Coronavirus live news: India’s cases surging as deadly second wave spreads, Iran imposes 10-day lockdown | World news

Marchers took to the streets in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to protest restrictive measures to fight the spread of Covid-19 even as new daily infections and deaths rose, Associated Press reports.

About 1,000 people converged on Victory Square and University Square, expressing frustration with an earlier curfew and shop closures that took effect at the end of March.

Romania does not have compulsory vaccinations.

The protest was held on the same day that Romania passed the milestone of having one million confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Hospital intensive care units are struggling to cope with the record demand of just under 1,500 Covid–19 patients and 12,000 others are in other wards.

Mexico’s tally of 2,192 new coronavirus deaths is one of its biggest one-day tolls during the pandemic, bringing the country’s total to 209,212 deaths, Reuters reports.

The health ministry, which is due to have a news conference later in the day, reported 6,356 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, taking the country’s total to 2,278,420 infections.

Mexico’s coronavirus death toll has risen to 209,212 in total, Reuters reports.

Venezuela has paid $64 million, half of the required amount, for doses it is set to receive through the global COVAX program, vice president Delcy Rodriguez announced, Reuters reports.

You know that the COVAX mechanism requires an advance – Venezuela has even doubled the required advance,” said Rodriguez, adding that the government had deposited “59.2 million Swiss francs in the accounts of GAVI,” a co-leader of the COVAX program that seeks to improve low-income countries’ access to vaccines.

The UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson will not attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral to allow for the attendance of as many family members as possible during coronavirus restrictions with the number of guests allowed limited to 30.

The duke’s funeral will take place in Windsor Castle next Saturday and the public are being told to stay away because of the pandemic.

Johnson’s spokesman said: “As a result of the Coronavirus regulations, only 30 people can attend the funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“The Prime Minister has throughout wanted to act in accordance with what is best for the royal household, and so to allow for as many family members as possible will not be attending the funeral on Saturday”.

Several hundred people protested against Finland’s Covid-19 restrictions in Helsinki on Saturday without having obtained permission, leading to 20 arrests when they refused to disperse.

Up to 300 people gathered in the centre of the capital and authorities moved to break up the protest since it was not authorised, AFP reports.

Public gatherings of more than six people are banned in Helsinki due to the pandemic.

Many protesters however formed a procession and began to march. Police announced 20 arrests for refusing to comply with orders.

New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo provides an update on the Covid numbers in the city.

France has recorded 43,284 new coronavirus cases.

The country has registered more than 4.98 million cases in total.

Tunisia’s prime minister announced a curfew tightened to combat a rise in coronavirus infections and deaths following a presidential request.

The government this week had called on governors to begin the nightly curfew at 7 pm instead of 10 pm, from Friday until the end of the month.

After meeting with governors, prime minister Hichem Mechichi said the curfew would remain from 10 pm to 5 am, adding “there is a social reality to consider”.

He cited “the president of the republic’s request and concerns expressed by certain segments of the population” over the additional restrictions but also emphasised the epidemiological situation was “very serious”.

Private and public gatherings remain banned and Mechichi urged Tunisians to be more vigilant about physical distancing and wearing masks.

France reported 72,450 coronavirus deaths in hospital, an increase of 227.

It also reported 5,769 people in intensive care units for Covid-19, Reuters reports.

Dozens of shopkeepers in Naples, took to the streets on Saturday holding up women’s lingerie to protest against the protracted shutdown of their businesses due to coronavirus restrictions, AFP reports.

Campania is one of the few regions in Italy where top-level “red zone” restrictions, meaning the closure of most shops, were on Friday extended for at least another week.

In the central Chiaia shopping district, shopkeepers formed a human chain, clutching women’s undergarments, and carrying placards such as “We can no longer pay rent and bills” and “The state has forgotten about us”.

Lingerie has become a symbol of retailers’ protests in Naples because, since underwear is considered an essential item, shops that offer them can stay open through the lockdown.

Many started to sell women’s underwear “because they have families to feed, rents to pay and staff to support”, Carla della Corte, head of the local chapter of the Confcommercio retailers’ lobby, told the Corriere della Sera daily.

“[Selling] underwear is a way to survive,” she added.

According to local newspaper Il Mattino, about 150 shopkeepers took part in the rally.

Italy reported 344 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday compared to 718 the day before, Reuters reports.

The daily tally of new infections fell to 17,567 compared to 18,938 the day before, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 113,923 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has 3.75 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with Covid-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 27,654 on Saturday, down from 28,146 a day earlier.

In the UK, government data up to Friday shows of the 39,001,554 jabs given thus far, 32,010,244 were first doses – a rise of 106,878 on the previous day.

Some 6,991,310 were second doses, an increase of 450,136.