WHO reports record daily increase in coronavirus cases: Live

US, Brazil, India and South Africa register biggest rises in COVID-19 cases, according to the UN health agency.

Medical workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) take care of a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Max Smart Super Speciality
  • World Health Organization confirms a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours.

  • The United States has reported another record increase of COVID-19 infections, with more than 66,500 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours. 

  • India’s coronavirus caseload is nearing 850,000 with a record surge of 28,637 cases in the past 24 hours, prompting authorities to announce a week-long lockdown in the southern technology hub of Bangalore.

  • South Africa has reported 13,497 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 264,184, including 3,971 deaths. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize warns of a COVID-19 “storm”.

  • More than 12.7 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 565,000 have died, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University. More than seven million patients have recovered.

Here are the latest updates.

Sunday, July 12

23:15 GMT – Ashes of 245 Mexican migrants arrive from New York

The ashes of 245 Mexican migrants who died of COVID-19 in New York have arrived back into their home nation, AP news agency reported.

A Mexican Air Force plane carrying the remains arrived in Mexico City in what the Foreign Relations Department called an “unprecedented” effort.

The urns were taken from the plane and placed on a table adorned with white llowers for a brief ceremony.

Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, celebrated a Mass for the coronavirus victims on Saturday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, blessing the ashes before they were flown back.

The Mexican government says more than 1,500 Mexican migrants have died of COVID-19 in the United States, about half of them in New York.

20:25 GMT – Spain region orders lockdown as global infections gather pace     

Hundreds of thousands of Catalonia residents were ordered back into lockdown on Sunday as coronavirus cases spiked in the Spanish region and new figures showed infections accelerating in many other parts of the world.    

The government of Catalonia region told residents in and around the northeastern town of Lerida to go back into home confinement.     

“The people must stay at home,” regional health official Alba Verges said.     

The area, with a population of more than 200,000, had already been ordered isolated from the rest of the region last weekend.

Catalonia, Spain coronavirus
Over the weekend 4,581 new cases were recorded, bringing the total to 264,836, she added. More than 28,000 people have died [Nacho Doce/Reuters]

It marks the first time that Spaniards have been kept in their homes since the hard-hit country exited confinement on June 21.

19:35 GMT – South Africa returns to ban on alcohol sales as virus surges

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country will immediately return to a ban on the sale of alcohol to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds open to treat COVID-19 patients.

Confronted by surging hospitalisations due to the coronavirus, South Africa is also reinstating a night curfew to reduce traffic accidents and made it mandatory for all residents to wear face masks when in public. 

Ramaphosa said in a nationally televised address that top health officials warn of impending shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen as South Africa reaches a peak of COVID-19 cases, expected between the end of July and September.

“While the surge of infections has been expected, the force and the speed with which it has progressed has, quite understandably, caused great concern,” said Ramaphosa. “Many of us are fearful of the danger this presents for ourselves, and for our families.”

outside image - blog - south africa

The country has reported increases of more than 10,000 confirmed cases for several days and the latest daily increase was nearly 13,500. South Africa accounts for 40% of all the confirmed cases in Africa, with 264,184, including 3,971 deaths, acccording to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday.

18:35 GMT – Palestinian Authority orders nightly, weekend coronavirus curfew     

The Palestinian Authority imposed a night-time and weekend curfew on the occupied West Bank for the coming 14 days to try and rein in rising coronavirus numbers.    

“Travel will be prohibited daily from 8pm (17:00 GMT) to 6am in all governorates,” as well as from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem told a news conference.   

Palestine COVID
The Palestinian health ministry said Sunday that there have so far been more than 6,150 confirmed cases of COVID 19 infection, with 33 dead [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

In the addition to the general dawn-to-dusk curfew, major cities Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem, will be under a total lockdown until Thursday evening, he said, while travel between districts will be banned for two weeks.     

Only pharmacies and bakeries will be allowed to open.    

“It is strictly forbidden to organise weddings, funerals and parties,” said Melhem, adding that Palestinians were also barred from going to work in Israeli settlements.

17:45 GMT – Jordan king says virus ‘under control’     

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said his country had successfully brought the coronavirus outbreak “under control” and that it was time to focus on restarting the economy.     

“We have successfully dealt with the coronavirus, which today is under control in Jordan,” he said during a meeting with prominent Jordanians.    

“But like every country in the world we have paid an economic price, and the time has come to focus … on the economic situation,” a palace statement quoted him as saying.     

The desert kingdom, which has recorded 1,179 cases of the virus including 10 deaths, imposed a tough curfew enforced with drones to curb the spread of COVID-19, before easing policies in early June.  

The kingdom said last month it would start welcoming overseas visitors at its private hospitals, after a months-long pause. Around a quarter of a million people used to visit Jordan annually for medical treatment, bringing in some $1.5bn a year, before the pandemic broke out. 

A worker cleans a window of a cafe before reopening it to the public for the first time since the start of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Amman
Unemployment in Jordan hit 19.3 percent during the first quarter of 2020 [Muhammad Hamed/Reuters]

16:50 GMT – WHO reports record daily increase in global coronavirus cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours.

The biggest increases were in the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. 

The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on July 10. Deaths remained steady at about 5,000 a day. 

Global coronavirus cases were approaching 13 million on Sunday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than 566,000 people in seven months.

Healthcare workers place a stretcher inside an ambulance at Texas Children's Hospital as cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spike in Houston, Texas, U.S., July 8, 2020. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Ha
The United States has reported another record increase of COVID-19 infections [Callaghan O’Hare/Reuters]

16:30 GMT – Florida reports largest, single-day increase in COVID-19 cases

Florida reported the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any one US state since the beginning of the pandemic.

According to its state health department statistics, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases.

U.S. Struggles With Coronavirus Amid A Surge Of New Cases
On Sunday, 45 more deaths were reported in Florida [Octavio Jones/Getty]

California had the previous record of daily positive cases – 11,694, four days ago. New York had 11,571 on April 15.

The numbers come at the end of a grim, record-breaking week in Florida, with 514 fatalities. 

Read more here.

15:55 GMT – Congress needs compromise to extend unemployment payments: Pelosi 

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believes US lawmakers can find a compromise on extending jobless benefits and unemployment insurance for Americans struggling amid coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. 

“We have to find a compromise because we must extend it,” Pelosi said on CNN’s State of the Union.

The top Republican in the US House of Representatives has said it would not be productive to extend the extra unemployment benefits that were included in coronavirus relief legislation earlier this year. The benefits expire on July 31. 

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans point to statistics showing many Americans receive more money from the extended unemployment benefits than they earned when they were at work. 

US recession official
Republicans and Democrats have been debating how to help the country recover from the economic effects of the novel coronavirus [Mike Segar/Reuters]

15:25 GMT – Netanyahu vows relief as Israelis fume over virus-battered economy    

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged immediate financial aid to Israelis whose livelihoods have been devastated by the coronavirus, as his government faces mounting anger over its pandemic response.    

Thousands of protesters turned out in Tel Aviv on Saturday to voice frustration at Netanyahu, who won praise for his early response to the outbreak but has come under criticism amid a resurgence in cases.      

Netanyahu did not mention the Tel Aviv protest ahead of his weekly cabinet meeting, but promised that financial help was on the way, starting with cash disbursments of up to 7,500 shekels ($2,170) to the self-employed. 

“This support, this grant is not dependent on legislation and we have instructed that it be put into effect today. The button will be pressed and the money will reach accounts in the coming days,” he said.   

Graduation ceremony of new Israeli Air Force pilots in Hatzerim military base
Netanyahu also announced a broader aid package for workers and small business owners [Ariel Schalit/Reuters]

14:55 GMT – DC United v Toronto MLS game postponed due to virus test results

The Major League Soccer (MLS) game between DC United and Toronto FC on Sunday has been postponed after tests conducted on the players produced an unconfirmed positive COVID-19 case and another inconclusive test, the league said.

“Major League Soccer will continue to prioritise the health and safety of all participants of the MLS is Back Tournament in making these decisions,” MLS said in a statement. 

DC United defender Jordan Graye collides with Toronto FC defender Adrian Cann during their MLS soccer game in Toronto
The match will be rescheduled and details will be announced later on Sunday [FILE – Mike Cassese/Reuters] 

14:25 GMT – South Africa mulls return to restrictions as COVID-19 surges                  

Confronted by surging hospitalisations due to COVID-19, South Africa is considering a return to tighter restrictions to combat the disease, which officials say may soon overwhelm the country’s health system. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced he will speak to the nation about the crisis on Sunday evening, after top health officials have warned of shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen.

South Africa’s rapid increase in reported cases has made it one of the world’s centres for COVID-19, as it is ranked as the 9th country most affected by the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

The country has reported increases of more than 10,000 confirmed cases for several days and the latest daily increase was nearly 13,500. 

South Africa coronavirus
South Africa accounts for 40 percent of all the confirmed cases in Africa, with 264,184, including 3,971 deaths, acccording to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

13:50 GMT – Lebanon records more than 100 new cases 

Lebanon has recorded more than 100 new infections in the past day, its highest daily increase yet, with most of the cases among workers of a cleaning company, the health minister said.

“To reassure people, the source is known,” Health Minister Hamad Hassan told broadcaster LBC. 

He added that up to 75 percent of the cases were linked to what he described as a big cleaning company, were symptom-free and non-Lebanese.

Hassan said 800 workers from the cleaning company in question needed to be tested, along with another 1,000 workers from two other companies with whom they were connected. “The number will remain high this week,” he said. 

A demonstrator, wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and depicting the national flag, uses her mobile during a protest against a controv
Lebanon has recorded more than 2,000 infections and 36 deaths from coronavirus since February [Aziz Taher/Reuters] 

13:15 GMT – 

Hello, this is Hamza Mohamed in Doha, Qatar taking over from my colleague Ramy Allahoum.

11:56 GMT – US breaks own daily record with more than 66,500 new cases

The United States, the country hardest hit by the coronavirus, posted 66,528 new cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.     

The country has now recorded a total of 3,242,073 infections, the Baltimore-based university said in its latest data. The death toll stood at 134,729 with 760 additional deaths counted.

The US has now seen daily new cases top 60,000 in four of the past five days. On Saturday, President Donald Trump donned a face mask in public for the first time, finally yielding to intense pressure to set a public health example.

Trump put on a mask featuring the presidential seal as he walked through Walter Reed military hospital outside Washington, DC to meet wounded veterans.

News reports this week said aides practically begged the president to relent and wear a mask in public – and let himself be photographed – as coronavirus cases soar in some states.

They include Florida, where Disney World on Saturday reopened two of its four Orlando theme parks, even as the state reported 10,360 new infections and 95 deaths.

Remittances to Kenya hit hard by COVID-19 (2:32)

11:24 GMT – Iran’s Khamenei urges fight against ‘tragic’ virus resurgence      

Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday called the resurgence of the novel coronavirus in the country “truly tragic” and urged all citizens to help stem what has been the region’s deadliest outbreak. 

“Let everyone play their part in the best way to break the chain of transmission in the short term and save the country,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a video conference with lawmakers, according to his office. 

10:33 GMT – Vatican highlights plight of maritime workers

The Vatican is highlighting the plight of maritime workers during the pandemic, saying bans on shore leave are severely stressing crews stuck aboard ship, some to the point of suicide.

Cardinal Peter A Turkson, who heads a Vatican office dealing with issues of human development, said in a message on Sunday that maritime workers “really deserve our esteem and gratitude” for ensuring the movement of goods for a “healthy global economy” while much of the world is in lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19 infection.

He said tens of thousands of seafarers who were due to fly home for leave between long stints at sea were prevented from doing so due to lockdown rules. Similarly, thousands of seafarers due to head to sea on new tours of duty were stranded in hotels and dormitories.

10:06 GMT – Bollywood actor Aishwarya tests positive for coronavirus

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter tested positive for the new coronavirus on Sunday, a day after her father-in-law and top Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan and her husband and actor Abhishek said they were infected with the virus.

Maharastra state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said in a tweet Aishwarya and her daughter had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. It was not clear whether they had been admitted to hospital, as Amitabh and Abhishek were on Saturday, when they said they had mild symptoms.

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, son in hospital with COVID-19 (01:07)

09:38 GMT – Hungary imposes border checks, quarantine to prevent spread of virus

Hungary has imposed new restrictions on cross-border travel as of next Wednesday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a surge in new cases in several countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff announced.

Under the new rules, Hungarian nationals returning from high-risk countries listed as “yellow” and “red” will have to go through health checks at the border and will have to go into quarantine. The same applies to foreigners coming from “yellow” countries, but their entry will be banned from “red” countries.

Countries in the Balkans and neighbouring Ukraine belong to the red category, among other states. Serbia and Romania are listed as “yellow”, while travel from Croatia is free for the time being.

09:20 GMT – Spain holds regional elections amid coronavirus

Spaniards in two northern regions are voting in regional elections Sunday amid tight security measures to avoid more outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Regional authorities in both Basque Country and Galicia have prohibited more than 400 people who have tested positive for the virus from leaving their homes to vote.

Spain’s Supreme Court backed the decision in a ruling on Friday in response to a complaint by opposition parties in both regions.

Voters must wear face masks to vote and remain 1.5 metres (5 feet) apart at polling stations, which are equipped with hand sanitisers.

More than 28,000 COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed in Spain.

Panama COVID-19 cases surge: Medics warn of overwhelmed hospitals (2:05)

08:40 GMT – India reports record surge of 28,637 new cases

India’s coronavirus caseload is nearing 850,000 with a record surge of 28,637 in the past 24 hours, prompting authorities to announce a weeklong lockdown in the southern technology hub of Bangalore.

The new confirmed cases took the national total to 849,553. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported another 551 deaths for a total of 22,674.

India has overtaken Russia in the number of cases and is currently behind the US and Brazil, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune are among the key Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections. Several states have announced stringent lockdowns in high-risk areas.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in New Delhi
 The new confirmed cases took the national total to 849,553 [File: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters]

08:15 GMT – Abu Dhabi fund suspends debt service repayments for countries, companies

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has suspended debt service repayments for some countries and companies for the year, the state-financed fund announced.

The fund provides financial assistance to companies in the United Arab Emirates and to developing countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Debt service repayments would be suspended for eligible countries and individual companies in the developing world from January 1 until December 31, the fund said in a statement.

WHO chief in tears over lack of global unity to fight COVID-19 (2:03)

08:00 GMT – Russia reports 6,615 new coronavirus cases

Russia on Sunday reported 6,615 new coronavirus cases, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 727,162.

The country’s coronavirus crisis response centre said 130 people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 11,335. Russia said 501,061 people have recovered from the virus.

07:40 GMT – Fears high as first four coronavirus cases confirmed in Idlib

Three doctors and a nurse tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Syria’s northwest Idlib governorate, the first cases to emerge in the region, raising fears it could rapidly spread through densely populated camps for internally displaced Syrians.

The number of people living in the sprawling camps has increased in recent months after Russian-backed Syrian government forces launched a campaign to regain control of the last rebel-held bastion in the war-torn country.

“The first case of the new coronavirus was confirmed on Thursday night. He is a doctor working in Bab al-Hawa border hospital,” Emad Zahran, media manager at Idlib’s health directorate, said on Saturday, adding the physician appeared to have contracted the virus during a visit to his family in Turkey last month.

Read more here

07:30 GMT – Thousands demonstrate against Israel’s policy 

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s economic policy in light of the coronavirus crisis, media outlets reported on Sunday.  

More than 10,000 people gathered in central Rabin Square on Saturday evening to draw attention to the financial difficulties brought about the coronavirus crisis, especially self-employed Israelis. They accuse the government of not taking care of citizens’ needs.

Twelve demonstrators were arrested, a police spokesman said on Sunday. Some protesters reportedly clashed with police after they tried to block central streets in Tel Aviv. Three officers were slightly injured after demonstrators used pepper spray on them. 

Netanyahu on Thursday presented his aid package to help people through the coronavirus crisis. The programme is intended to provide a safety net for the employed, self-employed and businesses through next June, he said. Finance Minister Israel Katz put the value of the total package at about 80 billion shekels ($23bn).

The country’s daily infection rate has been rising again, prompting new restrictions to be imposed, and further increasing criticism of Netanyahu over his crisis management abilities. According to the Health Ministry, more than 37,400 people have been infected with the coronavirus, while 354 of them have died.

06:45 GMT – Mexico reports 539 deaths, 6,094 new cases   

Mexico’s Health Ministry has reported 6,094 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 539 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 295,268 cases and 34,730 deaths.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

In first, Trump dons masks on visit to Walter Reed army hospital (3:15)

06:40 GMT – Thailand plans November human testing for coronavirus vaccine

Thai researchers plan to begin human trials of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus in November and are preparing 10,000 doses, a senior official has said, aiming for a vaccine that could be ready for use by late next year.

Following favourable results in trials on primates, the next step is to manufacture doses for human trials, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, director of the Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University vaccine development programme.

There are no approved vaccines for the virus that causes COVID-19, but 19 candidates are being trailed in humans globally. China is leading the race, with an experimental vaccine by Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

06:30 GMT – Widow of French bus driver killed over masks wants ‘exemplary punishment’

The wife of a French bus driver who died of injuries after he asked four passengers to wear face masks wants “exemplary punishment”.

Four people are in custody for the assault on Philippe Monguillot on July 5 at a bus stop in Bayonne, southwest France.

The Bayonne prosecutor said Monguillot was assaulted after he asked four passengers on his bus to wear face masks, which are required on board French public transport because of the coronavirus. He was insulted, pushed off the bus and violently beaten and kicked in the head, the prosecutor said.

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday dispatched the interior minister to meet the driver’s widow after his death was announced on Friday. He had been hospitalised in critical condition.

French bus driver
Four people are in custody for the July 5 assault on Philippe Monguillot [Bob Edme/AP]

04:51 GMT – China reports seven new cases

Chinese health authorities on Sunday reported seven new coronavirus cases that they said came from abroad and said there were no additional domestic infections, the AP news agency reported.

Four of the confirmed cases reported in the 24 hours through midnight on Saturday were in Tianjin, east of Beijing, two in Shanghai and one in the southeastern province of Zhejiang, the National Health Commission reported.

That raised China’s total number of confirmed cases to 83,594, with 4,634 deaths, according to the NHC.

04:21 GMT – Taiwan holds events as situation returns to normal

Taiwan
The 2020 Taipei Film Festival is the world’s first large-scale film festival held by an entity after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic [Chiang Ying-ying/AP]

Taiwan has wrapped up an annual film festival with an awards ceremony as it stages more public events after keeping its coronavirus outbreak to a few hundred cases, the Associated Press news agency reported on Sunday.

Actors and others lined up for photo shoots with no social distancing on Saturday night, and participants did not wear face masks at the Zhongshan Hall in the capital of the self-governing island off China’s east coast.

Government officials say there have been 451 confirmed coronavirus cases and seven deaths on the island, which has a population of about 23 million.

Also on Saturday, a baseball game in the city of Taichung drew more than 10,000 fans for the first time this season. Health authorities have been gradually allowing larger crowds since the baseball season began in April with no fans.

03:51 GMT – Australia’s Victoria marks week of triple-digit cases

Australia’s Victoria state reported 273 new cases of the coronavirus and another death on Sunday, marking a week of triple-digit increases in infections as state authorities battle fresh outbreaks of the pandemic, Reuters news agency reported.

Melbourne, the capital of Australia’s second-most-populous state, went under a six-week lockdown on Thursday after a spike in community-transmitted cases.

“This is a dangerous time,” Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference.

Sunday’s cases – the second-highest for Victoria, home to a quarter of Australia’s 25 million people – follow a record 288 infections reported on Friday. The rise partly reflects increased testing, with the state conducting more than 30,000 tests daily.

03:27 GMT – Germany’s confirmed cases rise to 198,804

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 248 to 198,804, Reuters reported on Sunday quoting data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

The reported COVID-19 death toll rose by three to 9,063, the tally showed.

03:00 GMT – Okinawa governor wants tougher action as 61 US Marines infected

Denny Tamaki, the governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, has demanded a top US military commander take tougher prevention measures and more transparency hours after officials were told that more than 60 Marines at two bases have been infected over the past few days, the AP reported on Sunday.

Okinawan officials reported a total of 61 cases – 38 of them at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is at the centre of a relocation dispute, and another 23 at Camp Hansen – since July 7. They said that US military officials told them the two bases have since been put in lockdown.

The disclosure of the exact figures came only after Okinawa’s repeated requests to the US military.

02:38 GMT – New York COVID-19 hospitalisations drop

The number of New Yorkers hospitalised with the coronavirus infection has fallen to the lowest point in nearly four months.

State officials reported 799 COVID-19 hospitalisations on Saturday, which is the lowest since March 18.

However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is concerned a resurgence in cases is inevitable amid outbreaks in other states.

Earlier, Cuomo told WAMC radio the state’s quarantine rules for travellers returning from hard-hit areas are difficult to enforce. He says the only question is how high New York’s rate will rise.

Coronavirus - New York
Organisers and church workers cover the boxed cremated remains of Mexicans who died of COVID-19 before a service at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Saturday [Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP]

02:20 GMT – Greece announces 41 new cases

Greek authorities have announced 41 new cases of coronavirus, including 11 incoming tourists, over the past 24 hours. There were no new confirmed deaths.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 3,772 and 193 deaths.

01:54 GMT – South Korea reports 44 new cases, one death

South Korea’s new cases of infection bounced back on Sunday as cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and the southwestern city of Gwangju continued to increase amid a sustained rise in imported cases, according to Yonhap news agency.

The country added 44 cases, including 21 local infections, taking the total caseload to 13,417, Yonhap reported citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The tally marked a rise from 35 new cases reported on Saturday but a slight fall compared with 45 tallied on Friday.

The country also reported one additional death, bringing the death toll to 289.

Seoul, South Korea
Mourners, many wearing masks, gather outside Seoul City Hall on Saturday to pay tribute to the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon amid the continuing spread of the coronavirus in the city [Ahn Young-joon/AP]

01:35 GMT – Football match called off in Brazil after 14 players found coronavirus positive

Authorities cancelled one of southern Brazil’s biggest footballing derbies less than 24 hours before kick-off on Saturday after 14 members of one side tested positive for COVID-19, Reuters reported on Sunday.

The Santa Catarina state championship restarted on July 8 with four games, including Chapecoense’s 2-0 home win over Avai. The return match was due to kick off on Sunday but was cancelled on the orders of the state’s Health Secretariat.

Santa Catarina state has recorded 42,026 cases of the new coronavirus, with 485 deaths. So far, 71,469 people have died in Brazil, more than any other country outside the US.

01:08 GMT – Italy reports 188 coronavirus infections

Italy has confirmed another 188 coronavirus infections, a third in the hard-hit Lombardy region, according to the AP news agency.

Public health officials say the outbreak remains under control in Italy, the onetime epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, but they are paying attention to clusters of domestic and international infections.

Italy halted all air traffic with Bangladesh and 13 other countries after more than two dozen cases were linked to charter flights of returning Bangladeshi immigrants. On Saturday, eight of the 19 new infections in the Lazio region around Rome were linked to the Bangladeshi community cluster.

Another seven people with the coronavirus died in the past day, bringing Italy’s total confirmed deaths to 34,945.

Italy - coronavirus
Members of the Bangladeshi immigrant community queue to undergo swabs to test for COVID-19 outside a healthcare centre in Rome on Thursday [File: Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse via AP]

00:49 GMT – Mexico reports 6,094 new cases, 539 more deaths

Mexico’s Health Ministry has reported 6,094 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 539 additional deaths, bringing the total in the country to 295,268 cases and 34,730 deaths.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases, according to Reuters news agency.

00:30 GMT – Native American tribe grapples with coronavirus deaths, infections

Navajo Nation officials have reported 10 additional deaths from COVID-19 as the tribe’s sprawling reservation remains under the latest weekend lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak, AP reported.

The Native American tribe’s death toll rose to 396, as tribal officials reported 56 additional confirmed cases, increasing the reservation’s total to nearly 8,100. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

The lockdown began on Friday night and ends at 5am on Monday. All businesses on the Navajo Nation are also required to close during the lockdown.

00:10 GMT – US coronavirus deaths take a long-expected turn for the worse

A long-expected upturn in US coronavirus deaths has begun, driven by fatalities in states in the south and west, according to data on the pandemic.

According to an AP analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily reported deaths in the US has increased from 578 two weeks ago to 664 on July 10.

Daily reported deaths increased in 27 states over that period, but the majority of those states are averaging under 15 new deaths per day. A smaller group of states has been driving the nationwide increase in deaths.

California is averaging 91 reported deaths per day, while Texas is close behind with 66, but Florida, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and South Carolina also saw sizable rises. New Jersey’s recent jump is thought to be partially attributable to its less frequent reporting of probable deaths.

“It’s consistently picking up. And it’s picking up at the time you’d expect it to,” said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious diseases researcher.

00:01 GMT – South Africa reports 13,497 new cases

Coronavirus - South Africa
Undertakers wearing personal protective equipment exit the grave of Shaykh Seraj Hassan Hendricks of Azzawia Institute during his funeral in Cape Town on Friday [Nardus Engelbrecht/AP]

South Africa is reporting another 13,497 confirmed coronavirus cases for a total of 264,184 including 3,971 deaths. More than a third of cases are in the new hot spot of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria.

Already, public hospitals are expressing concerns about shortages of available beds and medical oxygen. The percentage of tests that are positive is now over 25 percent, but the National Institute of Infectious Diseases says that could reflect both the rise in infections and more targeted testing.

The country’s health minister has said the “storm” that authorities have been warning citizens about has arrived.

___________________________________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

You can find all the key developments from yesterday, July 11, here.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies