A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 731,000 people worldwide.
More than 19 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are thought to be much higher due to lack of testing, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the extent of their outbreaks.
Since the first cases were discovered in China in December, the United States has been the least affected country, with more than 5 million diagnosed cases and at least 162,938 deaths.
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Here’s how the news develops today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
10:36 a.m .: Coronavirus opening testing site along the U.S.-Mexico border
A coronavirus test site will be opened near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County, Southern California, according to a report by San Diego ABC branch KGTV.
The appointment-free, walk-up test site will be located at the PedWest crossing of San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the busiest international border crossings in the world. The site, among more than two dozen others throughout San Diego County, will be the closest to the border with Mexico to date for the region.
The United States and Mexico are two of the least affected nations in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Spanish community makes up just 34% of San Diego’s population, and yet, as of Sunday, they accounted for 62% of the city’s COVID-19 cases, according to KGTV. That figure is likely to rise after the new test site opens within the next few weeks, as the area is dominated by Spanish speakers.
However, the Chief Strategic Officer of the Chicano Federation, Roberto Alcantar, said that many in the Latino community are still afraid of testing.
“Our community is nervous about losing their jobs, not being able to go to work, the real economic impact that comes from being positive and the feeling that this may hinder them in some way,” Alcantar told KGTV.
4:21 a.m .: Australia sees record rise in virus-related deaths
An additional 19 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded on Sunday in the Australian state of Victoria – the highest one-day increase in deaths the country has seen since the start of the pandemic,
“This news is devastating, regardless of the age at which COVID affects people, and we just want to reaffirm our support through every channel we can deliver it,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
The Victoria Department of Health and Human Services also reported 322 new cases of COVID-19 – the lowest daily count recorded in the state since July 29.
“We’re seeing some stability. That’s a good thing. But that’s not enough,” Victoria’s State Prime Minister Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne. “And that’s the product of masks and Phase 3. That’s what the experts are telling us. The next step, however, is all about these limitations that we have had to painfully impose.”
Andrews declared a state of disaster in Victoria on August 2, giving authorities extra powers to ensure people follow public health guidelines. Victoria is home to Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne, which has become a hotspot in the country’s new coronavirus outbreak.
In total, Australia has reported more than 21,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 with at least 313 deaths.
3:45 p.m .: US records under 50,000 new cases for 1st time in 6 days
There were 46,395 new cases of COVID-19 identified in the United States on Sunday, bringing the national total increased past 5 million, according to a count preserved by Johns Hopkins University.
It is the first time in six days that the nation has recorded among 50,000 new cases. An additional 516 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported.
Sunday’s caseload is well below the record set on July 16, when more than 77,000 new cases were identified in a 24-hour reporting period.
A total of 5,044,864 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 162,938 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins. The cases involve people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, DC, and other U.S. territories such as repatriated citizens.
By May 20, all U.S. states had begun lifting orders for residence and home and other restrictions in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The daily increase in the country’s cases then hid around 20,000 for a few weeks before being rescued and crossing 70,000 for the first time in mid-July.
Many states have seen a rise in infections in recent weeks, with some – including Arizona, California and Florida – reporting daily records. New data published last week in an internal memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency suggest that national turnout could be leveling in cases.
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