World Coronavirus Dispatch: 90% spike in infections among American kids

UK's first recession since 2009, France's champagne industry goes flat, How China controlled Coronavirus, and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Confirmed coronavirus cases in American children rose by 90 per cent in about four weeks this summer, bringing the total to over 380,000 on August 6, from 200,000 on July 9. That translates to an increase from 319 per 100,000 American children to 501 cases per 100,000, in just four weeks. The report, from the American Academy of Paediatrics’ and the Children’s Hospital Association, counts more than 380,000 total confirmed cases in children as of August 6. Read more here

Let’s look at the global statistics: 


Total Confirmed Cases: 20,292,855


Change Over Yesterday: 199,613


Total Deaths: 741,380


Total Recovered: 12,591,454

Nations hit with most cases: US (5,141,207), Brazil (3,057,470), India (2,329,638), Russia (895,691) and South Africa (566,109)

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center 

UK’s worst slump in Europe raises pressure to sustain rebound: The UK suffered more than any major European economy during the coronavirus lockdowns, with output plunging 20.4 per cent in the second quarter, the most since records began in 1955 and worse than any major economy so far. It also pushed Britain into its first recession since 2009. Read more here

New Zealand central bank extends bond purchase scheme: New Zealand’s central bank has expanded its quantitative easing program and said it’s open to cutting interest rates into negative territory as a new outbreak threatens economic recovery. The bank increased its Large Scale Asset Purchase program to as much as NZ$100 billion ($65 billion) from NZ$60 billion, and extended it until June 2022. Read more here

Asia's World Cup qualifiers postponed: Qualifying matches in Asia for the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup have been postponed for next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, world governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation said. The matches were scheduled for October and November. Read more here

Germany says Russian Covid-19 vaccine has not been sufficiently tested: “It can be dangerous to start vaccinating millions, if not billions, of people too early because it could pretty much kill the acceptance of vaccination if it goes wrong, so I’m very sceptical about what’s going on in Russia,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn to a radio news network. Read more here 

Australia suffers deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic: Australia recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday and the biggest daily rise in infections in three days. Victoria reported 21 deaths - two more than the previous deadliest days earlier this week - and 410 new cases in the past 24 hours. Read more here

Mexico to test China, US Covid-19 vaccines, may produce some: Mexico aims to conduct late-stage clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines in development by US and Chinese companies, two of which might base some of their vaccine production in the country. It has signed MoUs Johnson & Johnson, and Chinese companies CanSino Biologics and Walvax Biotechnology. Read more here 

Specials

Long-read

How China controlled the Coronavirus

 

During the lockdown, the Chinese government never trusted people to set the terms of their own behavior, but it depended heavily on their willingness to work hard for various organizations that fought the coronavirus. Read more here

France's champagne industry goes flat amid pandemic 

"Covid has left everything reeling," says Bernard Beaulieu, a champagne producer and former head of the CGT Champagne winegrowers union. "The fall in sales is staring us in the face. It's hastened a crisis that, if you ask me, has been a long time coming. These tensions will likely come to a head at a meeting on 18 August, when a decision must be made on how many champagne grapes each of the roughly 15,000 growers is allowed to put on the market. Read more here

The dynamics of a socially distanced wedding


Experts share tips on how to adjust the wording of wedding invitations when hosting an intimate ceremony or celebration. Read here