Coronavirus: latest global developments

PARIS: Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

EU rescue summit in fourth day

Deeply divided European Union leaders resume their summit for a fourth day as they seek to save a 750-billion-euro ($860-billion) coronavirus rescue plan for the recession-battered bloc.

Frugal EU countries including the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden are reluctant to hand over the vast sums of money requested by the worst pandemic-hit -- and most indebted -- members such as Italy and Spain.

More than 606,600 dead

The pandemic has killed at least 606,605 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Monday based on official sources.

The United States has the most deaths with 140,534, followed by Brazil with 79,488, Britain with 45,300, Mexico with 39,184, and Italy with 35,045.

No sign of French second wave

France reports 400 to 500 active coronavirus outbreak clusters but there are no signs of an imminent "second wave," Health Minister Olivier Veran says.

He is speaking as face masks become mandatory in all French enclosed public spaces including shops, covered markets and administrative buildings.

Dip in Russia

Russia, the world's fourth hardest-hit country in terms of infections, reports fewer than 6,000 new cases for the first time since the end of April.

Health authorities also say 85 people died over the past 24 hours -- the lowest daily fatality figure since May 4.

Russia's fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures.

Vaccines for Britain

Britain says it has secured access to 90 million doses of potential coronavirus vaccines being developed domestically and around the world.

The deals announced by Business Secretary Alok Sharma involve 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed by BioNTech and German firm Pfizer, and 60 million doses of another created by France's Valneva.

New treatment hope

British biotech firm Synairgen says a randomised trial of an aerosol-based treatment shows it could drastically reduce the number of new coronavirus patients dying from the disease or requiring intensive care.

Of 100 patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus, those who received an inhaled formula of the protein interferon beta, known as SNG001, were at 79 percent lower risk of developing severe disease compared to those who received a placebo, it says.