A person holds a smartphone showing the official 'Corona Warn-App' (Corona Warning Application) in Berlin, Germany, June 15, 2020. (MICHAEL SOHN / AP)

NEW YORK / WASHINGTON / MEXICO CITY / RIO DE JANEIRO / ROME / GABORONE / LONDON / MADRID / PARIS / BERLIN / KIEV / MOSCOW - Germany’s coronavirus infection rate climbed further above the key threshold of 1.0, as citizens began downloading a voluntary app developed by the government to help trace COVID-19 infections.

Germany called on its citizens to download the delayed app, betting that civic duty is enough to get people to use the software and rejecting criticism that it will be ineffective.

The technology was unveiled on Tuesday by four cabinet officials and executives from two of Germany’s largest technology companies. 

We are finding ourselves more and more in situations where we don’t know the people around us - at demonstrations, in the train, in the bus. The app makes a difference there because it can provide information about contacts from the previous two weeks.

Jens Spahn, German health minister

The new tracing app will help break infection chains and allow the country to manage the return to normality more effectively, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn. He emphasized that the app is voluntary and personal data will be “well protected.”

“We are finding ourselves more and more in situations where we don’t know the people around us -- at demonstrations, in the train, in the bus,” Spahn told ZDF television earlier Tuesday. “The app makes a difference there because it can provide information about contacts from the previous two weeks.”

ALSO READ: European coalition takes shape on coronavirus contact tracing

There were 164 new infections in the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, bringing the tally to 187,682 according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Fatalities increased by six to 8,807.

The reproduction factor of the virus, known as R-naught, was at 1.19 on Monday, compared with 1.05 the day before, according to the latest daily report by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). 

According to data from RKI on Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases increased by 378 to 186,839. The reported death toll rose by nine to 8,800, the tally showed.

Global tally

Global confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 8 million on Monday, reaching 8,003,021 as of 6:43 pm (2243 GMT), according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

More than 435,000 people worldwide have died of the disease, the data showed.

The United States suffered the most from the pandemic, with more than 2.1 million cases and a death toll of over 116,000. Countries with over 200,000 cases also include Brazil, Russia, India, Britain, Spain, Italy and Peru, according to the Johns Hopkins tally.

Botswana

Botswana's capital city Gaborone has returned to normalcy after all probable coronavirus cases registered Friday tested negative, an official said Monday.

Mosepele Mosepele, deputy coordinator for the country's COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce Team, said all the 16 possible cases, which were tested between Friday and Sunday, came out negative.

Gabrorone reinstated its strict containment measures starting midnight Friday following the announcement of presumed cases.

Botswana has reported a total of 48 confirmed infections, one death and 24 recoveries.

Brazil

Brazil's death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to nearly 44,000 on Monday, according to Health Ministry data, as the country continued easing restrictions on circulation despite the world's second-worst outbreak after the United States.

Brazil registered another 627 fatalities on Monday, down from an average of nearly 1,000 over the past week, raising the toll to 43,959. Reporting of fatalities typically slows over the weekend.

The Health Ministry registered about 20,000 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 888,271 infections.

Despite the severity of the outbreak, many Brazilian states and cities have begun easing social distancing rules in recent weeks amid growing public fatigue and repeated demands from President Jair Bolsonaro to get the economy going.

ALSO READ: Brazil surpasses UK in virus deaths, now 2nd in world

A medical worker in protective gear wheels a patient with COVID-19 symptoms at a hospital in Santiago, Chile, on June 15, 2020. (JAVIER TORRES / AFP)

Chile

Chile's government said on Monday it would extend a state of catastrophe in place since mid-March by 90 days as cases of coronavirus in the South American nation have surged.

The pace of new infections has increased dramatically in May and June, averaging over 5,000 daily in recent weeks. The onslaught has filled critical care wards and prompted authorities to declare a full lockdown in the capital Santiago, a city of more than six million.

READ MORE: Studies say lockdowns saved millions of lives

Chile on Monday reported a total of 179,436 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,362 deaths, after 5,143 new cases and 39 more deaths were added.

Cyprus

Cyprus will introduce rapid coronavirus tests at its airports in the next few days in an attempt to lure back tourists, a minister said Monday.

Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos said the new test will give results in 90 minutes, adding that the government expects this to encourage more people to choose the eastern Mediterranean island for their vacations.

"This will make it possible to do away with the requirement for those arriving to stay at a hotel for at least one day until test results are known. With the new test travelers will know the results before they leave the airport," Karousos said.

"We will give the opportunity to travelers to administer the rapid tests locally," Karousos said.

Cyprus' Health Ministry said that the number of new COVID-19 infections has been minimal over the last two weeks, mostly affecting people flying in from the United Kingdom. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 985 on Monday.

Egypt

Egypt reported on Monday another 97 deaths from COVID-19, the highest single-day rise recorded, taking the death toll in the North African country to 1,672, said the Egyptian Health Ministry.

According to the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed, 1,691 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 46,289.

The spokesman added that 398 more patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries to 12,329.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 3,521 after another 176 cases were confirmed, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement that the number of recoveries reached 620 as of Monday, after 75 more recoveries were registered in the past 24 hours.

The ministry also said three more deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 60.

France

France reported another 29 coronavirus deaths on Monday, taking the death toll to 29,436, the fifth-highest in the world, and marking the sixth day with under 30 fatalities.

The number of new confirmed cases was only up 152, the lowest increase in 14 days, taking the country's tally to 157,372.

The government also reported the number of people in hospital fell by 129 to 10,752 and those in intensive care units fell by 23 to 846, with both tallies continuing weeks-long down-trends.

These figures were published a day after President Emmanuel Macron said he was accelerating France's exit from its coronavirus lockdown, with, amongst others, a full reopening of restaurants and cafes in Paris.

Italy

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 26 on Monday against 44 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, posting the lowest daily tally since March 2.

The daily tally of new cases also declined slightly to 303 from 338 on Sunday.

The total death toll now stands at 34,371 the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Britain and Brazil.

The number of confirmed cases amounts to 237,290, the seventh highest global tally.

People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 25,909 from 26,274 the day before.

Kenya

Kenya's Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed 133 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally to 3,727.

Four people tested positive for COVID-19 at the State House, spokesperson Kanze Dena said.

"The tests are conducted on all staff including His Excellency the President and members of his family," said Dena, adding that President Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Family are free from COVID-19.

Mutahi Kagwe, the ministry's cabinet secretary, said 33 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,286.

The death toll rose by 1 to 104, according to Kagwe.

Mexico

Mexico passed the grim milestone of 150,000 total confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, as the health ministry reported 3,427 new infections along with 439 additional fatalities.

There are now a total 150,264 confirmed coronavirus cases and 17,580 deaths, though the government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the official count.

Morocco

Morocco's COVID-19 tally on Monday climbed to 8,885 as 92 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

The number of recoveries increased by 63 to 7,828, the ministry of health said in a statement.

The death toll remained at 212. No additional fatalities had been recorded in the last 72 hours.

READ MORE: Nigerian doctors begin nationwide strike over PPEs

Romania

A new round of relaxations of COVID-19 restrictions came into effect in Romania on Monday, with the reopening of shopping malls, gambling rooms, outdoor swimming pools and fitness centers, even as authorities warned of an upward trend in new infections in recent days.

It was the third round of relaxations announced in Romania after the country entered the state of alert in mid-May.

According to a decision adopted by the National Committee for Emergency Situations, private events can be organized with a maximum of 20 people indoors and up to 50 people outside. The number of people allowed to travel or do outdoor sports and recreational activities together is increased from three to six.

Activities held in nurseries, kindergartens and after-schools during the summer holidays are also allowed, under the conditions established by the relevant authorities.

The number of new infections in Romania reached 320 on Sunday, the highest in one month.

A man walks past a graffiti depicting medical workers fighting the coronavirus as superheroes in Vsevolozhsk, outside St.Petersburg, Russia, June 15, 2020. (DMITRI LOVETSKY / AP)

Russia

Residents of Moscow were able to return to museums and summer terraces on Tuesday for the first time in more than two months as the Russian capital rolled back more coronavirus curbs despite continuing to record over 1,000 new daily infections.

Starting on Tuesday, museums, libraries and zoos in the city of nearly 13 million are reopening their doors, albeit with continued limits on the number of visitors at any one time. Dentists are getting back to business too.

Authorities are allowing sporting events to resume, though spectators must take up no more than 10 percent of a given venue's capacity.

The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Monday it was time to further ease restrictions because the pandemic was on the wane and pressure on the city's health system was easing.

Russia on Tuesday reported 8,248 new coronavirus cases and 193 more deaths, bringing its tally to 545,458 and the death toll to 7,284.

Moscow reported 1,416 newly confirmed cases, taking its tally 208,680. 

Somalia

Somalia's Health Ministry on Monday reported 39 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 2,642.

Health Minister Fawziya Abikar said 45 patients were discharged from health facilities in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 622.

The minister said no deaths were reported, hence the toll remained at 88.

Spain

Spain is considering imposing a quarantine on visitors from Britain when it reopens its borders next week, the country's foreign minister said, in response to a similar policy introduced last week for travellers to Britain.

Arancha Gonzalez Laya told the BBC she hoped Britain would lift its restriction, making a reciprocal Spanish one unnecessary.

"We will be in a dialogue with the UK to see whether or not we should be introducing reciprocity as they have different measures than the rest of the European Union," she said in an advance excerpt from current affairs programme HARDtalk.

The British embassy in Spain confirmed on Monday that British citizens will be allowed to travel to the Iberian country when it opens its borders next Sunday, but still advised against any non-essential international travel due to the coronavirus.

Spain's COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged on Monday at 27,136, according to the data published by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare.

The ministry reported 40 new COVID-19 infections, of which 29 were reported in Madrid and Catalonia, taking the country's total infections to 244,109.

UK

The United Kingdom death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 233 to 41,969 as of 1600 GMT on June 15, according to government data released on Tuesday.

Earlier, a Reuters tally of official sources showed a toll of 53,077, taking into account cases where COVID-19 was mentioned on death certificates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland up to June 5, and up to June 7 in Scotland.

A second experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by Imperial College London is starting tests in humans this week. The vaccine is backed by 41 million pounds (US$52 million) in UK funding along with another 5 million pounds of donations, including contributions from the public, the government said on Monday.

ALSO READ: From tubes to pedal power, London's COVID transport challenge

Ukraine

The wife of Ukraine's president, Olena Zelenska, was hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus and her condition was stable, the presidential office said on Tuesday.

Zelenska said last week she had tested positive for coronavirus while her husband Volodymyr Zelenskiy and their two children had tested negative.

"Olena Zelenska's current diagnosis is COVID-19 - bilateral polysegmental pneumonia of moderate severity. (She) Does not require oxygen donation. The condition is stable," the office said in a statement.

The office said Zelenska was isolated and under medical supervision. Test results from new tests taken by the president and their children came back negative.

As of Tuesday, Ukraine has reported 32,476 coronavirus cases, including 912 deaths.

This April 7, 2020 file photo shows a bottle of hydroxychloroquine tablets in Texas City, Texas. (DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP)

US

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, according a release of the agency.

Based on its ongoing analysis of the EUA and emerging scientific data, the FDA determined that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to be effective in treating COVID-19. In addition, in light of ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other potential serious side effects, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine no longer outweigh the known and potential risks for the authorized use, according to the release.

ALSO READ: Lancet: Drug touted by Trump linked to higher death risk

The FDA also warned that the drugs have been shown in lab studies to interfere with Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir - the only medicine so far to show a benefit against COVID-19 in formal clinical trials.

The move comes after several studies of the decades-old malaria pills suggested they were not effective either as a treatment for or to prevent COVID-19.

US Representative Tom Rice, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, said on Monday he, his wife and his son had all contracted COVID-19, adding that they were finishing their quarantine.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that gatherings of up to 25 people will be permitted in parts of New York that have entered the third phase of the state's reopening plan, up from a previous limit of 10.

Zambia

Zambian Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said on Monday the country reported 182 more COVID-19 cases over the previous week, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,382.

The death toll stood at 11 while the number of recoveries stood at 1,142, Chilufya said.

Uganda

Uganda's ministry of health on Tuesday said it has registered 19 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 724.

Out of the 2,212 samples from cross-border cargo truck drivers and community tested over the last 24 hours, six Ugandan truck drivers and 13 contacts and alert cases tested positive for the virus.

According to the ministry, 25 foreign truck drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 at Uganda's points of entry were handed over to their countries of origin.

A total of 52 patients were discharged from various hospitals after successful treatment, bringing the total number of recoveries to 351. The country has not registered any virus-related death.

Cameroon 

The total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cameroon has reached 10,140, according to Africa CDC's real time statistics updated Tuesday morning, making it the sixth African nation that passed the 10,000 mark.

The death toll stands at 277, while number of recovered cases rose to 5,601, according to data from the Africa CDC.

Last week, the Cameroonian government said it will scale up testing capacity for COVID-19 to limit transmission. As of Monday, some 50,000 samples have been analyzed since the start of the pandemic in Cameroon in March, health minister Malachine Manaouda tweeted Monday evening.

Senegal

Senegalese health authorities reported on Tuesday a daily record of six COVID-19 related deaths, health ministry's spokesperson Dr. Alyose Waly Diouf said during the daily briefing.

This brings the total death toll from the disease to 70 since the outbreak of the pandemic on March 2 in Senegal.

According to Dr Diouf, a total of 999 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours, among which 74 came back positive, including 64 follow-up contact cases and 10 community transmission cases.

The number of patients discharged from hospitals rose to 3,525, while the number of patients under intensive care stays at 22.

So far, Senegal has reported 5,247 confirmed cases, including 70 deaths and 3,525 recoveries.

Ghana 

Ghana confirmed 229 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the country's total number of infections to 12,193, according to the Ghana Health Service(GHS).

The GHS data also captured 68 new recoveries, bringing the number of recovered cases to 4,326.

The number of deaths from COVID-19 increased to 58, with four more deaths recorded, while the country's active cases increased to 7,809.

Tertiary educational institutions in Ghana reopened on Monday to enable final year students to sit for their exit examinations. The educational authorities are conducting these examinations under strict social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention protocols.

Belarus 

Belarus reported 689 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking its total to 55,369, according to its health ministry.

The ministry also reported 853 new recovered cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 31,273, while 318 people with chronic diseases have died.

As of Tuesday, more than 760,000 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country, the ministry added.