Coronavirus latest: devastating economic toll and heightened risk from other diseases offset gradual reopenings
- China accused the US of trying to shift blame over the coronavirus, after Trump said the pandemic was a worse ‘attack’ than Pearl Harbour or 9/11
- The WHO is considering a new mission to seek the source of the coronavirus in China, amid growing controversy over its origin
Governments around the world are under immense pressure to ease the economic pain caused by measures to stop the virus, which has claimed at least 260,000 lives, left half of humanity under some form of lockdown and made millions jobless.
Some European and Asian nations are now cautiously easing restrictions hoping to stabilise their reeling economies, and US President Donald Trump is pushing for lockdown measures to be lifted.
But experts have warned that social distancing measures remain necessary until a vaccine is developed – and governments are keen to avoid a devastating second wave of infections.
The British government was on Thursday reviewing lockdown measures, with a partial easing expected to be announced this weekend.
The easing has already begun in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, while France is inching towards its own loosening of lockdowns.
