Covid-19 wrap | Russia, France, Philippines report surge in coronavirus cases

Covid-19 wrap | Russia, France, Philippines report surge in coronavirus cases,

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.

FOLLOW THE LIVE UPDATE | All the latest coronavirus and lockdown updates

Russia reported 13 592 new coronavirus cases on Monday, almost the most recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, pushing the national tally to 1 312 310.

Officials also said 125 people had died in the previous 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 22 722.

Russia, which has a total population of around 145 million, has recorded the fourth highest number of infections in the world since the start of the pandemic.

- Reuters

US President Donald Trump will try to put his bout with Covid-19 behind him when he returns to the campaign trail on Monday, while the White House called on Congress to pass a stripped-down coronavirus relief bill.

AMERICAS

* US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had fully recovered from Covid-19 and was not an infection risk for others.

* Brazil registered 559 additional coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours and 26 749 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. It has now registered 5 082 637 total confirmed cases and 150 198 total deaths.

EUROPE

* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce new measures to tackle a growing coronavirus crisis on Monday, moving to work more closely with local leaders from England's worst affected areas

* Liverpool City Region will go into the strictest "third tier" of new anti-coronavirus restrictions to be announced imminently by Britain, its leaders said.

* Slovakia will put in place stricter coronavirus containment measures from Thursday, including a requirement to wear face masks in public and limits to public gatherings, its health minister said.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore, Australia and Japan are gradually easing some international travel restrictions as coronavirus cases slow.

* India's coronavirus caseload reached 7.12 million on Monday, with 66 732 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

* The New Zealand government signed a deal to buy 1.5 million Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Germany's BioNTech.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran plans to make mask-wearing mandatory in public in other large cities after imposing it in Tehran to fight rising coronavirus infections, the health minister said on Sunday.

* Lebanon said on Sunday it will close bars and nightclubs to help contain the Covid-19 outbreak in a country also reeling from financial crisis and an explosion in Beirut two months ago.

- Reuters

The Philippines reported 3 564 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the country's biggest daily tally since 19 September and bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 342 816.

In a bulletin, the health ministry also recorded 11 more fatalities, taking the country's death toll to 6 332.

- Reuters

Swiss still cautious on Covid-19 after lifting 2020 economic outlook

The Swiss government raised its 2020 economic forecast on Monday but remained cautious about a possible second wave of Covid-19 that could curtail growth if it triggered a nationwide lockdown.

Swiss output will shrink by 3.8% this year, a less severe coronavirus-triggered slump than the 6.2% drop previously expected, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said.

Still, Covid-19 remains a serious concern for the government, which also highlighted the return of risks such as US-Chinese trade tensions and a no-deal Brexit as threats to a post-pandemic upswing.

- Reuters

French authorities could be forced to impose new lockdowns in a bid to contain another surge in coronavirus cases that is putting a strain on hospitals, Prime Minister Jean Castex warned Monday.

"If over the next two weeks we see the epidemic indicators worsen, if intensive care beds fill up even more than we expect, we will indeed take additional measures," Castex said in an interview with France Info radio.

Asked about the chances of new stay-at-home orders and business closures specifically, he said "nothing can be ruled out, given what we're seeing in our hospitals".

Castex reiterated that "it should be possible" to avoid a nationwide lockdown like the two-month one at the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in the spring.

But he said too many people were failing to appreciate that "the second wave is here," noting that two more cities, Toulouse and Montpellier, were placed on maximum alert late on Sunday because of a surge in new cases - bringing the total to nine.

- AFP

South Korean drug-maker Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said on Monday that it had received regulatory approval for Phase 1 clinical trials of its anti-parasitic niclosamide drug to treat Covid-19 patients.

The approval comes after the company in August received Indian regulatory approval to test the drug in Phase 1 trials.

The company confirmed the safety of the drug in its latest study in partnership with New Delhi-based Mankind Pharma Ltd, Daewoong said in a statement.

In September, Daewoong separately launched another overseas human trial of the drug in the Philippians.

- Reuters

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government needs to impose further Covid-19 restrictions and the risk of spreading the virus is higher in pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said on Monday.

"The purpose of these measures is to get the virus under control," Dowden told Sky.

"The point of moving to this tiered system is so that in those most highly affected areas, we have got measures in place to control the virus."

He said he hoped the virus would be under control by Christmas or sooner.

- Reuters

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