Health News Roundup: Australia suffers 'disturbing' COVID-19 surge, state curbs wedding parties; Australian researchers invent 20-minute coronavirus blood test and more

U.S. shatters coronavirus record with over 77,000 cases in a day The United States shattered its daily record for coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting more than 77,000 new cases as the number of deaths in a 24-hour period rose by nearly 1,000, according to a Reuters tally.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Australia suffers 'disturbing' COVID-19 surge, state curbs wedding parties

Australia's Victoria state reported a record daily increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday while neighbouring New South Wales said it was banning dancing, singing and mingling at weddings as authorities struggle to contain a new wave of infections. Victoria, which has forced nearly 5 million people in the country's second most populous state into a partial lockdown for more than a week, said it has found 428 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, most from community transmission.

Australian researchers invent 20-minute coronavirus blood test

Researchers in Australia have devised a test that can determine novel coronavirus infection in about 20 minutes using blood samples in what they say is a world-first breakthrough. The researchers at Monash University said their test can determine if someone is currently infected and if they have been infected in the past.

COVID-19 transmission rate spikes in France's Brittany region

The reproduction rate of the novel coronavirus in the Brittany region, popular with tourists, has risen sharply in less than a week, according to government data, the latest indication that the virus is again gaining momentum in France. The government on Thursday accelerated plans to make it compulsory to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces amid concerns about renewed flare-ups of COVID-19, especially in areas in western and southern France that had been relatively spared during the height of the outbreak between March and May.

Wear a mask? Georgia governor, mayors embroiled in latest coronavirus clash

Officials in the U.S. state of Georgia were headed for a clash over masks to fight the spread of the coronavirus on Thursday after the Republican governor barred mayors from requiring residents to wear them. Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order late on Wednesday suspending local regulations requiring "face coverings, masks, face shields or any other personal protective equipment" in public.

Over 1 million: India joins U.S., Brazil in grim coronavirus club

India on Friday became the third country in the world to record more than one million cases of the new coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil, as infections spread further into the countryside and smaller towns. Given India's population of around 1.3 billion, experts say, one million is relatively low - but the number will rise significantly in the coming months as testing increases, further straining a healthcare system already pushed to the brink.

Exclusive: EU in talks with Moderna, BioNtech, CureVac to secure possible COVID vaccines, sources say

The European Union is negotiating advance purchase deals of potential COVID-19 vaccines with drugmakers Moderna, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson and biotech firms BioNtech and CureVac, two EU sources told Reuters. The talks follow a deal reached in June by four EU states with AstraZeneca for the upfront purchase of 400 million doses of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, in principle available to all 27 EU nations.

Britain eyes normal life by Christmas, but preparing for second COVID-19 wave

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped Britain could return to normality before Christmas, setting out a phased removal of lockdown restrictions, but warned that while he was hoping for the best, the country must also prepare for the worst. Britain's death toll of more than 45,000 from confirmed cases of COVID-19 is the worst in Europe but the country has begun to lift lockdown measures as case numbers and infection rates fall.

UK to review potentially faulty England COVID-19 death data

Health Minister Matt Hancock ordered a review into how England reports coronavirus deaths, after academics said the daily figures may include people who have died of other causes. The way Public Health England, a government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other parts of the United Kingdom, according to two academics. Britain has been the European country worst hit by the virus, with an official death toll of more 45,000. But the government has said international comparisons are misleading because countries record coronavirus deaths differently.

U.S. shatters coronavirus record with over 77,000 cases in a day

The United States shattered its daily record for coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting more than 77,000 new cases as the number of deaths in a 24-hour period rose by nearly 1,000, according to a Reuters tally. The loss of 969 lives was the biggest increase since June 10, with Florida, South Carolina, and Texas all reporting their biggest one-day spikes on Thursday.

Swiss warn over faulty respirators bought during COVID-19 rush

Swiss officials have opened investigations into importers and dealers of defective respiratory masks, they said on Friday, warning users of protective devices to be vigilant for flawed products rushed into the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swiss Federal Office for Accident Prevention (BFA) and Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA) said 60% of the protective masks they reviewed offered insufficient protection.