- Global cases soar past 17m
- Dine-in ban
The number of coronavirus infections recorded worldwide has soared through 17 million, according to an AFP tally from official sources on Thursday.
At least 17,022,877 cases have been registered as the pandemic accelerates with a million new infections detected in the last four days.
The United States is the worst-hit country with 4,426,982 cases including 150,713 deaths.
Southern and western regions of the United States were grappling Thursday with a renewed surge of coronavirus infections.
Brazil is second to the US in terms of cases and fatalities, and also reported a sobering figure as it surpassed 90,000 deaths.
Exactly six months after the World Health Organization declared an international emergency over the deadly pathogen, countries around the globe are seeing rises in infections that are damaging economies and forcing disruptive protection measures.
Even nations that believed they had largely curbed the disease are being gripped by worrying second and third-wave resurgences, with Australia on Thursday reporting a record number of new infections and its deadliest day of the pandemic so far.
Global daily cases are now approaching the 300,000 mark, with the curve showing no sign of flattening – it took just 100 hours for one million new cases to be recorded.
HK reverses dine-in ban
Hong Kong’s government on Thursday reversed a day-old ban on restaurants serving dine-in customers – introduced to control the spread of coronavirus – following widespread public anger.
All restaurants in the city of 7.5 million were ordered Wednesday to only serve takeaways as part of a raft of ramped-up social distancing measures aimed at combating a fresh wave of virus cases.
But social media was quickly swamped by photos of primarily blue-collar workers forced to eat on pavements and parks – and even inside public toilets to escape a torrential downpour.
Restaurant groups with links to influential pro-Beijing parties also voiced dismay at the measures, which had been urged by epidemiologists to slow infections.
On Thursday city authorities published new guidelines saying restaurants could operate dine-in facilities – but only during the day, at half capacity, and with no more than two people to a table.
Japan to allow re-entry of foreign residents
Japan will from next week lift a ban on the re-entry of some foreign residents, imposed to limit the spread of coronavirus, the foreign ministry has announced.
Up to 90,000 foreign nationals with residence permits, including students, business people and trainees, are currently stuck outside Japan after authorities banned re-entry from over 100 countries in response to the global pandemic.
From August 5, those who left Japan before their destination countries were added to the ban list will be able to apply to return, the foreign ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.
Those eligible will have to obtain a “re-entry confirmation letter” from the nearest Japanese diplomatic mission and submit evidence of a negative virus test conducted within 72 hours of their flight.
From September 1, those conditions will also apply to foreign nationals in other categories, including permanent or long-term residents and spouses and children of Japanese nationals or permanent residents.