Health News Roundup: Mainland China reports first local COVID-19 infections; Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus and more

New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 11% last week, Midwest hard hit The number of new COVID-19 cases rose 11% in the United States last week compared to the previous seven days, with infections spreading rapidly in the Midwest, which reported some of the highest positive test rates, according to a Reuters analysis.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Australia's most populous state eases COVID-19 curbs despite cases hitting six-week high

Australia's most populous state said on Tuesday it will ease restrictions despite reporting the biggest one-day jump in new COVID-19 cases in six weeks. New South Wales (NSW) said that from Oct. 16 venues that offer outdoor dining will be allowed to have double the number of patrons outside. NSW previously required such venues to ensure four square meters (13 square feet) for each patron.

Takeda group begins manufacturing COVID-19 plasma treatment ahead of approval

The Takeda Pharmaceutical Co-led group that is developing a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 has started manufacturing while the late-stage trial to determine whether it works is ongoing, Takeda Chief Executive Christophe Weber said on Monday. The group, known as the CoVIg Plasma Alliance, enrolled its first patient in the Phase III trial on Friday after months of delays. It aims to enroll 500 adult patients from the United States, Mexico, and 16 other countries and hope to have results by the end of the year.

As Trump holds a rally, Fauci urges masks, avoiding mass gatherings

As President Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since disclosing he contracted the coronavirus this month, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said the United States faced a "whole lot of trouble" if it did not encourage the universal wearing of face masks and avoid mass gatherings. "We have a baseline of infections now that varies between 40 and 50,000 per day. That's a bad place to be when you're going into the cooler weather of the fall and the colder weather of the winter," Fauci told CNBC.

South Korea reports first triple-digit rise in coronavirus cases in six days: KDCA

South Korea reported 102 new coronavirus cases as of Monday midnight, marking the first triple-digit increase in six days, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday. Daily infections had fallen largely into the double-digit range in the past two weeks, which led the government to relax some rules on social distancing this week.

J&J pauses COVID-19 vaccine trials due to unexplained illness in participant

Johnson & Johnson said on Monday it had temporarily paused its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials due to an unexplained illness in a study participant, delaying one of the highest-profile efforts to contain the global pandemic. The participant's illness is being reviewed and evaluated by an independent data and safety monitoring board as well as the company's clinical and safety physicians, the company said https://www.jnj.com/our-company/johnson-johnson-temporarily-pauses-all-dosing-in-our-janssen-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-clinical-trials in a statement.

Mainland China reports first local COVID-19 infections in nearly two months

Mainland China reported its first locally transmitted COVID-19 infections in nearly two months, as Qingdao launched a city-wide testing drive after discovering new cases linked to a hospital designated to treat imported infections. The National Health Commission said in a statement that a total of 13 COVID-19 infections were reported in mainland China on Oct. 12, down from 21 a day earlier.

New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 11% last week, Midwest hard hit

The number of new COVID-19 cases rose 11% in the United States last week compared to the previous seven days, with infections spreading rapidly in the Midwest, which reported some of the highest positive test rates, according to a Reuters analysis. Deaths fell 3% to about 4,800 people for the week ended Oct. 11, according to the analysis of state and county reports. Since the pandemic started, nearly 215,000 people have died in the United States and over 7.7 million have become infected with the novel coronavirus.

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

Johnson & Johnson said it had temporarily paused its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials due to an unexplained illness in a study participant, delaying one of the high-profile efforts to contain the pandemic.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS Mexico reports 3,542 new coronavirus cases and 164 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 3,542 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 164 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 821,045 cases and 83,945 deaths. The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

Argentina surpasses 900,000 COVID-19 cases, the virus spreads to the interior

Argentina surpassed 900,000 cases of coronavirus on Monday, with strong growth of infections in large populated centers in the interior of the country after months of the virus' being concentrated in Buenos Aires and its suburbs. The government late last week tightened restrictions on the movement of people in 18 provinces for two weeks due to the growth of COVID-19 cases. On Monday, the Health Ministry said the death toll reached 24,186 and the number of infections totaled 903,730. During the previous 24 hours, 318 deaths and 9,524 new cases were reported.