The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 6,327,009, of whom 189,653 have died and 2,359,111 have recovered.
India has recorded 4,280,128 COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic, while Brazil, which now ranks third, has confirmed over 4.162 million cases.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Germany has confirmed 1,892 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, with the total count reaching 255,366, the Robert Koch Institute said on Thursday.
The death toll has grown by three to 9,341 people within the same period of time. More than 228,000 people have recovered since the start of the outbreak.
A day earlier, the country confirmed 1,176 new coronavirus cases and nine fatalities.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Trump administration is planning to end its screening of incoming airline visitors to the United States for carriers of COVID-19 starting this coming Monday, CNN reported.
The Trump administration ordered enhanced screenings of passengers arriving from Wuhan, China where there had been an outbreak of the virus, at certain airports within the United States starting in January, the report said citing three officials familiar with the plans.
Since March, the screenings have been directed at international flights from high-risk countries, including much of Europe, China and Iran funneled through 15 designated airports in the United States, the report said.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official told CNN that of the 675,000 passengers screened at the 15 airports, less than 15 individuals had been identified as having COVID-19.
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – The number of people, who have died of COVID-19 in Mexico, has risen by 611 to 69,095 within the past 24 hours, Jose Luis Alomia, the director of epidemiology at the Health Ministry, said.
He also said on late Wednesday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had increased by 4,647 to 647,507 within the same period of time.
A day earlier, the Latin American nation recorded 5,351 new cases of the coronavirus, with 703 fatalities.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – Argentina has confirmed 12,259 new cases of the coronavirus across the country within the past 24 hours marking the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak, with the total number of people infected with COVID-19 having reached 512,293, the national Ministry of Health said.
A day earlier, Argentina recorded 12,027 new COVID-19 cases and 278 fatalities.
"Today, 12,259 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total number of [COVID-19] positive tests in the country to 512,293," the ministry said in a daily bulletin on late Wednesday.
The death toll from the coronavirus has risen by 254 to 10,658 people within the same period of time.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 35,816 to 4,197,889 within the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Wednesday.
The death toll has risen by 1,075 to 128,539 people within the same period of time.
A day earlier, Brazil reported 14,279 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 504 new fatalities.
Brazil comes third in terms of coronavirus cases after the United States and India, which have recorded more than 6.35 million and 4.37 million COVID-19 patients, respectively.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The COVID-19 death toll in the United States has surpassed 190,000, while the number of recorded infections has climbed above 6.3 million, the latest data from Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center showed on Wednesday.
The exact death toll now stands at 190,478, while the number of confirmed cases reached 6,351,623, according to the university's data.
France has reported 8,577 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which is the second-highest number of daily additional infections since the start of the outbreak in winter, the country's health authorities say.
The death toll has increased by 30, to 30,794.
UNITED NATIONS, September 9 (Sputnik) - The United Nations has not seen the anticipated drop in armed confrontations worldwide amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, but it witnessed some situations deteriorating on the ground instead, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
"More broadly, to date, and contrary to our expectations, we have not observed a significant change in the dynamics of a number of ongoing armed conflicts as a result of COVID-19," DiCarlo said. "Some situations have deteriorated since the onset of the pandemic, but this is largely due to other drivers."
DiCarlo said the risks posed by terrorist and violent extremist groups that could take advantage from the uncertainties created by the pandemic still exist.
In addition, the impacts of the global health emergency on the socio-economic, political, humanitarian and health fronts leave the United Nations concerned about the future, DiCarlo said.
Fragile peace processes and conflict prevention initiatives might be derailed due to restrictions on travel and in-person diplomacy, DiCarlo also said.
The global community must strengthen its response through advanced cooperation, unity and solidarity as it would improve the countries’ prospects to prevent, manage and resolve armed confrontations, DiCarlo added.
WASHINGTON, September 9 (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump in February admitted to downplaying the deadly threat from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), CNN reported on Wednesday citing audio from prominent US journalist Bob Woodward's interview with the president for his upcoming book "Rage."
"It’s also more deadly than your – you know, your, even your strenuous flus," Trump told Woodward in an interview on February 7. "This is more deadly."
Trump added that he knew COVID-19 was airborne as well. Later in February, Trump said the virus would disappear and that the number of US cases would go down within a couple of days.
In a separate interview on March 19, Trump told Woodward he purposely wanted to conceal from the US public the serious threat from COVID-19.
"I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic," Trump said.
Trump was asked if he remembers receiving an intelligence briefing from National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warning him that COVID-19 would be the biggest national security threat of his presidency. In response, the US president said he didn't remember but added, "I'm sure he said it."
In a final interview in July, Trump told Woodward that COVID-19 had nothing to do with him and was not his fault, placing all blame on China.
The United States has reported more than 6.3 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 189,970 deaths caused by the disease as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
LONDON (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Wednesday that a ban on social gatherings of more than six people will be re-imposed in England from Monday, as the UK recorded a further 2,659 coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours and another eight deaths.
"From Monday 'the rule of six' will be introduced in England," Johnson said a press briefing held at the government's headquarters in Downing Street.
He explained that the new measure, which will replace current guidance allowing gatherings of up to 30 people, means that two households cannot meet if they make a group bigger than six.
Those who break the rules can be dispersed, fined and arrested, Johnson added.
He also assured the public that he felt "sorry" for having to impose such restrictions again, but "as your prime minister I must do what is necessary," he said.
Weddings, funerals, religious services, schools and workplaces will be exempted to follow the "rule of six" restrictions as long as social distancing measures are observed.
Johnson also stressed that schools would be closed only as a "very, very last resort."
Although the recent spike in the number of coronavirus cases is registered across the UK, where over 2,400 coronavirus cases have been recorded for the fourth day in a row, the government's restriction on social gatherings will only be enforced in England, because the semi-autonomous authorities of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland follow their own rules when dealing with the COVID-19.
With Wednesday's figures, the country's total number of people that have been infected with the novel coronavirus stands now 355,219, while the death toll has climbed to 41,594.
"Safety concerns of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) during an ongoing clinical trial - show cause notice issued - regarding.
Whereas, the undersigned issued permission to conduct a Phase II/III clinical trial of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) in Form CT-06 bearing No. CT-18/2020 dated 02.08.2020 at various clinical trial sites in the country to determine its safety & immunogenicity.
Whereas, it has been widely reported in the national & international media that the sponsor of the aforesaid vaccine, M/s Astrazeneca PLC has paused the ongoing trial of nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) as a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.
It was further reported that the clinical trial is put on hold across countries where it is conducted i.e. USA, UK, Brazil and South Africa. Whereas, as per the condition no. 2 of the permission to conduct clinical trial in Form CT-06 bearing No. CT-18/2020 dated 02.08.2020 the clinical data generated in this trial shall be considered along with the data from the Astrazeneca/Oxford clinical trial.
Whereas M/s Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., Pune up till has not informed the Central Licensing Authority regarding pausing the clinical trial carried out by M/S Astrazeneca in other countries & also not submitted causality analysis of the reported serious adverse event with the investigational vaccine for the continuation of the Phase Il/II clinical trial of the subject vaccine in the country in light of the safety concerns. In view of the above, I, Dr. V. G. Somani, Drugs Controller General (India) and Central Licensing Authority hereby give you an opportunity to show cause as provided under Rule 30 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, why the permission granted to you in Form CT-06 bearing No. CT-18/2020 dated 02.08.2020 shall not be suspended till patient safety is established. Your reply shall reach undersigned immediately, else it shall be construed that you have no explanation to offer and action deemed."
MOSCOW, September 9 (Sputnik) - Safety is a top priority in vaccine clinical trials and temporary suspensions are not unusual, the World Health Organization (WHO) told Sputnik after the AstraZeneca pharmaceutical, one of the frontrunners in the COVID-19 vaccine race, paused its clinical trials over an unexplained illness.
Earlier on Wednesday, AstraZeneca announced it voluntarily paused its vaccine clinical trials globally to investigate an unexplained illness in a UK participant, noting that it was a routine action.
"Safety is the primary focus for vaccine clinical trials. When a potentially unexplained illness occurs in a trial participant, which may or may not be related to the vaccine being evaluated, it is rigorous, routine practice to investigate. Temporary suspensions of vaccine clinical trials are not unusual while an evaluation takes place," the UN health agency said in an email.
WHO noted that it welcomed the fact that the vaccine developers were following standard guidelines to ensure the scientific integrity of the vaccine clinical trials.
"WHO continues to recommend strict adherence to established testing protocols in all vaccine trials to ensure the safety of volunteers, and the eventual safety and efficacy of vaccines," it added.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is being developed in partnership with the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group and is in its phase 3 trials, which is the final stage before safety and efficacy data can be submitted to health regulators for approval.
Six European nations, including Germany, France, and Italy, view the UK government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in negative terms when compared to measures taken by their respective governments, a fresh YouGov poll found on Wednesday.
“Europeans continue to see Britain as the sick man of Europe, with all six nations believing by wide margins that their own country has handled coronavirus better,” YouGov said in a press release.
According to the poll, which assessed how citizens from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France, the UK, Spain and the US viewed one another’s response to the global pandemic, all countries believed that they had done a better job in containing COVID-19 than the United States.
The number of Italian respondents who view their government’s response to COVID-19 in positive terms has also increased since May, the pollster said.
Additionally, while US respondents in May said that their country had done better than Italy, Spain, and China, at the present time, they believe that they have outperformed no other country.
Respondents from all the aforementioned countries believed that their governments had done worse in combating the COVID-19 outbreak than South Korea, YouGov stated.
The poll was conducted from 10 August to 4 September, the pollster stated.
Since the start of the pandemic, the UK Department of Health and Social Care has registered 352,560 positive tests for COVID-19, more than 180,000 fewer than the case total reported by the Spanish government. However, the UK’s official death toll of 41,586 is the highest in Europe.
The Indian trials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca continue despite the reports about them having been pause in the United Kingdom, vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India said on Wednesday.
"We (Serum Institute of India) can't comment on reports of AstraZeneca pausing the trials in the UK, other than that they have been paused for review and shall restart soon. The Indian trials are continuing and we have faced no issues at all," the manufacturer tweeted.
Earlier, AstraZeneca was reported to have halted the UK trials because of a suspected adverse reaction in a participant.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is being developed in partnership with the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group and is in its phase 3 trials, which is the final stage before safety and efficacy data can be submitted to health regulators for approval.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday to “take responsibility” as people across the country have faced delays or journeys of hundreds of miles to be tested for COVID-19.
“Hundreds of families are trying to get a test in the last week, and they can’t get one … It means they can’t go to work, they can’t send their children to school, it matters. And if they can’t get tests, the prime minister needs to take responsibility, not tell us about the future, or something else, but address this problem,” Starmer said during a parliamentary session of Prime Minister’s Questions.
Reports of individuals being told to travel hundreds of miles to receive their COVID-19 tests, or centers refusing to conduct tests because they are at capacity, have appeared in UK domestic media outlets over recent days.
During the parliamentary session, Johnson said that those seeking to receive a National Health Service test for the coronavirus disease had to travel a median distance of just 10 miles, adding that most results are given after 24 hours.
Since the start of the outbreak, the UK Department of Health and Social Care has registered more than 352,500 positive tests for COVID-19. On Tuesday, public health officials stated that 2,460 new cases had been confirmed over the preceding 24 hours, stoking fears of a second wave of the pandemic.
The European Commission on Wednesday announced concluding exploratory negotiations on purchasing a potential COVID-19 vaccine with the sixth partner — German biotechnological company BioNTech, which is cooperating with the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
"The European Commission has today concluded exploratory talks with BioNTech-Pfizer to purchase a potential vaccine against COVID-19. BioNTech-Pfizer is the sixth company with which the Commission has concluded talks, following Sanofi-GSK on 31 July, Johnson & Johnson on 13 August, CureVac on 18 August and Moderna on 24 August. The first contract, signed with AstraZeneca, entered into force on 27 August," the press release said.
Under the contract, all EU Member States will be able to purchase the potential vaccine, as well as to donate it to lower and middle income countries or re-direct to European countries. The bloc is set to buy 200 million doses initially, and another 100 million if the vaccine proves to be efficient and safe.
The vaccination of first Moscovites began on Wednesday as part of a post-registration study of a vaccine against coronavirus, Deputy Mayor for Social Development Anastasia Rakova told reporters.
"Today is an important day not only for the city, but for the whole country. As part of a post-registration study, vaccination against COVID-19 of the first residents started in Moscow. This will allow us to get closer to the moment when the vaccine will be available to everyone. The first participants of the study were vaccinated today," Rakova said.
According to the official, there will be two stages of the vaccination. At the first stage, the first component of the vaccine will be given to the volunteers, and the second component will be given in 21 days. The components have different substances in order to enhance immune protection.
The Moscow government and Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology have invited 40,000 Moscovites to participate in the post-registration clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe has tested positive for the coronavirus disease and been placed under a two-week quarantine regime, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
"The result of a PCR test, taken by Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe, is positive. It came after the first one, which he took the day before yesterday [Monday], needed to be confirmed. Since then, the minister has placed under quarantine for a two-week period," the ministry said in a statement.
Wehbe was appointed as the country's foreign minister on 3 August. On Monday, Wehbe met with the new ambassadors of Canada and Greece to Lebanon at a protocol ceremony to deliver copies of his credentials.
To date, the Lebanese health officials have confirmed 21,324 cases of COVID-19, with 207 fatalities and 6,722 recoveries.
The third phase of the post-registration clinical trials of the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 starts on Wednesday, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
"Today, we are launching the third phase of the clinical trials of the vaccine against the coronavirus," Murashko said at a medical congress.
Within just 10 days Russia has gathered almost 31,000 volunteers wishing to take part in the post-registration trials of the vaccine against COVID-19, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday.
The third phase of the clinical trials of the vaccine, which was registered last month, starts today.
"We have gathered almost 31,000 people who want to participate, within just 10 days," Murashko told reporters.
Russia is now completing work on a new mobile application that would enable direct contact between patients and vaccine developers, Murashko said, praising it as "the first experience of this kind in the world."
French Prime Minister Jean Castex has isolated himself in his residence of Matignon in Paris, as he had had contact with someone infected with COVID-19 and remains a contact case for the coronavirus disease, French media reported on Wednesday, adding that his test for the virus turned out to be negative.
Castex came into contact with Christian Prudhomme, the general director of the Tour de France race, who tested positive for the virus. Both of them were in the same car on 5 September on their way to observe the 8th stage of the race.
The prime minister took a COVID-19 test, which came back negative. However, according to health protocols, he is obligated to follow certain preventive measures, which include a seven-day self-isolation regime. Thus, Castex is due to remain at Hotel Matignon, which is his official residence in the French capital, at least until 12 September, the RTL broadcaster said.
The broadcaster added that due to him being quarantined, the prime minister had his agenda for the upcoming week revised and several trips canceled.
Castex is due to take another test in seven days, the media outlet said, adding that the prime minister had had lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron last Thursday before he discovered he was a possible contact case.
Russia has registered 5,218 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (5,099 yesterday), which brings the cumulative total to 1,041,007, the country's coronavirus response centre said on Wednesday.
"Over the past 24 hours, Russia has confirmed 5,218 COVID-19 cases in 83 regions, of which 1,195 (22.9 percent) have been detected actively, with people showing no clinical symptoms," the response centre said in a statement, adding that the total count has reached 1,041,007.
Moscow recorded 642 cases, St. Petersburg registered 218 cases, and the Moscow region confirmed 164 new cases. No new cases were recorded in the Chukotka Autonomous Region and Sevastopol.
In the past 24 hours, Russia recorded 142 COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 18,135, and 6,409 recoveries, taking the total to 856,458.
According to the public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, over 39.2 million tests to detect COVID-19 have been conducted in Russia since the beginning of the pandemic, and 205,000 suspected carriers remain under medical monitoring.
Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of Russia's high-tech state corporation Rostec, said he had been inoculated with the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, had developed antibodies and was feeling great.
On 11 August, Russia became the first country in the world to register a vaccine against the coronavirus, named Sputnik V and developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. The first batch of the vaccine has recently entered civil circulation.
"Yes, [I have been vaccinated] ... In general, everything went fine. First, I was feeling slightly unwell, but I was told that was OK. Now I am feeling great, I work, I do sports. I have recently checked the results, and I have learned I have antibodies, which means I have developed immunity," Chemezov told reporters.
Rostec enterprises are engaged in several joint projects with the Gamaleya Institute, Chemezov added. The Rostec CEO also praised the research institute as "a great scientific school."
"These are serious professionals, we maintain dialogue, so I actually did not hesitate," Chemezov said.
The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in Peru has reached 30,123 and a total of 696,190 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, the Peruvian Health Ministry said.
Over the past 24 hours, 147 people died of the infection and 4,615 new cases were confirmed.
Currently, 11,087 patients are hospitalized, with 1,499 people receiving lung ventilation. Nearly 530,000 patients have been discharged from hospitals.
In the past 24 hours, a total of 1,176 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Germany, bringing the total number of cases to 253,474 according to the Robert Koch Institute, which is responsible for disease control and prevention in Germany.
Over the same 24-hour period Germany confirmed nine new deaths from COVID-19, the country’s total coronavirus death toll now stands at 9,338.
On Tuesday, Germany confirmed almost 1,500 new cases and four new coronavirus-related deaths. On Monday, Germany reported 814 new cases and no new deaths from COVID-19.
The Robert Koch Institute says the increase in COVID-19 cases in Germany has stabilized in the past week and the current development is "positive."
Brazil's number of recorded COVID-19 cases increased by 14,279 in the past 24 hours to surpass 4,162,000, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement.
Since the beginning of the epidemic in Brazil, 4,162,073 cases of infection have been registered, with 127,464 deaths. A total of 504 infected people have died in the past day. The number of recovered patients exceeds 3.3 million.
The day before, the case count rose by 10,273 and the death toll by 310.
