Italy to ease coronavirus travel restrictions: Live updates

• India’s confirmed number of infections overtook that of China’s tally despite a strict nationwide lockdown.

• Brazil posted another daily record for coronavirus cases as Minister of Health Nelson Teich resigned after less than a month on the job.

• The Italian government passed a new decree to allow travel across the country, as well as to and from other European countries starting on June 3.

• Globally, more than 4.5 million people have been infected and more than 307,000 have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 1.6 million people have recovered.

Here are all the latest updates:

Saturday, May 16

16:10 GMT – Mexico reports fresh one-day coronavirus record of 2,437 new cases 

Mexico’s health ministry confirmed 290 additional coronavirus deaths and 2,437 new infections in a fresh one-day record rise in cases since the start of the pandemic.

The new infections brought confirmed coronavirus cases to 45,032 and 4,767 deaths in total, according to the official tally.

Mexico’s previous highest daily confirmed cases total was a day earlier on Thursday, when authorities reported 2,409 new infections.

16:00 GMT – UK’s confirmed COVID-19 death toll rises to 34,466

A total of 34,466 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 468 in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said.

The figures are as of 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on May 15. including deaths due to suspected cases, Britain’s toll is over 40,000.

15:45 GMT – Kenya’s president bans movement to Tanzania and Somalia over COVID-19

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a cessation of movement between the country and neighbouring Tanzania and Somalia to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

He exempted cargo trucks but said drivers would have to be tested for the disease.

15:40 GMT – South African platinum miner Impala finds 19 coronavirus cases at mine

South Africa’s Impala Platinum said it had detected 19 positive cases of the COVID-19 disease at its Marula operation in northern Limpopo province, and that it would close the plant until it had taken necessary health measures.

“Implats has identified 19 positive cases during the week, all of them asymptomatic. Of these cases, 14 were identified as the result of proactive testing of employees returning to work.

“None of these employees had started work at the mine,” the firm said in a statement.

15:35 GMT – Germany mulls 57 bln euros emergency aid for virus-hit municipalities

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is working on an aid package worth 57 billion euros ($61.65 billion) to help municipalities cope with a plunge in tax revenues caused by the coronavirus crisis, a finance ministry document showed.

The package should help towns stabilise their public finances and include extra relief for some heavily indebted municipalities, according to the finance ministry document seen by Reuters.

15:28 GMT – China’s Wuhan conducted 113,609 COVID-19 tests on May 15

The city of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, conducted 113,609 nucleic acid tests on May 15, the local health authority said.

Wuhan has launched a city-wide testing campaign after confirming last weekend its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since its release from a virtual lockdown on April 8 to contain the spread of the pathogen.

The number of tests administered on May 15 in the city of 11 million residents was more than 50 percent higher than the 72,791 tests conducted a day earlier, and was also the highest since the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission started publishing the data on February 21.

15:22 GMT – Hungary to gradually lift COVID-19 lockdown in Budapest from Monday

Hungary’s government will gradually lift lockdown restrictions in Budapest from Monday, two weeks after it ended the lockdown in the rest of the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on his official Facebook page.

“It has become clear that we have managed to curb the epidemic in Budapest as well,” Orban said in a video.

“Therefore, we can shift to the second phase of defence in Budapest as well, cautiously … and thus we lift the lockdown.”

15:10 GMT – Mumbai’s hospitals close to collapse in war on virus   

Packed morgues, bodies in wards, patients forced to share beds and medical workers run ragged: Mumbai’s war against coronavirus has pushed the Indian city’s hospitals to breaking point.

The huge Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, better known as Sion, has become a byword for the stunning failure of Mumbai – home to billionaires, Bollywood and slums – to cope with the pandemic.

With space at a premium, and relatives too afraid or unable to claim their dead because they are themselves in quarantine, disposal of coronavirus corpses is not easy, doctors say. But dealing with the sick is much harder.

15:00 GMT – Saudi Arabia’s coronavirus cases top 50,000 

The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia topped 50,000 on Saturday, the health ministry said.

A ministry official reported 2,840 new cases, taking the cumulative total to 51,980. That was up from an average of around 1,500 new cases a day over the past week.

The death toll in the kingdom increased by 10 to 302, the official said on state TV.

Saudi Arabia recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2, several weeks after the initial outbreak in Asia.

14:50 GMT – Trump says considering restoration of some funding to WHO

US President Donald Trump said his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization, including one in which Washington would pay about 10 percent of its former level.

In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that US funding for the global health agency remained frozen.

Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China’s “disinformation” about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization.

WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open.

Hello, this is Arwa Ibrahim taking over the live blog from my colleague Virginia Pietromarchi.

13:10 GMT – Coronavirus in the most vulnerable communities

Who is most at risk as the coronavirus hits worldwide? A new episode of Start Here explores what has been done to help the most vulnerable people to stay safe.

13:00 GMT – Austria to reopen borders with eastern neighbours

Austria’s borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will fully reopen on June 15.

The government’s announcement followed a previously coordinated step to fully remove barriers on travel between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein from June 15 onwards and ease restrictions on who is allowed to transit in the meantime.

Restrictions remain in place for transit from Italy.

12:45 GMT – Kenya locks border with Somalia, Tanzania 

Kenya’s president has ordered the closure of the country’s borders with Somalia and Tanzania for the next 30 days. The measure announced by Uhuru Kenyatta does not cover cargo trucks.

Kenya has reported so far 780 infections and 45 deaths.

12:10 GMT – Football makes comeback in Germany

After a two-month break due to the pandemic, professional football resumed in Germany with four games in the second division taking place behind closed doors.

Goal celebrations were marked by fist bumps and elbow-to-elbow touching, as players had been warned to keep their emotions in check, and to desist from spitting, handshakes and hugging.

All players and team staff who were not on the pitch wore masks. Substitutes took their positions in the stands, rather than beside the fields as customary.

11:37 GMT – Spain daily death toll lowest in 2 months

The number of daily deaths from coronavirus in Spain dropped to its lowest level in two months.

The health ministry announced 102 more COVID-19 fatalities raising the overall toll to 27,563. The tally of confirmed infections reached 230,698 after the country counted 539 new infections.

Despite the slowdown in the spread of the virus, Madrid, Barcelona and parts of Castille and Leon will not be joining the rest of the country in a more relaxed lockdown, officials said.

11:05 GMT – Cases in Qatar top 30,000

Qatar reported 1,547 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, bringing its total to 30,972.

Ministry of Public Health announces 1,547 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, and 242 people new recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in the country to 3,788. The Ministry also announces one new death due to the virus. #QNA pic.twitter.com/siotxGiFa2

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) May 16, 2020

The health ministry also announced the death of a 74-year-old patient who became the 15th person to die in the country due to the virus.

10:15 GMT – Tanzania lowers 2020 growth projection

Tanzania’s government has lowered its 2020 economic outlook due to the impact of the coronavirus, with Finance Minister Philip Mpango forecasting growth of 4 percent compared to an earlier projection of 6.9 percent.

The pandemic has particularly hit the country’s tourism industry, a major source of revenues and employment.

Tanzania has not imposed a widespread lockdown, reporting so far 509 infections and 21 related deaths.

09:37 GMT – Greeks return to beaches, but keep umbrellas apart

As the summer season kicks in, Greeks flocked to the seaside with the opening of more than 500 beaches.

However, sun-seekers must respect a series of rules issued by the government, including a four-metre distance between umbrella poles and an entry allowance of maximum 40 people per 1,000 square metres.

The country is gradually lifting restricting measures hoping to strike a balance between granting health security and resurrecting its austerity-hit economy.

08:55 GMT – Countries report new total figures:

Philippines: 12,305 cases ( 214), 817 deaths ( 11)

Malaysia: 6,872 cases ( 17), 113 death ( 1)

Indonesia: 1,7025 cases ( 529), 1,089 deaths ( 13)

08:22 GMT – Fears over coronavirus spread in Yemen

Across war-torn Yemen, the official figures for coronavirus infections and related deaths stand at 106 and 15, respectively.

However, local health authorities told The Associated Press newsagency that the numbers are likely much higher as hundreds of people in the southern city of Aden have died with symptoms of what appears to be the coronavirus.

Despite five years of bloody war, a gravedigger in the port town told AP the constant flow of dead was unprecedented.

Experts fear a severe outbreak would have devastating consequences in Yemen, a country with a gutted health system and limited testing capacity.

07:45 GMT – Latest figures for Singapore, Russia

Singapore’s number of infections increased by 465 to 27,356, according to the health ministry. Most newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, while four are permanent residents.

Meanwhile Russia, which has become one of the pandemic’s hotspots, reported more than 9,000 new infections, down from 10,598 the previous day.

The country’s coronavirus taskforce said the overall number of cases stood at 272,043. It added that 119 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 2,537

06:55 GMT – Slovakia lifts last Roma settlement quarantine

After more than a month in isolation, residents of the last of Slovakia’s five Roma settlements under quarantine were freed from restrictions.

“I would like to thank you for enduring this and for being patient and responsible. Stay careful,” a member of the European Parliament Peter Pollak, who is himself a Roma, told residents of the Zehra settlement.

The move came after all inhabitants were tested and the remaining 16 infected people and their families were moved to a temporary quarantine centre.

With 1,480 cases and 27 deaths, Slovakia has recorded the lowest death toll per capita in Europe as the government moved quickly to impose tough restrictions in the early days of the outbreak in Europe.

06:30 GMT – Thailand, Cambodia report no new cases

As business activity gradually returns in Thailand, the country reported zero new coronavirus infections and deaths.

“Today there are two zeros … thank you all Thais who have given their cooperation,” said Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.

From Sunday, shopping centres and department stores will reopen and a nighttime curfew will be shortened by one hour.

Meanwhile in Cambodia, all 122 confirmed patients have now recovered after authorities said the last infected person had been discharged from hospital. The country, though, will not be easing restrictions as the health ministry urged continued vigilance.

Hello, this is Virginia Pietromarchi taking over the live blog from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed.

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I’m handing over the blog now to my colleague, Virginia Pietromarchi, in Doha, Qatar. Here’s a summary of this morning’s key developments:

• At least 23 migrant workers killed as India’s cases exceed that of China’s.
• Italy will allow international travel starting on June 3
• Top health official says coronavirus deaths in the US likely to exceed 100,000 by June 1

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05:49 GMT – Truck collision on Indian highway kills 23 migrant workers

At least 23 migrant workers were killed in India when a truck they were travelling in crashed into a stationary truck on a highway in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Another 20 were injured in the accident, magistrate Abhishek Singh told The Associated Press news agency. The workers were on the way from India’s capital, New Delhi, to their villages in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states, he added.

Tens of thousands of migrant labourers have been returning from big cities to their villages after losing jobs because of the countrywide lockdown. 

05:36 GMT – Vigilance urged as Australia eases lockdown

The president of the Australian Medical Association urged people to remain vigilant as Australia began relaxing a two-month lockdown with restaurants, cafes and bars reopening in most parts of the country.

“If we do the wrong things, we risk undoing all the gains that we’ve made,” Tony Bartone said. “So, the message is, yes, appreciate all the efforts, appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures, but let’s not have a party, let’s not go to town.”

New South Wales and Queensland states eased restrictions this weekend but Victoria, which is still struggling to curb the virus’s spread, retained most of its lockdown measures.

Australia has recorded just over 7,000 cases and 98 deaths. 

05:18 GMT – Italy to lift travel restrictions 

The Italian government is easing travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing people to move freely inside the region where they live as of Monday, and between regions starting June 3.

The government decree also permits international travel to and from Italy from June 3.

Social distancing rules are being implemented in the sectors of the economy that have reopened, including factories and some businesses. Schools remain closed and crowds are not permitted, though people will be allowed to attend Mass in churches with some restrictions starting from next week.

04:43 GMT – India surpasses China in coronavirus cases

India’s coronavirus cases surpassed China’s with the health ministry reporting 85,940 infections and 2,752 deaths.

In total, China has reported 82,933 cases and 4,633 deaths.

The worst-hit Indian states are Maharashtra with 29,100 cases, Tamil Nadu 10,108, Gujarat 9,931 and New Delhi, 8,895.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is due to announce this weekend a decision on whether to extend the country’s 54-day-old lockdown. 

04:31 GMT – South Korea hopeful of containing nightclub cluster

South Korean officials confirmed 162 coronavirus cases linked to club-goers in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, but also expressed cautious hope that infections are beginning to wane.

Authorities have so far tested 46,000 people after health workers detected a slew of infections linked to clubs and other nightspots in Seoul’s Itaewon entertainment district. 

“Despite massive testing, there seems to be no trend of the rapid virus spread tied to the Itaewon outbreak,” said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official. “If we pass this weekend well, we expect the Itaewon-linked spread to come under the control of quarantine authorities.”

South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 19 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. Nine were linked to Itaewon and the rest involved passengers arriving from abroad.

03:23 GMT – Trump to restore partial funding to WHO, says Fox News

US President Donald Trump’s administration is set to restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, Fox News reports, citing a draft letter.

The Trump administration will “agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions” to the WHO, Fox News says, quoting from the letter.

BREAKING: The Trump Admin is on the brink of resuming U.S. funding of the World Health Organization. pic.twitter.com/NCm2BZctRc

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 16, 2020

Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China’s “disinformation” about the coronavirus outbreak. The agency denies the claim.

The US was the WHO’s biggest donor. If the US matches China’s contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400m per year.

02:49 GMT – Virus spreading to Brazil’s Indigenous territories at ‘frightening speed’

A Brazilian rights group says the coronavirus has hit 38 indigenous groups in the country and is spreading to Indigenous territories “with frightening speed”.

A survey by the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples’ Association (APIB) finds 446 cases of the new coronavirus and 92 deaths among the affected groups, mainly in the Brazilian Amazon.

The grim news came a day after the Indigenous community of Parque das Tribos, outside the northern city of Manaus, held a funeral for its chief, Messias Kokama, who died of COVID-19.

02:05 GMT – US House passes $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill

The United States House of Representatives narrowly passed a $3 trillion bill aimed at salving the heavy human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill, crafted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats, passed mostly along party lines in a 208-199 vote.

The enormous measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling US Postal Service.

But Republicans, who control the Senate, have promised it will be “dead on arrival” in their chamber.

01:53 GMT – US deaths projected to exceed 100,000 by June 1

Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says forecasting models indicate the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US will increase in the coming weeks.

The total death toll is projected to surpass 100,000 by June 1, he added in a tweet.

CDC tracks 12 different forecasting models of possible #COVID19 deaths in the US. As of May 11, all forecast an increase in deaths in the coming weeks and a cumulative total exceeding 100,000 by June 1. See national & state forecasts: https://t.co/PI1AtLCCmt pic.twitter.com/iylBnom5U0

— Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) May 15, 2020

01:34 GMT – Air Canada to lay off more than 20,000 people

Canada’s largest airline said it plans to lay off at least 20,000 employees because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Air Canada said the pandemic has forced it to reduce scheduled flights by 95 percent, and it does not expect normal traffic to return any time soon.

“We therefore took the extremely difficult decision today to significantly downsize our operation to align with forecasts, which regrettably means reducing our workforce by 50 to 60 percent,” the airline said in a statement.

01:09 GMT – LATAM Airlines to cut 1,400 jobs

LATAM Airlines said it would lay off 1,400 employees in Latin America, blaming a drastic slump in business on the coronavirus pandemic.

“The effects of COVID-19 are profound and make reducing the size of the LATAM group inevitable to protect its sustainability in the medium term,” said Roberto Alvo, executive director of the Chilean-Brazilian carrier.

The jobs will be cut from operations in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

00:39 GMT – ‘Most difficult moment’ as Mexico reports record daily cases

Mexico’s health ministry reported 2,437 new coronavirus infections on Friday in a fresh one-day record rise in cases.

The new infections brought confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 45,032. The death toll rose by 290 to 4,767. Mexico’s highest daily toll was on Tuesday, when health authorities reported 353 fatalities.

“We are at the moment of the fastest growth in new cases,” said Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell. “This is the most difficult moment.”

00:28 GMT – Brazil reports 15,305 new infections

Brazil’s health ministry confirmed 15,305 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday in a record for a 24-hour period.

It also reported 824 related deaths. Brazil has registered 218,223 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and 14,817 deaths.

00:04 GMT – US House allows proxy voting

The US House of Representatives approved a historic change to its rules allowing legislators to vote by “proxy” from remote locations temporarily.

The change, proposed by Democrats and passed in a 217-189 vote, upends more than 200 years of precedent in Congress. Proxy voting has been allowed before within committees but not for votes in the full House or Senate.

Under the new rules, House legislators will no longer be required to travel to Washington, DC to participate in floor votes. They will be allowed to vote by proxy – assigning their vote to another legislator who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them. Eventually, a provision allows for direct remote voting, once the technology is approved.

Just as importantly, the House committees – the bread and butter of legislative work – will be able to fully function remotely.

The new rule will remain in place only for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.

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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives.

You can find all the key developments from yesterday, March 15, here.