Health News Roundup: Biden lands Planned Parenthood endorsement; Virus more efficient at infection after mutation and more

Beijing imposes curbs as coronavirus returns to Chinese capital Several districts of the Chinese capital put up security checkpoints, closed schools and ordered people to be tested for the coronavirus on Monday after an unexpected spike of cases linked to the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Biden lands Planned Parenthood endorsement in U.S. presidential race

The political advocacy arm of reproductive-services provider Planned Parenthood on Monday endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for U.S. president, calling his race against Republican President Donald Trump a "fight for our country's very survival." Abortion rights remains a hot-button issue in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Advocates have decried the Trump administration's efforts to limit access to abortion, including a raft of conservative judicial appointments and several policy changes.

Virus more efficient at infection after mutation; diseased lungs more receptive to virus

The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Virus mutation makes it more efficient at entering cells.

After crowded bar scenes, New York governor urges better enforcement of coronavirus rules

Scenes of crowds gathering outside bars prompted New York's governor, his state hardest hit along with New Jersey by the coronavirus pandemic, to urge local officials and businesses on Monday to strictly honor reopening guidelines. "To the local governments I say, 'Do your job,'" Cuomo told a news conference. Over the weekend he criticized New York City street crowds outside bars and demanded people adhere to social distancing rules of six feet (two meters).

Trump campaign to give Tulsa rally-goers masks, fever checks

People attending President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday will receive temperature checks, masks and hand sanitizer before entering the arena, the Republican's campaign said. The campaign said there have been more than 1 million ticket requests for the indoor rally, Trump's first in the three months since the new coronavirus curbed travel and shut down the economy.

China's new virus outbreak needs further testing after 'hypothesis' on cause: WHO

The origins of a new cluster of coronavirus infections in Beijing are uncertain, World Health Organization officials said on Monday, but the claim that it might have been caused by imports or packaging of salmon was not the "primary hypothesis". Several districts of the Chinese capital put up security checkpoints, closed schools and ordered people to be tested for the coronavirus on Monday after an unexpected rise in cases linked to the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.

Chile extends state of catastrophe by 90 days as coronavirus surges

Chile´s government said on Monday it would extend a state of catastrophe in place since mid-March by 90 days as cases of coronavirus in the South American nation have surged. The pace of new infections has increased dramatically in May and June, averaging over 5,000 daily in recent weeks. The onslaught has filled critical care wards and prompted authorities to declare a full lockdown in the capital Santiago, a city of more than six million.

Beijing imposes curbs as coronavirus returns to Chinese capital

Several districts of the Chinese capital put up security checkpoints, closed schools and ordered people to be tested for the coronavirus on Monday after an unexpected spike of cases linked to the biggest wholesale food market in Asia. After nearly two months with no new infections, Beijing officials have reported 79 cases over the past four days, the city's biggest cluster of infections since February.

U.S. CDC reports 2,085,769 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported 2,085,769 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 21,957 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 373 to 115,644. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on June 14, versus its previous report released on Sunday. (https://bit.ly/2BROCTB)

U.S. FDA revokes emergency use status of drug touted by Trump for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday revoked its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, the drug championed by U.S. President Donald Trump to stave off the coronavirus, and for an older related medicine. Based on new evidence, the FDA said it was no longer reasonable to believe that oral formulations of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine may be effective in treating the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be shared across Europe, says France

A deal between AstraZeneca and four European countries for COVID-19 vaccines involves doses being shared by European Union members on a pro rata basis based on population, a source at the French President's office said on Monday. The British drugmaker signed a contract with France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands at the weekend for up to 400 million doses of its potential vaccine.