Britain launches test and trace system

Britain's coronavirus test and trace system was due to start on Thursday as part of the efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the government said on Wednesday.

To break the chain of transmission, people in England who have been in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 will be asked from Thursday to isolate for 14 days even if they have no symptoms, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.

Chairing Wednesday's Downing Street daily briefing, Hancock said until an effective treatment or vaccine comes through, the test and trace program is a big part of how the country moves forward out of lockdown.

"The instructions are clear: if you get symptoms, isolate and get a test. If you get a call from an NHS (National Health Service) contact tracer, you must isolate," he said.

There had been 37,460 deaths due to COVID-19 in the country as of Wednesday, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday told a parliamentary committee that an inquiry into the behavior of his senior adviser Dominic Cummings during the pandemic is not a good use of time.

Johnson's closest aide has been at the center of a storm after Cummings broke government lockdown rules while the public was urged to stick to them. Johnson has reaffirmed his support for Cummings, despite criticism from across the political spectrum, including more than 40 of his own Conservative Party members of Parliament calling for Cummings to be sacked.

Across Europe, the virus had infected 1,862,304 people and claimed 169,385 lives as of Wednesday, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Separately, European governments moved on Wednesday to halt the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients.

The moves by France, Italy and Belgium followed a World Health Organization decision on Monday to pause a large trial of hydroxychloroquine due to safety concerns.

Moscow reopening

In Russia, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Wednesday that the capital will reopen all retail stores and a portion of the service industry next Monday. The city will also open all parks, and people will be allowed to walk outdoors three times a week at most without digital passes.

Russia confirmed 8,371 new cases in the latest 24-hour period, raising its total to 379,051, its coronavirus response center said on Thursday. Its death toll stood at 4,142.

In a related development, Russia has decided to postpone the 2020 summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS initially scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg in July, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday.

In Switzerland, the government on Wednesday announced that it will downgrade the alert status from "extraordinary" to "special" from June 19 and will further ease coronavirus-related restrictions soon. Gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed from Saturday and public and private events of up to 300 people will be permitted as of June 6.

New cases in Switzerland rose by 15 on Wednesday to 30,776, while the death toll hit 1,649.

Belarus reported 897 new infections on Wednesday, taking its total to 38,956, according to the country's health ministry.

Julian Shea in London, Ren Qi in Moscow, Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.