COVID-19: Top stories on the coronavirus pandemic on 18 May
Many countries are easing lockdown, but keeping social distancing in place. Image: REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
- A daily round-up of the key stories as COVID-19 continues its spread around the world.
- Top headlines: WHO's annual meeting goes online, Italy's beaches reopen.
- Confirmed cases globally: 4.7 million; deaths: 315,000; source: Johns Hopkins.
1. WHO Assembly meets online
The World Health Organization holds its annual meeting - the World Health Assembly - for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19. It's also the first time the meeting will be held online. You can watch it here.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said an independent evaluation of the global coronavirus response would be launched as soon as possible.
US President Donald Trump has fiercely questioned the WHO’s performance during the pandemic and led international criticism of China’s handling of the early stages of the crisis.
“We all have lessons to learn from the pandemic. Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience. WHO is committed to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement,” Tedros said.
The review must encompass responsibility of “all actors in good faith,” he said.
2. Italy's beaches reopen
Italy - at one point the European epicentre of COVODI-19, reopened its beaches on Monday, but with strict rules on social distancing and other preventative measures, such as temperature testing, the use of hand sanitiser and masks.
3. 'Business as usual' for German soccer?
That was how CNN described the return of top-light German football which resumed at the weekend, as seven-time defending champion Bayern Munich crushed the much smaller Union Berlin 2-0.
But it was anything but usual for the fans: the match - like all the others around the country - was played in a closed stadium due to social distancing rules.
England's Premier League clubs are meeting on Monday to decide how to loosen the lockdown there.
4. Business is booming for esports
If you don't mind your sport being more virtual than physical, you could always try esports - a sector which is enjoying boom times during the COVID lockdown.
"The global video game industry is thriving, despite the widespread economic disruption caused by the coronavirus," writes our World Economic Forum colleague Stefan Hall.
"With the practice of social distancing reducing consumer and business activity to a minimum, gaming offers an engaging distraction for people at home looking for social interaction, and initial data shows huge growth in playing time and sales since the lockdowns began."
Read his full analysis here.
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