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Coronavirus pandemic - World News

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Florida has overtaken New York in the number of coronavirus cases, according to the latest figures from the state's health department.

Vietnam is again on high alert for the coronavirus after medical officials detected the country's first few locally transmitted cases in three months.

Australia recorded its highest ever daily tally of deaths from the novel coronavirus, all in Victoria as authorities in the state battled scores of clusters of infection.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the public should remain extremely vigilant as the country nears a total of 1,400,000 infections, with almost 50,000 cases reported in the past 24 hours.
 
Brazil registers 555 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, health ministry says

Brazil registered an additional 555 deaths attributable to the novel coronavirus over the last 24 hours and another 24,578 confirmed cases, the health ministry said on Sunday.

The South American nation has now registered 87,004 deaths and 2,419,091 total confirmed cases.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-h...-on-sunday-health-ministry-says-idUKKCN24R0SN
 
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases reaches more than 16 million - up by a million in just four days

A doctor who diagnosed early infections in China says local officials covered up the scale of the initial outbreak

Clusters in China lead to 61 new cases recorded on Monday - the highest daily figure since April

Australia also records its biggest daily spike, with more than 530 new cases in Victoria state

Vietnam has closed the city of Da Nang to tourists after four new locally transmitted coronavirus were recorded - the country's first since April

Spain insists it is a safe for tourists after the UK ordered people coming from the country to quarantine
 
In the UK, there have been calls for support for people returning from Spain to quarantine - where there is no guarantee their employers will allow them to work from home for two weeks

The total number of confirmed cases has now reached more than 16 million - up by a million in just four days

In the last 24 hours, there have been more than 55,000 new infections in Brazil, 53,000 in the US and 48,000 in India, Johns Hopkins University data shows

Australia has recorded its biggest daily spike, with more than 530 new cases in Victoria State

Vietnam has closed the city of Da Nang to tourists after four new locally transmitted coronavirus cases were recorded - the country's first since April

North Korea has reported what it describes as its first suspected case of coronavirus. State media said a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned across the demarcation line last week with symptoms

Israel, which had previously had a good record on limiting the spread, is also experiencing a spike with more than 1,700 new infections reported
 
Vietnam evacuating 80,000 people from city after three positive coronavirus tests
 
Covid-19 is "easily the most severe" global health emergency the World Health Organization (WHO) has ever declared, the agency has said

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases reaches more than 16 million - up by a million in just four days

Spain is fighting to save its tourism industry after the UK imposed a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from the country

Hong Kong has reported 145 new cases, setting a new daily record - hours after announcing its toughest measures yet to contain the spread

Clusters in China lead to 61 new cases recorded on Monday - the highest daily figure since April

A pet cat has become the first animal in the UK to test positive for Covid-19

Australia also records its biggest daily spike, with more than 530 new cases in Victoria state

Vietnam has closed the city of Da Nang to tourists after four new locally transmitted coronavirus were recorded - the country's first since April

Spain insists it is a safe for tourists after the UK ordered people coming from the country to quarantine
 
WHO says travel bans cannot be kept up indefinitely, and are also only useful when combined with a wide range of other measures to detect and break chains of transmission.

The world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got under way on Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the US government along with Moderna Inc - one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.

Hong Kong has announced further restrictions in a bid to curb a surge in coronavirus cases, including a ban on gatherings of more than two people, a ban on restaurant dining and mandatory face masks outdoors.

Vietnam has ordered the evacuation of at least 80,000 tourists on Monday from the central city of Da Nang following the re-emergence of the coronavirus. The government said it needs four days to implement the evacuation.

The number of coronavirus infections has hit 16.20 million worldwide, while more than 647,900 people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 9.36 million patients have recovered.

Morocco will stop people from entering and leaving some of its biggest cities, including Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangier starting on Monday to contain a surge in coronavirus cases. Earlier, the health ministry reported 633 new cases, one of the biggest daily rises so far.
 
Germany says it will make tests mandatory for travellers returning from high-risk areas

Belgium tightens social restrictions to try to avert fresh lockdown

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says the UK’s 14-day quarantine is "unjust" and tourists would be safer from coronavirus in most Spanish regions than in the UK

A lack of translated coronavirus guidance is jeopardising the safety of non-English speakers in the UK, a joint letter to the health secretary claims

US Republicans propose spending an additional $1tn (£776bn) to address the economic damage caused by the pandemic

Emirates becomes the first airline to offer free Covid-19 insurance as it tries to get people flying again

Worldwide, more than 16m cases have been recorded so far, with about 650,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US
 
Vietnam locks down its 3rd-largest city as virus cases grow

Vietnam has locked down its third-largest city for two weeks after 15 cases of COVID-19 were found in a hospital, the government said.

Public transport into and out of the central city of Da Nang was cancelled. Over the weekend, thousands of mostly Vietnamese tourists had to end their summer holidays in the popular beach destination. The lockdown has dealt a hard blow to the tourism industry, which was just being revived after earlier coronavirus cases mostly subsided at the end of April.
 
The German foreign ministry advises against unnecessary travel to Catalonia, Navarra and Aragon "due to high infection numbers"

Belgium tightens social restrictions to try to avert fresh lockdown

UK PM Boris Johnson warns of signs of a second wave in Europe, as he defended a 14-day quarantine on travellers from Spain

Authorities in Madrid make wearing face masks in public compulsory at all times

A lack of translated coronavirus guidance is jeopardising the safety of non-English speakers in the UK, a joint letter to the health secretary claims

US Republicans propose spending an additional $1tn (£776bn) to address the economic damage caused by the pandemic

Worldwide, more than 16m cases have been recorded so far, with about 650,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US
 
Almost 1,600 virus-related deaths are logged in the US on Tuesday, the biggest daily increase since May

Six southern and western states register record numbers of new coronavirus infections

UK government to fund studies to explain why ethnic minorities are at greater risk

MPs call the decision to discharge patients in England to care homes without tests "reckless"

Hong Kong government warns hospitals face "collapse" as it grapples with a rise in cases

Scaled back Hajj begins in Saudi Arabia with international visitors banned

There have been nearly 16.7 million confirmed cases globally, and around 660,000 deaths
 
Bolivians protest, Colombia extends lockdown: Latin America round-up

Venues which only a year ago were hosting the Panamerican Games are now being used to treat coronavirus patients in Peru. The country is nearing 400,000 cases, the third-worst affected in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.

In some cities, such as Arequipa, hospitals have been struggling to cope with demand and some patients were given oxygen in their cars.

In Colombia, President Iván Duque has extended the lockdown in the country for another month to the end of August. It is the eighth time it has been extended since it was first brought in at the end of March.

However, the president said shops and businesses in areas where there are no cases would be allowed to gradually reopen but that entertainment venues such as bars would remain closed. Colombia has more than 267,000 confirmed cases and there have been more than 9,000 Covid-related deaths.

Meanwhile, thousands of people in Bolivia have taken to the streets in protest at the postponement of the presidential election from September to October. Bolivia's electoral commission said the delay was necessary because of the coronavirus crisis.

But the opposition says the government of interim President Jeanine Áñez is using the pandemic as an excuse to extend its time in office. Áñez came to power last year after the long-term socialist president, Evo Morales, resigned following disputed elections.
 
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Europe's regional director for the World Health Organization said increasing infections among young people could be driving recent spikes in cases. Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that authorities needed to communicate better with young people

Meanwhile, the top infectious disease expert in the US, Dr Anthony Fauci, told the BBC that the recent surge in cases can be attributed to some states not following expert advice. He also told the BBC that US President Donald Trump's tweets about face masks were "not helpful"

Hong Kong's hospital system could face "collapse" as it grapples with a sharp rise in cases, the city's leader Carrie Lam warned. She urged residents to stay indoors, saying the city was "on the verge of a large-scale community outbreak"

The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia began with drastically reduced numbers. More than two million pilgrims normally take part in the Hajj but this year only about 10,000 Saudi residents will perform the five-day ritual

There have been nearly 16.7 million confirmed cases of the virus globally, and around 660,000 deaths
 
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Florida is to close its coronavirus testing centres as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches

The decision comes a day after the US state reported a record 216 deaths

Coronavirus has killed more than 150,000 people in the United States

The time people with symptoms will have to self-isolate for is expected to increase from seven to 10 days in England

Australia's virus-hit state of Victoria has reported its worst death toll and case rise

Violent protests have broken out in Paraguay after areas were ordered back into lockdown

There are now more than 17m confirmed cases of coronavirus and 667,000 reported deaths worldwide
 
The coronavirus seems to be accelerating in countries across the world with Australia the latest to announce a record number of daily cases - 723.

The world's two worst-affected countries - the United States and Brazil - have also reported new highs for coronavirus deaths and cases. In the US the death toll has surpassed 150,000, with Florida, California and Texas among a number of states reporting record daily fatalities.

Nearly 17 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. Some 9.9 million patients have recovered, and more than 666,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
'Today is not a good day': Australia reports number of cases

Australia has reported the highest number of confirmed cases since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The state of Victoria is the worst-hit with outbreaks centred around care homes and workplaces in Melbourne and its sprawling suburbs.

State authorities reported 723 new cases on Thursday and 13 deaths.

"Today is not a good day," Victoria state Premier Dan Andrews said in a statement.

He noted that while most cases in the state were in Melbourne and the suburbs there had been a "significant jump" in cases in regional communities, which warranted additional measures to curb the disease's spread.

Mandatory mask wearing extended across the state from Sunday, and in some areas residents will not be allowed to go to other people's houses or have visitors to their own home.

Internal borders have been closed to help curb the spread of the virus beyond Victoria. The state of Queensland in the northeast earlier announced three new cases - two of the people are thought to have been exposed to the virus in Sydney.
 
Spain recorded its highest daily increase in the number of coronavirus cases since lockdown was lifted on 21 June. On Thursday, 1,229 new infections were reported, topping 1,000 for the second day in a row.

Japan recorded a record high for new cases for the second day in a row. At least 1,274 cases were reported on Thursday, including a record 367 in Tokyo, where officials are considering issuing its own version of a state of emergency depending on the number of cases in the coming days.

Coronavirus may cost Latin America and Caribbean a decade. Poverty in the region is forecast to climb 7 percentage points compared with last year to engulf an additional 45 million people, according to a report by the WHO and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The UK had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe during the pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics. Around 65,000 more people than usual have died from all causes across the United Kingdom so far this year, the highest total in Europe, with numbers in England noticeably higher than the other four nations.

The US economy suffered its worst quarter since the second world war as GDP shrunk by 32.9%. The government figures, revealed on Thursday, showed more signs of the pandemic’s heavy toll on the country’s economy.

Libya’s internationally recognised government in Tripoli will impose a full lockdown in areas of the country it controls following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.

France ruled out a “catastrophic” second national lockdown despite a rise in coronavirus infections. The prime minister Jean Castex said the priority was still prevention, as a second national lockdown would be catastrophic, both socially and economically.

US Congress no closer to a deal to extend or replace $600-per-week payments. The Democrats and Republicans have reached a stalemate on a coronavirus response bill, with state aid to those made unemployed by the pandemic set to expire in just one day.
 
Separate households are banned from meeting each other indoors in large parts of northern England

Four million people are hit with the measures, imposed after a spike in coronavirus cases

The WHO is to meet to discuss what more can be done to control the pandemic

Japan and Vietnam report record daily new cases

Melbourne in Australia could face further restrictions as cases rise despite a lockdown

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he's taking antibiotics to treat an infection after contracting coronavirus

Globally there have been more than 17m cases and nearly 700,000 deaths
 
Indonesia reports 2,040 new cases, 73 deaths

Indonesia reported 2,040 new infections and 73 additional deaths, according to data published on the country's COVID-19 task force website.

This brought Indonesia's total number of confirmed infections to 108,376 and deaths to 5,131.
 
UK prime minister Boris Johnson has reversed a decision to further relax lockdown restrictions in England from Saturday, as the chief medical officer says the country is “at the outer edge” of how far society can reopen with coronavirus. Speaking at a hastily arranged Downing Street press conference, the prime minister said he was pausing the reopening of leisure businesses, such as casinos and bowling alleys, and preventing beauty salons resuming close-up treatments, for at least two weeks.

Germany has added three northern Spanish regions to its list of high-risk destinations, meaning anyone arriving from those areas will have to produce a negative coronavirus test or go into quarantine for 14 days. Germany’s foreign ministry said it had toughened up its warning against travel to the regions of Catalonia, Navarre and Aragon following a spike in Covid-19 cases there.

Lithuania is to impose quarantine on arrivals from France starting Monday after a surge in coronavirus cases there.

Some French cities are expected to introduce additional face mask requirements. From Friday in Orleans, in central France, masks will be required in open-air markets and after 9pm along the Loire river, where crowds of people have been gathering in the evenings. The mayors of Bayonne and the nearby Atlantic resort of Biarritz also announced face masks would be compulsory in their city centres starting next week.

The US economy shrank by an annual rate of 32.9% between April and June, its sharpest contraction since the second world war, government figures revealed on Thursday.

China recorded its highest daily total of new Covid-19 cases since early March, the vast majority of them in the north-western region of Xinjiang. Nationally there were 127 new cases, including four imported and 123 local transmissions. There were 112 in Xinjiang and 11 were in the eastern province of Liaoning.

Vietnam has reported 45 new coronavirus infections in the city of Danang, marking the country’s biggest single-day jump in cases, as the health ministry sent more health experts to the central city in a bid to combat the outbreak.
 
Friday has seen a record daily global increase in coronavirus cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The one-day total rose by 292,527 - up from the previous record daily increase of 284,196 on 24 July.
Deaths on Friday rose by 6,812, according to a daily report.

The countries reporting the largest increases were the US, Brazil, India and South Africa.
 
Spain has confirmed 1,525 new cases, the biggest rise since the lockdown was lifted there last month.

It is the third day in a row that new cases have exceeded 1,000.

More than half of these recent infections are from Aragon and Madrid, according to El Pais.

More than 28,000 people have died in Spain and more than 285,000 cases have been confirmed since the outbreak began.
 
Vietnam recorded its second coronavirus death as the country battles a new outbreak of the virus, which emerged in the city of Danang.

Spain reported a second day of 1,000-plus coronavirus infections, the highest since the nation lifted its lockdown in June.

Libya's United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli announced it would impose a full lockdown in areas of the country it controls, after a rise in COVID-19 cases.

More than 17.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. More than 10.2 million patients have recovered, and at least 677,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
Mexico overtakes UK to post third-highest death toll

The number of coronavirus deaths in Mexico rose to 46,688 on Friday, with the Latin American country overtaking the United Kingdom for the world's third-highest COVID-19 death toll.

The health ministry registered 8,458 new cases, a record for a single day, as well as 688 additional deaths, bringing the total to 424,637 cases and 46,688 deaths.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
 
As it stands there have been 17.5 million infections and 679,000 deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic globally, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University

Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, has told the US Congress he was “cautiously optimistic” that a “safe and effective” vaccine against coronavirus will be ready for use by the end of 2020

Mexico’s coronavirus death toll has surpassed 46,000, overtaking the UK as the country with the third-highest number of Covid-19 fatalities in the world

People shielding against coronavirus can now leave their home and return to work in England, but a further easing of lockdown restrictions has been postponed

The leader of a secretive South Korean sect at the centre of the country’s early coronavirus outbreak was arrested on Saturday for allegedly hindering the government’s effort to contain the epidemic

A second person has died with Covid-19 in Vietnam, a day after the first coronavirus-related fatality in the country, which prided itself on its effective containment strategy early in the pandemic

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro told crowds on Friday that “almost all of you will catch” coronavirus one day, in comments that echo his tendency to play down the seriousness of the disease
 
India confirmed the steepest spike of 57,118 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its coronavirus caseload close to 1.7 million.

Vietnam recorded its second coronavirus death as the country battles a new outbreak of the virus, which emerged in the city of Danang.

Spain reported a second day of 1,000-plus coronavirus infections, the highest since the nation lifted its lockdown in June.

Libya's United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli announced it would impose a full lockdown in areas of the country it controls, after a rise in COVID-19 cases.

More than 17.5 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. More than 10.3 million patients have recovered, and at least 679,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
Russia plans mass vaccination against coronavirus from October

Russia is preparing to start a mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus in October, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday, RIA news agency reported.

The minister, who did not give details about the vaccine to be used, said doctors and teachers would be the first to be vaccinated.

A source told Reuters this week that Russia's first potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by a state research facility, would secure local regulatory approval in August and be administered to health workers soon after that.
 
Coronavirus: South Korean Shincheonji sect leader arrested

South Korea has arrested the leader of a religious sect linked to the country's largest coronavirus outbreak.

Lee Man-hee, 88, heads the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. More than 5,000 of its members became infected, making up 36% of all Covid-19 cases in the country.

The authorities accuse him of hiding information about the group's members and gatherings from contact tracers.

The church says Mr Lee was concerned for his members' privacy, but never hid information from the authorities.

South Korea currently has 14,336 coronavirus cases, and 300 deaths.

Mr Lee was arrested early on Saturday, following an investigation. A judge said there were signs that evidence related to the case was being destroyed.

Mr Lee is also accused of embezzling 5.6bn won ($4.7m; £3.6m) and holding unapproved religious events.

In a statement, the Shincheonji Church said Mr Lee had been concerned about "excessive requests" for personal details of members, but never attempted to obstruct the investigation.

"The court's issuance of an arrest warrant doesn't mean a guilty verdict," it added. "All possible efforts will be made to unveil the truth in the upcoming court trials."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53620633
 
The latest developments in Asia

The Philippines reported almost 5,000 new coronavirus cases, in a record daily increase for the country. Dozens of medical associations signed a letter urging President Rodrigo Duterte to tighten recently eased lockdown measures

The health ministry in Vietnam reported 40 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections to 586. It came after the country reported its first Covid-19 fatalities on Friday

Japan's Okinawa prefecture has declared a state of emergency, with people urged to stay at home for two weeks amid a spike in infections

India has reported more than 57,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, marking a record daily total

The leader of a sect at the centre of the early coronavirus outbreak in South Korea has been arrested for allefedly obstructing a tracing investigation

Hong Kong has turned its AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition centre into a temporary hospital with 500 beds amid a surge in coronavirus cases
 
The death toll in Latin America from the novel coronavirus has surpassed 200,000, a Reuters tally showed, after Peru reported another 191 deaths from the pandemic early on Sunday.

South Africa has surpassed 500,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, representing more than 50 percent of all reported coronavirus infections in Africa's 54 countries. It also reported more than 8,000 deaths.

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to demand the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the coronavirus emergency, and the alleged corruption in his government.

More than 17.79 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. Almost 10.5 million patients have recovered and more than 684,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
A state of disaster has been declared in the Australian state of Victoria after a spike in infections

The city of Melbourne has been placed under curfew. Residents can go out once a day to shop for food or exercise

India has recorded more than 50,000 new cases of the virus for a third consecutive day

Teachers and parents need "greater clarity" on the reopening of UK schools, a teachers' union says

Coronavirus is cited as the reason for holding Trump's election nomination without press in attendance

More than 500,000 cases have now been confirmed in South Africa, the country's health minister says

More than 17m cases and 685,000 deaths have been recorded worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University
 
LIMA (Reuters) - The death toll in Latin America from the novel coronavirus passed 200,000 on Saturday night, a Reuters tally showed, underlining the region’s status as one of the global epicenters of the pandemic that is testing governments to the limit.

Apart from the United States, Brazil and Mexico have racked up more fatalities from the virus than any other country, and together they account for around 70% of the regional death toll.

Both have struggled to balance the need to curb the spread of the virus with restrictive safety measures while trying to reopen their economies, which have been battered by the crisis.

Brazil reported a daily record of 1,595 coronavirus deaths earlier in the week and registered another 1,088 on Saturday. Mexico recorded 784 fatalities on Saturday and for the first time logged more than 9,000 new infections from the virus.

Other countries in Latin America are also battling to hold the coronavirus at bay, and the region breached the 200,000 mark after Peru registered another 191 fatalities.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-death-toll-surges-past-200000-idUSKBN24Y05U
 
Russia's coronavirus cases surpass 850,000

Russia reported 5,427 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing its nationwide tally to 850,870, the fourth-largest caseload in the world.

Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 70 people had died over the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll in the country of around 145 million people to 14,128.
 
The death toll in Latin America from the novel coronavirus has surpassed 200,000, a Reuters tally showed, after Peru reported another 191 deaths from the pandemic early on Sunday.

The Philippines has reported 5,032 additional coronavirus infections, its largest single-day increase on record, taking the country's confirmed cases to 103,185.

Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah has announced that he tested positive for the new coronavirus and was hospitalised.

More than 17.79 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus. Almost 10.5 million patients have recovered and more than 684,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
A state of disaster has been declared in the Australian state of Victoria after a spike in infections

The city of Melbourne has been placed under curfew. Residents can go out once a day to shop for food or exercise

India has recorded more than 50,000 new cases of the virus for a fourth consecutive day

Bollywood giant Amitabh Bachchan is discharged from hospital after contracting coronavirus

Teachers and parents need "greater clarity" on the reopening of UK schools, a teachers' union says

Coronavirus is cited as the reason for holding Trump's election nomination without press in attendance

More than 500,000 cases have now been confirmed in South Africa, the country's health minister says

More than 17m cases and 685,000 deaths have been recorded worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University
 
More than 18 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus as of Monday. Almost 11 million have recovered and while nearly 690,000 have died.

The US is in a new phase of the outbreak, with infections "extraordinarily widespread" in rural areas as well as cities, a White House expert said as cases hit 4.68 million with more than 155,000 deaths reported.

Despite fears of the spread of coronavirus, parliamentary elections will go ahead in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hoping to tighten his hold on the nation's politics.

Millions of COVID-19 tests that work in 90 minutes will be rolled out in the UK, the country's health minister says. Cases nationwide surpassed 306,000, with more than 46,000 deaths.

Brazil has recorded 25,800 additional confirmed cases and 541 deaths, bringing the total to more than 2.73 million cases and more than 94,000 deaths as of the end of Sunday.
 
July was the worst month of the coronavirus pandemic so far for many countries, with more than 8 million cases recorded – nearly as many as the first six months of the outbreak put together, figures have shown.

With global infections passing 18 million on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned over the weekend that the pandemic continues to accelerate, with cases doubling about every six weeks.

The United States reported a record 1.87 million cases in July, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, more than twice the figure for the previous record month, April, when 860,000 new cases were reported. May saw 690,200 new infections, while June saw 820,000 cases. US infections are approaching 5 million, with 4,657,693 confirmed, or more than a quarter of the global total. US deaths stand at 154,834, or a fifth of the global total of 687,067.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi escalated an attack on Dr Deborah Birx, a senior scientist on Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce, in television comments on Sunday as Birx defended the administration’s handling of the pandemic.

India, with the third-highest number of cases worldwide, also saw the vast majority of its cases confirmed in July, with 1.1 million of its 1.75 million infections reported in the past four weeks, AP reported. India reported nearly 55,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, down from the previous day’s record of 57,118. At least 37,364 people have died in India during the pandemic so far.

Brazil saw 1.2 million of its 2.7 million cases – the second-highest worldwide – reported in July, while South Africa saw 300,000 in July, compared with 116,000 in June. South Africa is the fourth-worst affected country in terms of cases, and passed 500,000 cases on Saturday.

In a report on its progress in handling the pandemic published over the weekend, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote: “By the end of June 2020, WHO had received reports of almost 10 million cases and half a million lives lost. The pandemic continues to accelerate; at the current rate, cases are doubling around every six weeks.”

Five of the past seven days have seen daily increases of more than 250,000 cases – or a million every four days.

In Australia, which has confirmed fewer than 20,000 cases since January, a severe lockdown began in Melbourne, Victoria, on Sunday night. Measures include a curfew from 8pm to 5am, one person being able to leave the house for grocery shopping per day, within 5km of home, and exercise being conducted within 5km of home for a maximum of one hour per day. These restrictions are expected to be in place for six weeks.

State premier Daniel Andrews also announced further restrictions on businesses on Monday.

Other key developments around the world include:

Vietnam is rushing to build a 700-bed makeshift hospital to cope with an outbreak in the central city of Da Nang, as the health minister warned the current strain of the virus is more contagious than those previously seen in the country.

Honduras will extend its curfew for another week in an effort to curb the pandemic, Reuters reported, citing the security ministry. Honduras first imposed a curfew, which is in effect daily between 5pm and 7am, in March.

The number of new Covid-19 cases in China’s far north-western region of Xinjiang continue to fall, with 28 reported on Monday. China reported 43 new cases nationwide, seven of them imported and eight in the north-eastern province of Liaoning.

Seven Chinese health officials arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday, the first of a 60-person team that will carry out widespread Covid-19 testing in the territory as it races to halt another wave. A group of local Hong Kong councillors said on Sunday that some local residents fear China may use their presence as an opportunity to collect DNA samples for surveillance purposes.

A major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester in England in response to increases in coronavirus infection rates across “multiple localities”.
 
While hopes for a vaccine are strong, there may never be a "silver bullet" for the coronavirus, the WHO warns

The pandemic is likely to be "lengthy", the UN health agency says, and response fatigue is a risk

Infections in the Australian state of Victoria are surging - many businesses to close under new lockdown

The number of virus deaths in Iran is nearly triple what the government says, leaked data shows

New tests for Covid-19 and flu that can give results in 90 minutes are to be rolled out in the UK next week

Manchester, in northern England, declares a major incident after a rise in the infection rate

Diners at UK restaurants to get 50% off meals as "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme launches

Globally, more than 18 million infections and 689,000 deaths have been recorded - Johns Hopkins University
 
Spain reports 968 new cases, total exceeds 288,000

Spain has reported 968 new coronavirus infections in the past day, showing a slower pace of contagion than last week when the country reported more than 1,000 new cases for three days in a row.
 
France reports 3,376 new COVID-19 cases over three-day period

France has reported 3,376 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last three days, the country’s health department said on Monday, while the number of people being treated in ICUs for the disease is creeping higher.

The seven-day moving average for new cases has held above the 1,000 threshold for the fifth day in a row, meaning the country is experiencing levels not seen since a two-month lockdown. France’s total number of cases now stands at 191,295.

The 1,125 daily average of cases seen since the beginning of August is more than twice as high a June’s 435 figure and a third higher than July’s 746.

Earlier on Monday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex urged people not to let down their guard in the fight against COVID-19. Lille, one of France’s biggest cities, has ordered people to wear masks outdoors in busy pedestrian streets.

The number of people in intensive care units for COVID-19 stood at 384 on Monday, versus 371 on Friday, the second time in a week that figure has increased after declining for 16 weeks.

Hospitalisations decreased by a 100 to 5,198, continuing a 10-week long trend and suggesting the recent spike in cases has not translated in a renewed strain on the health system at this stage.

French health authorities reported 29 additional deaths from the disease, bringing the total to 30,294.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ases-over-three-day-period-idUKKCN24Z2C3?il=0
 
Australia's second-most populous state Victoria said on Tuesday that 500 military personnel will be deployed to enforce COVID-19 isolation orders, with anyone caught in breach of those rules facing hefty fines as high as $14,250.

Latin America broke through five million confirmed cases of COVID-19, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the region's position as the area of the world hardest hit by the pandemic. It has already reported more than 200,000 deaths.

Brazil has reported that coronavirus cases in the country rose by 16,641 to 2,750,318 while deaths rose by 561 to 94,665.

More than 18.28 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus as of Tuesday, up more than 280,000 in just one day. More than 10.9 million have recovered, and more than 693,000 have died.
 
India reports 803 deaths and more than 50,000 new cases, the highest total in any country on Monday

The world's second most populous country has the fifth highest death toll, and continues to try to reopen after lockdown

The US - which has the highest total cases and deaths in the world - has recorded just over 47,000 cases and 469 deaths, the CDC said

Australia is imposing strict on-the-spot fines for people who ignore orders to self-isolate

Current testing and tracing may not prevent new virus wave when UK schools reopen, scientists warn

Tens of millions of people in the Philippines are back in lockdown after warnings of a surge

There are now more than 18m confirmed cases across the world, and 693,000 deaths
 
More than 18.54 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, up more than 400,000 in just one day. More than 11 million have recovered, while over 700,000 have died.

Amid fears of widespread coronavirus infections among voters, Sri Lankans will head to the polls on Wednesday to choose a new parliament in an election the party of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is widely expected to win.

Mexico's health ministry has reported 6,148 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 857 additional deaths, bringing the total in the country to 449,961 cases and 48,869 deaths.
 
Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700,000, one person dies every 15 seconds on average

The global death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 700,000 on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Reuters tallies, with the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico leading the rise in fatalities.

Nearly 5,900 people are dying every 24 hours from COVID-19 on average, according to Reuters calculations based on data from the past two weeks.

That equates to 247 people per hour, or one person every 15 seconds.

The United States and Latin America are the new epicentres of the pandemic and both are struggling to curb the spread of the virus.
 
Spread of the coronavirus in the UK could have been slowed with earlier quarantine restrictions on arrivals, says a report from MPs

Travellers told to self-isolate in early stages were mostly from Asia but countries such as Spain should have been included, they say

Thousands of infected people are likely to have arrived in the days before lockdown was imposed in late March, report adds

Australia records another daily record in virus cases, driven by an outbreak in Melbourne, which is under a new lockdown

Sri Lankans go to the polls to vote for a new parliament, with virus safety measures in place

Virgin Atlantic becomes latest airline industry casualty as it files for bankruptcy in the US

Global death toll has passed 700,000; more than 11 million people have recovered from the virus
 
More than 18.55 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus as of Wednesday, up by more than 400,000 in just one day. More than 11.1 million have recovered, while about 700,000 have died.
 
Spain has reported 1,772 new coronavirus infections, marking the biggest jump since a national lockdown was lifted in June and beating the previous day's record rise.

More than 18.55 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus as of Wednesday, up by more than 400,000 in just one day. More than 11.1 million have recovered, while about 700,000 have died.

Amid fears of widespread coronavirus infections among voters, Sri Lankans will head to the polls on Wednesday to choose a new parliament in an election President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party is expected to win.
 
France's daily COVID-19 cases highest since end-May

France’s daily COVID-19 infections reached the highest in more than two months on Wednesday, at 1,695, and the seven-day moving average stood above the 1,300 threshold for the first time since the end of April, when the country was still in lockdown.

The 1,222 daily average of cases seen since the beginning of August is now almost three times higher than June’s 435 figure but still half April’s 2,585, when the pandemic was in full swing.

France’s main seaside resorts have made wearing masks in the streets mandatory and some have restricted access to the beaches in the wake of the uptick in new cases.

Paris authorities are expected to announce shortly that people will have to wear face masks along the banks of the Seine and around the trendy Canal Saint-Martin, as well as in some of the capital’s other tourist hot spots.

However, after creeping up over the past two days, the number of patients in intensive care units in French hospitals for COVID-19 went down by four, to 384.

And the overall number of people hospitalised with the disease fell by 14 to 5,148, following a downward trend of two and a half months and suggesting the spike in cases has not yet translated into renewed strain on the health system.

The number of people in ICUs for the virus peaked at 7,148 on April 8 and overall hospitalisations at 32,292 on April 14.

French health authorities reported nine additional deaths from the disease, bringing the total to 30,305, the seventh-highest in the world. The number of confirmed cases stands at 194,029.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-h...-19-cases-highest-since-end-may-idUKKCN2512PL
 
Facebook and Twitter pulled posts by US President Donald Trump for violating their COVID-19 misinformation rules.

Brazil's top court ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to draw up a plan within 30 days to reduce COVID-19's threat to the country's Indigenous people.

Spain reported 1,772 new coronavirus infections, marking the biggest jump since a national lockdown was lifted in June and beating the previous day's record rise.

More than 18.7 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, while the global death toll surpassed 704,000 people. More than 11.2 million have recovered.
 
France, Spain and Greece record their highest number of new cases in weeks

Facebook and Twitter penalise Donald Trump and his campaign for posts showing "harmful Covid misinformation"

In the UK, 50m face masks bought by the government will not be used in hospitals because of safety concerns

A fire in a hospital in India kills eight coronavirus patients

Australia is set to introduce more travel restrictions as it battles a new wave of infections
 
Vietnam turns Danang stadium into field hospital amid virus outbreak

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam is close to completing the conversion of a sports stadium into a 1,000-bed field hospital in its new coronavirus epicentre Danang, the health ministry said on Thursday, as it battles an outbreak that has spread to at least 11 locations.

Aggressive contact-tracing, targeted testing and strict quarantining had helped Vietnam halt an earlier contagion, but it is now racing to control infections in the central city and beyond after a new outbreak ended a run of more than three months without domestic transmission.

Danang’s Tien Son Sports Palace will from Saturday be used to treat an overflow of infected patients should the city’s hospitals become overwhelmed, said the company behind the project, Sun Group.

Danang has reported more than 200 cases since the virus reappeared there on July 25. Authorities have said the situation was “under control” and the outbreak would likely peak in the next 10 days.

If infection numbers stabilise, the facility would be used to isolate people who were in direct contact with a positive case, as part of Vietnam’s centralised quarantine programme, Sun Group said.

The health ministry reported five new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, taking Vietnam’s total cases to 718, with 10 deaths.

Most recent cases have links to three hospitals in Danang, a coastal city that was until recently inundated with domestic tourists capitalising on holiday promotions and easing restrictions.

The health ministry has sent a task force of medical experts and more than 1,000 health workers to Danang, while Cuba has also dispatched a medical team to Vietnam to assist.

In the capital Hanoi, 72,000 people who recently returned from Danang would be re-tested, the city’s governing body said on Thursday, this time using a swab-based test, known for its higher rate of accuracy than the blood sample-based rapid test kits, which Vietnam has used for mass screening.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister has said early August was the “decisive” time to contain the outbreak.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ld-hospital-amid-virus-outbreak-idUSKCN2521B0
 
Germany says people returning from high-risk countries will be required to take a Covid-19 test

France, Spain and Greece record their highest number of new cases in weeks

In the UK, 50m face masks bought by the government will not be used in hospitals because of safety concerns

Facebook and Twitter penalise Donald Trump and his campaign for posts showing "harmful Covid misinformation"

A fire in a hospital in India kills eight coronavirus patients

Australia is set to introduce more travel restrictions as it battles a new wave of infections
 
Nearly 300,000 Americans could be dead from the new coronavirus by December, health experts in the United States have forecasted.

More than two million people have now been confirmed infected in India, which is the third-worst hit country for COVID-19.

At least 19 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the global death toll surpassed 714,000 people. More than 11.5 million have recovered.
 
Latest coronavirus figures

Indonesia: 121,226 cases (2,473), 5,593 deaths (72)

Russia: 877,135 cases (5,241), 14,725 deaths (119)

Philippines: 122,754 cases (3,379), 2,168 deaths (24)
 
The latest headlines from around the world

More than one million cases have been confirmed in Africa, although lack of comprehensive testing across the continent means the true extent of the pandemic there is not known

The UK "will not hesitate" to add more countries to its travel quarantine list, the chancellor has said. It comes after arrivals to the UK from Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra were told they would need to self-isolate for 14 days

Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has announced free Covid-19 tests for anyone in the city who wants one

India has reached two million cases in 20 days - much faster than the two countries with the highest number of cases, the US and Brazil

New restrictions have come into effect in the Australian state of New South Wales, with mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from neighbouring Victoria

And in the last few minutes, new data suggests virus cases in England may be "levelling off"
 
The total number of US coronavirus deaths surged past 160,000 with more than 4.8 million confirmed infections across the country.

More than two million people have now been confirmed infected in India, which is the third-worst hit country by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Mexico's coronavirus deaths have passed 50,000, as the government faces criticism of its handling of the crisis and the economic fallout.

At least 19 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the global death toll crossed 714,000. More than 11.5 million have recovered.
 
France has recorded over 2,200 confirmed coronavirus infections, a new daily record since the lockdown was lifted in June.

The total number of United States coronavirus deaths surged past 160,000 with more than 4.9 million confirmed infections across the country.

More than two million people have now been confirmed infected in India, which is the country the third worst hit by COVID-19.
At least 19.3 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the global death toll crossed 719,000. Nearly 11.7 million have recovered.
 
The Philippines’ health ministry reported 4,226 new coronavirus infections and 41 additional deaths on Saturday, according to Reuters.

The ministry said total confirmed infections had risen to 126,885 and deaths to 2,209, the bulk of cases and casualties reported in the capital.

The Philippines, with a population of 107 million, has the highest number of cases in south-east Asia and the second highest number of deaths after Indonesia.
 
At least 17 participants of a major Afghan grand assembly tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said on Saturday, a day after the high-profile gathering began in Kabul to deliberate over the fate of Taliban prisoners and the beginning of the peace process in the war-torn country.

After being called by the Afghan government, the gathering, known as the Loya Jirga, began on Friday with over 3,600 participants amid tight security and the Covid-19 pandemic to debate whether hard-core Taliban prisoners should be freed, removing a major obstacle in the peace talks.

“Samples from all 3,620 participants were taken by our health team, and among them result of 17 were positive” for the virus that causes the disease, said Saeed Jami, a spokesman for Afghanistan's ministry of public health. Some participants were tested twice, he said.

The 17 who tested positive have been sent to the hospital quarantine and treatment, he said.

The Loya Jirga, ending on Sunday, is to give non-binding advice to the government.

It was not immediately clear if the testing was done before or after the assembly began, but there is a fear that the infection could have spread given the size of the gathering, which took place under a tent.

Afghanistan has officially recorded 37,015 cases of the virus and 1,307 Covid-19 deaths, but officials said this week that at least 10 million people may have been infected.

The United States, which signed a troop withdrawal deal with the Taliban in February, has been watching the Loya Jirga closely.

The newly appointed head of the Loya Jirga and former presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah said on Saturday the outcome was “life or death” for Afghanistan and that its final advice would be announced on Sunday.

“I really hope the Jirga's advice to the government is to help advance the peace process,” he said.
 
Authorities in the French capital will impose the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors in busy areas from Monday amid a rise in coronavirus cases.

The total number of United States coronavirus deaths surged past 160,000 with more than 4.9 million confirmed infections across the country.

More than two million people have now been confirmed infected in India, which is the third-worst hit country by COVID-19.
At least 19.3 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the global death toll crossed 719,000. Nearly 11.7 million have recovered.
 
The United States has set a record for coronavirus cases, with more than five million people now infected, according to a Reuters tally, as the country's top infectious diseases official offered hope earlier this week that an effective vaccine might be available by year-end.

Brazil's coronavirus deaths have surpassed 100,000 deaths five months after the first reported case in a sign that the country has not contained the deadly disease.

New Zealand marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia battle a resurgence in infections.

At least 19.51 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the global death toll crossed 725,000. More than 11.88 million have recovered.
 
Summary of recent events

The US has passed the grim milestone of 5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Britain’s economy will be officially declared in recession this week for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, as the coronavirus outbreak plunges the country into the deepest slump on record. The country recorded more than 1,000 new infections on Sunday, for the first time since late June.

Greece has recorded 203 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the outbreak in the country.

Ten people have died in a fire at a coronavirus treatment and quarantine facility in India.

There have been no new deaths from coronavirus in Wales since Saturday’s tally, meaning the total death toll remains at 1,579. The number of cases increased by 26.

The coronavirus death toll in hospitals in England has risen by 10. This brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 29,411, NHS England said on Sunday.

Ministers have rejected a call from the children’s commissioner for England to bring in routine coronavirus testing in English schools.
 
The Australian state of Victoria reported 19 deaths overnight as it battles a resurgence of the virus in Melbourne.

Nearly 200 doctors in India have died after contracting COVID-19, the India Medical Association reported.

At least 19.86 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and more than 731,300 have died. More than 12.1 million have recovered.
 
Wearing a face mask outdoors has become compulsory in busy parts of Paris, amid a rise in coronavirus infections in and around the French capital

Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic, but new infections appear to be slowing down in Victoria state, which is under a strict lockdown following a second spike in infections

Brazil has recorded more than 100,000 deaths linked to Covid-19, the world's second-highest figure, as the outbreak in the country shows no sign of easing

New Zealand has gone mote than 100 days without recording a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, but officials have warned against complacency

US Health Secretary Alex Azar has hailed Taiwan’s Covid-19 response as “the most successful in the world” during a rare visit to the island

As it stands, there have been 19.8 million infections and 731,000 deaths related to the coronavirus pandemic globally, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University

Of the total number of infections worldwide, more than five million of them have been recorded in the US
 
Five months since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus crisis a global pandemic, the number of Covid cases globally is nearing 20m, with almost 730,000 known deaths.

The current number of confirmed infections stands at 19,792,519, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with total new cases daily averaging more than 250,000.

The bleak milestone approached as Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic, with 19 deaths. The nation is dealing with an outbreak in its second largest city, Melbourne, where authorities have struggled to contain the spread of the virus, which began in quarantine facilities.

Metropolitan Melbourne is one week into a strict lockdown expected to last until 13 September, with the rest of the state of Victoria under stage-three restrictions. On Monday, the state saw its biggest decrease in the number of new daily cases – at around 300 after highs of 700 - with Premier Daniel Andrews saying the drop could signify “greater stability that is a result of the cumulative impact of stage three.”

Australia is among several countries which had appeared to have controlled the virus, but are battling fresh outbreaks.

Global coronavirus cases have doubled in just six weeks, and have risen 200-fold since mid-March. Deaths have increased from more than 4,000 globally at the time of the WHO declaration to more than 730,000 now.

The United States, which on Sunday passed 5m infections, accounted for a quarter of the global case total and one in five deaths worldwide. It is the worst-affected country in both the number of cases and fatalities.

One in every 65 Americans has tested positive for coronavirus, while one in 2,000 has died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Brazil, with over 3m infections, is the next worst-affected. On Sunday, the country passed its own sombre milestone, as the death toll climbed past 100,000.

Both the Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and the US president Donald Trump have in the last five months sought to downplay the danger of the virus, with Bolsonaro calling it “a little flu” and Trump repeatedly promising the disease would disappear under his leadership.

Last week, Trump repeated that he believes coronavirus will “go away”, despite his top public health expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, warning that it could take most of 2021 or longer to get the pandemic under control and that it is “unlikely” the virus can ever be eradicated.

Both Bolsonaro and Trump have sidelined health experts, with Bolsonaro losing two health ministers and Trump repeatedly criticising Fauci, the US’s top infectious diseases expert and a member of the White House’s coronavirus taskforce.

Meanwhile in China, the country where the virus first emerged in late December 2019, new locally transmitted cases fell to just 14 in the past 24 hours, the National Health Commission reported on Monday. The low figure was offset, however, by 35 cases brought into the country by Chinese travellers from overseas arriving in seven different cities and provinces across the country. All the cases of local transmission were in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose main city Urumqi is the centre of China’s latest outbreak.

There are now 29 countries with higher cases than China, which has 88,793 confirmed infections and fewer than 5,000 deaths.

Britain, which has 312,574 cases and the fourth-highest number of deaths globally, with 46,659, saw cases rise by 1,062 on Sunday, going over 1,000 for the first time since late June. As cases rose in the country, new local lockdowns have been implemented in some areas and worries over a second wave of infections were rife.

Here are the other key developments from the last few hours:

In Greece, authorities announced a record daily number of 203 new coronavirus cases, with one death.
The total number of cases is now 5,623, with 212 deaths. Greece introduced an early lockdown in mid-March which buffered the country from the devastating effects of the pandemic seen in many of its European counterparts.

US Health Secretary Alex Azar is in Taipei, Taiwan for a three-day visit to promote shared democratic values and the island’s success in taming the coronavirus. Azar said: “Taiwan’s response to Covid-19 has been among the most successful in the world, and that is a tribute to the open, transparent, democratic nature of Taiwan’s society and culture.”

New Zealand has reported its 101st day in a row with no recorded community transmission of Covid-19 from an unknown source. All 21 active cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in travellers returning to New Zealand from other countries; all of them are in quarantine at the government’s managed isolation facilities. There were no new cases of the coronavirus recorded in the quarantine hotels on Monday.
 
Global coronavirus cases hit 20 million: Reuters tally

(Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases pushed past 20 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil and India accounting for more than half of all known infections.

The respiratory disease has infected at least four times the average number of people struck down with severe influenza illnesses annually, according to the World Health Organization.

The death toll from COVID-19, meanwhile, at more than 728,000 has outpaced the upper range of annual deaths from the flu.

The Reuters tally, which is based on government reports, shows the disease is accelerating. It took almost six months to reach 10 million cases after the first infection was reported in Wuhan, China, in early January. It took just 43 days to double that tally to 20 million.

Experts believe the official data likely undercounts both infections and deaths, particularly in countries with limited testing capacity.

The United States is responsible for around 5 million cases, Brazil 3 million and India 2 million. Russia and South Africa round out the top ten.

The pandemic is accelerating fastest in Latin America which accounts for almost 28% of the world’s cases and more than 30% of deaths, according to the Reuters tally.

With the first wave of the virus yet to peak in some countries and a resurgence of cases in others, governments are still divided in their responses. Some countries are reintroducing strict public health measures, while others continue to relax restrictions.

Health experts expect dilemmas about how to proceed with school, work and social life to last - and restrictions to fluctuate - until a vaccine is available.

The vaccine race has more than 150 candidates being developed and tested around the world with 25 in human clinical trials, according to the World Health Organization.

In the United States, children began returning to their classrooms last week, even as controversy over school safety swirled.

Britain has added both Spain and Belgium to a list of countries from which returning travellers must quarantine at home for 14 days because of fresh upticks in some European locations.

In Asia, China continues to squash surges using strict, local lockdowns, bringing its daily numbers down into the low double digits on the mainland.

Australia has introduced a strict lockdown and night curfew in the city of Melbourne, aiming to stifle an outbreak there. Neighbouring New Zealand, where life has largely returned to normal, on the weekend recorded 100 days with no new cases of local transmission.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-hit-20-million-reuters-tally-idUSKCN25629N
 
Worldwide coronavirus cases have surpassed 20 million, with Brazil and Mexico reporting a combined 27,000 infections in just one day. More than 12.2 million have recovered, and almost 735,000 have died from the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

US President Donald Trump is considering a measure to block US citizens and permanent residents from entering the country if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, according to the New York Times and Reuters news agency.

Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria on Tuesday reported 19 new deaths from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours and 331 new cases.

India has recorded more than 2.2 million infections - the third highest number of cases next to the US and Brazil.
 
The world is marking a grim milestone today with the number of people who have been infected with Covid-19 passing 20 million.

There have been more than 736,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Worst affected is the US, which has recorded more than a quarter of all cases - five million - and the most deaths. Brazil has recorded three million cases; India 2.2 million; Russia almost 900,000 and South Africa 560,000.

It took 38 days for global cases to go from five to 10 million between May and June but only 24 days to then reach 15 million by 22 July.

Covid-19 was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March.
 
Summary

The Russian president Vladimir Putin said his country has granted the first regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine. The announcement came after less than two months of human testing. The country’s sovereign wealth fund said the vaccine would be named Sputnik V, in a reference to the Cold War space race.

The news from Moscow was greeted with some scepticism. Experts highlighted the lack of proper phase 3 testing, with one warning that “collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably”.

The WHO said it had not received enough information to evaluate the Russian vaccine. The Pan American Health Organization said the vaccine should not be introduced in Brazil, as has been reportedly planned, until phase 2 and 3 trials are completed.

New Zealand’s largest city was put into lockdown. Restrictions were introduced in Auckland after the first community transmission in more than 100 days was detected. All restrictions on daily life had eased in early June when the last remaining Covid-19 case recorded in the community recovered.

Auckland residents were told not to gather in large numbers and to work from home if possible. The rest of New Zealand will have measures imposed too.

Employment in the UK fell by the largest amount in over a decade between May and July, according to official figures. Employment decreased by 220,000 on the quarter, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Covid-19 infections have passed 20 million cases. In acknowledging the milestone, the health body’s chief warned against despair, saying if the virus could be suppressed effectively, “we can safely open up societies”.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a measure to block US citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with coronavirus. A senior US official told Reuters that draft regulation, which has not been finalised and could change, would give the government authorisation to block individuals who could “reasonably” be believed to have contracted Covid-19 or other diseases.

Singapore’s virus-hammered economy shrank almost 43% in the second quarter, in a sign that the country’s first recession in more than a decade was deeper than initially estimated, official data showed on Tuesday, AFP reports, as it warned of a “true resurgence” or “risk of further escalation of Covid-19” in several countries.

Concern is growing that a resurgence of coronavirus in Europe will lead to a “second wave” of uncoordinated border restrictions. In a letter, the European commission warns that “while we must ensure that the EU is ready for possible resurgences of Covid-19 cases … we should at the same time avoid a second wave of uncoordinated actions at the internal borders of the EU”.

Greece is “formally” in the midst of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the country’s top infectious disease experts said, adding: “We can say that Greece has formally entered a second wave of the epidemic. This is the point that we could win or lose the battle.”

Wearing a face mask became compulsory on dozens of busy Paris shopping streets and in other popular parts of the city from 8am on Monday as coronavirus numbers continued to rise in and around the French capital.

Authorities in Iran shut down a newspaper after it published remarks by an expert who cast doubt on official coronavirus figures, claiming they only account for 5% of the real toll. Meanwhile, 189 more people died from Covid-19 and 2,132 more people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours, the country’s health ministry said.

There is a huge gap between funds needed to fight the coronavirus and funds committed worldwide, the World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said. Tedros said that ACT accelerator, an initiative established to develop and distribute tools to counter the spread of the pandemic, had received just one-tenth of the funding it needed
 
Coronavirus: New Zealand locks down Auckland after cases end 102-day run

New Zealand has put its largest city back into lockdown after recording four new Covid-19 cases, ending a 102-day streak without a local infection.

A three-day lockdown was swiftly imposed in Auckland after the cases were confirmed.

The four new cases are all members of a single family. None had travelled recently.

The restrictions will come into effect on Wednesday, as authorities scramble to trace contacts of the family.

Auckland residents will be asked to stay at home, large gatherings will be banned, non-essential businesses will be shut, and some social-distancing restrictions will be reintroduced in the rest of the country.

New Zealand has fared better than other countries, recording 1,220 confirmed cases and 22 deaths since the virus arrived in late February.

Before Tuesday, New Zealand had gone 102 days without recording a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, one of the few countries to reach such a milestone.

All 22 active cases of the virus before Tuesday's announcement were among returning travellers quarantined in isolation facilities.

Praised internationally for its handling of the pandemic, the country's government had lifted almost all of its lockdown restrictions, first imposed in March.

An early lockdown, tough border restrictions, effective health messaging and an aggressive test-and-trace programme have all been credited with virtually eliminating the virus in the country.

But as infections continue to rise across the world, surpassing 20 million globally on Tuesday, New Zealand officials have warned against complacency.

Announcing the lockdown, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was necessary to go hard and go early to stamp out the virus.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53741091
 
Germany issues travel warning for Madrid due to coronavirus

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has extended a partial travel warning for Spain to the capital of Madrid and the Basque region due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The foreign ministry said it was warning against any unnecessary tourist trips to both regions because of a rising number of new infections and local restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

The German government had already issued travel warnings for the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...g-for-madrid-due-to-coronavirus-idUSKCN2572K7
 
Firebat said:
Coronavirus: New Zealand locks down Auckland after cases end 102-day run

New Zealand has put its largest city back into lockdown after recording four new Covid-19 cases, ending a 102-day streak without a local infection.

A three-day lockdown was swiftly imposed in Auckland after the cases were confirmed.

The four new cases are all members of a single family. None had travelled recently.

The restrictions will come into effect on Wednesday, as authorities scramble to trace contacts of the family.

Auckland residents will be asked to stay at home, large gatherings will be banned, non-essential businesses will be shut, and some social-distancing restrictions will be reintroduced in the rest of the country.

New Zealand has fared better than other countries, recording 1,220 confirmed cases and 22 deaths since the virus arrived in late February.

Before Tuesday, New Zealand had gone 102 days without recording a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, one of the few countries to reach such a milestone.

All 22 active cases of the virus before Tuesday's announcement were among returning travellers quarantined in isolation facilities.

Praised internationally for its handling of the pandemic, the country's government had lifted almost all of its lockdown restrictions, first imposed in March.

An early lockdown, tough border restrictions, effective health messaging and an aggressive test-and-trace programme have all been credited with virtually eliminating the virus in the country.

But as infections continue to rise across the world, surpassing 20 million globally on Tuesday, New Zealand officials have warned against complacency.

Announcing the lockdown, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was necessary to go hard and go early to stamp out the virus.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53741091
Click to expand...

Really hoping we don't end up like Melbourne here :facepalm:
 
The WHO has not received enough information on the Russian COVID-19 vaccine to evaluate it, according to Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of its Americas branch, the PAHO.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has developed the first vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the coronavirus.

Worldwide coronavirus cases have surpassed 20 million, with Brazil and Mexico reporting a combined 27,000 infections in just one day. More than 12.4 million have recovered, and almost 738,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
 
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