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 U.S. to surpass grim milestone
The death toll from the spread of coronavirus in the United States
was approaching more than 200,000 lives on Monday, more than double
the number of fatalities in India, the country reporting the world's
second-highest number of cases.
The United States, on a weekly average, is now losing about 800
lives each day to the virus, according to a Reuters tally. That is
down from a peak of 2,806 daily deaths recorded on April 15.
(Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2ZH76z6)
During the early months of the pandemic, 200,000 deaths was regarded
by many as the maximum number of lives likely to be lost in the
United States to COVID-19.
The pandemic is no longer focused on one or two epicentres. Instead
it is smouldering across all states, raising fears that when colder
weather forces more people inside, it could surpass the surge seen
in the summer.
UK 'at critical point'
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Monday pondering a
second national lockdown as an accelerating coronavirus outbreak
threatened to destroy any shoots of economic recovery and send
millions back into isolation.
The UK already has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in
Europe - and the fifth largest in the world - while it is borrowing
record amounts in an attempt to pump emergency money through the
damaged economy.
But new COVID-19 cases are rising by at least 6,000 per day in
Britain, according to week-old data, hospital admissions are
doubling every eight days, and the testing system is buckling.
"The trend in the UK is heading in the wrong direction and we are at
a critical point in the pandemic," Chris Whitty, the government's
chief medical officer, will say at a briefing.
Czech Republic sees surge in cases
Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech resigned on Monday following
criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic after a surge
in cases.
Before the start of the summer, the government lifted almost all
restrictions imposed during the first wave of the pandemic. The
number of infections has doubled this month and has grown at the
second fastest rate in Europe in recent weeks, behind Spain.
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Prime Minister Andrej Babis thanked Vojtech for his work in a Twitter message.
Vojtech had been heavily criticised over the new wave of infections although
some opposition politicians saw him as a scapegoat for the government.
In the past 14 days, the Czech Republic has registered 193 infections per
100,000 people.
'Light at the end of the tunnel' Down Under
Australia reported its smallest daily increase in new coronavirus infections in
more than three months, but authorities in the nation's virus hotspot of
Victoria said they could not hasten the easing of restrictions.
The 16 new infections are Australia's smallest daily jump since June 14, while
two additional deaths were reported.
"This light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer every day," Nick
Coatsworth, the chief deputy medical officer, told reporters.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lifted all coronavirus
restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the
number of new infections slowed to a trickle.
Taj Mahal welcomes back visitors
India reopened its famed monument to love, the Taj Mahal, with the first
visitors trickling in on Monday as authorities reported 86,961 new coronavirus
infections, with no signs of a peak yet.
A Chinese national and a visitor from Delhi were among the first to step into
the white marble tomb built by a 17th-century Mughal emperor for his wife when
it opened at sunrise, ending six months of closure.
Daily visitor numbers have been capped at 5,000, versus an average of 20,000
before the pandemic. Tickets are only being sold online, with fewer than 300
bought on the first day.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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