Latest On Coronavirus

(@FahadShabbir)

Latest on Coronavirus

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 690,000, over 18.1 million cases of infection were detected, and over 10.75 million of those patients were cured, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from Federal and local authorities, media and other sources.

As of 19:30 GMT Monday, the number of people infected globally is 18,149,860, of them 690,624 died.

The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 4,690,404, including 155,124 fatalities and 1,468,689 recoveries.

New York State has reported its lowest daily figures for deaths, hospitalizations and patients in intensive care units (ICUs) from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, Governor Andrew Cuomo told a press conference.

A drop in new coronavirus infections and a declining rate of positive tests offers a hopeful sign that the state of Florida is gaining the upper hand after weeks in which the disease surged to record levels, Governor Ron DeSantis said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet of ministers on Monday that the coronavirus case fatality rate in Israel had recently plateaued but remained among the highest in the world.

The epidemiological situation in Estonia has worsened, Prime Minister Juri Ratas said on Monday, urging fellow countrymen to stay vigilant and follow COVID-19 precautions.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) team in China has received the information about the earlier investigation into the COVID-19 origins and sets out the need for a deeper probe, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Michael Ryan said.

The German government views the demonstrations held without observing epidemic prevention measures as unacceptable, Interior Ministry spokesman Steve Alter said, commenting on the recent rallies held in Berlin against restrictions aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Norwegian cruise line Hurtigruten said it temporarily suspended all expedition trips on its vessels following the outbreak of the coronvirus on the Roald Amundsen ship.

Leading Italian rail companies have started canceling trains and refunding tickets to passengers following the Health Ministry's instructions to reintroduce social distance rules in rail cars.

The Singaporean Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Ministries of Manpower and education announced in a joint statement that starting August 10, all people who have entered the country and are under home quarantine must wear an electronic monitoring device to track movements and possible violations of the isolation regime.

The Hong Kong government's decision to postpone the region's parliamentary elections over the pandemic complies with world practice, is legal and reasonable, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, adding that no country has the right to interfere.

The number of companies that went bankrupt in Japan due to the situation with COVID-19 has reached 400, the NHK broadcaster reported on Monday, citing the data by consulting firm Teikoku Databank.

Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel laureate and the director of the Francis Crick Institute in London, said the government's response to the COVID-19 crisis had been hindered by secrecy and a lack of openness and transparency from ministers and decision makers.

Korona, a mobile application that can trace COVID-19 exposure among the population, will be launched in Finland in a test mode on Tuesday, the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) expects Russia's first vaccine against COVID-19 to be registered within 10 days, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said. Russia is in talks with Brazil and India on producing its vaccine against COVID-19 on the territory of these countries, Dmitriev also said. Russia is delivering its Avifavir medication against COVID-19 to 15 countries already, he said.

The final check-up of volunteers testing the coronavirus vaccine in the Burdenko hospital in Russia showed immunity in all participants, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The UK government said it had reached an agreement with Wockhardt � a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company headquartered in the Indian city of Mumbai � on the production of a vaccine against the coronavirus as part of UK's effort to accelerate vaccine manufacturing.

The English branch of the UK National Health Service (NHS) said it would spend more than $200 million on cancer drugs that are not as damaging to the immune system so that patients are not more susceptible to the coronavirus disease.

The United Kingdom's government has announced the roll-out of two new rapid COVID-19 tests that it hopes will help to combat the pandemic amid an oncoming season of the common flu.

Peruvian Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano said that agreements on the country's access to coronavirus vaccines were expected to be reached in August or September.