Coronavirus: World sees record daily rise in cases

• The US, India, South Africa and Mexico have set new daily infection records
• India is preparing to put 230 million people into a new weekend lockdown
• The Colombian capital of Bogota is re-imposing a "strict lockdown" after cases spiked
• More than 12.3 million recorded cases and over 556,000 deaths worldwide

All updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)

23:59: Brazil has reported 1,200 new deaths from the coronavirus.

The country’s total death toll has now reached 70,400 – the second highest in the world, after the US.

The country’s health ministry said that 45,000 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 1.8 million.

23:23: A federal judge in Indiana blocked the first execution in the US in 17 years, after some relatives of the victims sued the government.

The relatives cited concerns with exposure to COVID-19 if they attended the execution.

The judge issued the injunction three days before Daniel Lewis Lee was set to be executed by a lethal injection.

Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled that the Justice Department should delay the execution until the observers could attend without risking their health.

Lewis Lee was convicted in 1996 in Arkansas for killing a gun dealer, and the gun dealer's wife and daughter.

19:30 The world saw a new record in confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Friday, with the World Health Organization logging 228,102 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours.

The largest daily spikes came from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa where COVID-19 where governments are struggling to contain the spread of the virus.

The previous daily record for new cases was 212,326 which was set on July 4.

"Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "from countries where there is exponential growth, to places that are loosening restrictions and now starting to see cases rise."

"Only aggressive action combined with national unity and global solidarity can turn this pandemic around," he added.

16:00 Japan’s professional baseball league (NPB) and soccer league (J League) started to allow fans back into stadiums on Friday, three weeks after the delayed start of the regular season.

Stadiums could hold up to 5,000 fans or 50% of their capacity, whichever figure was smaller.

Fans in attendance were required to use hand sanitizer, follow social distancing and have their temperatures taken before entering. There were limits on the amount of cheering fans could do, which is a staple of Japanese baseball and soccer matches. Food, drink and souvenirs were on sale, but alcohol was not.

Despite a recent spike in cases, Japan has been mostly successful in controlling the coronavirus with about confirmed 1,000 deaths in a country of more than 125 million people.

14:45 In an emergency the EU could produce anti-viral coronavirus treatment Remdesivir without permission from its maker, European parliament member Peter Liese has told DW.

The EU could invoke compulsory licensing laws to produce the drug, said Liese.

Compulsory licensing is foreseen in emergency situations, said Liese, adding "I think we are in an emergency situation."

His comments come after the US announced it had purchased 92% of all Remdesivir from its producer, Gilead Sciences, until the end of September — about 500,000 treatments out of nearly 550,000.

The drug has been shown to shorten hospital stays for COVID-19 patients.

The world "cannot afford" to keep coronavirus treatments and vaccines to themselves, said Liese.

The Christian Democrat MEP told DW he thinks Europe would be "ready to share" any potential future vaccine or treatment with the rest of the world.

13:45 Australia has given the green light to use the anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus after similar approval was given by the European Commission a week ago.

It is the first drug authorized by Australian authorities to treat COVID-19. Remdesivir can help reduce the time spent in hospital, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration(TGA) said in a statement.

"By reducing recovery times, patients will be able to leave hospital earlier, freeing beds for those in need," the TGA said.

The drug was given provisional approval for use by adults and adolescent patients. It would only be prescribed for those severely unwell from the virus, needing help to breathe and in-hospital care, the TGA noted. Trials have indicated that the drug only helps with the most severe cases.

"While this is a major milestone in Australia's struggle against the pandemic, it is important to emphasize that the product has not been shown to prevent coronavirus infection or relieve milder cases of infection."

12:45 A localized lockdown for a Mennonite community in the town of Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has been lifted after widespread testing revealed only a limited number of cases.

The entire community was put in quarantine pending testing this week. In the meantime, around 900 have been tested with only 25 positive results. 

"This is a most pleasing result," said local politician Günther Rosencke. "With [numbers like] this, we are far away from [needing to] impose limitations on people's movements."

The community plans to hold church services and use their school once more.

11:42 The Spanish region of Extremadura is following in the footsteps of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands by implementing a face mask rule.

Spain's strict lockdown ended in the middle of June, but the number of daily coronavirus infections has been increasing recently in some parts of the country.

Authorities in Extremadura, an autonomous region that borders Portugal, have taken the precautionary measure meaning everyone over the age of six must, from Saturday, must wear face masks when outside or when in enclosed public spaces.

10:28 Italy will likely extend a state of emergency beyond its current deadline of July 31 due to the health emergency, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday.

"The possible extension simply means that we are in a position to continue taking the necessary measures" to face the epidemic, Conte said, speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony in Venice.

Italy declared a six-month state of emergency at the end of January, allowing the government to cut through red tape quickly if needed, after two Chinese tourists tested positive for the new coronavirus in the first cases detected in the country.

09:52 The United States has posted 65,551 new coronavirus cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

On Thursday, the hardest-hit country by the pandemic, had a total caseload of more than 3.1 million, with 133,195 deaths. 

The US has seen a spike in infections in recent weeks, particularly in the south and west, and health experts worry the death rate may soon follow the same trajectory. 

"We're in a very difficult, challenging period right now," top US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said during a teleconference organized by news outlet The Hill.

"We need to get the states pausing in their opening process," he said, although he added: "I don't think we need to go back to an extreme of shutting down."

President Donald Trump, who has openly said he disagrees with Fauci, has downplayed the spike in cases.

"For the 1/100th time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven't done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better," he tweeted Thursday.

09:06 Singaporeans have been hitting the polls as the island city-state holds a general election with the coronavirus pandemic providing a unique backdrop to proceedings.

Face masks and gloves were on show as citizens observed social distancing when they approached the ballot box.

A nine-day campaign occurred predominantly online due to rallies being prohibited to reduce the risk of infection.

Polls will close at 8 p.m. local time (1200 UTC/GMT), with the outcome expected to be announced early Saturday.

The affluent financial hub had witnessed significant outbreaks in dormitories that house low-paid foreign workers, but with new infections in decline and authorities easing a partial lockdown, the government decided to call the election.

The opposition accused the ruling People's Action Party of being "irresponsible," but officials insist they have ensured the safety of some 2.65 million eligible voters.

09:02 India's most-populous state, Uttar Pradesh, will enter a fresh lockdown for two days starting late Friday, the state government has announced. 

All stores and businesses across the northern state have been ordered to close. Pharmacies and grocery stores will remain open, however.

The announcement comes as India reported a record 26,506 new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

Cases in Uttar Pradesh, with a population nearing 230 million people passed 32,000.

Read more: Can India really have a coronavirus vaccine ready by August?

08:40 Revellers in the Australian city of Melbourne have been fined A$26,000 ($18,000, €15,995) for a banned coronavirus birthday party. The event was busted after they placed an order at the fast-food chain KFC.

Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria state, was ordered into a six-week-long lockdown on Wednesday after a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Police discovered the party after being tipped off by paramedics who were eating at a KFC restaurant and saw two people order 20 meals in the early hours of Friday, said Shane Patton, the state police commissioner.

The police then followed the car and discovered 16 people hiding in a house in Dandenong, a south-eastern suburb of the city.

Patton said the behavior was "ridiculous," adding: "That is a heck of a birthday party to recall."

In the past 24 hours, the state recorded 288 new cases – the largest single-day increase in the country since the pandemic began.

08:15 The majority of Germans support mandatory face mask-wearing when out shopping, according to the results of a study conducted by German public broadcaster ZDF.

A total of 87% of survey participants support face masks, compared with just 12% who are against it.

Most of the over 1,200 participants that took part in the study are also convinced of the benefits of wearing a face mask in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. A total of 73% believe the masks are helpful compared with 26% who think the masks help only a little or not at all.

Mask-wearing was supported by people across the political spectrum, the study found.

The results come as several German states are considering doing away with compulsory face mask-wearing in shops. 

Current coronavirus rules across all of Germany required people to wear a face mask while shopping and while on public transport.

06:32 World Health Organization experts will spend the next two days in the Chinese capital to lay the groundwork for a larger mission to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One animal health expert and one epidemiologist during their visit to Beijing this weekend will work to fix the "scope and terms of reference" for the future mission aimed at learning how the virus jumped from animals to humans, the agency's statement said Friday.

The WHO mission is politically sensitive, with the US — the top funder of the U.N. body moving to cut ties with it over allegations the agency mishandled the outbreak and is biased toward China.

 More than 120 nations called for an investigation into the origins of the virus at the World Health Assembly in May. China has insisted that WHO lead the investigation and for it to wait until the pandemic is brought under control. 

05:42 From today, England and Northern Ireland have dropped a rule requiring arrivals from more than 50 countries to self-quarantine for 14 days. Visitors from Germany, France, Spain and Italy are now exempt, but not those from the United States. 

The move also clears the way for millions of British tourists to take summer holidays without worrying about being quarantined when they return.

Scotland on Thursday said it will use a similar list but retain quarantine for travel from Spain.

Northern Ireland's decision to align with England's approach sets it at odds with the neighboring Republic of Ireland, with which it shares an open border.

The Irish government has delayed dropping its 14-day quarantine for any country until July 20 and has indicated it is likely to produce a relatively shortlist.

Read more: Severe brain damage possible even with mild coronavirus symptoms

05:10 Hong Kong is to close all schools after a spike in locally transmitted coronavirus cases that has fuelled fears of a renewed community spread in the city.

The city's education minister said schools would be shut from Monday, bringing forward the start of the summer holidays

The South China Morning Post quoted a health official as saying that at least 30 more people had tested positive for the virus.

The Asian financial hub reported 42 new cases on Thursday, of which 34 were locally transmitted, marking the second consecutive day of rising local infections.

The total number of cases in the city since late January now stands at 1,366. Seven people have died.

04:00 Germany has reported 442 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the country to 197,783, according to the latest figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Germany recorded 12 new deaths, with the total death toll in the country standing at 9,048.

Read more: COVID Travel Diaries: On tour in Germany in times of coronavirus

03:50 Australia has said it is capping the number of citizens and permanent residents who can return to the country from overseas.

Australia, which was allowing around 8,000 people to return each week, will allow a maximum of 4,000 people per week from Monday. The country's decision comes amid rising cases of the coronavirus in Australian cities.

The country's second-most populous state of Victoria said on Friday the number of its new coronavirus infections had hit a daily record.

State Premier Daniel Andrews, who said 288 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, urged residents of metropolitan areas of Melbourne to wear masks outdoors.

03:10 The US registered more than 60,500 new COVID-19 infections, setting a one-day record.

The Thursday tally was a slight rise from the previous day when the country saw a rise of at least 60,000 new cases.

It is the largest one-day increase by any country since the pandemic emerged in China last year.

Infections have been on the rise in 41 of the 50 US states for the past two weeks, with states like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida struggling to contain their outbreaks.

Florida registered nearly 9,000 new cases and a daily record of 120 deaths. But Governor Ron DeSantis has urged residents not to be afraid, calling the increases "blips."

"I know we've had a lot of different blips," DeSantis said."We're now at a higher blip than where we were in May and the beginning of June."

Florida is one of the few US states that does not disclose its COVID-19 hospitalization numbers. But more than four dozen hospitals in the state have reportedly reached full capacity in their intensive care units earlier this week.

Read more: Is compulsory licensing of remdesivir a feasible option?

01:50 Mexico has hit a new record for new coronavirus infections on a single day, with 7,280 cases. This brings the country's COVID-19 tally to 282,283, health ministry data showed. 

The country has recorded 730 additional fatalities, bringing its overall death toll to 33,526. The figures surpass those of the previous day, which were also record-high numbers, with 6,995 new cases registered. 

It all comes as US carmaker Ford Motor Company expressed concerns about coronavirus restrictions imposed on staffing at factories by Mexico's Chihuahua state. 

"With our U.S. plants running at 100 percent, that is not sustainable," he said in a statement. "While we do not expect any impact to production next week, we are continuing to work with government officials on ways to safely and constructively resume remaining production." 

Read more: Dangers of corona aerosols are underestimated

01:08 More Latin American political leaders have tested positive for COVID-19. Jeanine Añez Chávez, the president of Bolivia, confirmed that she was infected with the coronavirus. 

In a tweet, she said that she plans to stay in isolation for 14 days, after which she will get tested again. Chávez said that she would continue working from isolation.  

Her positive result comes at a time when Bolivia's hospitals are overwhelmed by demand and struggling to admit COVID-19 patients. Bolivia currently has 42,984 cases. 

Shortly after, Venezuela's socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello, considered the second-most powerful person in the country after President Nicolas Maduro, said he too tested positive for COVID-19.   

Cabello said on Twitter that he is isolating and getting treatment. ''We will win!'' he wrote, pledging to recover soon from the illness.  

Venezuela is considered one of the world's least prepared countries to confront the pandemic, with a poor healthcare infrastructure where hospitals are routinely short on basic supplies like water, electricity and medicine.   

Officials had reported 8,010 confirmed cases and 75 deaths from the virus so far and the country has been on an ongoing lockdown for nearly four months.  

The announcements come days after Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro confirmed he had tested positive for coronavirus and as the epidemic has intensified in the region. 

00:25 South Africa has announced its highest daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases with 13,674 new infections.

The country - Africa's most developed nation - is now a hot spot in the global pandemic with 238,339 total confirmed cases.

Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, has more than a third of the total cases.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said South Africa could run out of available hospital beds within the month.

00:10 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Latin America and the Caribbean have become a ''hot spot'' for the COVID-19 pandemic, as several countries now have one of the highest per capita infection rates and number of cases in the world.

''Urban transmission of COVID-19 is of special concern to Latin America and the Caribbean as the world's most urbanized developing region,'' a new UN report said.

Some 80% of the region's population lives in cities, Guterres noted, pointing to slums especially in the largest ones as potential breeding grounds.

''COVID-19 represents a massive health, social and economic shock with an immense human toll for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean,'' the report said. ''It is expected to result in the deepest recession in living memory.''

During a video and a briefing for the recently released report, Guterres said that a 9.1% contraction in GDP is expected this year in the region, which would be the ''largest in a century.''

The UN chief said Latin America and the Caribbean already face ''gaping inequalities,'' high levels of informal labor and fragmented health services.

Unemployment in the region is expected to rise to 13.5% from 8.1% last year, affecting more than 44 million people, compared to over 18 million in 2019, the report warned.

The poverty rate is also expected to rise to 37.2% from 30.2%, affecting some 230 million people compared to 185 million last year.

''Women, who make up the majority of the workforce in economic sectors being most affected, now must also bear the brunt of additional caregiving,'' Guterres said. ''Older persons and persons with disabilities are at much higher risk of death from the virus.''

He added that Indigenous peoples, those of African descent, migrants and refugees ''are also suffering disproportionately.''

00:00 Catch up on Thursday's coronavirus news here: WHO launches panel to review international COVID-19 response

In reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, unless otherwise specified, DW uses figures provided by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Coronavirus Resource Center in the United States. JHU updates figures in real-time, collating data from world health organizations, state and national governments, and other public official sources, all of whom have their own systems for compiling information.

Germany's national statistics are compiled by its public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). These figures depend on data transmission from state and local levels and are updated around once a day, which can lead to deviation from JHU.

jg/mm (dpa, AP, AFP, Reuters)