20,000 daily cases in Brazil +++ 5 million coronavirus contractions wordwide | Coronavirus Update

More than 5 million people are now known to have contracted the coronavirus. New infections are easing in Europe and the US, but experts say a second wave is inevitable. New cases are surging in Latin America. Brazil, which reported the continent's first case back in February, is seeing the most new cases. On Wednesday alone, the country recorded almost 20,000 new infections. If the trend continues, its likely that Brazil could soon have the second-highest number of cases in the world.

Turkey's economy was in trouble before the coronavirus outbreak and its economic fallout hit the country. The Turkish lira has tumbled against the dollar and central bank interventions aren't helping much.

Some of today's other coronavirus developments:

- The Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, has issued a total ban on hunting, breeding and eating wild animals. Research suggests the virus is most likely spread from wild animals to humans through such practices.

- A top US scientist has said people should not count on a vaccine being developed soon. William Haseltine says the best approach is to manage the spread of the virus through contact tracing and strict isolation measures amid fresh outbreaks.

- Iran's deputy health minister says some TEN THOUSAND health workers have been infected with the virus.

- A meat processing plant in the Netherlands has been closed - after some 45 employees tested positive for the COVID-19. It's the latest in a number of large outbreaks in slaughterhouses.

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