(Bloomberg) —
Australia had its deadliest day in the coronavirus pandemic, with 19 fatalities in the state of Victoria. Coronavirus infections among U.S. children grew 40% in the last half of July, according to a report that comes amid heated debate over whether schools should re-open in the fall.
The U.S. passed 5 million Covid-19 infections, having added 1 million cases in barely more than two weeks.
The U.K. — the country with the most deaths in Europe — may scrap daily fatality numbers, the Telegraph reported.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar hailed Taiwan’s democracy and praised President Tsai Ing-wen’s response to the pandemic during a visit to Taiwan. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled readiness to resume negotiations on pandemic relief without setting a date.
Key Developments
Global Tracker: Global cases top 19.8 million; deaths pass 731,000U.S. economy gets only limited help from Trump actionsBill Gates says U.S. virus testing has ‘mind-blowing’ deficienciesIndia faces lost generation as virus pushes children to workCovid’s spreading fast because billions don’t have water to washHong Kong crisis deals $7.7 billion blow to property tycoonsAs school looms, what we know about kids and Covid-19: QuickTakeTrack the race for vaccines that might end the coronavirus pandemic
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Tokyo Finds 197 New Cases of Coronavirus Monday (2:20 p.m. H.K.)
Tokyo confirms 197 cases of coronavirus infections Monday, down from 331 on Sunday. Monday is a holiday in Japan, which may affect the numbers Tokyo now has 16,064 patients in total; 24 of them have serious symptoms.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration received its worst public rating since 2012, as the country’s rise in coronavirus infections continues, a survey showed.
German Firms See Public Restrictions for Further 8.5 Months: Ifo (2:15 p.m. H.K.)
German companies expect coronavirus-related restrictions on public life to last another eight-and-a-half months, according to a statement on a July survey by the Ifo institute.
New Zealand to Start Managed Isolation Charging (1:21 p.m. H.K.)
New Zealand’s managed isolation charges for returnees will come into force from 12.01 a.m. local time on Aug. 11, Housing Minister Megan Woods said in an emailed statement.
New Zealanders who come home for less than 90 days and those who go overseas after regulations come into force and return at a later date, will be charged for compulsory 14-day managed isolation and quarantine, unless they are exempt or are granted a waiver from payment.
Kenya Tourism Earnings May Fall 80% in 2020 From Year Ago: Star (1:14 p.m. H.K.)
The number of visitors to the East African nation is expected to drop 90% as coronavirus restrictions curb travel, Nairobi-based Star newspaper reported, citing Tourism Secretary Najib Balala. Tourism is Kenya’s third-biggest foreign-exchange earner after remittances and agricultural exports.
U.S. Health Chief Praises Taiwan’s Virus Response (12:42 p.m. H.K.)
In comments to reporters, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that Taiwan was “so scarred” by China’s lack of transparency during the SARS outbreak in 2003 that its people didn’t trust information coming from Beijing or the World Health Organization. He also said that the U.S. has fought for Taiwan to be included as an observer in the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body.
Taiwan has been a rare global success story in containing Covid-19, as the U.S. grapples with one of the world’s worst outbreaks. In keeping with Taiwan’s stringent anti-virus procedures, Azar’s delegation is abiding by measures including multiple tests for Covid-19, mandatory daily temperature checks and wearing masks at all times. He’s also scheduled to speak with Taiwan’s health minister on Monday.
Virus Among U.S. Children Jumps 40% (11:24 a.m. H.K.)
Coronavirus infections among U.S. children grew 40% in the last half of July, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, as the country debated the risks of reopening schools in the fall.
The study said 97,078 new child cases were reported from July 16-30, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 338,982. That represents 8.8% of all infections. The range of ages varied from state to state, with some including an age limit as high as 24.
California, Florida and Arizona had the highest number of total child cases, with more than 20,000 each.
Vietnam Confirms Two More Deaths From Coronavirus; Total at 13 (10:23 a.m. H.K.)
Vietnam confirmed two more novel coronavirus infection deaths, the ministry of health reported on its website.
Both female patients, ages 33 and 47, had serious health problems, the ministry said.
The nation has reported 384 local infections since the outbreak in the coastal city of Danang July 25. It now has a total of 841 cases with 13 deaths.
Mexico Reports 4,376 New Cases; 292 More Deaths (9:05 a.m. H.K.)
Mexico reported 4,376 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 480,278, according to data released by the Health Ministry Sunday night. Deaths rose by 292 to 52,298
Australia Has Its in Deadliest Day (7:42 a.m. H.K.)
The record of fatalities eclipses the previous high of 17 announced Sunday, the majority of which were related to care homes for the elderly. The number of new infections climbed by 322, Victoria’s health department said in a tweet on Monday.
While Australia enjoyed early success in flattening the curve of infections, Victoria is at the center of a renewed outbreak. The nation’s second-most populous state is experiencing some of the strictest social-distancing measures in the western world, crippling economic activity there and shaking confidence across the nation.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews is facing criticism for lapses in the quarantine system and problems with tracing that allowed the virus to reemerge and spread. National Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has called on the state government to explain the “serious failures” in quarantine arrangements.
New South Wales state reported 14 new virus cases in a 24-hour period, according to the state’s health department.
U.K. May Scrap Daily Death Toll, Telegraph Reports (5:47 p.m. NY)
The U.K. may not bring back its official daily Covid-19 death count following a review into how the figure is arrived at, The Daily Telegraph reported, without saying how it obtained the information.
The conclusions of the review, which was ordered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, are expected this week. Citing a government source, the newspaper said officials could instead choose to give a weekly official death toll from the virus.
Brazil Reports Fewer Cases, Deaths (5:38 p.m. NY)
Brazil reported 23,010 new cases on Sunday, the day after passing 3 million confirmed cases and 100,000 deaths. Reporting is generally down on weekends: the nation with the second-biggest outbreak after the U.S. reported 49,970 cases the day before. The new total is 3,035,422.
Deaths rose by 572 to 101,049, compared with an increase of 905 a day earlier.
Texas Positive-Test Rate at Record (4:51 p.m. NY)
Texas’ seven-day average rate of positive tests exceeded Saturday’s record and jumped to a new high of 20.3%, health authorities said.
The state reported 116 new deaths for a total of 8,459. Cases climbed 4,879 to 486,362.
Greece Daily Cases Rise to Record (1:23 p.m. NY)
Greece reported 203 new coronavirus cases Sunday, the biggest one-day number since the beginning of the pandemic, bringing the total to 5,623. It also was the biggest jump in daily cases since April 21.
Gottlieb Sees Third-Wave Risk in U.S. (12:30 pm NY)
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the U.S. looks like it’s headed for an infection surge in rural regions after the virus hit urban areas and the Sun Belt.
“We’re probably going to have another wave,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. There’s concern about largely untouched rural communities, which are “probably a bit more complacent” about virus risks, he said.
Rural spread is “going to be far more difficult to control if it’s more widespread,” he said. “We’re seeing indications of that right now — the wave spreading in the Midwest and the West.”
U.K. Reports More Than 1,000 Cases (11:45 a.m. NY)
The U.K. reported more than 1,000 new infections for the first time since June 26, bringing the total to 310,825, according to health department data. The 1,062 cases reported Sunday are higher than the seven-day average of 877.
The seven-day average has been climbing steadily since England reopened pubs and restaurants on July 4, when it stood at 575. Northern Ireland is no longer reporting data on weekends.
U.S. Passes 5 Million Cases (10 a.m. NY)
Covid-19 cases in the U.S. crossed 5 million, adding a million cases in just over two weeks, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The nation with the worst coronavirus outbreak hit 4 million cases on July 23, amid a skyrocketing outbreak in the Sunbelt and political battles over the Trump administration’s handling of the virus response.
The daily numbers are down from recent peaks, with 56,070 cases reported Saturday, a 1.1% increase over the previous day. Total deaths are 162,441, the data show.
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