COVID-19 Live Updates: Germany's Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Rise Up To 233,575

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - More than 23,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Brazil in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to over 3.6 million, according to the latest data from the Health Ministry.

Brazil now has a total of 3,605,783 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 23,421 new cases having been registered in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Sunday. Over the same period, 494 new deaths were confirmed, bringing the country’s total death toll up to 114,744.

On Saturday, over 50,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Brazil and the death toll increased by nearly 900. On Friday, Brazil reported 30,355 new coronavirus cases and 1,054 new deaths from COVID-19.

Over 2.7 million people have recovered from COVID-19 in Brazil.

The US and Brazil are the top two countries in terms of the total number of coronavirus cases and fatalities. The US has registered over 5.6 million coronavirus cases and more than 176,600 deaths from COVID-19, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - France recorded 4,897 new coronavirus cases in the past day, the highest daily rise since the end of the lockdown, with the total reaching 242,899 cases.

The public health authority said another coronavirus patient died in a hospital in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 30,513.

Further 4,709 patients remain in hospitals, including 383 people in intensive care units.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Friday that France saw infections rise 40 percent in the past week. Prime Minister Jean Castex has urged the nation to remain vigilant as the outbreak continues to worsen.

TOKYO (Sputnik) - The number of those infected with the coronavirus in Japan has exceeded 63,500, as 745 new cases were registered on Sunday, national media reported.

According to the NHK broadcaster, which compiles data provided by the country's state agencies and local governments, the country's total cases count has reached 63,503, including 712 patients who were infected aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February.

The death toll from the disease has increased by nine over the past 24 hours to 1,203, while more than 49,200 COVID-19 patients have fully recovered.

According to the Financial Times, the Trump administration is considering to fast-track an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University for use in the US before the November 3 presidential election.  

LONDON (Sputnik) - Another 1,041 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours in the United Kingdom, taking the total number of infections to 325,642, while the death toll rose to 41,429 after six new deaths were confirmed, the Department of Health and Social Care reported on Sunday.

Although new coronavirus cases are 247 less than Saturday's 1,288, it is the fourth day in a row that more than 1,000 infections have been confirmed by a laboratory test in 24 hours.

In separate reports, Wales health authorities informed of another two deaths and 20 new cases within its territory, while Scotland reported a further 83 infections, but no deaths.

No information on COVID-19 deaths or cases was released by Northern Ireland over the weekend.

"I have been following all CDC health and safety guidelines, and will be taking all necessary actions, including postponing upcoming public events and working from home in quarantine until I receive a negative test result," Meuser said, in a statement. "I am thankful to God that my grown children were not at home and that my wife Shelley has tested negative," he said, as quoted by CBS 21 News.

From Friday, people hosting unlawful gatherings in England will face tougher fines for breaching COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the government announced on Sunday, ahead of next week’s national public holiday in the United Kingdom.

"Those facilitating or organising illegal raves, unlicensed music events, or any other unlawful gathering of 30 people or more may face a £10,000 [$13,000] fine – placing a new deterrent on the breaches that put the public most at risk," the statement issued by the Home Office warned.

It also said that those participating in illegal gatherings, as well as those who do not wear face covering where it is mandatory, might be fined 100 pounds ($130), with the amount doubling on each offense up to 3,200 pounds ($4,188).

"These gatherings are dangerous and those who organise them show a blatant disregard for the safety of others. I am pleased the police have already stepped up their response and I am giving them the tools they need to continue to keep us safe. We will continue to crack down on the small minority who think they are above the law," Home Secretary Priti Patel said, as quoted in the written statement.

According to the official release, the London Metropolitan Police has responded to more than 1,000 unlicensed events since the end of June, receiving information on more than 200 events across the city in a single weekend.

The text also said that aside from the risk of spreading the virus, many events are linked to criminality and also turn violent.

Russia should start producing about 1.5-2 million COVID-19 doses per month by the end of the year, before gradually increasing the monthly volume to 6 million doses, the head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, said.

Three Russian pharmaceutical companies — Binnofarm, R-Pharm and Generium — will be making the vaccine. They are expected to produce some 30,000 doses by the end of August and eventually bring the overall production to 6 million doses per month.

"Yes, unfortunately, this is true. The test showed that Yulia Vladimirovna has COVID-19. Her condition is assessed as serious. Her temperature has risen to 39. She is struggling," her press secretary Marina Soroka wrote on her Facebook page. 

We would like to clarify that the current media claim on COVISHIELD's availability in 73 days is misleading.

Phase-3 trials are still underway. We will officially confirm it’s availability.

Read clarification statement here - https://t.co/FvgClzcnHr#SII #COVID19 #LatestNews pic.twitter.com/mQWrqgbzO4

— SerumInstituteIndia (@SerumInstIndia) August 23, 2020

Russia has registered 4,852 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (4,921 yesterday), bringing the cumulative total to 956,749, the country's coronavirus response center said on Sunday.

"Over the past 24 hours, Russia has confirmed 4,852 COVID-19 cases in 83 regions, of which 1,147 (23.6 percent) have been detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the response centre said in a statement.

This brings the total case count to 956,749, with the daily increase standing at 0.5 percent.

Moscow has registered 611 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, which is more than any other region in Russia, followed by St. Petersburg with 180 cases and the Moscow Region with 164 cases (compared to 687, 183 and 161 yesterday, respectively).

A total of 73 COVID-19 patients died in Russia in the past 24 hours (121 on the previous day), which brings the death toll to 16,383.

As many as 3,162 coronavirus patients have been discharged (6,147 yesterday), bringing the total number of recoveries to 770,639.

More than 34.4 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in Russia, with over 218.000 people being monitored, the country's consumer rights and human welfare watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Sunday.

"We have conducted over 34.4 million coronavirus tests in Russia. 218,761 people are remaining under medical supervision," the watchdog said in a statement, adding that 317,000 tests have been done in the last 24 hours.

Russia has confirmed a total 951,897 cases of the coronavirus, and the death toll from the disease has reached 16,310.

South Korea registered 397 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the first time since the start of March that such a high daily increase was reported, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The total number of coronavirus cases in South Korea now stands at 17,399 while the death toll is 309, KCDC said on Sunday.

In the past two weeks, the daily increase of coronavirus cases in South Korea grew proportionately from 56 to 332, reaching a record 397 cases on Sunday. The last time that a greater daily increase was reported was on 7 March, when 483 new cases were confirmed in South Korea over a 24-hour period.

The number of recovered individuals in South Korea stands at 14,200.

All social gatherings and group meetings with more than 10 participants have been banned in Seoul until the end of this month over an increasing number of infected people, which is primarily associated with the activities of various religious groups, especially the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.