LIVE | Disney to cut 28 000 jobs amid downturn, India's infections surge to 6.23 million

Covid-19 wrap | Disney to cut 28 000 jobs amid downturn, India's infections surge to 6.23 million

India's coronavirus case tally surged to 6.23 million after it reported 80 472 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Wednesday.

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus in Americas:

New York City will impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering as the rate of positive tests for the novel coronavirus climbed above 3% for the first time in months, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Canada's federal authorities and its two biggest provinces promised new measures to combat a second wave that is notching up as many cases as during the pandemic's peak in April.

Colombia will extend a selective quarantine for the duration of October.

Reuters

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus in Europe: 

Italy is likely to extend a state of emergency to help keep the health crisis under control, a senior official said.

Finland and Poland slapped new curfews on bars and restaurants, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country would restrict the size of gatherings and fine people who flout tracking rules.

Hundreds of junior Spanish doctors took to the streets of Barcelona to demand better working conditions as they struggle against a second wave of infections.

Reuters

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 33.52 million, death toll at 1 002 898

More than 33.52 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1 002 898 have died, according to a Reuters tally. 

Coronavirus morning recap: Evidence on diabetes, research on infants, and Africa needs $100bn

What the evidence says on Covid-19 and diabetes; reassuring research on infants; and Africa needs $100bn for pandemic aftermath.

There has been an increase of 903 coronavirus cases bringing the total to 672 572.

The number of deaths are now 16 667 after 81 fatalities were recorded.

Recoveries now stand at 606 520 which translates to a recovery rate of 90%.

UN makes leadership call, and millions of tests rolled out

US President Donald Trump announced the distribution of 150 million rapid coronavirus tests ordered from Abbott Laboratories that are able to deliver a result in 15 minutes and display it in a similar format to a home pregnancy kit.

And the World Health Organization says 120 million more will be available for the developing world at $5 each as long as funding is secured.

Boost for vaccine doses planned for poor as virus rages on

Up to 100 million additional doses of any eventual Covid-19 vaccines will be secured for delivery to poorer countries in 2021, health groups announced on Tuesday, as the virus showed no sign of receding after claiming more than one million lives around the world.

The announcement doubles the number of doses already secured from the Serum Institute of India by the Gavi vaccine alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, following an initial agreement in August.

Africa needs $100bn for Covid-19 aftermath, Ramaphosa tells UN

President Cyril Ramaphosa said Africa needs financing of $100 billion for "fiscal space and liquidity" for the continent's governments amid the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been described as the worst shock to the global economy since World War II.

Ramaphosa addressed the UN's high-level meeting on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the era of Covid-19 and beyond on Tuesday via a video message.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described breaching the millionth Covid-19 death as a "tragic milestone".

Mkhize: Covid-19 impact lays bare local govt shortcomings, lack of basic services in communities

"[The] impact of Covid-19 was the way it exposed the [paucity] of the basic services to our communities and the challenges of underdevelopment such as shortage of water, poor sanitation, overcrowded informal settlements, which laid bare all the weaknesses of our local government, environmental and other services," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize during a webinar commemorating World Environmental Health Day.

Germany injects additional R100 million Covid-19 relief funding into Cape Town

The City of Cape Town and Germany have signed a financial agreement which will provide an additional R100 million in Covid-19 relief funding.

Covid-19 wrap | 1 million deaths 'a very sad milestone' - WHO, Russia to supply vaccine to Nepal

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that one million deaths from Covid-19 was "a very sad milestone", after many victims suffered "a terribly difficult and lonely death" and their families were unable to say goodbye.

PLUS:

- Russia's sovereign wealth fund said it had agreed to supply 25 million doses of its potential Covid-19 vaccine to Nepal. 

- Britain's nightclubs may have to stay shut until a coronavirus vaccine is developed.

Covid-19 wrap | 1 million deaths 'a very sad milestone' - WHO, Russia to supply vaccine to Nepal

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that one million deaths from Covid-19 was "a very sad milestone", after many victims suffered "a terribly difficult and lonely death" and their families were unable to say goodbye.

Russian scientist behind Covid-19 vaccine defends 'wartime' roll-out

Russia plans to share preliminary results of its Covid-19 vaccine trial based on the first six weeks of monitoring participants, raising the tempo in an already frenzied global race to end the pandemic.

Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya Institute that produced the Sputnik V vaccine, told Reuters that the pace of its development was necessary under the "wartime" conditions of a pandemic but no corners were being cut.

Russia has pushed ahead with its potential Covid-19 vaccine at top speed with mass public vaccinations alongside the main human trial, raising concerns among some observers that it was prioritising national prestige over solid science and safety.

- Reuters

Russia reports more than 8 000 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Tuesday reported 8 232 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the country's nationwide tally to 1 167 805.Authorities said 160 people had died, bringing the official death toll to 20 545.

- Reuters 

UK seeks to boost job training to help workforce recover from Covid-19

Britain will launch training options for adults to learn new skills in an effort to boost productivity and help the country recover from the coronavirus crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce on Tuesday.

The unemployment rate, already at over 4%, is expected to rise further as a job subsidy scheme put in place early in the pandemic expires next month to be replaced by a scaled-back job support programme.

"We cannot, alas, save every job. What we can do is give people the skills to find and create new and better jobs," Johnson will say in a speech, according to excerpts sent by his office.

"We're transforming the foundations of the skills system so that everyone has the chance to train and retrain."

The government will also seek to boost the number of apprenticeships, with more funding for small and medium firms taking on apprentices, and will extend a pilot programme known as digital skill boot camps to new locations.

- Reuters

May be unsafe for Springboks to play, warns Erasmus

The world champions are scheduled to play two matches each against Argentina, hosts Australia and fierce rivals New Zealand between 7 November and 12 December.

SA Rugby's director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said on Monday it may not be safe for the Springboks to compete in the 2020 Rugby Championship due to a lack of game-time.

"We had one of the toughest lockdowns in the world and our players were indoors for months," Erasmus told a virtual media conference.

"In other countries players could train or at least go to the park and exercise, but we did not have that."

The number of children with Covid-19 in the US has risen 'dramatically' over the last five months

The cumulative rate of coronavirus infections among kids has risen from 2.2% in April to 10% by mid-September, a new report finds. 

In April, children represented just 2.2% of coronavirus cases in the US. By mid-September, that proportion had risen "dramatically" to reach 10%, according to data released today by the American Academy of Paediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

It's unlikely the rise is due to increased testing since CDC data shows children have consistently made up 5% to 7% of all tests administered since April, the organisations report.

Covid-19: Financial uncertainty continues for doctors despite patients' return to healthcare facilities

Patients who postponed surgeries due to Covid-19 are now going back to health facilities but many doctors are still feeling the financial impact of fewer patient visits.

Elon Musk says he and his family won't get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available

Elon Musk says he and his family won't get a coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available.

'Surge' over as 188 more Covid-19 deaths recorded after data delay

The Department of Health reported 188 more deaths related to Covid-19 as it declared the surge over, but explained the higher figure is due to a delay in data and the verification of post-mortem swabs.

The coronavirus has killed at least 1 million people worldwide

Reaching yet another grim milestone, the novel coronavirus has killed 1 million people worldwide, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus morning recap: Silent third wave, hospital transmission, and how Covid took hold in SA

The silent third wave might be Parkinson's; how the virus spreads in a hospital setting; and how Covid-19 took hold in South Africa.

With an increase of 903 coronavirus cases, South Africa now has a total of 671 669 infections.

There have been 188 new deaths bringing the tally to 16 586.

The recovery rate is at 90% or 604 478 recoveries.

Only one in eight countries worldwide have brought in measures to specifically protect women from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a database of government responses to Covid-19 launched by two UN agencies on Monday.

The crisis offers a chance to reshape societies for a fairer future, but many nations are failing to protect women and girls from pandemic-linked risks such as a surge in domestic abuse, said UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

"The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting women hard - as victims of domestic violence locked down with their abusers, as unpaid caregivers in families and communities and as workers in jobs that lack social protection," UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said.

The official global toll of deaths from Covid-19 probably underestimates the true total - suggesting it could be over a million already, a World Health Organization official said on Monday.

"If anything, the numbers currently reported probably represent an underestimate of those individuals who have either contracted Covid-19 or died as a cause of it," Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergencies expert, told a briefing in Geneva.

"When you count anything, you can't count it perfectly but I can assure you that the current numbers are likely an underestimate of the true toll of Covid," he said.

- Reuters

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday allowed bars to reopen and restaurants to sell alcohol again as the rate of new coronavirus infections slowly declines in the East African nation.

In a nationwide address, Kenyatta announced the easing of several strict measures imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, but stopped short of reopening classrooms after the 2020 school year was abandoned.

Following a coronavirus summit in Nairobi with government officials, the president ordered that a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew be extended by another 60 days, but pushed back the hour it begins from 21:00 to 23:00.

The number of attendees allowed at weddings and funerals was doubled to 200, and the permitted size of gatherings at houses of worship increased to one third of their normal seated capacity.

"The prohibition against the operation of bars" and a separate ban on eateries selling alcohol would be lifted from Tuesday, but such venues must close by 22:00, Kenyatta said.

-AFP

2020 Mzansi Super League cancelled due to Covid-19

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday announced the cancellation of this year's Mzansi Super League (MSL) due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CSA revealed that this year's third edition of the MSL was called off due to the "various national and international logistical reasons" caused by the Covid-19 crisis. This year's third edition of the MSL has been postponed to November-December 2021.

"The impact of revised calendars for international cricket across all ICC Members and other T20 leagues, have had a knock-on effect on South African cricket scheduling," CSA's acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said via a press statement.

UK students are trapped in their dorms, as universities scramble to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks

Outbreaks of varying sizes have been recorded at student accommodations at universities in large UK cities, including Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, and Edinburgh.

Some have resulted in lockdowns, with students told to stay in theirs rooms until testing is complete.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Positive test rates top 25% in some U.S. states

The number of tests coming back positive for Covid-19 is topping 25% in several states in the U.S. Midwest as cases and hospitalisations also surge in the region, according to a Reuters analysis.

North Dakota's positive test rate has averaged 30% over the past seven days compared with 6% the prior week. The rate has risen to 26% in South Dakota from 17% the previous week, according to the analysis using testing data from The Covid Tracking Project.

Minnesota and Montana are averaging 7% of tests coming back positive, but Montana's positivity rate rose on Sunday to 20%, according to the analysis.

Travel rebound in China

China expects a significant rebound in domestic travel over the upcoming Golden Week holiday after the sector was pummelled by the novel coronavirus for months, with some flights selling out and travel platforms reporting a surge in hotel bookings.

The pent-up demand is fuelling optimism the Chinese travel industry has reached a turning point, with hopes the eight-day holiday from 1 October will supercharge a tentative pickup seen in recent months, even as some trepidation over the virus lingers.

Few people, however, are expected to venture abroad due to various quarantine requirements around the world and a dearth of overseas flights.

UK eyes tougher restrictions

The British government is mulling tougher restrictions in England to tackle a swiftly accelerating second wave of the novel coronavirus outbreak, possibly outlawing more inter-household socialising.

"We don't want to bring on new restrictions but of course we keep a constant eye on what is going on with the Covid rate," Junior Health Minister Helen Whately told Sky News. "We were looking at what we might be able to do."

"This is the moment when we have an opportunity - we have a choice for the country - to get this back under control," Whately said. "We have to break these chains of transmission."

- Reuters

Merkel: Coronavirus infections could hit 19,200 a day in Germany - Bild

Chancellor Angela Merkel told the leadership of her party on Monday that coronavirus infections could hit 19 200 per day in Germany if the current trend continues but stressed that the economy must be kept running, Bild newspaper reported.

Infections have been generally rising in Germany for weeks. Data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1 192 on Monday compared to Sunday.

"If the trend continues as it is now, we'll have 19,200 infections a day. That's like in other countries," Merkel told a videoconference of the leadership of her Christian Democrats (CDU), Bild said.

- Reuters

How Covid-19 took hold in South Africa

Life is different now. We stay two metres apart from each other, walk with masks and shop with hand sanitiser. Where did it all begin?

Global coronavirus death toll passes one million

Paris – The global death toll from the novel coronavirus, which emerged less than a year ago in China and has swept across the world, passed one million on Sunday.

The pandemic has ravaged the global economy, inflamed geopolitical tensions and upended lives, from Indian slums and Brazil's jungles to America's biggest city, New York.

World sports, live entertainment and international travel ground to a halt as fans, audiences and tourists were forced to stay at home, kept inside by strict measures imposed to curb the virus' spread.

Drastic controls that put half of humanity – more than four billion people – under some form of lockdown by April at first slowed its pace, but since restrictions were eased, cases have soared again.

On Sunday at 22:30 (GMT) the disease had claimed 1 000 009 victims from 33 018 877 recorded infections, according to an AFP tally using official sources.

The United States has the highest death toll with more than 200 000 fatalities, followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and Britain.

 - AFP

India's coronavirus infections cross 6 million

BENGALURU – India's coronavirus case tally topped 6 million after it reported 82 170 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Monday.

Deaths from Covid-19 rose by 1 039 in the last 24 hours to 95 542, the ministry said, which is 1.6% of total cases.

Globally, India has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases, behind the United States where infections crossed 7 million last week.

 - REUTERS

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 32.88 million, death toll at 992 953

More than 32.88 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 992 953 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

 - REUTERS

FACTBOX | Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

Beijing on Monday called on importers to shun frozen food from countries suffering from severe novel coronavirus outbreaks after several cases of imported seafood products tested positive for the virus.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1 411 on Sunday compared to Saturday, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed. The reported death toll rose to 9 457.

Britain recorded 5 693 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, down on the 6 042 reported a day earlier, data published on the government's website showed.

France registered 11 123 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, above the symbolic threshold of 10 000 but below a daily record of 16 096 set earlier this week.

- Reuters

Coronavirus research recap: 'Silent spreaders', severe infections, and blood tests

"Silent spreaders" may be carrying the same amount of virus as those with symptoms; and what experts have learned, and the questions that remain about severe infections.

SA's recovery rate hits 90%

The number of Covid-19 cases in South Africa now sits at 670 766.

The death toll has risen to 16 398, while the number of recoveries is now at 603 721 - a recovery rate of 90%.

Global Covid-19 news at a glance

Nearly one million deaths The virus has killed at least 993 463 people since the outbreak emerged in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. More than 32.9 million cases of infection have been registered.

Melbourne emerges from lockdown An overnight curfew in Australia's second-biggest city will be lifted from Monday, almost two months after it was imposed across Melbourne to counter a surging coronavirus outbreak. Residents will again be free to leave their homes at any time for work, exercise, to buy essentials or provide care.

Cardiff becomes the first UK capital city to go into local lockdown since the national shutdown earlier this year. The restrictions, which bar people from entering or leaving areas unless for work, education or another valid reason, apply to the Welsh capital, second city Swansea and the town of Llanelli.

NY state suffers 1 000-case spike The state of New York, one-time epicentre of the US virus epidemic, sees case numbers rise to more than 1 000 a day for the first time since 5 June.

Lockdown protests Hundreds of people protest in Madrid on against partial lockdown measures imposed on mainly densely populated low-income neighbourhoods, to curb a surge in coronavirus cases.

The demonstration comes a day after more than 10 000 protested in London ahead of the re-imposition of restrictions there.

- AFP

Indonesia reports 3 874 new coronavirus infections, 78 new deaths

Indonesia reported 3 874 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 275 213, official data from the Covid-19 task force showed.

The southeast Asian country also reported 78 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 10 386.

- Reuters

Virus curfew to be lifted in Australia as global deaths near a million

An overnight curfew in Australia's second-largest city will be lifted this week, officials said on Sunday, even as the global coronavirus toll inched toward one million dead.  

Despite the number of infections worldwide passing 32 million - with the US state of New York reporting a fresh spike - more than 10 000 anti-lockdown protesters demonstrated in central London ahead of the re-imposition of restrictions there.  

In more positive news, residents of the Chinese city of Wuhan - where the virus emerged last year - reported a hesitant return to normality, while the French Open got underway at Roland Garros in Paris.

- AFP

Russia reports 7 867 new coronavirus cases, highest since 20 June

Russia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases hit its highest level since 20 June 20 on Sunday at 7 867, bringing its total to 1 151 438, the country's coronavirus task force reported.

In Moscow alone, there were 2 016 new cases, exceeding the 2 000 mark for the first time since June 2.

There were 99 deaths, taking Russia's official coronavirus death toll to 20 324.

- Reuters