Europe’s Covid-19 deaths top 250k

A total of 250,030 deaths were recorded out of 7,366,028 registered cases in Europe, according to an AFP tally. Cases of coronavirus in Italy continued to rise to new records on Sunday, hitting 11,705 in the past 24 hours.

More than 250,000 people across Europe have died from Covid-19 as Italy saw another record in number of cases since the pandemic began.

A total of 250,030 deaths were recorded out of 7,366,028 registered cases in Europe, according to an AFP tally. Cases of coronavirus in Italy continued to rise to new records on Sunday, hitting 11,705 in the past 24 hours.

Britain has suffered 43,646 fatalities from 722,409 infections. After Britain, the worst-hit European countries are Italy with 36,543 deaths, Spain with 33,775, France with 33,392 and Russia with 24,187. Over the last seven days, 8,342 deaths have been recorded in Europe, the highest weekly toll in the region since mid-May.

The Italian government on Sunday approved 40 billion euros ($47bn) in new spending to counter the pandemic’s economic blow. The stimulus package includes an additional 1bn euros to the national health care system, plus funds to hire doctors and nurses to fill in during the emergency and money to pay for vaccines and other necessities to treat and combat the spread of Covid-19.

The streets of Paris and eight other French cities were deserted on Saturday night on the first day of a curfew that is to last at least four weeks.

The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the detection and isolation of living novel coronavirus on the outer packaging of imported frozen marine fish in the port city of Qingdao.

The CDC said it detected and isolated the living virus on the outer packaging of imported frozen cod in Qingdao.The finding was made during an investigation to trace the source of recent infections in the city. It has proved that contact with packaging contaminated by living coronavirus could lead to infection.

Australia’s state of Victoria, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, will see more freedom of movement as of Monday after months-long restrictions.

In the US, movie theatres in New York state can reopen beginning next Friday with restrictions on audience size and other precautions in place, governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday. Saudi Arabia allowed its citizens and residents to perform prayers in Al-Haram mosque in Mecca, for the first time in seven months.