New York Times conveys 'vastness and variety of lives lost' to Covid-19 with front page
The New York Times has devoted its entire front page today to a long list of names of people who have died in the pandemic.
The names and brief descriptions culled from obituaries from around the country fill six columns under the headline “US Deaths Near 100,000, an Incalculable Loss”.
“They Were Not Simply Names on a List. They Were Us,” read the subheadline.
Editors pulled passages from notices printed in hundreds of newspapers, from 94-year-old Bucky Pizzarelli from New Jersey - "master of jazz guitar" - to 65-year-old Mary Virginia McKeon from Chicago who "devoured art in every medium".
The newspaper's design team says it wanted to represent the number in a way that conveyed the "vastness and variety of lives lost".
In Australia, officials said six million residents have downloaded a mobile telephone app that helps health authorities trace coronavirus infections.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt said the COVIDSafe app is playing a strong role in Australia’s response to the disease.
The US is continuing a cautious state-by-state reopening.
Mr Trump played golf at one of his courses on Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged US states to relax their lockdowns. Yet many Americans remained cautious as the number of confirmed cases nationwide passed 1.6 million.
In California, where many businesses and recreational activities are reopening, officials in Los Angeles County said they would maintain tight restrictions until July 4.
Statewide, New York reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths — 84 — in many weeks in what governor Andrew Cuomo described as a critical benchmark. The daily death tally peaked at 799 on April 8.
Parts of New Orleans stirred to back life, with some restaurants and businesses opening for the first time in over two months. Some remained closed, especially in the French Quarter, which relies largely on tourist dollars.
Turkey, which has recorded over 155,000 infections, imposed its toughest lockdown measures yet for the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels urged believers to use masks and stay inside, as authorities try to contain infections at a time usually marked by multigenerational feasting and collective prayer.
In Germany, which has drawn praise for its handling of the virus, seven people appear to have been infected at a restaurant in the north-west of the country. It would be the first such known case since restaurants started reopening two weeks ago.
And in Frankfurt, more than 40 people tested positive after a church service of the Evangelical Christian Baptist congregation May 10. A church leader said the congregation has cancelled gatherings and is now holding services online.
One of the world’s major pilgrimage sites is reopening on Sunday: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
Latin America is the latest epicentre of the virus.
Brazil and Mexico reported record numbers of infections and deaths almost daily this week, fuelling criticism of their presidents for limited lockdown.
But infections also rose and intensive care units were swamped in Peru, Chile and Ecuador, all lauded for imposing early and aggressive business shutdowns and quarantines.
Concerns are rising in India, where new cases showed another record jump Saturday, topping 6,000 for a second consecutive day as a two-month lockdown has eased.
While some countries are facing a second wave of infections, badly hit Russia is still struggling with its first and reported more than 9,000 new cases on Saturday.
