August 23 coronavirus news

The number of people who have been infected with the novel coronavirus globally surpassed 23 million on Saturday, according to the Johns Hopkins University. JHU is reporting more than 801,000 people have died from the virus.

The United States has the highest numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths in the world, followed by Brazil. The US confirmed another 44,572 new cases and 983 new deaths in United States in a 24-hour period on Saturday, keeping the US firmly in the position of the worst-affected country in the world. 

The US has now confirmed more than 5.6 million cases and at least 176,353 people have died.

In other parts of the world:

India's top health official has claimed that the country could have a Covid-19 vaccine by end of this year.

On Sunday, India surpassed 3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, after reporting 69,239 new infections in 24 hours, according to the ministry.

Indian Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan said that one of the country's Covid-19 vaccine candidates was in its third phase of clinical trial. "We are very confident that a vaccine will be developed by the end of this year," the minister said on Saturday.

"I am happy to say that in the eighth month of the battle, India has the best recovery rate of around 75%. A total of 2.2 million patients have recovered and gone home and another 700,000 are going to be cured very soon.”

In India, patients with mild and moderate symptoms are considered no longer active after 10 days of symptom onset if they meet certain conditions. A test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required. Severe cases can only be discharged after one negative coronavirus test.

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered clubs, bars and concert halls around the world, music fans have been dreaming of the day they can once again visit a busy, sweaty venue to enjoy a gig with friends.

With infection rates rising in many European countries, this dream could be far off. But some music fans in Leipzig, Germany, have been given the chance to rock for a day in the name of science -- with the help of some glowing hand sanitizer and electronic trackers.

Researchers in the German city of Leipzig staged a 1,500-person experimental indoor concert on Saturday to better understand how Covid-19 spreads at big, busy events, and how to prevent it.

At the gig, which featured a live performance from musician Tim Bendzko, fans were given respiratory face masks, fluorescent hand gel and electronic "contact trackers" -- small transmitters that determine the contact rates and contact distances of the individual experiment participants.

Using data from the contact trackers, scientists from The University of Halle will monitor the number "critical contacts" had by each participant during specific times and locations, while the residue left by fluorescent hand gel will identify frequently touched surfaces.

Researchers hope to use the data to find ways to bring big events, including sports, back safely.

Professor Michael Gekle, the dean of the university's medical faculty and a professor of physiology, told CNN the experiment was being conducted to better prepare authorities on how to conduct events in the upcoming autumn and winter seasons.

Read the full story here.

India surpassed three million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, after the country reported 69,239 new infections, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India has now recorded 3,044,940 cases and 56,706 deaths, with 912 new fatalities reported Sunday. 

It took India close to 6 months to reach 1 million confirmed cases of the virus, another 21 days to reach 2 million and just 16 more days to get to 3 million cases, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

The Ministry said 801,147 coronavirus tests were conducted in the country on Saturday, bringing the total number of tests conducted nationwide since the beginning of the pandemic to 35,292,220.

India is the third hardest-hit nation in terms of confirmed coronavirus cases behind the United States and Brazil.

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said, if elected, he would be willing to shut down the country again should there be a second wave of coronavirus in the US and scientists recommend the move to slow its spread.

Biden said he would "be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus."

He called it the "fundamental flaw" of the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 175,000 Americans. 

Read more here.

The Philippines reported 4,933 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, according to the country’s Department of Health.

The Philippines has now recorded 187,249 cases, of which 69,362 are active, according to the Department of Health. The department also reported 26 new deaths, bringing the country’s death toll to 2,966. 

Another 33,672 coronavirus tests were conducted on Saturday, bringing the total number of tests conducted in the country to 2,276,622, according to the Department of Health.

New Zealand on Saturday reported three new coronavirus cases, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday morning. 

Of the three new cases, only one was a locally transmitted infection found in the community, according to the Ministry of Health.

The locally transmitted case is epidemiologically linked to the cluster in Auckland as a household contact of a previously reported case. The remaining two cases were imported from overseas, according to the ministry.

The country has now recorded 1,324 cases, of which 114 are active. Nine of the active cases are being treated in hospital, six are in a stable condition and three are in intensive care.

On Saturday, New Zealand conducted 7,005 coronavirus tests bringing the total number of tests conducted nationwide to 692,481.

Read more about New Zealand's outbreak here.

Japan reported 986 new coronavirus cases nationwide on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 62,459, the country’s health ministry announced on Sunday morning. 

Seven deaths were reported across Japan on Saturday, raising the nationwide death toll to 1,189.

Of the 986 new cases, 256 were reported in Japan’s capital Tokyo, marking the third day in a row that the city has seen a daily increase of over 200 cases. Over 60% of the new cases in Tokyo were in their 20s and 30s, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The capital now has 19,121 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

President Trump will hold a news conference at 6 p.m. ET Sunday to discuss “a major therapeutic breakthrough” regarding coronoavirus, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced.

She said Alex Azar, Secretary for US Health and Human Services, Stephan Hahn, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, would be in attendance.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump accused the US Food and Drug Administration of deliberately delaying coronavirus vaccine trials without providing any evidence.

"The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics," Trump tweeted, continuing to push his unfounded theory that there is a "deep state" embedded within the government bureaucracy working against his reelection.

He accused the agency of delaying a vaccine for the virus until after the fall election, tweeting: "Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!" Trump ended his tweet by tagging the Twitter account of Hahn, who he nominated last year to take up the role.

Hahn assured Americans earlier this month that the agency "will not cut corners" to approve a vaccine.

Read more here.