Since Chinese officials locked down the city of Wuhan in January, there have been more than 7.5 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, across the planet.
More than 421,000 people have died from the disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Efforts to curb the outbreak led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shuttered in hopes of slowing transmission. After months of precautions and lockdowns, governments have begun to reopen their economies.
HuffPost reporters around the world are tracking the pandemic and its effects.
Read the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic below. (To see the latest updates, you may need to refresh the page. All times are Eastern. For earlier updates on the pandemic, go here.)
Deaths In Brazil Surpass 40,000, Infections Go Beyond 800,000 — 6/12/20, 7:25 a.m.
Brazil’s death toll from COVID-19 now exceeds 40,000 after another 1,240 deaths were announced on Thursday.
The country’s cumulative total of confirmed cases also surpassed 800,000, with 30,412 new infections in the last 24 hours. Brazil has the world’s second-worst outbreak of coronavirus after the United States and the third-highest death toll behind the U.S. and U.K.
Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states have suffered 42% of the fatalities. Despite the virus showing no signs of slowing in the country, many shops and businesses were allowed to reopen on Thursday.
— James Martin
Young COVID-19 Patient Becomes First In U.S. To Receive Double Lung Transplant — 6/12/2020, 7 a.m.
A woman in her 20s who had no serious underlying health conditions before contracting COVID-19 has become the first U.S. coronavirus patient to receive a double lung transplant, her doctors said Thursday.
The operation at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital was more challenging and took longer than usual because her lungs were so damaged, doctors said. But she is recovering well, and told doctors, “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
— Dominique Mosbergen
UK Economy Shrinks 20% During First Full Month Of Lockdown — 6/12/20, 6:15 a.m.
The British economy shrank by an “unprecedented” 20.4% in April, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.
The new figures mark the largest monthly contraction since records began in 1997 and massively outstrips the then-record 5.8% drop in March gross domestic product (GDP) reported last month.
It means that GDP fell by 10.4% in the three months to April and sets the U.K. on course for one of its worst quarters in history.
May’s GDP figures are also likely to be awful, before things start to ease again in June as the economy slowly reopens. Large parts of the British economy were placed on ice on March 23 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people they must stay inside and only leave the house when absolutely necessary.
The official U.K. death toll is 41,279, second only to the United States.
— Chris York
Arizona Cases Jump 200% In The Last 2 Weeks — 6/22/20, 5:20 p.m. ET
Arizona, one of the earliest states to begin reopening its economy, has seen a 200% jump in coronavirus infections in the last two weeks, according to data collected by NPR.
New positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all on the rise in Arizona after the state eased major shelter-in-place orders in mid-May, allowing gyms, spas, movie theaters, restaurants and bars to reopen without releasing strict guidelines on how people should maintain their safety.
NPR’s analysis found that the state is currently averaging more than 1,000 new cases per day.
“We weren’t ready to reopen,” Dr. Matthew Heinz, an internist at Tucson Medical Center, told ABC News on Thursday. “We hadn’t met the criteria set down by the WHO or the CDC to even begin to look at reopening the state, but political leadership pushed us in that direction.”
Arizona is one of 14 states where cases are rising.
—Lydia O’Connor
U.S. Passes 2 Million Coronavirus Cases — 6/11/20, 6 a.m.
The U.S. has reported more than 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data Thursday.
The grim milestone comes as states continue to reopen, despite rising infection rates. More than 112,000 people have died in the U.S.
President Trump, who has long downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic, has used the opportunity of widespread protests against racism and police brutality as an opportunity to argue for holding rallies again. On Wednesday, his campaign said the first rally since early March would be held in Tulsa on June 19, with plans to visit Florida, North Carolina, Arizona and Texas.
— Liza Hearon
Coachella, Stagecoach Music Festivals Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns — 6/11/20, 2:25 a.m. ET
The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals were officially canceled on Wednesday. Organizers had initially re-scheduled the events from April to October when the coronavirus began spreading around the U.S.
Dr. Cameron Kaiser, a public health officer in Riverside County, California, said the popular festivals wouldn’t be able to take place until 2021 at the earliest amid concerns cases of COVID-19 could rebound in the fall.
“Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward,” Kaiser said, per The Associated Press.
The 2020 Coachella festival, which takes place over two weekends and attracts up to 125,000 fans with its sister event, Stagecoach, was set to feature Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean, among others.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said music festivals and live sports will be the last in line to reopen under the state’s coronavirus guidelines. They will not be able to resume until there is an effective treatment for the disease.
— Nick Visser
Disneyland Plans To Reopen Next Month ― 6/10/2020, 7 p.m. ET
Disney plans to reopen its Southern California theme parks ― Disneyland and Disney California Adventure ― on July 17, more than four months after they closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The reopening, which is pending government approval, will come with some new rules until further notice: a lower park capacity, reservations to enter, no parades and no character meet-and-greets.
The proposed reopening day falls on the 65th anniversary of the day Disneyland first opened its doors in 1955.
― Lydia O’Connor
Hospitalizations On The Rise In Several States Since Memorial Day: Report — 6/10/2020, 8:35 a.m. ET
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been on the rise in at least nine states — including Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah and Arizona — since Memorial Day weekend, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The data suggests that the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in these states is occurring for reasons beyond an increase in testing, according to the Post.
Texas, one of the first states to ease its stay-at-home order, has reportedly seen a 36% increase in new cases since Memorial Day on May 25. As of Tuesday, the state has recorded two consecutive days of record-breaking coronavirus hospitalizations, the Post reported.
Health experts have warned that mass gatherings, such as the anti-lockdown protests that began in mid-April and the anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd on Memorial Day, could lead to new outbreaks of the virus. They’ve encouraged attendees to wear masks and socially distance as much as possible during these demonstrations.
The United States has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world with nearly 2 million as of Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 112,000 coronavirus-linked deaths have been reported nationwide.
— Hayley Miller
Brazil Court Orders Government To Publish Virus Data — 6/10/2020, 6:30 a.m. ET
The Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered the government to resume publishing full data on the coronavirus pandemic in the country, the Associated Press reported. The health ministry of President Jair Bolsonaro had stopped publishing the total numbers of deaths and confirmed cases on Friday, leading to widespread allegations that the government is trying to hide the severity of the pandemic.
According to Johns Hopkins data, Brazil has had over 739,000 confirmed cases and more than 38,000 deaths. But a health ministry official said Monday there would be changes to the methodology for tallying the daily death toll.
— Liza Hearon
Fauci: ‘Worst Nightmare’ Coronavirus Pandemic Far From Over — 6/10/2020, 5:40 a.m. ET
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said that the coronavirus pandemic is his “worst nightmare” come to life, there’s a lot that’s still unknown about it, and it’s far from over.
“Oh my goodness. Where is it going to end? We’re still at the beginning of really understanding,” Fauci told a biotechnology conference on Tuesday.
But he said he was hopeful that “multiple” vaccines would be created. He praised the pharmaceutical industry for its rapid response to the crisis.
— Liza Hearon
Texas Sees 36% Increase In COVID-19 Hospitalizations Since Memorial Day — 6/9/2020, 7:45 p.m. ET
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 2,056 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 on Tuesday — a 36% increase since Memorial Day, according to the Houston Chronicle. This was the highest number of hospitalizations reported in the state since cases were first confirmed there in March.
Texas was one of the earliest to begin gradually reopening businesses and other activities in early May, despite not meeting public health recommendations that there first be 14 days of declining coronavirus cases.
Last week, the state moved into Phase 3 of its reopening plan, allowing almost all businesses to operate, albeit at about 50% capacity.
— Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
U.S. Navy Test Shows 60% Of Carrier Crew Have Coronavirus Antibodies — 6/9/2020, 5:30 a.m. ET
A U.S. Navy investigation has found that 60% of the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have coronavirus antibodies, suggesting a far higher infection rate than roughly 25% infection rate reported as of April, according to Reuters.
The ship was a focus of attention after a leaked letter from the captain asking for stronger protective measures for his crew led to him being relieved of his command.
— Liza Hearon
The Canadian government will now allow anyone with immediate family members in Canada to enter the country if they do not have COVID-19 or show symptoms, provided they self-quarantine for 14 days upon arriving.
The loosening restrictions go into effect at midnight Eastern time tonight, the government said, “to keep families together and support unity while respecting the need for continued vigilance and border measures at this time.“The U.S.-Canada border, which has been closed to discretionary travel since March 21 and limited to essential purposes like deliveries of food and medical supplies, will remain restricted through at least June 21.
Read more on the revised conditions here.
— Marina Fang
For more on the pandemic, go here.
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- The HuffPost guide to working from home
- What coronavirus questions are on your mind right now? We want to help you find answers.
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