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Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 22:53
Africa: Virus cases near 1.6m mark as death toll hits 38,868
By Agencies
Wednesday, October 14, 2020, 22:53 By Agencies

Students of Rising Sun Children School wear face masks as a preventive measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in their classroom in Yaba, Lagos, on Oct 12, 2020. (BENSON IBEABUCHI / AFP)

WASHINGTON / MEXICO CITY / RIO DE JANEIRO / WARSAW / PARIS / AMSTERDAM / ZURICH / DUBLIN / BERLIN / BELFAST / LONDON / BUENOS AIRES / BOGOTA / BRUSSELS / BUCHAREST / MAPUTO / PRAGUE / ADDIS ABABA / RABAT / ALGIERS / TRIPOLI / NAIROBI / MADRID / MOSCOW / ZAGREB / VATICAN CITY / VIENNA / CAPE TOWN / KAMPALA / BUDAPEST / TBILISI / LJUBLJANA - The total number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent has reached 1,592,549 as of Wednesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of African Union Commission, said in a statement that the number of deaths due to illnesses related to the pandemic reached 38,868 as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Africa CDC said the number of people who have recovered from the infectious virus across the continent has reached 1,318,132 so far.

The continental disease control and prevention agency also said that the most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

The Southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths.

The Northern Africa region is the second most COVID-19-affected African region.

According to figures from the continental disease control and prevention agency, six African countries account for approximately 90 percent of the new COVID-19 cases reported since the last week.

The six African countries include Morocco, reporting 29 percent of the new cases, South Africa, accounting for 20 percent, and Tunisia, accounting for 20 percent. 

In this undated May 2020 photo provided by Eli Lilly, a researcher tests possible COVID-19 antibodies in a laboratory in Indianapolis, US. (DAVID MORRISON / ELI LILLY VIA AP)

Eli Lilly pauses trial

Eli Lilly & Co said Tuesday it had paused its government-sponsored antibody test due to potential safety concerns. The move came less than 24 hours after Johnson & Johnson paused its vaccine trial.

News of Eli Lilly & Co's paused trial came on the same day Reuters reported that US drug inspectors uncovered serious quality control problems at a Lilly pharmaceutical plant that is ramping up to manufacture the COVID-19 drug, citing government documents and three sources familiar with the matter

Lilly said earlier this month it was applying for emergency use authorization (EUA) for the antibody drug, LY-CoV555, for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 based on data from another clinical trial.

The Indianapolis-based drugmaker did not comment on the implications for the paused trial, called ACTIV-3, which is testing the treatment on COVID-19 patients who require hospitalization, or on its other ongoing trials.

ALSO READ: Countries turn to rapid antigen tests to contain 2nd COVID wave

The development came on the same day Reuters reported that US drug inspectors uncovered serious quality control problems at a Lilly pharmaceutical plant that is ramping up to manufacture the COVID-19 drug, citing government documents and three sources familiar with the matter.

The Lilly antibody therapy, which is experimental and not yet approved by regulators as safe and effective, is similar to a drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that was given to the US president during his bout with COVID-19.

Inspectors who visited the Lilly plant in Branchburg, New Jersey, last November found that data on the plant’s various manufacturing processes had been deleted and not appropriately audited, government inspection documents show. Following its November inspection, the FDA classified the problems as the most serious level of violation, resulting in an “Official Action Indicated” (OAI) notice.

In response to Reuters’ questions on Monday about the manufacturing issues, Lilly confirmed the OAI notice but declined to provide details on what prompted the FDA action. The drugmaker said it has launched a “comprehensive remediation plan,” has increased staffing at the site and was working “aggressively” to address all concerns raised during the inspection.

'Excess deaths'

Britain, Italy and Spain had the highest rates of so-called "excess deaths" from all causes, including COVID-19, among 21 developed countries during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, an international study has found.

Some 206,000 more people died between mid-February and the end of May in the 21 countries in total than would have been expected to die had the pandemic not taken place - an 18 percent increase in deaths, scientists who conducted the research said.

England and Wales accounted for 28 percent of all the excess deaths, Italy for 24 percent, and Spain 22 percent.

More than a million people globally have died from COVID-19, but this study, led by scientists at Imperial College London and published on Wednesday in the Nature Medicine journal, also analysed the increase in deaths from other health conditions due to disrupted healthcare services or economic and social factors.

The researchers said analysing excess deaths from all causes combined - which they did using weekly death data from the 21 countries - gives a more comprehensive picture of the overall impact of a pandemic.

Global tally

Coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 38 million as the global death toll topped 1.08 million on Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

World Bank

The World Bank said its executive board approved on Tuesday US$12 billion in new funding for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments for their citizens.

The financing plan, part of US$160 billion in total resources that the multilateral development lender has pledged to provide to developing countries through June 2021 to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic, was first reported by Reuters in late September.

The World Bank said the financing program will include technical support to recipient countries so they can prepare for deploying vaccines at scale, and will signal to drug companies that there will be strong demand and ample financing for COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries.

Algeria

Algeria reported on Tuesday 174 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of infections to 53,399, the Ministry of Health said.

The ministry also announced nine more fatalities, raising the death toll to 1,818.

A health worker takes a sample from a teacher for COVID-19 testing at a in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct 13, 2020. (VICTOR R. CAIVANO / AP)

Argentina

A total of 13,305 COVID-19 cases were reported in Argentina in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 917,035, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

Another 386 deaths were registered, raising the death toll to 24,572, the ministry added.

Of the new cases, 4,666 were confirmed in the province of Buenos Aires, according to the ministry.

Health authorities have noticed a "significant" drop in the number of COVID-19 infections in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), said Daniel Gollan, health minister of the Buenos Aires province.

Austria

Austria has recorded 1,346 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, APA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Daily cases have been rising since late June and have recently exceeded the March 26 record of 1,050, according to an online dashboard by Austria's main public health body, the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).

Belgium

Belgium reported a daily average of 4,449 new COVID-19 cases between Oct 3 and Oct 9, a 79-percent increase compared to the period from Sept 26 to Oct 2, the public health institute Sciensano said on Tuesday.

As of Monday, 1,472 beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, compared to 937 beds on Oct 5, Sciensano said.

To cope with the new wave of the virus, "all hospitals will move to Phase 1A as of Oct. 15", said Geert Meyfroidt, president of the Belgian Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Under Phase 1A, hospitals must reserve 25 percent of the beds in their intensive care units for COVID-19 patients.

Meanwhile, the governors of the provinces of Luxembourg and Walloon Brabant have declared a curfew from 1 am to 6 am for 15 days starting from Oct 14, the Belgian daily Le Soir reported.

Belgium has so far recorded 165,880 COVID-19 cases and 10,211 deaths.

Brazil

Brazil registered 10,220 additional cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours and 309 deaths, the nation's health ministry said on Tuesday.

The South American country has now registered 5,113,628 confirmed cases and 150,998 total deaths.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria reported a record 785 new cases, a day after the Balkan country posted its highest daily number of COVID-related deaths.

Canada

Canadian children can go trick-or-treating on Halloween despite being in the middle of a second wave of COVID-19, the country's top health officials say, as long as they practice physical distancing, wear masks and wash their hands.

Canada recorded 975 new infections on Monday, and the prime minister warned last week that the country is at a "tipping point" in its battle against a second surge.

"There are some really interesting ideas where people are handing out treats on the end of a hockey stick," said Dr. Theresa Tam, chief medical officer. "Pre-packaging your treats so people are not rummaging in a bowl of candies is actually important."

More tips, like equipping the kids with small bottles of hand sanitizer, will be posted on the Health Ministry's website, she said.

Colombia

Colombia's COVID-19 death toll surpassed 28,000 Tuesday as the country reported 5,015 new cases and 156 more deaths.

The country's tally of infections has risen to 924,098, along with 28,141 deaths, according to the country's heath authorities.

Dr. Gina Tambini, representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Colombia, called on Colombians not to relax amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She said there was evidence of reinfection, and stressed the importance of anti-virus measures such as social distancing and the use of face masks. 

Croatia

Croatia's health authorities reported 748 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, a daily record, with the capital Zagreb also registering a record of 211 new cases.

The previous record of 542 new cases was reported a week ago.

The country has so far recorded 21,741 cases with 334 deaths. Currently there are 3,210 active cases, or around 1,000 more than a week ago.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic recorded 8,325 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, its second-highest daily tally since the pandemic started, Health Ministry data showed on Wednesday.

The country of 10.7 million has seen a five-fold rise in cases since the start of September. Since March, it has reported 129,747 cases, of which 59,901 have recovered.

The death toll climbed to 1,106, from 696 on Oct 1.

READ MORE: Europe sharpens restrictions to regain grip on pandemic

Ethiopia

The Ethiopian government announced Tuesday its plan to distribute about 50 million face masks to schools across the country as classes are set to resume amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Education, 50 million face masks will be distributed to 46,000 schools across the East African country "in a bid to resume classes with the necessary precocious measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

State-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted Nebil Mehid, Ethiopia's state minister of education, as saying that an additional 500,000 face masks will also be distributed to teachers throughout the nation.

As of Tuesday morning, Ethiopia has reported 85,136 confirmed cases and 1,301 deaths. 

EU

The European Union (EU) member states adopted on Tuesday a common color code to define the level of risk related to the coronavirus outbreak.

The colors green, orange and red will be used to determine the status of each European region on a single map, which will be updated weekly with data provided by member states. Grey color will be used for regions without sufficient data. The map will be maintained by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Travelers in green regions will be free to go wherever they wish, whereas travelers in red, orange and grey regions might need to undergo quarantine and testing. The recommendation applies to all 27 EU countries, as well as Britain during the transition period. The map will also include Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The factors that are taken into account by the ECDC to allocate a color to a region include the 14-day cumulative coronavirus case notification rate, the test positive rate and the testing rate.

EU's Borrell self-isolating

The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, started to self-isolate on Tuesday after one of his entourage tested positive for COVID-19, he announced on Twitter.

"I was informed this afternoon that a member of the delegation travelling with me and @JanezLenarcic to Ethiopia last week has tested positive for coronavirus," Borrell tweeted.

The high representative said he tested negative upon his return on Sunday, but decided to self-isolate "in accordance with rules and will wait to do (a) second test."

France

French health authorities reported on Tuesday 12,993 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 756,472.

The seven-day moving average of new infections, which averages out weekly data reporting irregularities, stood above the record 17,000 level for the second day running, at 17,816.

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a press conference on Wednesday, where he might unveil new measures such as local curfews, to contain the disease.

The death toll rose by 117 to 32,942, versus 95 on Monday. 

Georgia

Georgia reported 680 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest number since the outbreak of the virus in the country, bringing its total to 13,521.

A total of 297 of the 680 new cases were confirmed in the capital city of Tbilisi, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health said.

As of Wednesday, 7,159 of the 13,521 patients have recovered, while 109 others have died, said the center.

Georgia reported its first confirmed case on Feb 26.

Germany

Germany has recorded more than 5,000 daily new coronavirus infections for the first time since April, giving fresh urgency to crisis talks about the pandemic between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 states' premiers in Berlin on Wednesday.

Coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 5,132 to 334,585 while deaths rose by 40 to 9,677, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday.

Merkel, who has stopped short of ruling out a second lockdown, will host state premiers at the chancellery to discuss how best to coordinate measures for the Europe Union’s biggest economy. These include curbs on social gatherings and domestic hotel use, fines for citizens failing to respect distancing and hygiene rules and compulsory mask-wearing.

Armin Laschet, the premier of North-Rhine Westphalia, hopes that state leaders will agree on a "pragmatic solution" in Berlin as it was most important to focus on fighting the virus, he told TV station ARD on Wednesday.

The premier of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, called for nationwide rules, warning that the next four weeks would be crucial for whether Germans could celebrate a relaxed Christmas.

Hungary

Hungary registered 920 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the national total to 40,782, according to the government's coronavirus information website.

Currently, 1,538 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospital, 156 of whom are on ventilators. The country to date has 12,164 recoveries and 1,023 fatalities.

Hungary's total COVID-19 cases topped 10,000 on Sept. 10, 20,000 on Sept 23, and 30,000 on Oct 4.

Ireland

Ireland is more likely to tighten its COVID-19 restrictions in the coming weeks than to ease them, and may decide on Wednesday to impose new measures in areas bordering Northern Ireland, deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday.

Ireland has so far reported 44,159 confirmed cases and 1,830 deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. The country's health chiefs will meet on Thursday to provide updated advice to government. 

The number of people claiming temporary Irish jobless benefits will increase by up to 115,000 if the government imposes stricter COVID-19 restrictions across the country, the public expenditure department forecast on Tuesday.

People wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 walk in the underground of the Garibaldi railway station, in Milan, Italy, on Oct 13, 2020. (LUCA BRUNO / AP)

Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday imposed new restrictions on gatherings, restaurants, sports and school activities in an attempt to slow a surge in coronavirus infections.

The government decree, which will take effect within 24 hours and be valid for 30 days, bans parties in restaurants, clubs or in the open air and strongly recommends that people do not hold parties in their homes or host more than six guests at any time.

Weddings and other ceremonies can be attended by no more than 30 people. 

Hours after he signed the legislation, health ministry data showed Italy’s coronavirus cases jumped again on Tuesday to 5,901, the most since March 28. Another 41 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, raising the death toll  to 36,246. Patients in intensive care units rose by 62 to to 514.

Kenya

Kenya will intensify surveillance and implementation of public health protocols to avert a second wave of COVID-19 as learning institution reopen, an official said on Tuesday.

Rashid Aman, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the recent spike in positivity rate and fatalities was a cause for concern.

"We will not hesitate to take drastic measures to stop infections from rising and perhaps even closing schools and establishments selling alcohol," said Aman.

Kenya's COVID-19 caseload hit 41,937 on Tuesday after 318 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours. The death toll rose by 10 to 787.

Latvia

The Latvian government approved on Tuesday new measures on gatherings in a bid to curb a fresh resurgence of COVID-19 infections, local media reported.

The new regulation limits the number of people allowed to gather at private events to 30 indoors and 300 outdoors.

In addition, the wearing of face masks or protective shields will be made mandatory in public spaces. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be required to close by 12 midnight, and the number of people from different households allowed to sit at one table will be limited to four.

According to the country's Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Latvia's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 50 per 100,000 population in recent days.

Libya

The National Center for Disease Control of Libya reported on Tuesday 1,164 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase in the country so far.

The center said in a statement that another 541 patients have recovered while 12 others died.

The total number of COVID-1D cases now stands at 44,985, including 25,007 recoveries and 656 fatalities, the center said.

Mexico

Mexico's health ministry reported on Tuesday 4,295 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 475 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 825,340 cases and 84,420 deaths.

Mexico plans to vaccinate nearly all of its population against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 after reaching accords with pharmaceutical companies and the World Health Organization-backed COVAX plan, the government said earlier Tuesday.

In a presentation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, the government said it wanted to start providing two of the four different types of vaccines being developed from December.

Ebrard said Mexico aims to get vaccines to more than 116 million people, or about 90 percent of its population.

Mexico also expects to start phase 3 clinical trials soon of seven vaccines, including ones by CanSino and Russia's Sputnik V, according to the presentation.

Morocco

Morocco reported on Tuesday 3,185 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 156,946.

The death toll rose by 49 to 2,685 while the number of recoveries increased by 1,964 to 131,462, the Ministry of Health said in a press release.

Mozambique

Mozambique's Health Minister Armindo Tiago has tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that he was well, however, showing no symptoms, and in isolation at home.

The southeast African nation has reported 10,258 infections, with 73 deaths.

Netherlands

The Netherlands will return to a "partial lockdown" on Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, closing bars and restaurants as it battles to control the coronavirus in one of Europe's major hotspots.

READ MORE: Netherlands wakes up to virus surge after months of confidence

Dutch PM Mark Rutte said the Netherlands will return to a "partial lockdown" on Wednesday, whereby public gatherings of more than four people would be prohibited

Rutte said in a televised news conference that public gatherings of more than four people would be prohibited and alcohol sales in the evening would also be banned. Schools were to remain open and public transport would keep running, in contrast to measures imposed during a partial lockdown earlier this year.

The measures will last at least four weeks, with a review of their impact after two weeks. If they prove ineffective, tougher restrictions may follow, said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge.

The measures unveiled Tuesday also include making the wearing of cloth masks mandatory for people 13 years and older in indoor spaces. A maximum of 30 people will be allowed to gather indoors and retail opening hours will be restricted.

The number of cases in the Netherlands has surged in recent weeks to a daily record of 7,393 on Tuesday. The country added a new record of almost 44,000 new cases last week. A total of 43,903 cases were confirmed in the week ending Oct 13, up from 27,485, according to health agency RIVM. Admissions to intensive care units jumped to 192 from 121. 

Poland

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tested negatively after committing to quarantine, Polish Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The prime minister is to remain in self-isolation for as long as his physician sees fit.

Other current and former government officials who have previously been infected by the coronavirus included the new education minister Przemyslaw Czarnek and former health minister Lukasz Szumowski.

The Health Ministry confirmed 6,526 new COVID-19 infections and 116 deaths on Wednesday, which is a new 24-hour record. The number of positive tests saw a dramatic increase in October, as numbers grew from below 1,000 new daily cases to consistently over 4,000 within a month.

Romania

Romania reported another 4,016 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, making it the highest number of infections recorded in a 24-hour span since the outbreak, announced the authorities.

Another worrying data officially announced was that the number of critically ill patients exceeded 600 for nine consecutive days, reaching a record of 686 on Wednesday.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases now stands at 164,477. Another 66 patients died from COVID-19 in 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the country to 5,601, according to the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), the official novel coronavirus communication task force.

Romania's centrist minority government introduced new progressive restrictions to stem a rise in new coronavirus infections and will extend a state of alert until mid-November, authorities said late on Tuesday.

A woman wearing a face mask talks on a mobile phone as she walks past a colorful  mural, in Moscow, Russia, on Oct 13, 2020. (KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Russia

Russia reported a new record daily high of 14,231 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its tally to 1,340,409.

The country's coronavirus taskforce said that 239 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 23,205.

Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the coronavirus situation in the country remained very strained and that many people were not following all safety guidelines, the RIA news agency reported.

The capital announced that it would introduce online learning for many students starting on Monday in a bid to contain the virus. The measure would apply to students in the 6th to 11th grades for a two-week period, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a post on his website.

Pupils from 1st to 5th grade will return to school on that day after a two-week holiday that had been granted to prevent them from contracting the virus and taking it home, he said. Older students would study online at home because they accounted for two-thirds of the children infected with the virus, Sobyanin said.

Slovenia


With 707 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, Slovenia's daily COVID-19 count hit a new high, the official figures released here on Wednesday showed.

Slovenia conducted 4,902 virus tests on Tuesday, with the positivity rate reaching a record 14.4 percent, the figures revealed.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases is 9,938, of which 4,248 remain active. The 14-day incidence rate is 203 cases per 100,000 residents, up 13.5 percent. Two new deaths took the toll to 175.

South Africa

A South African company part-owned by the government is in talks with the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution scheme and pharmaceutical companies to produce some of the vaccines the country needs to protect itself against the disease.

The Biovac Institute, a Cape Town-based joint venture between the government and private sector, could produce up to 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines per year, depending on the technology involved, Chief Executive Morena Makhoana told Reuters.

Depending on whether the vaccines require a one- or two-dose regimen, that could be enough for a quarter or half of South Africa's population.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the foundation that co-leads the COVAX scheme alongside the World Health Organization and vaccines alliance GAVI, has identified Biovac as a potential drug product manufacturer but has not signed an agreement yet, a CEPI spokesman said.

South Africa has submitted a non-binding confirmation of intent to participate in COVAX.

Spain

The Spanish Ministry of Health confirmed on Tuesday 7,118 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the tally to 896,086.

The death toll rose by 80 to 33,204.

 The Autonomous Community of Madrid continues to be the most affected area in Spain, reporting 1,126 new infections to take the region’s caseload to 268,022, along with 9,789 deaths.

Switzerland

Three nursing home workers in Switzerland's Italian-speaking region of Ticino have been questioned on charges including manslaughter following a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 between March and May, police said on Tuesday.

The Ticino attorney general continues to examine documents seized in the case, authorities said, without providing details on how many residents of the home died.

Though Ticino's population makes up just 4 percent of Switzerland's 8.6 million residents, the 312 people in Ticino confirmed to have died from COVID-19 represent more than 17 percent of the 1,808 total deaths across the country, so far.

Switzerland recorded 1,445 new cases on Tuesday, raising the tally to 65,881.

Uganda

Uganda on Wednesday reported 124 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the east African country to 10,069.

The health ministry said in a statement that out of 2,258 samples tested over the previous 24 hours, 122 contacts and alert cases and two Ugandan returnees from Jordan turned positive for the novel coronavirus.

Uganda has conducted a total of 513,414 samples since the index case was reported on March 21, according to the statement.

So far, Uganda has registered a total of 6,531 recoveries and 95 deaths related to COVID-19, the ministry said.

This photo shows a near deserted Matthews Street in Liverpool on the night before new measures across the region are set to come into force, in England, on Oct 13, 2020. (PETER BYRNE / PA VIA AP)

UK

Northern Ireland is to impose the strictest COVID-19 restrictions seen in the United Kingdom since early summer, closing schools for two weeks and shuttering restaurants for four, First Minister Arlene Foster told regional lawmakers on Wednesday.

The closure will affect the entire hospitality sector, with the exception of takeaway and delivery services, and double the length of the annual October school break from one week to two.

Under the measures, retail will remain open, but "close contact services" will be closed. People will be advised to avoid all unnecessary travel and work from home, while universities will be asked to teach remotely to the maximum extent.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not yet heading towards a full national lockdown in England despite calls from the opposition leader for a "circuit breaker" lockdown, Work and Pensions Minister Thérèse Coffey said earlier on Wednesday.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer called on Tuesday for a two to three week "circuit breaker" lockdown to save lives. Starmer said Johnson's attempt to tackle the virus wasn't working.

The United Kingdom reported 143 additional deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since June. The figure raised the total number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for the coronavirus to 43,018.

Government data showed 17,234 new confirmed cases were reported on Tuesday, up from 13,972 on Monday.

Ukraine

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers decided to extend the adaptive quarantine till the end of 2020 due to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the country, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on his official Telegram channel on Tuesday.

According to Shmyhal, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine proposed to send schools on vacation, universities to distance learning, and double the coverage of testing.

A total of 270,587 confirmed COVID-19 cases, along with 5,122 deaths, have been reported in Ukraine as of Tuesday, and 116,562 patients have recovered, according to the health ministry.

US

The US Army's Chief of Staff General James McConville returned to the Pentagon on Tuesday after testing negative for COVID-19, in a sign that the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff were starting to move towards ending their self-quarantine following a coronavirus scare at a recent top-level meeting.

Nationwide, coronavirus cases in the US surpassed 7.85 million while deaths topped 215,000, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

The US states of Ohio, Michigan and Virginia have been added to New York State's COVID-19 travel advisory, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

On virus aid, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican-led US Senate would vote next week on a targeted, US$500 billion coronavirus economic aid bill of the type Democrats already have rejected as they hold out for trillions in relief.

Vatican City

Pope Francis stayed a safe distance from well-wishers at his weekly general audience on Wednesday, saying new rules aimed at curbing the coronavirus meant he had to hold back.

The 83-year-old pope resumed his weekly audiences in September after a six-month break because of the contagion. However, with infections rising again, there was concern that Pope Francis was getting too close to visitors.

Underscoring the growing problem, the Vatican said on Monday that four members of the Swiss Guards, the elite and colourfully dressed corps that protects the pope, had tested positive for COVID-19.

 

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