Health News Roundup: Australia heads for lowest virus count in three months; Britain is at COVID-19 tipping point and more

Indonesia reports 3,989 new coronavirus infections, 105 deaths Indonesia reported 3,989 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the total to 244,676, data from the country's health ministry showed. The Czech Republic's daily count of new coronavirus cases has reached record highs in recent days and the country of 10.7 million had reported a total of 48,306 cases as of Saturday, Health Ministry data showed.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,345 to 271,415: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,345 to 271,415, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by two to 9,386, the tally showed.

Indonesia reports 3,989 new coronavirus infections, 105 deaths

Indonesia reported 3,989 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the total to 244,676, data from the country's health ministry showed. The data added 105 new deaths, taking the total to 9,553, the biggest death toll in Southeast Asia.

Explainer: When will COVID-19 vaccines be generally available in the U.S.?

U.S. President Donald Trump and the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week disagreed about when a COVID-19 vaccine would become widely available. Trump said on Friday that enough vaccine would be available for every American by April, while the CDC director said vaccines were likely to reach the general public around mid-2021, an assessment more in line with most experts.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A VACCINE TO BE GENERALLY AVAILABLE?

AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine trial in U.S still on hold

AstraZeneca Plc said on Saturday that its COVID-19 vaccine trial in the United States is still on hold. AstraZeneca on Saturday published a document https://bit.ly/2FNcqu7 describing details of how the COVID-19 vaccine trial was being carried out, which was first reported by the New York Times.

South Korea keeps social distancing curbs ahead of major national holiday

South Korea on Sunday extended level 2 social distancing for a week until Sept. 27, which limits indoor gatherings to below 50 and outdoor to less than 100, and may tighten limits for the Chuseok holiday when people traditionally reunite with families. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the level 2 restrictions need to be kept ahead of Chuseok as "cases with untraceable origins are steadily increasing and fewer tests being carried out on weekends means we should be on high alert."

Latin American nations plan to join COVAX vaccine facility after deadline

Brazil and Argentina, Latin American nations seeking more time to commit to the global COVID-19 vaccine facility known as COVAX, said they intend to so as soon as possible after missing Friday's deadline. Peru's foreign ministry said on Saturday it managed to sign the binding agreement on Friday and will get access to 12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX, a scheme for pooled procurement and equitable distribution of eventual vaccines.

Czech government could declare coronavirus state of emergency, says minister

The Czech government could declare a state of emergency if a recent spike in coronavirus cases continues in the coming days, Health Minister Adam Vojtech said. The Czech Republic's daily count of new coronavirus cases has reached record highs in recent days and the country of 10.7 million had reported a total of 48,306 cases as of Saturday, Health Ministry data showed.

UK health minister: Second national lockdown possible

British Health Minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday a second national lockdown was one possible step to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but it was not what he wanted to happened. "If everybody follows the rules then we can avoid further national lockdowns, but we, of course, have to be prepared to take action if that's what's necessary," Hancock told the BBC.

Britain is at COVID-19 tipping point, health minister says

Britain is at a tipping point on COVID-19, health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday, warning that a second national lockdown could be imposed if people don't follow government rules designed to stop the spread of the virus. COVID-19 cases have risen sharply in recent weeks to more than 4,000 per day. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called it a second wave and stricter lockdown measures have been introduced in areas across the country - with London possibly next in line.

Australia heads for lowest virus count in three months

Australia looked set to record its lowest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in three months on Sunday as a hard lockdown in the city of Melbourne brought the country's virus epicenter down sharply. The second-most populous state Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, reported 14 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, down from 21 new cases the day prior and its lowest since June 19.