NEW DELHI — India has recorded the highest spike of 15,968 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to to 456,183, with Mumbai and New Delhi as the worst-hit cities in the country.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday also reported a record 24-hour increase of 465 deaths due to COVID-19, driving fatalities to 14,476.
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NEW DELHI — India has recorded the highest spike of 15,968 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to to 456,183, with Mumbai and New Delhi as the worst-hit cities in the country.
The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons, such as limited testing.
India is the fourth hardest-hit country by the pandemic in the world after the U.S., Russia and Brazil.
— Baseball’s back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24
— The United Nations chief is criticizing the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. And Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus.
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
South Korea has been reporting roughly 40-50 cases every day over the past two weeks amid increased public activity and eased attitudes on social distancing. There has also been an uptick in imported cases.
Authorities in Victoria state say a man in his 80s died overnight, lifting the state’s total to 20.
Nine of the state’s new cases on Wednesday were identified through routine testing, seven were linked to known outbreaks, one was a returned traveler in hotel quarantine and three cases remained under investigation.
Ahead of Tuesday’s event, the Democratic mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego, made clear that she did not believe the speech could be safely held in her city — and urged the president to wear a face mask.
The Health Department on Tuesday said Mexico now has seen 191,410 cases and 23,377 deaths from COVID-19. Officials acknowledge both are undercounts due to extremely low testing rates. Mexico has performed only about half a million tests, or about one for every 250 inhabitants.
The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at 56.38%.
Students wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing at a classroom during the first day of school reopening at a high school in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Malaysia began reopening schools Wednesday while entering the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) after three months of coronavirus restrictions. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons, such as limited testing.
Maharashtra, New Delhi and Tamil Nadu states are the worst-hit states, accounting for nearly 60% of all cases in the country.
New Delhi is emerging a cause of concern for the federal government and is being criticized for its poor contact tracing and a lack of hospital beds. With infections in New Delhi set to surge, the government estimates it will have nearly 550,000 cases by the end of July.
Students wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing at a classroom during the first day of school reopening at a high school in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Malaysia began reopening schools Wednesday while entering the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) after three months of coronavirus restrictions. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
India is the fourth hardest-hit country by the pandemic in the world after the U.S., Russia and Brazil.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— Fauci: Next few weeks critical to tamping down virus spikes
A member of Indonesia Red Cross sprays disinfectant in an attempt to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus at a market in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP PhotoAchmad Ibrahim)
— Baseball’s back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24
— Brazil tests COVID shot, without deal to use it if it works
— The governor of Germany’s most populous state has announced weeklong lockdown measures in a region that has seen a large increase in COVID-19 cases linked to a slaughterhouse.
Members of Indonesia Red Cross spray disinfectant in an attempt to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus at a market in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP PhotoAchmad Ibrahim)
— The United Nations chief is criticizing the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. And Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus.
— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people in England will be able to go to the pub, visit a movie theater, get a haircut or attend a religious service starting July 4.
Follow all of AP's pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Members of Indonesia Red Cross spray disinfectant in an attempt to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus at a market in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (AP PhotoAchmad Ibrahim)
HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
The figures released Wednesday by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took the country’s total to 12,535 with 281 deaths.
It says 10,930 of them have recovered while 1,324 people remain in treatment for the COVID-19 illness.
Thai Buddhist monks wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk to collect alms from devotees in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Daily life in the capital is resuming to normal as the Thai government continues to ease restrictions related to running business and activities that were imposed weeks ago to combat the spread of COVID-19. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
South Korea has been reporting roughly 40-50 cases every day over the past two weeks amid increased public activity and eased attitudes on social distancing. There has also been an uptick in imported cases.
The KCDC says 20 of the 51 newly reported cases came from overseas while 31 patients were infected locally.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia has recorded its first death from COVID-19 in a month, increasing the national toll from the new coronavirus to 103.
Ariel Amengual Jr., left, hugs his father, Ariel Amengual, during a graduation ceremony for the senior class of Chambers High School at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Homestead, Fla. Forty-one seniors graduated from the school and crossed the start-finish line to receive their diplomas, during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee)
Authorities in Victoria state say a man in his 80s died overnight, lifting the state’s total to 20.
It comes as the state recorded double-digit increase in cases for an eighth consecutive day, with 20 new cases confirmed on Wednesday. There have been more than 7,500 infections in Australia.
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews on the weekend said large family gatherings had been the catalyst for the virus taking off again in some areas after lockdown rules were eased.
Worker Carlos Acuña Rios prepares to fill an urn with the ashes of a COVID-19 victim after the remains where cremated at the Azcapotzalco crematorium in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. (Foto APMarco Ugarte)
Nine of the state’s new cases on Wednesday were identified through routine testing, seven were linked to known outbreaks, one was a returned traveler in hotel quarantine and three cases remained under investigation.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says 241 cases in the state have been identified as community transmission, an increase of eight since Tuesday.
PHOENIX — Hundreds of young supporters of President Donald Trump packed a megachurch for a Students for Trump event.
Zhongni Liu, left, gets a haircut from Akane Tachibana on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. The state Department of Public Health recorded more than 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus Tuesday, putting the total number of positive cases at more than 183,000. The state has seen more than 5,500 deaths related to COVID-19. (AP PhotoJae C. Hong)
Ahead of Tuesday’s event, the Democratic mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego, made clear that she did not believe the speech could be safely held in her city — and urged the president to wear a face mask.
But only a smattering of attendees -- young conservatives from around the country -- wore masks and there was little room for the participants to practice social distancing.
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has posted another record one-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 6,288, while 793 more deaths have been reported.
Malia Pena, foreground, and her mother, Lisa Torriente, wear masks as they visit the beach Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. The state Department of Public Health recorded more than 5,000 new cases Tuesday, putting the total number of positive cases at more than 183,000. The state has seen more than 5,500 deaths related to COVID-19. (AP PhotoJae C. Hong)
The Health Department on Tuesday said Mexico now has seen 191,410 cases and 23,377 deaths from COVID-19. Officials acknowledge both are undercounts due to extremely low testing rates. Mexico has performed only about half a million tests, or about one for every 250 inhabitants.
Officials claim the pandemic has stabilized and may have even started a downward trend this week, but they have made that claim several times before.
Mexico has also had an extremely high rate of infections among health care professionals. About 39,000 of the country’s confirmed cases are health care workers, about 20% of the total. There have been 584 deaths among doctors, nurses, technicians and hospital workers.
Wearing face coverings, John Williams, right, and Jeff Lee play chess Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Santa Monica, Calif. The state Department of Public Health recorded more than 5,000 new cases Tuesday, putting the total number of positive cases at more than 183,000. The state has seen more than 5,500 deaths related to COVID-19. (AP PhotoJae C. Hong)
BEIJING — China has announced a further decline in newly confirmed coronavirus cases both nationwide and in the capital Beijing where a roughly two-week old spike in cases appears to now be firmly on the wane.
A total of 12 cases were reported Wednesday for the country, down from 22 the day before. Beijing reported seven cases, down from 13, while the two other cases were reported in neighboring Hebei province and three were listed as having been brought from abroad by Chinese travelers.
No new deaths were reported and 359 remained in treatment for COVID-19, with another 118 in monitoring and isolation for testing positive for the virus while showing no symptoms or being suspected cases. China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths from among 83,430 cases of COVID-19 since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
Beijing’s June outbreak saw more than 200 cases, most linked to the city’s biggest wholesale market, and led to some new lockdowns and the cancellation of classes. Since then, 3 million test samples have been taken from 2.43 million people in the city, a senior municipal health official said on Tuesday. A total of 249 people have been infected in Beijing since June 11.
CAIRO — War-ravaged Libya has reported its biggest daily increase yet in coronavirus infections and deaths, raising fears that a major outbreak could overwhelm its health system, left in shambles by nine years of conflict.
Libya’s National Center for Disease Control announced 639 total virus cases, including 17 fatalities, after recording
44 new virus cases and four deaths on Tuesday. With such little testing, experts believe the number could be higher.
The North African country has become split between rival administrations in the east and west, each supported by an array of fractious militias and foreign powers. The National Center for Disease Control is one the few state institutions to bridge the country’s divide.
Libya’s case count has more than quadrupled in the last few weeks, largely due to its repatriation of stranded citizens from abroad. An alarming hot spot is the city of Sabha in the remote southern desert, where health facilities are drastically under-equipped and many citizens remain uninformed.