Health News Roundup: Seven U.S. states post record COVID cases, curfew ordered in Miami; Global coronavirus cases rise to more than 11 million and more

The western state of Maharashtra, home to the densely packed financial capital Mumbai, has the country's highest total, recording 6,364 fresh cases of the virus on Saturday and 198 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Seven U.S. states post record COVID cases, curfew ordered in Miami

Alabama and six other U.S. states reported record increases in coronavirus cases on Friday as Florida's most populous county imposed a curfew ahead of the Independence Day weekend and Arkansas joined a push toward mandating mask-wearing in public. North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alaska, Missouri, Idaho, and Alabama all registered new daily highs in cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Texas hit a new peak for hospitalizations, with one doctor calling for a "complete lockdown" in the state to get the virus under control.

Global coronavirus cases rise to more than 11 million

Global coronavirus cases exceeded 11 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months. The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization.

U.S. coronavirus cases rise by over 53,000 as several states set new records

The United States reported more than 53,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and several states set new records, according to a Reuters tally. A surge in coronavirus cases has put President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis under the microscope and jeopardized reopening the economy, with some states closing high-risk businesses.

Brazil health regulator Anvisa allows Chinese COVID-19 vaccine trial

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Friday approved clinical trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac, according to an official gazette publication. The study - first announced on June 11 - is led by Instituto Butantan, a research center funded by the state of Sao Paulo. The agreement with Sinovac includes not only trials but also the transference of technology to produce the potential vaccine locally.

WHO sees first results from COVID drug trials within two weeks

The World Health Organization (WHO) should soon get results from clinical trials it is conducting of drugs that might be effective in treating COVID-19 patients, its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday. "Nearly 5,500 patients in 39 countries have so far been recruited into the Solidarity trial," he told a news briefing, referring to clinical studies the U.N. agency is conducting.

Australia's Victoria reports 108 new coronavirus cases, biggest jump since March

Australia's second-most-populous state, Victoria, reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases since late March on Saturday, forcing the expansion of stay-at-home orders to more Melbourne suburbs and the complete lockdown of nine public housing towers. The southeastern state recorded 108 new cases on Saturday, up from 66 on Friday, and more than 70 new cases in each of the previous four days.

Tokyo seeks travel curbs as new infections tops 100 for third day, says NHK

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Saturday urged residents of the Japanese capital not to travel beyond its borders as new coronavirus infections topped 100 for the third day, public broadcaster NHK reported. Tokyo confirmed 131 new cases of infections of the coronavirus on Saturday, NHK said.

China says G4 swine flu virus not new; does not infect humans easily

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday that the so-called "G4" strain of swine flu virus is not new and does not infect or sicken humans and animals easily, rebuffing a study published earlier this week. That study, by a team of Chinese scientists and published by the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), warned that a new swine flu virus, named G4, has become more infectious to humans and could become a potential "pandemic virus".

India coronavirus cases hit record high amid monsoon rains

India recorded its highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases on Saturday, with over 22,000 new cases and 442 deaths, as infections rose in the western and southern parts of the country amid heavy monsoon rains. The western state of Maharashtra, home to the densely packed financial capital Mumbai, has the country's highest total, recording 6,364 fresh cases of the virus on Saturday and 198 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Catalonia curbs movement of 200,000 people after new coronavirus outbreak

Spain's north-eastern region of Catalonia enforced a new lockdown on more than 200,000 people on Saturday, after several new outbreaks of the coronavirus were detected. Residents in Nigeria, which includes the city of Lleida, will not be able to leave the area from 12 noon (1000 GMT) on Saturday, but will not be confined to their homes as was the case in Spain's original strict lockdown in March.