FACTBOX: The latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

People observing physical distancing protocols and wearing masks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus chat as they wait in line at a mask distribution event in a Covid-19 hotspot of the Little Havana neighbourhood of Miami. Picture: Wilfredo Lee/AP

People observing physical distancing protocols and wearing masks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus chat as they wait in line at a mask distribution event in a Covid-19 hotspot of the Little Havana neighbourhood of Miami. Picture: Wilfredo Lee/AP

Published Jun 27, 2020

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A small city on the outskirts of

Houston, Texas instituted a curfew from Saturday night due to

surging coronavirus cases, the latest move by officials in some

southern and western US states to backtrack on their reopening

plans.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* More than 9.86 million people have been reported to be

infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 494,351​ have

died, a Reuters tally showed as of 1600 GMT on Saturday.

EUROPE

* Britain will scrap a 14-day quarantine period for people

arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19,

and official advice against all but essential travel abroad will

also be eased for some countries and regions, the government

said on Friday. The changes will make it easier for Britons to

travel abroad for summer holidays.

* Liverpool have condemned the behaviour of fans who

gathered in Liverpool city centre for a second night on Friday

to celebrate their team's Premier League title win and urged

them to stay at home due to fears of a surge in Covid-19

cases.

* The Czech Republic recorded 168 new cases of the

coronavirus on Friday, authorities said, the highest daily rise

in cases since early April just as the country is starting the

two-month summer holiday season.

     

AMERICAS

* The pandemic has forced organizers to move parades,

marches and forums online across the United States in June for

Pride Month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community and a

renewed call for equal rights. Still, "canceling" Pride was not

an option, said Cathy Renna, director of communications at the

National LGBTQ Task Force.

 

* Peru will lift lockdown measures in most areas of the

country, including the capital Lima, at the start of July, while

keeping its borders closed, after the daily rate of cases slowed

in recent days, the government said late on Friday.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* India reported over 17,000 new coronavirus cases over the

last 24 hours, pushing the country's total above 500,000,

federal health ministry data showed on Saturday, with infections

surging in major cities including the capital New

Delhi.

* Australia's state of Victoria recorded 41 new confirmed

coronavirus cases on Saturday, double the daily rate seen a week

ago, struggling to gain control over the pandemic while the rest

of the country continues easing restrictions.

* Indonesia reported its biggest daily increase in

coronavirus infections with 1,385 new cases, taking the total to

52,812, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Tunisia reopened its land, sea and air borders for the

first time in more than three months on Saturday after it

announced it had brought the coronavirus outbreak under

control.

* Guinea Bissau was warned on Saturday to prepare for a

possible increase in coronavirus cases by the head of its

response commission, as a team of Cuban health workers arrived

to help the nation tackle the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Brazil announced on Saturday it had signed a $127 million

agreement to start producing locally an experimental vaccine

developed by AstraZeneca that has shown promise to fight

the pandemic.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* Delta Air Lines said late on Friday it will soon

send warning notices to about 2,500 pilots regarding possible

furloughs at the airline, as the industry takes a huge blow

after the pandemic slashed air travel demand.

* Walt Disney Co postponed the debut of live-action

movie "Mulan" until August 21, the company said in a statement on

Friday, a blow to theater operators who want blockbuster movies

to draw audiences from their homes.

Reuters

Related Topics:

coronavirus