Health News Roundup: Philippines confirms 2,674 new coronavirus cases, 62 more deaths; South Korea police set up 'bus walls' to prevent protests amid COVID-19 concerns and more

Philippines confirms 2,674 new coronavirus cases, 62 more deaths The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday reported 2,674 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase in five days, and 62 additional deaths. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases in the Philippines have increased to 319,330, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have reached 5,678, a third of which were recorded in the past 30 days.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

South Korea police set up 'bus walls' to prevent protests amid COVID-19 concerns

South Korean police mobilised hundreds of buses to head off any political rallies in the capital, Seoul, on Saturday with authorities determined to prevent another cluster of novel coronavirus cases emerging from a protest. South Korea has been held up as a coronavirus mitigation success story but it saw a flare-up of more than 1,800 infections linked to a church and a big anti-government rally in August.

Philippines confirms 2,674 new coronavirus cases, 62 more deaths

The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday reported 2,674 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase in five days, and 62 additional deaths. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases in the Philippines have increased to 319,330, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have reached 5,678, a third of which were recorded in the past 30 days.

Malaysia reports 317 new coronavirus cases, highest daily rise

Malaysia reported a record daily increase in novel coronavirus cases for the second day in a row on Saturday, with 317 new infections. Malaysia has reported a total of 12,088 cases. The health ministry also recorded one new death, raising the total to 137.

India's coronavirus death toll passes 100,000 with no sign of an end

India's death toll from the novel coronavirus rose past 100,000 on Saturday, only the third country in the world to reach that bleak milestone, after the United States and Brazil, and its epidemic shows no sign of abating. Total deaths rose to 100,842, the health ministry said, while the tally of infections climbed to 6.47 million after a daily increase in cases of 79,476. India now has the highest rate of daily increase in infections in the world.

Trump says on Twitter he, Melania tested positive for COVID-19

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a tweet early on Friday. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," he said.

No quarantine for U.S. Vice President Pence, whose COVID-19 test was negative; next in line to Trump

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, next in line for the Oval Office, tested negative for COVID-19, hours after President Donald Trump announced that he was infected and went into quarantine, Pence's spokesman said on Friday. Trump's test result cast a spotlight on Pence, a Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, a little more than a month before the pair seek re-election to a second term.

Fines and business closures among new Iran COVID-19 restrictions

Concealing one's COVID-19 infection should carry the severest penalty, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in announcing new measures to stem a rapid rise in cases. "Anyone who feels ill and it's clear to them that they are ill, must not hide their illness," Rouhani said in televised remarks. Otherwise, he added, they will be committing "the highest offense" that will demand "the highest punishment".

Indonesia reports 4,007 new coronavirus cases, 83 more deaths

Indonesia reported 4,007 new coronavirus infections and 83 more deaths on Saturday, bringing its total infections to 299,506 and fatalities to 11,055, health ministry data showed.

Ukraine reports new daily record number of coronavirus cases

Ukraine reported 4,661 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, a daily record number of infections, which spiked in late September. Ukraine's security council said 92 deaths of coronavirus patients were confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the national COVID-19 death toll to 4,353.

Relying on testing to ward off COVID put Trump White House at risk

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump put his faith in a toaster-sized machine that could spit out test results in a matter of minutes. In late March, Trump hailed the launch of Abbott Laboratories' ID NOW test at a Rose Garden event and embraced its widespread use at the White House to keep the deadly virus at bay. The president often skipped his own administration's public health recommendations on mask wearing and social distancing, explaining that "everyone's tested" around him using the Abbott device.