Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 8.04 million, death toll at 435,682: What you need to know

More than 8.04 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 435,682​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Surge in cases puts Beijing on alert

Several districts of the Chinese capital put up security checkpoints, closed schools and ordered people to be tested for the novel coronavirus on Monday after an unexpected spike of cases linked to the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.

After nearly two months with no new infections, Beijing officials have reported 79 cases over the past four days, the city’s biggest cluster of infections since February.

“The containment efforts have rapidly entered into a war-time mode,” senior city government official Xu Ying told a news conference.

Xu said 7,200 neighbourhoods and nearly 100,000 epidemic-control workers had entered the “battlefield”.

Reality check for markets?

Fears that a second wave of COVID-19 infections is under way sent jitters across global markets with stocks and oil under pressure, while investors bought into safe havens such as German government debt.

“Markets are pricing a too-optimistic recovery, in my opinion, and there could be a reality check coming rather sooner than later,” said Stephane Ekolo, an equity strategist at TFS Derivatives in London.

The retreats follows a global rally since late March, fuelled by central bank and fiscal stimulus and optimism about countries gradually lifting lockdowns.

In Europe, a cross-border dash for cigarettes and scratch cards

European nations eased border controls after three months of lockdown, but Spain’s continued closure, a patchwork of quarantine rules and remote-working mean pre-crisis travel levels are a way off.

Greek airports allowed more international flights as the country sought to salvage its summer, German tourists flocking to neighbouring Denmark caused an 8-km (5-mile) queue and Italians popped into France to buy lottery scratch cards.

In the Belgian village of Macquenoise, tabac stores did brisk trade as French citizens streamed across the border to buy cheaper tobacco after suffering higher prices at home since mid-March.

“It’s worth the effort,” said Nadege Caplain, making an early-morning 200-km round trip to buy cigarettes for her and her family.

Source: sowetanlive