- Chinese President Xi Jinping said at an event in Beijing that the country was open and transparent about the coronavirus.
- Trainee doctors and interns return to work in South Korea after weeks of strikes over government reform plans.
- The University of Johns Hopkins reported more than 27.3 million cases of coronavirus worldwide and 892,443 died. At least 18.3 million people have recovered.
Here are the latest updates:
Tuesday, September 8
04:50 GMT – India has the highest number of deaths in a month
India has reported the highest number of deaths per month due to coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health said that 1,133 people had died with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 72,775.
The number of cases is 75,809, which is the minimum daily number for the week.
04:00 GMT – China says China is ‘open and transparent’ on COVID-19
More from an event in Beijing where President Xi Jinping speaks.
He told the audience that China had acted “openly and transparently” on the virus, which emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year.
He said the country had made “tough efforts” to help other countries affected by the disease.
03:50 GMT – Victoria to strengthen contact tracing while doubling down on Victoria
Victoria is strengthening its contract tracing program, which has seen a steady decline in cases.
State Premier Daniel Andrews said the state government will set up five contact tracing teams to focus on different geographical areas in the southeastern state of Australia, making it easier to target specific areas when patients are diagnosed.
Andrews said the state is on the right track with its tough lockdowns of low daily case statistics.
“Since the trend is with us, the trend is good so I think we can take some important steps soon,” he said, referring to more rural areas in the state at a news conference on television.
03:30 GMT – Ong Hong Nanshan honored at China Special COVID-19 event
China is hosting a special event to recognize China’s ‘role models’ in the fight against the coronavirus, China’s top respiratory pathologist ong nangshan has been awarded China’s highest honor – the Medal of the Republic.
Zhang was also part of a team of experts that first went to Wuhan in January to investigate a mysterious new virus that emerged in late December.
“We must not reduce our guard and end the war,” Ong Hong said in his acceptance speech.
China was furious with doctors in the city who tried to raise the alarm over the disease, and was outraged after the death of ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, who was severely reprimanded by authorities for raising his concerns about a new illness with colleagues. Li was ‘deported’ in August.
Role Models Appreciate Signals # ChinaVictory in a hard-won battle against the deadly # Corona virus: Epidemiologists https://t.co/K8pYHXXGRJ pic.twitter.com/wicpRQ6vPE
– Global Times (loglobaltimesnews) September 8, 2020
A building was never aptly named: People honored for their role in the nation’s COVID-19 struggle, visit the Great Hall of People in Beijing https://t.co/jPKTJsFodI #Thankyukovid19 Heroes pic.twitter.com/2itUE75GlV
– China Xinhua News (XHNews) September 8, 2020
03:15 GMT – South Korea has less than 200 daily cases per day
South Korea reported 136 new coronavirus cases for the sixth day in a row, with the number dropping to less than 200, Yonhap said.
The country is trying to control the spike in cases that began on August 14 and is linked to church service and a political rally in central Seoul.
Although the emergence of case clusters is a concern, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tough distance measures are beginning to take effect.
02:50 GMT – Antigen tests as Bali cases increase
The rise in coronavirus cases in the Indonesian island of Bali is being linked to inappropriate, low-cost rapid antibody testing kits used by medical professionals to test domestic visitors.
Foreign tourists will not be able to visit the famous island, but Indonesians have been able to do so since July 31.
Since then, the island’s tourism authority has said it welcomes an average of 3,000 domestic tourists every day.
With the return of tourists it has also increased in coronavirus cases, and health experts say the use of cheap, but unreliable, antigen tests creates a false sense of security.
You can read more about that story here Here.
01:40 GMT – Japan Emergency Reserve for Coronavirus Vaccines 3 6.3b
Japan has approved the use of $ 3.3 billion from its emergency budget to secure coronavirus vaccines.
The government says it hopes to vaccinate every citizen enough by the middle of next year.
01:30 GMT – The Japanese economy will slow down in Q2
The Japanese economy appears to have slowed further in the second quarter until the end of June than initially thought.
The government initially said the economy was down 7.8 percent compared to the first quarter.
Now it says a closer look at the figures reveals a 7.9 per cent drop.
This is the worst economic contraction in the country in modern history.
Japan shrinks: Coronavirus plunges economy into record contraction |
00:15 GMT – Victoria, Australia reports 55 new cases, eight deaths
The state of Victoria recorded 55 new coronavirus cases and eight other deaths.
The southeastern state now has one-third of the 26,377 cases in Australia. Melbourne, its capital city, is under a strict lockdown and curfew until September 28th.
# COVID19VicData For September 8, 2020. Yesterday 55 new cases were reported and 8 people lost their lives. Our thoughts are with all those who are affected. More information will be available later today. pic.twitter.com/GEo5Iio7vU
– VicGovDHHS (icVicGovDHHS) September 7, 2020
00:00 GMT – South Korean doctors say they will return to work
Medical associations in South Korea say their members are returning to work after weeks of strikes over government plans to reform the medical system.
The Korean Intern Residents Association (KIRA), which represents interns and residents in general hospitals, said doctors will resume work from 7 a.m. (22:00 GMT), the Yonhap news agency reported.
The special committee, which represents the doctors and physicians involved in the strike, said its members would also report for duty.
As coronavirus cases rise, the Korea Medical Association, the country’s largest medical group, reached an agreement with the government to end the strike on Friday.
—-
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continued coverage of the coronavirus epidemic. I Kate Mayberry Will be updating you in Kuala Lumpur and in the next few hours.
Read all updates from yesterday (September 7) Here.
More Stories
Allegations of corruption Qatar warns of ‘negative impact’ of European measures
USA: Famous “Hollywood cat” euthanized in Los Angeles
The campaigner who called for the shooting of Ukrainian children has not been charged