Several European countries are still among the hardest-hit nations in the world, and while some have reported a stagnant rate in new COVID-19 infections, others registered a spike in new deaths from the highly-infectious disease.
Italy Reports Jump in Coronavirus Deaths
Italy on Saturday reported 474 new deaths from the COVID-19 strain, marking a significant jump in deaths from a day earlier, when 269 people were lost to the country's coronavirus battle.
According to Reuters, the Italian Civil Protection Agency also reported a largely stagnant rate in new coronavirus infections, with 1,900 new infections on Saturday.
Italy remains the third hardest-hit country in the world, with a total of 28,710 deaths and 209,328 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Spain to Mandate Mask-Wearing in Public Transport
Spain, being the second hardest-hit country in the world, announced on Saturday that starting Monday, people using public transport will be required to wear masks, BBC reported.
The compulsory regulation is part of the government's efforts in preventing further COVID-19 infections as the country eases out of the nationwide lockdown that has been keeping people inside their homes for nearly two months.
As with other European countries easing out of lockdowns, Spain revealed that social distancing measures will remain in place despite the gradual lifting of some restrictions.
As of Saturday, Spain recorded 213,435 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24,543 deaths.
Calls for Careful Planning in UK's Lockdown Easing
The British Chambers of Commerce on Sunday urged ministers to come up with a "carefully phased" easing of the ensuing lockdown in the United Kingdom, BBC reported.
The economy has been reeling badly from the lockdown and some business groups have been calling on more proactive plans from the government to ensure that as business operations reopen, the risk of resurgence in new coronavirus cases will be reduced.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that while he is expected to outline the country's plans for reopening corporate settings and schools in the coming week, there should still be a lot of thought put into the easing process to prevent more infections.
The U.K. as of Saturday reported 177,454 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 27,510 deaths. It is the fourth hardest-hit country in the world.
France Extends Health Emergency
France on Saturday extended the health emergency across the country through July 24 as part of the efforts to take down the coronavirus.
According to The Local France, health minister Olivier Veran noted that the government, along with health experts, determined that lifting the health emergency order at this point would be too early and could risk the resurgence of new COVID-19 cases.
Furthermore, under new planned measures, Veran revealed that everyone who enters the country will be required to undergo a two-week quarantine. The said measure will be applicable even for French citizens who are coming home.
France is the fifth hardest-hit country in the world and as of Saturday, it registered 165,764 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 24,594 deaths.
Nearly 10,000 New Cases in Russia
Russia on Saturday reported 9,623 new coronavirus cases, bringing the national toll to 124,054. Most of the new cases were detected in the capital of Moscow.
According to Al Jazeera, aside from a significant jump in new infections, the country also registered 57 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 1,222.
As part of the government's efforts in containing the COVID-19 strain, Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered for non-working days to be extended through May 11. The said holidays include Labor Day and the Victory Day holiday period.
The Russian government is looking at the possibility of implementing stricter movement measures to flatten the curve.
