COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 26 April

1. Global deaths surpass 200,000

The number of people who have died as a result of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is now 203,331, according to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University.

Confirmed cases are approaching 3 million, and currently stand at 2,908,527, out of a world population of 7.7 billion people. All these statistics are beset by discrepancies in how countries report data and testing limitations, which mean the real figures are likely to be higher.

Despite the rise in global figures, many countries are seeing a decline in the death toll and are starting to loosen restrictions. These include:

Saudi Arabia begins to lift curfews

Some mines in South Africa restart operations with limited workers

And big churches in South Korea are reopening with designated seating

2. Spain's children are allowed outside at last

After six weeks at home, Spanish children under the age of 14 are being allowed outside for the first time today.

They are permitted to be outside for one hour, must say one kilometre from home, and keep two metres apart from other people.

Bikes, skateboards and scooters are all allowed, although playgrounds remain closed.

Psychologists have worried about the impact of children being kept indoors all the time, especially those in apartments with no outside space. One psychologist told the BBC that even an hour a day would be beneficial to the mental health of smaller children in particular.

3. Protests in Berlin

German police arrested more than 100 people in Berlin on Saturday night, as they protested against the lockdown measures.

Germany went into lockdown on March 17, and still has strict curbs on public activity to slow transmission of COVID-19.

Although the protest itself is legal, the protestors were not complying with social distancing rules, leading to the police intervention.

4 . WHO: No evidence for immunity from reinfection

The World Health Organisation has said that there is currently “no evidence” that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second coronavirus infection.

The warning makes it clear that people who have recovered from the virus may not be immune from future infection and still need to take full precautions.

“Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection,” the WHO said in a scientific brief.

5. Reasons for optimism

In better news, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work on Monday after having been in intensive care with the virus earlier this month.

One professor of biology has highlighted five reasons to be optimistic, saying COVID-19 is now under control in many countries, and that we have learnt how to act in unison at a massive, global scale.

And more than 2 million students have enrolled on an e-learning course titled The Science of Wellbeing.

The course - run by Professor Laurie Santos from Yale University - teaches people how to practice mindfulness and help others in order to stay happy in these difficult times.