India coronavirus cases third-highest globally: Live updates | News

• Officials in Texas are warning that hospitals in the United States state could soon be overwhelmed if coronavirus cases continue to surge.
• The border between the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales will be closed at midnight on Tuesday for the first time in a century.
• More than 11.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and 533,781 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 6.2 million have recovered from the disease.

Here are the latest updates:

Monday, July 6

07:38 GMT – How coronavirus spread across India

India has nearly 700,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with nearly 70 percent of total cases reported in June alone. This sharp increase has taken India from seventh-highest most affected country in the world at the end of May to third-highest today. Only Brazil and the US have more confirmed cases, respectively 1.6m and 2.8m. 

Below is an animated graphic that shows how the coronavirus spread across Indian states since March.

07:20 GMT – China detains professor who criticised Xi over coronavirus

Law professor Xu Zhangrun, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, was detained by authorities, the AFP reported citing friends of the man. 

Zhangrun had previously published essays criticising President Xi Jinping over the coronavirus pandemic and his efforts to consolidate power.

According to one of his friends who spoke on condition of anonymity, Zhangrun was taken from his home in suburban Beijing by more than 20 people.

07:12 GMT – Drones light up Seoul sky with messages

The sky in Seul lit up with hundreds of drones in a spectacular showcase of motivational and awareness messages.

Three hundred unmanned aerial vehicles formed images with messages reminding people of key precautionary measures, expressing gratitude for medical personnel in the frontlines of the pandemic as well as thanking all South Koreans for their collective efforts.

06:52 GMT – Pakistan cases cross 231,000 mark

Pakistan registered 3,344 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, taking the overall numbers to 231,818, with 50 deaths taking the death toll to 4,844. 

Pakistan’s mortality rate from the coronavirus remains relatively low, at 2.08 percent, and authorities claim they have controlled the rapid spread of the virus through the use of “smart lockdowns”.

Testing is reduced, however, with roughly 22,000 tests carried out on Sunday, compared to a peak of over 31,000/day. 

People attend Friday prayers along a sidewalk at a business area, after Pakistani authorities re-imposed lockdowns in selected areas in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease in Karachi, Pakistan [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]

06:32 GMT – UK hopes for socially distanced cultural performances 

Britain hopes to permit outdoor and socially distanced performances at cultural venues, said minister Oliver Dowden, after announcing a nearly $2 billion investment in the arts.

“I want all our cultural institutions to return to normal,” the culture minister told Sky News.

“Very soon I hope we will be able to permit outdoor performances and then later over the summer be able to have socially distant performances and have pilots to look at other innovative ways that performances can return.”

05:45 GMT – Pakistan health minister tests positive

Pakistani Health Minister Zafar Mirza said he tests positive for COVID-19.

“I have isolated myself at home & taking all precautions. I have mild symptoms. Please keep me in your kind prayers. Colleagues, keep up the good work!” he said on Twitter. 

I have tested positive for COVID-19. Under med advice I have isolated myself at home & taking all precautions. I have mild symptoms. Please keep me in your kind prayers. Colleagues, keep up the good work! You are making a big difference & I am proud of you.

— Zafar Mirza (@zfrmrza) July 6, 2020327>

Hi, this is Virginia Pietromarchi taking over the live blog from my colleague Kate Mayberry.

04:50 GMT – India records 23,000 new cases; third worst-affected in world

India reported more than 23,000 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, overtaking Russia to become the country with the third highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.

India has confirmed a total of 697,413 cases, compared with Russia’s 680,283.

The caseload is about eight times that of China which has a similar sized population.

Offiicals in the northern city of Agra say that because of the rise in cases, the Taj Mahal, which was scheduled to reopen on Monday, will remain closed.

The planned reopening of the Taj Mahal in Agra has been postponed as coronavirus cases continue to grow in India [File: Sunil Kataria/Reuters]

04:00 GMT – Broadway star dies of COVID-19 at age of 41

Broadway star Nick Cordero has died of coronavirus.

The 41-year-old Canadian, who was nominated for a Tony for his role in Bullets over Broadway, had been in hospital for three months and had had his right leg amputated as a result of the disease.

His wife, Amanda Kloots, announced his death on Instagram. The couple had a one-year-old son together.

“God has another angel in heaven now,” she wrote. “I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. I can’t imagine our lives without him.”

Nick Cordero passed at 11:40am today with his mother and wife by his side. I can honesty tell you I have never met a kinder human being. Don’t believe that Covid only claims the elderly and infirm.
I am so grateful for the time we had. “We’ll catch up some other time.” pic.twitter.com/Oq2a8QsIyH

— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) July 6, 2020

RIP Nick Cordero! My condolences to you Amanda who fought and loved so hard….so sorry for his little one. My heart is with you. May flights of angels…..❤❤❤🙏🏿🙏🏿 https://t.co/nRE3AmS0A2

— Viola Davis (@violadavis) July 6, 2020

heartbroken doesn’t even cover it. sending so much love to amanda, elvis, and their families. he will be missed by so many. truly desisted 💔 https://t.co/7ptkxwLP9m

— Jessie Mueller News (@jessiemnews) July 6, 2020

03:15 GMT – Mexico’s President rejects comparisons with European death tolls

Mexico’s president Andres Manuel Lopex Obrador refused to compare Mexico with European countries on Sunday as the country’s coronavirus death toll mounted.

Mexico now has 30,639 deaths, the fifth highest in the world, overtaking France.

“The population of Spain and France is smaller than that of Mexico,” Lopez Obrador said in a video message posted to YouTube. “For every one who has died in our country, three have died in Spain. We cannot compare this.”

Mexico has a population of 127 million, compared with 67 million in France and 47 million in Spain.

The five countries with the highest death tolls:

1. US – 129,946
2. Brazil – 64,867
3. UK – 44,305
4. Italy – 34,861
5. Mexico – 30,639

Source: Johns Hopkins University

03:00 GMT – The Louvre to reopen on Monday

After four months of closure, the Louvre in the heart of Paris is due to reopen at 9am local time (07:00 GMT).

All visitors are required to book a time slot and wear a mask inside the buildings, while efforts have been made to avoid overcrowding.

The Salle des Etats where the Mona Lisa is displayed and which is usually jam-packed, will have separate entry and exit points.

J-1 avant la réouverture ! ⏳
La Joconde est prête à vous accueillir de nouveau… 😊

Préparez votre visite 👉 https://t.co/S6vMEFSL46 pic.twitter.com/wO5ZEo6DrB

— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) July 5, 2020

Translation: One day until we reopen. The Mona Lisa is ready to welcome you once again.

02:20 GMT – Saudi Arabia announces new domestic controls for COVID-19

Saudi Arabia has announced new health protocols for this year’s Hajj, which will be open only to domestic pilgrims. 

Touching the Kaaba will be banned and a social distancing space of one and a half metres enforced during mass prayers and while circling the Kaaba.

Access to Hajj sites at Mona, Muzadalifah and Arafat will also be limited to those with Hajj permits from July 19 until August 2, according to the state news agency.

Strict social distancing will be enforced during this year’s Hajj when pilgrims circle the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca [File: Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters]

01:45 GMT – Bolivia’s health minister diagnosed with coronavirus

Bolivia’s health minister Eidy Roca has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the third member of the country’s cabinet to be confirmed with the disease in four days.

Roca is in a stable condition and “strictly complying with the safety protocol that inlcudes isolation, medication and care,”  according to a statement from her office.

00:50 GMT – Victoria/NSW border closure confirmed

Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state border with New South Wales (NSW) will be closed at midnight on Tuesday in Australia.

Victoria, which has sealed off a number of Melbourne suburbs and imposed a draconian lockdown on nine public housing blocks, said it had 127 new cases of the coronavirus. It now has 645 active cases.

Premier @DanielAndrewsMP confirms From 11.59pm tomorrow night the border with Vic and NSW will be closed. He says “all of us” agreed ( @GladysB @ScottMorrisonMP )
Says the border enforcement will be on NSW side. @10NewsFirstMelb #springst @10NewsFirstSyd pic.twitter.com/CP8hGSviAk

— Simon Love (@SimoLove) July 6, 2020

00:20 GMT – Australia’s New South Wales to close border with Victoria

The Australian state of New South Wales is to close its border with neighbouring Victoria after a surge in locally-transmitted coronavirus cases in Melbourne.

The closure will take effect on Tuesday, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

BREAKING:
The ABC understands the Victoria/NSW border will be closed from tomorrow night.

— Joe O’Brien (@JoeABCNews) July 6, 2020

23:00 GMT – Hospitals in some parts of US pushed to brink

Hospitals in some parts of the United States are in danger of being overwhelmed.

All beds are occupied in parts of Texas – one of the states worst hit by the resurgent virus.

“Our hospitals here in Harris County, Houston and 33 other cities … they’re into surge capacities,” Lina Hidalgo, the county’s chief executive, told ABC television in the US.  Her comments were echoed by Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, who said the system could be “overwhelmed” if the outbreak was not brought under control.

Steve Adler, the mayor of Austin, has also expressed concern that hospitals could soon reach breaking point.

“If we don’t change our trajectory, then I am within two weeks of having our hospitals overrun. And in our ICUs, I could be 10 days away from that,” the mayor told CNN.

—-

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

Read all the updates from yesterday here.