As countries around the world move to reopen their economies, more surges in COVID-19 cases are being reported. In Germany, infections are on the rise as the country gradually comes out of lockdown. Meanwhile, France reported almost four times as many deaths Monday than the day before, as it began reopening its economy this week. The World Health Organization’s director-general warned countries against a hasty winding down of lockdowns Monday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “To protect lives and livelihoods, a slow, steady lifting of lockdowns is key to both stimulating economies while also keeping a vigilant eye on the virus so that control measures can be quickly implemented if an upswing in cases is identified.”

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin announced Monday a phased relaxing of restrictions, even as the country is experiencing a surge in infections. Russia has over 232,000 cases, becoming the country with the second-highest number of confirmed cases behind the U.S. In other news from Russia, at least five coronavirus patients died at a St. Petersburg hospital today after a ventilator caught fire. This comes just days after a fire at a Moscow hospital killed one COVID patient.