Workers produce medical ventilators at AMRC Cymru in North Wales as they help the UK in the fight against coronavirus or COVID-19, Broughton North Wales, April 30, 2020. (JON SUPER / AP)

LONDON / WASHINGTON / ROME / OTTAWA / GERLIN - The White House let its 2-week-old economic reopening guidelines expire on Thursday as half of all US states forged ahead with their own strategies for easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses shuttered by the coronavirus crisis.

The enormous pressure on states to reopen, despite a lack of wide-scale virus testing and other safeguards urged by health experts, was highlighted in new Labor Department data showing some 30 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits since March 21.

Meanwhile, a group of Republican US senators said Thursday they would introduce legislation to address consumer privacy concerns surrounding technology companies’ efforts to help build contact tracing apps to fight the new coronavirus outbreak.

The bill would allow technology companies to develop “platforms that could trace the virus and help flatten the curve and stop the spread – and maintaining privacy protections for US citizens,” said Republican Senator John Thune.

This kind of “contact tracing” is deemed necessary to reopen the US economy, which has been hard hit by shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the disease which has killed more than 60,000 Americans.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month when he travels to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Russia

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that he had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus and was temporarily stepping down to recover.

Separately, the Kremlin on Thursday questioned the reliability of allegations by a former junior medic at Moscow’s main coronavirus hospital of lax safety standards and miserable pay.

Natalya Lyubimaya was brought in to work at Moscow’s Kommunarka hospital by an outsourcing company. She said in a video statement this week that she had received just 26,000 roubles (US$350) a month for working as a junior medic before leaving her job.

Russia on Friday reported 7,933 new cases of the coronavirus, a record daily rise, bringing its nationwide tally to 114,431.

The official nationwide death toll rose to 1,169 after 96 people with the virus died in the last 24 hours, Russia’s coronavirus crisis response centre said.

UK

Britain may have hit its daily target of 100,000 COVID-19 tests, or come close, putting in place the beginnings of a network to test, track and trace people through the pandemic, housing minister Robert Jenrick said on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday Britain was now past the peak of its coronavirus outbreak and promised to set out a plan next week on how the country might start gradually returning to normal life.

In his first news conference since recovering from a serious case of COVID-19, Johnson sought to offer hope to weary Britons, but urged them to stick with lockdown restrictions that are hammering livelihoods and the economy.

Under pressure to outline an exit strategy from the lockdown, Johnson promised to set out next week a “menu of options” on how restrictions could be eased, but said the exact dates of any change would be driven by scientific advice.

Meanwhile, Johnson joined in a nationwide round of applause on Thursday to thank hospital and care workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, as many Britons also sang happy birthday to centenarian war veteran Tom Moore.

However, many Britons would be uncomfortable leaving their homes even if the government ordered the lifting of strict coronavirus lockdown restrictions in a month’s time, according to a poll on Friday.

Seprately, a leading think tank siad on Friday that people from some ethnic minorities in Britain are dying in disproportionate numbers from COVID-19, possibly in part because they are more likely to work in healthcare and other sectors most exposed to the virus. 

Britain has the second-highest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe with 26,771 deaths.

READ MORE: Germany social distancing rules 'to be extended until May 10'

UN

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday lamented a lack of leadership by world powers and a divided international community in the fight against the coronavirus as he raised concern about inadequate support for poor countries.

The UN World Food Program on Thursday sent a first plane loaded with medical supplies for developing nations especially vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to ramp up the service to 350 flights per month.

WFP chose nine airports across the world to take part in the special humanitarian air bridge, which will also feature up to 350 passenger flights per month to transport medical and humanitarian teams from early May.

The new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, has so far infected some 3.2 million globally and more than 227,000 people have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson shows thumbs up before he applauds on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London during the weekly "Clap for our Carers" April 30, 2020. (KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH / AP)

Spain

Spain recorded its lowest daily coronavirus death tally in six weeks on Thursday, but data showing the economy shrank by the widest margin on record in the first three months of the year laid bare the heavy cost of measures to control the outbreak.

Spain has had one of the world’s worst outbreaks with more than 24,000 COVID-19 fatalities and in mid-March imposed one of the strictest lockdowns, though officials are confident the worst has passed and want to start easing measures next week.

From Saturday, Spaniards will be allowed to take short walks and play sports from 6am to 10am and 8pm to 11pm. Between midday and 7pm will be reserved for young children, with the remaining slots set aside for elderly and vulnerable people.Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose to 24,824 on Friday as 281 more people died from causes related to the disease overnight, the health ministry said.

The number of new coronavirus cases diagnosed in the country rose to a total 215,216 on Friday from 213,435 the day before, the ministry said on its website.

ALSO READ: Russia infection tally nears 100k, new cases in Spain hold steady

France

France on Thursday reported 289 new COVID-19 deaths, taking the tally to 24,376, while hospital data continued to show encouraging indicators as the government plans to lift the coronavirus lockdown on May 11, said health ministry director Jerome Salomon.

The increase of COVID-19-related deaths slowed to 1.1 percent in the last 24 hours, the lowest increase on a weekday since the end of March.

Admissions in intensive care units (ICUs) dropped by 188 to 4,019, significantly lower from the peak of 7,200 reported on April 9. This important indicator to evaluate pressure on hospitals has been going down for the 22nd consecutive day.

Switherland

In the battle against coronavirus, Swiss soldiers are using smartphones to test a new contact tracing application that could prevent infections while also protecting users’ privacy.

Switzerland hopes to launch the app on May 11 based on a standard, developed by researchers in Lausanne and Zurich, that uses Bluetooth communication between devices to assess the risk of catching COVID-19.

A mask-wearing jogger crosses Pier 45 in Hudson River Park, April 30, 2020, in New York. (PHOTO / AP)

Germany

Germany will reopen playgrounds, museums and churches from Monday to go with the small shops that reopened this week, and decide within days about schools and sports events as it eases its way out of lockdown.

But Chancellor Angela Merkel, buoyed by Germans’ confidence in her leadership, warned that there was a risk of triggering a resurgence of the coronavirus if people dropped their guard and forgot about social distancing.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,639 to 160,758, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.

The death toll rose by 193 to 6,481.

Hungary 

Hungary needs to prepare for a potential second wave of coronavirus cases in October and November after a likely slowdown in the outbreak’s infection rate in the summer, the prime minister told state radio on Friday.

Viktor Orban also said restrictions on movement in Budapest and surroundings, where 80% of the country’s coronavirus deaths have been recorded, would not be eased until the fatality rate fell in that area.

From Monday, Hungary will lift some curbs in the countryside, where shops and restaurant terraces will be allowed to reopen as the government tries to put the battered economy back on track.

Canada 

Canada’s coronavirus curve is flat but worrying trends are emerging, particularly outbreaks in vulnerable indigenous communities, the country’s top medical officer said on Thursday.

The daily death toll in Canada has risen by 10% or more only once in the last 11 days. The total number of people killed by the coronavirus increased by 6% to 3,082 in a day, official data showed on Thursday.

The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus had climbed to 52,056. On Wednesday there were 2,904 deaths and 50,373 positive diagnoses.

Poland

Many mayors of large Polish cities have recently expressed their disagreement with the government on how soon to reopen preschools and nurseries.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Wednesday that preschools and nurseries could reopen on May 6 as long as they follow a strict sanitary regime.

Day-care centers have been closed around the country since March 16, days after the Polish government declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cyprus 

Cyprus will allow airports to restart operation and plane arrivals on June 9, when the third phase of restarting the economy will come into force, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Thursday.

He was speaking in the morning at a press conference on the government's lockdown exit strategy, which starts on May 4 with a partial easing of the measures put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Restrictions will be totally lifted on May 21, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades announced in a televised speech on Wednesday night.

Greece 

Greece announced on Thursday that COVID-19 infections totaled 2,591, with 140 deaths, since the start of the outbreak in the country on Feb. 26.

Since Wednesday, 15 new cases were diagnosed and one patient died, officials told a regular press briefing at the Greek Health Ministry.

So far Greek authorities have conducted more than 75,000 diagnostic tests. Greece is in a full lockdown since March 23 which is scheduled to end on May 4.

Doctors attend a patient inside an ICU for a patient infected with the new coronavirus at a public hospital in Lima, Peru, April 30, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

Sweden

Sweden plans to significantly scale up testing for the COVID-19 and will carry out 100,000 tests per week by mid-May, officials vowed here on Thursday.

At a joint press conference, Lena Hallengren, minister of health and social affairs, and Johan Carlson, director-general of the Public Health Agency, said that Sweden already had the laboratory capacity to conduct mass testing for some time, but the infrastructure had not been in place until now.

The testing capacity can soon be extended thanks to the introduction of drive-in test stations and home-testing kits, they said.

Peru

Peruvian police and soldiers on Thursday closed a busy food market in the capital Lima after mass rapid testing confirmed more than 160 of its traders had tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Peru has seen a rapid rise in the number of infections of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, with more than 30,000 cases reported as of this week. More than 1,000 people have died in the outbreak, the second highest number in Latin America.

Ecuador

The International Monetary Fund’s executive board is scheduled on Friday to consider Ecuador’s request for emergency financing to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the IMF’s website said, a sign that approval of some US$500 million in aid is imminent.

Chile

Chile said on Thursday it would start reopening its national parks next week to give people a “well-being alternative” after weeks of coronavirus lockdowns.

By Thursday, there had been 16,023 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Chile and 227 deaths.

Africa toll

The death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 1,598 as the number of confirmed cases hit 37,393 as of Thursday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC also disclosed that some 12,228 people who have been infected with the COVID-19 have recovered across the continent as of Wednesday.

Botswana

Botswanan health officials on Thursday announced that it will be compulsory to wear face masks in public spaces as the country enters the final week of national lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19.

Botswana has to date registered 23 cases of COVID-19, with one death and five recoveries.

Rwanda 

Rwanda said on Thursday that it will relax its full-day travel ban from May 4 as a way to revive its economy hit hard by the novel coronavirus.

 "Our economy has been hit already and we are looking at mobilizing resources to inject into our economic system so that it returns to normal," Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Monday.

Cameroon 

The Cameroonian government has partially relaxed COVID-19 social distancing rules as of Thursday, following the continued high number of recoveries and low mortality rate in the country.

The new changes, based on the recommendation of a study on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, allows access to bars, restaurants and leisure facilities after 6 pm local time (1700 GMT), Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said in a statement Thursday evening.

Uganda 

Two Kenyan cargo truck drivers tested positive for COVID-19 in Uganda on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 83.

Out of 2,071 samples run at Uganda Virus Research Institute, samples of a 55-year-old and 27-year-old male truck drivers tested positive for the novel coronavirus,the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Nigeria 

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 204 new cases of COVID-19, the highest number reported in a day, bringing the total in the country to 1,932.

A total of 58 people have died from the novel coronavirus while 319 have recovered, the NCDC said in an update issued late Thursday.