*Pandemic shows many officials “aren’t even pretending to be in charge” – Former US President
*Deaths hit 1,000 in US state of Washington
*Sunday service resumes in Australia after lifting of lockdown
*Church attendee in US state of California tests positive
*Germany reports 583 more cases, 33 new deaths
*Venezuela sees its largest one-day cases increase
Former President Barack Obama has criticised United States leaders over the handling of the coronavirus response, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials “aren’t even pretending to be in charge”.
This is as 89,420 Americans are reported to have been killed so far by the pandemic that has risen in number to over 1,500,000 in the country while 273,000 patients have been discharged.
Obama spoke on, Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition, a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama said without naming the president or other officials. “A lot them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
The number of deaths in Washington state because of the new coronavirus has reached 1,000.
The Washington State Department of Health added eight more deaths and listed the total number of confirmed cases at 18,288.
Church attendee dies
A person who attended a religious service on Mother’s Day in the US state of California has tested positive for the coronavirus, possibly exposing it to more than 180 members of a congregation.
The church in Butte County, north of Sacramento, chose to open its doors defying the government’s order banning gatherings of any size, county public health officials said.
Australia
Catholics in the Australian state of New South Wales were allowed to attend their first Sunday mass, after coronavirus restrictions were lifted, with only 10 people allowed to be in attendance.
Presiding over mass at St. Michael’s Catholic church in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove, Father Geoffrey Plant told Reuters that even though the number allowed is small, he considers the gathering as “a blessing.”
Australia has recorded just over 7,000 COVID-19 cases, including 98 deaths.
Germany
The Robert Kock Institute reported on Sunday at least 583 new cases in Germany, bringing to 174,355 the total number of cases in the country.
It also reported 33 new deaths as of the end of Saturday, with total fatalities at 7,914.
Venezuela
Venezuela is reporting its biggest one-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic hit the South American nation, with 45 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 504 with 10 deaths.
President Nicolas Maduro ordered a nationwide lockdown shortly after the first cases, and he recently extended it until mid-June, hoping to contain the virus’ spread.
Officials say that 35 of the cases involved people returning to Venezuela, including several on a flight from Peru.
