Covid deaths dropped by 21% last week but cases rising, says WHO

A worker wearing a protective suit administers a Covid-19 test at a coronavirus testing site in Beijing (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

The number of coronavirus deaths globally dropped by about 21% in the past week while cases rose in most parts of the world, according to the World Health Organisation.

In its weekly report on the pandemic, the UN health agency said the number of new Covid-19 cases appears to have stabilised after weeks of decline since late March, with about 3.5 million new cases last week, or a 1% rise.