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Melbourne under state of disaster, curfew to contain spike in coronavirus cases
Melbourne, Australia's second-biggest city, entered its first day of tougher restrictions to contain the spread of a resurgent coronavirus on Monday.
Authorities have declared a state of disaster across the surrounding state of Victoria and imposed a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time for six weeks in the city, affecting its five million residents.
Supermarkets will remain open along with restaurant takeaway and delivery services, but some other businesses will be asked to shut later this week. Schools will move to remote learning from Wednesday.
Australia's prime minister announced a $1,500 Australian ($1,428 Cdn) payment for workers in a hot-spot state who must self-isolate for 14 days and don't have paid sick leave.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the payment that will be available from Wednesday as disaster relief, and it was offered after the Victoria government declared a state of disaster in Melbourne on Sunday.
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Iran cover-up of deaths revealed by data leak
The number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what Iran's government claims, a BBC Persian service investigation has found.
The government's own records appear to show almost 42,000 people died with Covid-19 symptoms up to 20 July, versus 14,405 reported by its health ministry.
The number of people known to be infected is also almost double official figures: 451,024 as opposed to 278,827.
The official numbers still make Iran the worst-hit in the Middle East.
In recent weeks, it has suffered a second steep rise in the number of cases.
The first death in Iran from Covid-19 was recorded on 22 January, according to lists and medical records that have been passed to the BBC. This was almost a month before the first official case of coronavirus was reported there.
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WHO dashes new vaccine hopes
The World Health Organization poured cold water on hopes for developing a vaccine to counter COVID-19. “A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment — and there might never be.” Trump has been saying for months that a vaccine was coming. And just last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a congressional committee that he was "cautiously optimistic" researchers will have honed in on a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.
N.J. sees spike in COVID-19 cases as residents slack off on masks and social distancing
Cuomo slams Trump's coronavirus 'chaos,' WHO dashes new vaccine hopes, Birx feels wrath of Pelosi and prez.
Alarm bells went off in New Jersey on Monday as a state that appeared to have successfully flattened the coronavirus curve saw the number of new cases spike by 175 percent in the last two weeks, an NBC News analysis of the latest figures showed.
As of Monday morning, New Jersey had reported 185,537 confirmed cases and 15,836 deaths, according to the latest numbers. The state's rate of transmission had climbed back up to 1.48, equal to the levels in April when the pandemic was at its worst in the state.
From July 20 through Aug. 2, New Jersey logged 5,070 new cases and 134 deaths, the NBC News figures showed.
Gov. Phil Murphy responded Monday by tightening restrictions on the number of people who can gather at indoor venues or parties from 100 to 25.
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"...while there is hope for a vaccine against Covid-19, one might never be found."
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that while there is hope for a vaccine against Covid-19, one might never be found.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing there was "no silver bullet at the moment - and there might never be".
Mr Tedros implored people around the world to comply with measures such as social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing, saying: "Do it all."
Globally, more than 18 million Covid-19 infections have been recorded.
The death toll stands at 689,000, with both figures given by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
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As COVID-19 survivors face months of complications, experts studying long-term costs
International panel of doctors will suggest standards for mid- and long-term care of recovered patients to WHO.
Late in March, Laura Gross, 72, was recovering from gall bladder surgery in her Fort Lee, N.J., home when she became sick again.
Her throat, head and eyes hurt, her muscles and joints ached and she felt like she was in a fog. Her diagnosis was COVID-19. Four months later, these symptoms remain.
Gross sees a primary care doctor and specialists, including a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, neurologist, and gastroenterologist.
"I've had a headache since April. I've never stopped running a low-grade temperature," she said.
Studies of COVID-19 patients keep uncovering new complications associated with the disease.
With mounting evidence that some COVID-19 survivors face months, or possibly years, of debilitating complications, health-care experts are beginning to study possible long-term costs.
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