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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continued coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I am Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States is approaching six million, with states such as Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota reporting daily records. More than 183,000 people have died from the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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The number of cases worldwide has reached almost 25.1 million, with deaths exceeding 844,000, according to data from the university. More than 16.5 million have recovered
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New Zealand has made face masks mandatory as it eases the coronavirus restrictions in Auckland that were imposed after a sudden spike in cases.
Here are the latest updates:
Monday August 31
03:42 GMT – Germany reports 610 new COVID-19 cases
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, which monitors infectious diseases in the country, has reported 610 new cases, bringing the total to more than 242,000 as of Monday.
The death toll has reached 9,298, three more deaths than the previous day.
03:25 GMT – US Eyes Grant Emergency Approval of COVID-19 Vaccine
Stephen Hahn, director of the US Food and Drug Administration, has raised the possibility of giving emergency approval to the coronavirus vaccines that are being developed in the country, even before the trials conclude.
“If they do it before the end of Phase Three,” which involves large-scale human testing, “we may find it appropriate. We may find it inappropriate, we will make a determination,” Hahn told the Financial Times.
But the move has drawn criticism that it is giving in to pressure from the Trump administration to speed up production of a vaccine ahead of the Nov.3 election.
“This will be a decision of science, medicine, data. It will not be a political decision,” he said.
The United States has reported nearly six million cases and 183,000 deaths, raising criticism and questioning against the Trump administration’s handling of the deadly pandemic.
03:01 GMT – Coronavirus cases in Greece exceed 10,000
Greek health authorities reported that coronavirus cases in the country have exceeded 10,000, half of which were reported in August alone.
At least 157 new cases were reported Sunday, including 41 abroad.
Greece also reported two more deaths, bringing the country’s total to 262.
02:45 GMT – Nearly half a million sign up for the free COVI-19 test in Hong Kong
Despite boycott calls, more than 420,000 Hong Kong residents have registered for free universal coronavirus tests, which will begin on Tuesday, according to Hong Kong authorities.
According to the Gov.HK website, since the online booking system began, at least 80 community testing centers have been fully booked.
The Hong Kong government initially set a seven-day trial period, although it has not set a target number of trials among its 7.5 million residents.
02:10 GMT – China reports 17 new cases of coronavirus
The 17 coronavirus cases reported Monday were imported and no additional deaths were recorded. [Ng Han Guan/AP]
China’s National Health Commission reported at least 17 new coronavirus cases, all imported, on Monday through the end of Sunday.
That brings the total number of imported cases to 2,499, according to the Xinhua news agency.
No new deaths were reported on the continent, keeping the total at 4,634. Most of China’s 85,048 COVID-19 patients have recovered.
01:45 GMT – South Korea reports decline in new cases
The number of new daily coronavirus cases in South Korea has remained below 300 for the second day in a row on Monday, the Yonhap news agency reported citing the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The country reported 248 new COVID-19 cases, including 238 local infections, bringing the total number of cases to 19,947, the KCDC said. That’s fewer than the 299 cases reported Sunday.
One more patient died from the new coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 324. Almost 15,000 of the cases have made a full recovery.
01:30 GMT – Australia’s Victoria records the lowest infections since July 3
The Australian state of Victoria recorded 73 new coronavirus cases on Monday, its lowest total since July 3.
The death toll in the state also rose by 41, including 22 cases in a nursing home that were reported late.
Meanwhile, New South Wales raised its health alerts in some areas after a host of infections. It reported seven new cases on Sunday.
Australia has reported more than 24,000 cases, at least 3,100 of them active. It has registered at least 652 deaths.
01:05 GMT – The death toll from coronavirus in Mexico exceeds 64,000
Mexico has confirmed 4,129 new coronavirus infections and 339 additional deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 595,841 and 64,158 deaths.
The number of cases and deaths, however, continues on a downward trend, according to data from the Health Ministry, although the government has long recognized that the actual number of infections could be higher than reported figures.
Despite the threat of the spread of the coronavirus, anti-government protesters gathered in Mexico City on Sunday to demand the resignation of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. [Eduardo Verdugo/AP]
00:30 GMT: New Zealand eases restrictions for Auckland residents
New Zealand has eased coronavirus restrictions in the city of Auckland and made wearing face masks mandatory.
The New Zealand Herald reported that many of the city’s residents “flocked to the city’s airport” to seize the opportunity to travel.
New Zealand has reported more than 1,700 cases and 22 deaths from coronavirus.
00:15 GMT – Multiple US States Report Daily Record of COVID-19 Cases
The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States is approaching six million, with states such as Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota reporting daily records.
More than 183,000 people have died from the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, the US states of Montana and Idaho have reported record numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to reports.
In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said the trend was concerning.
00:01 GMT – Brazil reports 566 new deaths and more than 16,000 new cases
The Brazilian Ministry of Health has reported 566 additional deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours and 16,158 new cases, bringing the country’s death toll to 120,828 deaths, with a total of 3,862,311 infections.
The number of deaths and new cases at the end of Sunday was significantly lower than the previous day, which could be attributed to delays in reporting by the state government, or a continuing general downward trend.
The country has the second highest number of deaths and infections. It leads in the highest number of recoveries with 3.2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Read all the key developments from yesterday (Aug 30) here.
