July 28 coronavirus news

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US' top infectious disease expert, addressed a series of tweets by President Donald Trump which were taken down overnight on Monday -- one of which touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus.

Fauci said there were other measures everyone should take to protect themselves, including wearing masks.

“We should all be wearing masks outside,” he said. “There are fundamental things we should be doing, particularly if you happen to be in an area where there’s viral activity.”

Fauci said that in addition to wearing masks, people should continue social distancing, avoid crowds and practice good hand hygiene.

The expert also said that officials should close bars in areas where there was evidence of viral activity.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 16.4 million people worldwide and caused more than 654,000 deaths. Here's what you need to know today, from around the globe:

Bolivia's government has issued a decree declaring that the country is in “state of public calamity” due to the economic impact of Covid-19, according to a statement released late Monday.

"We declare a public calamity across the territory of Bolivia in order to attend the urgent economic needs caused by the negative effects of the coronavirus [pandemic]," it states.

The decree allows the country's government to ask for a loan from Bolivia’s Central Bank. It also allows the government to release more funds to help fight the pandemic. The additional funds have so far been blocked by the opposition-controlled Legislative Assembly led by former President Evo Morales’s party.

On Monday, Bolivia reported 71,181 Covid-19 cases, according to its health ministry. The death toll has reached 2,647. 

The virus has spread rapidly through the country's political class.

At least 15 government officials have tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic started, including interim President Jeanine Áñez who announced she had recovered from the virus on Monday evening. 

Major UK department store chain Selfridges says it will shed 14% of its workforce as it faces its "toughest year" because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The retailer said it would axe 450 jobs as annual sales are set to be "significantly less" than last year.

Selfridges is reviewing all non-essential expenses and has paused a number of projects and initiatives.

Teachers and parents who are currently weighing their options when it comes to school reopenings in the middle of a deadly pandemic may have one additional challenge ahead: children who are fearful of returning to school.

Like the rest of us, children in the US have been told to stay inside, to wash their hands and to wear a mask for months now. For some kids, the restrictions, what they've heard on the news and their own personal experience with Covid-19 have made the outside world feel like a dangerous place.

On the rare occasion Jeremiah agrees to leave their East Harlem home, he must first peep through the window, declaring it safe when "there's not that many people outside."

Once out, Jeremiah wants to get back inside as quickly as possible. "Before when he was outside he wanted to explore, he wanted to see, now it's all, 'Let's go and come back, Mama,'" added Israel.

Read the full article here.

Tennis player Grigor Dimitrov says he's unsure of competing at the US Open as he detailed the debilitating side-effects of catching Covid-19.

World No. 19 Dimitrov recorded a positive test in late June shortly after playing at an Adria Tour tournament in Croatia, an event organized by Novak Djokovic that was widely criticized after several players -- including the world No. 1 -- tested positive for coronavirus.

The Bulgarian has since returned to the court, competing at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in France last weekend where he lost to Feliciano Lopez and Richard Gasquet.

"The virus was hard on me," Dimitrov told the Tennis Majors website.

"I stayed home for about a month ... I think it's different for everyone. I was not breathing well. I was tired. I had no taste, no smell. Everything you could possibly think of. So it was no fun.

Read more here.

Hong Kong has recorded a seventh straight day of total cases surpassing the 100 mark as the city continues to battle a third wave of coronavirus.

Officials recorded 106 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to the head of communicable disease branch of the Department of Health, Chuang Shuk-kwan, who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday.

Among the new infections, 98 are local transmissions and eight are imported cases. Out of the local cases, 48 are related to previous infections. The source of 50 cases are still under investigation.

On Monday, Hong Kong's government announced the strictest social distancing measures the city has seen so far. 

The new restrictions, expected to take effect at midnight Wednesday local time, include limiting gatherings from up to four people to only two, expanding mandatory mask wearing from all indoor public places to outdoor public places as well, and a complete suspension of dining inside restaurants.

Hong Kong’s total count of Covid-19 cases is 2,885 and its death toll remains at 22, as of midnight Tuesday there.

Nearly 16.5 million cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded worldwide, including at least 654,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Here's the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic:

Germany's Foreign Ministry has warned against travel to the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra.

The decision was taken due to high Covid-19 infection rates and local closures in the affected areas, the government said in an updated travel advisory.

Germany's decision follows a similar move by British officials at the weekend, which has caused a rift between Madrid and London.

On Saturday, the UK advised against non-essential travel to mainland Spain. Its warning was extended on Monday to warn against non-essential travel to the Balearic and Canary islands. Travelers returning from the country will also have to quarantine for 14 days.

"The decisions that have been made by the United Kingdom are misfit," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday, during an interview with Spanish broadcaster TeleCinco.

"We wish them every success in managing this outbreak but we've seen a very sharp increase in cases in Spain," UK minister for local government Simon Clarke said in response to Sánchez's comments.

"A 75% increase in cases [was] reported between the middle of last week and the end of last week, that's why we took the action that we have."

Spain has recorded more than 272,000 coronavirus cases and 28,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Meanwhile, the UK has had more than 301,000 infections and its death toll stands at more than 45,000, according to JHU.