Health News

Fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections shut six major food markets in Beijing on Friday, while India, which opened up this week, recorded a record daily increase and half a dozen U.S. states said their hospital beds were filling up fast.

France reported on Friday that the number of people who died from coronavirus infection over the past 24 hours increased by just 28 to 29,374, the third day the toll remained under 30 and the lowest three-day toll since lockdown started in mid-March.

Breastfeeding mothers do not seem to be passing on the new coronavirus to their infants, and based on current evidence the benefits outweigh any potential risks of transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

A study of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine in mice lends some assurance that it will not increase the risk of more severe disease, and that one dose may provide protection against the novel coronavirus, according to preliminary data released on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled plans on Friday to send nearly 100 million face coverings to airports, transit agencies and U.S. passenger railroad service Amtrak over the coming weeks, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

U.S. health officials on Friday urged Americans to continue adhering to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures following rising concerns among experts that the reopening of the country's economy could lead to a fresh wave of infections.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 2,016,027 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 21,744 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 947 to 113,914.

The global coronavirus pandemic remains "very much in the upswing" with a danger the disease could swiftly return to countries as they emerge from lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Canada will take airline passengers' temperatures before they fly and anyone with a fever will not be allowed to travel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Turkey rose above 1,000 in the last 24 hours for the first time since May 29, Health Ministry data showed on Friday, after the easing of travel restrictions and reopening of public facilities at the start of last week.

German insurers are putting together plans for a multi-billion euro public-private fund to help companies deal with business interruptions from future pandemics, according to an industry paper.

A second wave of the coronavirus could derail efforts by governments to reopen economies and ease lockdown restrictions. Here is a rundown of countries and regions with the highest infection rates and measures taken to curb infection rates.

Japan aims to launch a smartphone app based on technology from Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google next week to help curb the spread of coronavirus by tracking close contact with those infected, the health ministry said on Friday.

Indian drugmaker Zydus Cadila said on Friday it signed a non-exclusive licensing pact with Gilead Sciences Inc to manufacture and market antiviral drug remdesivir, the first treatment to show improvement in COVID-19 trials.

Drugmakers are warning of a potential shortage of vials to bottle future COVID-19 vaccines, but their rush to secure supplies risks making matters worse, some major medical equipment manufacturers warn.

Fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections grew on Friday, with a record daily increase in India, warnings against complacency in Europe and news from half a dozen U.S. states that their hospital beds were filling up fast.

The European Commission received a mandate from EU governments on Friday to negotiate advance purchases of promising coronavirus vaccines, the EU's top health official said, but it is unclear whether there is enough money available.

The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe is not over yet, the European Union's top health official warned on Friday, urging governments to remain vigilant and plow ahead with testing and tracing the population.

The risk of a second wave of COVID-19 infections big enough to require European lockdowns to be reimposed is moderate to high, EU health experts said on Friday, and depends on the gradual easing of restrictions and how people stick to them.

Beijing city government on Friday reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the second consecutive day of new infections being reported in the Chinese capital.