Health News Roundup: China reports 16 new coronavirus cases; Brazil registers 599 new coronavirus deaths and more

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. Britain's coronavirus cases rise sharply to record level Britain reported 12,872 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a record daily figure for the country, with the government blaming the jump on a reporting delay and saying the numbers in coming days would include additional cases.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

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.

Brazil registers 599 new coronavirus deaths

Brazil on Saturday registered 599 new coronavirus deaths and 26,310 new confirmed cases, the health ministry said. Brazil now has a total of 145,987 dead due to the coronavirus and 4,906,833 confirmed cases.

Mainland China reports 16 new coronavirus cases on October 3

China on Sunday reported 16 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Oct. 3, compared with 10 cases a day earlier, the health authority said. All of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement. There were no new deaths.

U.S. CDC reports 816 coronavirus deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 7,310,625 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 50,160 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 816 to 208,118. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Oct. 2 compared with its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3kZDvsN)

After mixed messages from White House, Trump says 'real test' ahead in his COVID fight

President Donald Trump said from his hospital room on Saturday that he felt "much better" but the next few days will be "the real test" of his treatment for COVID-19, capping a day of contradictory messages from the White House about his condition. In a four-minute video posted on Twitter, Trump, looking tired and wearing a jacket and open-necked shirt, said he "wasn't feeling so well" when he first arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 2,279 to 299,237: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 2,279 to 299,237, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 2 to 9,529, the tally showed.

Australia's COVID-19 hotspot cases inch up, but officials optimistic

New daily coronavirus infections in Australia's hotspot of Victoria climbed back to double digits on Sunday with 12 cases recorded but authorities said the state is on track to be able to ease its social distancing restrictions in coming weeks. The dozen new coronavirus cases follow eight infections reported on Saturday and single-digit numbers for most of the past week.

Mexico reports 4,863 new coronavirus cases, 388 more deaths: health ministry

Mexico's confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 757,953 on Saturday, according to the health ministry, with a total reported death toll of 78,880. Authorities reported 4,863 new cases and 388 deaths, but the true figures are likely significantly higher due to limited testing.

Britain's coronavirus cases rise sharply to record level

Britain reported 12,872 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a record daily figure for the country, with the government blaming the jump on a reporting delay and saying the numbers in coming days would include additional cases. The government's website said a technical issue had delayed publishing a number of new COVID-19 cases.

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.

(With inputs from agencies.)