Coronavirus: A timeline of the outbreak related to the deadly Sars - October 2020

2019 - January February March April May June July August September November December January 2021

Britain has registered more than one million coronavirus cases during the global pandemic, with nearly 22,000 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, official figures show

The world crosses the 45 million infections mark. Europe now has more than 10 million cases.

As of 7 pm, 45,425,176 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 33,034,163 and 1,187,549 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.

The United States reported 91,530 new cases and 1,047 deaths in the last 24 hours.The White House coronavirus task force warned that much of the country is in the grips of an “unrelenting” surge in cases

Influential leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Archbishop Amfilohije, dies of Covid.

First U.S. vaccines could ship late Dec or early Jan, Fauci says

Japan tests virus measures at near-full baseball stadium

The European Union will finance the transfer of patients across borders within the bloc to prevent hospitals from getting overwhelmed as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations spike in the continent

Russia has temporarily paused the vaccination of new volunteers in its vaccine trial, staff at eight of 25 trial clinics said, with some citing high demand and a shortage of doses. However, the vaccine’s developer said the uptake of new participants had only slowed.

North Korea said the shooting death of a South Korean man in its waters last month was a self-defensive measure amid concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus, state media reports

Home remedies, known as ayurvedic medicine boom in India as cases soar past 8 million and the death toll exceeds 120,000. Adverts have sprung up for packaged herbs, such as turmeric milk and holy basil drops, promoted by well known yoga masters.

France, Germany re-enter lockdown as a second wave sweeps Europe.

As of 7 pm, 44,847,069 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 32,773,317 and 1,180,367 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.

As of 7 pm, 44,331,411 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 32,493,595 and 1,173,241 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.

Maskless, the Pope blames 'this lady called COVID' for forcing him to keep his distance again from the faithful during his general audience, which was far smaller than usual amid soaring coronavirus infections in Italy

Yes, it's OK to use cash again, experts say the likelihood of getting covid from cash is very low.

Admiral Brett Giroir of the White House coronavirus task force says the increase in U.S. cases isn’t just because of more testing, and Trump claims. He says there is also proof that more people are being admitted to hospital

Divided Belgium, host to the European Union, turns into Europe's worst virus hot spot

Loss of smell is an earlier COVID-19 symptom than fever; a sniff test for screening is in the works

Editors of the most influential Slovenian news outlets accuse the centre-right government of using the coronavirus crisis to attack independent and critical media.

California farmworkers fear a winter of hunger and homelessness after year of pandemic, fire and extreme heat

Flying is safer than grocery shopping or eating out, says Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Protesters clash with police in Rome as unrest grows in Europe over increasing restrictions to fight a surge of coronavirus infections.

As of 6 pm, 43,842,204 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 32,211,529 and 1,165,434 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.

Nuremberg cancels world-famous Christmas market due to pandemic

US First Lady Melania Trump hits the campaign trail for the first time on her own this year, praising him as a “fighter” and offering support to pandemic victims.

WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns against 'pandemic fatigue' as cases continue to soar

Vatican plans online Christmas celebrations

Russia tightens virus restrictions as cases spike

Poland records more than 16,000 coronavirus infections in a day

Trust in UK news organisations tumbles during outbreak says Reuters Institute

Renewed protests in Poland against effective abortion ban. The nation reports record daily increase in cases with 16,300 new cases.

Fifteen per cent of all Covid-19-related deaths worldwide "could be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution," according to a study German-led team of researchers published in the journal Cardiovascular Research

As of 2 pm, 43,346,888 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 31,905,975 and 1,159,097 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 8: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.

Melbourne lockdown lifted after zero new virus cases recorded

President Nicholas Maduro claims Venezuela has 100-per-cent effective virus treatment

China's leadership kicks off economic planning session

France announces record of more than 50,000 new cases in 24 hours

Several Fox News anchors are told to quarantine after a passenger on a private plane they were on tested positive for coronavirus.

Malaysia's king rejects PM's proposal to declare emergency

British pharmacy chain Boots is set to introduce a fast coronavirus test in the coming weeks that it says can process results in 12 minutes.

Spain orders nationwide curfew to stem worsening outbreak

US President Donald Trump posted a slew of tweets accusing the media of intentionally whipping up a frenzy over the rising coronavirus caseload, while he blamed the high numbers on increased testing.

The world crosses 43 million infections. The US alone reports 60,889 in 24 hours.

US Vice President Mike Pence campaigns despite an outbreak among his aides

Some 2,000 protest Germany's coronavirus regulations in Berlin

The US reports 79,453 new cases in 24 hours

France surpasses 1 million confirmed virus cases amid spike

Germany virus death toll passes 10,000 says health institute

Hundreds clash with Naples police over virus curfew

Poland's President Duda tests positive for coronavirus apologizes to contacts

US Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, says President Donald Trump has not attended a coronavirus task force meeting in “several months”and the meetings themselves have greatly “diminished”.

Blood of recovered COVID-19 patients shows little benefit as treatment according to results of a clinical trial in India published in the BMJ British Medical Journal

Pfizer has expanded its COVID-19 vaccine trial to include teens. Some say it's risky. Others argue it's necessary.

Sweden sticks to its guns as cases rise, determined not to lock down like other European nations. After two months of declining cases in July and August, Sweden has seen infections rise steadily since mid-September. Even though it has one of Europe's highest death tolls per capita, daily life in Stockholm continues as usual with a few limits going into place outside the city.

The “real number” of coronavirus cases in Spain is more than three million, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says in a televised address.

Germany recorded 11,287 new Covid-19 infections in 24 hours, a sharp jump from the previous day and a record for the country since the outbreak of the pandemic

Musicians improvise masks for wind instruments to keep the band together. Indiana University  music students were given adapted masks with holes for wind instruments along with covers for the ends of the instruments.

As of 8 pm, 41,578,927 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 30,960,411 and 1,137,758 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 8: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis.

About 10,000 supporters could be allowed at each leg of the Chinese Super League final next month, a top football official said, as spectators return to China’s stadiums despite the lingering coronavirus threat.

Health officials in Africa say the rollout of rapid diagnostic tests could be a “game changer” for their fight against the coronavirus but also warned Thursday that increased testing could drive up confirmed cases on a continent that has seen them decline or plateauing as case numbers soar in the West.

As of 8 pm, 41,137,251 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at  30,677,420 and 1,131,122 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 8: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis.

Greenland has no active coronavirus cases after recoveries

A volunteer participating in clinical trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine developed by Oxford University has died in Brazil, officialssay, though it was unclear whether he received the vaccine or a placebo. It is the first death reported in the various coronavirus vaccine trials taking place worldwide.

Spain becomes sixth country, and first EU nation with over 1 million coronavirus cases

Argentina hits 1 million cases as virus slams Latin America

Americans, young and old, have lost 2.5 million years of life, Harvard researcher Stephen Elledge says. He calculated life expectancy for more than 200,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19 and made two surprising findings: COVID-19 has cost Americans 2.5 million years of life -- about as much as from six months of cancer deaths. And roughly half that loss has come from people who died in middle age, not their waning years.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the planet has passed 40 million. As infections sweep across Europe and cases in US and India average more than 50,000 a day.

Poland to use national stadium as hospital as virus surges

Wales announces a two-week "time limited firebreak" lockdown

China's economy grew 4.9 per cent in the third quarter, data shows

A man who tested positive for coronavirus in New Zealand was likely infected through his work on a ship that had arrived from Australia, health officials say

Vaccine storage demands could leave 3Billion people in virus cold. From factory to syringe, the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates need nonstop sterile refrigeration to work.

As of 7 pm, 40,348,237 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 30,146,501 and 1,119,305 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 8: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis.

South Africa’s health minister, Zweli Mkhize, and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19, his office said.

A Polish gym dubs itself a church in a bid to stay open under new anti-virus restrictions that have seen the fitness industry scramble for creative loopholes. “Because fitness classes aren’t allowed, starting today we’re offering religious gatherings for members of the Church of the Healthy Body,” the Atlantic Sports club said on Facebook.

A day after winning a second term in a landside victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy. New Zealand has its first case of community spread in three weeks.

The virus remains active on human skin for nine hours, Japanese researchers have found, in a discovery they said showed the need for frequent hand washing to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The pathogen survives on human skin for about 1.8 hours by comparison, said the study published this month in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal

France confirms a record 32,427 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours on Saturday as the country reimposed a state of emergency because of the pandemic.

Ardern wins landslide in New Zealand election

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo opens movie theaters as coronavirus hot spots cool off but cancels a Brooklyn wedding with 10,000 guests. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens to stay at home whenever they can after 7,830 positive cases were reported in 24 hours. “Say no to the trip which isn’t really necessary, to a celebration that isn’t really necessary. Please stay at home as much as possible,” Merkel said in her weekly podcast address, adding that how the country manages to enjoy Christmas depends on how people behave now.

Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin says she  left the summit of heads of states and governments in Belgium on its final day “as a precautionary measure“ after learning that a Finnish lawmaker she recently attended a meeting with tested positive for the coronavirus

As of 6 pm, 39,241,220 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 29,415,417 and 1,104,026 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent Grenadines.

Gilead Sciences questions the findings of a World Health Organization (WHO) study which concluded that its COVID-19 drug remdesivir does not help patients who have been admitted to hospital. The American company says the data appeared inconsistent, the findings were premature and that other studies had validated the drug’s benefits. In a blow to one of the few drugs being used to treat people with COVID-19, the WHO said its “Solidarity” trial had concluded that remdesivir appeared to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or length of hospital stays among patients with the respiratory disease.

Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora says footballer Ronaldo might have infringed the rules by flying back to Italy from national team duty in Portugal after he tested positive for the virus earlier this week. The Juventus forward es currently quarantined at his home in Turin after travelling from Portugal in an air ambulance following a positive Covid-19 test while with his national team for Nations League matches. “I never broke the protocol,” Ronaldo says on Instagram, adding that he travelled after gaining authorisation to do so and had avoided contact with other people.

Vietnam’s 2020 Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled

China's Qingdao city says coronavirus cluster traced to two dock workers

Sixty dollar Sinovac Biotech double-dose experimental experimental vaccine rolled out in east Chinese city of Jiaxing

First ‘no-quarantine’ flights arrive in Australia from New Zealand as part of a new trans-Tasman travel bubble

Japan's Yokohama Stadium will hold three baseball games at around 80% capacity later this month as Japan looks to test its COVID-19 countermeasures at big events ahead of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics next year.

The world surpasses 39 million cases.

The US surpasses 8 million cases, rising by 1 million in less than a month

The World Health Organization’s European office says the soaring number of Covid-19 cases in Europe has caused “great concern”, but said the situation was still better than the peaks in April.

Almost 10 million people in the Chinese city of Qingdao have now been screened for the virus with only 13 cases being revealed. Qingdao’s thoracic hospital president, Deng Kai, and the director of the health commission, Sui Zhenhua, have been fired.

First West Nile virus infection found in Netherlands say Dutch health authorities

Hawaii reopens for tourism amid more masks, fewer leis

India cinemas reopen

Germany sees 6,638 daily virus cases, highest since start of pandemic

Ongoing illness after infection, sometimes called “long COVID”, may not be one syndrome but possibly up to four causing a rollercoaster of symptoms affecting all parts of the body and mind. Britain’s National Institute for Health Research say a common theme among ongoing COVID-19 patients - some of whom are seven months or more into their illness - is that symptoms appear in one physiological area, such as the heart or lungs, only to abate and then arise again in a different area.

Facebook Inc shut down the page of fringe New Zealand political party Advance NZ Party

As of 8 pm, 38,794,699 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 29,152,292 and 1,097,632 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent Grenadines.

Hong Kong, Singapore agree to 'travel bubble' in principle, which would allow residents to travel freely between the two cities as long as they test negative to the virus

As of 8 pm, 38,433,470 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 28,888,220 and 1,092,083 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent Grenadines.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo refutes accusations that he forced elderly homes to take in former covid patients. The idea has been used to explain the high mortality rate in the state's homes.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he wants the entire country vaccinated.

Russia approves 2nd virus vaccine after early trials

US approves Regeneron's antibody treatment for Ebola. The drug was developed using the same technology platform that the company used to produce its experimental therapy for US President Donald Trump. 

US First Lady Melania Trump reveals her son Barron had the virus but had no symptoms.

Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche says it will produce a new antigen test for Covid-19, allowing high-volume and rapid testing for the deadly disease, by the end of the year.

The world passes 38 million infections.

Peru’s best-known tourist site Machu Picchu opens after months of coronavirus closure, but for just a single visitor -- a Japanese man stranded in the country by the pandemic. “The first person on Earth who went to Machu Picchu since the lockdown is meeeeeee,” Jesse Katayama, 26, posted on his Instagram account alongside pictures of himself at the deserted site. Machu Picchu, is the most enduring legacy of the Inca empire that ruled a large swathe of western South America for 100 years before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. was originally scheduled to reopen to visitors in July, but that has now been pushed back to November.

Russia reports new all-time records of daily coronavirus cases, 13,868, for a total of 1,326,178 infections,  and a record increase in deaths of 244 for a total of 22,966.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's book American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic hits the stores. New York also has the most COVID deaths in the nation with more than 25,500 confirmed since March, including at least 6,500 in nursing homes.

Authorities in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao report they have tested 3 million people in the city of 9 million following the country’s first reported local outbreak of the virus in nearly two months. No new cases were found.

As of 5 pm, 38,080,325 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands  at 28,625,988 and 1,086,011 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 9: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City

Virus that causes Covid-19 can survive on surfaces for 28 days, says Australian study published by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, today 

In a new headache for OPEC, Libya gets ready to pump more oil as it reopens the western deposit of Sharara, its biggest oil field

As of 6 pm, 37,792,719 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 28,375,696 and 1,081,909 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 10: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City

Hong Kong scientists say anti-microbe drug ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC) is successful against coronavirus. The drug is used to treat stomach ulcers and bacterial infections. “RBC is able to lower the viral load in the lung of the infected hamster by tenfold,” Hong Kong University researcher Wang Run-ming says.

Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci says an ad aired by Donald Trump’s reelection campaign was edited to make him seem to endorse the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

China aims to test more than nine million residents of the port city of Qingdao within five days following a minor coronavirus outbreak, health officials say.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva publicly calls on the World Bank to accelerate its lending to hard-hit African countries. The pandemic, a collapse in commodity prices and a plague of locusts have hit Africa particularly hard, putting 43 million more people at risk of extreme poverty, according to World Bank estimates.

Johnson & Johnson says it had temporarily paused its vaccine candidate clinical trials due to an unexplained illness in a study participant, delaying one of the highest-profile efforts to contain the pandemic

The first confirmed case of an American who got COVID-19 twice adds to scant but mounting evidence that people can be reinfected - and get sicker than during the initial bout.The 25-year-old Nevada man, who had no known immune problems, got a mild case of COVID-19 in April. About a month later, he was diagnosed again and needed hospitalisation and oxygen, according to the report in Lancet Infectious Diseases.

India cases cross 7 million as experts warn of complacency

Cambodian farmers deploy scarecrows to ward off virus

US President Donald Trump says in a Fox News interview he no longer has COVID-19 and is not a transmission risk for the virus, as he prepares to hit the campaign trail on Monday with a return to big rallies. Trump said tests showed he would be able to return to campaigning with no risk to others. His doctor said on Saturday the president was not a transmission risk but did not address whether he tested negative for the virus. “I passed the highest test, the highest standards, and I’m in great shape,” Trump said on Fox News Channel. “It seems like I’m immune. I can go way out of the basement.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched tens of thousands of dancers, gymnasts and other performers in a large-scale celebration on Sunday of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party. The party’s newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, publish a photograph of Kim, flanked by top aides at a long banqueting table, waving to the audience.

Cuba announces a series of new openings on the way to a coronavirus “new normal,” including reopening some airports to international tourist flights.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned that his country would “fully mobilise” its nuclear force if threatened as he took center stage at a military parade that unveiled what appeared to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile and other weapons. The parade hosts thousands of closely ranked, unmasked military personnel.

Spain offers stressed-out medics donkey therapy. Although such therapy is more associated with horses, experts say donkeys are better suited to helping mental or emotional disorders given their gentle nature and intuitive respect for personal space.

Brazil's virus death toll passes 150,000 people: official

Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19

Hundreds of people gather on the South Lawn for a Trump address on his support for law enforcement from a White House balcony.

As of 6 pm, 36,797,540 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 27,694,342 and 1,067,530 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases remains at 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

World crosses 37 million infections mark

Mosques reopen in and around the Libyan capital  Tripoli, almost seven months after they were ordered to close as part of strict curbs to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Swiss want to avoid having people stay home again as virus cases mount

Morocco king calls for 'general mobilisation' against virus

China joins WHO-backed vaccine programme COVAX rejected by Trump

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany says that President Donald Trump, who was hospitalised last weekend with COVID-19, is ready to go and seeing if a campaign rally is possible for this weekend.

Nepal warns of healthcare crisis as coronavirus infections cross 100,000

Brazil strains at quarantine as virus cases pass 5 million

Austria hits new virus high of 1,209 positive cases daily, as tourism concerns mount

Tensions rise as virus cases surge in Wisconsin, Dakotas. The three states now lead all others in new cases per capita, after months in which many residents and politicians shunned mask requirements while downplaying the risks of the disease. In South Dakota, a small hospital with limited capacity to serve the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe transferred two virus patients out of state after administrators at 14 other facilities said they also were moving patients out. That contradicted assurances by Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, whose plan for combating the virus has focused on increasing treatment capacity rather than preventing the infection. She has insisted that the spread of the disease was inevitable, but criticism of her decision-making is getting louder.

Scientists in Chile are investigating a possible mutation of the novel coronavirus in southern Patagonia, a far-flung region near the tip of the South American continent that has seen an unusually contagious second wave of infections in recent weeks.

As of 6 pm, 36,406,675 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 27,421,071 and 1,060,746 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases remains at 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he is ready to resume campaign rallies and feels “perfect” one week after his diagnosis with the coronavirus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as his doctor said the president had ”completed his course of therapy“ for the disease.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is questioning President Donald Trump’s fitness to serve, announcing legislation Thursday that would create a commission to allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and remove the president from executive duties.

Hair loss. Memory problems. Strange rashes. COVID-19 patients report a litany of symptoms outside official criteria, some persisting for months, according to an article in Chicago Tribune

The world passes 36 million infections.

Former New York mayor, and ardent Trump fan, Rudy Giuliani tells New York Daily News he is taking hydroxychloroquine to fend off COVID-19 despite safety concerns

Nearly one-third of hospitalized patients develop encephalopathy - a degeneration of brain function - a to research published in The Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology

As of 8 pm, 35,777,844 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 26,907,997 and 1,049,700 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

The United Arab Emirates, with a population of around 9.9 million people, surpassed 100,000 recorded cases

US President Donald Trump faces a backlash for removing his mask when he returned to the White House and urging Americans not to fear COVID-19. In a made-for-television spectacle, Trump descended from his Marine One helicopter wearing a white surgical mask only to remove it as he posed, saluting and waving, on the mansion’s South Portico. “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it,” Trump said in a video after his return from the Walter Reed Medical Center military hospital.

China is in talks to have its locally-produced COVID-19 vaccines assessed by the World Health Organization, as a step toward making them available for international use, a WHO official says. Hundreds of thousands of essential workers and other groups considered at high risk in China have been given locally-developed vaccines even as clinical trials had not been fully completed, raising safety concerns among experts.

Self-isolating Commission head Ursula von der Leyen snubs EU advice on COVID-19 quarantine length, serving only a week in quarantine after coming in to contact with someone who had been infected.

US President Donald Trump tweets misleading information about the virus. “Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”  The flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 Americans annually since 2010

In India, Delhi's oldest graveyard clears space to bury coronavirus dead. Since its first virus burial in April, the Islamic graveyard of Jadid Qabristan has seen more than 700 funerals on a patch of adjoining waste ground designated for pandemic victims.

The United Nations Human Rights office in South Korea calls for an impartial investigation into the killing of a fisheries official by North Korean troops at sea last month, as the man’s family urged the U.N. to conduct its own probe.

As of 6 pm, 35,430,350 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 26,643,173 and 1,042,253 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

US President Donald Trump leaves hospital to return to the White House. In a video posted later, he says vaccines are coming 'momentarily.' Scientists say they're not. He also says he feels “better than 20 years ago” after praising the medicines and equipment involved in his treatment. Earlier in the day, he said people shouldn’t be afraid of COVID-19, and said, “Maybe I’m immune, I don’t know,”

The world's second larges cinema chain Cineworld brings down curtain on U.S., UK theatres; 45,000 jobs hit

UK PM Johnson says soaring COVID-19 cases in line with forecasts

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says COVID-19 can spread through virus lingering in the air, sometimes for hours, acknowledging concerns widely voiced by public health experts about airborne transmission. The CDC guidance comes weeks after the agency published – and then took down – a similar warning, sparking debate over how the virus spreads.

Argentina has the world’s highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests, according to Oxford-linked tracker Our World In Data, with nearly six out of 10 yielding an infection, a reflection of low testing levels and loose enforcement of lockdown rules.

China and 25 other nations call on Western sanctions to be lifted to allow the world to better tackle the virus. Speaking on behalf of the 26 countries at a meeting of the UN  General Assembly’s human rights committee, China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said “unilateral coercive measures” violate the UN Charter, multilateralism, and impede human rights by hindering “the well-being of the population in the affected countries” and undermining the right to health.

Japanese fashion design icon Kenzo Takaka dies of the virus. He is 81. Kenzo’s romantic style, with its eclectic mix of colour, touches of exoticism, ethnic prints and folksy embroidery, suited the mood of the 1970s but adapted well to the sharper-looking 1980s and 1990s.

Fashion icon Kenzo Takada, as seen in 2019, died of Covid-19

Trump racks up outrage by taking a spin in a hermetically sealed SUV to wave at the crowd outside Walter Reed Medical Center.

Trump’s medical team, says he has “continued to improve” and could be returned to the White House, which has all the necessary equipment and expertise to continue his treatment, as early as Monday.

Britain reports a record 12,872 daily case increase.

Pope Francis travelled to the tomb of his nature-loving namesake and signed an encyclical Saturday laying out his vision of a post-COVID world built on solidarity, fraternity and care for the environment.

Trump tweets shortly before 1 am that he and the first lady have tested positive for the virus and “will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately.”  Dr Sean Conley, physician to the president, releases a statement that the president and first lady “are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.” White House officials say Trump and his wife are experiencing mild symptoms, and that senior advisers who were in close contact with the president and Hicks have tested negative. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says that he anticipates more White House staff will test positive. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien says campaign events involving the president and his family are being moved to virtual events or temporarily postponed. Vice President Mike Pence plans on resuming his scheduled campaign events. White House staff say Trump is experiencing “fatigue.“ Trump flies by Marine One to Walter Reed Medical Center, a military hospital, on the advice of his physicians. White House officials say Trump will remain there for a “few days.”

Britain's Northumbria University suffers mass COVID-19 outbreak with at least 770 students testing positive.

About 300 people in Mexico attend the nuptials of a soap opera actor and the daughter of a businessman, Alonso Oscar Pérez Rico. The health secretary of Baja California reports on 19 October that 100 infections have been linked to the event. Pérez Rico says authorities are investigating whether anyone attended the wedding knowing they had COVID-19 or were infected by the virus.

French govt warns Paris may go on maximum virus alert from Monday

As of noon, 34,478,930 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 25,666,624 and 1,027,638 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

Italy's daily virus caseload surges to five-month high at over 2,500

Trump shows mild symptoms of Covid and is given oxygen at the White House, he is also given a single does of a drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and a second dose of remdesivir 

World infections cross the 34 million mark.

US Presidential Aide Hope Hicks tests positive for the coronavirus.Trump flies to his Bedminster resort in New Jersey for a private fundraiser. Several aides who were in proximity to Hicks scrap plans to accompany Trump. White House officials say they learned of Hicks’ positive test soon after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey. Trump announces in an evening interview on Fox News that he and the first lady are being tested for the coronavirus. He later tweets that they will “begin our quarantine process!”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo rolls out 'COVID Alert' app that notifies users if they've been within 6 feet of infected person

US President Donald Trump has been the world’s biggest driver of Covid-19 misinformation during the pandemic, a study from Cornell University says

Germany lifts blanket world travel warning

An international team of researchers found that in some people with severe COVID-19, the body goes rogue and attacks one of its own key immune defenses instead of fighting the coronavirus. Most were men, helping to explain why the virus is hitting men harder than women. And separate research suggests that children fare better than adults thanks to robust “first responder” immune cells that wane with age.

South Africa open its borders to all African countries, while barring tourists from around 50 nations with high coronavirus infection rates, including Britain, the US, India, Russia and France. The first regional and international flights land, as its borders reopen after a more than six-month shutdown.

European football’s governing body UEFA says it will allow spectators back into matches in the Champions League and its other club and international competitions “at a maximum of 30 percent” of capacity.

US Presidential Advisor Hope Hicks tested positive for Covid-19.

Top Trump aide Hope Hicks tests positive for coronavirus

World Bank wants $12 bn for virus vaccine in poor nations

Cases rising among US children as schools reopen, with children making up 10 per cent of all US cases

Trump travels to Minnesota for a fundraiser at a private home in suburban Minneapolis and an outdoor rally in Duluth. His aide, Hope Hicks is among the White House aides who accompany Trump on the trip. She feels unwell on the return trip and isolates herself aboard Air Force One.

N.Korea says 'faults' found in anti-epidemic work amid controversy over slain S.Korean

British health experts admit the virus is out of control as case numbers and hospital admissions rise despite a slew of new restrictions on social gatherings.

Cruise ship in Greece given coronavirus all-clear after a “false alarm” where crew members thought to have contracted the virus tested negative. The Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, operated by Anglo-German travel giant TUI, is carrying 922 passengers and 666 crew -- the first cruise ship to sail in Greece after a lockdown imposed in March. It moored in Piraeus early Tuesday.

Singapore to allow Australian and Vietnamese visitors from next month

Indian study says more than 60 million may have caught virus

Britain hits 7,000 daily coronavirus infections amid lockdown debate

As of 6 pm, 33,879,038 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 25,175,272 and 1,013,241 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China

Moscow extends school holiday

Botswana extends emergency measures

The University of North Carolina system reports its first coronavirus-related student death since several campuses reopened with at least partial in-person learning last month.

US biotech firm Regeneron says its antibody cocktail against the coronavirus reduced viral load and recovery time in non-hospitalised patients during an early-stage clinical trial.

Trump travels to Cleveland for a 90-minute presidential debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden. The two men are both tested ahead of the debate and stand behind lecterns positioned a good distance from one another. They do not wear masks during the faceoff, but also do not shake hands under pre-arranged rules. White House aide Hope Hicks is part of a large entourage that travels to Ohio with Trump aboard Air Force One for the debate, including members of the Trump family. Trump’s adult children and senior staff do not wear masks during the debate, violating host rules.

A cruise ship with reported infections docks at Greek port Piraeus. Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6 operated by German travel giant TUI, is carrying 922 passengers and 666 crew. Twelve crew members have tested positive, so far.

Antigen tests: blunt but fast Covid weapon, says experts

Antigen test

As of 6 pm, 33,581,042 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 24,899,699 and 1,006,985 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

Chinese Super League teams exit 70-day virus 'bubble'

European airports deploy rapid virus tests, sniffer dogs to unlock travel

Forbes reports that weeks after the motorbike rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, there has been an steady increase in Covid cases, with new records being set almost daily. Still, according to Governor Kristi Noem, only 8 per cent of the state's hospital beds occupied by Covid patients.

UK students expected to be able to go home for Christmas - junior skills minister Gillian Keegan told BBC Radio

Puzzled scientists seek reasons behind Africa's low fatality rates from pandemic. The new virus was already wreaking havoc in wealthy Asian and European nations, and a United Nations agency said in April that, even with social-distancing measures, the virus could kill 300,000 Africans this year. In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that 190,000 people on the continent could die if containment measures failed. Yet as the world marks 1 million COVID-19 deaths, Africa is doing much better than expected, with a lower percentage of deaths than other continents.  Zimbabwe begins gradual reopening of schools, Kenya reopens bars, eases virus measures as cases fall, South Africans say things are almost back to normal.

Mexico ups its “estimated” COVID-19 deaths to 89,612, and boosts estimates of its total number of cases to 870,699, almost 137,000 more than it previously recognised

Dutch advise masks in shops as virus surges.

Trump surveys a truck produced by Lordstown Motors on the White House South Lawn at an event attended by two members of Congress and three representatives from the Lordstown, Ohio, manufacturer. Trump holds a Rose Garden event to announce an administration effort to distribute millions of coronavirus test kits to states. The event is attended by administration officials including Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and state officials.

Saudi Arabia announces G-20 gathering of world leaders will be virtual. The meeting is slated for Nov. 21-22

India’s confirmed cases tally reaches 6 million

Chile lifts restrictions and its capital, Santiago is flooded with millions of people.

The US deploys tens of millions of new, rapid tests that don’t require laboratory equipment to analyse. The Abbott test has been lauded as a breakthrough by public health officials. A single-use device about the size of a credit card, the test provides results within just 15 minutes without using any laboratory equipment, so it can be administered almost anywhere. It still requires nose-swabbing.

As of 6 pm, 33,342,491 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 24,655,268 and 1,002,974 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

The world crosses the 1 million deaths mark

A 61-year-old father-of-two from Afghanistan becomes the first death in a Greek migrant camp.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera launches plan for US$2 billion in subsidies aimed at creating new jobs or recovering those lost during months of lockdown 

Hundreds protest in Madrid against partial lockdown

Israelis mark Yom Kippur under 'painful' virus lockdown

US President Trump visits his golf course in Sterling Va, and holds a late afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room. The president and his wife hold an early evening reception for Gold Star Families on the White House State floor.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledges at the UN to help the world produce and deliver potential coronavirus vaccines

WHO warns 2 million virus deaths possible

Australia urges vaccine-sharing

Trump announces the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Multiple people who attended the Rose Garden ceremony,  including Trump, later test positive for the virus.

Trump holds a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., attended by thousands of supporters, many not wearing masks.

'Enough is enough': China attacks US at Security Council. “The US has nearly seven million confirmed cases and over 200,000 deaths by now. With the most advanced medical technologies and system in the world, why has the US turned out to have the most confirmed cases and fatalities?” Zhang Jun asks

Young adults now the largest group of Americans getting COVID-19, CDC says

As of 6 pm, 31,825,033 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 23,428,124 and 976,157 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City

North Korean soldiers shot dead a suspected South Korean defector at sea and burned his body as a coronavirus precaution after he was interrogated in the water over several hours, Seoul military officials said. “We assess it was carried out under the North’s anti-coronavirus measur.”

The coronavirus pandemic appears to be accelerating worldwide, with new cases soaring last week to a new seven-day high of almost two million, even as new deaths decreased, WHO statistics show.

As of 6 pm, 31,505,212 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 23,132,398 and 969,771 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City.

As of 6 pm, 31,259,780 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 22,843,618 and 965,328 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City.

Nigerian health workers suspend strike over hazard pay

Indonesian gravediggers are under strain as burials surge in Jakarta

Schools in Seoul and nearby areas resumed in-person classes for the first time in almost a month after daily cases dropped to the lowest levels since mid-August.

Australia’s coronavirus hotspot of Victoria reports its lowest daily rise in infections in three months, although state Premier Daniel Andrews said there were no plans yet to ease restrictions sooner than expected.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lifts all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle.

India’s famed Taj Mahal and some schools reopen as authorities pressed ahead with kickstarting the nation’s coronavirus-battered economy despite soaring infection numbers.

Britain is at "tipping point" according to health minister Matt Hancock

'Virtual' Emmys open with cardboard cutouts, remote video calls

Thousands march in Berlin in support of refugees in Greece

Italy defies virus for vote as far-right plots seismic change

Sweden spared surge of virus cases but many questions remain

Street life slowly returns to Mexico, even as the toll climbs

Romanian families protest mandatory use of masks in school

Street life slowly returns to Mexico, even as the coronavirus toll climbs

World passes the 31 million mark of infections

Qantas' seven-hour non-stop flight around Australia launched for travellers missing the experience of flying sold out in 10 minutes, the airline says - the fastest sale on record.

Satellite images show North Korea preparing for military parade.

South Africa should know its true pandemic toll within a few weeks, Salim Abdool Karim, the government’s chief medical adviser, says, warning that it would likely double.

As of 6 pm, 30,375,397 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 22,060,016 and 950,988 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City.

Over the last 24 hours, India records 96,793 new cases and 1,174 deaths.

US CDC backtracks on controversial virus testing guideline change, saying that people who have been in close contact with someone found to have the virus, should get tested.

As of 3 pm, 30,042,478 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,808,419 and 945,164 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 9: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

Jordan warns it will jail people who organise large events.

The world crosses the 30 million infections mark, the US crosses the 200,000 deaths mark. India reports 97,859 cases in the last 24 hours to surge past the 5 million mark.

US presidential contender Joe Biden rails against Trump's "almost criminal" virus response, claiming the president was only worried about the stock market, and not people's best interests.

Quantas, Australia's flagship airlines launches 7-hour Australia scenic flight to nowhere for people who miss travelling during the pandemic.

As India's virus cases rise, so do questions over its relatively low death toll.

Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech plans to start a clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine with children and adolescents later this month, widening its test on a shot that’s already in the final stage of study with adults.

Wuhan next-of-kin accuse China of blocking Covid lawsuits. They  have wanted to sue the government, but claim they have had their lawsuits abruptly rejected, dozens of others face pressure from authorities not to file, and lawyers are being warned against helping them, according to people involved in the effort. The families accuse the Wuhan and Hubei provincial governments of concealing the outbreak when it first emerged there late last year, failing to alert the public, and bungling the response, allowing Covid-19 to explode out of control.

Rich nations representing a fraction of the global population have already bought up over half the promised Covid-19 vaccine stocks, a study showed, as US President Donald Trump pledged to begin inoculating Americans within weeks.

Olivia Troye, a former advisor to US Vice President Mike Pence, releases a video claiming President Trump said “Maybe this Covid thing is a good thing. I don’t like shaking hands with people. I don’t have to shake hands with these disgusting people.”

As of 6 pm, 29,762,686 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,563,829 and 939,935 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 9: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

Trump administration unveils its vaccine distribution plan. The 11-page overview and 57-page playbook developed by the departments of Health and Human Services and Defense are intended to assist state, tribal, territorial and other local public health programs. HHS broke down the process into first communicating with local officials to promote the vaccine, distributing it, ensuring the reliability of the supply chain, and monitoring the vaccine's administration.

Vietnam resumes flights to six Asian territories: Laos, Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

Russia will sell 100 million doses of its vaccine to India

Masks may do more than a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, CDC director Robert Redfield says.

Cemeteries in the Philippine capital Manila will be closed on All Saints’ Day for the first time, preventing millions in the Catholic-majority country from visiting their dead loved ones as the virus rages. Filipinos usually pour into graveyards on November 1, blending expressions of faith and grief with a party-like atmosphere and impromptu family reunions.

Camel racing storms back in Sinai after virus hiatus

Michael Caputo, assistant secretary for public affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says, without evidence, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine President Donald Trump. The top communications official at the U.S. cabinet department in charge of combating the virus told his followers in a Facebook Live session that government scientists were engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic, the New York Times reports

China locks down the city of Ruili in western Yunnan province on Myanmar's border 

As of 6 pm, 29,466,633 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,292,330 and 933,150 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 8: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

The numbers of cases attributed to the motorbike rally in Sturgis may not hold up. The study, published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, suggested that 250,000 cases had arisen from the event. Other scientific heavyweights have urged caution, suggesting the numbers were delivered too quickly, when riders had barely had time to return home and spread the infection. Others said the number was the absolute worst case scenario. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, said no such spikes had been noted.

Germany finds more cases of African swine fever among wild boars

WHO delivers Europe death warning as infections hit new high.“It’s going to get tougher. In October, November, we are going to see more mortality,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview. “COVID-19 has brought to light the weaknesses and strengths of European society. It has bluntly revealed the reality of our health systems.”

Nearly 40 countries across five continents have received Cuban medics during the pandemic, as the island nation - home to just over 11 million inhabitants - has once more punched far above its weight in medical diplomacy. Togo’s government has praised the brigades as an example of south-south cooperation, calling it a “turning point” in their relations. Even wealthy, western nations like Andorra and Italy have welcomed Cuban medics to help fight the pandemic, as have countries that are not politically aligned with Cuba, such as Peru. Some of the countries are paying for the medics.

Women grieve stillborn babies as virus hits maternity care in rural India

India records 93,215 cases in the past 24 hours

Austria experiencing second virus wave says chancellor

Cuban government moves to silence independent journalists

Preparing for the worst, US health agencies mount unprecedented flu shot drives

Marseille soccer fans pour on to the city's streets after victory over PSG

The world passes 29 million infections.

Antarctica is still free of COVID-19. Can it stay that way?

Ivanka Trump accepted a flippant challenge by “The View” host Joy Behar to take the first COVID-19 vaccine that legally hits the market.

The United States is supported only by Israel in a vote against a United Nations resolution for a “comprehensive and coordinated response” to the pandemic, a text that includes recognition of the World Health Organization’s leadership role.

Angola doctors march against virus-linked police violence

Latin America and Caribbean pass eight million virus infections.

Results of India’s first nationwide study of prevailing coronavirus infections found that for every confirmed case detected in May, authorities were missing between 82 and 130 others.

South Africans are stunned to learn at the amount of graft and plain theft that has taken place from funds earmarked for fighting the virus, leading to a new word "covidpreneur".

Ethiopians welcome the beginning of a new year: 2013. Following a calendar seven years behind the Gregorian one used by much of the world, Ethiopians marked the beginning of 2013. “The 2012 Ethiopian calendar is a year where we went through a lot. There was a big punishment as a result of (God’s) wrath,” said Emkulu Yiheyis, an Ethiopian Orthodox priest. “But it was not as big as we thought it would be, because of God’s will it was easier, and we are here now. “We were largely protected from going through the horror we saw elsewhere.”

Thousands of supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr gathered at a mosque in east Baghdad for the first weekly prayers since the onset of the pandemic.

One of Pope Francis’ top collaborators and a future papal contender, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican says

Thousands protest after Greek refugee camp burns down on Lesbos.

Sturgis Motorcyle Rally linked to more than 265,000 cases of Covid-19. A new study that analysed cell phone pings for rally attendees and the Covid-19 case numbers in the communities they returned to estimates that more than 265,000 infections confirmed between August 2 and September 2 trace back to the massive gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts in South Dakota. DPA

Jordan brings back mandatory military service as unemployment rises.

Outbreak hits 19 at sumo stable in Japan. One wrestler and 18 trainees at the Tamanoi stable have tested positive for the virus, with 12 of those infected sent to hospital.Sep 8.

The world crosses the 28 million mark of confirmed cases and the number of recoveries crosses the 20 million mark..

As of 6 pm, 28,050,208 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 20,117,592 and 908,434 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 8: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

China National Biotec Group says none of the recipients of its two coronavirus shots has reported an obvious adverse reaction or infection, as the Chinese vaccine front-runner presses ahead with testing after AstraZeneca Plc suspended its trial. Hundreds of thousands of people have received the Covid-19 shots so far, the vaccine developer, a subsidiary of state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm said on its official WeChat account. The vaccine is being administered under an emergency-use program that allows experimental shots to be used for frontline workers before they complete final testing.

Trump revels in packed Michigan crowd amid Bob Woodward's book fallout

Revelations from a book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward emerge just as US President Donald Trump’s campaign was beginning to feel that the virus was receding. Among many shocking details were the dire warnings from top Trump national security officials to the president in late January that the virus that causes COVID-19 could be as bad as the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918. On Feb. 25, just weeks before much of the country was forced to shut down because of the pandemic, Trump declared the virus “very well under control in our country.”

AstraZeneca pauses vaccine trial after unexplained Illness

Fires at a refugee camp for two consecutive nights leave thousands of people homeless on the Greek islands of Lesbos

As of 6 pm, 27,510,544 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 19,605,017 and 897,231 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.

Morocco lockd down Cassablanca.

India announces it will open the Taj Mahal on September 21, even as cases rage and it becomes second on the list of most cases found.

As of 6 pm, 27,301,144 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 19,373,230 and 893,136 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong’s plan to test every resident is being hobbled by limited take-up as a wary public steer clear of the China-backed health scheme.The free voluntary tests are part of an attempt to stamp out a third wave of infections that began in late June and saw the densely populated city reimpose economically painful social distancing measures. But the involvement of mainland Chinese testing firms has deterred many in a politically divided city convulsing with resentment towards Beijing’s rule.

The Tokyo Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the virus situation says John Coates, the International Olympic Committee’s Vice President.

India reports global daily record of 90,632 new cases, India passes Brazil for world's second most virus cases.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited typhoon-stricken areas in the northeast, fired a top official there and promised to send 12,000 workers from Pyongyang for recovery efforts, state media report.

The world crosses the 27 million infections mark.

Lockdown rules forced Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini to host a scaled down version of the annual reed dance celebration.The king invited only 30 maidens to his eNyokeni Royal Palace for the annual highlight which usually attracts thousands of virgins.

Governor Andrew Cuomo hails 29th straight day of under 1% positivity rate for NY.

About 90% of Sinovac Biotech employees and their families have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese firm under the country’s emergency use programme, its chief executive says. The extent of inoculations under the emergency programme, which China launched in July but has released few details about, points to how actively it is using experimental vaccines in the hopes of protecting essential workers against a potential COVID-19 resurgence, even as trials are still underway.

As of 6 pm, 26,489,708 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,677,060 and 873,554 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.

India's cases cross the 4 million mark.

Nigerian doctors go on strike over pay.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that there is a risk of famine and widespread food insecurity in four countries affected by conflict — Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan — and the lives of millions of people are in danger.

As of 6 pm, 25,930,194 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,213,429 and 861,746 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

New Zealand records first Covid-19 death in more than  three months.

Mice have become a vital source of protein in Malawi since the outbreak aggravated food shortages and economic hardship.

India reports daily jump of 83,341 infections. Thailand reports its first local case in 100 days

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg holds a children only press conference, where only kids are allowed to ask questions. 

The independent panel appointed by the World Health Organisation to review its coordination of the response to the  pandemic begins its probe. It will have full access to any internal UN agency documents, materials and emails necessary. The panel’s co-chairs are former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who announce the 11 other members during a media briefing. They include Canadian pediatrician Dr Joanne Liu, who was an outspoken WHO critic while leading Medecins Sans Frontieres during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa; Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese doctor who was the first to publicly confirm human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus; Mark Dybul, who led the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and David Miliband, a former British foreign secretary who is CEO of the International Rescue Committee.

In June, the Associated Press found that China delayed releasing critical information to WHO, including the virus’ genetic sequence, for weeks in January. Internal recordings of WHO meetings revealed officials were frustrated at the lack of data-sharing while Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly praised China for its speed and transparency.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi says it will start human trials of the potential vaccine it is developing with British peer GSK, following promising preliminary tests.

As of 6 pm, 26,209,390 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,468,775 and 868,034 people have died. Only 15 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.

Arrest of Australian anti-lockdown activist Zoe Buhler sparks outcry as footage of the incident went viral and triggered a civil liberties debate. A livestreamed video of Buhler's arrest shows officers handcuffing the pregnant woman in front of her two children and has racked up millions of views online.The footage has prompted a civil liberties debate in Australia, with critics from across the political spectrum voicing concerns about the balance between rights and obligations.

The world has passed the 26 million infections  mark. Brazil surpasses 4 million cases.

Britain announces it is investing in a test that gives results in as little as 20 minutes, touting it as the latest milestone in efforts to take the UK to the front of the global pack in testing.

Filming in Britain for the latest Batman movie has been halted after its star Robert Pattinson reportedly tested positive, just days after shooting had resumed.

Trump and top aides ditch masks after saying patriots wear them. He twice attended large Republican National Convention events last week without wearing a mask. Almost no one else wore one, either. He has since traveled to New Hampshire, Louisiana, Texas, Wisconsin and, on Wednesday, North Carolina, in each case meeting with local officials and residents without wearing a mask. His top aides also generally don’t wear face coverings.

Hungary infections hit daily record as school year starts

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is getting heat over a solo hair salon visit in San Francisco at a time when California businesses are limited by the pandemic

Pakistan puzzles health experts as virus cases drop.

Volunteers in Bahrain sign up for vaccine trial.

75th anniversary of end of WWII is mostly virtual amid virus

Scientists in Iceland reveal that a large antibody study done on 30,000 people in Iceland offers hope for virus vaccine efforts. Antibodies that people make to fight the virus last for at least four months after diagnosis and do not fade quickly as some earlier believed. The study was carried out by by Reykjavik-based deCODE Genetics.

Swiss group Roche announces it will soon launch a 15-minute coronavirus test

As of 6 pm, 25,930,194 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,213,429 and 861,746 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

The Scottish city of Glasgow goes into lockdown, banning household visits.

Hong Kong relaxes social-distancing rules as city confirms eight new cases, the lowest number of new cases in almost 2 months. Two new deaths bring the total to 92.

Venice opens "miraculous" film festival

Russia passes the 1 million infection mark.

A person on a poorly ventilated Chinese bus infected nearly two dozen other passengers even though many weren’t sitting close by, according to research published today in JAMA Internal Medicine that offers fresh evidence the disease can spread in the air.

Hong Kong begins mass testing campaign with the aim of testing everyone for free.

Wuhan, Ground Zero for the epidemic, re-opens all schools

Israel calls in the army to bring one of the developed world’s worst outbreaks under control. Its main responsibility is taking the lead in contact tracing and breaking chains of infection.

Some projections show that by the end of the year, Covid-19 will cause more people to die each day from hunger than from virus infections. The pandemic is upending food supply chains, crippling economies and eroding consumer purchasing power.

Nepal is making a royal exception to its ban on foreign arrivals, with a mountaineering team including a Bahrain prince set to tackle two major peaks. The Himalayan country shut its borders in March including grounding international flights just ahead of the busy spring season, devastating the local tourism sector. The 18-member party were given special permission to enter Nepal to climb the 8,163-metre Mount Manaslu and the 6,119-metre Lobuche.

As of 6 pm, 25,662,091 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 17,962,425 and 855,352 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

US extends eviction moratorium until end of year.

Online bartering soars in Philippines as Filipinos flock to Facebook groups to exchange their possessions, including kitchen appliances, children’s toys and designer handbags -- mostly for food.

The US says that it will not work with an international cooperative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral groups like the World Health Organization.

India reports 78,169 news cases and 1,025. The US reports 41,979 and 1,164 deaths. Brazil reports 41,889 new cases and 1,025 new deaths.