For the first day since the pandemic’s peak in Australia, the country has recorded zero new locally acquired cases of coronavirus.
In the US researchers from the University of Washington have forecast more than 145,000 deaths in the nation by August 4.
New York City, one of the places hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, has begun to gradually open up in what is being seen as a landmark moment in the crisis.
This story was updated throughout Tuesday.
Tuesday’s key moments:
- New modelling predicts 145,000 deaths in the United States
- ‘A triumph for all New Yorkers’ as city relaxes some lockdown provisions
- Confusion over Brazil’s shifting death toll figures
- Pandemic worsening globally, World Health Organization says
- Experts fear tear gas could spread virus
- Airlines to challenge UK’s 14-day quarantine policy
- Saudi Arabia considers limited number of haj pilgrims
No locally acquired cases in Australia on Tuesday
For the first day since the pandemic’s peak in Australia, the country has recorded zero new locally acquired cases of coronavirus.
Nationally, there were just two coronavirus cases reported today.
Both are travellers in hotel quarantine in New South Wales.
All states and territories have now reported final coronavirus statistics for the day.
In the past week there have been only seven cases of community transmission in Australia, six of those in Victoria and one in Queensland.
More than 80 per cent of Australia’s infections in the past week were acquired overseas.
Lockdown ends in Russia’s capital
Residents of Moscow are resuming their normal routines as a lockdown designed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus was lifted after more than two months, despite the Russian capital still reporting over 1,000 daily cases.
Authorities said they have recorded 8,595 new nationwide cases in the last 24 hours, pushing Russia’s tally to 485,253, the third-highest in the world.
The country has recorded 6,142 deaths from the virus and Moscow itself reported 1,572 new virus cases on Tuesday local time.
Now Moscow’s nearly 13 million residents are free to go outside when they want, use public transport, and travel across the city in their own vehicles without any restrictions or digital passes.
“We’re free now, you can walk around as long as you wear a mask,” said Pavel, a pensioner, who was doing some morning exercise without a mask.
“We’ll need to be careful, we will be careful.”
Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s Mayor, announced the easing on Monday, saying the pandemic was receding in the city and that he would start rolling back restrictions on Tuesday with others due to be removed later this month.
Anti-Kremlin critics have questioned the wisdom of Mr Sobyanin’s decision, accusing him of rushing the lockdown lifting in order to pave the way for a Red Square military parade later this month and a July 1 nationwide vote that could extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule until 2036.
Mr Sobyanin has said his decision was motivated purely by the fact that coronavirus numbers in the capital ha