Coronavirus live news: Trump suspends WHO funding as Denmark begins to reopen schools | World news

Three new confirmed cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Zambia, the country’s national public health institute reports, bringing the total so far in the country to 48. All the latest statistics from the country are in this Twitter thread.

More than half of the total confirmed cases of coronavirus so far have been in Europe, according to a tally kept by AFP.

The French news agency reports that as of 8.30am on Wednesday, Europe had at least 1,003,284 cases, including 84,465 deaths, making it the worst hit continent. Globally, 1,991,019 COVID-19 infections and 125,955 deaths have been registered.

The Guardian usually relies on the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, which does not aggregate the numbers by continent. The Maryland, US- based university was was reporting a global total of 1,988,143 just before 11.30am.

With many countries testing only the most serious cases, the tallies probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas is the latest to join the chorus of criticism aimed at Donald Trump after the US president suspended payments to the World Health Organization. Maas wrote on Twitter:

Blaming others won’t help. The virus knows no borders … One of the best investments is to strengthen the UN, above all the under-financed WHO… in the development and distribution of tests and vaccines.

Maas has previously taken aim at the Trump administration’s reaction to the virus crisis, AFP reports.

In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine last week, he said the US had “played down the virus for a very long time”.

“There really isn’t any dispute, even in the USA, that many of the measures were taken too late,” he told Spiegel.

This is Damien Gayle taking control of the live blog now, with the latest updates from around the world, but particularly Europe, the Middle East and Africa. If you have any tips or suggestions for things we could be covering please email me at damien.gayle@theguardian.com, or send me a direct message via Twitter to @damiengayle.

Countries that ease restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus should wait at least two weeks to evaluate the impact of such changes before easing again, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

In its latest strategy update, the UN agency said the world stands at a “pivotal juncture” in the pandemic and that “speed, scale, and equity must be our guiding principles” when deciding what measures are necessary.

Every country should implement public health measures to maintain a sustainable state of low-level or no transmission and prepare its surge capacity to react rapidly to control any spread, the WHO said.

Some of the countries hardest hit by the virus are now considering lifting lockdowns and beginning the transition toward a resumption of normal life.

“To reduce the risk of new outbreaks, measures should be lifted in a phased, step-wise manner based on an assessment of the epidemiological risks and socioeconomic benefits of lifting restrictions on different workplaces, educational institutions, and social activities …” the WHO said.

“Ideally there would be a minimum of two weeks (corresponding to the incubation period of Covid-19) between each phase of the transition, to allow sufficient time to understand the risk of new outbreaks and to respond appropriately,” it added.

It warned that the “risk of reintroduction and resurgence of the disease will continue”.

Amazon said on Wednesday it planned to appeal against a French court ruling limiting deliveries to essential goods in order allow for a deeper assessment of coronavirus risks at its sites in the country.

“We’re puzzled by the court ruling given the hard evidence brought forward regarding security measures put in place to protect our employees”, the US online retailing giant said in a statement.

“We’re assessing the consequences of this decision and our options and we think we will appeal,” the company added.

Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, has said Trump’s halting of funding to the World Health Organization is an “indefensible decision”.

On Twitter, Coveney said:

This is indefensible decision, in midst of global pandemic. So many vulnerable populations rely on ⁦WHO – deliberately undermining funding and trust now is shocking.

Now is a time for global leadership and unity to save lives, not division and blame!

Germany will consider easing coronavirus-related restrictions on the retail sector from 20 April, according to several participants in a call held on Tuesday between the chancellery and state chancelleries.

They also told Reuters that the rules on social distancing and travel could be extended until 3 May.

At a press conference on the EU’s response to the coronavirus crisis, the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has outlined three criteria for lifting lockdown restrictions.

She said member states should consider infection rates, the capacity of healthcare systems and the level of testing available before lifting restrictions that could trigger a rise in cases.

She also said the European commission’s plan should not be seen as a signal that countries should start lifting lockdown measures now.

China is trying to exploit the global crisis triggered by the coronavirus outbreak by wresting control of companies such as Imagination Technologies and changing the way the internet works, a senior British lawmaker said on Wednesday.

Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs select ommittee, told Sky:

We’re seeing quite a lot of action by the Chinese state, or state-owned companies, that seem to be exploiting this moment.

Companies like Imagination Technologies … it’s been facing a rather hostile change in management in the last few weeks, which happened to coincide not just with the Covid crisis but also the prime minister being taken into hospital and the Easter weekend.

Tugendhat said he was concerned by US president Donald Trump’s decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organization.

“I’m concerned by this,” he said. “This is of course an important time for the WHO to be doing its job.

“I understand his concerns with the way that the WHO has failed to call out China or indeed recognise the success that has been going on in Taiwan amongst other places.”