Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak today include:

Global death toll exceeds 149,000

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, nearly 2.2 million people have been confirmed as having contracted the virus worldwide, while at least 149,024 have died.

The figures, compiled from official releases and media reports, are likely to present an underestimation because of suspected underreporting and differing testing regimes around the world.

More than 14,000 have died in UK hospitals

The British government announced that a further 847 people have died in UK hospitals, taking the total to 14,576 since the outbreak began. That represents slightly decelerated growth. But the figures do not take into account the people who have died in other settings.

Nearly 100,000 EU citizens remain stranded

The European commission says 98,900 EU citizens are still stuck abroad, though efforts to bring them home continue. That compares with 600,000 who had reported being stranded at the start of the outbreak.

The figures reveal the UK government has made sparing use of the EU programme to repatriate citizens, under which the bloc funds 75% of the cost of emergency flights.

South Asia cases reach 22,000

The number of people in the south-Asia region known to have been infected passes the 22,000 mark. Health officials warn the region, home to a fifth of the world’s population, could be the new frontline against the disease because there are millions in densely populated areas and living under fragile public health systems.

Increase in Italian cases slows

Deaths in Italy rise by 575, up from 525 the day before, while the number of new cases declines slightly to 3,493 from a previous 3,786. The daily death toll is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March.

Health workers to run out of protective gear

Health bosses in England are preparing to ask doctors and nurses to work without full-length gowns when treating patients, as hospitals are set to run out of supplies within hours.

UK sets up vaccine taskforce

The UK’s newly created vaccine taskforce will be asked to provide industry and research institutions with resources, review regulations and make preparations for large-scale production once a vaccine is developed. It will be led by the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, and the deputy chief medical officer for England, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam.

The government announces £13m in funding for 21 virus research projects; including efforts aimed at treating the disease and at preventing it.

Britain extends employment scheme

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, says the scheme under which the UK government subsidises 80% of furloughed workers’ wages up to £2,500 per month is to be extended to the end of June.

Sunak originally announced the scheme would run for a period of three months, until the end of May. Now it will be extended for a fourth month in the light of the decision yesterday to extend the lockdown for at least three more weeks.

Pandemic’s spread now ‘controllable’ in Germany

The reproduction number of the Covid-19 virus sinks to a new low in Germany, leading the health minister, Jens Spahn, to say there is enough evidence to declare the lockdown strategy a success.

Jair Bolsonaro accused of leading Brazilians ‘to slaughterhouse’

The country’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused the incumbent of criminally irresponsible handling of the coronavirus as Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll hit 1,924.