News Desk :
A total 2,00,430 died globally in coronavirus with 28,67, 984 infections in 210 countries and territories while recovered 8,19, 310, according to worldometer.
The United States is the hardest-hit country by far in the pandemic, recording more than 52,217 deaths and 9,25,758 infections.
The world’s biggest economy has been hammered by the pandemic, with 26 million jobs lost since the crisis began, and American leaders are under pressure to find ways to ease social distancing measures.
Despite criticism from Trump, the governor of Georgia allowed some businesses, including nail salons and bowling alleys, to reopen on Friday, sparking both criticism and relief.
The mayor of the state’s capital Atlanta condemned the “irresponsible” move, telling ABC News: “There is nothing essential about going to a bowling alley or giving a manicure in the middle of a pandemic.”
But some in the city cherished the opportunity to re-engage with society.
“I actually had a great time,” beamed Tili Banks, 41, as she and a friend left a bowling alley. “I was just so happy to be out that I didn’t even realize that I had these people’s bowling shoes on when I walked outside.”
New York remains the hardest-hit state, with more than 263,000 confirmed cases and nearly 16,000 deaths. Though New York is still a hot spot, new hospitalisation rates are coming down.
Strict social distancing measures and business closures in New York and elsewhere, while potentially curbing the spread of the virus, have exacted a toll on the US economy. At least 26 million people have sought unemployment benefits in the last five weeks, the most since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Governors in at least three states – Oklahoma, Alaska and Georgia – announced that they would begin lifting some of those restrictions on Friday, even as other states such as California, Massachusetts and Illinois see spikes in cases.
Georgia received the most attention for its plans, being the first state to make them public. The state will allow certain businesses, including salons, gyms and bowling alleys to allow customers.
Governor Brian Kemp, a first-term Republican, was one of the last governors to issue a stay-at-home order on April 3. Currently, Georgia has reported roughly 22,000 confirmed cases and about 900 people have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The move has placed Kemp at odds with leaders of his state’s largest cities.
“I expect to see our numbers continue to rise in the state” after the reopening, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in an appearance on CNN on Friday.
Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 420 on Friday, the smallest daily tally since March 19, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the number of new infections rose to 3,021 from 2,646 on Thursday.
Friday’s death toll was down from 464 the day before.
The total of fatalities since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 25,969, the agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.
The number of confirmed cases was 192,994, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain. People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 106,527 from 106,848 on Thursday, a fifth consecutive daily decline.
There were 2,173 people in intensive care on Friday against 2,267 on Thursday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 60,498 were declared recovered against 57,576 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.148 million people had been tested for the virus against 1.053 million the day before, out of a population of around 60 million. Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose to 22,902 on Saturday, up from 22,524 the day before, media outlets, including El Pais and El Mundo, reported.
The number of daily fatalities was 378, a slight increase on Friday’s 367, which was the lowest figure recorded in the past month.
The overall number of coronavirus cases rose to 223,759 from 219,764 the day before.
