Health News Roundup: Iraq to reopen borders for trade; India overtook Brazil as the second-worst COVID hit country and more

The number of new, confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen by 4,203 compared with the previous day to reach a total of 328,980, the French health ministry said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Iraq to reopen borders for trade, bring back sports and dining

Iraq is reopening its land border crossings, restaurants, hotels, and bringing back sporting events without spectators, the prime minister said on Monday, three days after it recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus infections. Land crossings would be open for trade only so as to secure local market needs, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in a statement. Restaurants and five-star hotels must adhere to public health guidelines, he added.

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

India overtook Brazil as the second-worst hit country by the COVID-19, Malaysia reported its sharpest rise in new cases in three months, and South Korea weighed whether to extend curbs ahead of a national holiday.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS U.S. CDC reports 188,513 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 462 to 188,513, and it reported 6,261,216 total cases, an increase of 34,337 from its previous count. The CDC reported https://bit.ly/2GifzBV its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET Sept. 6 compared with its report a day earlier.

India overtakes Brazil as country second-worst hit by COVID-19

India's coronavirus infections surged past 4.2 million on Monday as it overtook Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases. With 4,204,613 infections, India is nearly 70,000 cases ahead of Brazil, which will post its most recent numbers later on Monday.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Cases rising in 22 U.S. states England adds seven Greek islands to coronavirus quarantine list

Seven Greek islands have been added to the list of countries from which travellers must quarantine when entering England to try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, British transport minister Grant Shapps said on Monday. Shapps told parliament that improved access to data meant he could now decide rules on an island-by-island basis depending on COVID-19 infection rates.

China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine candidate appears safe, slightly weaker in elderly

Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd said on Monday its coronavirus vaccine candidate appeared to be safe for older people, according to preliminary results from an early to mid-stage trial, while the immune responses triggered by the vaccine were slightly weaker than younger adults. Health officials have been concerned about whether experimental vaccines could safely protect the elderly, whose immune systems usually react less robustly to vaccines, against the virus that has led to nearly 890,000 deaths worldwide.

WHO says working with China on requirements for COVID vaccine approval

The World Health Organization is working with China on requirements for international approval of any Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, a senior official said on Monday. "WHO's office in China and WHO headquarters has been working with the regulatory authorities in China," assistant director-general Mariangela Simao told a briefing in Geneva. "We are in direct contact, we have been sharing information and the requirements for international approval of vaccines."

Rising UK coronavirus cases of great concern, senior medical officer says

England's deputy chief medical officer said the rise in the number of coronavirus cases was of great concern and people had "relaxed too much" over the summer. Warning people they would need to follow the guidelines, Jonathan Van-Tam said: "We have got to start taking this very seriously again".

French COVID cases and death toll mounts

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in France rose again compared with the previous day, as did the death toll, as the country battles to contain a likely second wave of the virus. The number of new, confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen by 4,203 compared with the previous day to reach a total of 328,980, the French health ministry said on Monday.