

Americas

• Top U.S. health authorities will testify on Tuesday to a Senate committee looking into plans for reopening the nation's businesses, schools and other sectors of the economy, as experts recommend doing so cautiously.
• More than 1.35 million people have been infected in the United States and more than 80,600 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 1044 GMT on Tuesday.
• California, Oregon, Washington and other states involved in a western states pact to coordinate coronavirus response have asked the federal government for a combined $1 trillion in aid.
• Brazil reported 5,632 new cases and 396 additional deaths, bringing the national tally to 168,331 and 11,519 deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro declared gyms and hair salons as essential services that can stay open.
• Panama announced plans to begin a phased reopening this week of its economy, including e-commerce, mechanical workshops and fishing.

Asia-Pacific

• Chinese health authorities called for vigilance to be maintained as new clusters emerge, even though the peak of the epidemic has passed.
• Japan plans to approve its first antigen testing kits on Wednesday to boost the number of diagnostic tests available to battle the pandemic.
• Tens of thousands of people have booked out seats on Indian trains that are due to restart after a near seven-week lockdown, raising concerns of spreading the virus in the absence of social distancing.
• South Korean authorities combed through mobile phone data, credit card statements and CCTV footage to identify people who visited nightclubs at the centre of one of the capital's biggest clusters.
• The Philippines extended the lockdown of its capital, Manila, to 11 weeks.
• Australia's treasurer was tested for the coronavirus after he broke into a sustained coughing bout while giving a speech to parliament.

Middle East and Africa

• Uganda's long-serving President Yoweri Museveni said it would be wrong to hold a presidential election expected for early next year if the pandemic persists.
• The International Monetary Fund raised Kenya's risk of debt distress to high from moderate due to the impact of the virus.
• Senegal announced the re-opening of mosques and churches and easing of other restrictions, even as the largest one-day jump in cases was recorded on Monday.

Economic fallout

• Europe's share markets, bond yields and the euro all inched higher on Tuesday, as mildly reassuring signals from China's economy helped limit worries about a potential second wave of infections.
• German economic output probably declined by around 20-25% for several weeks due to the outbreak, the KfW state development bank said.
• France's economic downturn is easing as the country emerges from the lockdown, although activity remains mired at levels far below normal, the central bank said.
• Britain should extend a job support programme until the end of the year for retail and hospitality workers, a think tank said on Tuesday.
• European Union plans for a multi-billion euro defence fund have been thrown into doubt by the economic shock of the coronavirus, officials and diplomats say.
• The Bank of Japan will do "whatever it can" to mitigate the growing fallout from the pandemic, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said.