Germany Will Require Virus in Pets to Be Reported

Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson prompted outrage in France in May by promising to give the United States first access to the company's eventual vaccine, because the United States had invested more in its research. After pressure from the French government, Sanofi backtracked and said it would be available in all countries.

Finland Lifts Emergency Orders

HELSINKI — Finland says it has lifted the emergency powers act adopted by lawmakers in mid-March to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said the measure to end the state of emergency, effective Tuesday, was taken as the Covid-19 infection rate has slowed down in the Nordic nation.

Marin said there was no need anymore for the exceptional measure act allowing more powers for the government and Finland would gradually return to normal conditions.

She stressed that "the end of the emergency act does not mean the threat of the epidemic is over" and urged Finns to continue practicing social distancing and pay attention to hygiene.

Pakistan Enforces Orders With Raids

ISLAMABAD — Authorities in Pakistan are taking action to seal off high-risk areas in the country's 20 biggest cities after an increase in coronavirus infections.

Pakistan's National Command and Control Center said raids are being carried out to impose fines and shut markets, industries and shops where social distancing regulations were being violated.

The sealing of high-risk areas began after Pakistan reported a big jump in Covid-19 deaths and a steady increase in infections.

Pakistan put its entire population of 220 million under lockdown from March until May, when Prime Minister Imran Khan's government loosened restrictions, saying it was necessary to save the country's economy.

Critics say the government's gamble resulted into a sharp increase in infections and deaths.

On Tuesday, Pakistan reported 111 new Covid-19 fatalities. It raised the overall death toll from the virus to 2,839 among 148,921 confirmed cases.

Masks Compulsory in 42 Turkish Provinces

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has made the wearing of face masks mandatory in five more provinces after an uptick in Covid-19 cases.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted early Tuesday that the wearing of masks was compulsory in 42 of Turkey's 81 provinces.

In the remaining provinces, residents are required to wear masks on public transportation and in shops and malls and are advised to wear masks and keep to social distancing practices elsewhere.

Koca tweeted: "We cannot struggle against the virus without masks."

Turkey is seeing an increase in the daily number of infections after the government authorized cafés, restaurants, gyms, parks, beaches and museums to reopen, lifted intercity travel restrictions and eased stay-at-home orders for the elderly and young in early June. The daily number of infections climbed to above 1,500 in the past five days after hovering around 800-900 previously.

Africa Virus Cases Top 250,000

JOHANNESBURG — Africa's coronavirus cases rose above 250,000 after South Africa registered a series of daily record-high new cases over the weekend.

South Africa further loosened its lockdown measures on June 1, allowing alcohol sales, more business openings and religious gatherings limited to 50 people.

The country has more than a quarter of the cases on the 54-nation African continent ,with more than 73,000. It saw its highest jump in cases on Sunday with more than 4,300.

South Africa's struggle to balance measures to slow the spread of the virus and relieve economic pain are common throughout Africa, where the World Health Organization last week said the pandemic is "accelerating."

Health Workers Protest in Greece

ATHENS, Greece — Hundreds of health care workers have marched through central Athens demanding the hiring of permanent workers for the health sector, while Greece's hospital doctors’ union declared a 24-hour strike Tuesday.

The union for state hospital workers also declared a seven-hour work stoppage for the Greek capital and a 24-hour strike for the rest of the country with the same demands.

Greece’s center-right government hired hundreds of workers for state hospitals on fixed-term contracts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Unions are demanding permanent hires, and more funding for the country's health care system.

Covid-19 Deaths Approach 10,000 in India

NEW DELHI — India recorded another 10,000-plus coronavirus infections as patients swamp health services in its largest cities.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday reported a 24-hour increase of 380 deaths due to Covid-19, driving the death toll to 9,900, a number widely believed to be an undercount.

The 10,667 new cases raise the nation's total to 343,091, fourth-highest in the world behind the United States, Brazil and Russia. The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons, including limited testing and domestic politics.

Maharashtra, the western state that is home to Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, continues to have the highest state toll. Mumbai, Chennai and the capital New Delhi are seeing rising infections swamp their health services.

New Delhi is a growing concern, with the federal government criticizing its contact-tracing and hospital capacity. The capital has about 10,000 beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients, half of which are occupied. Hotels and sports stadiums are being considered for use as field hospitals.

Philippines Puts Major City Under Lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials have placed a central city back under strict lockdown and retained quarantine restrictions in the capital for another two weeks as coronavirus infections continue to spike alarmingly.

President Rodrigo Duterte in a televised meeting Monday night with key Cabinet officials approved a recommendation to lock down Cebu city anew and retain quarantine restrictions in metropolitan Manila, where many of the nearly 26,500 infections and more than 1,000 deaths have been recorded.

Imposed in mid-March, the Covid-19 restrictions in metropolitan Manila have been among the longest in the world.

"The battle with Covid isn't over," Duterte said. "I can't stop you from going out and I can't catch all of you ... don't blame us. Do not forget that we warned you about the grave consequences."

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