WHO reports record daily jump in global Covid-19 cases – latest updates

The pandemic has infected more than 12.3 million people, of whom some seven million have recovered. Here are updates for July 10:

Workers wearing face-masks are seen travelling through Waterloo Station during the morning rush hour in London, Britain, July 6, 2020.
Reuters

Workers wearing face-masks are seen travelling through Waterloo Station during the morning rush hour in London, Britain, July 6, 2020.

Friday, July 10, 2020

Turkey reports 1,003 new cases

A total of 1,493 people recovered from the novel coronavirus in Turkey over the last day, bringing the total number to date to 191,883, said the country's health minister. 

"The fall in the number of newly diagnosed patients – that started on June 25 – continues. We are very close to have the number drop below 1,000," Fahrettin Koca said.

 "However, don't forget that these drops are slow, while rises are sudden. The rises and falls depend on high or low compliance with the rules of social distancing and wearing masks," Koca added. 

Turkey saw 1,003 new cases over the past day, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 210,965, the data showed. 

The country's death toll from the virus rose to 5,323, with 23 new fatalities reported in the last 24 hours.

WHO reports record jump in global cases

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in virus cases, with the total rising by 228,102 in 24 hours.

The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report.

The previous WHO record for new cases was 212,326 on July 4. Deaths remained steady at about 5,000 a day.

Fauci says likely some degree of aerosol transmission of virus

The new coronavirus is likely spreading through the air to some degree, the top US infectious disease official said, one day after the World Health Organization urged further studies on the ways the virus is transmitted.

"Still some question about aerosol but likely some degree of aerosol," Anthony Fauci, the head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said by video during a panel session at a Covid-19 conference organised by the International AIDS Society.

Fauci on Thursday had said it was a "reasonable assumption" that airborne transmission was occurring even though there was not a lot of solid evidence behind it.

The WHO urged more studies on the issue.

Iraqi MP dies of virus as cases jump 600 percent

Iraqi lawmaker Ghida Kambash died Friday after contracting the novel coronavirus, parliament announced, its first member to succumb to the virus as its spread ramps up across the country.

The 46-year-old was a three-time MP from Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, and helped pass laws on education reform and social welfare.

She leaves behind four children.

In total, Iraq's health ministry has declared around 70,000 coronavirus cases, of whom nearly 3,000 have died and 40,000 recovered.

After seeing a relatively slow spread in the first five months of 2020, cases spiked 600 percent in June alone, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Oxygen running low in South Africa

Medical oxygen is already low in hospitals at South Africa's new epicentre of the outbreak, Gauteng province, home to the power centres of Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, visiting a hospital, said authorities are working with industry to divert more oxygen their way.

“The patients are scared, very, very scared,” said Lynne Wilkinson, a public health specialist who is part of a volunteer effort seeking 100 oxygen concentrators for a 450-bed field hospital in Johannesburg.

But sourcing the portable, low-volume devices is a problem because they’re bought up by the private sector, even individuals, she said: “They keep them at home.”

Israel records highest daily virus count

Israel has recorded its highest number of virus infections over a 24-hour period, with nearly 1,500 new cases confirmed in the most recent daily count, the health ministry said.

Israel had won early praise for its virus containment efforts, but cases have surged since a broad re-opening began in May.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted in a late Thursday news conference that the decision to allow businesses, including bars and event spaces, to re-open may have been made "too soon".

Britain's quarantine rules end for many destinations

Quarantine measures for those travelling to Britain from around 70 countries and overseas territories, including France and Italy, no longer apply in a boost to the ailing aviation and travel industries hit by Covid-19.

Those arriving from higher-risk countries will still have to self-quarantine for 14 days but many popular destinations are now exempt, meaning millions of Britons are able to take summer holidays without having to stay at home when they return.

Airports have imposed safety measures such as perspex screens, mandatory mask-wearing, hand-sanitiser stations and hand-washing facilities to stop the spread of the virus.

But flights are likely to remain far below usual levels

UK death toll rises by 48

The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose to 44,650, up 48 on the previous day, the government said.

India reports more than 26,000 new cases 

India has reported another record one-day spike in coronavirus cases, prompting some states to reimpose lockdowns in high-risk areas.

The new 26,506 cases pushed India's tally to nearly 800,000 cases, the world's third-biggest outbreak, behind only the United States and Brazil in confirmed infections.

The health ministry also reported another 475 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 21,604. The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at more than 60 percent.

India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh, with nearly 230 million people, announced a weekend lockdown beginning Friday night.

The capital, New Delhi, along with Maharashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, and the southern state of Tamil Nadu account for about 60 percent of its cases.

Russia's death toll passes 11,000

Russia's death toll from the novel coronavirus has edged past 11,000 as the country reported 174 new deaths in the past 24 hours.

The country's coronavirus crisis response centre reported 6,635 new cases, bringing its nationwide tally of infections to 713,936, the world's fourth-highest caseload.

The death toll now stands at 11,017. Russia says 489,068 people have recovered.

WHO experts to visit China as part of Covid-19 investigation

Two World Health Organization experts will spend the next two days in the Chinese capital to lay the groundwork for a larger mission to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

One animal health expert and one epidemiologist during their visit will work to fix the “scope and terms of reference” for the future mission aimed at learning how the virus jumped from animals to humans, the statement from the UN body said.

Scientists believe the virus may have originated in bats, then was transmitted through another mammal such as a civet cat or an armadillo-like pangolin before being passed on to people at a fresh food market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Pakistan crosses Italy in its cases

Pakistan has crossed the 5,000 mark for the number of deaths due to the virus, with 2,751 new cases during the last 24 hours.

The numbers reported are down from a high just a few weeks earlier of nearly 9,000 cases a day.

Pakistan’s testing rate has also dropped, with 23,255 tests carried out in the last 24 hours from a previous high last month of more than 32,000 daily tests.

Prime Minister Imran Khan warned Pakistanis on Thursday that infection numbers could soar if people ignore precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing during the Eid al Adha holy days beginning at the end of July.

US cases rise by record 60,565 in single day

The US reported at least 60,565 new Covid-19 cases, a new record increase and the second day in a row infections have risen by at least 60,000, according to a Reuters tally.

For a third day in a row, US deaths climbed by more than 800, the highest levels seen since early June, according to the tally. 

Florida reported a record increase of 120 deaths and California had 136 new fatalities, not far from a record of 149 set the previous day, according to the tally.

Infections are increasing in 41 out of 50 states, according to a Reuters analysis of cases for the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks.

The previous record was on Wednesday when cases rose by 60,541 in a single day.

The United States has reported more than 3.1 million cases total and over 133,000 deaths from the virus, making some Americans hesitant to return to public spaces and patronize businesses despite President Donald Trump's efforts to downplay the risks. 

Hong Kong to suspend all schools as cases spike

Hong Kong is set to announce the suspension of all schools after a spike in locally transmitted coronavirus cases that has fuelled fears of a renewed community spread in the city, the South China Morning Post reported.

The newspaper cited a medical source as saying that at least 30 more people had tested positive for the virus.

The Asian financial hub reported 42 new cases on Thursday, of which 34 were locally transmitted, marking the second consecutive day of rising local infections.

The total number of cases in the city since late January now stands at 1,366. 

Seven people have died.

Australia to cut number of citizens coming home as cases rise

Australia will cut the number of citizens allowed to return from overseas each week by 50 percent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, amid a surge of coronavirus cases in the country's second largest state.

Australia has since March only allowed citizens and permanent residents to return, but Morrison said the number of people permitted to return will now be capped nationally.

Morrison said in recent weeks about 8,000 people have returned each week. From Monday, a maximum of 4,000 people will be allowed to return each week.

Germany's cases rise by 395 to 198,178

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 395 to 198,178, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Friday.

The reported death toll rose by six to 9,054, the tally showed.

Bolsonaro again urges reopening for Brazil

Two days after being diagnosed with Covid-19, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has made an online broadcast from the presidential residence as defiant as in previous occasions.

He coughed once in his appearance on Thursday, but did not show other symptoms of the disease that has killed more than 69,000 people in Brazil during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolsonaro repeated his view that the looming economic crisis from the pandemic is more dangerous than the virus. He said mayors and governors need to reopen the country for business, saying that “otherwise the consequences will be harmful for Brazil,”

Bolsonaro said said he is working from home and on Friday will appoint a new education minister.

Virus hits Bolivian president, Venezuela's No. 2

The interim president of Bolivia and Venezuela’s No 2 political leader have both announced they are infected with the coronavirus.

Bolivian President Jeanine Anez said on Thursday that she is strong and will continue working from isolation.

Her infection comes amid a spike in cases in the Andean nation, which has banned mass gatherings to try to limit the spread of the virus.

In Venezuela, socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello also reported that he is sick with Covid-19. He is considered the second-most powerful person in Venezuela after President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela has had fewer officially registered cases of the virus than much of Latin America, though the numbers have increased in recent weeks.

Vinicius Junior tests negative for coronavirus

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has tested negative for the new coronavirus and has joined the squad for the Spanish league game against Alaves on Friday.

Coach Zinedine Zidane had said earlier Thursday that the Brazilian forward needed to have another coronavirus test after an initial result came out inconclusive.

Madrid needs a win to regain a four-point lead over second-place Barcelona with three rounds to go. The Catalan club defeated Espanyol 1-0 on Wednesday.

Spanish league players have undergone regular testing since the competition resumed last month.

Italy bans entry from 13 nations, including Brazil, over virus

Italy on Thursday banned travellers from Brazil and 12 other countries it considers to pose a high risk of Covid-19 transmission.

The full list comprises Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Moldova, Oman, Panama and Peru.

The decree banning visitors from those countries from entering Italy was signed by the health ministry in agreement with the foreign, interior and transport ministries.

"Throughout the world, the pandemic has entered a more acute phase," said Health Minister Roberto Speranza.

"We cannot throw away the sacrifices made by Italians in recent months," he added.

Italy was the first country to be hit by the virus after it emerged in China late last year.

Almost 35,000 people have died of the virus in Italy, according to official figures, from more than 242,000 cases.

Romania patients discharge themselves from hospital

Hundreds of Romanian coronavirus patients have discharged themselves from hospital following a court ruling against mandatory hospitalisation as parliament on Thursday moved to pass a fresh law to enforce isolation amid a surge in infections.

Lawmakers voted in favour of new legislation that spells out when people can be quarantined or placed in self-isolation.

The law allows those quarantined to challenge the decision in court.

"We are adopting this law, which will restrict some rights and freedoms, but we do it in order to protect lives," said Ioan Cupsa, a lawmaker from the ruling liberal party.

The constitutional court earlier decided that hospitalising and quarantining people without or with just mild Covid-19 symptoms violated fundamental rights and so could not be imposed by a government decree alone.

As a result of the ruling, 624 patients, who tested positive for the new coronavirus, had asked to leave the hospital and now risked transmitting the disease in their communities, according to Health Minister Nelu Tataru.

South Africa reports highest daily total cases

South Africa announced Thursday its highest daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases with 13,674.

Africa’s most developed country is now a hot spot in the global pandemic with 238,339 total confirmed cases. Gauteng province, which contains Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, is home to more than a third of the total cases.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said South Africa could run out of available hospital beds within the month.

The African continent has more than 523,000 confirmed virus cases after having passed the half-million mark on Wednesday.

But shortages in testing materials mean the true number is unknown.

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