In the US, Vice President Mike Pence called off off a planned campaign bus tour in Florida following a surge in confirmed cases there. Hard-hit Italy, meanwhile, registered the lowest day-to-day tally of COVID-19 deaths Saturday in almost three months. According to Italy’s Health Ministry data, there were eight deaths of infected patients since Friday, raising the nation’s known toll in the pandemic to 34,716. Meanwhile, global coronavirus cases exceeded 10 million on Sunday, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months.

World leaders, stars unite at event aimed at fighting virus

A summit that included a star-studded virtual concert hosted by Dwayne Johnson has raised nearly US$ 7 billion in cash and loan guarantees to assist the poor around the globe whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

Global Citizen said its summit with world leaders had raised US$ 1.5 billion to help COVID-19 efforts in poor countries, along with a promise of 250 million doses of a vaccine for those nations if one is successfully developed.

The group said it had secured US$ 5.4 billion in loans and guarantees from the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to support fragile economies worldwide. The event included a Johnson-hosted concert with performances by Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay and Chloe x Halle.