Health News Roundup: U.S. airlines threaten to ban passengers who refuse to wear masks; New Zealand confirms two new cases of coronavirus and more

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".

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

New projection puts U.S. COVID-19 deaths at over 200,000 by October

A new forecast projects 201,129 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States through the beginning of October mainly due to reopening measures underway, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington said on Monday. The IHME raised its estimate by 18 percent from 169,890 and said Florida would be among the hardest-hit states, with an estimated 18,675 deaths, up 186 percent from a previous estimate of 6,559 on June 10.

Some scold, others cheerlead: U.S. states tackle reopening differently

The two most populous U.S. states took markedly different approaches to reopen on Monday with New York scolding local governments for not enforcing social distancing and California encouraging counties to restart economies if they met criteria. Scenes of merrymakers gathering outside bars prompted the governor of New York, the state hardest hit along with New Jersey by the coronavirus pandemic, to urge local officials and businesses on Monday to strictly enforce reopening guidelines.

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.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 378 to 186,839 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 378 to 186,839, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. The reported death toll rose by nine to 8,800, the tally showed.

U.S. airlines threaten to ban passengers who refuse to wear masks

U.S. airline passengers who refuse to wear face coverings during the novel coronavirus pandemic could have their flying privileges revoked under tougher enforcement policies, the industry's main lobby group said on Monday. Major U.S. airlines may prevent anyone from not wearing a mask from boarding and provide the coverings to passengers who have none. Once onboard, however, flight attendants have had little power over passengers who remove the face covering.

Virus-hit Beijing tightens outbound travel; Shanghai demands quarantine

Beijing banned high-risk people from leaving the Chinese capital and halted some transportation services on Tuesday to stop the spread of a fresh coronavirus outbreak to other cities and provinces. China's financial hub of Shanghai demanded some travelers from Beijing be quarantined for two weeks, as 27 new COVID-19 cases took the capital's current outbreak to 106 since Thursday.

Global coronavirus cases reach over 8 million as outbreak expands in Latin America

Global cases of the novel coronavirus reached over 8 million on Monday, as infections surge in Latin America, and the United States and China grapple with fresh outbreaks. The United States still leads the world with the highest number of infections, about 2 million or 25% of all reported cases. However, the outbreak is growing fastest in Latin America, which now accounts for 21% of all cases, according to a Reuters tally.

Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases or deaths

Thailand on Tuesday reported no new coronavirus infections or deaths and marked 22 successive days without a domestic transmission. The country has recorded a total of 58 deaths related to COVID-19 among some 3,135 confirmed cases, of which 2,993 patients have recovered.

Trump critical of FDA decision to revoke emergency use of drug he has promoted for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday revoked its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 but quickly came under fire from President Donald Trump, who said only U.S. agencies have failed to grasp its benefit in fighting the coronavirus. Based on new evidence, the FDA said it was no longer reasonable to believe that hydroxychloroquine and the related drug chloroquine may be effective in treating the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

New Zealand confirms two new cases of coronavirus

New Zealand said on Tuesday that it has two new cases of the coronavirus, both related to recent travel from the UK, ending a 24-day streak of no new infections in the country. New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week, after declaring it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.