Coronavirus Global Updates, June 20: Thousands head to indoor Trump campaign rally in Tulsa, raising virus fears

Meanwhile, World Health Organizations (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the virus is still spreading fast, and is deadly, and most people are still susceptible

Here are the top global developments

Thousands head to indoor Trump rally in Tulsa, raising virus fears

People in large number from many states are converging on Tulsa for an indoor election campaign rally and other events Saturday for President Donald Trump, raising concerns that the gatherings could help fuel nascent spikes of coronavirus cases in many places, AP reported. The Trump rally will be held at an indoor arena which can hold 19,000 people. This will be the first indoor event of such a massive scale since the coronavirus pandemic took hold and many states issued stay-at-home orders.Tulsa has seen the largest increase in cases in Oklahoma in recent days, and several bordering states, including Arkansas, have seen spikes in community spread of the virus in recent weeks.

“I think there’s no question that indoor events are more risky than outdoor events. But we don’t really know how big that difference is. And certainly other aspects, like how tightly packed things are … will make a big difference,” said Justin Lessler, an associate professor of epidemiology at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

People wait in downtown Tulsa, Okla., to enter President Donald Trump’s campaign rally on Saturday, June 20, 2020. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Turkey lost some ground in Covid-19 fight: Prez Erdogan

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had lost some ground in its battle with the pandemic but a focus on hygiene, masks and social distancing will protect people and help the economy rebound in the second half of the year, Reuters reported. “The numbers in recent days show that we have lost our position in the fight against the epidemic,” Erdogan said in a televised address. “But we aim to remove the pandemic from our agenda by respecting the cleaning, mask and distance rules.”

He added there have been “quite strong” signals for economic recovery since May and “we expect great momentum from the second half of the year”.

A woman and children wearing face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus, feed pigeons in Kugulu Park public garden, in Ankara, Turkey. (AP Photo)

German slaughterhouse virus cases exceed 1,000

The number of workers infected in a coronavirus outbreak at a slaughterhouse in Germany has risen to 1,029 from 803 reported a day earlier but there is no evidence of a “significant” spread into the community, according to Reuters. The government has issued a quarantine order for all 6,500 workers and managers at the Toennies firm’s meat processing facility in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck and for their family members.

“We have no significant introduction of coronavirus into the general population,” German news agency dpa quoted regional official Sven-Georg Adenauer as saying, as per Reuters. More than 3,000 workers have been tested, so far. Some employees were under a so-called working quarantine, meaning they only are allowed to travel between home and work.

South Africa sees nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases

Nearly 4,000 new infections have been reported in South Africa as the country continues to loosen lockdown measures under economic pressure, AP reported. The country which had imposed one of the most stringent lockdowns, is reporting surging number of coronavirus cases. It records 30 per cent of the cases on the Africa continent or more than 87,000 as its public laboratories are struggling to keep up with testing, with an average turnaround time of 12 days for results.

Casinos, beauty salons and sit-down restaurant service have been allowed to run as as President Cyril Ramaphosa this week warned citizens that the fight against the coronavirus is a personal responsibility. Africa’s 54 countries have more than 286,000 virus cases overall, but a shortage of testing materials means the real number of infections is unknown.

Dr. Hugo Tempelman tests a member of the Ndlovu Youth Choir for Covid-19 at a clinic in the Moutse Valley, 160 kms (100 miles) north east of Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo)

Iran may mandate wearing masks in public places

As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Iran, the country which has over 200,000 confirmed infections has been considering making it mandatory within days to wear masks in public places and covered spaces, President Hassan Rouhani said, Reuters reported.“Mainly for crowded and covered areas…we may make (masks) compulsory in a week, more or less. But first plenty of inexpensive masks should be made available for the people,” Rouhani said.

Death rate in Iran in this past week has exceeded 100 for the first time in two months. It’s Health Ministry on Saturday announced 115 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 9,507. There were 2,322 reported new cases bringing the total to 202,584 in what is the Middle East’s worst-affected country.

In this Wednesday, June 10, 2020, photo, people have their temperature checked as they enter a disinfectant tunnel to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the entrance of a shopping center at the Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Iran. (AP Photo)

China reports 34 new Covid-19 cases, 22 in Beijing

China reported 34 new coronavirus cases on Saturday and health officials have submitted the virus genome sequence from the recent clusters of COVID-19 infections to the World Health Organisation, PTI said. The National Health Commission (NHC) said 34 new cases, including 22 in Beijing and seven asymptomatic infections of the COVID-19 were reported in the country. It said 108 asymptomatic cases, including 57 from overseas, were still under medical observation.

On Friday, Beijing confirmed 22 new confirmed domestically-transmitted Covid-19 cases. By the end of Friday, Beijing had reported 625 confirmed domestically-transmitted cases, what is being considered as a second wave, including 411 who had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and nine deaths.

A woman wearing mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus speaks on the phone as she shelters from the sun in Beijing. (AP Photo)

Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested in COVID-19 graft case

Zimbabwe’s health minister Obadiah Moyo was expected ti appear in court on Saturday to face allegations of illegally awarding a multi-million-dollar contract for COVID-19 testing kits, drugs and personal protective equipment to a shadowy company, news agency AP reported. The scandal comes as medical personnel across Zimbabwe were on strike demanding to be paid their salaries in US dollars.

He was arrested on Friday by the country’s anti-corruption agency as the scandal created a public uproar in the country and the word spread over social media. Some local journalists on social media exposed how Moyo allegedly chose the company to sell medical supplies to the government at inflated prices that included face masks for $28 each.

The representative, Delish Nguwaya, and some top officials of the national drugs procurement agency are already facing criminal charges related to the scandal. Nguwaya is accused of lying in saying the company was a drugs manufacturing company based in Switzerland, “whereas it was merely a consulting company with no experience in the manufacture of drug and medical products,” according to the charge sheet.

Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, right, of Switzerland, shakes hands with Zimbabwean Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo, left, in Harare. Moyo, who appeared in court Saturday, June 20, 2020 was arrested Friday by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (AP Photo)

US Embassy in Kabul battles Covid-19 infections

The US State Department said its embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has reported coronavirus infections and the staff who are affected include diplomats, contractors and locally employed staff, AP stated. However, the State Deparmtent did not reveal how many people were infected by the virus. “The embassy is implementing all appropriate measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the US State department said.

An official at the embassy in Kabul told AP as many as 20 people were infected, the majority of whom are Nepalese Gurkhas, who provide embassy security. He said the infected staff are in isolation in the embassy while the remainder on the compound are being tested, adding that he embassy staff have been told they can expect tighter isolation orders. Afghanistan, as on Saturday, has 28,424 confirmed coronavirus cases.

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South Korea reports its biggest daily rise in three weeks

South Korea has reported an upward trend in coronavirus infections. The country registered its biggest daily spike with 67 fresh cases Saturday. This was its largest increase in about three weeks after the country started flattening the curve. Most of the new cases are reported from the metropolitan Seoul.

The country now has 12,373 cases and 280 deaths.

Brazil’s Covid figure could be seven times higher: Experts

The total number of coronavirus infections in Brazil crossed the 1 million mark as the country’s health ministry reported a rise of 50,000 new cases in 24 hours.

People walk through a downtown shopping district in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Health specialists suspect the actual number of cases in Brazil to be seven times higher than the official statistic. Johns Hopkins University says Brazil is performing an average of 14 tests per 100,000 people each day, and health experts say that number is up to 20 times less than needed to track the virus.

South Africa and Ethiopia recommend limited use of dexamethasone

Health ministers of South Africa and Ethiopia said they were recommending the limited use of dexamethasone for seriously ill coronavirus patients.

A pharmacist displays a box of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, June 16, 2020. (Reuters Photo/Yves Herman)

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the findings of the drug were excellent news since the country was preparing for a surge in cases. The country’s Ministerial Advisory Committee recommended the use of dexamethasone for all Covid-19 patients on ventilators or supplementary oxygen, he added.

Similarly, taking to Twitter, Ethiopia’s health minister said her ministry was recommending the emergency use of the drug for critically ill patients.

As of Friday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington stood at 9,952, including 530 deaths. (AP Photo)

Washington, D.C. to enter its second reopening phase next week

The United States’ capital is moving to its second phase of reopening next week after months of social restrictions. Starting Monday, playgrounds, gyms, libraries and nail salons will be able to reopen on a limited basis. All non-essential business and restaurants will be allowed to reopen with a capped footfall of 50 persons.

As of Friday the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington stood at 9,952 including 530 deaths.

Children wearing masks to curb the spread of the new coronavirus chat outside a restaurant in Beijing on Friday, June 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Checks widen in Beijing as cases increase

In an effort to ramp up the fight against coronavirus, officials in Beijing are carrying out nucleic acid tests on all food and parcel delivery personnel. The new cluster outbreak in China’s capital has now surpassed previous peak numbers in early February.

According to the China’s National Health Commission as of Saturday, mainland China reported 27 new cases out of which 22 are from Beijing. This is compared to the 32 confirmed cases yesterday, 25 of which were in Beijing.

Ireland to accelerate reopening through a phased plan

Ireland has accelerated its plan for reopening its economy in phases that will speed the easing of coronavirus restrictions. Phase 3, set to begin on June 29 will reopen cafes, restaurants, places of worship, gyms as well as cinemas. Gatherings of up to 50 people indoors and 200 people outdoors will be allowed.

Phase 4 will commence from July 20 and will allow all bars and nightclubs to open. Up to 100 people can gather indoors and up to 500 outdoors in this phase.

(From left) Health Minister Simon Harris, Anne Graham CEO of the National Transport Authority, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Transport Minister Shane Ross walk by Dublin buses for a photocall to encourage passengers to wear face masks on public transport in the country as coronavirus lockdown measures are eased, in Dublin city centre, Monday June 15, 2020. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)

Italy had coronavirus in sewage as early as December says a new study

Coronavirus was present in Italy’s sewage system as early as December, which is approximately two months before the first confirmed case emerged in the European country, a new study has found.

“Traces of SARS-Cov-2 have been found in samples of waste water taken in Milan and Turin on Dec. 18 and in Bologna on Jan. 29,” said Giuseppina La Rosa, who led the research for a coming study from the country’s ISS National Health Institute.

Italy’s earliest reported domestic virus cases have been linked to a man who sought treatment in mid-February of this year. (Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg)

Some other global developments: 

* Costa Rica will halt its plan for economic reopening due to the country’s increasing coronavirus cases, Health Minister Daniel Salas said Friday

* Saudi Arabia’s coronavirus cases top 150,000 as a surge was reported in the last 10 days 

* Guatemala replaced its health minister on Friday amid a spike in COVID19 infections and deaths.

* France saw its lowest increase in the number of deaths in 5 days with 14 new fatalities Friday.

* Parts of Germany may enter lockdown if the outbreak is not contained; a new cluster of 800 cases has been identified in the region of North Rhine Westphalia