COVID-19 cases exceed 3M worldwide with more than 214,000 deaths

The United States passed the million-mark on number of people infected with the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as global tally surpasses three million cases.

Death toll worldwide has reached 214,451.

Ending lockdowns

France and Spain, among the countries with the highest death tolls, announce plans to ease their strict lockdowns, in place since March.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says France will begin a gradual return to normality on May 11, with shops, markets and some schools reopening after an lockdown credited with saving over 60,000 lives.

Spain will transition out of its strict lockdown in four phases from May 9 through the end of June, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says. Phase one will allow small shops, hotels, restaurants and places of worship to open on a limited basis. Schools will remain closed until September.

US passes 1M cases

More than 214,451 people have died worldwide since the epidemic surfaced in China in December, according to an AFP tally at 1900 GMT on Tuesday based on official sources.

In total, 3,068,300 cases have now been reported.

In the United States, which passed the one-million-case mark on Tuesday, 57,533 people have died, the most of any country. Italy is the second hardest-hit country, with 27,359 dead. Spain follows with 23,822, then France with 23,660 and the United Kingdom with 21,678.

Warning in Germany

First signs that transmission of the virus has again picked up are visible in German official data. The infection rate mounts to around 1.0, meaning each infected person passes the virus on to one other.

The capital Berlin will from Wednesday make it obligatory to wear masks, a decision already taken by all other German regions.

Airlines slash jobs

British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan forced by the fallout from the novel coronavirus, its parent company IAG says.

Icelandic airline Icelandair also says it will lay off about 2,000 of its staff as the pandemic continues to impact air travel "for the unforeseeable future."

Intense vaccine hunt

Around a hundred projects are underway to find a vaccine for COVID-19, including some dozen that are at the clinical testing stage, according to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Tokyo Olympics: 2021 or never

The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the pandemic is not brought under control by next year, the organising committee's president Yoshiro Mori warns, ruling out any delay until 2022.

'Surf and go'

Hundreds of surfers and swimmers at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach hit the water for the first time in five weeks, as Australia takes its first steps in easing restrictions.

"Surf and go" signs urge people to move on when they have finished in the water. -- Agence France-Presse