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Germany New Cases Fall; H.K. Weighs Tighter Curbs: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Germany recorded a decline in the number of new coronavirus cases, while the infection rate rose above the key threshold of 1.0 for the first time in almost three weeks. India added more than 50,000 new cases over the weekend, with deaths topping 1,000.Hong Kong reported 38 new cases on Sunday -- 30 of them locally transmitted -- feeding fears of a resurgence in the financial hub after weeks of near-normal activity. The government has been re-imposing restrictions in response. More than half a million residents defied the fresh outbreak and government warnings to vote in an unofficial primary.U.S. virus cases rose to 3.27 million with almost 56,000 new infections, less than the one-week average daily increase. Even so, Florida broke the daily record for all U.S. states with more than 15,000 new cases.Key Developments:Global Tracker: Cases top 12.9 million; deaths surpass 569,000Nobody wants to test creative destruction to reboot economyVirus shutters Hong Kong schools againU.K. set to tighten rules on wearing face masksThe pros and cons of pooling Covid-19 testsConflicting visions emerge for South Africa’s post-virus revivalAnonymity helped overcome stigma in handling of Korean nightclub outbreakSubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus.France Primes Fresh Stimulus (2:52 p.m. HK)France will unveil “massive” support for youth employment this week and a new broad stimulus plan including tax cuts for companies at the end of August, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.The measures will be in addition to emergency aid to protect jobs and companies during the lockdown and a series of support plans for sectors including tourism and auto and aircraft manufacturing.Germany Cases Above Key Threshold (1:24 p.m. HK)Germany had a decline in the number of new cases, while the infection rate rose above the key threshold of 1.0 for the first time in almost three weeks.There were 210 new cases in the 24 hours through Monday morning, bringing the total to 199,919, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That compares with 377 the previous day and almost 7,000 at the peak of the pandemic in late March. There was one new fatality, bringing the total to 9,071.Hong Kong May Tighten Restrictions (1:03 p.m. HK)The Hong Kong government will decide Monday whether it will tighten social distancing measures, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, without saying where it got the information. Any decision would be announced as soon as Monday.Organizers of the Hong Kong Book Fair postponed the event for the first time in its 31-year history after a record spike in local Covid-19 cases. The event, which drew about a million visitors and a record 686 exhibitors last year, will be rescheduled after discussions with the government, the organizer said, without specifying the new dates. The fair was scheduled to run from July 15 to 21.Singapore to Tackle Virus, Other Challenges (12:17 p.m. HK)Singapore can return to tackling Covid-19 and “other urgent challenges” with the general election over, Prime Minister Lee...

Germany New Cases Fall; H.K. Weighs Tighter Curbs: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) —

Germany recorded a decline in the number of new coronavirus cases, while the infection rate rose above the key threshold of 1.0 for the first time in almost three weeks. India added more than 50,000 new cases over the weekend, with deaths topping 1,000.

Hong Kong reported 38 new cases on Sunday — 30 of them locally transmitted — feeding fears of a resurgence in the financial hub after weeks of near-normal activity. The government has been re-imposing restrictions in response. More than half a million residents defied the fresh outbreak and government warnings to vote in an unofficial primary.

U.S. virus cases rose to 3.27 million with almost 56,000 new infections, less than the one-week average daily increase. Even so, Florida broke the daily record for all U.S. states with more than 15,000 new cases.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases top 12.9 million; deaths surpass 569,000Nobody wants to test creative destruction to reboot economyVirus shutters Hong Kong schools againU.K. set to tighten rules on wearing face masksThe pros and cons of pooling Covid-19 testsConflicting visions emerge for South Africa’s post-virus revivalAnonymity helped overcome stigma in handling of Korean nightclub outbreak

Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus.

France Primes Fresh Stimulus (2:52 p.m. HK)

France will unveil “massive” support for youth employment this week and a new broad stimulus plan including tax cuts for companies at the end of August, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

The measures will be in addition to emergency aid to protect jobs and companies during the lockdown and a series of support plans for sectors including tourism and auto and aircraft manufacturing.

Germany Cases Above Key Threshold (1:24 p.m. HK)

Germany had a decline in the number of new cases, while the infection rate rose above the key threshold of 1.0 for the first time in almost three weeks.

There were 210 new cases in the 24 hours through Monday morning, bringing the total to 199,919, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That compares with 377 the previous day and almost 7,000 at the peak of the pandemic in late March. There was one new fatality, bringing the total to 9,071.

Hong Kong May Tighten Restrictions (1:03 p.m. HK)

The Hong Kong government will decide Monday whether it will tighten social distancing measures, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, without saying where it got the information. Any decision would be announced as soon as Monday.

Organizers of the Hong Kong Book Fair postponed the event for the first time in its 31-year history after a record spike in local Covid-19 cases. The event, which drew about a million visitors and a record 686 exhibitors last year, will be rescheduled after discussions with the government, the organizer said, without specifying the new dates. The fair was scheduled to run from July 15 to 21.

Singapore to Tackle Virus, Other Challenges (12:17 p.m. HK)

Singapore can return to tackling Covid-19 and “other urgent challenges” with the general election over, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post. The country’s cinemas are reopening Monday as part of a plan to ease restrictions.

Singapore’s missteps in handling the virus likely contributed to the ruling party’s reduced majority. Singapore is still recording more than 100 new cases of the coronavirus a day, with its overall tally at almost 46,000 infections, the second-highest in Southeast Asia. Singapore was criticized for not tackling an outbreak among migrant workers quickly enough, which saw authorities impose a stricter lockdown in place of a more open original strategy.

Virus Spreads Beyond Nightclubs in Tokyo (11:49 a.m. HK)

The latest flare-up in coronavirus cases in Tokyo is showing signs it’s spreading beyond nightclubs and known hotspot areas, as the Japanese capital braces for more infections. Tokyo confirmed 119 new cases on Monday.

New outbreak clusters tied to a childcare center, where around 22 children and teachers were confirmed to have the virus, and a theater house where 30 people including actors and guests tested positive, were reported in Tokyo over the weekend, according to domestic media.

Philippines Deaths Rise by Record (10:59 a.m. HK)

The Philippines posted its highest daily increase in Covid-19 deaths, most of which occurred in June and only confirmed by the Department of Health on Sunday.

The Southeast Asian nation added 162 deaths to its tally, breaking the previous record of 50 deaths on April 12, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. New infections stood at 2,124 to bring the total to 56,259.

In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo wants to expand coronavirus testing capacity in eight provinces including Jakarta to bring nationwide number to 30,000 per day from a previous target of 20,000.

Australia’s Effective Jobless Rate 13.3% (10:07 a.m HK)

Australia’s effective unemployment rate that also includes people who have opted against searching for work as the economy contracts is almost double the official jobless level, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

The effective rate is about 13.3%, he said in Melbourne Thursday, in contrast to the official rate of 7.1%,. “That is a large number of people reflecting the economic challenges that we see right now,” Frydenberg said.

South Korea Confirms 62 New Cases (9:15 a.m. HK)

South Korea reported 62 more Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total tally to 13,479, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

The country posted no additional deaths, with its total staying at 289.

Mexico Overtakes Italy (8:59 a.m. HK)

Mexico overtook Italy as the country with the fourth-most Covid-19 deaths. Mexico reported 4,482 new virus cases and 276 deaths on Sunday, bringing the case count to 299,750 and the number of deaths to 35,006, according to data released by the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, Argentina has more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. The Latin American country added 2,657 cases on Sunday, pushing its total to 100,166.

Ontario Outlines Next Reopening Stage (8:35 a.m. HK)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is set to announce details of the province’s next stage of reopening on Monday as officials determined the Covid-19 outbreak is under control.

In April, Ford outlined a phased approach to getting Canada’s largest provincial economy back to work that relies on criteria set out by the chief health officer. The province is now in stage two, allowing shopping malls to open and restaurants and bars to serve patrons outdoors.

NYC Deaths Halt After Four Months (6:53 p.m. NY)

New York City, once the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, reported its first day with zero confirmed or probable virus deaths on Sunday since the pandemic began, according to initial data from the city’s health department.

It’s the end of a four-month stretch since the city reported its first death on March 11. Confirmed deaths reached a peak of 597 on April 7, with an additional 216 suspected coronavirus-linked fatalities that day.

“New Yorkers have been the hero of this story, going above and beyond to keep each other safe,” City Hall spokeswoman Avery Cohen said in an emailed statement.

New York City has reported a cumulative 18,670 confirmed and 4,613 probable Covid-19 deaths.

Brazil Cases Approach 1.9 Million (5:25 p.m. NY)

Brazil, which lags only the U.S. in the number of confirmed infections and deaths, recorded 24,831 new cases of Covid-19, pushing the total to 1,864,681, according to the Health Ministry’s website. Deaths increased by 631 to 72,100. While both counts were the lowest in five days, Brazil’s reported numbers show a pattern of being lower on Sundays.

U.S. Cases Rise Less Than 7-Day Average (4:00 p.m. NY)

U.S. coronavirus cases rose by 55,688 compared with the same time Saturday to 3.27 million, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. The 1.7% gain was smaller than the national average daily increase of 1.9% over the past week. Deaths rose 0.4% from Saturday to 134,904.

Florida added a record 15,300 virus cases Sunday, the biggest one-day rise since the coronavirus outbreak began in the U.S. New York, California and Texas have all reached almost 12,000 in a single day. It was a 6% daily rise compared to an average increase of 4.8% over the last week. The state reported a drop in deaths, to 44 from 95 the day before.Texas posted 8,196 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the state’s total to 258,658. The increase of 3.3% was below the seven-day average of 3.9%. The number of deaths rose by 80 to 3,192, the Department of State Health Services said on its website.South Carolina reported 1,952 new cases Sunday, a drop from the record 2,239 posted the day before, for a total of 56,485, the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control said on its website.Deaths in Arizona rose for a third day, to 86 reported on Sunday, while the increase in new cases slowed to 2.1% from the weekly average rise of 3.4%. The state reported 2,537 new cases, for a total of 122,467. That compared to 3,038 cases the day before. Deaths rose from 69 reported Saturday and 44 on Friday. Total deaths are 2,237.California added 8,460 new Covid-19 cases, a 2.7% increase, according to the health department’s website. That’s below the 3% seven-day average. There have been 320,804 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state. The number of deaths climbed by 72, or 1%, to 7,017.New York reported 677 new Covid-19 cases, a 0.2% rise in line with the seven-day average of daily cases.New Jersey posted 349 more virus cases, a 0.2% rise in line with the average increase over the last week. The state now has a total of 175,298 infections. Another 16 people died, for a total of 13,594 fatalities.

South Africa Imposes Curfew, Alcohol Curbs (2:30 p.m. NY)

President Cyril Ramaphosa castigated South Africans for violating rules to curb the spread of Covid-19 and announced restrictions, including a renewed ban on alcohol sales to halt “drinking sprees” and an overnight curfew starting Monday. Infections climbed to 276,242, with case numbers increasing by more than 12,000 per day. At least 4,079 people have died of the coronavirus in South Africa, a quarter of them in the past week. The government expects the disease to peak by the end of September and intensive-care units in all nine provinces to run out of beds.

U.K. Cases in Line With Past Week (1:44 p.m. NY)

The U.K. said 650 more people tested positive, in line with the average 0.2% increase in the previous seven days, bringing the total to 289,603. The death toll climbed by 21 to 44,819.

The virus can survive in the air for more than an hour, undermining the “back to work” push by ministers, the Telegraph reported, citing Wendy Barclay, a virologist on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

She said the virus could remain viable even in tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere, adding to the case for face coverings.

Florida Breaks U.S. Record for Daily Cases (1:40 p.m. NY)

Florida reported a record 15,300 virus cases Sunday, the biggest one-day rise since the coronavirus outbreak began in the U.S. New York, California and Texas have all reached almost 12,000 in a single day.

It was a 6% daily rise compared to an average increase of 4.8% over the last week, as the virus pushes to new highs around the south and west. The state’s previous record was set on July 3, of 11,393 cases.

But the state reported a drop in deaths, to 44 from 95 the day before. The state’s rate of positive tests declined to 11.2%, from 12.5%, the lowest since late June.

“It won’t be long” until hospitals in the Miami area reach capacity, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said on CNN, who added that the biggest concern for now is ICU capacity.

“We have reached capacity in some, but we also have reserve space,” he said. “We have another 1,200 beds that we can crank out pretty fast for critical care beds. We have another 500 ICU beds that we can crank up.”

Italy Reports Increase (12:40 p.m. NY)

Italy reported 234 new coronavirus cases Sunday, compared with 188 the previous day and in line with the previous seven-day average of 201, Health Ministry data showed. Nine more people died, raising the death toll to 34,954. Italy had a one-day peak of 6,557 new infections on March 21; a total of 243,061 cases have been reported since the end of February.

Gove Questions Masks in U.K. Shops (10:35 a.m. NY)

U.K. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said the government shouldn’t make face masks compulsory in English shops — but added that it was “good manners” to wear one.

On Saturday, the Times reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set to tell Parliament this week it will be compulsory for Britons to wear face coverings in shops, soon after telling the country that it was only optional do so. Johnson’s administration has come in for steady criticism for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of about 45,000 people in the U.K. — the highest toll in Europe.

DeVos Says School Reopening Should Be ‘Rule’ (10:10 a.m. NY)

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pushed the administration’s position of opening schools in the fall, despite a heavy rate of Covid-19 infections in many states, in two Sunday-morning interviews.

“There is going to be the exception to the rule. But the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall,” she said on CNN. DeVos said there was “nothing in the data that suggests kids going back to school is in any way dangerous.”

On “Fox News Sunday” DeVos repeated a threat to withhold federal funds if schools don’t reopen for in-person learning: “if schools aren’t going to open, they shouldn’t get the funds. Give it to the families.”

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