Coronavirus news live: South Africa reverses decision to open schools; sharp rise in Iran’s infection rate

By Damien Gayle (now); Simon Burnton, Helen Sullivan and Alison Rourke (earlier)

Brazil passes 500,000 Covid-19 cases; Japan could allow overseas visitors; India extends lockdown in ‘high-risk’ zones; UK ministers defend easing lockdown

11.55am BST

Restaurants and cafes reopened under strict rules in Turkey on Monday, as the country continued easing its coronavirus restrictions.

As millions of public sector workers returned to work, and an intercity travel ban was lifted, many other amenities, including parks, beaches, libraries and museums also reopened across the country.

11.43am BST

Child protection experts say that Covid-19 school closures have exposed children around the world to human rights abuses such as forced genital mutilation, early marriage and sexual violence, Harriet Grant writes.

Globally, the World Bank estimates that 1.6 billion children were locked out of education by Covid-19. As schools in England and around the world prepare to reopen this week, NGOs warn that millions of the world’s most vulnerable children may never return to the classroom, and say that after decades fighting for girls’ education the pandemic could cause gender equality in education to be set back decades.

The community has taken advantage of this situation of Covid-19 and where children are now back at home they are cutting their girls. They know it is against the law but they are not afraid. We had one mother who was jailed for a year after carrying out FGM but for her she is happy. She is locked up but her girl is cut.

Many girls have been cut, including girls we had managed to keep safe through the cutting season, which began in October last year. Some girls escaped and they ran to our FGM centre; we had several girls just turn up. For these children, school is a safe place.

Related: ‘Many girls have been cut’: how global school closures left children at risk

Source: Coronavirus news live: South Africa reverses decision to open schools; sharp rise in Iran’s infection rate

Category: Coronavirus outbreak, World news, Brazil, India, Donald Trump, Italy, Spain, China, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, South and Central Asia