(Reuters) – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday urged their residents to not travel between the three states as the U.S. Northeast sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, while California said major theme parks including Disneyland would not be opening anytime soon.
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.
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.
EUROPE
* Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild respiratory symptoms.
* Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will have to self-isolate pending a coronavirus test after coming into contact late last week with a top military officer who later tested positive for COVID-19.
* British PM Boris Johnson said he would impose tougher lockdown restrictions on the Greater Manchester region in northern England despite failing to reach a deal on funding support with local leaders.
* The Spanish government is considering new restrictions in hard-hit regions like Madrid.
* Italy’s southern Campania region said it planned to introduce a nighttime curfew from the weekend, while other areas started drawing up their own restrictions.
* Berlin’s municipal government made it compulsory to wear masks at markets, in queues and on 10 busy shopping streets, but stopped short of imposing another lockdown.
AMERICAS
* Mexican authorities are calling on cemeteries to close to public visitors ahead of the Day of the Dead, a celebration that usually draws hundreds of thousands of people nationwide.
* Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello has fallen ill with a suspected case of COVID-19.
* Venezuela plans to vaccinate citizens with Russian and Chinese coronavirus vaccines, which could arrive in the South American nation in December or January.
* Mexico could share some liabilities arising from any adverse side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the country, but it will negotiate the issue once laboratories have finished developing the medicines.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* A city in China’s Zhejiang province will offer experimental coronavirus vaccines to its residents, as China broadens an emergency use programme to people in non-priority groups.
* Australia’s most heavily hit coronavirus state of Victoria logged a sixth consecutive day of low single digit new cases, as the state government said it was on track to announce fresh easing measures at the weekend.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* South Africa is investigating 10.5 billion rand of the government’s coronavirus spending for corruption, more than double the amount they were investigating two months ago.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine trial in the United States is expected to resume as early as this week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration completed its review of a serious illness, four sources told Reuters.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Asian shares and U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday as renewed hopes for a new round of U.S. stimulus drew money into equities from government debt. [MKTS/GLOB]
* The White House and Democrats in the U.S. Congress moved closer to agreement on a new coronavirus relief package on Tuesday as President Donald Trump said he was willing to accept a large aid bill despite opposition from his own Republican Party.
* Bank of Japan board member Makoto Sakurai said on Wednesday the central bank must take “swift and appropriate” action if the coronavirus shock delays the country’s economic recovery.
(Compiled by Devika Syamnath and Amy Caren Daniel; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Sriraj Kalluvila)
