Coronavirus: Italy's daily death toll rises, new cases fall
Read the latest on the spread of the novel coronavirus around the world here
Tunisia relaxes coronavirus curfew hours
Tunisia will reduce the hours of its nightly curfew imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus from Wednesday, state news agency TAP reported citing President Kais Saied.
The curfew will now be in place from 11pm to 5am local time, instead of from 8pm to 6am, as the country gradually relaxes general lockdown rules in place since March.
Italy's daily coronavirus death toll rises, new cases fall
Deaths from the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 195 on Wednesday, against 172 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the daily tally of new cases fell to 888 from 1,402 on Tuesday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 31,106 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 222,104, the fifth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Spain, Britain and Russia.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 78,457 from 81,266 the day before, the agency said.
Ignoring social distancing, protesters mock Hong Kong leader Lam on her birthday
Hundreds of protesters gathered in shopping malls across Hong Kong on Wednesday, flouting coronavirus-related social distancing rules to mock unpopular Chief Executive Carrie Lam on her birthday.
It was the latest sign social unrest was resurfacing in Hong Kong as the city has proven relatively successful at tackling the coronavirus, having recorded 1,051 cases and four deaths.
While the government has allowed bars, gyms and cinemas to reopen and civil servants to come back to work, it maintains that group gatherings should be limited to eight people.
Lam, who turns 63, is the Chinese-ruled city’s least popular leader since its handover from Britain in 1997, having tried to push a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China last year, sparking large-scale, often violent protests.
US to tell doctors to report cases of Covid-19 inflammatory syndrome in kids
US health officials plan to alert doctors to report cases of a rare inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19 in children to their state and local health departments, a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.
The alert will be released on Wednesday or Thursday, the spokesman said.
Vitamin D levels appear to play role in Covid-19 mortality rates
Northwestern University researchers have discovered a strong correlation between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates based on global data.
The research team conducted a statistical analysis of data from hospitals and clinics across China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States, reports the Science Daily.
They noted that patients from countries with high Covid-19 mortality rates, such as Italy, Spain and the UK, had lower levels of vitamin D compared to patients in countries that were not as severely affected. The researchers cautioned that everyone -- especially those without a known deficiency -- need to start hoarding supplements.
Focus on Covid-19 battle, France tells China after Taiwan warning
France dismissed Chinese warnings on Wednesday about selling arms to self-ruled Taiwan, saying it was implementing existing deals and that Beijing should focus on battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
China’s foreign ministry warned Paris over a contract for Taiwan, which is planning to buy weapons from Paris as part of an upgrade to a French-made warship fleet bought 30 years ago.
China says Taiwan is part of “one China”, and that this principle must be accepted by any country with which it has diplomatic relations. Arms sales to Taiwan are always highly sensitive and regularly prompt a strong reaction from Beijing.
The French foreign ministry responded by saying it followed a “one China” policy as agreed with Beijing in 1994 and continued to urge both sides to hold dialogue.
Sweden extends international travel curbs to July 15
Sweden’s foreign ministry on Wednesday extended its advice against non-essential travel to all countries through to July 15, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told a news conference.
Its previous advice, published on March 14, covered the period to June 15.
Locked down shoppers turn to vegetables, shun ready meals
Shoppers cut spending on ready-made meals and bought more fruit and vegetables, turning to healthier eating during coronavirus lockdowns, preliminary results of a research project showed.
People forced to stay home also tried new recipes and threw away less food, the survey of nearly 11,000 shoppers in 11 countries found.
“Amid lockdowns people are eating healthier, are cooking their own food and are consuming more fruit and vegetables,” said Charlotte De Backer, who coordinated the study at the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
As they deserted offices and cooked at home, shoppers cut purchases of microwaveable food in all the countries surveyed - Australia, Belgium, Chile, Uganda, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Greece, Canada, Brazil and Ireland.
French coronavirus death toll overtakes Spain's, now world's fourth largest
France’s death toll from the coronavirus rose by 348 to 26,991 on Tuesday, overtaking Spain to become the country with the world’s fourth-highest number of fatalities after the United States, Britain and Italy.
Official data had showed France’s coronavirus casualty rate trailing Spain’s closely for several weeks, with both countries’ tolls above 22,000 since April 24 and Spain’s less than 100 more than France’s over several days last week.
On Tuesday the United States’ Covid-19 death toll stood at 80,606, Britain at 32,065 and Italy at 30,911. Spain followed France with 26,920.
Austria does not plan to open its border with Italy for now
Austria will start relaxing border controls, but those along the Austrian-Italian border would remain in place for the time being.
Sebastian Kurz the Austrian Chancellor made the aannouncement at a government press conference in Vienna on Wednesday, reports the CNN.
Kurz said, “We have agreed with Germany to fully open the border between Austria and Germany from June 15 as long as the number of infection cases allow for it. We are in contact with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to find a similar agreement and of course we are also in contact with our eastern neighbors to find solutions on our eastern borders."
"Regarding other countries such as Italy, the situation of course is problematic. Infection numbers continue to be very high, similar to France and Spain and so there is no plan for a border opening any time soon."
He said Austria is in "intensive contact with its eastern European neighbors," adding, "I assume we will already be able to present a plan in the coming days, latest next week which we agreed on with these countries.''
UK's confirmed Covid-19 death toll rises by 494 to 33,186
A total of 33,186 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 494 in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
The figures are as of 5 pm (1600 GMT) on May 12. Including deaths due to suspected cases, Britain’s toll is over 40,000.
Canada, US appear likely to extend travel restrictions until June 21
Canada and the United States appear likely to extend a ban on non-essential travel until June 21 amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, two Canadian government sources said on Wednesday.
Canada and the United States had agreed on April 18 to extend border restrictions until May 21 as cases of the disease continue to rise in both nations. Canada is now pressing for the measures to stay in place for another month.
"It's too early to lift the restrictions, so we're working toward an extension," said one Canadian source, describing the talks with Washington as positive. A second source said the discussions had been collaborative.
UK researchers try to crack genetic riddle of Covid-19
British researchers will study the genes of thousands of ill Covid-19 patients to try to crack one of the most puzzling riddles of the novel coronavirus: why does it kill some people but give others not even a mild headache?
Researchers from across the United Kingdom will sequence the genetic code of people who fell critically ill with Covid-19 and compare their genomes with those who were mildly ill or not ill at all.
The hunt for the specific genes that could cause a predisposition to getting ill with Covid-19 will involve up to 20,000 people currently or previously in hospital intensive care with Covid-19 and about 15,000 people with mild symptoms.
Merkel aims for Schengen border controls to end from June 15
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants all emergency border controls introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus to be removed within Europe’s 26-nation Schengen zone from June 15, she said on Wednesday.
“The goal is, if the occurrence of infections allows it - I want to say that again - that from June 15 onwards border controls in the Schengen area can be completely eliminated,” Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
How coronavirus cleared Southeast Asia's traffic jams
Strict lockdowns, school closures and restrictions on commerce to curb the novel coronavirus in Southeast Asian countries brought a rare respite from the transport mayhem that is the norm in some of the world’s most congested cities.
Data from ride-hailing firm Grab shows snapshots of traffic congestion before and during the curbs, delivering a stark, almost startling picture of how the crammed cities came to a halt.
The data collected from GPS location pings from Grab ride-hailing drivers also allows for comparative views of the cities under lockdown.
In Manila, strict home quarantine has kept most of the bustling capital’s 3.5 million registered vehicles off the roads since mid-March, bringing a huge difference in the flow of traffic.
France's bookstores fight for survival after coronavirus lockdown
Neighbourhood bookstores in France survived the television and later the advent of online shopping. Then came the coronavirus lockdown, an eight-week-long hiatus that has weighed heavily on profit margins and threatens the survival of some stores.
France’s bookstores were allowed to reopen on Monday for the first time since March 17 as the government tries to balance the need to resuscitate a crashing economy with the risk that the spread of the new coronavirus accelerates once more.
At the ICI bookstore in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement, wearing a mask is compulsory and hand sanitizer is readily available at the front door and inside to allow customers to pick up and flick through whichever book catches their eye.
“People are being careful not to touch the books too much. And we tell them that if they touch the books, they can but they must use the (sanitising) gel each time,” said co-founder Anne-Laure Vial.
Germany to start easing border controls from Saturday
Germany will start to relax from Saturday some border controls introduced in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus with the aim of having free travel in Europe from mid-June, Interior Minster Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday.
The tentative step, aimed partly at helping the tourism sector, comes as the European Commission prepares to urge a return to “unrestricted free movement”, though that push will stop if there is a major second wave of infections.
Germany introduced lockdowns in mid-March, early in the outbreak, and has managed to keep the death rate per capita relatively low compared to many of its European neighbours. Seehofer said that blanket border controls agreed with France, Switzerland and Austria due to end on May 15 would be extended to June 15, but as many crossings as possible would be reopened and systematic checks would give way to spot checks.
As Covid-19 cases in Yemen surge, some sources see undercounting
Yemen has more suspected coronavirus cases and deaths than the authorities have so far reported, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the United Nations warned the virus is spreading in the war-ravaged country.
The Saudi-backed government based in the south and the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement headquartered in the north have so far publicly announced a total of 67 cases with 11 deaths. Only two of those infections and one of the deaths was reported by the Houthi authorities, both in the capital Sanaa.
The sources said there was apparent undercounting in both the north and south of the country.
The four sources, who have access to information from hospitals but who declined to be named, said Houthi health authorities had not shared additional test results with the World Health Organization (WHO) for at least 50 further patients with Covid-19 symptoms they were aware of at Kuwait hospital in Sanaa. Two of the sources said 20 other patients they had seen with similar symptoms died in that hospital.
Canada-US border travel limits to remain through June: report
The Canada-US border is expected to stay closed to non-essential travel until June 21 amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Canada and the United States had agreed on April 18 to extend border restrictions for another 30 days as cases of the disease continue to rise in both nations and leaders weigh how and when to allow all businesses to reopen.
Canada asked for a 30-day extension and it is almost certain that Washington will agree to the proposal, the Globe and Mail said citing sources familiar with bilateral talks.
Representatives for the State Department could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.
Italian schools to reopen in September: Education minister
Italy’s education minister on Wednesday said schools across the country would reopen in September, after being shut for six months due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“For this reason the government has decided to reopen in September,” Education Minister Lucia Azzolina told a parliamentary hearing, adding that the current conditions would not allow lessons to restart safely any earlier.
Schools and universities have been closed nationwide since March 5, as part of a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus which has so far killed almost 31,000 people in Italy.
China's Wuhan kicks off mass testing campaign for new coronavirus
Authorities in the Chinese city where the novel coronavirus emerged launched an ambitious campaign on Wednesday to test all of its 11 million residents, after a cluster of new cases raised fears of a second wave of infections.
At least two of the city's main districts have delivered notices of the campaign door-to-door and sent out online questionnaires through community workers seeking information about tests people have had, and if they belong to what are deemed high-risk groups, residents said.
"To better make use of nucleic acid tests as a monitoring tool and in accordance of the state cabinet's requirements to expand testing, we've decided after consideration to conduct testing for all residents," according to a questionnaire sent to residents of the city's Wuchang district, which has a population of about 1.2 million.
Merkel: Let's not jeopardize what we've achieved on coronavirus
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Wednesday not to endanger what the country has achieved in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, adding the pandemic will be with us for some time.
“It would be depressing if we have to return to restrictions that we want to leave behind us because we want too much too soon,” Merkel told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.
EU pushes to unlock borders as coronavirus ravages travel
The European Union's borders must reopen fast as coronavirus transmissions ease, with air passengers wearing masks, the bloc's executive was to say on Wednesday in efforts to salvage the ravaged tourism sector for the lucrative summer season.
Europe's museums, castles, beaches and plazas have been empty since an almost continent-wide lockdown from mid-March, but the EU wants to revive what is possible of travel for the June-August season worth 150 billion euros ($162.59 billion).
Draft proposals seen by Reuters say the bloc's executive, the European Commission, will on Wednesday urge a return to "unrestricted free movement", though that push will stop if there is a major second wave of infections.
Spain plans keeping borders closed until July - govt sources
Spanish authorities are planning to keep borders closed to most travellers from abroad until July, two foreign ministry sources said on Wednesday, in a move to try and avoid a second wave of contagion from the coronavirus.
Land borders with France and Portugal have been closed since a state of emergency was declared in mid-March to fight the pandemic, pushing the economy to a near stand-still and hitting its tourism sector hard.
Spain has started easing the lockdown for its residents as the pandemic gets under control. But it also imposed a two-week quarantine for foreign travellers and practically shut the border to air and maritime travel to avoid importing new cases from other countries.
The quarantine measure is due to expire on May 24 when the state of emergency lapses, but both can be extended. In any case, restrictions on travel are likely to remain in place for much longer than May 24, no matter how crucial tourism is for the Spanish economy, the sources told Reuters.
Chinese lab boosts Serbia's coronavirus testing capacity
A Chinese-built state-of-the-art laboratory is helping to nearly double Serbia’s testing capacity for Covid-19, the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus, in the latest example of close ties between Belgrade and Beijing.
The Huo-Yun National Laboratory for Molecular Detection of Infectious Agents in Belgrade is the first that the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) has helped to build in Europe and has the capacity to carry out more than 2,000 tests a day.
The laboratory’s 40 employees were all trained by Chinese colleagues who previously set up Covid-19 testing laboratories in Wuhan, where the new coronavirus first emerged, and 10 other Chinese cities.
To prevent infections, all 40 employees are being accommodated in nearby hotels and cannot see their families.
Russia suspends use of ventilator type sent to US after fatal fires
Russia on Wednesday suspended the use of some Russian-made medical ventilators after two fatal hospital fires reported to involve the machines, a setback in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
The ventilators' safety was called into question a day earlier after a fire at Saint George's Hospital in St Petersburg in which five people died. That followed another fire at a hospital in Moscow which killed one person on Saturday.
In both cases, sources told the TASS news agency that the source of the fires had been faulty Aventa-M ventilators.
Vietnam to stop considering new airlines establishment due to Covid-19
Vietnam will not consider applications for new airlines as it looks to prioritise the recovery of its aviation sector after the impact of the novel coronavirus, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Wednesday.
Vietnam’s aviation market has seen double-digit annual growth over the past decade but due to the pandemic, the number of arrivals this year is expected to fall by 43 percent on the year, according to a transport ministry report in April.
“The government now has to focus on resuming domestic and international routes and supporting existing airlines, which have been hit hard by the outbreak,” the CAAV said in a statement.
“The establishment of new airline will resume when the pandemic passes.”
Spain's daily coronavirus death toll at 184 on Wednesday
Spain’s daily death toll from the coronavirus inched up on Wednesday to 184 fatalities from 176 on Tuesday, the country’s health ministry said.
The overall death toll from the disease rose to 27,104, while the overall number of diagnosed cases rose to 228,691 from 228,030 the prior day.
Airlines will not need to spare middle seat to restart travel: EU
The European Commission will say on Wednesday that airlines will not have to leave the middle seats empty but the wearing of masks onboard and in airports should be required as travel across the bloc restarts gradually.
The guidance for air travel is part of a wider package of recommendations the Commission is issuing on Wednesday to gradually lift border restrictions and cautiously restart travel stalled by the coronavirus pandemic in order to revive tourism.
Russia reports over 10,000 new cases for 11th consecutive day
Russia reported 10,028 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 242,271, according to data released by the country's virus response headquarters.
The country has recorded 2,212 Covid-19 related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, reports the CNN.
Russia has recorded the second-highest number of cases worldwide, after the United States.
It has now reported over 10,000 cases per day for 11 consecutive days.
German government to relax border controls from Saturday: media reports
The German government will from Saturday relax border controls introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus, media including broadcaster n-tv and Focus magazine reported on Wednesday.
Focus cited German news agency dpa as saying that the Interior Ministry was aiming to completely lift border controls introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic on June 15.
The German Interior Ministry was not immediately available to comment.
UK's Sunak says it is too soon to talks about post-Covid spending cuts
British finance minister Rishi Sunak said it was too soon to look at how to fund the longer-term financing cost of measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, following a newspaper report that officials were recommending tax rises or spending cuts.
"It's premature right now to speculate about that far in the future. We are living through a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty," Sunak told Sky News on Wednesday.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said officials had told Sunak that 25-30 billion pounds of tax rises or spending cuts would be needed to cover extra borrowing costs under its main scenario, rising to 90 billion pounds in a potential worst case.
Ireland may introduce compulsory quarantine for travellers - PM
Ireland may introduce a legally enforceable 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the country to replace the current system in which 14 days of isolation is merely advised, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday.
"We may need to tighten it up a bit because at the moment it is advisory, it is not enforceable by the law. We may have to do that," Varadkar told Today FM radio, speaking days after the United Kingdom announced plans for a quarantine.
Restrictions on entering Ireland, part of a Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom but not a member of the European Union's Schengen free travel area, would need to be in place "at least until we have some kind of international agreement" on air travel, Varadkar said.
Hong Kong reports first locally transmitted coronavirus cases in weeks
Hong Kong reported its first two coronavirus cases in three weeks not linked to anyone who travelled overseas, with authorities scrambling to trace the origin of the infections.
The Asian financial hub has been one of the most successful cities in the world at containing the pandemic, with most cases imported and quarantined immediately, and the discovery of new cases raises worries of renewed local transmission.
The Chinese-ruled city re-opened bars, gyms and cinemas last week and announced tentative plans to bring some students back to school at the end of the month, but a ban on groups larger than eight remains in place.
England tiptoes out of full lockdown as economy plunges
England tentatively began easing its coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday, with some people who cannot do their jobs at home urged to return to work, as stark economic data showed the disastrous impact of the pandemic.
The worst-hit country in Europe with more than 40,000 deaths from Covid-19 according to official data, Britain has been in extensive lockdown since March 23. As of Wednesday morning, people in manufacturing and certain other sectors were being asked to return to work if they could.
GDP data released on Wednesday showed the economy shrank by a record 5.8 percent in March compared with February, and the April data is likely to be even worse as the country was under lockdown for the entire month.
California cancels fall university classes as Fauci warns of reopening too soon
California’s state university system, the largest in the United States, canceled classes on Tuesday for the fall semester because of the coronavirus, while Los Angeles County said its stay-at-home order was likely to be extended by three months.
The announcements on the West Coast came after the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, told Congress that lifting the sweeping lockdowns could touch off new outbreaks of the illness, which has killed nearly 81,000 Americans and devastated the economy.
In one of the first indications the pandemic will continue to have a significant impact into autumn, the chancellor of California State University said classes at its 23 campuses would be canceled for the semester that begins in September, with instruction moved online.
Bangladesh reports record 19 more deaths from coronavirus, 1,162 new cases
Bangladesh today confirmed single-day highest 19 more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 1,162 new cases of infection testing 7,900 samples in 41 labs in the last 24 hours.
Some 214 patients recovered from the virus during this time, increasing number of total cured patients to 3,361, The Business Standard reported.
WHO guidelines for reopening schools and businesses
The World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines to follow as a precautionary measure before reopening institutions and workplaces to ensure safety.
"We need to get our priorities right as we enter the next phase of this fight," Michael J Ryan, Chief Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said at a briefing in Geneva on Monday.
Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases for first time since March 9
Thailand on Wednesday reported no new coronavirus cases for the first time since March 9.
Thailand has a total of 3,017 cases and 56 deaths since the outbreak escalated in January, Reuters reported.
113-year-old Spanish woman survives coronavirus
A 113-year-old woman, believed to be the oldest person living in Spain, has beat the coronavirus at retirement home where several other residents died from the pandemic, the residence said Tuesday.
Maria Branyas, who was born in the US, was infected with the virus in April at the Santa Maria del Tura care home in the eastern city of Olot where she has lived for the past 20 years and fought the infection in isolation in her room, AFP reported.
Dubai reopens public parks for gatherings of 5 or fewer
Dubai has opened public parks for gatherings of five people or fewer from May 12 in the latest easing of restrictions in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the UAE.
The latest Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management update also allow the refund and return of goods and use of fitting rooms in shopping malls and retail outlets, on the condition that strict precautionary conditions aimed at ensuring the safety of customers are observed, The Khaleej Times reported.
All previous preventive measures in shopping malls and retail outlets still apply, the update said.
Hotels are allowed to reopen their private beaches only to their guests while enforcing stringent preventive measures, the most important of which is mandatory physical distancing between individuals.
Trams and maritime transport, including the Dubai Ferry, water taxis, both traditional and air-conditioned abras, and car-sharing services can resume operations, according to timelines specified by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
In addition, sports and recreational activities will be permitted in open spaces for up to five people, including cycling, water sports and skydiving. Comprehensive preventive measures have to be maintained while engaging in these sporting activities.
Saudi to enforce round-the-clock virus curfew at Eid
Saudi Arabia will enforce a round-the-clock nationwide curfew during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday later this month to fight the coronavirus, the interior ministry said Tuesday, as infections spike.
The kingdom, which has reported the highest number of virus cases in the Gulf region, is scrambling to limit the spread of the deadly disease, AFP reported.
Brazil registers one-day record for Covid-19 deaths
Brazil registered its highest Covid-19 death toll for a single day, with 881 new deaths confirmed over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said Tuesday.
Brazil, the Latin American country hit hardest in the pandemic, appears to be quickly becoming a new global flashpoint, AFP reported.
The total death toll from the new coronavirus has now hit 12,400 in the country, with 177,589 confirmed cases — up 9,258 from the day before.
That makes Brazil the sixth most-affected country, after the United States, Britain, Italy, France and Spain.
Experts say under-testing means the real numbers in Brazil are probably far higher.
“Brazil is only testing people who end up in the hospital,” said Domingo Alves, one of the authors of a study published last week that estimated the real number of infections in the country was 15 times higher than the official figure.
“It’s hard to know what’s really happening based on the available data. We don’t have a real policy to manage the outbreak. The pandemic is passing through as it pleases,” he told AFP.
Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has drawn criticism for downplaying the pandemic, comparing the virus to a “little flu,” condemning the “hysteria” around it, and urging state and local authorities to end stay-at-home measures.
Previously, the highest one-day toll in Brazil was 751 deaths on May 8.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 798 to 171,306
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 798 to 171,306, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday.
The reported death toll rose by 101 to 7,634, the tally showed, Reuters reported.
US adds 1,894 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours
The United States recorded 1,894 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 82,246, according to the real-time tally by Johns Hopkins University at 8:30 pm Tuesday (0030 GMT Wednesday).
The figure was a sharp rise after daily tolls fell below 1,000 on Sunday and Monday, AFP reported.
The country — hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities — has now confirmed a total of 1,367,927 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported.