Coronavirus: latest global developments

The pandemic has killed at least 454,101 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally on Friday, based on official sources.

The United States has the most deaths with 118,435, followed by Brazil with 47,748, Britain with 42,288, Italy with 34,514 and France with 29,603 fatalities.

- EU hammers out recovery plan -

Deeply divided European Union leaders start a virtual summit to negotiate a post-coronavirus economic recovery plan.

On the table is an historic 750 billion euro ($840 billion) rescue fund. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have pledged to try and rein in the spending.

- EU border opening plans -

European countries will by the middle of next week draw up a first list of some 50 non-member nations with whom borders will be reopened, France's state secretary for foreign affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne says.

- English schools catch up -

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says English schools will receive £1 billion ($1.2 billion, 1.1 billion euros) in funding to help pupils catch up after missing months of classes due to the coronavirus.

Johnson's government is under criticism over its broken pledge to have all primary school children back for a month before the summer holidays.

- New lockdown in southern India -

A lockdown is reimposed on 15 million people in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India, as the number of coronavirus infections in the nation nears 400,000. 

The new restrictions follow a surge of cases, even as the rest of the country of 1.3 billion people gradually resumes normal life. 

- No more US lockdowns needed -

The United States does not require more widespread lockdowns to get its outbreak under control, even though the national daily infection rate is not showing signs of decline, government expert Anthony Fauci says.

The physician-scientist tells AFP he is optimistic the world will soon have a vaccine that will end the pandemic, calling early trial results "encouraging."

- China releases genome -

China has released genome data for the coronavirus found in a new outbreak in Beijing, which state experts suggest has similarities to European strains, as the number of cases since last week reaches 183.

Tens of thousands of people in the capital are being tested, neighbourhoods have been locked down and schools closed as authorities seek to contain a cluster linked to the Xinfadi food market. 

- Coronavirus in Italy in December -

The coronavirus was already present in the northern Italian cities of Turin and Milan in December, more than two months before the first case was detected, a national health institute study of waste water has found.