Global round-up: South Africa eases lockdown as millions return to work in the Philippines

South Africa partly lifted a two-month-old coronavirus lockdown today, letting people outside for work, worship, exercise or shopping, and allowing mines and factories to run at full capacity to try to revive the economy.

Millions of people have returned to work in the Philippines capital of Manila as one of the world’s strictest and longest coronavirus lockdowns was eased to help resuscitate an economy that has been battered by the closure.

Egypt has reported its highest-ever number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus. The health ministry said there were 46 deaths in the last 24 hours, jumping from 34 the previous day.

There were also 1,536 confirmed cases. Egypt has the highest announced deaths from Covid-19 in the Arab world.

Wuhan reported no new asymptomatic cases of coronavirus yesterday, according to Chinese health officials, after 60,000 nucleic acid tests were carried out on residents in the city where the pandemic began.

Lithuania has held its annual baby crawlers race online. The winner was nine-month-old Olivija, who crawled five metres from her family’s living room to the kitchen in 13 seconds.