Coronavirus Global Updates, Oct 17: U.S. surpasses 64, 000 new coronavirus infections two days in a row for first time since late July

Sat Oct 17 10:50:04 CAT 2020

 <http://www.finsec.co.zw/> 

Zimbabwe COVID19 Update

COVID-19 update: As at 16 October 2020, Zimbabwe had 8 099 confirmed cases, including 7 673 recoveries and 231 deaths.

U.S. surpasses 64,000 new coronavirus infections two days in a row for first time since late July

For the first time since late July, the tally of newly reported coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 64,000 on Thursday and Friday. In 44 states and the District of Columbia, caseloads are higher than they were one month ago, and many of the new infections are being reported in rural areas with limited hospital capacity.

More than 8,000,000 cases have been reported nationwide since February, and at least 216,000 people in the United States have died of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Roughly 10 percent of Vatican Swiss Guard, colorful pope protectors, test positive for virus

Eleven members of the Vatican Swiss Guard have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days, according to a statement released by the organization Thursday night, raising concerns about the spread of the virus in the home of the 83-year-old pope.

The guards, a popular sight for visitors to the Vatican because of their colorful traditional garments, have served as the de facto military of the tiny Catholic city-state since the early 16th century, and in their modern role they function as bodyguards for the pope. Vatican rules allow for up to 135 Vatican guards, and Swiss Catholics who are under 30 years old can serve.

Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 2,66,345 on Saturday as 2,196 more people, including a ruling BJD MP, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Seventeen more patients succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,121, he said.

As many as 1,274 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 922 infections were detected during contact tracing, the official said.

Khurda district, under which Bhubaneswar falls, reported the highest number of new cases at 259, followed by Cuttack (175) and Sundergarh (140), he said.

BJD's Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya tested positive for the infection. He has been admitted to a hospital in Bargarh district. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wished him a speedy recovery.

Five fresh fatalities were reported in Khurda, two in Cuttack, and one each in Angul, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri, Sundargarh and Sambalpur, the official said.

Ganjam has so far reported the highest number of coronavirus fatalities at 225, followed by Khurda (191) and Cuttack (98), he said.

Fifty-three COVID-19 patients have died due to other ailments so far, the official said.

Odisha now has 23,786 active coronavirus cases, while 2,41,385 people have been cured of the disease so far, he said.

The state has so far tested over 40 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 41,353 on Friday, he added.

Global Cases at 39 Million; Singapore Numbers Ease: Virus Update

View photos

(Bloomberg) --

Global coronavirus infections surpassed the 39-million mark. The U.S. reported the most daily infections in two months -- the total number of covid cases in the country went past 8 million -- as temperatures began to dip across the country.

Singapore had fewer than 100 active coronavirus cases on Friday, the first time it’s dropped below that level in seven months. The Australia-New Zealand travel bubble hit a snag.

The pandemic’s accelerating resurgence across Europe has forced fresh lockdowns. Londoners will be banned from mixing with other households indoors, while residents of Paris and eight other major French cities will be confined to their homes between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for four weeks.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases exceed 39 million; deaths top 1.1 millionCovid-19 cases spread across the U.S. as winter nearsVirus surge crimps Europe with London and Paris leading the wayMoody’s cut the U.K.’s rating by one notch to Aa3, its fourth-highest rankingBrexit promises to catch up with Boris Johnson in Covid hotspotsWho’s succeeding against the coronavirus and why: QuickTake

Jacinda Ardern has snatched a big lead in early election counting as she bids for a second term as New Zealand prime minister. Voters are rewarding Ardern for crushing community transmission of Covid-19 while countries like the U.K., U.S. and even neighboring Australia are still battling to contain the virus.

New Cases in Western Australia  

Western Australia state recorded two new cases of Covid-19, with crew members on separate ships testing positive.

A crew member from the Al Messilah livestock carrier, which is docked at Fremantle, was brought ashore for medical treatment, the state health department said in a statement. An infected person on board the Key Integrity bulk carrier, at Geraldton Port, remains on the ship in isolation.

The health department says it has previously managed four vessel outbreaks, with no risk to the community.

Belgium Cases Continue to Rise 

Belgium’s 14-day running Covid-19 incidence rate is still rising and jumped to 621 per 100,000 population. That compared with 550 the day before and 494 on Thursday. While 358 patients were in ICU, 31 more than a day earlier, hospitalizations were slightly lower at 250 from 284 the day before.

Prime Minister Alexander de Croo had announced new stricter measures to control the pandemic on Friday evening, introducing a curfew, restricting close contacts further and closing restaurants and cafes for four weeks.

Czech Republic has Record Numbers  

The Czech Republic posted a third consecutive record of new Covid-19 cases. The nation of 10.7 million people registered 11,105 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 92,736. The army should start to build a field hospital in Prague this weekend to add extra 500 beds for patients who need to be hospitalized.

Czech Republic is the worst hit country in Europe based on the two week cumulative number of new infections and deaths, adjusted for population, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

India Adds 62,000 Cases  

India added 62,212 new cases, taking the total infections in the country to 7.43 million, according to government data. A day earlier, India had reported more than 63,000 cases. Death toll stood at 112,998.

India has identified 300 million beneficiaries to receive the initial booster doze of a coronavirus vaccine, the Times of India newspaper reported on Saturday. According to the draft of the vaccine implementation plan, priority will be given to high-risk populations, including healthcare workers, police, sanitation workers, elderly people, and those with co-morbidities, the report said, citing sources it did not identify.

Thailand has 10 New Cases  

Thailand reported two local transmission cases and eight imported cases from state quarantine, bringing total to 3,679, according to the Covid-19 center. As many as 59 people have died from the pandemic in the country.

AirAsia X to Liquidate Indonesia Operations 

AirAsia X Bhd. is liquidating its Indonesian arm in a bid to survive the virus pandemic that has left the low-cost airline’s planes grounded since late March.

The long-haul arm of AirAsia Group Bhd. has also written down its 49% stake in Thai AirAsia X, the airline’s deputy chairman Lim Kian Onn said in an interview with the Star newspaper.

Myanmar Seafarers Return 

About 500 seafarers returned to Myanmar on Friday after they were stranded abroad due to suspended commercial flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, the state-controlled Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

Singapore Active Cases Drop  

Singapore’s active coronavirus cases fell to the lowest level in seven months as the government reigns in local transmissions. There were 89 active cases in the city-state, falling below 100 for the first time since March 12, the Ministry of Health said Friday.

Australia-New Zealand Travel Bubble 

The fledgling travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand hit an early snag after 17 passengers who flew into Sydney on Friday broke the rules and caught a connecting flight to Melbourne. In an effort to boost tourism, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is encouraging visitors from New Zealand, which has crushed community transmission of Covid-19, and says they can enter the country without having to undergo hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Mexico, Argentina Cases Increase  

Mexico reported 6,751 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 841,661, according to data released by the Health Ministry Friday night. Deaths rose by 419 to 85,704.

Argentina reported 16,546 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 965,609, according to the government’s evening report. There were 381 deaths reported in the past 24 hours for a total of 25,723.

U.K.’s Ratings Cut by Moody’s 

The U.K., beset by growing coronavirus concerns and struggling to bridge the gap with the European Union over a post-Brexit trade deal, has had its credit rating cut by Moody’s Investors Service. The pandemic has blown a hole in the public finances, with the government spending tens of billions to support jobs and prop up an economy which has already suffered its biggest-ever quarterly contraction.

The credit assessor cited softer economic growth, an erosion of fiscal strength and a weakening in institutions and governance as it lowered the nation’s grade by one notch to Aa3, its fourth highest ranking.

Texas Cases Surge Most in 7 Weeks 

Texas virus cases climbed by more than 5,600 in the past 24 hours, the biggest increase since Aug. 25, according to state health department data. The surge brought the cumulative total 815,678.

Meanwhile, statewide hospitalizations dropped for the first time in five days even as available intensive-care beds dwindled in the hot spots of El Paso, Lubbock and Amarillo, state figures showed.

Australia’s Hot Spot State Records Just One New Case 

Victoria, the state at the center of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak, has recorded just one new case overnight and no deaths, raising pressure on authorities to ease lockdown restrictions.

The 5 million residents of the state capital, Melbourne, remain under stay-at-home orders until the rolling 14-day average drops below 5 new cases and there are fewer than five cases with an unknown source. Critics, including the federal health minister, say the target is too onerous, and that the prolonged lockdown is risking people’s mental health and weighing on the national economy.

State Premier Daniel Andrews is due to address the media on Sunday and is being urged to ease restrictions.

Lab That Provided False Test Results Faces License Threat  

A company that performed Covid-19 tests for dozens of Massachusetts nursing homes is facing federal sanctions, including the possible loss of its license, for lab practices that resulted in “immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety.”

Last month, Bloomberg News reported that the company, Orig3n Inc., a consumer DNA-testing company that pivoted to Covid-19 testing amid the pandemic, was responsible for hundreds of false positive results at nursing homes across the state.

U.S. Cases Top 8 Million 

Total Covid-19 cases in the U.S. topped 8 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg. There were 63,330 cases reported on Thursday, the most in more than two months.

Cases nationwide have been rising since mid-September, after a summertime peak as the virus spread through the Sun Belt. The trailing seven-day average of cases rose by almost 9% this week compared to the previous week, illustrating the upward curve faced by the U.S. less than three weeks before the general election.

Cases are climbing as temperatures begin to dip across the U.S., students return to classrooms and more people stay indoors where the virus spreads easily.

Pandemic Drives Budget Deficit to Record 

The U.S. budget shortfall ballooned to more than $3.1 trillion in the government’s fiscal year ended in September, Treasury Department data showed Friday.

The deficit as a share of the economy surged to 16%, the largest since 1945, based on second-quarter gross domestic product. At the end of the financial crisis in 2009, the ratio was close to 10% before slowly narrowing through 2015.

CVS, Walgreens to Give Covid-19 Shots in Nursing Homes  

CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will give free Covid-19 vaccines to residents and employees of long-term care facilities, the Trump administration announced Friday.

Residents and employees of long-term care facilities are slated to be among the first vaccinated because the novel coronavirus is especially dangerous in these settings. No Covid-19 vaccines are currently available.

Belgium Plans Shutdown, Curfew  

Belgium will close restaurants and cafes from Monday for four weeks and introduce a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said in a press conference Friday evening. The country’s 14-day incidence rate rose to 550 cases per 100,000 from 494 Thursday, trailing only the Czech Republic as the hardest hit country in Europe.

French Senators Test Positive 

Eight French senators have tested positive for Covid-19, the French Senate’s press office said Friday. One of the senators has been hospitalized, France Info reported earlier, citing anonymous sources. The cases were detected in a testing campaign among 125 of the nation’s 348 senators.

The country reported 25,086 new coronavirus cases Friday, down from a record of more than 30,000 infections a day earlier.

WHO to Revise Guidance on Remdesivir in Coming Weeks  

The World Health Organization will revise its guidance on the use of remdesivir in coming weeks following the results of the Solidarity trial in which it was found not to reduce the risk of death, Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said at a briefing in Geneva. The review will take into account all studies on the drug.

The WHO will only give recommendations on vaccines once it has Phase 3 data about them, Swaminathan said when asked about Russian health authorities approving a second vaccine for public use.

Invest Wisely!

Bulls n Bears 

Telephone:     <tel:%2B263%204%202927658> +263 4 2927658

Cellphone:     <tel:%2B263%2077%20344%201674> +263 77 344 1674

Alt. Email:     <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> info at bulls.co.zw  

Website:       <http://www.bullszimbabwe.com> www.bullszimbabwe.com 

Blog:            <http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulls.co.zw%2Fblog&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFoIy6F9IXAiYnSoPSgWDYsr8Sqtw> www.bullszimbabwe.com/blog

Twitter:       @bullsbears2010

LinkedIn:     Bulls n Bears Zimbabwe

Facebook:     <http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBullsBearsZimbabwe&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGhb_A5rp4biV1dGHbgiAhUxQqBXA> www.facebook.com/BullsBearsZimbabwe

Skype:         Bulls.Bears 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listmail.bulls.co.zw/pipermail/bulls/attachments/20201017/fdde770b/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image019.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4846 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listmail.bulls.co.zw/pipermail/bulls/attachments/20201017/fdde770b/attachment-0004.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image021.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 48067 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listmail.bulls.co.zw/pipermail/bulls/attachments/20201017/fdde770b/attachment-0005.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 12231 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listmail.bulls.co.zw/pipermail/bulls/attachments/20201017/fdde770b/attachment-0006.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 97157 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listmail.bulls.co.zw/pipermail/bulls/attachments/20201017/fdde770b/attachment-0007.jpg>