WHO reports the most new Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began

It’s Monday morning in the US, and the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the country and the rest of the world.

The World Health Organization received reports of 307,930 new Covid-19 cases worldwide in the past 24 hours — the highest single-day increase in global infections since the pandemic began. The previous daily high was set on September 6, when 306,857 cases were reported.

If you’re just reading in now, here’s what else you need to know to start the day:

Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been released from hospital in Milan where he was receiving treatment for coronavirus-related pneumonia, his press office told CNN Monday.

The 83-year-old media magnate, who first became the country’s leader in 1994, was admitted to the San Raffaele hospital on September 3 and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

Upon his release from hospital Berlusconi told journalists the experience was “the most dangerous test of my life.”

Italy recorded six further coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the health ministry, taking its total death toll to 35,610.

The number of patients in intensive care has been steadily increasing, reaching 187 on Sunday. 

However, some Italian schools reopened Monday. Students and teachers have been given masks and hand sanitizer, but some schools have not received the new single person-desks which are supposed to help with social distancing.

Italy has a high percentage of teachers over the age of 50, a group at greater risk from coronavirus.

Secondary lockdowns are coming into force and restrictions being renewed, as countries struggle to get a handle on new waves of coronavirus cases while attempting to keep their economies afloat.

In a sign that the worst is far from over, the World Health Organization reported the highest single-day increase in global infections since the pandemic began on Sunday.

Israel will bring back a nationwide lockdown — one of the first countries to do so — reimposing many of the same severe restrictions seen earlier this year, as an outbreak widens there. The government, wary of mass gatherings ahead of the high holidays, said the measures will come into force on Friday, the start of the Jewish new year.

Meanwhile, in Britain, a government adviser has warned that failure to contain a surge of cases could put the country “right back in hard lockdown in short order.” In an attempt to contain the virus’ spread, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reduced the number of people allowed to meet from 30 to six, starting Monday.

As Europe sees a spike in cases, WHO’s director for the continent told Agence France-Presse that the crisis was only going to get tougher, and to expect more deaths in October and November. “It’s a moment where countries don’t want to hear this bad news, and I understand,” Hans Kluge said, adding that we all have to “learn how to live with this pandemic.”

A version of this story appeared in the September 14 edition of CNN’s Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction newsletter. Sign up here to receive the need-to-know headlines every weekday.

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Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz said his country is experiencing a second wave of the pandemic. ”We are at the beginning of the second wave. We are facing difficult months in the autumn and winter,” tweeted Kurz on Sunday. “The number of infections is increasing from day to day.”

Kurz asked Austrian citizens to continue to adhere to all coronavirus measures and reduce social contacts.

The number of new infections in Austria has risen in recent days and the situation is “particularly dramatic” in the capital, Vienna, which recorded more than half of all new infections in the country, Kurz told national Austrian news agency APA on Sunday.

“Whereas two weeks ago the number of infections per day was around 350, yesterday it was already over 850,” Kurz said, adding that the mark of 1,000 new cases per day would soon be reached.

Austria is tightening its coronavirus rules from Monday in response to the growing numbers.

Face masks must be worn in all public indoor areas and events without assigned and marked seats with more than 50 guests in closed rooms are not allowed. Additionally, eating and drinking in restaurants is only allowed when sitting down. 

On Saturday, Austria registered 869 new infections in 24 hours, the highest increase since the end of March, according to health authorities. 

So far 33,463 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Austria, and 757 have died, said the health ministry.

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) released its annual report Monday, noting that Covid-19 revealed the world’s “collective failure” to prepare and calling for a renewed commitment to collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO).

GPMB is an independent body, convened by the WHO and the World Bank, to ensure preparedness for global health crises.

In its 2019 report, the board noted that “a rapidly spreading pandemic due to a lethal respiratory pathogen” was a real threat, and that the world was not prepared, financially or structurally. 

Among the lessons learned from Covid-19, the board notes that a pandemic can wreak havoc on social and economic systems, in addition to health.

Political leadership matters, the report says, especially when leaders realize that they do not need to choose between protecting people or the economy.

The board says it’s worth investing in pandemic preparedness, noting: “It would take 500 years to spend as much on investing in preparedness as the world is losing due to COVID-19.” 

The board calls for immediate action moving forward, including responsible leadership and ensuring fair access to vaccines.

“Each country should get an initial allocation of vaccine sufficient to cover at least 2% of its population, to cover frontline healthcare workers,” the report says.

The board also calls on ordinary citizens to step up, by holding their governments accountable and taking health precautions to protect one another.

The report notes that women in particular are bearing the brunt of the pandemic, while remaining inadequately involved in preparedness and response.

Texas has now recorded 14,405 coronavirus deaths, the third-most of any US state behind New Jersey and New York, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

New York, with 33,023 deaths, and New Jersey, with 16,031 deaths, hold the two top spots for deaths across the US. California is now in fourth place, reporting 14,386 total deaths, per JHU data.

Texas has a total of 681,885 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began — the second highest of any state behind California.

The US has recorded 6,520,606 coronavirus cases, according to JHU, with 194,084 deaths.

There are mixed developments across Europe as the continent continues to grapple with the pandemic. Here is your latest roundup:

France

Daily coronavirus infections dipped slightly in France on Sunday, a day after the country recorded more than 10,000 new cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Health authorities say Sunday’s total number of new cases was 7,183, down from Saturday’s record-breaking number of 10,561.

Italy

The Italian Health Ministry says six people have died of the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of pandemic deaths to 35,610.

Some Italian schools reopened Monday. Students and teachers have been given masks and hand sanitizer, but some schools have not received the new single person-desks which are supposed to help with social distancing. Italy has a high percentage of teachers over the age of 50, a group at greater risk from coronavirus.

The number of patients in intensive care in Italy has been steadily increasing, reaching 187 on Sunday.  

Germany

Case numbers continue to rise in Germany, albeit more slowly than in some other European countries.

The number of total cases in the country increased by 927 to 260,335, said the Robert-Koch Institute, the national agency for disease control and prevention, on Monday. So far 9,350 people have died of the virus, with one additional death since Sunday.

Meanwhile authorities say a 26-year-old US citizen has caused a coronavirus spike in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The unnamed woman had recently returned from a holiday abroad, according to Stephan Scharf, press officer of the District Administrator’s Office in the southern German town.

Scharf told CNN he did not know which country she had returned from, but it had not been from the US. The woman developed Covid-19 symptoms, took a coronavirus test and was told to stay at home to wait for the results, said Scharf, but this did not stop her from going out and socializing.

She has since received a positive test result and is in quarantine, said Scharf.

UK

Britain’s health care system is experiencing “significant demand” for coronavirus testing from people who do not have symptoms, its health department said Monday, amid reports that its testing program has a backlog of 185,000 test swabs.

“[National Health Service] Test and Trace is working and our capacity is the highest it has ever been but we are seeing a significant demand for tests including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible,” a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson told CNN.

The UK recorded 3,330 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning. Five more people have died, bringing the total official death toll to 41,628.

England is preparing for new restrictions to come into effect Monday after a recent rise in the infection rate. As of Monday, only six people can gather in England at any time. 

Switzerland

Switzerland has added some regions in neighboring countries to its quarantine list, according to its Department of Health.

Several French regions will be added to the list, including Provence-Alpes Cote d’Azur and Ile de France, which contains Paris. The Austrian capital of Vienna is also now on the quarantine list, as well as the whole of Spain.

Some countries were removed from the list, including Ecuador, the Faroe Islands, Guatemala and South Africa.

Switzerland reported 475 new cases on Sunday, taking the total to 47,179. A total 1,747 people have died, with a further four on Sunday, according to the Department of Health.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic set a new daily record for coronavirus infections, with 1,541 new cases recorded Saturday, according to its health ministry. The spike in cases coincides with increased testing, with an average of 15,000 people being tested every day. On Friday alone, 18,200 people took a test.

A total of 453 people have so far died of coronavirus in the Czech Republic, and there have been 35,401 total infections.

Sweden

Sweden has lifted its travel warning for non-essential travel to the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the decision was taken because of the UK’s “reduced Covid-19 risk,” and will take immediate effect.

Keir Starmer, leader of the UK’s opposition Labour party, has gone into self-isolation while a member of his household awaits Covid-19 test results after developing symptoms. 

“This morning Keir Starmer was advised to self-isolate after a member of his household showed possible symptoms of the coronavirus,” said a spokesperson for Starmer.

“The member of his household has now had a test. In line with NHS [National Health Service] guidelines, Keir will self-isolate while awaiting the results of the test and further advice from medical professionals.”

The UK recorded 3,330 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning. Five more people have died, bringing the total official death toll from Covid-19 to 41,628.

England is preparing for new restrictions to come into effect Monday after a recent rise in the infection rate. As of Monday, only six people can gather in England at any time.

The Indian government is considering an “emergency authorization” of Covid-19 vaccines, the country’s health minister, Harsh Vardhan, said Sunday.

Vardhan said that while Phase 3 trials are usually six to nine months long, an emergency authorization could cut that time period.

“Any emergency authorization is always done by adopting re-enforced safeguards so that people need not worry about safety,” he said.

At present, the Covid-19 vaccines that are at the most advanced stage in clinical trials in India include Covaxin, which is being developed domestically, and vaccines that the Serum Institute of India is collaborating on with Astra Zeneca, Oxford University and Codagenix USA.

Vardhan said the results of these vaccine trials will be available by the first quarter of 2021, and there will be efforts to ensure that the vaccines can be manufactured in parallel “so that we don’t lose precious time (in) providing vaccines to the population.”

Senior citizens and those working in high-risk professions, such as healthcare workers, will be given priority in getting the vaccination, the minister said.

“No corners will be cut in the clinical trials, and vaccines will be made available only when the government can ensure its safety and efficacy,” Vardhan added.

India reported 92,071 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total to more than 4.8 million. There were also another 1,136 deaths, bringing the total death toll to 79,722.