Global COVID-19 death toll tops 40,000

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

More than 40,000 dead

More than 823,720 cases of infection have been recorded in 185 countries and territories since the epidemic started in China in December, according to an AFP tally compiled towards 1930 GMT Tuesday based on official sources.

At least 40,949 deaths have been recorded, nearly three quarters of which are in Europe.

Italy has 12,428 deaths, Spain 8,189, mainland China 3,305, the United States 4,315, and France 3,523.

The United States now has more official fatalities than China.

Young victim

In a rare case of a young person succumbing to the disease, a 12-year-old girl infected with COVID-19 died in Belgium.

At least year before vaccine

It will be at least another year before a vaccine against the new coronavirus will be ready for approval and available in sufficient quantities, the European Medicines Agency said.

Confinement has saved lives

Strict containment measures might have already saved up to 59,000 lives across 11 European countries, researchers from Imperial College London said.

And a decision to lock down the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global COVID-19 pandemic started, may have prevented more than 700,000 new cases. another study by researchers in China, the United States and the UK said.

More than 3.6 billion people -- 46.5 percent of the world population -- are now either under orders or have been asked to stay home, according to an AFP database tally on Tuesday.

Shanghai fears second wave

Many tourist sites in Shanghai, which had reopened in mid-March, have closed again, amid fears that there may be a second wave of the epidemic in China brought in by foreigners.

Taking turns to go outside

Panama announced strict quarantine measures that separate citizens by gender.

From Wednesday for 15 days, men and women will only be able to leave their homes for two hours at a time, and on different days. On Sunday all outings are banned.

Supermarket sales rocket

Industry data showed Britain's supermarkets experienced their busiest month on record in March, with total grocery sales rocketing by a record 20.6 percent.

Standstill growth

The World Bank warned China's growth in 2020 could be brought to a standstill, compared to 6.1 percent growth in 2019, which was already its worst performance since 1990.

The country will postpone its notoriously difficult college entrance tests from June to July.

Cancellations, postponements

The famous annual Wagner festival in the southern German city of Bayreuth, scheduled from July 25, is cancelled.

Ethiopia delayed general elections due for August 29 until further notice.

Australia limits booze
Australians were told to limit themselves to buying just 12 bottles of wine and two cases of beer a day as a coronavirus lockdown saw panic buying of alcohol. --  Agence France-Presse