The United States set another single-day record for the number of COVID-19 infections on Wednesday.
Data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project shows more than 144,000 new cases were reported across the U.S., surpassing the more than 136,000 new cases recorded just the day before. The data also shows 65,368 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, shattering the 61,964 mark set one day earlier
Another 1,421 people died Wednesday, pushing the 7-day average over 1,000.
The new figures add to the United States’ world-leading casualty figures of more than 10.4 million total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic reached its shores earlier this year, including more than 241,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The nation’s most-populous state of California is nearing the 1 million mark of total COVID-19 cases, following Texas, which became the first U.S. state to reach the grim threshold on Wednesday.
In Brazil, late-stage trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine have resumed after the country’s health regulator called a halt due to an “adverse, serious event” involving a participant in the study.
The vaccine, dubbed CoronaVac, is being developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. The vaccine had been denounced by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a frequent critic of China.
Brazil has the highest coronavirus tally in Latin America, with more than 5.7 million confirmed cases and 168,368 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
In Spain, authorities announced Wednesday that travelers from countries considered high-risk areas for COVID-19 will have to show proof of a negative test before they can enter the country. Travelers must have a copy of the original document, either on paper or in an electronic format, that shows the test was conducted 72 hours before their planned departure.
In Japan, organizers for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics said Thursday that participating athletes will not have to enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine period when they arrive for the games next year. Games Chief Executive Toshiro Muto told reporters that a decision on allowing foreign spectators to observe the events would be finalized next year, but said it is a possibility the two-week quarantine could be waived for them as well.
The Tokyo Summer Games were initially scheduled to be held this July and August, but organizers in March decided to postpone them for a year due to the pandemic.
