People wearing face masks ride a subway train in Milan, Italy, April 29, 2020. Social distancing is promoted in the subway trains in Milan. (Xinhua)
-- Italy's new COVID-19 deaths lowest since March 10;
-- Spain sees lowest numbers of new deaths, new cases since March 15;
-- France's COVID-19 death toll up by 135 to 24,895;
-- UK COVID-19 deaths reach 28,446.
BRUSSELS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.
ROME -- The new deaths from COVID-19 in Italy over the past 24 hours fell to 174 on Sunday, the lowest level since the start of the national lockdown on March 10, bringing the country's death toll to 28,884.
The lowest daily deaths in nearly two months comes on the eve of the easing of the eight-week lockdown on Monday.
Other figures also reinforced the positive trend. The number of positive cases in Italy decreased by 525, while recovered patients rose by 1,740.
The number of patients in intensive care units reported Sunday was 1,501, a total of 38 fewer than the day before, continuing a four-week downward trend. The number of hospitalizations was down by 115 to 17,242, while those recovering with symptoms at home dropped by 372 to 81,436.
A cured coronavirus patient (C) is discharged from the Vall d'Hebron Hospital as medical workers applaud his recovery in Barcelona, Spain, April 30, 2020. (Vall d'Hebron Hospital/Handout via Xinhua)
MADRID -- Spanish health authorities on Sunday confirmed the lowest numbers of new deaths and new infection cases in a 24-hour period since the country was placed under a State of Alarm on March 15.
A total of 164 people had died of COVID-19 in the 24-hour period until 21:00 hours local time on Saturday, the lowest 24-hour toll since Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez imposed the State of Alarm.
The total number of victims from the coronavirus in Spain now stands at 25,264, although the health ministry does advise caution due to possible delays in collecting data over the weekend.
There was also a significant fall in the number of new COVID-19 cases, with the Spanish health ministry confirming 838 new infections, considerably fewer than Saturday's 1,147.
Photo taken on May 3, 2020 shows statues wearing masks at the Trocadero esplanade in Paris, France, during the lockdown in France to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)
PARIS -- Figures released by the French Health Ministry on Sunday showed that coronavirus-linked fatalities in the country rose up by 135 to 24,895, representing the lowest daily toll since March 22.
Among the 25,815 hospitalized patients, 3,819 were in intensive care units (ICUs), down from 3,827 on Saturday, confirming a continued slowdown for the third running week.
A total of 131,287 people have tested positive for coronavirus since the start of the epidemic. That was up from 130,979 cases confirmed on Saturday.
France has entered a lockdown in mid-March. Now, it's planning to lift the two-month confinement by opening gradually schools and shops and unwinding restriction on people movement as a slowing-down spread of the virus put less pressure on hospitals in the last three weeks.
Meanwhile, the government decided to extend the state of health emergency it declared on March 24, by another two months to stem the coronavirus outbreak and address a possible resurgence of the COVID-19 when the lockdown ends on May 11.
A man cycles on a street in London, Britain on April 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
LONDON -- The total novel coronavirus-related death toll in Britain reached 28,446, Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove said Sunday.
The figures include deaths in care homes and the community as well as those in hospitals.
An analysis of patients hospitalised in London carried out by researchers at Imperial College London found that patients from BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) groups may be at increased risk of poorer health outcomes from COVID-19.
Describing 520 patients hospitalised between Feb. 25 and April 5, the report found that in terms of ethnicity, 40 percent of patients were from black and Asian minority groups, 38 percent were white and ethnicity was unknown for 22 percent, according to the report.■
