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Coronavirus live news: US gives WHO official notice of its withdrawal next year Coronavirus live news: US gives WHO official notice of its withdrawal next year
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Joe Biden says he would return the US to the WHO if elected; WHO acknowledges ‘evidence emerging’ of airborne spread of Covid-19; Jair Bolsonaro tests positive. Follow the latest updatesJoe Biden says he would return the US to the WHO if elected; WHO acknowledges ‘evidence emerging’ of airborne spread of Covid-19; Jair Bolsonaro tests positive. Follow the latest updates
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he is confident that he will swiftly recover from the new coronavirus thanks to treatment with hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug that has not been proven effective against Covid-19.Bolsonaro said he tested positive for the new coronavirus on Tuesday after months of downplaying its severity while deaths mounted rapidly inside the country.The president told reporters he underwent a lung X-ray on Monday after experiencing fever, muscle aches and malaise. As of Tuesday, his fever had subsided, he said, and he attributed the improvement to hydroxychloroquine.Later Tuesday, he posted a video to Facebook of him taking his third dose of hydroxychloroquine, which has also been promoted by President Donald Trump.
“Today I’m a lot better, so certainly it’s working, Bolsonaro said, downing the dose with a glass of water. We know today there are other remedies that can help fight the coronavirus. We know none of them have their efficacy scientifically proven, but I’m one more person for whom this is working. So I trust hydroxychloroquine. And you?”Brazil, the world’s sixth-biggest nation, with more than 210 million people, is one of the outbreak’s most lethal hot spots. More than 65,000 Brazilians have died from Covid-19, and over 1.5 million have been infected.Both numbers are the worlds second-highest totals, behind those of the U.S., though the true figures are believed to be higher because of a lack of widespread testing. On Tuesday alone, 1,254 deaths were confirmed.Other world leaders who have had bouts with Covid-19 include British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
Here are the key global developments from the last few hours:
There are nearly 11.8m confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, and 543,558 known deaths.
Britain to reveal post-coronavirus recovery plan. Britain will Wednesday unveil a mini-budget to kickstart the UK economy, hoping costly infrastructure investment will help build its way out of the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Finance minister Rishi Sunak is due to deliver his spending plans at 1130 GMT, having already flagged £3 billion (US$3.7 billion, €3.3bn) of green investment.
Washington has formally begun the process of leaving the World Health Organization. The US will withdraw on 6 July 2021 under a 1948 joint resolution of the US Congress, which also obliges Washington to pay financial support. Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic challenger for the presidency, said he would return the US to the WHO once elected.
The WHO says coronavirus cases are increasing by 200,000 a day, doubling from April and May. The WHO emergencies chief said that the number of Covid-19 deaths appeared to be stable for the moment, but he cautioned that there is often a lag time between when confirmed cases increase and when deaths are reported due to the time it takes for the coronavirus to run its course in patients.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people.
New Zealand opposition MP who leaked details of Covid-19 patients steps down. An opposition MP in New Zealand has announced he will not stand at September’s election after he confessed to leaking private details about all of the country’s active Covid-19 cases to several news outlets.
Australia to consider limiting returning residents, PM Morrison says. Australia’s coronavirus emergency cabinet will consider limiting the number of its citizens and residents returning home from overseas, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. The prime minister added there were no plans to reimpose restrictions across the country, after Victoria, the country’s second-most populous state, enforced stay-at-home rules in metropolitan Melbourne and one regional area due to a spike in infections.
Victoria reported 134 new coronavirus cases as NSW warns of border region restrictions. fter the New South Wales-Victoria state border closed at midnight on Tuesday, the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned the risk of contagion spreading into her state was “very high” and said even tougher border restrictions might be implemented targeting those living in border communities such as Albury.
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for Covid-19. He said he began feeling ill on Sunday and has been taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug with unproven effectiveness against Covid-19.
Brazil has recorded another 1,312 deaths and more than 48,000 new cases. According to a coalition of Brazilian news outlets keeping an independent tally, that takes Brazil’s total death toll to nearly 67,000, the second highest number in the world. Brazil has now registered 1.67 million confirmed cases, including that of Brazil’s far-right leader who is facing domestic and international condemnation for his handling of the crisis.
Israel’s public health director has quit amid a spike in new coronavirus cases, saying the country had been too hasty to reopen its economy and had lost its way in dealing with the pandemic. Siegal Sadetzki, an epidemiologist, announced her resignation a day after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reimposed a series of restrictions, including the closure of bars, gyms and event halls.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 397 to 197,341, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday.The reported death toll rose by 12 to 9,036, the tally showed.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing to announce a wide-ranging package of tax and spending measures to kickstart Britain’s economic recovery from the coronavirus lockdown.UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing to announce a wide-ranging package of tax and spending measures to kickstart Britain’s economic recovery from the coronavirus lockdown.
Designed to cushion the blow from rising unemployment and to help businesses back to their feet, the summer economic update on Wednesday comes as Britain grapples with the worst recession in living memory.Designed to cushion the blow from rising unemployment and to help businesses back to their feet, the summer economic update on Wednesday comes as Britain grapples with the worst recession in living memory.
Here are the key announcements to look out for:Here are the key announcements to look out for:
The World Health Organization has acknowledged new evidence that the coronavirus spreads more widely in the air than it had previously suggested, as the Trump administration gave official notification of its withdrawal from the group.The World Health Organization has acknowledged new evidence that the coronavirus spreads more widely in the air than it had previously suggested, as the Trump administration gave official notification of its withdrawal from the group.
A day after a group of scientists said the global body was underplaying the risk of airborne transmission between people, a senior WHO official said there was “evidence emerging” of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive.A day after a group of scientists said the global body was underplaying the risk of airborne transmission between people, a senior WHO official said there was “evidence emerging” of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said: “...The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out.Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said: “...The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out.
‘Brief shining of the light’: Japan’s fireflies dance - and mate - in isolation amid Covid-19‘Brief shining of the light’: Japan’s fireflies dance - and mate - in isolation amid Covid-19
As the sun sets in the Japanese town of Tatsuno, thousands of fireflies begin glowing, producing a spectacle that usually draws crowds of delighted visitors.As the sun sets in the Japanese town of Tatsuno, thousands of fireflies begin glowing, producing a spectacle that usually draws crowds of delighted visitors.
But this year, the dance of the incandescent insects is being performed without spectators, after coronavirus prevention measures forced organisers of a popular firefly festival to cancel the event.But this year, the dance of the incandescent insects is being performed without spectators, after coronavirus prevention measures forced organisers of a popular firefly festival to cancel the event.
The decision may have disappointed fans of the bugs, but it provides an unusually serene atmosphere as the insects blink on and off, appearing to dance through the black night air.The decision may have disappointed fans of the bugs, but it provides an unusually serene atmosphere as the insects blink on and off, appearing to dance through the black night air.
Australia’s coronavirus emergency cabinet will consider limiting the number of its citizens and residents returning home from overseas, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday.The prime minister added there were no plans to reimpose restrictions across the country, after Victoria, the country’s second-most populous state, enforced stay-at-home rules in metropolitan Melbourne and one regional area due to a spike in infections.Australia’s coronavirus emergency cabinet will consider limiting the number of its citizens and residents returning home from overseas, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday.The prime minister added there were no plans to reimpose restrictions across the country, after Victoria, the country’s second-most populous state, enforced stay-at-home rules in metropolitan Melbourne and one regional area due to a spike in infections.
Back in the Australian state of Victoria, year 11 and 12 students and year 10 students doing Victorian Certificate of Education subjects will return to classrooms next week despite the state’s chief health officer suggesting student to student transmission among older teens is responsible for a massive cluster at Al-Taqwa College.Back in the Australian state of Victoria, year 11 and 12 students and year 10 students doing Victorian Certificate of Education subjects will return to classrooms next week despite the state’s chief health officer suggesting student to student transmission among older teens is responsible for a massive cluster at Al-Taqwa College.
The large primary and high school in Melbourne’s west was originally closed on 29 June when a member of the school community tested positive.The large primary and high school in Melbourne’s west was originally closed on 29 June when a member of the school community tested positive.
As the number of infections linked to the school began to grow, all 2,000 students and 300 staff members were ordered to isolate and be tested last Friday. This cluster quickly ballooned to 90 cases by Tuesday to become the state’s second largest outbreak behind that at Cedar Meats.As the number of infections linked to the school began to grow, all 2,000 students and 300 staff members were ordered to isolate and be tested last Friday. This cluster quickly ballooned to 90 cases by Tuesday to become the state’s second largest outbreak behind that at Cedar Meats.
Mexico’s health ministry on Tuesday reported 6,258 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 895 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 268,008 cases and 32,014 deaths.The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.Mexico’s health ministry on Tuesday reported 6,258 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 895 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 268,008 cases and 32,014 deaths.The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
The Guardian’s Eleanor Ainge Roy reports from Queenstown with Charlotte Graham-McLay in Auckland:The Guardian’s Eleanor Ainge Roy reports from Queenstown with Charlotte Graham-McLay in Auckland:
Here’s the full story on a man in compulsory isolation in New Zealand who has absconded from a quarantine hotel to make a late-night “spur-of-the-moment” dash to the supermarket – before testing positive for Covid-19 the following day:Here’s the full story on a man in compulsory isolation in New Zealand who has absconded from a quarantine hotel to make a late-night “spur-of-the-moment” dash to the supermarket – before testing positive for Covid-19 the following day:
About 30,000 people have passed through quarantine hotels in Auckland since New Zealand closed its borders but in recent weeks a number of guests have made bids for freedom.About 30,000 people have passed through quarantine hotels in Auckland since New Zealand closed its borders but in recent weeks a number of guests have made bids for freedom.
Over the weekend a woman leapt over from a hedge to escape her two-week quarantine. Later she got lost and asked a passing policeman for directions back to her hotel.Over the weekend a woman leapt over from a hedge to escape her two-week quarantine. Later she got lost and asked a passing policeman for directions back to her hotel.
The latest case saw a 32-year-old man leave Auckland’s Stamford Plaza hotel, bypass security guards and walk to a local Countdown supermarket. The man had been smoking in a fenced area when he escaped and was apparently mistaken for a contractor by security staff, said Air Commodore Darryn Webb, who is in charge of managed isolation and quarantine.The latest case saw a 32-year-old man leave Auckland’s Stamford Plaza hotel, bypass security guards and walk to a local Countdown supermarket. The man had been smoking in a fenced area when he escaped and was apparently mistaken for a contractor by security staff, said Air Commodore Darryn Webb, who is in charge of managed isolation and quarantine.
“Security attempted to follow the man but were unsuccessful in locating him,” Webb said.“Security attempted to follow the man but were unsuccessful in locating him,” Webb said.
“Police were called immediately, and enquiries were underway to locate the man including reviewing CCTV footage and undertaking substantial area searches before he returned to the facility where he was then interviewed by police.”“Police were called immediately, and enquiries were underway to locate the man including reviewing CCTV footage and undertaking substantial area searches before he returned to the facility where he was then interviewed by police.”
Webb said the man would be charged with breaking newly introduced quarantine legislation, while the supermarket he visited had been closed.Webb said the man would be charged with breaking newly introduced quarantine legislation, while the supermarket he visited had been closed.
The Netherlands will be at the centre of upcoming talks over European spending on the coronavirus crisis, driven by a mix of traditional Calvinist frugality and political reality, experts say.
As part of the “frugal four” along with Austria, Denmark and Sweden, the Dutch have enraged many in the EU by putting the brakes on a €750bn (US$850bn) rescue package for the worst-hit countries.
Over the past decade the Netherlands has graduated from Germany’s thrifty henchman to the loudest voice among northern European penny-pinchers fighting supposed southern profligacy.
The key role played by the Dutch is underscored by leaders lining up to meet Prime Minister Mark Rutte to break the impasse and reach a deal at a crucial EU summit next week.
The Dutch position that has been harshly criticised has deep cultural and historical roots, analysts say.
“It really has to do with our cultural background. We’re a nation of preachers and salesmen, as they always say,” said Jos Versteeg, an analyst at Amsterdam-based InsingerGilissen private bank.
“In the north it has all to do with Calvinism and Protestantism - live a sober life, don’t show your wealth. In the south (of Europe) there is a different culture,” he told AFP.
The full story on the latest from the Australian state of Victoria now:
Victoria has recorded 134 new cases of Covid-19, with the source of 123 still under investigation, as state police launched a renewed focus on ensuring those who breach public health orders face consequences.
After the New South Wales-Victoria border closed at midnight on Tuesday, the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned the risk of contagion spreading into her state was “very high” and said even tougher border restrictions might be implemented targeting those living in border communities such as Albury.
Berejiklian said people living in towns near the border, such as Wagga, should not visit places closer to Victoria, and asked people in border towns not to move outside them unless “absolutely necessary”.
The Victorian police commissioner, Shane Patton, said on Wednesday morning police would dramatically increase their presence in and around metropolitan Melbourne, which will be under lockdown for six weeks from midnight. Police would focus on 32 local government areas under stage-three restrictions, which mean people can leave their homes only for exercise, work and school, groceries, and essential services such as childcare and healthcare.
The dollar held onto gains on Wednesday as a resurgence of the coronavirus in the United States and the return of lockdowns in some countries boosted safe-haven demand for the US currency, Reuters reports. Risk sentiment was also undermined after Federal Reserve officials expressed concern that rising coronavirus cases could harm economic growth just as stimulus measures start to expire.The yuan fell slightly against the dollar, halting a two-day rally, after the Chinese central bank’s daily midpoint for the currency was set at a weaker than expected level.Other Asian currencies straddled narrow ranges as a resurgence of coronavirus cases threatened a return of lockdown restrictions, leaving investors fretting about the mounting economic costs of the pandemic.“The mood changes day by day, but the dollar looks to be supported for now as investors turn more cautious about the virus,” said Yukio Ishizuki, foreign exchange strategist at Daiwa Securities.
The dollar traded at 107.67 yen in Asia on Wednesday following a 0.3% gain on Tuesday.
Against the euro, the dollar was quoted at $1.1274, also holding to a 0.3% gain from the previous session.
The greenback bought 0.9429 Swiss franc, little changed on the day.
Sterling changed hands at $1.2549 and was quoted at 89.86 pence per euro.
The pound was near three-week highs against both the greenback and the common currency after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his commitment to reaching an early trade deal with the European Union.
Britain will Wednesday unveil a mini-budget to kickstart the UK economy, hoping costly infrastructure investment will help build its way out of the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak, AFP reports.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to “build, build, build” in an “infrastructure revolution” for schools, affordable housing, road maintenance and public transport.
Finance minister Rishi Sunak is due to deliver his spending plans at 1130 GMT, having already flagged £3 billion (US$3.7 billion, €3.3bn) of green investment.
The chancellor of the exchequer will offer £2 billion ($2.5bn, €2.2bn) in grants for households to insulate homes and make them more energy efficient. A further £1 billion ($1.25bn, €1bn) is being provided for public sector buildings, including hospitals.
Britain has had more than 44,000 deaths in the outbreak - the highest in Europe - heaping pressure on the government for its handling of the crisis.
Charlotte Graham-McLay reports for the Guardian:
An opposition MP in New Zealand has announced he will not stand at September’s election after he confessed to leaking private details about all of the country’s active Covid-19 cases to several news outlets.
The leak by Hamish Walker, a member of parliament for the centre-right National party, as well as the revelations that the personal information had in turn been provided to him by a former National party president, dealt a blow to an opposition trying to make a comeback in the polls ahead of September’s election against the widely popular prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
“I sincerely apologise for my actions. I will be making no further comment,” Walker said in a written statement on Wednesday, which was sent to news outlets at the same time members of his party’s board were due to meet about his future.
Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura reiterated on Wednesday there is no need to declare a new state of emergency for the coronavirus despite rising infections, as serious cases remained low and there was no strain on the medical system.But, he noted an increase in the number of untraceable cases and cases among older people, saying: “It is necessary to respond with a sense of crisis.”
Charlotte Graham-McLay reports for the Guardian:
New Zealand’s government has revealed that a man who has tested positive for Covid-19 left his managed isolation facility – by escaping through a temporary fence – in order to visit a supermarket. All of the country’s known cases of the coronavirus are returning travellers who are spending quarantine in government-run isolation facilities. There have been no diagnosed cases of community transmission since the last known patient recovered in early June.
The man, aged in his 30s, had recently returned from India. He absconded from his managed quarantine hotel – the Stamford Plaza in central Auckland – to visit a supermarket. He was missing from quarantine for just over an hour on Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning he tested positive to Covid-19. Officials are tracing his movements, and the supermarket he visited has been closed. Chris Hipkins, the health minister, said the “acts of selfishness” that the man and another earlier escapee had committed were unacceptable and would be prosecuted. They face hefty fines or up to six months in jail.
California reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a record rise for a single day that also surpassed the number of contact tracers recently trained by the state to detect and prevent potential outbreaks, Reuters reports. California is one of several US states that have reported surging numbers of new Covid-19 infections over the past week, raising questions about how US President Donald Trump has handled the crisis and impeding state plans to lift lockdowns.
The 10,201 new cases reported on Tuesday took the total number of cases in California since the start of the pandemic to nearly 284,00. In June, California infections more than doubled with over 117,000 new cases.Only three other US states have reported more than 10,000 cases in a day. Florida reported 11,458 new cases on July 4 and Texas reported 10,028 on Tuesday.New York recorded 12,847 new infections on 10 April, three weeks after the state implemented a strict lockdown that closed most businesses. Once the epicenter of the US epidemic, New York saw cases rise by about 6% in June - the lowest rate in the entire country.
On Tuesday in Brazil, as President Jair Bolsonaro announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, he took off his mask in front of journalists and said: “Just look at my face. I’m well, fine, thank God … Thanks to all those who have been praying for me … and to those who criticise me, no problem, carry on criticising as much as you like.”
The premier of the beleaguered Australian state of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, has announced 134 new cases in the state, down from yersterday’s record of 191.
Andrews says only 11 of the new Covid-19 cases are connected to known outbreaks.
There are now 75 cases in the locked-down towers.