The US headed into the Fourth of July weekend with many parades and fireworks displays canceled, beaches and bars closed, and health authorities warning that this will be a crucial test of Americans’ self-control that could determine the trajectory of the surging coronavirus outbreak.

Boris Johnson wants a haircut and a beer. Like millions of other Britons, the prime minister will be able to have a trim and a tipple on Saturday, when the country takes its biggest step yet out of coronavirus lockdown with the reopening in England of restaurants, pubs and hairdressers, along with secular and sacred venues including cinemas and churches.

The World Health Organisation expects initial results within two weeks from clinical trials it is conducting of drugs that might be effective in treating Covid-19 patients, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Friday.

Serbia's authorities declared on Friday a state of emergency in Belgrade, and reimposed some restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 after a surge of infections in the capital, news wires reported. People will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces or on public transport, opening hours of clubs and cafes will be shortened, and gatherings will be limited to 100 people indoors or 500 outdoors. The state of emergency comes into effect immediately.

The United States reported more than 55,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the largest daily increase any country has ever reported, according to a Reuters tally.

The British government will effectively ditch its air bridge plans and simply end the coronavirus quarantine rules for those arriving from 75 countries so that people can go on holiday, The Daily Telegraph reported. According to the outlet, the ban on non-essential travel will be lifted for nearly all EU destinations, the British territories including Bermuda and Gibraltar, as well as Turkey, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.

The US recorded 52,000 new cases on Wednesday according to Johns Hopkins figures, a new all-time daily high as Donald Trump has said he believes the coronavirus will “just disappear”.

The first of four experimental COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging results in very early testing of 45 people, the companies said Wednesday.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a coronavirus resolution on Wednesday, after more than three months of deadlock over a response to the crisis, dpa reports. The text backs UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' 23 March call for a global ceasefire so that the world can concentrate on tackling the outbreak.

People testing negative for coronavirus antibodies may still have some immunity, according to a Karolinksa Institute study cited by the BBC. For every person testing positive for antibodies, two were found to have specific T-cells which identify and destroy infected cells. This was seen even in people who had mild or symptomless cases of Covid-19.