Mon 17 August 2020:
25 deaths in the country take national death toll to 421 with 290 more cases reported a single day
Australia witnessed the deadliest day since the outbreak of the COVID-19 reporting 25 deaths in the past 24 hours.
According to the country’s health authorities, 290 new cases of the infection were also reported in the same period. Most of the cases – 282 – were detected in Victoria state.
The country’s total caseload has climbed to 23,559 while the death toll has risen to 421. Over 17 deaths were reported on Sunday.
Victoria had reported 21 deaths on Wednesday, the previous highest until today in the country. The local health authorities have deployed more than 2,600 contact tracers in Victoria to identify COVID-19 cases.
In a message to people of Victoria, Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt said: “It is ‘okay not to be okay’ in light of the coronavirus pandemic.” He announced an additional increase in funding for mental health support.
The government will build 15 new adult mental health centers — nine in urban metropolitan areas and six in rural and regional areas.
New Zealand delays election
9 new coronavirus cases reported by authorities as country sees resurgence of COVID-19 since last week
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday announced to delay the general election due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
Addressing a news conference aired live from Auckland, Ardern said the re-emergence of coronavirus in the community was a “cause for concern” during the election period.
Now, the election will be held on Oct. 17 instead of Sept. 19.
New Zealand reported nine more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. The country has witnessed a resurgence of the infection since early last week after a break of 102 days with no local cases.
So far, 1,631 people have contracted the virus nationwide and 22 have died.
The government imposed a lockdown in the capital of Auckland to stem the spread of the infection.
“COVID-19 will be with us for some time to come. Continuously pushing out an election does not lessen the risk of disruption and this is why the electoral commission has planned for the possibility of holding an election where the country is at level 2, and with some parts at level 3,” Ardern said.
The last general elections were held in September 2017.
The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 775,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since first reported in Wuhan, China in December. The US, Brazil, India and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.
More than 21.6 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 13.6 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
Anadolu agency
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