A woman wearing a face mask whilst carrying a bag of vegetables atop her head, walks past a wall with COVID-19 message urging people to stay home in Soweto, South Africa. (AP Photo)
Coronavirus global updates: As the number of global coronavirus cases continue to rise, health experts fear a fresh Covid-19 surge as economies and states reopen more aggressively. The number of infections has topped 8.5 million with over 460,000 fatalities.
The United States continues to be the worst affected with over 2.2 million cases and 119,112 fatalities. In hospitals where there are a surge in cases, health professionals have started prescribing which was recently found to reduce the coronavirus death rate. Brazil’s cases, which are rapidly increasing, crossed the one million mark Saturday. It is the second-worst affected country.
Meanwhile, World Health Organizations (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the virus is still spreading fast, and is deadly, and most people are still susceptible.
Here are the top global developments
South Africa sees nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases
Nearly 4,000 new infections have been reported in South Africa as the country continues to loosen lockdown measures under economic pressure, AP reported. The country which had imposed one of the most stringent lockdowns, is reporting surging number of coronavirus cases. It records 30 per cent of the cases on the Africa continent or more than 87,000 as its public laboratories are struggling to keep up with testing, with an average turnaround time of 12 days for results.
Casinos, beauty salons and sit-down restaurant service have been allowed to run as as President Cyril Ramaphosa this week warned citizens that the fight against the coronavirus is a personal responsibility. Africa’s 54 countries have more than 286,000 virus cases overall, but a shortage of testing materials means the real number of infections is unknown.
Dr. Hugo Tempelman tests a member of the Ndlovu Youth Choir for Covid-19 at a clinic in the Moutse Valley, 160 kms (100 miles) north east of Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo)
Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested in COVID-19 graft case
Zimbabwe’s health minister Obadiah Moyo was expected ti appear in court on Saturday to face allegations of illegally awarding a multi-million-dollar contract for COVID-19 testing kits, drugs and personal protective equipment to a shadowy company, news agency AP reported. The scandal comes as medical personnel across Zimbabwe were on strike demanding to be paid their salaries in US dollars.
He was arrested on Friday by the country’s anti-corruption agency as the scandal created a public uproar in the country and the word spread over social media. Some local journalists on social media exposed how Moyo allegedly chose the company to sell medical supplies to the government at inflated prices that included face masks for $28 each.
The representative, Delish Nguwaya, and some top officials of the national drugs procurement agency are already facing criminal charges related to the scandal. Nguwaya is accused of lying in saying the company was a drugs manufacturing company based in Switzerland, “whereas it was merely a consulting company with no experience in the manufacture of drug and medical products,” according to the charge sheet.
Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, right, of Switzerland, shakes hands with Zimbabwean Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo, left, in Harare. Moyo, who appeared in court Saturday, June 20, 2020 was arrested Friday by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (AP Photo)
US Embassy in Kabul battles Covid-19 infections
The US State Department said its embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has reported coronavirus infections and the staff who are affected include diplomats, contractors and locally employed staff, AP stated. However, the State Deparmtent did not reveal how many people were infected by the virus. “The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the US State department said.
An official at the embassy in Kabul told AP as many as 20 people were infected, the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas, who provide embassy security. He said the infected staff are in isolation in the embassy while the remainder on the compound are being tested, adding that he embassy staff have been told they can expect tighter isolation orders. Afghanistan, as on Saturday, has 28,424 confirmed coronavirus cases.
South Korea reports its biggest daily rise in three weeks
South Korea has reported an upward trend in coronavirus infections. The country registered its biggest daily spike with 67 fresh cases Saturday. This was its largest increase in about three weeks after the country started flattening the curve. Most of the new cases are reported from the metropolitan Seoul.
The country now has 12,373 cases and 280 deaths.
Brazil’s Covid figure could be seven times higher: Experts
The total number of coronavirus infections in Brazil crossed the 1 million mark as the country’s health ministry reported a rise of 50,000 new cases in 24 hours.
People walk through a downtown shopping district in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Health specialists suspect the actual number of cases in Brazil to be seven times higher than the official statistic. Johns Hopkins University says Brazil is performing an average of 14 tests per 100,000 people each day, and health experts say that number is up to 20 times less than needed to track the virus.
South Africa and Ethiopia recommend limited use of dexamethasone
Health ministers of South Africa and Ethiopia said they were recommending the limited use of dexamethasone for seriously ill coronavirus patients.
A pharmacist displays a box of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, June 16, 2020. (Reuters Photo/Yves Herman)
South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the findings of the drug were excellent news since the country was preparing for a surge in cases. The country’s Ministerial Advisory Committee recommended the use of dexamethasone for all Covid-19 patients on ventilators or supplementary oxygen, he added.
Similarly, taking to Twitter, Ethiopia’s health minister said her ministry was recommending the emergency use of the drug for critically ill patients.
As of Friday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington stood at 9,952, including 530 deaths. (AP Photo)
Washington, D.C. to enter its second reopening phase next week
The United States’ capital is moving to its second phase of reopening next week after months of social restrictions. Starting Monday, playgrounds, gyms, libraries and nail salons will be able to reopen on a limited basis. All non-essential business and restaurants will be allowed to reopen with a capped footfall of 50 persons.
As of Friday the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington stood at 9,952 including 530 deaths.
Children wearing masks to curb the spread of the new coronavirus chat outside a restaurant in Beijing on Friday, June 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Checks widen in Beijing as cases increase
In an effort to ramp up the fight against coronavirus, officials in Beijing are carrying out nucleic acid tests on all food and parcel delivery personnel. The new cluster outbreak in China’s capital has now surpassed previous peak numbers in early February.
According to the China’s National Health Commission as of Saturday, mainland China reported 27 new cases out of which 22 are from Beijing. This is compared to the 32 confirmed cases yesterday, 25 of which were in Beijing.
Ireland to accelerate reopening through a phased plan
Ireland has accelerated its plan for reopening its economy in phases that will speed the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Phase 3, set to begin on June 29 will reopen cafes, restaurants, places of worship, gyms as well as cinemas. Gatherings of up to 50 people indoors and 200 people outdoors will be allowed.
Phase 4 will commence from July 20 and will allow all bars and nightclubs to open. Up to 100 people can gather indoors and up to 500 outdoors in this phase.
(From left) Health Minister Simon Harris, Anne Graham CEO of the National Transport Authority, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Transport Minister Shane Ross walk by Dublin buses for a photocall to encourage passengers to wear face masks on public transport in the country as coronavirus lockdown measures are eased, in Dublin city centre, Monday June 15, 2020. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
Italy had coronavirus in sewage as early as December says a new study
Coronavirus was present in Italy’s sewage system as early as December, which is approximately two months before the first confirmed case emerged in the European country, a new study has found.
“Traces of SARS-Cov-2 have been found in samples of waste water taken in Milan and Turin on Dec. 18 and in Bologna on Jan. 29,” said Giuseppina La Rosa, who led the research for a coming study from the country’s ISS National Health Institute.
Italy’s earliest reported domestic virus cases have been linked to a man who sought treatment in mid-February of this year. (Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg)
Some other global developments:
* Costa Rica will halt its plan for economic reopening due to the country’s increasing coronavirus cases, Health Minister Daniel Salas said Friday
* Saudi Arabia’s coronavirus cases top 150,000 as a surge was reported in the last 10 days
* Guatemala replaced its health minister on Friday amid a spike in COVID19 infections and deaths.
* France saw its lowest increase in the number of deaths in 5 days with 14 new fatalities Friday.
* Parts of Germany may enter lockdown if the outbreak is not contained; a new cluster of 800 cases has been identified in the region of North Rhine Westphalia