RationalWiki:What is going on with the coronavirus?/July 2020

July 2020
Coronavirus: Euro area economy shrinks by 12.1% — biggest drop on record. On the other side of the pond, US economy suffers worst quarter since the second world war as GDP shrinks by 32.9% David Duke is banned from Twitter for posting antisemitic conspiracy theories and COVID misinformation Various changes in Covid prevention measures have been announced, as the level of infections appears to be creeping up. The reopening of casinos, bowling alleys, and music theatres, which was due to happen on 1 August, will now be postponed for at least 2 weeks. Rules on wearing face masks will be extended to include museums, cinemas and places of worship from 8 August. More than four million people in the north of England are back under lockdown. Herman Cain dies of coronavirus Bill Montgomery, one of the co-founders of Turning Point USA, has died from coronavirus-related complications. The virus isolation period in England has been increased from 7 to 10 days. It comes amid fears that Europe could face a second wave in cases. With Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, expected to be Tropical Storm Isaias by the time it reaches Florida on the approach, the state has announced it will shut down coronavirus testing from Thursday evening, 30 July until at least Tuesday morning, 4 August. Another milestone passed, no signs of slow: The United States' official death toll from coronavirus surpasses 150,000 dead Vietnam scrambles to contain a sudden outbreak of coronavirus originating from, a popular domestic tourist destination. Officials are concerned about tens of thousands who have been in the city and then traveled to other parts of the country. Da Nang has been placed on lockdown. UPDATE: Vietnam has recorded its first Covid-19 deaths. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53575875 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warns the city could face a "large scale community outbreak" that its hospitals couldn't cope with. Many businesses have been ordered to close again, dining in restaurants is banned and wearing face masks in public is compulsory.] [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53546151 Growing evidence of a link between obesity and increased risk from Covid-19 prompts the government to think seriously about tackling the UK's weight problem. Measures will include banning commercials for unhealthy food from TV before 9 o'clock at night.] Useless, dubious and illegal coronavirus supplements are proliferating on Amazon. National Security Advisor, Robert O'Brien, tests positive for coronavirus. Britain reimposes 14-day quarantine for travelers from Spain. UPDATE: The British government advises against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary islands. The "first suspected case of coronavirus" is reported in North Korea. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53539015 A spike in Covid-19 cases in Spain prompts fears of a "second wave". Night clubs and late-night bars in Catalonia are closed.] Donald Trump tries to blame Black Lives Matter for the uptick in Covid-19 infections, but the data shows otherwise Donald Trump changes his stance on wearing masks, saying it's patriotic Slow but steady progress seems to be happening in the search for Covid vaccination. A coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford appears to be safe and triggers an immune response. But it's still far too early to tell whether it can prevent infections, futher tests are expected to take place in the coming weeks. Georgia governor Brian Kemp sues Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, over Atlanta's face mask requirement, arguing it violates state health orders which prohibit cities and counties from having stricter rules than state guidelines. The Trump administration has enacted a policy forcing hospitals to report Covid-19 data to a federal database instead of the CDC Nearly 100,000 mink at a fur farm in Spain are to be culled after many of them tested positive for Covid-19, as did eight people who worked on the farm. American, British and Canadian intelligence agencies say that organizations working on a vaccine for the coronavirus have been subject to cyber attacks from Russian spies. [https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53403610 More than a million people in the UK have given up smoking since the start of the pandemic. Some because of coronavirus-related health concerns. Some because they've had difficulty getting to the shops to buy tobacco. And some because they don't have anybody to smoke socially with anymore.] To take pressure off South Africa's national healthcare system, the recently lifted ban on alcohol sales has been reimposed and a night-time curfew is in place as well. Face masks will be compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from 24 July, fines of up to £100 will be issued to those who refuse to comply. Researchers have found that blood type is likely to play a role as to who is more likely to become infected with COVID as well as to have complications. The UK relaxes Covid quarantine rules on people travelling in from over 70 countries. Countries on this list include France, Italy and Germany. People coming in from Spain will still be required to quarantine if entering Scotland Bolivian President Jeanine Anez Chavez and seven ministers have tested positive for Coronavirus. Houston's mayor cancels next week's Republican convention, saying, "The public health concerns outweighed anything else." Demonstrators storm Serbian parliament in protest over lockdown measures Trump administration officially moves to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization. Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president who has repeatedly belittled the threat posed by the coronavirus and railed against "dictatorial" regional efforts to stop its spread, has tested positive for it. President Sissi's simultaneous attack on public health and press freedom: It is now illegal to report on the spread of COVID in Egypt. Due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Melbourne, the borders between the states of Victoria and New South Wales are to close. England's cognoscenti proving themselves to be exceptional in these times of plague. The European Union has finally agreed on a list of countries whose travelers will be welcome- but US travelers will be excluded Texas Governor Abbott requires masks to be worn in public, in any county that has more than 20 coronavirus cases. Republican Herman Cain, who attended Trump's rally in Tulsa, is hospitalized for COVID-19 New Zealand's health minister David Clark, earlier demoted for breaking lockdown rules, has resigned.