Covid-19 - US deaths pass 40.000

Global cases pass 2.4 million, US deaths pass 40. 000

There have now been more than 2.4m confirmed cases and 165,000 deathsfrom Covid-19 worldwide. The news came as US deaths passed 40,000 on Sunday – nearly a quarter of the global total – with infections at just under 760,000, or just under a third of the world’s total. The UK has more than 121,000 cases and 16,000 deaths.

Trump turns Covid-19 briefing into ‘campaign ad’

In a bad-tempered press briefing in which he clashed with several reporters,Donald Trump was accused of broadcasting in effect a “campaign ad” in which New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, one of his most trenchant critics, appeared to shower him with praise. He played selectively edited video clips just two days after Cuomo eviscerated Trump in scathing 15-minute remarks. Trump also criticised the restrictions put in place by some state leaders and again criticised the WHO and China over the pandemic but also said he was prepared to give Iran help to fight the virus. Domestically, he said a deal on aid for businesses was close to being agreed with the Democrats.

New Zealand plans to ease restrictions in a week

The country’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has extended the country’s level-4 lockdown for a week, after which schools and daycare centres will be allowed to open, as well as some businesses barring major upsets. She warned New Zealanders to: “keep your bubble as small as possible – you can expand your bubble a small amount to include family members, vulnerable people or caregivers”. The country’s virus death toll stands at 12 and has introduced some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world, as it pursues and “elimination” strategy with the virus.

UN sounds warning on emergency relief fund for vulnerable

The heads of all the UN’s major agencies have issued a graphic warning of the risk to the world’s most vulnerable countries after disclosing that international donors had pledged around a quarter of the $2bn the UN requested for its emergency Covid-19 response in March.

China reports just 12 new cases

The number of new cases reported by the country in Monday is down from 16 a day earlier, with no new deaths for the third day in a row. There were also 49 new asymptomatic cases reported on Monday. On Friday China revised its death toll up significantly, including by 50% in Wuhan.

Japanese expert ‘very pessimistic’ about Tokyo 2021

Speaking about the likelihood of the Tokyo Olympics going ahead next year, Kentaro Iwata, a professor at Kobe University Hospital, said: “I don’t think the Olympics are likely to be held next year. People will be coming from hundreds of nations ... and although Japan might have the disease under control by next summer, I don’t think that will be the case everywhere.”

Germany will begin to ease restrictions on Monday

Germany will take its first steps towards normality on Monday, with smaller shops in some regions opening up for the first time in a month after politicians declared the coronavirus “under control”. From florists to fashion stores, the majority of shops smaller than 800 square metres (8,600 square feet) will be allowed to welcome customers again, in a first wave of relaxations to strict curbs on public life introduced last month.

Italy records lowest daily death toll in a week

Italy said on Sunday that deaths rose by 433, the lowest daily tally in a week, and the number of new cases slowed to 3,047 from a previous 3,491. The total number of deaths now stands at 23,660 – second only to the United States.

Spain registers sharp drop in daily death

On Sunday, the country reported 410 fatalities, brining its death toll to 20,453, with 195,344 infections. Spain announced 4,218 new cases on Sunday, an increase of 2.4%.