Health

The United States on Tuesday far exceeded its previous daily record of new Covid-19 cases, adding 201,961 cases in 24 hours, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The high number, partly due to data delayed over the weekend, took total cases in the US to 10,238,243, with a total of 239,588 deaths, as of 8:30 pm (0130 ...

Pope Francis was seen Wednesday for the first time wearing a protective face mask as he attended his second traditional general audience before a limited public presence after a six-month suspension. The pontiff — known for a fondness for close personal contact — however quickly removed the mask as he emerged from the car carrying him to the audience, which ...

The Latin American roll-out of a potential COVID-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca could be set back after the biotech company announced a pause in tests, the government of Mexico, which is involved in developing the drug alongside Argentina, said Tuesday. AstraZeneca, which is working on a vaccine in conjunction with Oxford University, said that a volunteer had developed an undiagnosed ...

Egypt has detected more than 100,000 Covid-19 infections and reported 5,541 deaths from the virus disease, the health ministry said Tuesday. The North African country of more than 100 million people had imposed a night-time curfew from March to June to curb the spread of the illness but since eased restrictions. Daily life has since returned in the largest Arab ...

Ireland lost the EU’s coveted top trade job on Tuesday, paying the price for mistakes made by Phil Hogan, who resigned after breaking coronavirus guidelines. Instead, the post of trade commissioner now goes to EU veteran Valdis Dombrovskis, a former Latvian prime minister who is seen as a steady pair of hands for one of the bloc’s most sensitive jobs. ...

France’s prime minister on Thursday announced face masks will become compulsory throughout Paris, expressing concern over an “undeniable” trend of expanding coronavirus infection in the country. Jean Castex said 19 more departments have been added to a map with “red” zones of active virus circulation, meaning 21 of France’s 94 departments are classified as such. Official figures released Wednesday showed ...

France’s prime minister urged the population to take “responsibility” for limiting the coronavirus outbreak by wearing masks to protect one another, saying a new epidemic lockdown cannot be ruled out. In an interview with France Inter, Jean Castex said people who resisted mask-wearing, now compulsory in the workplace, enclosed public spaces and on public transport, should “think of others”. “They ...

The government has reversed policy on wearing facemasks in schools in England, sparking fresh criticism about its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Ministers had insisted face coverings were not necessary when children go back to school from next week after nearly six months out of the classroom amid concern about a rise in infections. But in new guidance late Tuesday, ...

The United States announced an emergency authorization to use blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients as a treatment for the disease, which has killed more than 800,000 people around the world. Many governments around the world are renewing efforts — including the reimposition of lockdowns — to contain the virus, which has infected well over 24 million people. The United ...

India’s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed the three million mark Sunday with nearly 70,000 new infections, as the disease continues to surge in the world’s second-most-populous nation. The health ministry said 69,239 cases were detected on Sunday, with 912 deaths taking the total number of fatalities to 56,706. Many experts say, however, that the real scale of the infection is much ...