This photo shows a traffic jam on a highway in Moscow, Russia, April 15, 2020. Vehicles jammed up highways leading into Moscow after a new system of passes controlling the movement of people within Russia's capital was introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus. (DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV / AP)

NEW YORK / ROME / COPENHAGEN / TBILISI / KAMPALA / WARSAW / PRAGUE / LISBON / GENEVA / LILONGWE / RIO DE JANEIRO / STOCKHOLM / NAIROBI / CAIRO / QUITO / OTTAWA / TUNIS / BERLIN / KADUNA / PANAMA CITY / MEXICO CITY / MADRID / HARARE / HELSINKI / MOSCOW -  Global confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 2 million on Wednesday morning, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

The figure has reached 2,000,984 with 128,071 deaths as of 10 am local time (1400 GMT), the CSSE said. 

According to the running tally, the United States reported 609,685 cases, the most in the world, as well as the highest death toll of 26,059 deaths. Spain reported 177,633 cases and 18,579 deaths. Italy reported 162,488 cases and 21,067 deaths.

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russian regions would receive an additional 200 billion roubles (US$2.7 billion) as a relief measure amid the new coronavirus outbreak.

Moscow introduced a travel permit system on Wednesday to help it police a lockdown meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, a move that initially created traffic jams and long queues of people wanting to use the metro.

The system's introduction coincided with a record daily rise of 3,388 in the number of confirmed cases in Russia, taking the nationwide tally to 24,490. The coronavirus response centre said 198 people had now died, an overnight rise of 28.

Russia saw a record daily rise of 3,388 new confirmed cases, taking the nationwide tally to 24,490

From Wednesday, any Moscow resident travelling by car or public transport must show a permit in the form of a machine-readable QR code or a series of numbers to justify their travel.

On Wednesday morning, photographs circulating on social media showed queues of hundreds of people standing close to one other in masks as they tried to enter the city's metro stations.

Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow's mayor, wrote on social media that the queues had been caused by police officers checking permits. He said he had asked police to prevent such crowds forming in future.

Traffic police have also set up checkpoints on roads coming in and out of the Russian capital and said they will not let anyone pass without a permit.

There were reports of large traffic jams forming as a result.

Medical staffers work in the ICU of the Bassini Hospital, in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan, Italy, April 14, 2020. (CLAUDIO FURLAN / LAPRESSE VIA AP)

The Netherlands

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 734 to 28,153, health authorities said on Wednesday, with 189 new deaths.

The total death toll in the country is 3,134, the Netherlands’ Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.

Ukraine

Ukraine's COVID-19 fatalities reached 108 on Wednesday and the number of confirmed cases hit 3,764, the country's health ministry has said.

On March 25, Ukraine introduced emergency measures across the country through April 24 to contain the spread of the disease.  

Italy

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 602 on Tuesday, up from 566 the day before, posting a second consecutive daily increase, but new infections slowed to 2,972 from 3,153, seeing the smallest daily tally since March 13.

The death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb 21 rose to 21,067, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

The number of officially confirmed cases climbed to 162,488, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

There were 3,186 people in intensive care on Tuesday against 3,260 on Monday - an 11th consecutive daily decline.

Of those originally infected, 37,130 were declared recovered against 35,435 a day earlier.

US

The United States may need to endure social distancing measures adopted during the coronavirus outbreak until 2022, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The study comes as more than 2,200 people died in the United States from the outbreak on Tuesday, a record, according to a Reuters tally, even as the country debated how to reopen its economy. The overall death toll in the US from the virus stands at more than 28,300 as of Tuesday, while confirmed cases topped 600,000.

ALSO READ: Americans learn it the hard way as US toll highest in world

"Intermittent distancing may be required into 2022 unless critical care capacity is increased substantially or a treatment or vaccine becomes available", the Harvard researchers said in findings published Tuesday in the journal Science.

New York City, the hardest hit US city in the coronavirus pandemic, revised its official COVID-19 death toll sharply higher to 10,367 on Tuesday, to include victims presumed to have perished from the disease but never tested.

The new cumulative figure for "confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths" released by the New York City Health Department marked a staggering 60 percent increase of over 3,700 deaths formally attributed to the highly contagious illness since March 11.

ALSO READ: In grim milestone, US logs world's highest virus death toll

Meanwhile, the US State Department reported its first coronavirus fatality among the staff at its headquarters in Washington, bringing the total death toll in its global workforce due to the outbreak to five.

President Donald Trump said he was close to completing a plan to end the coronavirus shutdown and reopen the battered US economy with some parts of the country likely to be ready to go before May 1.

Trump said he would "authorize" governors to implement plans in their states at the appropriate time, adding that he would not press states to reopen.

Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that Trump's May 1 target for restarting the economy was "overly optimistic".

"We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we're not there yet," Fauci said.

Meanwhile, the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday he believes 19 or 20 US states have had limited impact from the new coronavirus and their governors believe they may be ready to reopen by Trump’s May 1 target date.

A sign indicating the appropriate measurement for social distancing is seen in McCarren Park, in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 14, 2020. (MICHAEL NAGLE / XINHUA)

France

The French government has hiked the expected cost of its measures to support the economy though the coronavirus crisis to 110 billion euros (US$120.6 billion), its finance minister said on Wednesday.

"We are going to go from 45 billion euros in a first economic support plan ... to about 110 billion euros," Bruno Le Maire said on RTL radio, confirming a Reuters report.

He added that the package included 20 billion euros to help big companies and said that support would be offered to Air France KLM in the coming days.

France said its total death toll from COVID-19 infections rose above 15,000 on Tuesday, becoming the fourth country to exceed that threshold after Italy, Spain and the United States, while the rate of increase in cases and fatalities is re-accelerating.

But the number of people in intensive care units fell to 6,730 from 6,821 over 24 hours - declining for a sixth consecutive day, suggesting the national lockdown put in place on March 17 is having some success in containing the disease.

Jerome Salomon, head of the public health authority, said at a news conference that the number of COVID-19 deaths in French hospitals and nursing homes had risen by 5 percent in a day to a cumulative total of 15,729, versus 4 percent on Monday and Sunday.

He added that the total number of confirmed infections had climbed by 5.3 percent to 103,573, compared to a rate of increase of 2.8 percent on Monday and of 1.7 percent on Sunday.

There were also 26,680 suspected coronavirus cases in nursing homes, taking the total to more than 130,000 confirmed and possible cases, the fifth highest in the world.

UK

The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the coronavirus reached 12,107 as of Monday afternoon, a daily increase of 778, the Department of Health and Social Care said Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, a total of 93,873 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, said the department, adding that 382,650 tests have concluded, with 14,982 tests on Monday.

ALSO READ: England's COVID-19 toll is 15% higher than shown in daily data

Britain promised to test all residents and employees of nursing homes who have COVID-19 symptoms after official data showed the death toll from the pandemic was far higher when the elderly in care were included.

Separately earlier on Tuesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned Britain's economy could shrink by 35 percent in the second quarter, and the unemployment could rise by more than 2 million to 10 percent during that period of time.

Germany

Germany will consider easing restrictions on shops introduced last month to slow the spread of the coronavirus from April 20 but extend limits on movement until May 3, several participants in talks between regional and central government said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is to hold talks with state premiers of Germany's 16 states from 2 pm local time (1200 GMT) to try to agree on whether and how, to loosen some of the restrictions given some improvement in the situation.

Among the issues on the table are when schools, shops and factories may reopen, the option of making people wear protective face masks in public and possibly the merits of a mobile phone app to help trace new cases.

Companies and politicians are worried about the economic impact of a long shutdown even though the government has tried to cushion the blow with a range of measures

The economy ministry said Germany entered a recession in March and the slowdown is likely to continue until the middle of the year.

Germany's confirmed cases have risen by 2,486 to 127,584, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday, meaning the number of new infections rose after four days of decline.

The reported death toll has risen by 285 to 3,254, the tally showed.

Spain

The daily number of deaths from the coronavirus in Spain fell slightly on Wednesday to 523 from 567 the previous day, the health ministry said, as the country was ramping up testing that could allow it to further ease tough restrictions.

With the total number of fatalities at 18,579, Spain remains one of the world's worst-affected countries, with only the United States and Italy recording higher death tolls. But there is growing evidence the government is managing to flatten the curve on deaths and infections.

The official tally of cases rose to 177,633 on Wednesday from 172,541 the day before, the ministry said.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said efforts were under way to ramp up testing, to get a tighter grip on the spread of the disease and build a strategy for emerging from a lockdown that has kept most Spaniards confined to their homes since mid-March.

For lockdown restrictions to be lifted, officials say testing has to be widened to find carriers who may have mild or no symptoms.

The loosening of restrictions began this week as some non-essential businesses were allowed to resume work.

On Tuesday, the government approved a one-month tax moratorium for the self-employed and small companies which it said would allow them to boost their short-term liquidity by around 3.6 billion euros (US$3.95 billion).

Poland

Poland will gradually lift lockdown measures imposed to contain the coronavirus from Sunday, the government said on Tuesday as the nation prepares for a presidential election on May 10.

As of Tuesday, Poland had reported 7,202 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 251 deaths, much fewer than other nations in Europe, though testing rates in Poland have also been low.

Authorities said the initial easing of restrictions would allow certain shops to reopen, with details to follow.

Meanwhile, new restrictions to minimise contagion from the virus are also being put place. From Thursday, Poles will have to cover their faces with masks or cloth scarves when in public.

Portugal

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa reiterated on Tuesday that almost all measures of containment and social isolation will be maintained beyond April 17, amid mounting pressure of conditionally reactivating the national economy.

In an interview with the Radio Observador, the PM said the country will continue to restrict the movement of people and economic activities during the state of emergency, which is widely believed to be renewed until the beginning of May, adding that the right to strikes will be one of the few exceptions.

Costa insisted that, despite economic costs, it is not possible at that moment to ease measures and send the wrong signal to the population that everything is fine. The resumption of normal activity will take place gradually and progressively, Costa said.

Minister of Finance Mario Centeno has predicted a 20 percent drop in GDP for Portugal in the second quarter this year due to the pandemic, saying that the losses will reach 6.5 percent of the annual GDP for every 30 working days with economy stopped.

Finland

Finland will lift roadblocks in the region around its capital, Helsinki, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said, in a first step towards easing coronavirus-related restrictions.

Travel restrictions to and from Uusimaa, the capital region, to the rest of the country began on March 28, to prevent people from spreading the virus to other parts of the country.

Uusimaa has been the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Finland, but the spread of the disease has levelled out between regions in the past weeks, making the capital region's lockdown less effective and less justifiable.

By Tuesday, Finland had 3,161 confirmed coronavirus cases and 64 deaths, with 232 COVID-19 patients hospitalised, 162 of them in the capital region.

Denmark

Denmark's government wants to reopen society quicker than previously anticipated, as the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations continues to fall, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.

As daycare, kindergartens and primary schools for 0-5 grades prepare to reopen across the country on Wednesday, the government intends to gather all parties in Parliament to debate on further re-opening measures.

The proposal will be discussed with other parties in parliament later on Tuesday, Frederiksen said.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 6,511 on Tuesday, while fatalities added 14 to 299, according to latest figures from the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), a governmental public health and research institution.

Czech Republic

The Czech government will allow stores and restaurants to reopen gradually over the next two months to reawaken an economy paralysed by the coronavirus lockdown, officials said on Tuesday.

While cautioning that the plan could be revised should the rate of infections spike anew, authorities said they would start by letting craft shops reopen on April 20, larger stores on May 11, and restaurants and shopping malls on June 8.

Czechs will need to continue wearing face masks until further notice, and summer festivals and other events for large groups of people will probably not take place, officials said.

The plan also foresees a partial reopening of schools for student admission and graduation exams, but normal schooling will not restart before the new academic year in September.

Borders would also remain shut except for travel related to business, medical and family reasons with a 14-day quarantine required on return. 

Czech authorities had reported 6,101 cases with 161 deaths as of Tuesday with the number of new infections below 300 per day in the past 10 days and hospital admissions below the maximum capacity of the health system.

READ MORE: Tentative 'new normal' as some European businesses reopen

Georgia

Georgia will lock down four big cities, including capital Tbilisi, for 10 days from April 15 in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on Tuesday.

The proposed lockdown needs to be initiated by the president and approved by parliament.

At a press briefing, Gakharia said that international financial institutions and donors have agreed to provide US$1.5 billion of support for Georgia, with an additional US$1.5 billion for the private sector. That includes an agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a programme worth US$477 million, he said.

Georgia, a South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people, has reported 296 coronavirus infections and three deaths.

Uganda

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday extended the country's initial 14-day lockdown by an extra three weeks, until May 5, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The extra days, Museveni said, "will definitely, help us to defeat this virus decisively, or if not defeated totally, to prepare better as to how to cope with it."

Uganda has so far recorded a total of 54 coronavirus cases but no deaths. Eight patients have recovered.

A pedestrian walks past the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 14, 2020. (NIE XIAOYANG / XINHUA)

UN

There had been 189 confirmed cases and three deaths from COVID-19 among United Nations staff, a senior UN official said here on Tuesday.

Alessandra Vellucci, head of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said at a press briefing that as of the previous week, there had been 10 confirmed cases among the staff of the United Nations secretariat in Geneva, and new figures were expected to be available soon.

Besides the UN secretariat in Geneva, other UN agencies and international organizations like the International Labor Organization, the World Trade Organization, as well as the World Health Organization, have all reported COVID-19 cases among their staff members.

Switzerland

An official from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) said Tuesday that Switzerland "has reached a certain plateau" in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, as the number of new infections and deaths continue falling.

Switzerland reported 254 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the smallest daily increase in the past three weeks. Official data from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health shows that this is the fifth day of decline in new confirmed cases in the country.

As of Monday, there were a total of 25,834 COVID-19 confirmed cases in Switzerland, a landlocked country with a population of 8.5 million, and the death toll stands at 900. 

Brazil

Brazilian Health Minister Henrique Mandetta told his team that President Jair Bolsonaro is likely to fire him this week, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, raising the prospect of turmoil in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak.

Brazil's government has created a working group to oversee efforts to revive the economy shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government Gazette said on Tuesday.

The group, coordinated by the president's office, will have 90 days to present a plan of action to get the economy back on track for growth, after consulting with experts and representatives of private or public organizations.

Meanwhile, the governor of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, Wilson Witzel, on Tuesday announced he tested positive for the coronavirus.

So far, Brazil has 25,262 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,532 deaths.

Rio de Janeiro currently ranks second in number of infections among Brazilian states, after Sao Paulo.

Nigeria

The northern Nigeria economic powerhouse state of Kano will impose a seven-day lockdown to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus, a spokesman for the governor said on Tuesday.

Africa's most populous country has recorded 373 cases of the virus, which as resulted in 11 deaths.

Kano, whose state capital shares the same name and is the second most populous city in the West African country, has recorded four cases. 

Abba Anwar, a spokesman for Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje, said in a statement that the lockdown would begin on Thursday at 10 pm (2100 GMT). It said all markets would be closed and all public gatherings would be banned.

Cameroon

Dozens of people were arrested on Monday and Tuesday in Cameroon's commercial capital Douala for disregarding guidelines on fighting COVID-19 in the country, according to police.

Police said over 50 people, including six policemen, were arrested for not wearing face masks in public places and drinking in beer parlours after 6 pm local time (1700 GMT).

The government has made mask-wearing compulsory, and banned gathering of more than 50 people and drinking in bars after 6 pm as part of the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Cameroon has reported to date 855 confirmed cases, according to Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making it one of the African countries worst hit by the pandemic. 

Malawi

Malawi's government has declared a 21-day lockdown throughout the country starting from the midnight of April 18 through the midnight of May 9 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Minister of Health and Population Services Jappie Mhango, also chairperson of the Special Cabinet Committee on COVID-19, made the announcement Tuesday evening in a televised statement in the presence of President Peter Mutharika.

Malawi has so far confirmed 16 COVID-19 cases, with two deaths.

Ecuador

Ecuador has 7,603 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 369 deaths of the disease, Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo said on Tuesday.

The bustling port of Guayaquil, the country's second most populated city and capital of southwest Guayas province, is the national epicenter of the outbreak, with 4,077 cases of infection.

The capital Quito, home to 3 million residents, has 598 cases of infection.

Peru

Peru hopes to gradually emerge from the economic hibernation aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus and return to "more or less" normal levels of productive activity in 2021, President Martin Vizcarra said on Tuesday.

The president told a press conference in the capital Lima that restrictions to curb the disease would not postpone presidential elections scheduled for April 2021, though he called into doubt the primary polls, due to take place towards the end of this year.

"In May we will start opening things up, but gradually and slowly so as not to generate a resurgence of the disease," said Vizcarra.

Vizcarra said efforts to restart the economy would focus on the productive construction, agro-industry, fishing and agro-export industries, which would be expected to operate under specified health security protocols.

Panama

Panama has obtained US$1.3 billion in funding to help small companies and boost job creation, President Laurentino Cortizo said on Tuesday, as health officials registered 102 new cases of the coronavirus and one more death.

The new cases took the country's total to 3,574, with 95 deaths.

Cortizo said Panama has secured US$500 million from the International Monetary Fund and US$500 million from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, a member of the World Bank Group. The Inter-American Development Bank will provide a US$300 million loan, he added.

Mexico

Mexico registered 385 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing its total to 5,399 cases and 406 deaths, the health ministry said.

Libya

The Libyan National Center for Disease Control on Tuesday announced nine new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 35.

The number of total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Libya stands at 35, including nine recoveries and one death. 

Tunisia

The Tunisian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday 21 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of the infected to 747.

So far, Tunisia has reported 34 deaths from the coronavirus.

Tunisia's vital tourism sector could lose US$1.4 billion and 400,000 jobs this year due to the coronavirus, an official document showed, as the country sought a loan guarantee from its bilateral partners to issue sovereign bonds this year.

In a letter sent to the IMF, Tunisia's central bank governor and finance minister said that the country's economy will shrink by up to 4.3 percent, the deepest recession since independence in 1956.

Sweden

A total of 1,033 people have died and 11,445 people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 in Sweden, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency on Tuesday.

Fresh figures from the agency showed that 497 people tested positive over the past 24 hours, and 916 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in intensive care.

However, at its daily press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, the agency also pointed out that there is a lag in reporting after the long Easter weekend so the number of the dead is likely higher than Tuesday's figures indicate.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski has called on all citizens to respect measures, stay home and join the fight against COVID-19, Media Information Agency (MIA) reported on Tuesday.

According to MIA, Spasovski made this statement while visiting the city of Debar one day after the authorities decided to lift the State of Crisis imposed in this city to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"We have proven today that we can endure all hardships, but the fight is far from over. We cannot relax, but must keep following government measures," Spasovski said.

On Tuesday, health authorities in North Macedonia reported 54 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of positive cases to 908, of which were 86 recoveries and 44 fatalities. 

Sudan

Sudan on Tuesday reported three new infections with COVID-19, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 32.

Sudan's Health Minister Akram Ali Al-Tom said in a statement that the death toll has climbed to five, while three patients have recovered from the virus.

Travellers wearing protective gear wait to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada, April 14, 2020. (ZOU ZHENG / XINHUA)

Canada

Canada's economic shutdown will last for weeks more to ensure that measures to fight the coronavirus are working, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

"We are having ongoing discussions with the provinces ... about how we are going to reopen the economy. It's just that it's going to be a while still," Trudeau said.

As if to underline the extent of the challenge, the province of Ontario on Tuesday extended a shutdown for another 28 days. It had been due to expire on April 23.

As of Tuesday evening, there were 27,046 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada with 903 deaths, according to the country's Public Health Agency.

Meanwhile, Trudeau also announced that from Wednesday midnight, anyone arriving in Canada with no "credible" plan to self-isolate for the mandatory 14-day period will be forced to spend that time being quarantined in a hotel.

Egypt

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered on Wednesday the full closure of all public parks, beaches and other gathering places during the coming holidays to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

April 19 and 20 mark respectively the Coptic Easter and the traditional Egyptian spring holiday of Sham El-Nessim, which are often celebrated with family outings to parks or other outdoor excursions.

The Egyptian Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday 160 new COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths  raising the total cases registered in the country to 2,350, including 178 deaths.

Egyptian Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement that 26 cases were cured and discharged from hospitals, increasing the total number of recoveries so far to 514.

The 160 new cases marked the highest single-day infection rate in Egypt since the first COVID-19 case appeared in the country in mid-February.

Cyprus

Cypriot health specialists sounded the alarm on Tuesday after the mass confirmation of COVID-19 cases in a popular supermarket in the capital Nicosia and one bakery production facility of a chain of bakeries in the southeastern city of Larnaca.

State epidemiologist Michael Voniatis urged people who had visited the supermarket and any of the bakeries in question in the last two weeks to declare it to the authorities and ask for test as soon as possible.

The number of people involved could run into thousands.

Nationwide, 33 new coronavirus cases were confirmed after 1,700 tests on Tuesday, raising the number of total cases to 695, a Health Ministry advisor said. The death toll remains at 12. 

Algeria

Health authorities in Algeria reported on Tuesday 87 new infections from the COVID-19, in addition to 12 more deaths over the past 24 hours.

The total number of confirmed infections soared to 2,070 and the overall death toll hit 326 in Algeria, Djamel Fourar, head of COVID-19 Detection and Follow-up Commission, said at a press briefing.

Morocco

The Moroccan Ministry of Health reported Tuesday 125 new cases of the coronavirus, raising the total number to 1,888.   

The number of recoveries reached 217 with the announcement of 14 new recoveries, the ministry said.

The overall figure of fatalities related to the virus reached 126, it said.

Mozambique

Mozambique registered seven more cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 28, said the Ministry of Health of Mozambique (MISAU) on Tuesday.

So far, a total of 762 suspected cases have been tested.

Tanzania

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Tuesday announced extension of closure of schools and universities in the east African nation, saying they will remain closed indefinitely as part of measures aimed at fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Majaliwa said that by Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the country rose from 49 to 53, with four new cases in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Ghana

Ghana's COVID-19 cases has climbed to 636 with 70 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said.

The West African country has recorded eight COVID-19-related deaths and discharged 17 patients.

Kenya

Kenya's Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed eight new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infected to 216.

Mercy Mwangangi, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health, said that Kenya is beginning a crucial phase in the battle against the virus.

"Despite the measures we have put in place, we are witnessing a phenomenon where the virus is increasingly moving to the counties," she said.

She said that the government is rolling out the mass testing exercise, taking into consideration the risk profiles of clusters.  Enditem

Namibia

Namibian President Hage Geingob on Tuesday extended the country's lockdown by two weeks until May 4 to slowdown the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

This time, the lockdown will be countrywide and not just the previous two regions. Speaking at state house in capital city Windhoek, Geingob said the health of Namibians still remains the first priority.

Geingob said the country will reopen on May 5 while reiterating that during this period, movement within the country will be restricted.

Namibia has so far recorded 16 positive cases of COVID-19. 

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended.

Mnangagwa told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. The statement that claimed the restrictions were extended was circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government.

Mnangagwa said his cabinet would meet this week to decide whether to end, adjust or extend the lockdown.

The authorities have said three people have died from the coronavirus and 17 people have been infected in the country of 15 million people. Just over 600 people had been tested by Monday night.

Senegal

The Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action on Wednesday reported 15 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 314 in the west African country.

At a daily COVID-19 briefing, Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, director general of public health and president of the National Committee for the Management of Epidemics, said of the 15 new confirmed cases, 14 are close contacts of earlier confirmed patients and one a community transmission case.

Out of the 314 confirmed cases in the country, 85 are imported ones and 26 are community transmission cases.

Senegal has so far reported two deaths from COVID-19.

Botswana

Botswana's president Mokgweetsi Masisi and his cabinet ministers, including vice president Slumber Tsogwane, have pledged to take a 10 percent pay cut for the next six months in the fight against COVID-19.  The move is an acknowledgement that every person and organization has a part to play "as we unite to stop the spread and transmission of the deadly COVID-19 in our country," the vice president said.

Republic of Congo

The Republic of the Congo reported 43 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 117 in the country, Health Minister Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo announced in Brazzaville on Wednesday.

The country also reported 11 cured cases and 5 deaths, she said, calling on the public to observe confinement at home to prevent the spread of the disease.

Belarus

Belarus reported 447 more confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the country's tally to 3,728.

The Health Ministry also reported that 68 patients currently require assisted ventilation and 36 patients with chronic diseases have died.

As of Tuesday, over 76,000 tests for coronavirus infection have been conducted in Belarus.

Norway 

Prime Minister Erna Solberg told Norwegian children on Wednesday it would take time for life to return to normal with the country, like others in Europe, preparing to reopen parts of society shut down by the coronavirus outbreak.

Nurseries will reopen on April 20 and primary schools from first to fourth grades from April 27.

Norway has reported a total of 6,677 COVID-19 infections and 130 deaths to date.