Global COVID-19 deaths surpass 400,000: The latest around the world June 7

The confirmed global death toll from the COVID-19 virus reached at least 400,000 fatalities on Sunday, a day after the government of Brazil broke with standard public health protocols by ceasing to publish updates of the number of deaths and infections in the hard-hit South American country.

Worldwide, at least 6.9 million people have been infected by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University, whose aggregated tally has become the main worldwide reference for monitoring the disease.

Its running counter says the U.S. leads the world with nearly 110,000 confirmed virus-related deaths. Europe as a whole has recorded more than 175,000 since the virus emerged in China late last year.

Health experts, however, believe that the John Hopkins tally falls short of showing the true tragedy of the pandemic.

Many governments have struggled to produce statistics that can reasonably be considered as true indicators of the pandemic given the scarcity of diagnostic tests, especially in the first phase of the crisis. Authorities in Italy and Spain, with over 60,000 combined deaths, have acknowledged that their death count is larger than the story the numbers tell.

Brazil's government has stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections; critics say it's an attempt to hide the true toll of the disease.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro went as far as to tweet on Saturday that his country's disease totals are "not representative" of Brazil's current situation, insinuating that the numbers were actually overestimating the spread of the virus.

Critics of Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly clashed with health experts over the seriousness of the disease and has threatened to take Brazil out of the World Health Organization, said the decision was a maneuver by the hardman-style leader to hide the depths of crisis.

Brazil's last official numbers recorded over 34,000 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in the world behind the U.S. and Britain. It reported nearly 615,000 infections, putting it second behind the U.S.

Canada had 95,699 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases as of 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, according to a CBC News tally, including 33,630 active cases and 54,221 recoveries.

At least 7,848 people in Canada have died from coronavirus.

WATCH | Scientists aim to reduce waste from created from disposable pandemic supplies:

Scientists aim to reduce waste created from disposable pandemic supplies

3 years ago

Duration 2:05

All those disposable gloves, masks and wipes that people are using to protect themselves against COVID-19 are creating a waste problem, but scientists are working on a made-in-Canada solution.

Here's a look at what's happening with COVID-19 in Canada

• 5 green infrastructure projects engineers recommend to boost COVID-19 economic recovery.
• Health Canada recalls some hand sanitizers over industrial-grade ethanol content.
• COVID-19 travel advisories create tensions in B.C. tourism towns.
• Ontario extends emergency orders to June 19, as province reports 455 new COVID-19 cases.
• A look at how provinces plan to emerge from COVID-19 shutdown.
• Provincial border bans during COVID-19 spark lawsuits, anger from Canadians denied entry.
• Canada has an army of volunteers ready to help fight COVID-19 — so why aren't we using them?

Here's a look at what's happening around the world on Sunday. 

Spain is preparing to take another step forward in the scaling back of its containment with Madrid and Barcelona opening the interiors of restaurants with reduced seating on Monday.

In France, the government announced that from Tuesday, it will ease restrictions limiting travel from the French mainland to overseas territories in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.

In Turkey, Istanbul residents flocked to the city's shores and parks on the first weekend with no lockdown, prompting a reprimand from the health minister.

Russia remained troubling, with nearly 9,000 new cases over the past day, roughly in line with numbers reported over the past week.

India confirmed 9,971 new coronavirus cases in another biggest single-day spike, a day before it prepares to reopen shopping malls, hotels and religious places after a 10-week lockdown.

Pakistan is pushing toward 100,000 confirmed infections as medical professionals plead for more controls and greater enforcement of social distancing directives. But Prime Minister Imran Khan said a full shutdown would devastate a failing economy.

China has reported its first non-imported case in two weeks, an infected person on the island of Hainan off the southern coast.

South Korea has reported 57 additional cases of the coronavirus, marking a second day in a row that its daily jump is above 50 as authorities struggle to suppress a spike in fresh infections in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area.

Britain will allow places of worship to reopen on June 15 — but only for private prayer.