Fight against coronavirus continues, Merkel calls for 'stronger Europe' in crisis management

(Patria) – So far, 1,347,624 people have been infected worldwide, and the total death toll has risen to 74,782, with the most affected countries still being the USA, Italy, Spain, Germany and France.

After a slight decline in the number of deaths at the end of last week, Italy and France have recorded an increase in the number of fatalities since Monday.

France recorded 605 new deaths in hospitals on Monday alone, significantly higher than the 357 on Sunday or 441 on Saturday. With 228 deaths in nursing homes, Monday was the worst day for France, which has so far lost nearly 9,000 of its citizens. The country has confirmed 23,620 cases of coronavirus infection so far.

Italy is also seeing a rise in the number of deaths – on Monday it stood at 636, noticeably higher than the 525 on Sunday. Italy has so far lost a total of 16,523 citizens – more than any other country in the world.

The United Kingdom is recording a rapid increase in the number of deaths, now standing at 5,373, with 51,608 confirmed infections.

At the same time, in Spain, the number of deaths and new infections continues to decline for the fourth consecutive day. The country has a total of 136,675 infected people, and 13,341 have lost their lives. So far, about 40,000 people have recovered.

In Germany, 103,375 people have been infected, placing it at the top in terms of that number, but the fatality rate is significantly lower than in other affected countries, standing at 1,810.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pandemic is the 'biggest challenge' for the EU since its founding. She also stated that the response to the crisis must be 'more Europe, a stronger Europe, and a Europe that functions well'.