Coronavirus live news: US nears 6m cases, Australia records highest daily death toll

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Coronavirus live news: US nears 6m cases, Australia records highest daily death toll

Chinese state media, the Global Times, has reported that millions of college students in Wuhan have returned to campus for the first time in six months.

Global Times
(@globaltimesnews)

Millions of college students start their new term and return to #Wuhan, previously the hardest-hit city in China by coronavirus, after being stranded at home for over half a year. pic.twitter.com/FxzWNE5r69

August 31, 2020

Here’s some more on New Zealand’s nine new cases from our reporter Charles Anderson:

There are nine new cases of Covid-19 in Auckland as the city moves out of lockdown and allows travel throughout the country.

It has been almost three weeks since Auckland moved to Alert Level 3, which shuttered schools and many businesses.

However, now Auckland is now at Level 2.5, while the rest of the country remains at Level 2. That means Aucklanders have harsher restrictions, with gatherings capped at 10 people and authorised funerals and tangihanga at 50. From today, masks are also mandatory across the country on public transport and planes for everyone over 12.

All of the new Covid-19 cases are linked to the original Auckland cluster which sparked the lockdown. There are 11 people with Covid-19 in hospital with a total confirmed case number of 1387.

These new cases come as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern managed fall out from wrong advice coming from the Ministry of Health which suggested all people in South and west Auckland should get Covid-19 tests.

She said she was “incredibly angry” at the communication breakdown saying from only ministers should be relied upon to deliver “significant” Covid-19 updates – not the ministry’s website.

New Zealand Associate Minister of Health Hon Peeni Henare and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wear masks during a visit to the Kainga Ora housing development on Monday in Auckland. Face coverings are now compulsory for all New Zealanders over the age of 12 on public transport or planes. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Ardern yesterday also asked New Zealanders not to leave their homes without wearing a mask.

“We know masks protect you and the people around you,” she said. “They limit the chance of Covid-19 spreading in places where it is often harder to distance yourself and to trace people.”

Health and education minister Chris Hipkins said to parents who might be concerned about sending children back to school: “Do get your kids back in school. Their futures depend on this.”

The move to Level 2.5 comes as some experts say that they would have preferred Auckland to stay longer in Level 3 to ensure the cluster was contained.

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said it was up to Aucklanders to stick to the rules, use contract tracing apps and get tested if they had symptoms, if they wanted the virus to be brought under control.

Yesterday there were two new community cases in New Zealand, one of them a doctor in Tokoroa.

France’s education minister acknowledged on Sunday that not all of the country’s schools can safely reopen Tuesday.

With several thousand new infections now reported in France every day, Jean-Michel Blanquer told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that some classes will remain closed when the nationwide reopening begins, but as few as possible.

French doctors published an appeal Saturday saying that the government’s anti-virus measures for schools aren’t strict enough. They urged masks for children as young as six and a mix of online and in-person schooling. Spain announced last week that children would be required to wear masks at school from six.

Currently French schools are set to resume largely as normal, but with masks required all day for everyone 11 and over and some restrictions on movements and gatherings.

Following an upsurge in Covid cases in France, 21 departments have been classified in the red zone. The 21 departments concerned by an active circulation of the virus are Bouches-du-Rhône, Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-et-Marne, Essonne, Val-d’Oise, Yvelines, Sarthe, Rhône, Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Hérault, Gard, Var and Alpes-Maritimes for metropolitan France. Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana are the three overseas territories affected by the active circulation of the virus. Face masks mandatory in Marseille. Photograph: Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

Just back to Australia and there are 10 new cases of Covid in the most populous state of New South Wales. Somewhat reassuringly, six of those are in quarantine. All four locally acquired cases are linked to a cluster in the centre of Sydney.

The premier of the state, Gladys Berejiklian, asks people to consider their movements as the weather warms up.

Today is the last day of winter and I’m pleased we got through the winter months as well as we did, and now that the warmer weather is upon us can I please ask everybody to think about their activities when they’re out of doors … just make sure you keep your social distance.

She says August and September are normally peak times for flu, but people should assume that if they are sick, it’s Covid.

Normally August-September is the peak time for the flu but because we’re hand sanitising and keeping our distances those numbers haven’t materialised, but that means if you do have a symptom you should assume it’s Covid and not the flu.

You can stay across all of Australia’s coronavirus news on the Australian blog below:

Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria records 73 new cases and 41 deaths as NSW records 10 new cases

New Zealand has reported five new community cases of transmission of Covid-19, and four in managed isolation. All of the new community cases are linked to the Auckland cluster.

The city has now moved down to alert level 2, with extra restrictions, including wearing face masks on public transport. Gatherings within the Auckland region may involve a maximum of 10 people.

China has reported 17 new Covid-19 cases, up from 9 reported a day earlier, the country’s health authority said on Monday.

The National Health Commission said all of the new cases were imported infections involving travellers returning from abroad, marking the 15th straight day of no local infections for the country.

The number of asymptomatic cases rose to 19 from 4 reported a day earlier. China’s total number of COVID-19 infections now stands at 85,048, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

Mexico’s health ministry on Sunday reported 4,129 new confirmed novel coronavirus infections and 339 additional fatalities, bringing the total number to 595,841 cases and 64,158 deaths.

Still on Australia, and we are expecting a news conference from the premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, in about half an hour. There will also be a press conference around then from the premier of the neighbouring state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, where no doubt she will be giving an update on the growing cluster in the centre of Sydney. You can follow it live on our Australian blog below.

Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria records 73 new cases and 19 deaths as fears grow for NSW clusters

The Australian state of Victoria has recorded 41 new deaths from Covid-19 – the highest total for the country during the pandemic. The southern state has been gripped by an outbreak that prompted a strict, stage-four lockdown. The deaths include 22 people who died in the weeks leading to 27 August, the state health ministry said….which means 19 died in the most recent 24-hour reporting period.

The country’s previous highest daily toll was 25 on 17 August.

VicGovDHHS
(@VicGovDHHS)

#COVID19VicData for 31 Aug 2020. There were 73 new cases and sadly 41 deaths. Today’s deaths total includes 22 people who died in the weeks leading up to 27 August and were reported to DHHS by aged care facilities yesterday. More info will be available later this morning. pic.twitter.com/yDzeMKzYqE

August 31, 2020

India has registered a record new 78,761 coronavirus cases, the world’s highest single-day increase since the pandemic began, just as the government began easing restrictions to help the country’s battered economy.

The US set the previous record on 17 July with 77,638 daily infections.

People gather near India’s parliament house as the country sets a new global record for daily infections. Photograph: Manish Rajput/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

The surge raised India’s tally to more than 3.5m, and came as the government announced the reopening of subways in Delhi. A limited number of sports and religious events will also be allowed from next month.

A country of 1.4 billion people, India has the fastest-growing daily coronavirus caseload of any country in the world. It has reported more than 75,000 infections for the fourth consecutive day.

One of the reasons is testing: India conducts nearly 1m tests every day, compared with 200,000 two months ago.

You can read our full story below.

India sets world record of highest single-day spike of Covid-19 cases

Coronavirus cases in Colombia surpassed 600,000 on Sunday as deaths from the virus approach 19,400, ahead of the end to more than five months of lockdown.

The Andean country has 607,938 confirmed cases of the virus according to the health ministry, after it reported 8,024 cases on Sunday. Daily cases have begun to fall since their peak on 20 August of 13,056.

The Salt Cathedral, one of Colombia’s main tourist attractions, is waiting for an authorisation from the Health Ministry for its reopening. Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images

President Ivan Duque declared a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus in late March. The measure will end on Monday when the country begins a month-long “selective” quarantine.

Many sectors have already gradually reopened. Under the new measures restaurants can function at 25% capacity but large events such as concerts remain banned.

Intensive care units in Bogota are at about 73% capacity, according to local health authorities. The capital is home to more than a third of Colombia’s cases.

MinSaludCol
(@MinSaludCol)

#ReporteCOVID19 – 30 de agosto:

10.047 recuperados
8.024 nuevos casos
300 fallecidos

Muestras:
PCR: 26.879
Antígeno: 3.357

Total:

450.621 recuperados
607.938 casos de COVID-19
19.364 fallecidos
2.715.591 muestras procesadas
136.702 casos activoshttps://t.co/SiKTpTCQ3W pic.twitter.com/H6vlnS8aPV

August 30, 2020

Still in the UK, and Archie Bland reports that police received dozens of reports of illegal gatherings over the weekend and began issuing the first fines after new rules in England penalising organisers of illegal raves came into force.

Two organisers at a rave in Banwen, West Glamorgan, that attracted an estimated 3,000 people were handed fixed penalty notices for £10,000 on Sunday. Officers remained at the scene in to the night along with about 1,000 people, South Wales police said.

Elsewhere, officers in the West Midlands, Essex, Norfolk and West Yorkshire dealt with reports of unlicensed music events and the flouting of lockdown restrictions at house and street parties, though most forces said they would seek to remind people of their responsibilities before imposing fines.

The restrictions, in place since Friday, were prompted by repeated incidents of illegal raves during lockdown, which the home secretary, Priti Patel, said represented “the most serious breaches of social distancing restrictions”.

Here’s Archie’s full story:

Two rave organisers in south Wales fined £10,000 under new Covid-19 rules

Meanwhile, Piers Corbyn, the older brother of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, received a £10,000 fixed penalty under new coronavirus laws restricting public gatherings of more than 30 people.

The weather forecaster and climate change denier was arrested and fined for his part in organising Saturday’s demonstration in central London against lockdown restrictions.

He said he was arrested on the stage set up in Trafalgar Square at the end of the event, while protesters marched off down Whitehall.

The 73-year-old told the Guardian: “After the rally had finished, I was saying goodbye to people … I was just looking around thinking I had better go now, and then they [the police] just grabbed me from behind.

Piers Corbyn addressing a crowd in Trafalgar Square on Saturday. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The United Kingdom recorded 1,715 daily confirmed cases on Sunday, the highest level since 4 June. It comes amid concerns about school children returning to classrooms this week for the first time since March.

School leaders have told the Guardian of Covid-19 forcing some in England “to juggle pupil and financial safety”.

“I cannot plan to have a cleaner on site if I have no idea if I will be able to claim against the fund, so I am balancing safety against financial stability,” Paul Gosling of Exeter Road community primary school in Devon.

The government’s coronavirus schools fund, which was introduced to cover the exceptional costs associated with the pandemic, closed on 21 July. A notice on its website says there are plans to open a “second claims window” in the autumn.

You can read our full story below:

Covid-19 forcing schools in England ‘to juggle pupil and financial safety’

Still in the US and the governor of New York state, Andrew Cuomo, dished out some scathing criticism of President Trump’s handling of the pandemic on Sunday.

“National threats require national leadership. It’s been 6 months without a national strategy on testing or mask mandate,” he tweeted.

Andrew Cuomo
(@NYGovCuomo)

The White House has learned nothing from COVID.

National threats require national leadership. It’s been 6 months without a national strategy on testing or mask mandate.

Only the federal government has the power to go to war with COVID.

They are failing and the nation suffers.

August 30, 2020

“Don’t test and if we can’t find the cases — they don’t exist. Great, then let’s cure cancer by stopping screenings. Absurd!” he tweeted, criticising President Trump’s assertion that the US only has more cases because it tests more.

The Democratic governor said the state carried out more than 100,000 on Saturday and found 698 positive.

“We reported over 100,000 tests yesterday. Highest number to date. Our infection rate remains under 1%. The takeaway? More tests does not equal more cases. And masks work,” he tweeted.

Andrew Cuomo
(@NYGovCuomo)

Today’s update on the numbers:

Of the 100,022 tests reported yesterday, 698 were positive (0.69% of total).

Total hospitalizations fell to 429.

Sadly, there were 8 COVID fatalities yesterday. pic.twitter.com/F77StgXZ6J

August 30, 2020

Many health officials and at least 33 states have rejected the new Covid-19 testing guidance issued by the Trump administration last week that said those exposed to the virus and without symptoms may not need testing.

Public health officials believe the United States needs to test more frequently to find asymptomatic carriers to slow the spread of the disease.

The US is fast approaching six million infections, as cases grow in several Midwestern states. According to Johns Hopkins’ figures, cases stand at 5,992,401, with 183,020 deaths.

Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have recently reported record one-day increases in new cases while Montana and Idaho are seeing record numbers of hospitalised patients.

Many of the new cases in Iowa are in the counties that are home to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, which are holding some in-person classes. Colleges and universities around the country have seen outbreaks after students returned to campus, forcing some to switch to online-only learning.

Nationally, the numbers of new cases have declined, with the US Centers for Disease Control reporting the seven-day rolling average of new infections has dropped to 41,573. That’s down from the peak of 66,960 in late July. The seven-day average death toll stands at 928. It dropped under 1,000 deaths per day on 22 August.

Alison Rourke
(@AlisonRourke)

US coronavirus infections as per the US CDC count. The seven-day rolling average for new cases is 41,573. pic.twitter.com/MLcC8D4Lyh

August 30, 2020

Alison Rourke
(@AlisonRourke)

US deaths from coronavirus from the US CDC count. The seven-day rolling average for deaths stands at 928. pic.twitter.com/OpasSkGtzm

August 30, 2020

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Alison Rourke.

The United States is approaching six million coronavirus infections, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The milestone comes amid rising infection in some Midwestern states, including Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

In other coronavirus developments:

• The UK recorded 1,715 daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, the highest level since 4 June.
• Coronavirus cases in Colombia passed 600,000 on Sunday as deaths from the virus approach 19,400, ahead of the end to more than five months of lockdown.
• India set a global daily coronavirus record on Sunday, reporting 78,761 new infections. The US set the previous record on 17 July with 77,638 daily infections.
• In New Zealand, masks become mandatory from Monday on public transport and flights, as restriction levels in the biggest city of Auckland are reduced, following a cluster that ended the country’s more than 100-day run with no local transmission.
• Brazil registered 566 additional coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours and 16,158 new cases, the health ministry said on Sunday evening.
• Not all classrooms in France can safely reopen on Tuesday, the country’s education minister acknowledged on Sunday, as a persistent rise in coronavirus infections jeopardises the government’s push to get 12.9 million schoolchildren back into class this week.
• Jordan reported 73 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, its highest daily tally since the start of the outbreak, bringing its total infections to 1,966, with 15 deaths.
• Ghana will reopen air borders to international travel from 1 September after closing them in March to limit the spread of the virus.

Source: The Guardian |NewsColony

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