France on Monday extended its nationwide lockdown for another month in a bid to halt the coronavirus pandemic, as other hard-hit countries considered easing their measures with hopes rising that death rates may soon plateau.

More than half of humanity is now under confinement to contain the virus, which has killed at least 119,000 people and infected two million since emerging in China late last year.

Advertisement

Most of the dead are in Europe, but the United States has also been hard hit — particularly New York state where more than 10,000 have died, close to half of all fatalities in the country.

France has been in lockdown since March 17 in a bid to slow the spread of the epidemic and officials have repeatedly warned it will take time for the measures to bear fruit.

In a televised address to the nation, President Emmanuel Macron said the epidemic was “beginning to steady… (and) hope is returning”.

“May 11 will be the start of a new phase. It will be progressive and the rules can be adapted according to our results”, the president further added.

France reported a slight increase in hospital deaths on Monday — though still below its record numbers of last week — and a slight dip in intensive care patients for a fifth day running.

The World Health Organization said lifting curbs too soon could unleash a second wave of cases and warned that only a vaccine would fully halt the spread of COVID-19.

China, the epicenter of the virus, reported the highest number of new daily coronavirus cases in nearly six weeks, driven by a rise in infected travellers arriving from overseas and underscoring challenges Beijing faces in preventing a second wave of COVID-19.

The United States, with the world’s third-largest population, has recorded more fatalities from COVID-19 than any other country, nearly 22,000 as of Sunday evening.

In Spain, where more than 17,000 have died, construction and factory workers were allowed back on the job on Monday and police handed out face masks at train stations to commuters.

Russia reported its highest daily rise in cases so far, as the capital Moscow began to issue digital travel permits.

Meanwhile, globally, nearly 1.85 million people are infected, while the death toll is over 1.14 lakh.