Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 28.25 million, death toll over 909,000
At least 28,252,685 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 909,363 people have died, a Reuters tally showed.
The coronavirus tally passed the 8 million mark in Latin America, the region with the most infections in the world, while India reported another record daily jump of 96,551 cases.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
The World Health Organization referred to the outbreak as a pandemic on March 11.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
At least 6,414,609 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 191,916 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of September 11, 2020, 2:26 pm. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20.
Likewise, India follows the US with a total of 4,562,414 coronavirus cases with 76,271 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread.
Likewise, Brazil has the third-highest 4,238,446 coronavirus cases while 129,522 people have died.
AMERICAS
— The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 and plans to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials said.
— United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for $35 billion more for the World Health Organization's "ACT Accelerator" program to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against COVID-19.
— The US Senate killed a Republican bill that would have provided around $300 billion in new coronavirus aid, as Democrats seeking far more funding prevented it from advancing.
— The US Labor Department said it cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from the coronavirus, making it the first major meatpacker to face a fine after outbreaks at slaughterhouses infected thousands of workers.
EUROPE
— France recorded almost 10,000 new infections on Thursday, its highest ever single-day total, a day before a cabinet meeting that might consider imposing fresh, local lockdowns to curb the spread of the disease.
— Portugal is back among the countries from which travellers must quarantine when entering England, less than a month after it was put on the safe list.
ASIA-PACIFIC
— Australia's state leaders defended regional shutdowns and internal border closures against increased federal government pressure for restrictive coronavirus measures to be lifted as new case numbers ease.
— South Korea posted a slight uptick in the daily number of its cases on Friday even as infections from a church and a political rally that sparked a second wave of outbreaks ease.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
— An Israeli company expects to receive results in the coming week from a Beijing lab that will test whether a fabric it has developed will be able to neutralise 99% of COVID-19, even after being washed multiple times.
— Jordan confirmed the first three cases in the country's largest camp for Syrian refugees, just a few days after discovering two cases in a smaller camp.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
— Political polarisation and online misinformation are threatening vaccination programmes worldwide, according to a global vaccine confidence study.
— International donors have raised $700 million - less than half the target - to purchase future coronavirus vaccines for poor countries, a WHO official said.
— Turkey is considering a request from Russia to conduct Phase III trials of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, adding a decision would be made in the next week.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
— Japanese companies plan to make the deepest cut in capital expenditure in more than a decade this year as the pandemic hits profits, a government survey showed, underscoring the broadening economic impact of the health crisis.