Coronavirus latest: at a glance

Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:

Cases pass 6.6 million worldwide

The number of known coronavirus infections has passed 6.6 million, with 6,601,349 confirmed, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Deaths are approaching 390,000, with the current toll at 389,645. The figures, which are based on official and media reports, are likely to significantly underestimate the scale of the pandemic due to differing testing and recording regimes, as well as suspected under-reporting.

Brazil’s death toll overtakes Italy’s to become third-highest globally

Brazil’s total Covid-19 death toll passed that of Italy on Thursday, as the Health Ministry reported 1,437 deaths in the last 24 hours and 30,925 additional coronavirus cases. The Latin American nation has now reported 34,021 deaths from the coronavirus, trailing only the US and the UK.

Ebola drug endorsed as a treatment in Australia

The antiviral drug remdesivir has been recommended for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in Australia. The National Covid-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce said Australian doctors treating adults with moderate, severe or critical Covid-19 should consider using the drug to aid recovery times. The antiviral drug is the first medication to be recommended as a considered treatment for patients in hospital after contracting coronavirus.

South Africa sees record rise in coronavirus cases

South Africa has recorded 3,267 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the biggest increase since the pandemic hit the country. Africa’s biggest industrial power now has a total of 40,792 infections, the health ministry said. It saw a rise of 56 deaths, bring the total to 848. More than half of the cases are in the Western Cape region where health services are under pressure.

New York governor urges protesters to get tested

The thousands of people protesting over the death of George Floyd have a “civic duty” to be tested for the coronavirus and help New York avoid a spike in new cases as it slowly restarts its economy, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. An estimated 20,000 people have demonstrated in New York City alone, Cuomo said, as he expanded the state’s testing criteria to include people who attended recent protests.

Mexico man dies after face mask arrest

Mexicans have responded with outrage after a man was found beaten to death hours after he was arrested by police for not wearing a face mask in public. Giovanni López, a 30-year-old bricklayer, was detained on 4 May in the town of Ixtlahuacán de Los Membrillos near Guadalajara. Video of the incident emerged on Wednesday, and shows officers with assault rifles forcing López into a truck as bystanders plead for his release. Meanwhile Mexico’s health ministry reported a record 4,442 additional cases on Thursday, and 816 more deaths, bringing the total to 105,680 cases and 12,545 deaths.

Covid-19 causing 10,000 dementia deaths in UK

There were almost 10,000 unexplained extra deaths among people with dementia in April, according to official figures that have prompted alarm about the severe impact of social isolation on people with the condition. The data, from the Office for National Statistics, reveals that, beyond deaths directly linked to Covid-19, there were 83% more deaths from dementia than usual, with charities warning that a reduction in essential medical care and family visits were taking a devastating toll.

Argentina extends lockdown

Argentina extended a mandatory lockdown in Buenos Aires and other parts of the country until 28 June, as confirmed cases continued to rise, passing 20,000 earlier in the day. The three-week extension of the lockdown will affect the capital, the province of Buenos Aires and other areas that have the highest concentration of confirmed infections, President Alberto Fernandez said.

Patients with high blood pressure twice as likely to die: study

Patients with high blood pressure admitted to hospital with coronavirus are twice as likely to die as those without the condition, researchers said on Friday. For in-patients with the virus who had stopped taking medication for high blood pressure, the risk of dying doubled again, they reported in the European Heart Journal after reviewing cases in Wuhan.

Long waitfor Tokyo Olympics decision

A Tokyo 2020 executive board member said on Friday that organisers will need to monitor the coronavirus situation until spring next year to decide whether to hold the Summer Olympics, Kyodo News reported. The comment by lawmaker Toshiaki Endo, one of six vice presidents on the board and a former Olympics minister, marks the first time an executive from the organising committee has commented on the timing for a decision on going through with the Games, the news agency said. The Games were postponed from this year because of the pandemic.