This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
On June 4, 2020, Brazil's death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed Italy's to become the third-highest in the world, with over 34,000 fatalities. This grim milestone underlined the devastating impact of the virus in Latin America, the latest epicenter of the pandemic, even as Europe sought to reemerge from lockdown.
As the virus continued to spread, the European Central Bank announced a massive new economic stimulus measure, worth 600 billion euros ($674 billion), to help restart the stalled economies of the eurozone. This move was part of a broader effort to maintain access to much-needed credit for companies, households, and governments.
However, the medical community remained cautious, with new information on the virus emerging daily. The medical journal The Lancet retracted a study that raised safety fears about hydroxychloroquine, a drug touted by US President Donald Trump as a treatment for Covid-19. The paper's authors said they were no longer confident in the underlying data provided by a Chicago-based healthcare analytics firm.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a "people's vaccine" to be available to everyone across the world, saying, "A vaccine must be seen as a global public good -- a people's vaccine, which a growing number of world leaders are calling for." The talks brought together over 50 countries and individuals, including billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, to raise funds for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance.
As the pandemic continued to spread, governments were keen to save what they could of the summer tourism season. Italy welcomed back travellers from elsewhere in Europe, while Austria scrapped entry checks at its borders, except for the one with Italy. The sporting world also continued to try and chart a course back to action, with the NBA adopting a return-to-play plan.
