Global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 114,000

ISLAMABAD: The global death toll from novel coronavirus on Sunday mounted to over 114,000 while confirmed infections have surpassed 1.84 million with over 400,000 recoveries. The United States, which has become the country with most deaths, may be ready to start gradually reopening next month, the government´s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday, as signs grew that the coronavirus pandemic is peaking.

The death toll in the US nears 22,000, while the number of infection is well over half a million, according to latest international media reports. President Donald Trump had earlier wanted the world´s largest economy to be "raring to go" by Sunday, but most of the country remained at a standstill and churches took Easter celebrations online to halt the spread of the virus.

France has reported a drop in coronavirus deaths on the previous 24 hours, with the total toll from the coronavirus epidemic in the country now 14,393. There were 315 deaths in hospital over the last day, compared with 345 the day earlier.

Italy's Civil Protection Agency has reported the lowest number of coronavirus deaths since March 19, with 431 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours, down from 619 the previous day. The death toll in the country is nearing 20,000 mark.

In Spain, the number of fatalities rose by 619 on Sunday from a nearly three-week low of 510 on Saturday, breaking a three-day streak of daily declines and taking the country's death toll to 16,972.

The death toll from the coronavirus in the UK has surged passed the 10,000 mark after 737 fatalities were recorded overnight. The figure now stands at 10,612. With virus death tolls in Italy and Spain on a downward slope, there are growing fears that the UK will end up being the country with the most virus deaths in Europe.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from a London hospital as he continues his recovery from COVID-19, his office has said. "On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas' for the brilliant care he has received," a spokesman said.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands has topped 25,000, health authorities said on Sunday, with the number of deaths rising by 94 to 2,737. The Netherlands' National Institute for Health (RIVM) has reported 1,188 new infections over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 25,587.

The rate of increase in infections and deaths has slowed for several days helped by social distancing measures. The number of deaths from the coronavirus in Canada rose by 74 to 674 in a day, official data posted by the public health agency showed on Sunday. Meanwhile, the total number of infections coronavirus reached 23,719.

Turkey coronavirus cases rose by 4,789 to 56,956 in the past 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. The number of deaths reached 1,198 from 1,101 the previous day. So far, 3,446 people have recovered, the minister said.

The justice minister of Somalia's autonomous Hirshabelle state, Khalif Mumin Tohow, has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the second recorded death in the country.Tohow died on Sunday in Mogadishu's Martini hospital a day after he tested positive for COVID-19 in the town of Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabelle. Iran's death toll from COVID-19 has risen by 117 in the past day to 4,474, health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said.

The Islamic Republic has recorded 71,686 cases of the new coronavirus, Jahanpur said. Iran has been the country hardest hit by the pandemic in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew due to the coronavirus on Sunday amid a surge of new infections, and the United Arab Emirates warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow migrant workers to be repatriated.

Since placing the capital Riyadh and other big cities under 24-hour curfew on Monday, Saudi Arabia has reported more than 300 new cases per day. The nationwide curfew, initially set for three weeks, runs from 3pm to 6am everywhere else. For both this and the 24-hour curfew, residents may go out only for essential needs.

The interior ministry announced new permits for vital personnel to move around. Violators face fines and jail time.

Saudi Arabia has recorded 4,462 infections with 59 deaths, the highest among the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, where the total neared 14,100 with 96 deaths.

Other Gulf Arab states have taken similar precautions and have seen the virus spread among low-wage foreign workers, many living in overcrowded accommodation. Millions of migrant labourers, mainly from Asian countries, including Nepal, India and the Philippines, are among the region’s large expatriate population.

Bahrain said 45 of 47 new cases reported on Sunday were foreign workers.

The United Arab Emirates, the region’s tourism and business hub, has the second highest regional load at 3,736 cases and 20 deaths.

Aiming to contain the spread among foreign workers, Qatar has locked down a large section of an industrial area, Dubai sealed off two commercial districts and Oman closed off its Muscat governorate, which includes the capital.Kuwait said late on Saturday airlines could operate outbound flights to repatriate foreigners.

Coronavirus cases in Mumbai´s densely populated Dharavi slum -- one of Asia´s biggest -- have risen to 43 including four deaths, officials said Sunday, as they ramp up testing in a race to contain its spread.

Since the first virus death in early April, Indian authorities have stepped up measures to close off areas where cases have emerged in Dharavi, which is home to around a million people.

But 15 new cases and one death were reported overnight, taking the number of infections to 43 in the neighbourhood made famous by the 2008 Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire", Mumbai council spokesman Vijay Khabale-Patil said Sunday.