Latest On Coronavirus

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 744,000, over 20.4 million cases of infection were detected, and over 12.6 million of those patients were cured, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from federal and local authorities, media and other sources.

As of 21:00 GMT Wednesday, the number of cases globally is 20,428,562, including 744,733 fatalities.

The United States still has the highest case count in the world, with 5,171,343, including 165,328 fatalities and 1,714,960 recoveries.

Russia's new vaccine against the coronavirus is recommended to be used for individuals aged from 18 to 60 years old, Vladimir Bondarev, the head of the Russian Health Ministry's Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products, said, adding that more research needs to be conducted to vaccinate people over 60 years old.

The first batch of the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 is expected to be released within two weeks, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said. Murashko announced his plans to get inoculated with the vaccine later in the month.

Russia may be able to produce 5 million doses of its new COVID-19 vaccine monthly by December, the director of the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Alexander Gintsburg, said.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Brazilian state of Parana have agreed to cooperate in the production and marketing of the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the RDIF said.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian scientists on developing the COVID-19 vaccine.

Palestinian Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafiz Nofal told Sputnik that the Arab nation was looking forward to receiving Russia's new vaccine against the coronavirus.

Egypt is in touch with Russian companies regarding the production of Russia's new coronavirus vaccine, Egyptian Ambassador in Moscow Ihab Nasr told Sputnik.

Officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines will meet with representatives of Russia's Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute on Wednesday to discuss Manila's participation in phase 3 trials of the Russian coronavirus vaccine, Philippine Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

The Wednesday issue of the French Le Liberation media outlet featured a cover depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin dressed as fictional agent James bond holding a syringe with a COVID-19 vaccine, a day after Russia said it had registered the world's first one, named Sputnik V.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said that safety and efficiency should be prioritized over speed after Russia registered the world's first COVID-19 vaccine.

All volunteers taking part in the coronavirus vaccine trials at Russia's State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector are feeling fine, and a report about their health condition will be later presented to the health ministry, Russian public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor told Sputnik

The Moldovan authorities expect to receive a vaccine against the coronavirus as soon as manufacturers begin to export it, President Igor Dodon said.

Traces of COVID-19 have been found on the outer packaging of frozen shrimps bought by a restaurant in eastern China's Anhui province from Ecuador, official media reported.

The regional authorities of Belgium's Brussels-Capital region have introduced the requirement to wear protective masks in all public places in the region's municipalities starting, as the health situation due to the coronavirus disease has deteriorated in recent weeks

Kazakhstan will begin lifting coronavirus-linked restrictions on flights to Russia and six other countries starting on August 17, the civil aviation committee said.

The Paris Marathon organizers announced cancellation of the annual race in the French capital which had been repeatedly rescheduled due to travel restrictions imposed worldwide in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Political manipulations on issues of the COVID-19 pandemic and bioterrorism for opportunistic purposes are unacceptable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

The UK economy has officially fallen into recession after its gross domestic product (GDP) shrank to a record 20.4 percent in the second quarter of 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that pandemics such as the ongoing global coronavirus disease one could deepen existing conflicts and instigate new confrontations.

Just over half of Americans now express confidence in the US medical system, the highest level recorded in surveys dating back to 2003, a new Gallup poll revealed.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the dissolution of the country's parliament ahead of a planned general election will be delayed to give lawmakers all possible options amid a resurgence of the COVID-19 outbreak.

More than 44 billion rubles ($600 million) were spent on the coronavirus treatment in Russia in the first half of 2020, 3.2 billion rubles were spent on testing for COVID-19, Olga Verkhovodova, department head of the Federal Compulsory Health Insurance Fund, said.

US law enforcement is currently tracking an unknown malicious cyber actor who is spoofing a Small business Administration (SBA) program providing relief to firms closed during the novel coronavirus crisis, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said.

A US court ordered internet companies to disable up to 300 websites operated from Vietnam that advertised and accepted payment for novel coronavirus products such as hand sanitizer that was never delivered, the Justice Department said.

The Canadian government is committing an additional $230 million in funding to support indigenous communities and organizations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Indigenous Services Canada said.