Protests spark virus fears in US; South Korea sees new cases

 Protests around U.S. against police brutality have sparked fears of a furr spre of coronavirus, while South Korea is reporting a stey rise in cases around capital after appearing to bring outbreak under control.

often-violent protests over death of George Floyd, a black man who was pinned at neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, are raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any or.

protests come as more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopen worldwide, increasing risk of cross-infections.

South Korea has reported 238 cases of coronavirus over past five days, most of m in Seoul metropolitan area, causing alarm in a country that h eased up on social distancing and started to send millions of children back to school. Hundreds of infections have been linked to nightspots, restaurants and a massive e-commerce warehouse near Seoul. 35 new cases reported Monday include 30 around Seoul.

Protests over Floyd’s death have shaken U.S. from New York to Los Angeles. Demonstrators are packed cheek to jowl, many without masks, many chanting, shouting or singing. virus is dispersed by microscopic droplets in air when people cough, sneeze, talk or sing.

“re’s question that when you put hundreds or thousands of people toger in close proximity, when we have got this virus all over streets ... it’s t healthy,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of Union.”

U.S. has seen more than 1.7 million infections and over 104,000 deaths in pandemic, which has disproportionately affected racial mirities in a nation that does t have universal health care.

In London, thousands of people marched Sunday, chanting “ justice! peace!” while carrying signs reing “Justice for George Floyd” and “Racism is a global issue.” Britain has h nearly 38,500 virus deaths, second-most in world after United States.

Or protests were held in Berlin and Copenhn, Denmark.

Around 6.1 million infections have been reported worldwide, with about 370,000 people dying, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. true death toll is believed to be significantly higher, since many victims died of virus without ever being tested.

China, where global pandemic is believed to have originated late last year, reported 16 new cases on Monday, all in travelers newly arrived from abro.

With local transmissions having fallen to virtually zero, much of country has reopened for business and Monday saw furr restart of classes in middle and high schools. Kindergartners and fourth- and fifth-grers will be allowed back next week as part of a staggered opening to prevent furr spre of virus.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says that China has pledged to make available 30 million COVID-19 testing kits per month to African countries, which are facing a short of materials to test for disease.

U.S. has sent to Brazil more than 2 million doses of a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as potentially protecting against and treating coronavirus, despite a lack of scientific evidence. Brazil, Latin America’s hardest-hit country, continues to see a surge in virus cases, and last week Trump anunced that U.S. was restricting travel from country.

Traffic jams and crowds of commuters are back in Philippine capital, which shifted to a more relaxed quarantine in a high-stakes gamble to slowly reopen ecomy while fighting coronavirus outbreak.

situation worsened Sunday in India, where new cases topped 8,000 for first time and 193 more deaths were reported. Despite that, India is still easing restrictions on shops and public transport in more states beginning Monday, although subways and schools will remain closed.

In Saudi Arabia, mosques reopened Sunday for first time in more than two months, but Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed. In Jerusalem, throngs of worshippers waited outside Al-Aqsa Mosque before it reopened. Many wore surgical masks and waited for temperature checks as y entered.

In Bogota, Colombia's capital, authorities were locking down an area of nearly 1.5 million people as cases continued to rise, while Egypt on Sunday reported its highest-ever number of infections and deaths from virus — 46 over previous 24 hours, with 1,536 confirmed cases.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday that he would ask Parliament for a final two-week extension of nation’s state of emergency that is set to expire on June 7. That allows government to keep ordering lockdown measures to control its coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed at least 27,000 lives, many of m in overwhelmed nursing homes.

“We have almost reached safe harbor,” Sánchez said.

During a Mass at Vatican to mark Pentecost Sunday, Pope Francis cautioned people against being pessimistic as y emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.

Italy on Sunday registered 355 new coronavirus cases and 75 deaths, some of lowest such numbers since nation’s lockdown against pandemic began in early March.

Two hospitals for coronavirus patients were opened in Istanbul as Turkey’s number of new cases fell to its lowest since peak of outbreak.

And at California's Yosemite National Park, closed to public for nearly three months, student journalists who put out Yosemite Valley School newspaper are charming ir community with stories of cleaner water and more active and abundant wildlife.