Cases of Covid-19 have now surpassed 3.6 million worldwide, while the death toll from the virus has gone up to 257,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
A Berlin hairdresser cuts the hair of a regular customer in his salon, while a notice on the mirror indicates that hygiene rules must be observed. Photo: Jörg Carstensen / DPA / AFP
Germany's federal government and 16 states have agreed all shops and some sports can restart under certain conditions, schools will gradually open for all pupils and states will each decide on reopening restaurants, hotels and gyms, a document showed.
Germany went into lockdown in March to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
The draft seen by Reuters, dated late on 5 May, was prepared by federal chancellery chief Helge Braun and the heads of regional chancelleries for a telephone conference Chancellor Angela Merkel is to hold with state premiers later on Wednesday (German time).
Based on infection levels, states will decide on their own about a gradual opening of universities, bars, trade fairs, cosmetic studios, brothels, theatres, cinemas and discos all under certain hygiene and distancing concepts, said the draft.
States will also decide on limiting contact between people.
A medical worker in the intensive care unit at the National Medical Research Center of Endocrinology, Russia. Photo: Iliya Pitalev / Sputnik / AFP
In a bid to prevent a second widespread coronavirus outbreak, the federal and state governments agreed in preliminary talks that if the number of new infections rises after restrictions on public life are eased, local restrictions should be reintroduced immediately.
Germany has been more successful than other large European countries in slowing the virus' spread. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has increased by 947 to 164,807, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. The reported death toll rose by 165 to 6996.
Meanwhile, the number of new coronavirus cases in Russia rose by 10,559 over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 165,929, the coronavirus crisis response centre said.
It was the fourth consecutive day that cases had risen by more than 10,000.
It also reported 86 new fatalities from Covid-19, bringing the total death toll in Russia to 1537.
White House plans to disband virus task force
US President Donald Trump has confirmed the White House coronavirus task force will be winding down, with Vice-President Mike Pence suggesting it could be disbanded within weeks.
US President Donald Trump tours a Honeywell International factory producing N95 masks on May 5, 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP
New confirmed infections per day in the US currently top 20,000, and daily deaths exceed 1000.
US health officials warn the virus may spread as businesses begin to reopen.
The US currently has 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 70,000 related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, which is tracking the pandemic.
During a visit to a plant in Phoenix after weeks holed up at the White House, Trump told journalists: "Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job, but we're now looking at a little bit of a different form, and that form is safety and opening. And we'll have a different group probably set up for that."
Pence earlier told reporters in a briefing that the task force could soon be disbanded.
He said the Trump administration was "starting to look at the Memorial Day [late May] window, early June window as a time when we could begin to transition back to having our agencies begin to manage, begin to manage our national response in a more traditional manner".
UK death toll passes Italy to be highest in Europe
The UK now has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe, according to the latest government figures.
A man wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic rides his bike in central London, England on May 5, 2020. Photo: Ilyas Tayfun Salci / Anadolu Agency / AFP
There have been 29,427 deaths recorded across the UK - a figure Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said was "a massive tragedy".
The latest total for Italy, previously the highest in Europe, now stands at 29,315.
But experts say it could be months before full global comparisons can be made.
Meanwhile, a professor whose advice to the prime minister led to the UK lockdown has quit as a government adviser on coronavirus, after admitting an "error of judgement".
Professor Neil Ferguson said he regretted "undermining" the messages on social distancing.
It follows a Daily Telegraph story that a woman, said to be his "married lover", visited his home in lockdown.
His modelling of the virus's transmission suggested 250,000 people could die without drastic action.
This led Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce on 23 March that he was imposing widespread curbs on daily life aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.
Under those measures people were told to go out as little as possible, with partners who live separately later being told they should "ideally" stay in their own homes.
In a statement, Prof Ferguson said: "I accept I made an error of judgement and took the wrong course of action.
"I have therefore stepped back from my involvement in Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies).
"I acted in the belief that I was immune, having tested positive for coronavirus and completely isolated myself for almost two weeks after developing symptoms.
"I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing."
He also called the government advice on social distancing "unequivocal", adding that it was there "to protect all of us".
China's Hubei eases lockdown
China's central province of Hubei, where the novel coronavirus behind the pandemic was first detected, will lower its emergency response level from Saturday.
Senior students wash hands after entering school at Hubei Wuchang Experimental High School in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 6, 2020. Photo: Xinhua / Xiong Qi / AFP
Hubei will lower the level from the highest to the second-highest from 2 May, the province's health commission said in post on its public WeChat account Friday.
Hubei is the last province to lower its provincial emergency response level, a major milestone in China's fight against the pandemic.
Beijing announced a similar easing of restrictions, saying it would mean removing 14-day quarantine requirements for people arriving from low-risk parts of the country, releasing those currently in quarantine and ending the requirement to wear masks outdoors.
A health official said on 26 April that Wuhan had no remaining coronavirus cases in its hospitals, following a lockdown of the city for more than two months.
Hubei has reported no new coronavirus cases for 27 days as of the end of 30 April.
China's National Health Commission on Friday reported 12 new coronavirus cases in mainland China for the day earlier, including four domestically transmitted cases.
Queen calls Australian PM, 'pleased' with efforts
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has received a phone call from the Queen, during which she said she was "so pleased" Australia has managed to prevent the "terrible impacts" of coronavirus.
The nation's recovery from the bushfires and horse racing were also firmly on the agenda.
"Was very kind to receive Her Majesty's call this evening to check in and see how we're all getting on in Australia. The Queen was very interested to hear about our progress in combatting Covid-19 and was so pleased we have managed to prevent the terrible impacts," Morrison said.
"Our recovery from the bushfires was also a key area of interest for her as well as the ongoing drought.
"Her Majesty was also pleased to hear our horse races were still running in Australia and sent her very best wishes to all Australians."
Llama nanobodies
A llama called Winter could prove useful in the hunt for a virus treatment, say US and Belgian scientists who have identified a tiny particle that appears to block the coronavirus.
The llama in Belgium is central to the studies of the scientists, from the country's VIB-UGent center for medical biotechnology and the University of Texas at Austin, who published their research on Tuesday in the journal Cell.
Llamas and other members of the camel family are distinct in creating standard antibodies and smaller antibodies called nanobodies, with which scientists can more easily work.
The team aims to begin animal tests, with a view to allowing trials with humans to begin by the end of the year. Saelens said negotiations were under way with pharmaceutical companies.
-Reuters / ABC / BBC