Health News Roundup: Australia new virus cases fall, but testing blitz runs into resistance; Japan will not revive state of emergency as Tokyo COVID-19 cases rise and more

Australia new virus cases fall, but testing blitz runs into resistance Australia reported a drop in new coronavirus cases on Friday, with a surge in the second most populated state Victoria appearing to have eased, although more than 10,000 people have refused to be tested in hotspot suburbs of Melbourne.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Australia new virus cases fall, but testing blitz runs into resistance

Australia reported a drop in new coronavirus cases on Friday, with a surge in the second most populated state Victoria appearing to have eased, although more than 10,000 people have refused to be tested in hotspot suburbs of Melbourne. There were 66 new cases in Victoria on the second day of reimposed lockdowns in more than 30 suburbs mostly north of Melbourne. That was down from more than 70 new cases in each of the previous four days.

White House says economy 'roaring back,' touts safe coronavirus re-openings as cases soar

U.S. President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday rallied around the message that all was well both in the battle against coronavirus and in efforts to get the U.S. economy moving again despite several days of record spikes in new cases. Florida reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.

Japan will not revive state of emergency as Tokyo COVID-19 cases rise

There is no need to reintroduce a state of emergency, Japan's top government spokesman said on Friday, the day after coronavirus cases in Tokyo rose to a two-month high. New daily cases in the capital have exceeded 50 over the last week, with Thursday's 107 cases a record following the lifting of the state of emergency on May 25.

COVID-19 vaccines to enter late-stage trial by end of July, Fauci says

COVID-19 vaccine candidates will enter late-stage clinical studies by the end of the month, with others beginning in August, September, and October, the U.S. government's top infectious diseases expert said on Thursday. The news comes as Moderna Inc, which is at the forefront of the country's vaccine development efforts, reiterated earlier in the day that a late-stage trial with 30,000 volunteers would begin this month.

Federal COVID test supplies late, unsterile, Washington state says

COVID-19 testing supplies distributed by the federal government have failed quality checks and are arriving late, Washington state's top health official said in a letter to a senior administration official, warning of problems as cases spike. Several state lab directors and the director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories also told Reuters that supplies were short.

India approves human trials for second COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Zydus has received approval from Indian regulators to begin human studies for its COVID-19 vaccine contender, the drugmaker said on Friday, as the novel coronavirus infections continue to surge in the world's fourth worst-hit nation. The potential vaccine showed a "strong immune response" in animal studies, and the antibodies produced were able to completely neutralize the wild type virus, Zydus, part of Cadila Healthcare Ltd, said in a statement to Indian stock exchanges.

Indigenous leaders angry about coronavirus risk from Brazilian military visit

Leaders of an isolated indigenous Yanomami community in Brazil have complained that a military mission to protect them from the coronavirus brought the greater risk of infection to their people through contact with outsiders including journalists. Federal prosecutors said they were investigating the visit for ignoring the wishes of Yanomami communities to remain isolated from society, violating rules of social distancing and distributing chloroquine to indigenous people.

Mexico posts record 6,741 new coronavirus cases

Mexico on Thursday posted a record for new coronavirus cases reported on a single day, with 6,741 more cases, bringing its overall tally of infections to 238,511, according to health ministry data. The country also recorded 679 additional fatalities, bringing its overall death toll to 29,189.

U.S. FDA approves GSK's HIV drug for patients with limited options

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline Plc's HIV drug, Rukobia, to treat adult patients who have run out of treatment options. The oral treatment from the company's HIV unit, ViiV Healthcare, has been approved for adults whose HIV infection could not be successfully treated with other therapies due to resistance, intolerance, or safety considerations, the agency said.

Trump again hails U.S. COVID-19 testing as cases rise by record levels

President Donald Trump, yet again, hailed the United States' coronavirus testing as COVID-19 cases in the country increased by more than 55,000 on Thursday, a new daily global record for the pandemic. A surge in coronavirus cases over the past week has put Trump's handling of the crisis under the microscope and led several governors to halt plans to reopen their states after strict lockdowns.