With the past few weeks focussing majorly on statistics of coronavirus cases, deaths, here's some much-needed good news we've all been longing to hear. The number of recovered coronavirus cases has crossed 10,00,000 mark globally.
As the current count stands at 1,014,761, as per Johns Hopkins tracker, against 3,257,088 infections and 233,398 fatalities, the world stares at an optimistic present, and future because countries like South Korea have been able to "flatten the curve" with only nine new infections, reported as of Friday.
The figures released by South Korea's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday brought national totals to 10,774 infections and 248 deaths.
None of the new cases were from the hardest-hit city of Daegu, where more than 6,800 people have been sickened since February.
The KCDC says at least 1,073 cases have been linked to passengers arriving from overseas, but such infections have also slowed in recent weeks amid stronger border controls.
The country was reporting around 500 new cases a day in early March, but it hasn't seen a daily jump above 100 since April 1.
Chinese President Xi Jinping too termed its battle against COVID-19 as a major strategic achievement, as the ruling Communist Party is all set to hold the postponed Parliament session on May 22 amid a steady decline in the coronavirus cases.
China's National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday said the country reported only four new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total number to 82,862, while no death due to the disease was registered.
Meanwhile, among countries across the globe reeling under lockdowns, many are set to withdraw restrictions in a graded manner keeping in mind social distancing measures. India will be lifting its 41-day-long lockdown on May 3 and imposing new guidelines.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also announced on Friday that a large portion of economic and social activities will reopen following the recent decline of the COVID-19 cases in the country.
Schools and universities in South Africa too are going to open under strict conditions to curb the spread of COVID-19, said officials on Thursday.
"We are proposing that we will phase grades in. When we say grades 7 and 12 have to come to school, they will have the whole school to themselves. The other grades will only come later," said Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga at a virtual conference, Xinhua reported.
"We agreed on a number of steps that must be taken to ensure that the health and safety of our learners and teachers are not compromised," she said, measures in the plans include no more than 2 learners sharing desks, no hugging or handshaking, no direct contact, cloth masks to be worn by learners and teachers at all times.
(With inputs from Agencies)