More than 64,000 new daily coronavirus infections recorded in the US
According to Johns Hopkins University’s tally of cases, there were 64,534 new cases and 1,082 reported deaths reported in the United States in the past 24 hours.
It is the highest number of daily coronavirus deaths in the US in at least two weeks.
To date, there have been at least 3,899,211 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US. The country’s death toll currently stands at 141,995.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
For the latest US figures, follow CNN’s map which is refreshed every 15 mins:
India records 37,724 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to just under 1.2 million
From CNN’s Vedika Sud in Delhi
India has recorded 37,724 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said.
The total number of cases across the country has now reached 1,192,915, the third-highest in the world.
The country also reported 684 new deaths Monday, raising the death toll to 28,732. India has conducted a total of 14,724,546 Covid-19 tests as of Monday, according to the health ministry.
As of Wednesday, India has recorded over 600,000 Covid-19 cases in July alone, which is more than the total number of infections reported up to June 30, the ministry added.
Japan reports 633 new virus cases
From CNN’s Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo
Japan’s Health Ministry recorded 633 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with Aichi prefecture in central Japan nearly doubling its daily infection rate with 53 new cases.
The national number falls short of the highest daily figure reported since the outbreak began, which currently stands at 708.
On Wednesday, Tokyo’s Governor Yuriko Koike reported that there were 230 fresh cases in the capital, down from 237 cases on Tuesday.
Victoria suffers worst day for new coronavirus cases, despite two weeks of lockdown
From journalist Angus Watson in Sydney
The Australian state of Victoria has suffered another record day of new Coronavirus cases with 484 people diagnosed on Tuesday, according to Daniel Andrews, the state premier.
Just 97 of the cases detected on Tuesday were linked to known outbreaks, with 387 under investigation. Two men in their 90s died on Tuesday, bringing the state’s death toll to 44 and Australia’s to 128.
The high figure comes despite Melbourne being two weeks into a six-week lockdown, with people only allowed to leave their homes for work, to buy food, to get or give care or for exercise.
Premier Andrews said Wednesday that “insecure workers” are a “big driver” in the uptick in cases because they are going to work when ill.
Acknowledging that shift workers risk not getting paid if they do not show for work, Andrews announced a $1500 hardship payment available to incentivize insecure workers to stay home instead of going to work when ill or while waiting for a test result.
“No one should be waiting for a test result at the supermarket or their place of work or anywhere else but their home.”
Masks become mandatory in public places in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire as of Thursday.
“Masks will have an impact, but I want to be clear, wearing a mask is not like a vaccine,” Andrews said Wednesday. “They are not an invitation to leave your home, they are a lawful reason to leave your home, but only when you need to.”
There are 3408 active cases in Victoria, 3305 in metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, and 103 in all other regions of Victoria.
California now has the most Covid cases in the US, surpassing New York
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Sarah Moon
California has surpassed New York as the state with the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States.
The current total number of cases in California is 409,305 and New York stands at 408,181, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
California has seen a surge in cases over the past several weeks, while New York’s case count has slowed significantly.
The number of cases per 100,000 people is starkly different between the two states, however, with California being home to roughly double the number of residents of New York. California is currently seeing about 1,036 cases per 100,000, while New York has 2,098 cases.
A similar disparity holds true for Covid-related fatalities between the two states. New York saw a huge spike in deaths early on in the pandemic and has recorded well over 32,000 fatalities, a rate about eight times higher per 100,000 than in California where the surge happened much later, and has seen 7,888 deaths to date.
The slow climb in California provided the state with the time to “limit not just the number of those with the worst outcomes, but even improve the clinical outcomes of those who’ve been hospitalized altogether,” California Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said Tuesday.
Indonesia reports 1,655 new Covid-19 cases, total number nears 90,000
From CNN’s Sophie Jeong in Seoul, South Korea, and Eric Cheung in Hong Kong
Indonesia has reported 1,655 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases across the country to 89,869, according to the country’s health ministry.
The country has now recorded 4,320 coronavirus-related deaths, the ministry said on Tuesday.
As of Monday, most confirmed cases were in Jakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, West Java and South Kalimantan, according to a situation report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Starting from July 5, 2020, the Jakarta administration has gradually lifted restrictions and opened several public facilities at half capacity, including places of worship and outdoor sports courts, according to state-run Antara News.
US lawmakers perplexed by billions in unspent Covid-19 testing money
From CNN’s Lauren Fox
Despite severe shortages in coronavirus testing supplies and lags in results, the Trump administration is still sitting on billions of dollars in unused funding that Congress allocated months ago.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questions about why the money has not been used as testing continues to fall well short of the national need.
“It’s probably a logistical problem as much as anything else, but yeah, it’s a concern,” said Republican. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
As negotiations have ramped up between the White House and Senate Republicans in recent days on whether to include more funding for testing in the next round of stimulus, the White House pushed against more money over the weekend, arguing that billions remain unspent.
But lawmakers and aides — who estimate the remaining amount at about $7 billion to $8 billion — say they’ve been unable to get a clear answer to why that money hasn’t been touched in the first place.
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Argentina sees record new coronavirus cases and deaths
From CNN’s Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota
Argentina’s health ministry reported a record new 5,344 cases on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total to 136,118.
The ministry also reported 117 new deaths due to the virus in the past 24 hours, which is also the highest daily tally so far, raising the total death toll to 2,490.
The coronavirus outbreak remains highly localized in Argentina, however, with over 90% of cases located in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, according to the ministry.
South American countries including Brazil and Peru have seen some of the world’s worst coronavirus epidemics, with the region facing rapidly rising infection rates.
Mexico surpasses 40,000 Covid-19 deaths
From journalist Karol Suarez in Mexico City
Mexico surpassed 40,000 Covid-19 deaths Tuesday, after the country’s health ministry reported 915 new deaths from the virus.
The country’s death toll now stands at 40,400.
The ministry also reported another rise in infections, with 6,859 newly confirmed cases bringing Mexico’s total number to 356,255.
Almost 900,000 new Covid-19 cases and nearly 22,000 deaths were reported last week in the Americas, with Brazil, Mexico and the United States reporting most of the new cases and deaths, Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization said on Tuesday.
