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Italy has registered the lowest day-to-day tally of COVID-19 deaths on since March 1, a week before the country went into nationwide lockdown. There were eight additional deaths reported, raising the nationwide fatalities to 34,716. There were 175 new cases, bringing the overall count to 240,136.
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The US reported at least 2.5 million cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of more than 44,000 cases from its previous count, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. The death toll has already reached more than 125,000.
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Brazil recorded 38,693 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 1,109 additional deaths, the Health Ministry said. The nation has now registered 1,313,667 total confirmed cases of the virus and 57,070 deaths.
- More than 9.94 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, while more than five million have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 498,100 people have died as of 0100 GMT on Sunday.
Sunday, June 28
01:25 GMT – China reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, including 14 in Beijing
Mainland China on Sunday reported 17 new coronavirus cases, mostly in the Chinese capital of Beijing, according to Reuters news agency citing government figures.
The National Health Commission said 17 new infections were confirmed on Saturday, down from 21 a day earlier. In Beijing, 14 new confirmed cases were reported, down from 17 a day earlier.
Since June 11 when Beijing reported its first case in the current outbreak, 311 people in the city of more than 20 million have contracted the virus.
China has at least 83,500 confirmed cases. The country’s death toll stands at 4,634.
01:08 GMT – Mexico reports 4,410 new cases, 602 deaths
Mexico’s health ministry on Saturday reported 4,410 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 602 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 212,802 cases and 26,381 deaths, according to Reuters news agency.
The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
00:30 GMT – Serbian defence minister, speaker test positive of coronavirus
The Serbian government says Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Defense Ministry says in a statement issued on Saturday that Vulin has no symptoms of the virus and is feeling fine.
Vulin, known for his highly pro-Russian stance, was part of Serbia’s delegation led by President Aleksandar Vucic that attended a Victory Day parade this week in Moscow. Vucic met face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it was not clear whether Vulin did so as well.
Maja Gojkovic, the speaker of Serbia’s parliament, also tested positive, according to the state Tanjug news agency on Saturday.
Serbia has so far registered more than 13,500 cases and 265 deaths from COVID-19.
00:10 GMT – Brazil to jointly produce vaccine with Oxford, drug company
The Brazilian government has announced an agreement with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to produce a promising coronavirus vaccine that is undergoing tests.
Brazilian Health Ministry authorities said in a news conference on Saturday that the country will pay $127m and receive material to produce 30.4 million doses in two batches in December and January, which would allow it to quickly start inoculation efforts if the vaccine is certified to be safe and effective.
The total deal is for 100 million vaccines for a country of about 210 million residents. It will be produced by local vaccine maker Fiocruz.
British researchers started testing the experimental shot in May aiming to immunise more than 10,000 people, including older people and children. The vaccine is one of about a dozen in the early stages of human testing.
Brazil, where coronavirus infections are still on the rise, counts more than one million confirmed cases and more than 55,900 fatalities.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
