(Reuters) – World Bank President David Malpass said he was seeking board approval for a $12 billion coronavirus vaccine financing plan to help poor and developing countries secure vaccine doses, as part of the $160 billion coronavirus aid financing pledged by the bank.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ 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
* Italy is likely to extend a state of emergency to help keep the health crisis under control, a senior official said.
* Finland and Poland slapped new curfews on bars and restaurants, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country would restrict the size of gatherings and fine people who flout tracking rules.
* Hundreds of junior Spanish doctors took to the streets of Barcelona to demand better working conditions as they struggle against a second wave of infections.
AMERICAS
* U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday she hoped to have a coronavirus aid deal with the White House this week, after speaking with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
* Walt Disney said on Tuesday it will lay off roughly 28,000 employees, mostly at its U.S. theme parks, where attendance has been crushed by the pandemic, especially in California where Disneyland remains closed.
* New York City will impose fines on people who refuse to wear a face covering as the rate of positive tests for the novel coronavirus climbed above 3% for the first time in months, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
* Canada’s federal authorities and its two biggest provinces promised new measures to combat a second wave that is notching up as many cases as during the pandemic’s peak in April.
* Colombia will extend a selective quarantine for the duration of October.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 6.23 million after it reported 80,472 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Wednesday.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Israel’s parliament approved a government-backed edict on Wednesday likely to stifle protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged corruption and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said its experimental two-antibody cocktail reduced viral levels and improved symptoms in non-hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
* Results from an early safety study showed Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate appeared safe and showed signs of working in older adults, researchers said.
* Germany’s CureVac NV said it has started a mid-stage study testing its experimental coronavirus vaccine and plans to begin a decisive global trial with about 30,000 volunteers in the fourth quarter.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* The U.S. recovery from the coronavirus-linked recession has been more robust than expected, a top Federal Reserve policymaker said, though he added it could be about three years before the economy regains its full strength.
(Compiled by Devika Syamnath and Vinay Dwivedi; Edited by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shounak Dasgupta)
