Health News Roundup: Beijing can screen almost 1 million people daily; Indonesia reports 862 new COVID infections and more

French coronavirus deaths rise by seven to 29,640 The number of deaths in France from COVID-19 has risen by seven from the previous day to stand at 29,640 said the country's national health service on Sunday.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 22-06-2020 02:33 IST | Created: 22-06-2020 02:27 IST
Health News Roundup: Beijing can screen almost 1 million people daily; Indonesia reports 862 new COVID infections and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Beijing can screen almost 1 million people daily for coronavirus, says official

The Chinese capital is capable of screening almost 1 million people a day for the coronavirus, an official said on Sunday, as testing continued across the city to try to contain the spread of a fresh outbreak. Beijing has been expanding testing in the city of 20 million since a cluster of infections linked to a food wholesale market erupted over a week ago.

Indonesia reports 862 new coronavirus infections, 36 new deaths

Indonesia reported 862 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, taking its total number of cases to 45,891. Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there were 36 more deaths reported, with total fatalities now at 2,465, the highest coronavirus death toll in East Asia outside of China.

India gives Hetero Labs and Cipla approval to make Gilead's COVID-19 drug

India's drug regulator has given Hetero Labs and Cipla Ltd the green light to manufacture and market their generic version of Gilead Sciences Inc's experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir, the Indian pharmaceutical companies said on Sunday. The drug, which will be marketed under the brand name Covifor, will likely be priced at 5,000 to 6,000 rupees ($66-$79) for a 100 milligram dose, Hetero said.

Germany's coronavirus reproduction rate jumps, indicating rising contagion

Germany's coronavirus reproduction rate jumped to 2.88 on Sunday, up from 1.79 a day earlier, health authorities said, a rate showing infections are rising above the level needed to contain the disease over the longer term. The rise brings with it the possibility of renewed restrictions on activity in Europe's largest economy - a blow to a country that so far had widely been seen as successful in curbing the coronavirus spread and keeping the death toll relatively low.

U.S. CDC reports 2,248,029 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 2,248,029 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 32,411 cases from its previous count and said that the number of deaths had risen by 560 to 119,615. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on June 20 versus its previous report on Saturday. (https://bit.ly/30XDNtF)

Chinese researchers launch phase-2 human test for possible coronavirus vaccine

Chinese researchers have started a second phase human trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine, the Institute of Medical Biology at Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS) said on Sunday, in efforts to further assess effectiveness and safety. About a dozen vaccines are in different stages of human tests globally, as the World Health Organization warns the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating and "the world is in a new and dangerous phase".

French coronavirus deaths rise by seven to 29,640

The number of deaths in France from COVID-19 has risen by seven from the previous day to stand at 29,640 said the country's national health service on Sunday. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 284 to 160,377.

Coronavirus spreading faster in French Guyana, says French PM

The coronavirus has been spreading faster in the last 10 days in French Guyana and the French government is not ruling out imposing a new lockdown on the French overseas territory, the prime minister's office said on Sunday. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's office also said in the statement that the government would be stepping up its resources to tackle the virus in the region.

Italy reports 24 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, 224 new cases

Italy reported 24 deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday, compared with 49 a day earlier, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases stood at 224 from 262 on Saturday. The country's death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 34,634, the agency said, the world's fourth-highest after the United States, Brazil, and Britain.

Trump urges slowdown in COVID-19 testing, calling it a 'double-edge sword'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday told thousands of cheering supporters he had asked U.S. officials to slow down testing for the novel coronavirus, calling it a "double-edged sword" that led to more cases being discovered. Trump said the United States had now tested 25 million people, far more than other countries.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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