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Greece reports spike in cases as Danish expert advises against easing – as it happened

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Tue 4 Aug 2020 19.31 EDTFirst published on Mon 3 Aug 2020 19.16 EDT
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A technical problem has caused a lag in California’s tally of coronavirus test results, casting doubt on the accuracy of recent data showing improvements in the infection rate and number of positive cases, and hindering efforts to track the spread, the state’s top health official said.

Health and human services secretary Dr Mark Ghaly said in recent days California has not been receiving a full count of tests conducted, or positive results, through electronic lab reports due to the unresolved issue, which he did not describe in detail.

The state’s data page now carries a disclaimer saying the numbers represent “an underreporting of actual positive cases” per day.

The latest daily tally posted Tuesday showed 4,526 new confirmed positives, the lowest total in more than six weeks and a precipitous drop from the record nearly 13,000 reported two weeks ago.

County health officials have posted notices on their sites advising of the lag and that a drop in cases might not paint a full picture.

People line up at a mobile coronavirus testing site at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. Photograph: Marcio José Sánchez/AP

Wendy Hetherington, Riverside county’s chief of epidemiology and program evaluation, said she believes hundreds of cases a day haven’t been reported in her county.

The under-count impedes the ability to find newly infected individuals and quickly contact those who have been in close contact with them so they can self-quarantine to avoid spreading the disease.

She said: “We can’t tell how well we’re doing until this issue is resolved.”

Even with the under-reporting of cases, California has recorded more positive tests than any other state, about 520,000.

On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his most optimistic report on the state’s virus efforts since a second surge of cases in early June.

He noted daily cases had dropped by an average of 2,200 in the last week and the infection rate of 6.1% was significantly lower than the nearly 8% recorded last month.

Ghaly acknowledged the rate Newsom highlighted was based on incomplete data and that missing data is being inputted manually. He stressed that looking at one- and two-week trends can help account for missing data from individual days.

Ghaly said hospitalisation data which doesn’t run through the same troubled system has seen signs of improvement.

The latest count Tuesday showed 6,302 people were hospitalised, a 12% drop from the high recorded in July. Deaths have now topped 9,500.

Summary

Here are the latest global coronavirus updates from the last few hours:

  • France says its “situation is precarious” and warns second wave likely in autumn or winter. The warning comes as authorities seek to contain an increase in new cases over the past two weeks.
  • Number of French Covid-19 patients in intensive care rises for second day. The number of people in ICU rose by four to 388 after it rose by 13 on Monday, reversing a downtrend that has been in place for 16 weeks.
  • Rafael Nadal withdraws from US Open over Covid concerns. The four-time winner at Flushing Meadows does not want to travel to the United States while Covid-19 cases are on the rise.
  • Turkey tightens containment measures after virus rebounds. The country tightened coronavirus rules, including daily quarantine inspections, new tracing oversights and measures for weddings and funerals, after new daily cases jumped above 1,000 for the first time in three weeks.
  • Ireland cancels plans to re-open pubs on Monday. The Irish prime minister announced that further plans for easing of lockdown measures are to be put on hold and face coverings will be mandatory in shops from 10 August.
  • Greece reports 121 new coronavirus cases, highest number in weeks. Authorities reported 121 new coronavirus cases, the highest since 22 April, after a steady rise over the past 10 days.
  • Germany football league “ready” for fans to return. The league’s 36 professional clubs have decided on a uniform procedure for the possible return of some fans to the stadiums, if authorities give the go-ahead.
  • Danish state epidemiologist advises against lockdown easing. Kare Molbak said he could not recommend proceeding to the next phase of reopening society during the coronavirus outbreak.
  • The number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in the Netherlands almost doubled last week. A further 2,588 new cases were reported over the past week, 1,259 more than were reported the week before.
  • Poland reports record daily increase for fourth time in a week. The latest tally of 680 new infections and six deaths comes as Poland considers introducing stricter restrictions, including mandatory testing for travellers returning to Poland and quarantine for those coming from certain countries.
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Covid-19 cases almost double in the Netherlands

The number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in the Netherlands almost doubled last week, according to government data released today.

A further 2,588 new cases were reported over the past week, 1,259 more than were reported the week before.

There were major regional differences in the uptick, with the province of South Holland in particular showing an increase in cases.

There are now 242 known active Covid-19 clusters in the country, an increase of 109 clusters of three or more related infections compared to the previous week.

Covid-19 hospital admissions (current and previous) were reported during the past week for 44 patients - 21 more than last week.

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Walt Disney’s live-action version of Mulan will skip most of the world’s movie theatres and go directly to its streaming platform in September, the media giant has said.

The decision follows uncertainty about when big cinema chains in the US will be able to reopen after being shuttered since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mulan will cost a premium price of $29.99 on the Disney+ streaming service in the United States, Canada, Australia and parts of Western Europe, Disney’s chief executive, Bob Chapek, said.

The movie, reported to have cost $200m to produce, will be released on 4 September in cinemas in areas that do not currently have the Disney+ platform and where movie theatres are open, Chapek added.

Mulan had been scheduled to reach cinemas in March, but its release has been postponed several times as many cinemas remain closed.

Most recently, it was set to debut 21 August, and theatre operators had hoped it would help spark a late-summer rebound for movie-going.

The UK’s Tuesday newspaper front pages have started coming in, with a number leading on coronavirus-related stories.

The Guardian has an exclusive on Labour leader Keir Starmer saying ministers have one month to fix the broken test-and-trace system and halt a devastating second wave of coronavirus.

He warned there is “precious little evidence” of serious preparation for a resurgence in Covid-19 cases.

GUARDIAN: ⁦@Keir_Starmer⁩ : fix virus testing or face long bleak winter #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/OiyTPxsw5h

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

The Telegraph leads on comments from the Children’s Commissioner arguing that if a trade off has to be made, pubs and shops should be shut to allow schools to open.

Anne Longfield said schools should only be closed as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted.

TELEGRAPH: Close pubs and shops to reopen schools #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/noXvTx7EU1

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

The Daily Mail reports that those suffering from heart conditions, strokes, diabetes and lung disease are among the worst affected by NHS delays caused by the pandemic, according to a survey of senior doctors.

MAIL: The real health cost of lockdown #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/5OcqqdGaO1

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

Metro leads on a report by MPs which found dropping checks and restrictions on travellers entering the country in mid-March was a “grave error” that “significantly increased” the spread of the virus.

METRO: Open border lead to Covid killing more #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Xme6y8lKqp

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

The i looks at personal protective equipment and the way in which NHS staff were forced to turn to fashion stores and volunteers for supplies during the height of the outbreak in the UK.

The newspaper says its audit of hundreds of financial records show vast emergency spending in the wake of PPE distribution failures.

I: PPE chaos revealed #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/2rVVLSjOlk

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

Finally, the Yorkshire Post reports the shift to work from home could help transform the rural economy, with more employees given the opportunity to work from small towns and villages.

YORKSHIRE POST: A watershed to transform rural areas #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/M5AEl1L78b

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 4, 2020

Rafael Nadal withdraws from US Open over Covid concerns

Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell

Defending champion Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the US Open citing concerns over coronavirus. The four-time winner at Flushing Meadows does not want to travel to the United States while Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

He joins women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty in pulling out of the tournament due to the threat of coronavirus.

“After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year’s US Open. The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don’t have control of it,” Nadal wrote.

“This is a decision I never wanted to take but I have decided to follow my heart this time and for the time being I rather not travel.”

After many thoughts I have decided not to play this year’s US Open. The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don’t have control of it.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 4, 2020

The 2020 international tennis calendar had earlier dwindled to a handful of events when the Madrid Open became the latest and least surprising casualty of the pandemic.

In a joint statement, the ATP and the WTA said the seemingly inevitable cancellation of the first of two remaining clay Masters events before the rescheduled French Open in September was “a decision that has been taken in line with local authorities due to health and safety concerns”.

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Walt Disney has reported a rare quarterly loss as the Covid-19 pandemic pummeled its theme parks, television networks and movie studio businesses, even as the crisis helped its streaming services gain users.

The outbreak forced the company to close some of its parks globally, delay the release of films, including the much-anticipated Mulan, while also dampening advertising on its media networks segment that includes the sports-starved ESPN.

Net loss from continuing operations was $4.72bn, or $2.61 per share, in the third quarter ended 27 June, compared with a net profit of $1.43bn, or 79 cents per share, a year earlier.

Novavax has said its experimental Covid-19 vaccine produced antibodies against the coronavirus and appears to be safe, according to initial data from a small, early-stage clinical trial.

The Maryland-based biotechnology company said its vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373, produced higher levels of the antibodies in healthy volunteers after two doses than those found in recovered Covid-19 patients, raising hopes for its eventual success.

The addition of its Matrix-M adjuvant, a substance designed to boost the body’s immune response, did enhance the effect of the vaccine in the study, the company said.

The Novavax vaccine is among the first of a handful of programmes singled out for US funding under Operation Warp Speed, the White House programme to accelerate access to vaccines and treatments that can fight the virus.

Novavax research chief Gregory Glenn told Reuters the company will start much larger late-stage clinical trials soon and could potentially glean enough data to obtain regulatory approvals as early as December.

The US government in July agreed to pay Novavax $1.6bn to help cover costs related to testing and manufacturing the vaccine, with the aim of procuring 100m doses by January 2021.

The trial, which started in late May, tested the vaccine in 106 subjects aged 18 to 59 versus a placebo.

The company said the second vaccination induced greater levels of side effects such as swelling and pain at the injection site, which are not considered serious, with only one participant experiencing fever.

The Phase II portion of the study will be conducted in multiple countries, including the US. It will gauge the vaccine’s ability to prevent infections or reduce severity of Covid-19, in addition to safety and immune response, among a broader range of volunteers.

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France’s Accor, the world’s sixth largest hotel chain, said it was slashing 1,000 jobs worldwide in a major cost cutting plan accelerated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The group, which runs high-end chains such as Raffles and Sofitel, and budget brands like Ibis, plans to cut costs by €200m by 2022.

The pandemic has led to the closure of several Accor hotels around the world and 1,000 of the group’s 18,000 employees will lose their jobs, financial chief Jean-Jacques Morin said.

“It is difficult to implement cost saving measures in our industry without it having an effect on staff,” Morin said.

“We will help them,” he said, of the 1,000 people to be laid off.

Accor posted half-year net losses of €1.5bn ($1.7bn) against profits of €141m during the same period last year.

“The bad half-year results reflect the extraordinary environment linked to the coronavirus crisis,” Morin said.

“The shock that our industry is experiencing is both violent and unprecedented,” Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin said.

After weeks of railing against what he claimed were the potential risks of voting by mail, president Donald Trump has urged voters in at least one Republican state - Florida - to vote by any means.

Trump, who is trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in polls, has repeatedly warned in recent weeks - without evidence - that mail-in voting carries more risks than voting by absentee ballot and could result in widespread fraud.

Voting by mail has been embraced as a way to limit exposure to Covid-19. Most absentee ballots are also conducted by mail.

On Tuesday, Trump suggested there was no difference after all, and urged voters in the key state of Florida to trust their voting system.

“Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA,” Trump wrote.

Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president remained concerned about “mass mail-out voting,” such as that planned in Nevada and California’s Los Angeles county, but not absentee ballots that require a proactive request by voters.

Trump on Monday vowed to sue Nevada, which plans to send mail-in ballots to every voter ahead of the 3 November presidential election in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington already conduct their elections entirely by mail, while California and Vermont have decided to do so this year due to the pandemic.

The issue has spawned partisan litigation in dozens of states over issues like absentee ballots and signature requirements.

Democrats and voting rights groups have warned that cost-saving measures instituted at the Postal Service by a Trump financial backer who is now the postmaster general could lead to delays in service just as voting by mail ramps up.

Turkey clamps down again after 'severe' jump in virus

Turkey has rolled out new inspection and enforcement rules after coronavirus cases jumped above 1,000 for the first time in three weeks, in what the government called a grave rise during peak holiday season.

Top doctors have warned about insufficient testing and urged a tougher message from Ankara, which lifted a partial lockdown in June and has since lobbied hard for countries to allow tourists to visit to help get the economy back on its feet.

President Tayyip Erdoğan’s government had called 1,000 a critical threshold to reconsider rules.

On Tuesday it adopted daily quarantine inspections, new tracing oversight in all cities and measures for weddings, funerals and other large gatherings, although it avoided broad curbs on economic activity.

The interior ministry said the nationwide rules - including some fines for violations - were needed to sustain the fight against the pandemic that has killed 5,765 and infected 234,934 in Turkey.

The central city of Kirikkale will pilot a new call centre that checks complaints about citizens ignoring face masks and other rules, and for a “safe area” rewards system for business that abide by them, the ministry said.

The 1,083 new Covid-19 cases reflect a “severe” rise after a four-day holiday weekend, health minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter, urging Turks to avoid unnecessary contact so that their vacations do not have grave consequences.

New cases had hovered just below 1,000 since 13 July.
The government has not publicly disclosed the number of critical care or intubated patients since 29 July, raising questions among some experts even while more than 40,000 tests have been logged daily.

Dr Bülent Yilmaz, general secretary of the Turkish Medical Association, said people at risk were missing out on tests.

“Most of the tests are done to those who need routine tests. It seems that those who are in real trouble and risk groups are not sufficiently tested,” Yilmaz told Reuters.

Turks ignoring social distancing on vacation was troubling, he added.

The images from the beaches are grim, but you cannot really blame people.

The government needs to show the situation is serious so that people can take it seriously, too.

Germany, Turkey’s second biggest source of tourists, has lifted a travel warning on four Turkish seaside provinces with low infection rates to help revive tourism.

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President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, returned to work at the White House on Tuesday following his recovery from a mild case of Covid-19, a National Security Council spokesman said.

O’Brien “has already met with the president, who warmly welcomed him back to the West Wing”, spokesman John Ullyot said.

“He has been cleared by doctors after two negative tests for the virus, and has been asymptomatic for over a week,” Ullyot added.

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