This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.
Top stories: South Korea cases increase; younger people driving spread; pre-flight tests.
1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now reached more than 21.8 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths now stands at nearly 775,000.
South Korea has reported 246 new cases of COVID-19. Authorities are working to trace members of a church congregation, and the military has locked down bases to tackle the spread.
Australia is set to record its lowest one-day rise in a month, a potential sign that a strict lockdown in the state of Victoria has helped prevent a wider wave.
China has reported no new locally transmitted cases for the second day in a row. The 22 new cases were all imported, the National Health Commission said.
Brazil's official death toll from COVID-19 has topped 108,000, according to health ministry data.
New cases have declined for the fourth week in a row in the United States, according to a Reuters tally. But, the death toll rose 2% last week.
2. Younger people driving the pandemic: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that people in their 20s, 30s and 40s might be driving the spread of COVID-19. Many are asymptomatic and unaware that they're infected, posing a risk to more vulnerable groups.
“The epidemic is changing,” WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Takeshi Kasai told a virtual briefing. “People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected.”
The proportion of infected younger people has risen globally, the organization said.
3. Airlines and airports push for COVID testing
Airlines and airports want countries to accept a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of travel as an alternative to quarantines. They're set to ask a UN-led task force to recommend testing today, according to a proposal seen by Reuters.
“A test prior to departure could reduce the risk of importation by up to 90%, enabling air travel to be opened up between a large number of countries without a quarantine requirement,” said the proposal from Airports Council International (ACI) and airline trade group International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The recommendation would apply to those traveling from countries with high infection rates, explained IATA medical adviser Dr David Powell. “We don’t support across-the-board mandatory testing," he told Reuters.
The organization says airlines are forecasting a 55% decline in 2020 air traffic.
