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Summary of latest updates:
UK lockdown to ease from Monday allowing groups of up to six to meet outside, says PM Boris Johnson
Coronavirus economic fallout: Nissan announces closure of Barcelona plant
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announces opening of bars and restaurants from June 2
English Premier League will resume on June 17 after 100-day absence
Restrictions return in South Korea after new spike in COVID-19 cases
Pandemic having 'disproportionate' impact on young workers, according to a UN agency
Catch up on yesterday's updates here.
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Here's what people who live in France will be allowed to do from June 2, that they could not do during phase one of lockdown:
- Go to a cafe, bar or restaurant, although they now will have to keep a distance of one metre from other tables
- Travel more than 100 kilometres from their residences
- Go to the theatre for a show, although social distancing measures will have to be in place
- Take a swim in the pool or go to the gym
- See a piece of artwork in a museum or visit a national monument, although they must wear a mask
- Go to the beach or the lake throughout the country
- Sit in the park or garden in areas such as Paris that were more heavily impacted by the epidemic
- Attend secondary school or high school, many of which will reopen next week
France meanwhile recorded 66 additional deaths in 24 hours in hospitals, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the epidemic to more than 28,600.
Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/28/french-pm-announces-june-2-as-date-for-bars-and-restaurants-to-reopen
Nissan announces closure of Barcelona plant
Angry workers protested and burned tyres after Nissan announced it would close its factory in Barcelona.
Spain's government urged the Japanese carmaker to reconsider, saying its decision would cost 3,000 jobs. Workers' unions, meanwhile, have warned the move would cost 20,000 more jobs in Nissan's supply chain in Spain.
Nissan made the announcement after posting a €5.6 billion loss for the financial year ending in March.
Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/28/coronavirus-economic-fallout-nissan-announces-closure-of-barcelona-plant
WHO's European regional director said a second wave cannot be excluded as more countries relax lockdown restrictions
He said that it's normal for countries to begin coming out of lockdown gradually as long as the move is guided by data.
"It has to be what I call a partnership between the people and the policy makers. The most important [part] is we know what works: respiratory hygiene, physical distancing and hand washing," he added.
"The lockdown has changed nothing. We do not have a vaccine, not a treatment. In that sense, routine surveillance remains very important," Dr Kluge said.
Watch more here: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed-CIfuQxr1o&feature=youtu.be
Brazil has become an epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak with more than 410,000 cases
Brazil has the second most cases of coronavirus in the world after the United States with 410,000 cases and more than 25,000 deaths.
The governor of Sao Paulo, which is the most impacted state, told Euronews that the city had it under control and people were provided with masks.
"We are against the position of the president of Brazil," said Joao Doria, adding that President Jair Bolsonaro gave the wrong example by going into the street without a mask and recommending chloroquine.
"In Sao Paolo state, we follow the World Health Organization," Doria said.
Watch the interview here:
Ireland 14-day quarantine comes into effect
Some have criticised the quarantine measures as too strict.
Watch the full report here:
English Premier League will resume on June 17 after 100-day absence
The Premier League season will resume on 17 June, after a three-month lay-off during the coronavirus pandemic.
Top-flight football matches in the UK have been suspended since March 13, with 92 fixtures of the 2019-20 season still be played.
The Premier League has confirmed that games will now be played behind closed doors, with no fans in attendance.
Italy records 70 deaths due to coronavirus
Italy recorded 70 additional deaths in 24 hours due to coronavirus bringing the total death toll since the beginning of the epidemic to 33,142, the country's civil protection authority announced on Thursday.
There are some 7,379 people in hospital with coronavirus, down 350 from yesterday. Just 489 people are in intensive care, a decrease of 16 patients in 24 hours.
The total number of people who have contracted the virus is 231,732, with an increase compared to yesterday of 593 new cases.
Italy has gradually begun reopening since early May after being the first European country to have a significant outbreak of the coronavirus.
Another 2.1 million Americans apply for unemployment benefits
An estimated 2.1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week despite the gradual reopening of businesses around the country, AP reported.
This brings the total number of Americans who applied for unemployment since the coronavirus shutdowns to about 41 million, the US government said.
It comes as the US death toll passed 100,000 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 14.7% in April, and many economists expect it will be near 20% in May.
Johnson prevents health experts from responding to questions on Cummings
"I have said quite a lot on this already," said Prime Minister Boris Johnson referring to his top aide's travel during lockdown.
He said it was "unnecessary" for health advisers to respond to political questions.
'We still have a significant burden of infection': Sir Patrick Vallance says of UK coronavirus outbreak
Vallance said the R number is currently between 0.7 and 0.9. If that rate of infection is higher than 1, the virus spreads exponentially.
Lockdown measures could be put into place once again for local outbreaks, said PM Johnson.
UK records 377 new fatalities in 24 hours
The UK recorded 377 new fatalities in 24 hours bringing the total to more than 37,000 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the epidemic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there were five tests that the country needed to meet to ease lockdown measures.
They included providing sufficient critical care to patients, seeing a sustained fall in daily death rates, having proof that the rate of infection is going down, being confident in testing capacity and PPE supply, and being confident that an adjustment to measures will not risk a second peak.
"I cannot and will not throw away all the gains that we have made together," said Boris Johnson.
Schools will begin reopening for children in England from Monday and the government will allow groups of six people to gather outside as long as the keep 2 metres of distance.
French PM announces June 2 as date for bars and restaurants to reopen
Bars and restaurants will begin opening in France from June 2, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced on Thursday, as part of the country's relaxing of lockdown measures.
There will be one metre of distance between tables with groups limited to 10 people.
More schools and some high schools will also reopen during the second phase of the lifting of lockdown measures.
"The speed of the virus' spread is at the stage under control," Philippe said, but he said that people needed to rest vigilant because the virus is "still present".
Read more: https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/28/french-pm-announces-june-2-as-date-for-bars-and-restaurants-to-reopen
France will have to fight against 'historic recession': PM
The easing of restrictions "must sound the mobilisation of all for a vigorous and determined recovery," he added.
Easing of restrictions to be 'accelerated': French PM
Lockdown results 'better than expected': French PM
France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is unveiling Phase 2 of the country's "de-confinement" plan to run from June 2 to June 21.
He said that the data so far show that "we are a little better than where we hoped to be" by the end of May but that "this good news is not the fruit of a miracle".
Northern Ireland eases restrictions further on June 8
Germany's Angela Merkel comes out top in leaders' approval poll for COVID-19 crisis
A Euronews poll has found that support for leaders in Germany, which has a relatively low death toll from COVID-19, remains high. In France, however, people view their government's handling of the crisis as poor.
The poll, carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, focussed on Germany, France and Italy, and involved 1,500 participants from each of the three EU countries.
Analysis: European politicians who've bent or broken lockdown rules
German and Polish politicians have also been criticised for violating social distancing measures.
159,000 excess deaths across 24 European countries: WHO
The statement also revealed that 94% of confirmed COVID-19 deaths were in persons over the age of 60 and that 97% of all deaths were among those with at least one underlying condition. Cardiovascular disease was found to be the leading comorbidity.
60,000 cancers undiagnosed in UK because of COVID-19: Doctor
Governor of Italy's Lombardy region put under police protection after accusations of inaction
The governor of the Lombardy region, the epicenter of Italy’s coronavirus epidemic, has been placed under police protection after receiving threats related to the health emergency.
UK police say Johnson aide made 'minor' lockdown rule breach
British police said Thursday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s adviser Dominic Cummings likely broke the rules by traveling away from home during lockdown, but will not face further action.
Cummings has acknowledged driving 250 miles (400 km) to his parents’ house in Durham, northeast England, during the lockdown, and later taking another drive to a scenic town 30 miles (50 km) away.
Durham Constabulary said that the second drive, to the town of Barnard Castle, might have been “a minor breach” of lockdown rules “that would have warranted police intervention" had he been caught in the act. But the force said, “there is no intention to take retrospective action.”
Johnson has resisted calls to fire Cummings for apparently flouting restrictions that the government imposed on the rest of the country.
Find out more about this story here
French unemployment claims jump 22% in April
The national employment office announced the “historic” rise Thursday, saying it’s “because in the current context, companies are not hiring, not because they are conducting massive layoffs.”
The jobless ranks in France do not include 8 million people who received government-funded temporary unemployment in April and are gradually returning to work, the employment office said.
While the temporary unemployment scheme is credited with stabilizing the French economy during the virus crisis, the country is still facing its worst recession since World War II and permanent job cuts are likely.
Israel starts massive testing initiative to prevent a second wave
Israeli authorities have started conducting tests on 100,000 of their citizens. This is one of the largest screening campaigns in the world. It is aimed at preventing a second surge of the pandemic.
With the tests, the government wants to measure the overall immunity of the Israeli population and to determine who would be most vulnerable in case of a second wave.
At the same time, authorities are also carrying out tests on specific groups in the "risk areas" - notably in ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, who are the main incubators of the crisis in Israel. Medical personnel is also being tested.
Here's what you need to know about the UK's testing and tracing scheme
England's new COVID-19 test-and-trace system launches on Thursday. It is being launched several days ahead of schedule but weeks behind similar ones implemented in Germany and France.
Restrictions return in South Korea after new spike in COVID-19 cases
The world had been eyeing how South Korea has handled the virus after early intervention appeared to keep its death toll relatively low.
But, on Thursday, it reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days.
Korean health officials are warning that the spread of the virus is getting harder to track, which risks erasing some of the big steps forward the country was making.
More on the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility
"The key will be particularly beneficial to the countries most affected by the crisis, notably those with low per capita income and high unemployment," the Commission added.
Test and trace: Europe counting on tracking apps to lead the way out of lockdown
Angela Merkel outlines plans for presidency of the council of the EU amid pandemic
Nissan to close Indonesia, Spain auto plants after losses
Russia death toll passes 4,000
Meanwhile, the number of new daily infections continues to decline gradually, with 8,371 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.
At the beginning of May, Russia had experienced daily levels exceeding 10,000 new cases.
COVID-19 creating 'lockdown generation' as young workers take the biggest hit
Read more here.
Donald Tusk reacts to the UK's Cummings scandal
Top government aid Dominic Cummings is being accused of having broken lockdown rules when he left town.
Read more about where he went here.
Europe passes 175,000 coronavirus deaths
With a total of 175,011 deaths and more than two million cases, Europe is the continent hit hardest by the crisis. More than 350,000 have died worldwide. The UK (37,460 deaths) and Italy (33,072 deaths) are the most affected European countries, followed by France (28,596 deaths) and Spain (27,118).
South Korea reimposes some restrictions after a spike in coronavirus cases
Officials also advised private tutorial schools and computer gaming lounges in the area to close during the period or otherwise enforce anti-virus measures.
“The two weeks from now will be crucial in containing infections,” said Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, who called for residents in the metropolitan area to avoid unnecessary gatherings and urged companies to keep sick employees off work.
EU leadership poll: Merkel and Conte lauded, Macron panned for response
EasyJet will cut almost a third of its workforce
The British airline EasyJet announced that 4,500 jobs - that is almost a third of its entire workforce - will be cut to cope with the shock of the pandemic.
Up to 86 million children at risk of poverty due to pandemic
All in all, that would mean that 672 million children would be affected by poverty. Almost two-thirds of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. However, the sharp increase will mainly happen in Europe and Central Asia, according to the study based on projections of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The two organizations are calling on governments to rapidly expand their social security coverage and school meals to limit the effects of the pandemic.
Moscow will gradually begin loosening restrictions on June 1
The Russian capital announced Wednesday that coronavirus restrictions will start to be lifted on June 1. The city has been under lockdown for two months now. Starting June, shops will be able to open again and people will be able to go out for walks.
Strict confinement was imposed in Moscow at the end of March, as residents were only allowed to leave their homes to walk their dogs, take out the trash, or go to the supermarket. An electronic pass system had even been implemented in mid-April to ensure that the measures were respected.
The Russian capital remains the main focus of coronavirus in the country with 171,443 cases registered Wednesday, almost half of the country's cases. However, the number of new infections halved in the past two weeks.
India sees record jump of COVID-19 cases
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is preparing a new set of guidelines to be issued this weekend, possibly extending the lockdown in worst-hit areas as it promotes economic activity.
The Health Ministry reported a total of 158,333 cases on Thursday, a jump of 6,566 cases in the past 24 hours, with 4,531 deaths, an increase of 194. It said the recovery rate has also risen to more than 42% .
Red Cross says 208 COVID-related attacks on health workers
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross said it has recorded 208 COVID-19-related attacks against health workers and installations in 13 countries since March, a striking contrast to the cheers and clapping in gratitude for their work in many nations.
Peter Maurer said health workers are being attacked and abused and health systems are being targeted at a time when they are most needed.
“The COVID-19 crisis is fast threatening to become a protection crisis," he told the U.N. Security Council.
Maurer told reporters the ICRC compiled data from 13 countries in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa where it operates, and it’s “likely the actual numbers are much higher than what we calculated.”
He said the incidents range from verbal threats to burning down facilities reportedly housing COVID-19 patients.
Washington D.C, to gradually lift restrictions despite having the highest number of new cases per capita
The nation's capital will begin a gradual reopening Friday, even as Mayor Muriel Bowser warns that it probably will result in more coronavirus infections.
Restaurants will be permitted to seat guests outdoors, barbers and hair salons will open with limited capacity and nonessential businesses will be allowed to offer curbside or front-door pickup services. But nail parlors, gyms and public playgrounds will remain closed and gatherings of more than 10 people will be prohibited.
Dog parks, tennis courts and golf courses will reopen, but playground equipment and public pools will remain closed. Sports that involve close contact, including football, soccer and basketball, are still banned. For now, all area business are encouraged to work remotely as much as possible.
Washington remains an area of concern. There were 263.2 new cases per 100,000 people in the District of Columbia over the past two weeks, which ranks first in the country for new cases per capita.
South Korea records new spike in cases and considers reimposing social distancing restrictions
Boeing cuts 12,000 jobs, resumes production of grounded jet
Boeing is cutting more than 12,000 U.S. jobs through layoffs and buyouts as the coronavirus pandemic seizes the travel industry. And the aircraft maker says more cuts are coming.
Shortly after disclosing the job cuts, Boeing announced Wednesday that it has resumed production of the grounded 737 Max jetliner. Two deadly crashes of Max jets pushed Boeing into a financial crisis months before the coronavirus squeezed global air travel to a trickle.
Boeing, one of the US' biggest manufacturers, said it will lay off 6,770 U.S. employees this week, and another 5,520 workers are taking buyout offers to leave voluntarily in the coming weeks.
French Senate approves release of controversial coronavirus app
The French Senate approved the release of the coronavirus tracking app StopCovid. This follows a favorable vote by the National Assembly. StopCovid will be released on the App Store and Play Store early next week.
The tracking app, called StopCovid, uses bluetooth to trace when a phone is in proximity to others who have the application.
Once someone records a positive test for COVID-19, the application sends out an alert to those who have been in contact with that person for more than 15 minutes so they can self-isolate to prevent further spread of the virus.
The phone app does not reveal the identity of the person who tests positive for coronavirus.
This type of proximity phone app has come under fire by data protection advocates who say that governments could track location information or store users' personal data.
Find out more about why this app is highly discussed here