This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
As of Monday, the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic had surpassed a quarter-million, with the majority of fatalities occurring in the United States and Europe.
According to an AFP tally of official figures, Europe is the hardest-hit continent, with approximately 145,000 fatalities, while the United States has recorded close to 68,700 deaths, accounting for more than 85 percent of global fatalities.
Despite the grim numbers, governments in Europe believe they have passed the peak of the disease, with deaths in the continent's worst-affected countries dropping due to nearly two months of confinement.
Restaurants in Italy partially reopened, and Germans queued for haircuts as Europe edged gingerly out of lockdown.
However, the pandemic's economic impact remains a pressing concern, with half of the planet under orders to shelter in place and many countries cautious about easing restrictions.
"Today is wonderful," said Lagos fruit and vegetable vendor Adewale Oluwa, opening his stall in Africa's largest city after a five-week lockdown.
Confirmed cases since the disease surfaced in China late last year have risen to almost 3.6 million across 195 countries and territories.
Despite the progress made in some regions, infections continued to surge in Russia, with over 10,000 new cases reported daily.
"The threat is apparently on the rise," Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin warned citizens.
The United States remains far more severely affected than any other nation, although deaths in the past 24 hours rose by the lowest figure in a month – 1,015.
An internal study by the US government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that new coronavirus cases will surge more than eight-fold to 200,000 per day by June 1, and the toll could rise to 3,000 a day, up from the current 1,000-2,000.
Leaders of major European powers, Japan, and Canada made the biggest pledges, along with philanthropists including Bill and Melinda Gates, at a videoconference hosted by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
"This was a powerful and inspiring demonstration of global solidarity," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the donations.
