Global report: US reports daily record of 77,300 new coronavirus cases
The US has reported a record 77,300 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data.
The figure is the highest one-day total for the pandemic so far. The US has consistently broken one-day records in recent days, but this is by a fairly wide margin.
The US, by far the worst-affected country worldwide in terms of the number of cases and deaths, has 3,576,221 confirmed infections and 138,358 fatalities.
Brazil is next highest with 2,012,151 cases (the country passed the sombre milestone of 2m on Thursday) and 76,688 deaths.
Democrats have urged elected leaders and party delegates to skip the national convention in August as coronavirus cases surge, the New York Times reported, in what the paper says is “a sign of the ever-shrinking aspirations for their big campaign event in the face of the spreading virus”.
In an email to congressional aides, the senior adviser to the convention committee, Chasseny Lewis, wrote: “We have been working closely with state and local public health officials, as well epidemiologists, and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee.”
Early on Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its convention scheduled for next month in Jacksonville, Florida. It had moved the event from North Carolina before the surge in cases in Florida, hoping for fewer restrictions on crowds.
The RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, confirmed the update in a letter to convention delegates, noting the organisation would comply with local and federal health guidelines while adapting the events.
“We still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville,” she wrote. “We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.”
The decisions come as coronavirus cases continue to rise in 41 states, with hospitalisations rising in 33 states, according to Guardian analysis.
Nonetheless, the Trump administration continues to advise that schools reopen. On Thursday, the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended Trump’s push to reopen schools, despite concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom. A number of school officials have expressed concern about students and staff members potentially contracting the virus once in-person instruction resumes.
“The science should not stand in the way of this,” McEnany said, adding moments later: “The science is on our side here.”
Around the world, countries are reimposing localised restrictions as new virus clusters or outbreaks emerge. In Mexico, authorities imposed local
restrictions on mobility, commerce, and leisure, particularly in popular tourist destinations, even as the government seeks to revive the battered economy. Mexico has 317,635 cases and 37,574 deaths.
In Spain, officials in Catalan said on Thursday that residents in three districts in the Barcelona suburb of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat must stay indoors amid a resurgence in cases. Wednesday saw residents told to stay at home in an area in and around the north-eastern city of Lerida, a measure affecting about 160,000 people. They are allowed to leave to go to work, buy food or medication, or to exercise.
In Colombia, doctors are calling for a return to a strict city-wide quarantine to slow coronavirus infections in the capital, warning that medical services are close to collapsing. The country has reported more than 165,000 cases of the coronavirus and about 6,000 deaths. Bogota accounts for more than a third of the country’s total cases and over 20% of its deaths, Reuters reports. Bogota’s intensive care units were at just under 90% capacity as of Wednesday evening, according to local government figures.
The Israeli government has ordered a tighter national lockdown at weekends. People will be allowed to leave their homes this weekend but malls, shops, pools, zoos and museums would shut from next Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, the government said in a statement. Israel has 46,059 cases and 384 deaths.
In India, new restrictions have been introduced in the western city of Pune and other states including Uttar Pradesh, home to 200 million people, badly hit Tamil Nadu and Assam. The northern Indian state of Bihar, with a population of about 125 million people, started a 15-day lockdown from 16 July. The southern city and IT hub of Bangalore, home to more than 13 million people, also began a week-long confinement on 14 July.
The state of Victoria in Australia-reported a record 428 new cases, 10 days in to the lockdown of Melbourne. The neighbouring state of New South Wales tightened restrictions on pubs, restaurants and gatherings, as it reported eight new cases, six of which were from community transmission. Australia has 10,810 cases and 113 deaths, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data.
Other key events include:
Russia on Thursday called off its annual “Immortal Regiment” commemoration of the nation’s second world war dead in which thousands carry photographs of relatives through the streets due to the coronavirus pandemic. Spain has ordered the culling of nearly 100,000 mink on a farm after confirming many were carrying coronavirus.
Brazil’s cases passed 2 million on Thursday, with little sign that the rate of increase is slowing, as anger grows over President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the outbreak.
Hong Kong has recorded a record 67 new cases of Covid-19, in a growing new outbreak which has seen the city reintroduce widespread restrictions.