Health News Roundup: New COVID-19 cases and deaths rise sharply in France; UK reports 26,860 new COVID cases on Saturday, 462 deaths and more

The daily number of new deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test rose to 462 from 376 on Friday, taking the cumulative total to 51,766. Italy daily coronavirus cases, deaths fall slightly Italy has registered 37,255 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday, down from 40,902 on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

New COVID-19 cases and deaths rise sharply in France

The number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases and deaths in France rose sharply in the last 24 hours, according to French health ministry data published on Saturday. France registered 32,095 new COVID-19 cases over the previous 24 hours to reach a total of 1,954,599. Deaths in hospitals in France from COVID-19 rose by 359 over the previous 24 hours to reach a total of 44,246 so far.

China finds coronavirus on packaging of Saudi shrimp

The western Chinese city of Lanzhou said on Saturday it had detected the new coronavirus on the packaging of a batch of shrimp imported from Saudi Arabia, as China ramps up testing of frozen foods. The Lanzhou Municipal Health Commission said in a statement on its website that it had found one positive sample on Friday on the inner packaging of imported frozen shrimp from Saudi Arabia that had passed through customs in the coastal city of Tianjin.

Austria orders three-week lockdown to rein in surging coronavirus cases

Austria on Saturday ordered a three-week lockdown in a last-ditch effort to bring surging coronavirus cases under control and relieve the stress on the health service in time for retailers to reopen in the run-up to Christmas. The country had so far used a lighter touch in dealing with the second wave of cases than it did with the first outbreak, which it brought under control with a lockdown in the spring.

As U.S. pandemic intensifies, North Dakota becomes 35th state to require masks

North Dakota has become the 35th U.S. state to require face coverings be worn in public, as governors across the country grapple with a surge in coronavirus infections that threatens to swamp their health care systems. North Dakota joined 38 other states this month in reporting record daily jumps in new cases, 17 others with record deaths and 25 others with a record number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, according to a Reuters tally.

U.S. Secret Service officers sidelined by COVID-19

Dozens of U.S. Secret Service officers assigned to protect President Donald Trump have been sidelined by COVID-19, the Washington Post and New York Times reported on Friday as the coronavirus outbreak spread at the White House. Two U.S. government sources familiar with the situation confirmed to Reuters that Secret Service officers had tested positive for the virus but did not provide a specific number. One of the sources said a larger number of officers who had not tested positive had gone into quarantine as a protective measure.

Before Biden inauguration, 70,000 more could die from COVID-19 in the U.S.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to make controlling the coronavirus a top priority and is likely to push for mask wearing mandates and more fiscal stimulus to keep businesses and workers afloat. But in the two months until inauguration day on Jan. 20, skyrocketing infections could add more than 8 million more cases and 70,000 deaths, representing a potential 80% increase in infections and a 29% rise in deaths, according to Reuters calculations.

UK reports 26,860 new COVID cases on Saturday, 462 deaths

Britain reported 26,860 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, down from 27,301 on Friday and the lowest number since Wednesday. The daily number of new deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test rose to 462 from 376 on Friday, taking the cumulative total to 51,766.

Johnson & Johnson, U.S. government expand pact to support next phase of COVID-19 vaccine R&D

Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have expanded an agreement to support the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine candidate research and development, the company said on Saturday. Under the agreement the company will commit approximately $604 million and the HHS Department's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will commit about $454 million to support the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial evaluating Janssen's investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate as a single dose in up to 60,000 volunteers worldwide, the company said in a statement.

Irish health chief concerned by unexpected rise in COVID-19 cases

An unexpected 10% rise in the five-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in Ireland threatens to reverse a recent sharp drop in the incidence rate of the disease to the third-lowest level in Europe, the country's chief medical officer said on Saturday. Ireland was among the first European countries to reimpose tough nationwide measures last month to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, with restrictions on travel and the closure of non-essential retail more than halving the 14-day infection rate to 130 cases per 100,000 people.

Italy daily coronavirus cases, deaths fall slightly

Italy has registered 37,255 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday, down from 40,902 on Friday. The ministry also reported 544 COVID-related deaths, down from 550 the day before.