Health News Roundup: What you need to know about the coronavirus right now; Belgian COVID cases climb as government mulls lockdown and more

The United States broke its single-day record for new coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting at least 91,248 new cases, as 21 states reported their highest daily number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally of publicly reported data.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Britain touts 'tiered' approach to COVID as neighbours prepare near lockdowns

Britain's "tiered" approach to reining in the coronavirus appears to be working, the foreign minister said on Friday, as EU neighbours France and Germany prepared new controls on gatherings almost as strict as their original spring lockdowns. Europe and the United States have emerged as the current danger zones for COVID-19, which was first identified in China in December, in a global crisis in which more than 44.94 million people have been infected and 1,178,943​ have died.

EU will wait for late-stage data before approving COVID vaccine: Spahn

The European Union will wait for late-stage efficacy and safety data before approving a coronavirus vaccine to ensure there is broad acceptance of any shot, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. "Most important for acceptance is that we make clear from the beginning that we will wait for clinical trials in Phase III before approval," Spahn said following a videoconference of EU health ministers.

Belgian COVID cases climb as government mulls lockdown

Belgium, one of worst affected European countries by the new coronavirus, recorded an average of 15,316 new infections per day in mid-October, health officials said on Friday, hours before the government was due to consider a lockdown. Home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, Belgium has one of the world's highest fatality figures per capita from the virus and now, in the second wave, has one of the highest per capita rates of COVID-19 infections.

November month of truth for German coronavirus numbers: minister

The spread of the coronavirus in Germany is accelerating so the government must take drastic measures and November will be critical in terms of infection numbers, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Friday. "November is the month of truth," Scholz told Bild in an interview on the newspaper's website.

COVID-19 infections soar across Western Balkans, hospitals struggling to cope

COVID-19 infections are rocketing across the Western Balkans with hospitals close to being overwhelming by incoming patients, prompting a race to build additional clinics with case numbers likely to peak in coming weeks. Croatians queued up in hundreds of cars before the Zagreb Fair gate in the capital on Friday waiting to get a COVID-19 test, with new daily cases in the small European Union member country approaching 3,000.

U.S. faces record surge of coronavirus cases as election looms

A record surge of coronavirus cases in the United States is pushing hospitals to the brink of capacity and killing up to 1,000 people a day, the latest figures show, with much of the country's attention focused on Tuesday's presidential election. The United States broke its single-day record for new coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting at least 91,248 new cases, as 21 states reported their highest daily number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally of publicly reported data.

Moscow plans vaccinations as Russia's COVID-19 cases hit record amid doctor shortage

Authorities in Moscow were preparing for mass vaccinations against COVID-19 and Russia's daily tally of infections rose past 18,000 to a record high, amid a shortage of doctors across the country, the Kremlin said on Friday. Moscow residents who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 may be able to do so as early as next month if large volumes of doses are supplied by then, Deputy Mayor Anastasia Rakova said on Friday.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Task force sees 'unrelenting' spread Swiss ramp up contact-tracing in face of COVID surge

Masked staff sit hunched over computer screens in an open-plan office in downtown Geneva racing to track down every new person infected with COVID-19 and the friends, relatives and contacts who may be at risk. Numbers are rising, as they are across Europe, so the Swiss team has been expanding and tweaking its tactics to keep up with the surge.

Walmart unit Sam's Club partners with DoorDash to deliver medicines

Warehouse chain Sam's Club, a unit of Walmart Inc, said on Friday it will provide prescribed medicines to patients through delivery firm DoorDash Inc, as customers turn to digital orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. DoorDash will deliver items from more than 500 Sam's Club pharmacies and patients can call the pharmacies to schedule a same-day delivery, the warehouse club operator said.

(With inputs from agencies.)