German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday announced first steps in undoing coronavirus lockdowns for the coming weeks, with most shops allowed to open although schools must stay closed until May 4.

Qatar reported on Wednesday that five coronavirus cases have been detected in workers at three World Cup stadiums, the first confirmed instances among those involved in 2022 tournament projects.

The World Health Organization chief on Wednesday voiced "regret" at U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend funding of the U.N. agency over criticism it had mismanaged the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iceland has provided a textbook example of how to get out ahead of a looming pandemic: per capita, it has tested more people for coronavirus than any other country on earth and it got started a month before the first case was even confirmed in the tiny Nordic island nation.   

People infected with the new coronavirus may start spreading the virus several days before they have any noticeable symptoms, according to a new modelling study published Wednesday.

The British government on Wednesday dismissed a TV presenter's claim that there could be a link between 5G technology and coronavirus as "complete nonsense."

Aviation giant Emirates has launched a 10-minute coronavirus blood test for passengers departing from its Dubai home base, in what it claimed Wednesday as a first for the industry. 

- More than two million cases -

As the EU's economy reels from virus lockdowns, Brussels  unveiled a proposed roadmap on Wednesday to ease restrictions on life and businesses, relying in large part on smartphone tracking apps.

More than two million cases of the new coronavirus have been officially registered around the world, half of them in Europe, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1000 GMT Wednesday based on official sources.