(Reuters) – The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 approached 200,000, while Mexico surpassed 700,000 confirmed cases although health authorities there said infection rates had slowed in the past two months.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.
* For a U.S.-focused tracker with a state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser.
* Eikon users, see MacroVitals cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.
EUROPE
* The European Medicines Agency has been in contact this month with 38 makers of potential COVID-19 vaccines, an official at the EU drugs regulator said.
* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell people on Tuesday to work from home where possible and will impose new curbs on bars and restaurants to tackle a swiftly accelerating second wave.
* The Spanish government agreed with unions and business leaders to make employers cover home working expenses.
* The new Czech health minister said that tighter restrictions on bars and public events were imminent.
* Plans for the controlled return of fans into U.K. sports stadiums from Oct. 1 are set to be postponed.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Late-stage Indian clinical trials of Russia’s potential coronavirus vaccine could start in the next few weeks.
* India reported 75,083 new cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest daily tally in almost a month.
* Australia’s virus hotspot of Victoria reported a more than doubling in new infections, likely as a result of increased testing, while other states said border restrictions would be relaxed as case numbers dwindled.
* South Korea suspended free flu shots, disrupting plans to pre-emptively ease the burden on a healthcare system already strained by the coronavirus outbreak.
* Indonesia reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus deaths with 160 fatalities.
AMERICAS
* Two Republican senators on Monday introduced legislation that would authorize $28.8 billion in payroll assistance to avoid thousands of airline industry layoffs set to begin on Oct. 1.
* Optimism that vaccines are on the way to end the pandemic has been a major factor in this year’s U.S. stock resurgence. That will face a critical test in coming weeks, as investors await clinical data on whether they actually work.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Pakistan started Phase III clinical trials for Chinese company Cansinobio’s vaccine candidate.
* Iraq is to bar entry to religious pilgrims just weeks ahead of a Shi’ite Muslim pilgrimage, which is the largest annual religious gathering in the world.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Russia expects to register a second potential vaccine by Oct. 15, the TASS news agency cited Russian consumer safety watchdog as saying.
* State-backed vaccine maker China National Biotec Group (CNBG) is hopeful of two of its vaccine candidates receiving conditional regulatory approval for general public use within the year.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Europe’s stock markets clawed back some ground on Tuesday, a day after rising second waves of the epidemic caused the region’s biggest wipeout since June and drover investors back to government bonds. [MKTS/GLOB]
* Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said escalating COVID-19 cases in Britain threatened the outlook for Britain’s economy and said the central bank was looking hard at how it could support the economy further.
* Germany may weather its pandemic-induced recession better than expected, private sector indicators suggested.
(Compiled by Milla Nissi and Devika Syamnath; Edited by Subhranshu Sahu and Angus MacSwan)
