Coronavirus Model Forecasts 1.9 Million More Deaths in 2020 – Live | News

• Iraq’s Health Ministry has warned that hospitals may “lose control” in the coming days, as the country has recorded its largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) does not expect widespread COVID-19 vaccines until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said, emphasizing the importance of rigorous controls on their effectiveness and safety.
• Brazil’s case burden topped four million when Australia extended its international travel ban for a further three months and New Zealand announced that it will maintain current restrictions until mid-September as a precautionary measure.
• More than 26.5 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 872,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 17.6 million people have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Saturday September 5

03:28 GMT – Brazilian Indians launch tracking app

Indigenous and environmental organizations in Brazil launched an application aimed at alerting indigenous communities about the spread of the coronavirus pandemic on their lands.

“The application maps and periodically updates the situation of the pandemic in cities within a radius of 100 kilometers of indigenous lands,” said the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Institute for Environmental Research of the Amazon (IPAM). ) in a statement.

The app, called “Indigenous Covid-19 Alert,” aims to help indigenous peoples identify areas with high infection rates.

02:12 GMT – UNGA president says ‘inclusion is key’ for vaccine

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, president of the United Nations General Assembly, warned that a vaccine for COVID-19 should be made available to all who need it because if only one country is left out, the world will still face a crisis for the coronavirus.

As the world looks towards a vaccine and a post-COVID-19 world, the Nigerian diplomat also warned that “inclusion is key, because without inclusion the suffering of those already left behind will continue – and we cannot guarantee peace in that’s kind of a context. “

01:47 GMT – Egypt arrests journalist sick with COVID-19

Security forces in Egypt arrested a journalist who had been in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus, an international press watchdog said, citing his wife.

Security forces raided El-Sayed Shehta’s home in northern Egypt earlier in the week, confiscating his laptop, cell phone, money and IDs, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, adding that it is not clear if he faces any charges. Shehta is the deputy editor of the Al-Youm Al-Sabae newspaper.

Officers took Shehta to a police station in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig, where he collapsed and lost consciousness, CPJ reported. She is still chained to a hospital bed in the city.

01:31 GMT – Former Cook Islands leader dies of COVID-19

Joseph Williams, a former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, died of COVID-19 in Auckland, the New Zealand Ministry of Health said.

Williams, who was in his 80s, was a well-known physician, politician and author, living in New Zealand. He was briefly Prime Minister of the Cook Islands in 1999 after having served as the South Pacific nation’s minister of health and education.

“Dr. Williams was seen as a leading figure in the Cook Islands medical community and we will regrettably miss him,” New Zealand Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement.

Joseph Williams, a highly respected physician and former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, has passed away. A worthy tribute here from his medical colleagues, who say that his “generosity and kindness has touched many.” @NewshubNZ # COVID19nz https://t.co/Zt4WKzvrSv

– Michael Morrah (@MichaelMorrah) September 4, 2020

00:46 GMT – Global model predicts 1.9 million more deaths by end of 2020

A widely cited model from the University of Washington predicts worsening outbreaks as winter returns to the Northern Hemisphere, with daily deaths expected to reach 30,000 deaths during December.

The global death toll from COVID-19 could add to 2.8 million by January 1, about 1.9 million more between now and the end of the year.

Masking mandates and social distancing could save hundreds of thousands of lives, but there is “an enormous amount of COVID fatigue” among government leaders around the world due to economic downturns, said Dr. Christopher Murray of the Institute for Metrics and Health Assessment (IHME) at the University of Washington.

He added: “We are faced with the prospect of a deadly December, especially in Europe, Central Asia and the United States. But the science is clear and the evidence irrefutable: the wearing of masks, social distancing and limits on social gatherings are vital. “. to help prevent transmission of the virus. “

The IHME model projects that the wave will peak in the United States in early December with approximately 2,900 deaths per day. India, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Japan will lead the world in total deaths by January 1, according to the forecast.

00:17 GMT – Mozambique will lift the state of emergency

Mozambique will lift the state of emergency imposed in April next week to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus, President Filipe Nyusi announced in a television speech.

Nyusi said the state of emergency would end Sunday night and the country would reopen its borders the following day. The beaches will also reopen and religious services for up to 250 people will be allowed.

“We are proud of the steps we have taken that have contained the spread of the disease,” said President Nyusi.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Mozambique totaled 4,265, including 26 deaths, much lower than neighboring South Africa, which has surpassed 635,000 infections.

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continued coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I am Zaheena Rasheed from Male, Maldives.

For the key developments of yesterday, September 4, go here.