WELLINGTON – Surfers in New Zealand hit the waves at dawn, builders returned to construction sites and baristas fired up their espresso machines as the nation eased a strict lockdown Tuesday amid hopeful signs the coronavirus has been all but vanquished Down Under — at least for now.
But elsewhere, Brazil was emerging as a potential new hot spot for infections, and fresh doubts were raised over whether Japan would be able to host the already postponed Olympic Games next year.
Europe and some U.S. states were also continuing to gradually ease limits on movement and commerce as they tried to restart their economies.
But in a reminder of the virus's increasing toll, President Donald Trump said the numbers of deaths could reach 70,000 in the