(Reuters) – A Hong Kong man who recovered from COVID-19 was infected again four-and-a-half months later in the first documented instance of human re-infection, researchers at the University of Hong Kong said on Monday.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.
* For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser.
* Eikon users, see MacroVitals (cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098) for a case tracker and summary of news.
EUROPE
* Poland on Monday insisted it would reopen schools next week for the first time since mid-March despite reaching a record high number of daily registered infections late last week.
* French authorities will in coming days reciprocate Britain’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from France.
AMERICAS
* Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will be tested regularly for COVID-19, as the campaign prepares for the possibility of more public events in the run-up to November’s election.
* Brazil reported 17,078 new cases and 565 deaths.
* Mexico registered 3,541 new infections and 320 additional fatalities, and health authorities will begin this week to use a broader definition to identify possible coronavirus cases.
* Argentina confirmed a record 8,713 new cases on Monday and 381 resulting deaths.
* World-record sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is self-isolating at his home in Jamaica after last week celebrating his 34th birthday with a big bash mask-free.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* China reported its ninth consecutive day with no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, as a major university in the city of Wuhan opened for face-to-face classes on Tuesday for the first time in eight months.
* South Korea ordered most schools in Seoul and surrounding areas to close and move classes back online.
* India reported more than 60,000 new coronavirus cases for a seventh straight day, taking the total to 3.17 million. Deaths rose by 848 to 58,390.
* The Australian state at the centre of the country’s coronavirus second wave reported 148 new cases, more than the previous day but well down from peak levels, and eight deaths.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Some Israelis, fearing a quarantine order after unwittingly being near a coronavirus carrier, are rendering themselves untraceable while in public by switching their cellphones to “airplane mode” or using prepaid “burner” SIM cards instead.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Some 172 countries are engaging with the WHO-led COVAX plan designed to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization said, but added more funding is urgently needed.
* The U.S. FDA on Sunday said it authorized the use of blood plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 as a treatment for the disease.
* Italy kicked off human trials of a potential vaccine on Monday, joining a global effort to develop a response to the virus.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Asia’s stock markets were mostly higher on Tuesday as investors cheered signs of progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations and following a fresh Wall Street rally. [MKTS/GLOB]
* Nigeria’s economy contracted by 6.1% in the second quarter of 2020, with lockdowns in its two main cities and low oil prices taking their toll.
* Irish consumer sentiment slipped in August after local lockdowns and stricter nationwide restrictions that the survey’s authors said may cause some to re-assess how long the disruption will last.
(Compiled by Anita Kobylinska, Frances Kerry, Vinay Dwivedi and Uttaresh.V; Edited by Shounak Dasgupta and Anil D’Silva)
