Patrons drink in a Wetherspoons pub in Leigh, Greater Manchester, northwest England on Oct 22, 2020, as new restrictions meant to contain surging cases of COVID-19 are imposed on Greater Manchester. (OLI SCARFF / AFP)
QUITO / BRUSSELS / NEW YORK / MEXICO CITY / BRASILIA / PARIS / ROME / LONDON / TRIPOLI / OTTAWA / MOSCOW / BERLIN / WASHINGTON / HAVANA / ADDIS ABABA / HARARE / RABAT / THE HAGUE / STOCKHOLM / BUCHAREST / TIRANA / BUENOS AIRES / RIGA / NICOSIA / SANTIAGO / ALGIERS / SKOPJE / JOHANNESBURG / PRAGUE / SOFIA / GENEVA / WARSAW / VATICAN CITY / TBILISI / VILNIUS - A COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out in Britain for some people before Christmas but an early 2021 launch is more likely, the woman responsible for procuring possible jabs in Britain said on BBC television Wednesday.
The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines "is likely to be imperfect" and that they "might not work for everyone," UK Vaccine Taskforce Chair Kate Bingham wrote in a piece published in The Lancet medical journal on Tuesday.
Bingham wrote that the Vaccine Taskforce recognizes that "many, and possibly all, of these vaccines could fail", adding the focus has been on vaccines that are expected to elicit immune responses in the population older than 65 years.
Earlier on Tuesday, a study by scientists at Imperial College London found that antibodies against the coronavirus declined rapidly in the British population during the summer, suggesting protection after infection may not be long lasting and raising the prospect of waning immunity in the community.
The UK recorded a further 367 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday, the highest daily toll since May 27, government data showed. Data also showed that 22,885 new COVID-19 cases were registered.
A lab technician wearing protective gear performs tests under a hood, using reagent liquid bottles at a laboratory of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi in Val de Reuil, France, on July 10, 2020. (JOEL SAGET / AFP)
France
French drugmaker Sanofi SA and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline plan to make 200 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate available to the vaccine allocation plan co-led by GAVI and the WHO.
The companies said on Wednesday they have signed a statement of intent with vaccine alliance GAVI, which is coordinating the global plan known as COVAX.
COVAX, which aims to deliver 2 billion vaccine doses around the world by the end of 2021, has already sealed agreements this year with AstraZeneca and Novavax.
The first results from an early mid-stage study of the Sanofi-GSK vaccine are expected in early December 2020, and the companies plan to file for regulatory approval in 2021.
The vaccine candidate uses the same recombinant protein-based technology as one of Sanofi's seasonal influenza vaccines. It will be coupled with an adjuvant, a substance that acts as a booster to the vaccine, made by GSK.
Russia
Russia will send army medics to a region in the Urals hit by a surge in COVID-19 cases, the defense ministry said on Wednesday, after doctors there made a public plea to President Vladimir Putin for help.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered assistance to be sent to the Kurgan region, around 1,970 kilometers east of Moscow, the ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Russia recorded on Wednesday 16,202 new cases and a record high 346 deaths, taking its overall tally and death toll to 1,563,976 and 26,935, respectively
Russia recorded on Wednesday 16,202 fresh infections and a record high 346 deaths, taking its overall tally and death toll to 1,563,976 and 26,935, respectively.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has submitted applications to the World Health Organization for an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and prequalification of its coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on Tuesday.
An EUL is meant to make a vaccine available globally faster, while a WHO prequalification is a global quality tag that ensures vaccines are safe and effective.
The procedures would allow Sputnik V to be included in the list of medical products that meet leading quality, safety and efficacy standards, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is self-isolating after coming into contact with a person infected with COVID-19, the RIA news agency reported Tuesday. Lavrov's previously planned visits and meetings are being postponed.
Vatican
Pope Francis on Wednesday described the COVID-19 pandemic as a tough "lady" taskmaster who must be obeyed, but he and most close aides did not wear masks at his general audience.
At the start of the indoor audience, Pope Francis apologized to people for not coming down from the marble stage.
The Pope and most aides and translators on the stage did not wear masks. Swiss Guards and official photographers on the stage wore masks but bishops and priests who greeted the Pope close up removed their masks as they approached him.
Pope Francis, who had part of one lung removed because of an illness when he was a young man, has come under fire, mostly on social media, for not always wearing a mask in public.
READ MORE: Johnson is making his own side 'miserable' with UK virus plans
Poland
Poland reported a record 18,820 new coronavirus infections and 236 additional deaths on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with the country facing hospitals overload while mass street protests against an abortion ruling continue.
The ministry said that as of Wednesday, COVID-19 patients occupied 13,931 hospital beds and were using 1,150 ventilators, compared with 13,291 and 1,078 respectively a day earlier.
Switzerland
Swiss hospitals are scrambling to cope with a surge in new COVID-19 patients, bringing back retired staff to replace sick frontline workers and closing other wards as officials warn they could reach breaking point in about 10 days.
At Geneva's University Hospital (HUG), in one of the worst-hit cantons, cases have increased more than six-fold in three weeks to 350 patients.
Nationally, about a third of intensive care units remain available but will be filled in the next ten days if the current infection rate persists, government delegate for the Coordinated Medical Services Andreas Stettbacher said on Tuesday.
The number of infections in Switzerland has risen to record levels this month. Confirmed cases in Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein have surpassed 127,000, with a death toll above 1,900.
The Swiss government is expected to announce new measures on Wednesday.
Belgium
The Belgian government will convene on Friday to decide on a potential new national lockdown with the country now suffering the highest rate of coronavirus infections per 100,000 citizens, according to official data.
The nation of 11 million people had 1,390 new COVID-19 infections per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed Tuesday. With 10,899 total deaths, Belgium has one of the highest per capita COVID-19 fatality rates in the world.
Belgian hospital admissions soared to a record 689, surpassing the peak reached on March 28. There are now 5,554 COVID-19 patients being treated in Belgian hospitals and 911 in intensive care units. The country has a total ICU capacity of about 2,000 beds.
Belgian foreign affairs minister and former PM Sophie Wilmes was still in intensive care in Brussels, after testing positive to COVID-19 last week.
Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, the government of Belgium's Flemish region announced additional measures, including suspending indoor sports activities for children over 12 and closing cultural centers, swimming pools and fitness centers.
Denmark
Denmark’s government is offering 8.3 billion kroner (US$1.3 billion) in additional support to businesses after imposing new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.
A share of the extra financial help, which covers this year and the next, will go to the culture and sports sectors, which have been particularly affected by the restrictions, the business ministry said late Tuesday.
Novartis, Molecular Partners enter pact
Novartis AG and Molecular Partners AG unveiled a partnership for Molecular Partners’ COVID-19 program which consists of two experimental therapies, according to a statement.
The potential medicines aim to both prevent and treat COVID-19, with the possibility to manufacture at scale and the potential to bypass cold storage.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria's central bank governor Dimitar Radev has tested positive for coronavirus and has self-isolated at home, where he will be continuing to carry out his duties, the central bank said on Wednesday.
Radev will be delegating some of the operational work to deputy governors for the time of his quarantine, it said, adding that the 64-year-old's general health is good.
Bulgaria registered 2,569 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally, and is shutting high schools, universities and nightclubs for two weeks as it struggles to contain the spike in infections.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic reported 15,663 new coronavirus cases for Oct 27, its highest daily tally, health ministry data showed on Wednesday.
The total number of cases rose to 284,033 while deaths climbed to 2,547.
South Africa
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has gone into quarantine after a guest at a charity dinner he attended tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Wednesday.
"President Cyril Ramaphosa has begun a period of self-quarantine following the positive COVID-19 diagnosis of a guest at a dinner attended by the President on Saturday, 24 October 2020," reads a statement from his office. The dinner had 35 guests and stuck to strict physical distancing protocols, his office said.
"The President is showing no symptoms at this time and will, in line with COVID-19 health advice, be tested should symptoms manifest," it said.
Georgia
Georgia reported 1,731 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 33,858.
A total of 636 of the 1,731 new cases were confirmed in the capital city Tbilisi, the country's national center for disease control said.
As of Wednesday, 14,829 of the 33,858 patients have recovered, while 253 others have died, said the center.
Georgia reported its first confirmed case on Feb 26.
A woman walks through a deserted street in the city of Pfarrkirchen, Germany, Oct 27, 2020. (MATTHIAS SCHRADER / AP)
Germany
The source of the coronavirus is unclear in some 80 percent of cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Wednesday, as cases soar in Europe’s largest economy. said on BBC television.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pushing for tougher curbs on movement and contact, including closing bars, restaurants and leisure facilities until the end of November, as coronavirus infections continue to surge across Europe.
Merkel will also urge citizens to keep private contacts to an absolute minimum, and to avoid all non-essential private travel, according to a draft federal government briefing paper obtained by Bloomberg. The paper will form the basis for discussions with regional premiers later on Wednesday, before Merkel holds a news conference to announce the measures agreed.
She wants state leaders to agree to close all restaurants and bars from Nov 4 but keep schools and nurseries open, newspaper Bild reported.
The chancellor warned that Germany's health system could hit breaking point if infections continue to spiral.
Virus cases increased by 14,964 while deaths rose by 27, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday.
A German laboratory wrongly diagnosed 58 out of 60 coronavirus tests as positive, a newspaper reported, after a hospital become suspicious of the results and retested the patients.
Cuba
Cuban vaccine producer Finlay Institute said Tuesday the country's regulatory authority has approved phase one of clinical trials of the institute's second COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Soberana02.
Clinical trials of its first vaccine candidate, Soberana01, began in August and will end in January 2021, according to media reports.
'Alarming' situation in Europe
The situation in Europe, where coronavirus infections are surging, is "serious and alarming" and the bloc must be more efficient with testing, contact tracing, vaccine and quarantine policies, the EU Council President said.
"We need strong planning, otherwise we will have systematic lockdowns in coming months," Charles Michel told Italian daily La Stampa in an interview published on Wednesday.
Michel said coordination was also needed to limit the "negative economic and social effects" of the pandemic, when asked whether Europe feared a wave of social unrest. He added that the area will need to be prepared when vaccines become available.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will propose on Wednesday that the bloc's leaders buy millions of antigen tests to help track down cases, according to two officials familiar with the matter. The EU’s executive arm will buy millions of kits for distribution to member states and propose joint procurement for millions more, the people said, asking not to be named as the plan is still subject to approval.
Inoculations for EU population
Only part of the European Union (EU) population can be inoculated against the novel coronavirus before 2022, EU officials said in an internal meeting, as the vaccines the bloc is securing may not prove effective or may not be manufactured in sufficient doses.
The 27-nation bloc, with a population of 450 million, has booked more than 1 billion doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines from three drugmakers. It is negotiating the advance purchase of another billion vials with other companies.
The EU has booked more than 1 billion doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines from three drugmakers. It is negotiating the advance purchase of another billion vials with other firms
"There will not be sufficient doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population before the end of 2021," a European Commission official told diplomats from EU states in a closed-door meeting on Monday, a person who attended it told Reuters.
A second official confirmed the statement. An EU Commission spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Some EU countries want to book doses for their entire population with the aim of rolling them out already by mid-2021. A third EU official said this bold goal could be achieved if the EU reached supply deals with at least seven vaccine candidates.
ALSO READ: Russia begins making second COVID-19 vaccine as cases spike
Global tally
Coronavirus cases worldwide neared 44 million while the global death toll topped 1.16 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday.
Africa tally
The number of confirmed cases recorded across the African continent has reached 1,727,837 while the death toll has risen to 41,609, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Tuesday.
UN
The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday canceled all in-person meetings at its New York headquarters for the rest of the week after five people in Niger's UN mission were infected with the coronavirus.
Niger is a member of the 15-member Security Council, which last met in person on Thursday. Diplomats said people who attended Thursday's meeting were being tested and an in-person meeting on Syria planned for Tuesday was instead held virtually.
Customers buy oxygen used for people with symptoms related to COVID-19, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Oct 27, 2020. (CHRISTIAN CHAVEZ / AP)
Mexico
Mexico's health ministry reported on Tuesday 5,942 additional cases of the coronavirus and 643 more deaths in the country, bringing the official number of cases to 901,268 and the death toll to 89,814.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said she has tested positive for the coronavirus, adding that she felt "well" and "strong". She said she would work remotely under medical supervision.
The Mexican capital has reported the highest number of infections with 155,899 cases registered so far, according to health authorities.
Brazil
Brazil has recorded 549 more COVID-19 deaths and 29,787 new cases of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
The country now has 5,439,641 cases of the virus, along with 157,946 deaths.
The readiness of the Brazilian Navy has not been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, despite 8 percent of personnel catching the virus and 549 people dying of COVID-19, its commander said on Tuesday.
Spain
The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that the country registered 18,418 new COVID-19 infections and 267 more deaths over the past 24 hours. It is the highest daily toll reported amid the second wave.
The overall tally reached 1,116,738 while the death toll has risen to 35,298.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron will give a televised address on Wednesday evening, his office said, as authorities explore fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The government has been exploring bringing in a national lockdown from midnight on Thursday, BFM TV reported, albeit a slightly more flexible one than the two-month shutdown that began in mid-March. Schools could remain open even as restrictions on people's movements become more severe, BFM TV added.
The government's spokesman, Gabriel Attal, said Tuesday that the number of COVID-19 patients in French intensive care units could reach in two weeks the same level as during the peak of the first wave in April without new measures.
Fatalities linked to COVID-19 jumped by 523 to 35,541, health authorities reported. That’s the biggest increase since April 22, before the end of France’s lockdown in May, with the data including several days of deaths from nursing homes.
A nurse in full protective gear is being sanitized outside the Gemelli COVID-19 hospital in Rome, Italy, Oct 27, 2020. Italy (ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP)
Italy
Italy’s new coronavirus cases reached a new daily record on Tuesday, rising to 21,994, compared with 17,012 the previous day.
Another 221 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, bringing the toll to 37,70.
Patients in intensive-care units rose by 127, to 1,411. Hospitalizations reached 15,366, compared with April peak of 29,000.
Also on Tuesday, the government approved a package of measures to support businesses hit by new virus restrictions. The measures will cost 5.4 billion euros (US$6.38 billion) and include grants, tax breaks and additional funds for temporary lay-off schemes, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said at a news conference.
Ecuador
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said on Tuesday that the South American country has an improved economic outlook despite the tough fiscal situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook, Ecuador's unemployment rate in 2020 will be 8.1 percent, the third lowest in South America, only after Paraguay and Bolivia with 7 percent and 8 percent respectively, said Moreno.
The president said "this indicates that we are doing things well."
Lithuania
Lithuania reported 776 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour span, the biggest daily spike since the country confirmed its first case on Feb. 28, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
The latest confirmed cases brought the national total to 12,138, including 144 deaths and 4,502 recoveries so far. In the past 24 hours, 10,806 coronavirus tests were conducted nationwide.
Libya
The National Center for Disease Control of Libya reported on Tuesday 752 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally to 57,975.
The center said in a statemen 738 more patients have recovered while another 11 people have died over the period.
A total of 32,253 patients have recovered from COVID-19 while up to 812 people have died, the center said.
Face masks and hand sanitizers are placed at the entrance of a clothing store for customers, in Toronto, Canada, on Oct 27, 2020. (ZOU ZHENG / XINHUA)
Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday predicted a "tough winter" in the face of a second wave of COVID-19 infections engulfing much of the country, and called it a horrific national tragedy as deaths topped the 10,000 mark.
On Tuesday, Canada recorded 2,674 new cases, while there are now 10,001 deaths and a total of 222,887 cases.
"It's frustrating knowing that unless we're really, really careful, there may not be the kinds of family gatherings we want to have at Christmas," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference on Tuesday.
US
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night acknowledged that coronavirus cases are rising in “certain areas” of the Midwest, a rare admission during the final week of the presidential campaign.
Coronavirus cases are soaring in states across the US and hospitalizations are up at least 10 percent in the past week in 32 states, putting strain on the nation’s health care system.
According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, the US has so far reported over 8.77 million cases and more than 226,000 deaths.
Outbreaks in Midwestern states have driven the most recent surge in virus cases. They’re rising in Michigan, Illinois and Iowa, but have leveled off or fallen in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Trump said again on Tuesday that the country is “turning that corner” and pledged the virus would go away with or without a vaccine.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post, citing several US and foreign officials, reported that Peter Berkowitz, the director of policy planning at the State Department, has tested positive following his trip to Britain, Hungary and France earlier this month.
Novavax's US, Mexico trials
US biotechnology company Novavax announced on Tuesday that the phase 3 clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the United States and Mexico has been postponed to the end of November.
The postponement was attributed to some delay from the original timeline of large-scale manufacturing. The company had called for the enrollment of up to 30,000 participants in the above two countries, the company said in a statement.
A separate phase 3 trial of the COVID-19 vaccine is undergoing in Britain.
Interim data from the UK trial is expected as soon as early first quarter 2021, the company said, adding that it will present data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial on Friday.
Lilly to supply COVID antibody to US
The US government agreed to pay Eli Lilly & Co US$375 million for 300,000 vials of its experimental COVID-19 antibody as it undergoes regulatory review for emergency-use authorization.
The funding from Operation Warp Speed, the White House-led effort to quickly secure COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, hinges on Lilly’s antibody therapy receiving a green light from the US Food and Drug Administration. The initial agreement is for delivery over the first two months following an emergency authorization. The US has the option to purchase an additional 650,000 vials through next June for as much as US$812.5 million, according to a Wednesday statement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Lilly approached US regulators for an emergency-use authorization in early October after promising data showed the therapy helped reduce hospitalizations in patients with less-severe cases. The preliminary agreement prices the treatment at US$1,250 per 700-milligram dose, or about half the cost of remdesivir, the Gilead Sciences Inc antiviral that’s already approved to treat hospitalized patients. Wall Street had expected a higher price.
Shares of the Indianapolis-based drugmaker fell less than a percent at 9:33 am to US$130.86 in New York trading.
If the authorization is granted, the US has made a commitment that patients will have no out-of-pocket costs tied to the medicine, Lilly said in a statement, though health-care facilities could charge for the product’s intravenous administration.
The first vials would go to patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Lilly said it is working with Operation Warp Speed to aid federal and state efforts to create locations where patients can get the treatment.
Argentina
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez on Tuesday said he was confident that there would be a set of vaccines to effectively combat the novel coronavirus pandemic by March 2021.
Argentina is carrying out "negotiations" and has "agreements in the process of being signed" with all the laboratories working on a vaccine, he said.
Argentina has so far reported more tha 1.11 million confirmed cases and 29,730 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Latvia
Latvian ministers on Tuesday approved a strategy proposed by the health ministry to better curb the spread of COVID-19 and prevent an overload of the national health system.
The strategy defines four COVID-19 risk levels, of which the first is the lowest risk level and the fourth the highest risk level. Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said that the country was currently at the third level.
The government would have to consider declaring a national emergency if the country reaches the fourth level.
Karins said the government will boost testing capacity by 60 percent at least 8,000 tests per day.
Chile
Chile registered 922 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, marking the first time since May 4 that the daily tally was under 1,000, Health Minister Enrique Paris said on Tuesday.
In the last 24 hours, 23 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 14,026.
Algeria
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune entered a military hospital in the capital Algiers on Tuesday, three days after announcing he was self-isolating after several senior aides tested positive for the coronavirus, the Presidency announced in a statement on Tuesday.
The Presidency said in the statement that the president's health condition "is stable and does not cause any concern".
Algeria has so far reported 56,706 cases and 1,931 deaths. On Tuesday, the health ministry reported 287 new infections and nine more deaths.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia's Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski has tested positive for COVID-19, the Media Information Agency (MIA) reported on Tuesday.
According to MIA, the news was made public by Spasovski, who posted it on his Facebook account on Monday evening.
Spasovski wrote in the post that he was stable with mild symptoms and was in home isolation.
On Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said his test result returned negative,
The health ministry reported 628 new cases and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall tally to 27,827, including 19,479 recoveries and 949 fatalities.
Netherlands
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported on Tuesday 10,315 new COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands.
It was the third consecutive day that the daily tally topped 10,000.
The cumulative number of confirmed infections totals 311,889, and the death toll stands at 7,142, RIVM data showed.
Romania
Romania's Interior Minister Marcel Vela announced on Tuesday the establishment of a plasma donor center.
The center was set up with an aim to help the country flatten the COVID-19 mortality curve.
Also on Tuesday, Romania recorded 104 COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily toll since the pandemic started, taking the total number of fatalities to 6,574.
As many as 4,724 fresh infections were reported in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 217,216.
Cyprus
Three ministers of the government of Cyprus have been placed in isolation after coming into contact with a person infected with COVID-19, according to an official statement on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos, Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides and Deputy Minister for Shipping Vasilis Demetriades took part in a municipality meeting on Friday, according to the statement. A man sitting next to Karousos later tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the statement, Karousos tested negative in a first test but will still stay in isolation under the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days.
The two other ministers are still awaiting their test results.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe will gradually reopen its land borders in December, Monica Mutsvangwa, minister for information, publicity and broadcasting services, said Tuesday.
Mutsvangwa said borders that would open first include Beitbridge - which borders South Africa - and Plumtree - which borders with Botswana.
Mutsvangwa also announced an extension of the curfew hours from 8 pm to 10 pm for the convenience of travelers who are cleared for border crossing late in the evening.
Zimbabwe has recorded 8,303 COVID-19 cases, including 7,797 recoveries and 242 deaths as of Monday.
Morocco
Morocco registered 3,988 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 203,733, the health ministry said in a statement.
It also reported 72 additional deaths, raising the death toll to 3,445.
Casablanca remains the worst-hit region in the country, reported 1,925 fresh infections and 23 more deaths during the last 24 hours.
Albania
The Albanian Health Ministry on Tuesday said seven additional deaths caused by COVID-19 were registered in the last 24 hours, the highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic in March.
According to the ministry, a total of 1,278 tests were conducted and 284 new cases were detected over the last 24 hours.
The total number of confirmed cases stood at 19,729, among which 8,434 are active cases. The death toll stood at 487.
Greece
Greek health authorities on Tuesday reported a record daily tally of 1,259 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, pushing the overall tally to 32,752, according to the National Public Health Organization.
Another 12 deaths were also reported, taking the death toll to 593.
There were 102 patients in the intensive care units as of Tuesday.
Serbia
Serbia registered a record 1,000 new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour span, the health ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, samples from 9,430 people were tested in the past 24 hours, and 1,053 returned positive results.
Meanwhile, five more deaths were recorded, taking the death toll to 798, according to the ministry.
Serbia has so far reported 40,880 confirmed infections in total.
Sweden
COVID-19 cases have increased by 70 percent in one week in Sweden, prompting the country to impose more restrictions in more regions, Swedish Television (SVT) on Tuesday quoted Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist, as saying at a press conference of the Public Health Agency of Sweden.
Tegnell said that the current upward trend was partly due to the fact that testing has been stepped up.
According to SVT, the Public Health Agency of Sweden has decided to advise stricter restrictions in the southern region of Skane, which is neighboring Denmark. People in the region are urged to avoid taking public transport and going into shops.
Tegnell suggested that a unified national guideline on restrictions could be rolled out if more regions see an upsurge.
The Public Health Agency of Sweden said Tuesday a total of 115,785 confirmed cases have been reported in the country, and 5,918 people have died.
