Coronavirus Global Roundup, April 30: Over 1 million people recover globally as Tajikistan reports first 15 cases

There are now over 3.24 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the globe and over 229,000 deaths. On the bright side, over 1.01 million people have made safe recoveries as well. Here are some of the major developments of the day. [caption id=“attachment_8283741” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image by Tumisu from Pixabay.[/caption]

Germany will reopen religious institutions 

Germany, which has been praised for keeping COVID-19 deaths comparatively low, slowly started to reopen last week by allowing shops in certain districts to open. Now, AFP has reported that the country will allow religious institutions such as churches, mosques and synagogues to open, but with strict social distancing norms in place. The chancellor Angela Merkel has said that social distancing norms will ‘almost certainly’ be extended until the 10th of May, signalling a staggered return to a sense of normalcy.

Death toll in Iran exceeds 6,000

Iran, which suffered one of the initial outbreaks of COVID-19, has now exceeded 6,000 pandemic deaths after 71 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Iran has gradually lifted restrictions over the past weeks to assist its economy which was already crippled by stringent US sanctions.

Tajikistan confirms first COVID-19 cases 

Tajikistan had so far not confirmed any COVID-19 cases but there was widespread suspicion that the pandemic simply wasn’t acknowledged in the country, especially since it shares a border with China. Today, the country said that 15 cases have emerged - five from the capital Dushanbe and ten from the Sughd province which shares borders with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Spain records lowest daily deaths in six weeks

Spain, which is second only to the US in terms of the number of cases, registered 268 deaths in the last 24 hours. That is the lowest figure in over six weeks. The number of daily deaths has been curving downwards with the occasional blip, but the general trend suggests that the worst of the initial outbreak has now passed.

Hungarian schools to remain closed until the end of May

Prime minister Viktor Orban’s office said that schools in Hungary will not open until the end of May, and social gatherings with over 500 people will not be allowed until August 15. However, restrictions outside the capital, Budapest, will be gradually lifted starting next week. The country has reported over 300 deaths and 2,775 cases so far, the majority of which have been in the capital.

South Korea and Hong Kong report no new cases

For the first time since the peak of February 29, South Korea reported no new local cases in the last 24 hours and just four imported cases across the country. This is a big milestone given that over 900 cases were confirmed on the 29th of February. Hong Kong also confirmed that it had no new cases for the 5th consecutive day. There was a surge of cases in March following which the country clamped down hard; cases were isolated and their contacts laboriously tracked. This adds to the small but growing list of countries that are squashing their COVID-19 curves. For more information, read our article on How to protect your mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.