Year: 2020

Texas became the first U.S. state Wednesday to surpass 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, with California close behind.Health officials in the country’s second most populous state recorded 10,800 new cases on Tuesday, a one-day record. Although they gave no indication of imminent restrictions to slow the surge, The Associated Press reported that a top county official in Fort Worth, the state’s fifth-largest city, began pushing to halt youth and school sports. Some rural hospitals have set up outdoor medical tents.On Wednesday, state health officials reported 6,779 patients in hospitals, with 609 newly admitted patients — one of the highest single-day spikes since the state began keeping track.The true number of infections is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.NationwideThe United States recorded 61,964 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Tuesday, breaking the previous one-day high from mid-April by more than 2,000.As the pandemic worsens across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance on the use of face masks. The federal health agency said Tuesday that wearing a mask not only protects other people but also protects the wearer.FILE – A sign encouraging the wearing of masks and adhering to social distancing stands at a street corner in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 5, 2020.The CDC cited several studies confirming that “universal masking” helped control the spread of the virus, including one involving two hairstylists who wore masks while suffering from symptoms. The study found that …

As the coronavirus explodes again, the World Health Organization finds itself both under intense pressure to reform and holding out hope that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will reverse a decision by Washington to leave the health agency. With its annual meeting underway this week, WHO has been sharply criticized for not taking a stronger and more vocal role in handling the pandemic. For example, in private internal meetings in the early days of the virus, top scientists described some countries’ approaches as “an unfortunate laboratory to study the virus” and a “macabre” opportunity to see what worked, recordings obtained by The Associated Press show. Yet in public, the U.N. health agency lauded governments for their responses. Biden has promised to overturn President Donald Trump’s decision in June to cut off funds to WHO and withdraw the U.S. WHO has also bowed to demands from member countries for an independent panel to review its management of the pandemic response, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that the agency welcomed “any and all attempts” to strengthen it “for the sake of the people we serve.” One of the central dilemmas facing the WHO is that it has no enforcement powers or authority to independently investigate within countries. Instead, the health agency relies on behind-the-scenes talks and the cooperation of member states. Critics say WHO’s traditional aversion to confronting its member countries has come at a high price. As COVID-19 spread, WHO often shied away from calling out countries, as big …

A vaccine for the coronavirus has proved 90% effective after early trials, according to its joint developers Pfizer and BioNTech. It’s raised hopes that the global coronavirus pandemic can be brought under control in the coming months – but as Henry Ridgwell reports, the nature of the vaccine means less developed health systems face major challenges in rolling out any inoculation programs.Camera: Henry Ridgwell     Producer:  Henry Ridgwell, Mary Cieslak  …

A coronavirus vaccine that has proved 90% effective after early trials has raised hopes that the global pandemic can be brought under control in the coming months. But the nature of the vaccine means that less developed health systems face major challenges rolling out any inoculation programs.   Developed jointly by pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and BioNTech, the vaccine is undergoing Phase 3 trials. More than 40,000 people across three continents were recruited for the trial, with half given the vaccine and half a placebo.    Several weeks on, 94 individuals were infected with the coronavirus over the trial period through natural exposure in the community. Exact figures have not yet been released, but the developers say by far the majority of those infected had been given the placebo, suggesting the vaccine is around 90% effective.    Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla released a statement Tuesday saying, “The data demonstrated that the study vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease in adults who have not previously been diagnosed with COVID-19. This is a great victory for humanity, and one that could not have been accomplished without the almost 44,000 people who selflessly raised their hands to participate in our trial and help our scientists and clinicians advance this important breakthrough.”   BioNTech’s co-founder and CEO Ugur Sahin said he was optimistic the protective effect of the vaccine would last for at least a year. At least two injections would be required to achieve that level of immunity.   The developers have pledged to price the vaccine at below market rates and to differentiate …

The United Nations warns global hunger is reaching new heights as COVID-19 devastates economies around the world.  A report by the World Food Program and International Organization for Migration says severe food shortages are forcing millions of people to migrate in search of work to feed their families.  Communities most at risk are those riven by conflict, violence and natural disasters.  The report says efforts to curb COVID-19 have led to unprecedented restrictions on mobility, trade and economic activity, triggering a global recession and causing hunger to surge.The World Food Program projects a staggering 80 percent increase in the number of acutely food-insecure people from pre-COVID-19 levels of 149 million to 270 million by the end of the year. The joint WFP-IOM report finds the world’s 164 million migrant workers, especially those in the informal sector, are among those worst hit by the pandemic.  IOM spokeswoman Angela Wells says migrant workers, who often work on a temporary, seasonal basis for little money and no social protection, are particularly vulnerable.“More than 94,000 travel restrictions in over 220 countries, territories or areas put in place to contain the spread of the disease have limited opportunities for people to move, work, and afford food and other basic needs,”  said Wells. “Without sustained income, the report warns that many will be pushed to return home which will cause a significant drop in remittances.”  The report estimates remittances provide an essential lifeline for around 800 million—or one in nine—people in the world.  The World Bank expects remittances to drop …

The United States recorded 61,964 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Tuesday, breaking the previous one-day high from mid-April by more than 2,000.  The growing number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients across the U.S. is straining the capacity of numerous health facilities, especially in several western U.S. states.  Some hospitals have erected tents in parking lots to handle the overflow of coronavirus patients, or have been forced to transfer them to other hospitals in other areas.   One of 3 refrigerated trailers, sent by FEMA to help with the rising number of COVID-19 fatalities, are seen parked at the rear of the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner, in El Paso, Texas, Nov. 9, 2020.The U.S. leads the world with more than 10.1 million total COVID-19 cases, including 130,989 new cases reported on Tuesday, according to FILE – A sign encouraging the wearing of masks and keeping social distancing stands at a street corner in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 5, 2020. The CDC cited several studies confirming that “universal masking” use helped control the spread of the virus, including one involving two hair stylists who wore masks while suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.  The study found that the stylists had not transmitted the virus to 67 customers who were later contacted by contract tracers.   Middle East surge Elsewhere in the world, Iran and Lebanon have joined the growing list of nations who have imposed new restrictions to blunt an ever-growing surge of COVID-19 infections that are pushing hospitals in each nation to the breaking point. …

Australia’s most famous radio telescope that played a key role in televising the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 has been given a new Aboriginal name. Known as “The Dish,” the telescope near Parkes in New South Wales, 380 kilometers west of Sydney, will also be called “Murriyang,” meaning “Skyworld” in the local indigenous language.   The Parkes Observatory has three telescopes. All have been given new Aboriginal names in respect of the astronomical knowledge of Australia’s original inhabitants, whose stories of creation, known as the Dreaming, are told by the stars.   The largest telescope, which has discovered hundreds of new galaxies and rapidly spinning neutron stars called pulsars, is also to be known as “Murriyang” or “Skyworld.” The others have Aboriginal names meaning “Smart Eye” and “Smart Dish.”   Dr. John Reynolds is the director of the Australia Telescope National Facility, which is run by the national science agency, the CSIRO.   “I think the bestowing of traditional names is very significant because not only does it recognize the traditional custodians of the land where the telescopes sit, but it highlights the link between the oldest science, astronomy, and the longest continuous civilization in the world that has been practicing astronomy for generations. The new name for the familiar Parkes dish — the big 64-meter [dish] — is Murriyang, which represents the sky world in the Wiradjuri dreaming,” said Reynolds.  The names were chosen by Wiradjuri elders, who say it is one of their proudest moments.   While it is operated mainly for astronomy research, the Parkes telescope has …

The United States on Monday reported more than 1 million new cases of COVID-19 in just the first 10 days of November.The U.S. has recorded over 10 million cases of COVID-19 — the highest of any country in the world — according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.Midwestern states are being hit the hardest, with hospitalization rates in the region reaching record highs. The COVID-19 Tracking Project said more than 59,000 people were hospitalized nationwide on Monday.On the same day that the U.S. recorded this spike, two U.S. drug companies announced developments in the fight against the virus.Pfizer announced that its experimental vaccine was 90% effective in preventing the virus in participants without evidence of prior infection.U.S.-based drugmaker Eli Lilly and Canadian-based biotech firm AbCellera announced a new antibody drug known as bamlanivimab. It is part of a class of treatments known as monoclonal antibodies, which are made to act as immune cells that scientists hope can fight off the virus. The antibody therapy is similar to one given to U.S. President Donald Trump after he tested positive for COVID-19 early last month.The FDA has approved the antibody drug for people 12 and older who are at risk of developing a serious form of COVID-19.FILE – A man holds a mock syringe as demonstrators protest against Sao Paulo state governor Joao Doria and China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nov. 1, 2020.Just hours after news of a breakthrough in the effort to develop a safe and effective …

As severe weather events increase in frequency and intensity across the U.S. and around the world, scientists and forecasters are seeking more effective weather-mapping programs. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Camera: Adam Greenbaum   Produced by: JulieTaboh/Adam Greenbaum   …

A top Pakistani government scientist says Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is not suited for Pakistan, or other developing countries because of the -80°C temperatures it needs to be kept at, and the need for a second shot.The American pharmaceutical company announced Monday that late-stage testing on its potential two-dose vaccine indicates it is more than 90% effective in preventing the virus in participants without evidence of prior infection.The revelation is being hailed as a rare piece of positive news in the fight against the pandemic that has globally infected more than 50 million people, with 1.2 million deaths and 33 million people recovered.But Professor Atta Ur Rahman, who heads Pakistan’s Task Force on Science and Technology, said Tuesday it is “premature at least” for his country or others in the developing world to celebrate the Pfizer vaccine.“This is a messenger RNA vaccine and it has to be transported at -80°C, so this vaccine is not suited for developing countries,” Rahman told VOA. “The cold storage infrastructure and chains to take this from the airport across the cities and across the countries are missing in the developing world,” the professor explained.He went on to note that COVID-19 patients would require two doses of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks apart and “a low-temperature carriage” requirement makes it all the more difficult in Pakistan, where average summer temperatures in southern and southwestern regions soar to between 40°C and 50°C.COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.FILE – Students wear protective face masks, maintaining a …

A study conducted by Britain’s Oxford University suggests COVID-19 can increase a person’s risk of developing a psychiatric disorder within three months of catching the virus. The study, published Monday in the Lancet Psychiatry Journal, indicates one in five surviving COVID-19 patients was found to be diagnosed with a mental disorder within 90 days of a positive coronavirus test. The researchers say that is about twice the normal rate. The most common disorders diagnosed were anxiety, depression and insomnia, while patients were also found to have significantly higher risks for dementia. One of the researchers on the study, Oxford professor of psychiatry Paul Harrison, said the study confirms common fears about the virus. “People have been worried that COVID-19 survivors will be at greater risk of mental health problems, and our findings …show this to be likely.” Harrison suggested health services need to be prepared to deal with new mental health cases and doctors and researchers around the world urgently need to investigate the causes and identify new treatments for mental illness. The researchers also found that people with a pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis were 65 percent more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than those without, even when the known risk factors for the virus were considered. For their study, researchers reportedly examined electronic health records of 69 million people in the United States including over 62,000 cases of COVID-19.   …

Just hours after news of a breakthrough in the effort to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, Brazil has halted late-stage clinical trials of another potential vaccine.   The country’s health regulator Anvisa announced Monday that it was pausing tests of CoronaVac, developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, after an “adverse, serious event” with a volunteer participant. The event occurred on October 29, but the statement did not go into any further details. The clinical trials in Brazil are being conducted by Sao Paulo-based research institute Butantan. Dimas Covas, the head of the state-run institute, told a local television station that a volunteer had died, but the death was ruled not due to the vaccine.   The Sinovac vaccine is the third to be put on hold after a volunteer became ill after being inoculated. U.S. pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson put a hold on its late-stage clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine last month, while another U.S.-based drugmaker, AstraZeneca, halted its late-stage trial of a vaccine developed with the University of Oxford in September after a volunteer in Britain was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.      It is not uncommon for clinical trials to be suspended if a volunteer falls ill so that organizers can determine whether the illness is due to the vaccine. But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has often expressed mistrust of China, has openly doubted the effectiveness of the Sinovac …

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Tuesday in a Republican effort to strike down the Affordable Care Act health care law.The hearing comes weeks after Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority.At the center of the case is a requirement in the 2010 law for most people to have a minimum level of health insurance or face a financial penalty.  In a 2012 case, the Supreme Court ruled that provision was allowed on the basis that it represented a tax that Congress is allowed to levy.  In 2017, the Republican-controlled Congress and set the penalty to zero.A group of states, led by Texas, is leading the current charge to dismantle the health care law, commonly known as Obamacare.  They argue that the mandate for individuals to purchase health coverage is unconstitutional, and that without that provision, the entire Affordable Care Act must be struck down.Part of the original congressional intent in requiring people to have coverage was that it would bring more healthy people into the system who would pay premiums without using many services, helping to offset costs of individuals who needed more care, including those with pre-existing conditions who had previously been denied coverage.Texas and its partners argue that eliminating the individual mandate would create an imbalance and push health costs unfairly higher.The opposition is led by California, and points to the 2017 action by Congress as evidence that lawmakers had no problem with removing only the penalty for the individual mandate while allowing the rest of the Affordable Care Act to remain in place. They further argue that as …

Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa suspended clinical trials of a Chinese firm’s coronavirus vaccine after an unspecified “adverse incident” involving a volunteer recipient late last month. Anvisa would only say such incidents could involve a death or serious disability resulting in hospitalization.  Anvisa’s action with the CoronaVac vaccine occurred the same day a rival, U.S. pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, announced its vaccine has shown 90 percent effectiveness. Word of Pfizer’s vaccine success sent global financial markets soaring. Both the Pfizer and the Chinese Sinovac vaccine are in Phase III trials, the last stage of testing before regulators give it clearance for public use. Brazil has the highest coronavirus tally in Latin America, with more than 5,664,000 confirmed cases and 162,397 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.  …

U.S. health officials have allowed emergency use of the first antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental approach against the virus that has killed more than 238,000 Americans.  The Food and Drug Administration on Monday cleared the experimental drug from Eli Lilly for people 12 and older with mild or moderate COVID-19 not requiring hospitalization. It’s a one-time treatment given through an IV.  The therapy is still undergoing additional testing to establish its safety and effectiveness. It is similar to a treatment President Donald Trump received after contracting the virus last month. Lilly’s studies of the antibody drug are continuing. Early results suggest it may help clear the coronavirus sooner and possibly cut hospitalizations in people with mild to moderate COVID-19. A study of it in hospitalized patients was stopped when independent monitors saw the drug did not seem to be helping in that situation. The government previously reached an agreement to buy and supply much of the early production of Lilly’s drug. FILE – Lab technicians load vials of investigational coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment drug remdesivir at a Gilead Sciences facility in La Verne, California, March 18, 2020. (Gilead Sciences Inc/Handout)Only one drug, Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, has full FDA approval for treating COVID-19. Government treatment guidelines also back using dexamethasone and other steroids for certain severely ill, hospitalized patients. One other treatment has an emergency use designation now: convalescent plasma, made from the blood of COVID-19 survivors. No large studies have shown it to be more effective than usual …

The secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a department spokesperson. The HUD secretary “is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery,” the agency’s deputy chief of staff, Coalter Baker, said in a statement. After experiencing symptoms, Carson, 69, went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was tested, reports say. The noted pediatric neurosurgeon is expected to fully recover. A memo sent to HUD staff said Carson was “resting at his house and is already beginning to feel better.” Anyone who came into contact with Carson will be notified, the memo said. Carson was one of several people who attended an election night party at the White House on Tuesday, where few attendees wore masks or practiced social distancing, several news organizations have reported. Also, the White House recently announced that chief of staff Mark Meadows and other staffers had tested positive for the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Meadows’ diagnosis was announced November 6. A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.President-elect Joe Biden has called on Americans to wear a mask. He said at a news conference Monday that wearing a mask is “not a political statement.” Carson joined the Trump administration in 2017. Carson ran unsuccessfully as a Republican presidential candidate in 2016.      …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the news from pharmaceutical company Pfizer that its potential vaccine showed better than 90% efficacy in Phase 3 tests. But he cautioned that a vaccine is still a long way off and that one vaccine is not a solution.Speaking to reporters in London, Johnson said the data released Monday by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, indicated the vaccine is safe, but the findings must be peer reviewed.Johnson stressed these are the “very, very early days” of this vaccine search, and he compared this news to “the distant bugle of the scientific calvary coming over the brow of the hill.” The prime minister said the bugle is louder, but the calvary is still a long way off.Johnson said the British government earlier this year ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, enough for one-third of the British population. He said they had ordered 300 million more doses from five other potential vaccines as well.But the prime minister said if the Pfizer vaccine proves effective and passes all appropriate safety checks, then the government will begin a nationwide vaccine distribution program administered by the National Health Service.Johnson was also asked about the results of the U.S. election being called for Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris as his vice president-elect. He congratulated the two Democrats and said while his government has had a good relationship with the Trump administration, he has no doubt that will continue under Biden.Johnson said he was particularly excited to work with the …

With the coronavirus pandemic entering its worst phase yet, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden says the country is “still facing a dark winter,” warning that 200,000 more people could die of COVID-19 before a vaccine is widely made available.  Speaking on Monday after receiving a briefing from his transition team’s new coronavirus advisory board, Biden, in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, cautioned “the challenge before us right now is still immense and growing, and so is the need for bold action to fight this pandemic.”  The United States has surpassed 10 million cases of the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, with infection rates, hospitalizations and the number of deaths all rising.  A White House coronavirus task force meeting, led by Vice President Mike Pence, is being held later Monday.  Earlier in the day, one drugmaker announced that an early analysis suggests its vaccine is very effective in preventing COVID-19.Pfizer said a data monitoring committee found no serious safety concerns with its vaccine, which requires two doses. The pharmaceutical company and its German partner, BioNTech, intend to apply for emergency authorization for the vaccine after the third week of November. It is one of four vaccines in the United States in the final stage of testing.  FILE – Pfizer says it will ask for emergency authorization later this month for its COVID-19 vaccine currently undergoing testing. Photo illustration.Biden, calling this a “positive note,” said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will soon run a process of rigorous reviews and approvals, but …

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced Monday the government will impose a partial lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic following a dramatic surge in hospitalizations and deaths. In a video posted to his Facebook account, Orban said, effective Wednesday, a nationwide general curfew will be imposed between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. with an exception for those commuting to work. Businesses will be required to close by 7 p.m., restaurants will be limited to home delivery, sporting events will be held in empty stadiums, and family gatherings will be limited to 10 people. Universities and high schools will make the transition to digital education, while preschools, kindergartens and classes for children 14 and under will remain open. Health care workers, teachers and childcare workers will be tested weekly for the virus, according to the statement. Orban said the new restrictions will remain in place for 30 days, after which they may be extended. Parliament is expected to pass a measure Tuesday to enact a state of emergency for 90 days. The raft of measures comes after a week of record-breaking hospitalizations and deaths. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that, as of Monday, Hungary had the third-highest death rate per million (10.4) in Europe over the past two weeks — behind the Czech Republic and Belgium.   More than 5,000 new infections were recorded Monday, with 6,061 coronavirus patients in the hospital, including 415 on ventilators, according to officials. Meanwhile, …

The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, warns the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening decades of progress against infectious and communicable diseases. In an opening speech to a weeklong meeting of the World Health Assembly, Tedros urged nations to come together to defeat this common enemy.American singer-songwriter Kim Sledge who led the Tongan Nurses Choir, got the meeting off to an upbeat start with this rousing rendition of the classic song “We are Family.”In an appropriate gesture of thanks, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus paid tribute to the incredible contribution of nurses and midwives in braving the dangers of the coronavirus to save the lives of others.He struck a personal note by expressing his joy at becoming a grandfather for the first time two weeks ago—a joy, he said that was tinged with worry.“I wonder what sort of world Mia, my granddaughter, will grow up in. Although she knows nothing about it, the COVID-19 pandemic will shape her life and the world she grows up in,” said WHO chief.A world in which nearly 50 million people globally have been infected with the coronavirus, cutting short the lives of more than 1.2 million people.Tedros said many countries and cities have successfully prevented or curbed spread of the disease. But noted several countries, especially in Europe and the Americas, have re-imposed restrictions to battle a new wave of infections. “We might be tired of COVID-19. But it is not tired of us. It pays no heed to political rhetoric or conspiracy theories. …

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer says late-stage testing on its potential COVID-19 vaccine indicates it is more than 90% effective, exceeding expectations and bringing a rare piece of positive news to the fight against the coronavirus.  Pfizer’s chairman and chief executive Albert Bourla, along with Pfizer’s partner, BioNTech, made the announcement Monday regarding the Phase 3, late-stage study of their potential vaccine. The statement said the study showed the vaccine to be more than 90% effective in preventing the virus in participants without evidence of prior infection in the first interim efficacy analysis. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, listens during a Senate hearing, Sept. 23, 2020, in Washington.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, said during a Monday press briefing that the results are “just extraordinary.” “Not very many people expected it would be as high as that,” he said. Fauci had previously said he was looking for a vaccine with 70% to 75% efficacy and that even 50% was acceptable. World Health Organization senior adviser Bruce Aylward said the results from Pfizer’s trial are “very positive” and should “hold great promise hopefully for the entire world.”The Pfizer analysis was conducted by an independent data monitoring board, which examined 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the United States and five other countries. Some patients in the trial received a vaccine, while others were given a placebo. In his statement, Bourla said the results demonstrate the potential vaccine can help prevent COVID-19 in most of the people who receive it. He cautioned, however, that while …

Tropical Storm Eta made landfall late Sunday in the Florida Keys on its way into the eastern Gulf of Mexico before taking another aim at the southeastern U.S. state later this week. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour as it brought heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash floods to parts of southern Florida. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen slightly into a hurricane later Monday or Tuesday but weaken again into a tropical storm before making a mainland Florida landfall. Officials have closed beaches, ports and coronavirus testing sites in the state and urged people to stay home. Florida’s governor has also declared a state of emergency in several counties to speed the government’s response. Forecasters expect Eta to drop 15 to 30 centimeters of rain on central and southern Florida through Friday. Parts of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Cuba will also see some heavy rains. Eta was a strong hurricane when it hit Nicaragua last week, bringing flooding rains to communities from Panama to Mexico. Rescuers in Guatemala continued searching Sunday for people caught in a landslide and authorities raised the official death toll to 27 with more than 100 people still missing. The storm has been blamed for at least 20 deaths in southern Mexico and at least 20 more in Honduras.  …

The U.S. reported more than 121,000 new coronavirus cases Friday, the third day in a row the nation has recorded more than 100,000 new infections.Infections are surging in all regions in the United States as the COVID-19 death toll continues to climb.U.S. hospitalizations have significantly increased, forcing hospitals in Midwestern and Southern states to take urgent action to accommodate floods of new patients.Midwestern states have been especially hard hit, with a record number of infections reported in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma.Since the surge in the U.S. began in mid-September, some states have periodically imposed piecemeal lockdown measures, including Maine, which has extended its mask- wearing requirement to apply to all public spaces.Officials in Denver, Colorado, on Friday urged residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. to try to reduce a growing wave of coronavirus cases.India’s health ministry said Saturday that it had recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases and nearly 600 coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 24-hour period.India has a total of 8.4 million COVID cases, according to Johns Hopkins statistics. Only the United States has more cases, with its 9.7 million tally.An empty street is seen after 10 p.m. on the first day of the national night time curfew due to new coronavirus measures, in Rome, Italy, Nov. 6, 2020.The International Monetary Fund approved a $370 million extended credit facility arrangement for Afghanistan on Friday. The IMF said in a statement that the 42-month arrangement “aims to support Afghanistan’s recovery …

President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows has been diagnosed with the coronavirus as the nation sets daily records for confirmed cases for the pandemic.Two senior administration officials confirmed Friday that Meadows had tested positive for the virus, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans so far this year.Meadows traveled with Trump in the run-up to Election Day and last appeared in public early Wednesday morning without a mask as Trump falsely declared victory in the vote count. He had been one of the close aides around Trump when the president came down with the virus more than a month ago but was tested daily and maintained his regular work schedule. …