Nigeria and Bangladesh joined several European countries and U.S. states in beginning to reopen parts of their economies Tuesday as global cases topped 3 million.
By the numbers: COVID-19 has killed over 211,000, Johns Hopkins data shows. Almost 895,000 people have recovered from the virus. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world (more than 988,000 from nearly 5.6 million tests), followed by Spain (over 229,000).
What’s happening: Bangladesh is reopening its garment factories, but workers expressed concerns they’ll be at risk of contracting the virus, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
- More than 2 million Australians have downloaded a new coronavirus tracing app within hours of its release, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced Tuesday, as the country reopened beaches.
- China reported there were six new cases and no deaths on Tuesday. It’s been two weeks since the country reported any deaths. China’s reported infections and deaths have been treated with suspicion by foreign leaders and the CIA.
- Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, would start a “phased and gradual easing” of its capital, Abuja, as well as Lagos and Ogun, on May 4, President Muhammadu Buhari said at a news briefing Monday.
- The pandemic is “far from over,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing in Geneva Monday, as he urged “each country takes its own responsibility.”
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday there’s “no widespread undetected community transmission” eased restrictions.
- Argentina is extending a nationwide shelter-in-place order that was due to expire Sunday until May 10, President Alberto Fernandez said on Saturday, per Reuters. The country has confirmed over 3,700 cases, according to Johns Hopkins.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work on Monday after recovering from the coronavirus.
- India announced it will be easing lockdown measures for its 1.3 billion people in the areas outside of hotspots providing some relief for locally owned businesses and daily wage workers.
- The director of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, said in a briefing to health care officials on Thursday that Iran and its regional allies are intentionally underreporting cases and deaths from the coronavirus.
- Brazil and Ecuador are becoming coronavirus epicenters in Latin America, as prolonged lapses in tracking and testing have led to severely undercounted death tolls, the Washington Post and the N.Y. Times report.
- Pakistan has decided to keep mosques open during the fasting month of Ramadan, which began Thursday, as cases continue to climb, AP reports.
The big picture: The world faces its gravest challenge in decades, but geopolitical tensions won’t wait until it’s over. Trump’s threat on Wednesday to “destroy” Iranian boats that harass U.S. ships comes amid arrests of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and clashes in Afghanistan that could further undermine peace there.
Between the lines: Policy responsesto the crisis have been every-country-for-itself and in the case of the U.S. and China tinged with geopolitical rivalry.
- But the scientific work under way to understand the virus and develop a vaccine has been globalized on an unprecedented scale.
Coronavirus symptoms: Fever, cough, shortness of breath.
Editors note: The graphic includes “probable deaths” thatNew York City began reporting on April 14. This article has been updated with new details throughout. Check back for the latest.
Go deeper… The coronavirus: What you can do