August 27 coronavirus news

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday that she is closing all bars, taverns, breweries and nightclubs in six counties because of an uptick in Covid-19 cases.

Starting Thursday afternoon, bars in six counties will close until further notice; the counties include Blackhawk, Dallas Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Story, Reynolds said.  

Restaurants in those counties can stay open, but must stop serving alcohol at 10 p.m., she said.   

The latest numbers: The state reported 921 new Covid-19 cases and 59,688 total cases. Iowa currently has a 9.7% positivity rate, according to the state health website.  

Students and parents begin to move belongings out of Bragaw Hall at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 27.

North Carolina State University is asking students who live on campus to move out of their housing by Sept. 6, following what the University Chancellor referred to as a “rapid spread” of coronavirus cases.

The university reported 325 positive cases of Covid-19 during the period between August 20 and Aug. 26 out of a total of 3,105 tests performed — a positivity rate of a little over 10% — according to their coronavirus dashboard.

Students can apply for waivers to stay in their housing if circumstances require, but the school says their “goal is to reduce the on-campus population significantly.” 

“Students will receive prorated refunds for unused portions of housing and dining for the fall semester,” the letter adds.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hammered President Trump’s handling of Covid-19 in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper this afternoon, saying that if the President truly cared about the safety of Americans he’d work harder to solve the pandemic still roiling much of the nation. 

“You want to talk about safety?” asked Biden, responding to Trump’s rhetoric about protests and violence on the streets of some American cities.

 “Look at the biggest safety issue in the nation, Covid,” said Biden, before citing the latest death tolls.

“[Trump] has been incompetent in the way in which he has dealt with this,” Biden continued. “…Get us out of this mess, Mr. President.”

French Health authorities have reported 6,111 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest since March 31, at the height of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Jean Castex warned, however, that “these figures must be interpreted with caution since compared to this period, the month of May, we are testing many, many more people.”

Yet the percentage of positive tests is increasing slightly as well, from 3.7% to 3.8% in a floating seven-day period. It was around 1% at the end of the lockdown in May according to Castex.

Currently, 4,535 patients are in hospital for coronavirus symptoms in France including 381 in intensive care units.

There have been 30,576 deaths in France since beginning of the pandemic.

The University of Southern California is reporting 104 positive cases of coronavirus in the last three days, according to University Student Health.

At least 73 students tested positive from symptomatic and exposure testing, while another 31 were part of population testing. For the latter, anyone who is asymptomatic can be tested. The positivity rate is now 2.7% which is considered high, according to Chief Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman. She notes spread is generally through small gatherings.

In a memo to students Monday, USC Student Health said “it has received an alarming increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in students in the University Park Campus Community as the first week of the fall semester has concluded.” At that time, 43 students tested positive – 29 through symptomatic and exposure testing, plus 14 through population testing. 

University Health wants students to work together to protect the community.

USC started the fall semester on August 17.

Coronavirus testing should be expanded to not only find people with no symptoms, but also to cover those who have come into contact with someone positive for the virus, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for Covid-19, said Thursday.

The US federal government is fighting criticism for having revised back guidelines for who should be tested. New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance says people who have been in contact with a coronavirus case might not need to be tested if they don’t have symptoms.

But the new guidance from WHO says just the opposite. 

When investigating clusters, Van Kerkhove said, “testing may need to be expanded to look for individuals who are on the more mild end of the spectrum or who may indeed be asymptomatic.” 

“What’s really important is that testing is used as an opportunity to find active cases so that they can be isolated and so that contact tracing can also take place where you identify all of the contacts of a known case and that they can be quarantined,” she said. “And this is really fundamental to breaking down chains of transmission.” 

Most important is to test people likely to be infected, she said.

“Our recommendations are to test suspect cases,” said Van Kerkhove, “and make recommendations that contacts, if feasible, should be tested regardless of the development of symptoms.” 

Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said that the primary purpose of testing, and what many countries are focused on, is to confirm whether a suspected case has Covid-19. This is what allows for contact tracing to begin.

This means that testing turnaround time is also important. 

“The most important part of a testing strategy is to decide who you’re going to test, focusing on those suspect cases and then getting those people tested and getting those results back as quickly as possible and initiating the public health actions, either in terms of isolation or quarantining contacts, carrying out cluster investigations,” Ryan said during the briefing.

He agreed with Van Kerkhove that in situations where there has been a cluster of cases, there is a rationale for broader testing of other people who may have been exposed and could be carrying the virus, even if they are asymptomatic or presymptomatic. 

The total number of deaths related to coronavirus in the United States have now topped 180,000, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University. 

According to Johns Hopkins, there are at least 5,838,695 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 180,020 people have died from the virus.

So far on Thursday, Johns Hopkins reported 16,876 new cases and 312 reported deaths. 

Here are the dates of some notable Covid-19 US death totals from the JHU data:

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued her seventeenth supplemental emergency proclamation containing an amended Safer at Home Order that includes extending the statewide mask requirement an additional 5 weeks. 

The amended order extends until Oct. 2, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. It states that individuals in Alabama will be required to wear a mask or other facial covering when in public and in close contact with other people.

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris reported improvements in daily numbers of new cases and a decline in the number of deaths and hospitalizations.

The United Kingdom reported its highest number of new daily Covid-19 cases since June 12, with 1,522 new infections on Thursday, according to government data. 

The number of new confirmed cases on Thursday is an increase from 1,048 new cases reported Wednesday and 1,184 new cases reported Tuesday. 

The cumulative total of coronavirus cases has risen to 330,368, according to government data. A further 12 deaths have been recorded, bringing the UK’s official death toll to 41,477.

Meanwhile, the country removed the Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland from its list of “travel corridor” countries, meaning people arriving from those nations will now be required to quarantine for 14 days, transport secretary Grant Shapps said in a series of Thursday tweets.

The UK has also added Cuba to the list of countries exempt from the 14-day quarantine.

The new restrictions will go into effect for people arriving after 4 a.m. local time on Saturday (11 p.m. ET Friday).

New York State has kept coronavirus test positivity rates under 1% for the past 20 days, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a briefing with the press Thursday morning, calling the statistic “really good news.”

Just 0.9% of the 83,000 individuals tested across the state Wednesday were positive for the virus, he said.

There were four Covid-19-affiliated deaths, 490 coronavirus-related hospitalizations and 52 intubations Wednesday, he said, congratulating New Yorkers for the declining numbers.

These numbers were released by the state, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project.  

Florida reported 3,269 new Covid-19 cases and 135 additional resident deaths on Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health (FL DOH). This is at least the third day in a row that the number of deaths related to the virus have declined.  

Health officials are reporting 605,342 positive cases among Florida residents and 611,991 total cases across the state.    

The Florida Department of Health also shows the total Covid-19 death toll in the state standing at 10,868 Florida residents. 

Currently, there are 4,294 Covid-19 patients hospitalized in the state, with two south Florida counties continuing to report the highest numbers. Miami-Dade County leads with 785 hospitalizations, while Broward County is right behind them at 546. Duval and Palm Beach counties follow with 261 and 247 hospitalizations, respectively.  

These numbers were released by Florida’s public health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project     

The pandemic has taught employers a lot about the value of having flexible work arrangements for employees.

So much so that 83% now say that, even after today’s crisis has passed, they plan to put more flexible work policies in place, such as allowing more people to work from home or letting them adjust their schedules.

That’s according to a recent survey of nearly 800 employers by Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits consulting firm.

Working from home has often been viewed skeptically by managers and executives who assumed it would result in less work getting done if they weren’t there to oversee it. But a full 94% of employers surveyed said their company productivity was actually the same (67%) or higher (27%) than it was before the pandemic, even though so many of their employees have been working remotely this year.

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Related article 90% of employers say working remotely hasn't hurt productivity

Spain has announced that face coverings will be mandatory in schools for children over the age of six, as part of measures that schools must adopt when they return in September.

Health Minister Salvador Illa and Education Minister Isabel Celaá said Thursday that “in person” education is their priority and showed a document containing 29 measures and five recommendations agreed with the Spain’s regional governments.

Among those measures, Illa highlighted:

Illa explained that this were the “minimum mandatory measures” for all centers, but that regional governments could adapt or add other measures in their territory. A decrease in the number of pupils per class wasn’t included in the document although some regions have already announced they will reduce them to 20.

The closure of a school would be “a last resort and only temporary, when there is uncontrolled and generalized transmission,” said Illa. Otherwise, a positive case in a school will only quarantine that pupil’s bubble.

A person walks past a Lord & Taylor store in Boston on August 4.

Lord & Taylor – the first department store established in the United States – is officially going out of business, ending a nearly 200-year-run.

The company announced Thursday that all of its 38 remaining stores and website have begun liquidation sales — a sharp reversal from last week’s decision that it was keeping 14 locations open.

Backstory: The company was once a mainstay of high-end fashion. Hudson’s Bay Company acquired Lord & Taylor in 2012 before selling it in 2019 to Le Tote, Inc., a fashion rental subscription service, for $75 million. Le Tote tried reviving the brand with a pop-up store in New York City and remodeling its remaining stores with a focus on technology.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a news conference in Washington, DC on July 24.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows are expected to hold a call later Thursday on coronavirus relief legislation, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Here’s some background: The two haven’t spoken since talks imploded weeks ago and negotiators walked away without a deal intended to bolster the economy and help struggling Americans pay their bills amid the pandemic.

There is little optimism on either side of Pennsylvania Avenue that there will be any progress on stimulus talks before lawmakers return to Washington in September, as the two sides remain far apart on even the general scope of a package, let alone the granular policy details of one.

A first step: But the fact that Pelosi and Meadows will talk – after partisan blaming and spending the last several weeks talking past and around one another through the press – represents the first tangible step toward restarting negotiations since they broke down.

Democrats have insisted on a topline of above $2 trillion that includes nearly $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments. The White House has firmly opposed that topline price tag and has rejected substantial new aid for states and localities.

Read the full story here.

Americans rank dead last – by a long way – among citizens of more than a dozen countries who were asked whether their nation is more united now than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey released Thursday.

And they come in a statistical joint last place with the British on whether their country has handled the pandemic well, the poll finds.

In the United States, fewer than two in 10 people (18%) said the country is more united now.

That’s a full 21 percentage points below the next lowest-ranking countries, Germany and France, where just under four in 10 (39%) respondents expressed that opinion. Denmark had the highest percentage saying their country was more united now, with more than seven in 10 (72%) giving that answer.

Results show partisan gap in US: As with so many questions these hyper-partisan days, there’s a gigantic gap between Republican and Democratic views of whether the Trump administration has handled the pandemic well.

Three quarters (76%) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said the government has done a good job. Only one quarter (25%) of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents agree.

The findings come from a Pew Research Center survey of 14 advanced economies in North America, Europe and Asia. The Washington, DC-based think tank interviewed 14,276 adults by telephone from June 10 to August 3.

A clear majority of people across the 14 countries said their own nation had handled Covid-19 well: 73% agreed, while 27% disagreed.

But in the United Kingdom and the United States, the figures were much lower: 46% and 47% respectively. They’re the only two countries where a minority of people said the government had done well. In every other country polled, most people said their government had done well, from Japan with 55% up to Denmark with 95%.

The United States is not the only country where support for the government’s coronavirus response broke along partisan lines – the Pew survey detected the same pattern in the UK and in Spain.

Those results show it’s not a matter of whether you’re on the left or the right of the political spectrum that predicts whether you think your government has done well. The US and UK have right-leaning governments, while Spain has a left-leaning one. In each country, people with the same political bent as the government tend to say it’s done well in the crisis.

Read the full story here.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Laura is seen in Sabine Pass, Texas, on August 27.

Texas has dealt with two hurricanes during the global Covid-19 pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on Thursday morning. 

After Hurricane Hanna hit the Corpus Christi area in July, the state learned new strategies, he said.  

He said ahead of Hurricane Laura, “as opposed to evacuating people to large convention centers and things like that. We’ve tried to put as many as possible to hotel rooms so that families can isolate together, so that they are not in a congregate setting, spreading Covid-19.” 

When asked if President Donald Trump should postpone his speech tonight amidst the hurricanes, Abbott said he hasn’t even been watching the Republican National Convention, “I’ve been watching the hurricane, as its approaching.”   

“I’ll be candid with you, because I’ve been literally working around the clock on the hurricane. I haven’t had a chance to tune into anything.”  

But Abbott said he thinks the RNC will go on as planned, adding: “I think he will give a terrific speech.” 

Watch the full interview here:

Hundreds of workers at a poultry factory in Norfolk, England have been asked to self-isolate amid a localized outbreak of coronavirus, UK health authorities confirmed Thursday.

The Public Health England agency added that so far, a total of 75 workers at the Banham Poultry facility have tested positive for Covid-19, out of 347 people tested. 

According to Norfolk’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Louise Smith, authorities are currently only investigating staff who work at the poultry factory, as well as members of their households. 

“There is no evidence of increased risk to the general public. The risk of infection from food products is very low,” she added. 

The US Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about alcohol-based hand sanitizers being packaged in containers that look like food or drink packaging.

The FDA received a report from a consumer who bought what they thought was drinking water, but was actually hand sanitizer, the release says. There was also a report of a hand sanitizer product that used children’s cartoons in marketing that came in a pouch that resembled a snack. 

“I am increasingly concerned about hand sanitizer being packaged to appear to be consumable products, such as baby food or beverages. These products could confuse consumers into accidentally ingesting a potentially deadly product. It’s dangerous to add scents with food flavors to hand sanitizers which children could think smells like food, eat and get alcohol poisoning,” FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in the release.

Hand sanitizer can be toxic when ingested and even a small amount can be potentially lethal to a young child. 

Manchester United's Paul Pogba is pictured during a Premier League match in Leicester, England, on July 26.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba will not take part in France’s next two Nations League soccer matches after he tested positive for Covid-19, France coach Didier Deschamps said in a Thursday press conference.

Pogba will not be the only player missing for France in the games against Sweden on Saturday and Croatia on Sept. 8.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele also wasn’t included in the French squad. He was placed in a 14-day quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus several days ago, according to French sports daily L’Equipe.

An area in Sabine Pass, Texas, is flooded during Hurricane Laura on August 27.

The US is being hammered by twin disasters today. The coronavirus outbreak is complicating efforts to evacuate people as Hurricane Laura barrels into the Gulf Coast.

More than 1.5 million Texas and Louisiana residents were under evacuation orders after the National Hurricane Center warned of “unsurvivable” storm surges of 20 feet or higher. Laura, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm before being downgraded to a Category 2 as it made its way inland, could overwhelm coasts and lead to surges reaching some 30 miles inland.

Evacuations have been hampered by Covid-19 safety protocols. Social distancing measures meant extra buses were needed to transport people out, and Louisiana residents were taken to hotels instead of shelters in an effort to keep numbers down, Theresa Waldrop writes.

A version of this story appeared in the August 27 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.

Read the full story here.

Another 1 million American workers filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The report met economists’ expectations, but it’s still a disappointment: So far, we’ve only seen one week — at the start of August — with fewer than a million claims since March, when the pandemic started to take its toll on America’s job market.

Continued jobless claims, which count people filing at least two weeks in a row, stood at 14.5 million.

These estimates do not include claims under the government’s pandemic aid programs, which are in part designed to help those who cannot otherwise access regular unemployment benefits.

Read the full story here.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex declared 19 more areas around the country as coronavirus “red zones” Thursday, bringing the total to 21.

France’s two biggest cities, Paris and Marseille, are already classified as red zones, meaning areas where the virus is “actively” circulating and the number of active cases has exceeded 50 per 100,000 people. 

In these areas, authorities are able to make masks compulsory outdoors and close bars and restaurants, measures that Marseille has already taken. 

“We have been for a few weeks in a phase of resurgence of the epidemic [with an average country-wide incidence rate of] 39 positive cases per 100,000, four times more than a month ago,” Castex added.

The PM warned: “These figures must be interpreted with caution; we are testing a lot more people. But this ramping up of tests does not explain everything: the percentage of positive people is increasing. As after the end of the lockdown on May 11, the percentage of positive results was 1%, now it is above 3.7%.”

He added that the coronavirus “circulates a lot among young people,” especially the 20-30 age group. “They present positive rates close to 6% … The asymptomatic are in [a] high number within this population.”

Castex added that the government is ready for worse-case scenarios, with plans for local or national lockdowns in place, but said the country’s objective “is to do everything to avoid going back to a generalized lockdown.”

As a general rule, masks are going to be mandatory in France in any enclosed space where several people gather. In schools, all students over 11 years old and all teachers will be required to wear face coverings.

Fifty million free masks have been distributed to low income citizens and their children, and free masks are also available in pharmacies for people with medical conditions who have a prescription.

Castex said labs are currently testing 830,000 people weekly, and France is hoping to ramp up testing to 1 million tests per week in September.

In terms of enforcement, the PM said that on average 700 people are fined every day in the country for not wearing a mask.

It’s sport in the year 2020. Or more precisely, the first tennis grand slam of a global pandemic.

This year’s US Open – which starts on Monday – will take place in New York City albeit with no fans in attendance.

It’s an unprecedented first for the players there too. Germany’s Alexander Zverev is among those living inside a “bubble” right now – what he calls a “once in a lifetime experience.”

The world No. 7 is currently residing in one of the tournament’s official hotels with competitors limited to a support team of just three.

“I’m somebody that travels with the family all the time, I’m always around my dad, my mother, my brother as well, and they’re all not here which is for me, a little bit weird so I traveled here only with my physical trainer and my physio,” the 23-year-old told CNN from his private suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“None of my coaching staff or team members want to go here, they didn’t feel safe. I respect that, so I was not pushing them towards it.”

Read the full story here.

People walk in Santiago, Chile, on August 17.

US company Johnson & Johnson has said it will extend trials of its vaccine candidate against Covid-19 to Chile and Argentina.

The vaccine will undergo Phase 3 trials in eight countries altogether, involving some 60,000 adult volunteers. The participation of Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Mexico had already been announced. 

“This study is scheduled for September, subject to review by the health authority,” the company said in a statement. 

The countries have been chosen because they have some of the highest infection rates worldwide. 

“The current prevalence of the disease, the demographics of the population and the requirements of the health authorities were taken into account to ensure that the study can be carried out properly and provide relevant data,” the company said. 

The study will be coordinated by Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen. 

In Chile, the trial will be coordinated by the University of Chile’s School of Medicine. Miguel O’Ryan, Professor of Microbiology at the School, told Reuters that government approval was still needed for the trial, but it could begin within three weeks of the vaccine being delivered. O’Ryan said the school was prepared to recruit up to 1,000 people for the study. 

Colombian President Ivan Duque said earlier this week that his government had also signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson for Phase 3 trials. 

Last week, Brazil’s regulatory authority Anvisa approved human clinical trials for the vaccine being developed by Johnson & Johnson. 

Hawaii Governor David Ige has approved Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s emergency order requiring individuals on Oahu to both stay at home and work from home for two weeks, according to the Governor’s press office.

The order goes into effect today, August 27, at midnight local time and continues through September 9, 2020. 

Violation of the order is punishable with fines of up to $5,000, up to a year in prison, or both.

“We have taken measures in recent weeks to address the surge in COVID cases. Although we’ve seen a leveling off in cases on Oʻahu, they’re still too high and our healthcare system is still at risk. Let’s work together to flatten the curve,” said Gov. Ige.

Exceptions to the order include certain essential activities, and work that provides essential business and government services, or performs essential public infrastructure construction, including housing. 

The order is similar to an order that went into effect in March. 

Hawaii reported an addition 276 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the state total to 7,260 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

The cozy 2,585-square-foot museum features interactive exhibits and displays exploring what generates happiness.

Remember that fuzzy little feeling called happiness?

In case you need a reminder: It was this word we used to use back in 2019 to describe a state of pure pleasure and contentment.

Happiness seems to have faded from our vocabulary amid the global pandemic, economic turmoil and, well, collective sense of doom and depression that is 2020. Which is why the opening of a new Happiness Museum in, where else, Denmark feels like the most optimistic story of the year.

The world’s first museum dedicated explicitly to the concept of happiness had a quiet debut on July 14 in a cozy 240-square-meter (2,585 square foot) space in Copenhagen’s pastel-perfect historic center.

Read the full story here.

Spain’s Finance Minister Nadia Calviño said on Thursday that “the Spanish economy has started to recover” from the effects of Covid-19, although “some industries and geographic areas may have more difficulty.”

Calviño told Spanish TV channel Antena 3 that that “75% of the workers who were under the ERTE furlough scheme have already returned to work,” adding that the government will have to look at “whether that ERTE furlough needs to be extended beyond September for some sectors that might be more affected.” 

“We need to avoid structural damage to our economy,” she warned. The minister added that “this year we will have to issue €100 billion ($118bn) more debt that we had envisaged.”

Hydroxychloroquine is seen on a shelf at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20.

A new report has added to the growing body of evidence that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine does not help coronavirus patients get better. In fact, combining it with an antibiotic actually raises the risk of death by 27%, the study found.

The meta-analysis – a study of studies – looked at 29 different pieces of research on the drug, which was once heavily promoted by the White House and which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still touts.

The research was conducted by scientists from France’s research institute INSERM.

The US Food and Drug Administration has reversed its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine for use against coronavirus, and the National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization and European researchers have stopped supporting testing.

Japan’s Health Ministry said it recorded 898 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 new virus-related deaths nationwide on Wednesday.

Of those new cases, 236 were from the capital Tokyo.

That brings the country’s total to 65,380 cases and 1,239 deaths.

Mass testing is still underway, with nearly 10,000 tests conducted yesterday.

Follow CNN’s live tracker of cases and deaths worldwide:

The US federal government said Wednesday it’s investing nearly $2.5 million in efforts to create a needle-free coronavirus vaccine. 

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced four small grants to groups trying to make either oral vaccines against coronavirus, or patches that could painlessly deliver a vaccine.

The four new technologies are also “shelf-stable” – unlike current coronavirus vaccine candidates, they don’t have to be kept under special conditions or temperatures, making them easier to store and deliver.

The four groups:

The World Health Organization is “alarmed” by the rapid spread of Covid-19 in Libya, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

In the past two weeks alone, the number of confirmed cases in the country has more than doubled, the statement said – and since there are acute shortages of tests and laboratory capacity, the real number of cases is likely much higher.

Libya has confirmed nearly 12,000 coronavirus cases, including more than 200 deaths, according to the latest data available from Johns Hopkins University.

Worsening the problem is the fact that years of conflict in the region have damaged Libya’s healthcare system; about half of all primary health care facilities are closed, the WHO statement said.

“We are alarmed at the rapid spread of the virus in the country,” said Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Representative in Libya, in the statement.

WHO added that it’s working with Libyan authorities and other international organizations like UNICEF to respond to the crisis, launch public awareness campaigns, and stepping up testing efforts.

New Zealand said it would make not wearing a mask on public transport a finable offense.  

Offenders will be punished with a 300 New Zealand dollars ($198) infringement notice or a fine of up to a $1,000 New Zealand dollars ($658) imposed by the courts, the country’s Health Minister Chris Hipkins announced Thursday in a statement.  

He said masks would be mandatory on public transport and planes from Monday, but taxis and school buses are excluded from the rule. 

The minister added that people with a disability or a physical or mental condition that makes face coverings unsuitable will be exempted, along with children under the age of 12.   

New cases: New Zealand reported seven new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections registered since the pandemic began to 1,351, the country’s director of public health Caroline McElnay said Thursday.  

Among the new infections, one was imported while the rest were locally transmitted.  

India recorded 75,760 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday – the country’s highest one-day jump in cases since the pandemic began, according to the Health Ministry.

That raises the country’s total number of infections to 3.31 million. Of those, more than 2.5 million have recovered, leaving over 725,000 active cases, according to the ministry.

In India, not all patients require a test to be considered recovered. Patients with mild and moderate symptoms are considered no longer active after 10 days of symptom onset if they meet certain conditions, and a test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required. However, severe cases can only be discharged after one negative coronavirus test.

The death toll stands at 60,472, according to the ministry. 

Meanwhile, the state of West Bengal has extended its lockdown: The restrictions are now scheduled to expire on September 20.

During lockdown, only essential services will continue to operate, with the exception of industrial activity and some local transport. Schools will stay shut.

Some days will be designated “total lockdown” – meaning no movement or commercial activity at all will be permitted. The complete list of these dates have not yet been released.

Indigenous Brazilian protesters removed their barricades from a key highway in Brazil’s Amazon on Wednesday, after 10 days of protest against the federal government.

The group has decided to end their protest until a decision is reached regarding a lawsuit filed by Pará state’s Federal Public Attorney. The suit urges the government to renew a program that compensates communities for the environmental impact the highway has over their territory.

The indigenous group also has another demand: for the government to step up its efforts to contain Covid-19, which has ravaged their community.  

The Kayapó Mekragnoti people first blocked the highway last Monday, August 17, near the city of Novo Progresso to demand health assistance, medical supplies and food to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.   

The indigenous group kept the road open since Saturday as it negotiated with government officials. By Wednesday, August 26, the group decided to leave the highway for good and return home.   

The United States reported 44,109 new cases of Covid-19 and 1,222 new virus-related fatalities on Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

That raises the national total to at least 5,821,819 cases and 179,708 deaths.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

Follow CNN’s live tracker of US cases here:

Mexico recorded 5,267 new cases of Covid-19 and 626 virus-related fatalities on Wednesday.

This raises the country’s total to 573,888 cases and 62,076 deaths.

Mexico has reported the third-highest number of deaths from coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Within Latin America, Mexico has seen the third-highest number of total cases, following Brazil and Peru.

South Korea recorded 441 new coronavirus cases in the past day, marking the highest number of new daily cases since March 7, according to data from South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Among the new cases, 434 were locally transmitted. Of these, 313 were from the Seoul metropolitan area, health ministry officials said Thursday. 

Meanwhile, officials continue to conduct contact tracing in relation to the Sarang-jeil Church cluster; more than 900 cases have been linked to it so far.

On top of the initial 4,066 close contacts of the Sarang-jeil Church congregation and visitors, an additional 1,846 people have been identified through on-site contact tracing, officials said today.

Meanwhile, Gwangju City Mayor Lee Yong-sub issued an executive order on Thursday, banning all religious gatherings and shutting down facilities used by the public.

Peru’s Health Ministry recorded 5,996 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections identified in the country to 613,378.  

The Health Ministry also confirmed 123 new fatalities, taking the country’s coronavirus death toll to 28,124.

Only Brazil has recorded more Covid-19 cases in Latin America than Peru, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made controversial changes to its testing guidelines after “updated recommendations” from the White House coronavirus task force, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Wednesday. 

The changed guidelines: The Trump administration has scrambled to explain the quiet changes made to the CDC website Monday.

The previous guidelines recommended testing anyone who had been in close contact with a confirmed case, even people who do not develop symptoms. The new guidelines said only some people should get tested.

Controversy over official approval: Earlier, Adm. Brett Giroir, who heads testing efforts for the task force, told reporters that task force members had weighed in on the change – including Redfield and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

But Fauci later denied this to CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

The coronavirus pandemic is worsening the United States’ drug shortage problem, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Traditionally, Jensen said, drug shortages are rooted in manufacturing and quality problems involving sterile, injectable drugs especially older ones. Those are the very kinds of medications used by hospitalized patients, that are facing shortages and increased demand

There are also shortages of pharmacy drugs, like those for high blood pressure and antibiotics.

Jensen said the FDA had been in contact with more than 180 drug manufacturers since January, working to stabilize supply chains and monitor potential disruptions.

Medical personnel treat a coronavirus patient in the Intensive Care Unit of the Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital on August 13 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Brazil’s Health Ministry reported 47,161 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total to 3,717,156.

The ministry also reported 1,086 new coronavirus fatalities, raising Brazil’s death toll to 117,666.

Calculations by CNN based on official figures show that average cases and deaths in Brazil – measured over a seven-day period – peaked in late July.

For new cases, the peak average was 46,393 on July 29. As of August 26, that daily average had fallen to 37,214. 

There’s been a slower decline in the average number of deaths – from a peak of 1,096 on July 25 to 938 on August 26.

Only the United States has recorded more coronavirus cases and deaths than Brazil.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly changed its Covid-19 testing guidelines. Now, the center no longer recommends testing for most people without symptoms – even if they’ve been in close contact with someone known to have the virus.

Here’s what we know so far about these new guidelines:

A syringe containing either the vaccine or a placebo is prepared for a participant in a Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial sponsored by Moderna at Accel Research Sites on August 4 in DeLand, Florida.

Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine appears to be safe and elicits an immune response in all age groups, including the elderly, a company official said Wednesday.

Data from the phase 1 safety trial of the vaccine showed only mild adverse effects, and generated an immune response in volunteers aged 18 to 71, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, therapeutic area head for infectious diseases at Moderna, told a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The phase 1 trial was conducted in three age groups: 18 to 55, 56 to 70 and 71 plus years of age. Participants received two 100mg doses of the vaccine 28 days apart. 

Neutralizing antibodies – which inactivate the virus – were detected in all participants, including the upper age range, she told the meeting. All age groups also seemed to produce the same immune response – a good sign, as older people often have weaker responses to vaccines.

The most common adverse reactions were fatigue, chills, headache and myalgia. More reports of adverse symptoms were observed after the second dose of the vaccine, but the majority of symptoms resolved within two days. 

ACIP advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how vaccines should be used in the population.