World struggling under viral invasion: 1.43mn infected, 82,000 dead

Here is the latest information from countries plagued by the virus across the globe:

Italy reports 604 more deaths

Italy, the country with the highest death toll in the world, reported 604 fatalities and 3,039 new infections on Tuesday.

It was a lower daily toll than the 636 seen the day before, official said.

The total death toll in the country rose to 17,127, and the number of confirmed cases reached 135,586.

Spain’s daily toll rises again

The number of daily deaths from the new coronavirus in Spain on Tuesday rose for the first time in five days.

Some 743 patients died of complications caused by the virus, compared with 637 in the previous 24 hours.

The county has so far had 141,942 confirmed cases and 14,045 deaths.

Death toll passes 10,000 in France

In a daily update, France said on Tuesday that its overall death toll had passed 10,000, while the country has not yet reached the peak of the epidemic.

Health official reported 607 more deaths in hospitals and 820 in nursing and care homes across the country on Tuesday.

The deaths may have occurred over several days but are being added to the overall toll now, official said.

France now has a total of 10,328 deaths and 110,272 positive cases.

The country has been under lockdown since mid-March, with fines for violations.

EU’s top scientist resigns

Meanwhile, the head of the European Union (EU)’s top science organization has resigned, saying he is “extremely disappointed by the European response to Covid-19,” the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

Mauro Ferrari, who had only become president of the European Research Council (ERC) at the start of this year, said that he had “lost faith in the system itself.”

“I have seen enough of both the governance of science, and the political operations at the European Union,” he wrote in a statement to the Times.

The EU has already been criticized for not acting forcefully enough to set up a coordinated response to the health crisis. Italy in particular has censured the body for not assisting it properly.

Wuhan lifts outbound travel ban after 2 months

The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged, on Wednesday started to allow people who want to leave the city to do so if they are healthy for the first time since it was locked down two months ago.

The first train carrying departing passengers left the city on the same day, Reuters reported. Authorities also opened highways to vehicles early in the morning.

Based on ticket sales, 55,000 people will leave Wuhan by train during the day, according to the Chinese media.

On Wednesday, China reported 199 new cases on the mainland — 62 with symptoms and 137 without — three times the previous day’s tally as imported cases surged. Officials reported no deaths in the mainland.

Another Chinese city goes on lockdown

Later in the day, a northern town in China started restricting the movement of its residents after new imported cases in the province where the city is located surged to a daily high of 25.

Suifenhe City in Heilongjiang Province went on lockdown similar to that of Wuhan.

Residents must stay in residential compounds and one person from every family can leave once every three days to buy necessities and must return on the same day.

South Korea reports 53 new cases, 8 deaths

South Korea reported 53 new positive cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths on Wednesday.

The country has reported 10,384 cases of infection and 200 deaths altogether, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 crisis will affect generations: Singapore minister

In Singapore, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam warned that the epidemic crisis would affect several generations and its consequences would likely be far more serious than past financial crises.

The country has reported 1,481 cases of COVID-19 and six deaths as of Tuesday noon. At least 377 patients have also recovered.

French Atlantic-bound warship return over possible cases

France’s flagship military aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, had to stop its mission to the Atlantic Ocean and turn back to port after some staff on board showed signs of COVID-19, said the French armed forces ministry on Wednesday.

Around 40 of its crew members were placed under strict medical observation, according to the ministry.

Russia sees record rise

The number of coronavirus cases in Russia rose by 1,175, in a record daily rise on Wednesday.

The number took the total positive cases of COVID-19 in the country to 8,672, the crisis response center said on Wednesday.

Deaths also increased by five to 63, the center said.

Turkey distributes free masks as cases pass 34,000

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up measures in the fight against the epidemic, as his country is now the ninth most affected nation in the world.

The country has 34,109 cases of viral infection and 725 deaths, according to official figures.

To stem the epidemic, authorities have started to distribute free face masks to citizens across Turkey. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will jointly distribute the masks. Every citizen could apply for five masks in a week on a designated website.

People aged 20 or under and 65 or older who are currently banned from leaving their homes — unless absolutely necessary — would not receive masks.

Erdogan has so far refused to impose a full lockdown in an attempt to keep the economy afloat. But he has banned gatherings, restricted intercity trips, and made it mandatory for people to wear masks inside shops and supermarkets.

Meanwhile, his government announced financial support for employees forced to take unpaid leave. Ankara has also promised to provide cash aids this month for a total of 4.4 million families with low incomes, he said.