August 10 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Meg Wagner and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, August 11, 2020

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2:24 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

MLB postpones Cardinals' series against Pirates after more test positive for Covid-19

From CNN's Kevin Dotson, Cesar Marin and Hollie Silverman

An empty Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, as seen on August 7. Jeff Roberson/AP

Major League Baseball has postponed scheduled games between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates after additional members of the Cardinals' team and staff tested positive for Covid-19.

The Cardinals organization told CNN Sunday that John Mozeliak, the team's president of baseball operations, confirmed one additional Cardinals player has tested positive.

A total of 17 members of the organization -- 10 players and seven staff -- have tested positive for the virus, resulting in the postponement of the three-game series between the teams scheduled for Monday through Wednesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The Cardinals have now had 13 games postponed. The team has not played a game since July 29.

"In light of the most recent positive test results, MLB and the Club believe it is prudent to conduct additional testing while players and staff are quarantined before the team returns to play," the MLB said of the postponement in a statement Sunday.

At least three teams in the league have had games postponed since the start of the shortened season after members tested positive for the virus.

The Miami Marlins had an outbreak that put their season on hold after 21 members of the organization tested positive. The Phildelphia Phillies have had two staff members test positive for the virus.

Read the full story:

MLB postpones St. Louis Cardinals' series against Pirates after more test positive for Covid-19

8:13 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

US reports nearly 47,000 new Covid-19 cases

An additional 46,935 coronavirus infections and 515 virus-related deaths were recorded in the United States on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

That brings the cumulative national total to at least 5,044,864 cases, including 162,938 fatalities.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

CNN's map, using JHU data, refreshes every 15 minutes:

Tracking Covid-19 cases in the US

1:08 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

Japan reports nearly 1,500 new Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo and Eric Cheung in Hong Kong

Japan reported 1,492 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 48,702, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in a statement on Monday.

Among the new infections, 331 were reported in Tokyo. Okinawa prefecture, which recently announced a state of emergency, recorded a daily high of 196 new infections.

The country also reported seven additional fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,060.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday that he will not bring back a nationwide state of emergency as it will have a grave impact on the economy.

"Considering the impact on employment and people's lives, we must push forward measures to avoid the state of emergency as much as possible while controlling the infection," he said.

8:13 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

US tops 5 million Covid-19 cases, with five states making up more than 40% of tally

From CNN's Christina Maxouris and Eliott C. McLaughlin

The US topped 5 million cases of coronavirus early Sunday -- and as experts have highlighted before, the true number of infections could be many times higher.

The number means the country holds about a quarter of global cases of the virus and also tops the list with the most reported deaths in the world. Of the country's 5,044,821 estimated cases, 162,851 have been deadly, according to data collected by John Hopkins University.

To put the number in perspective, that means the United States has had more Covid-19 cases than Ireland has people. The number of cases is also slightly higher than the entire population of Alabama.

To put the speed in which the number is growing in perspective: It took the country 99 days to reach 1 million, 43 days to hit 2 million, 28 days for 3 million and 15 days to surpass 4 million on July 23. The number has jumped to 5 million in 17 days.

"This is such a sobering number," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.
"That's a huge number of cases and a very large number of hospitalizations and deaths -- and more to come," Schaffner said. "Because over much of this country, this virus is spreading unimpeded because so many folks are not getting with the program to contain it."

Read more:

In the US, five states account for more than 40% of the country's nearly 5 million Covid-19 cases

2:37 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

Top US health official meets with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in highest-level summit for decades

From CNN's Paula Hancocks and James Griffiths

US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (left)l listens as Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan on August 10. Pool/AP

Alex Azar, the United States Health and Human Services secretary, met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Monday, the highest-level meeting between Washington and the self-ruled island in decades.

The visit has been condemned by Beijing, which regards Taiwan as Chinese territory, and comes amid an all-time low in US-China relations.

Azar arrived in Taiwan Sunday, where he and his team were given coronavirus tests and were seen wearing face masks. The group was met by members of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the director general of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy.

Speaking Monday, Azar said his trip "demonstrates the robust US-Taiwan partnership on global health and health security, one of many aspects of our comprehensive friendship."

"We consider Taiwan to be a vital partner, a democratic success story, and a force for good in the world," he added.
"There are three overarching themes for this trip. The first is to recognize Taiwan as an open and democratic society, executing a highly successful and transparent Covid-19 response. The second is to reaffirm Taiwan as a long partner and friend of the United States, and to highlight our history of broad collaboration on health and public health. The third is to note that Taiwan deserves to be recognized as a global health leader with an excellent track record of contributing to international health."

Read more:

Top US health official meets with Taiwan President

2:41 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

Australian state of Victoria reports highest daily total of coronavirus deaths

From CNN's Angus Watson in Sydney and Isaac Yee in Hong Kong

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia, on August 10. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The Australian state of Victoria recorded 19 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday -- the highest single-day increase in fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said Monday morning.

Victoria also reported 322 new cases of coronavirus from Sunday, the lowest daily increase in cases since July 29, according to the DHHS.

“I want to start by expressing my sincere condolences to all the families of the 19 Australians in Victoria who have passed away because of the COVID infection,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday.

He added that the news is "devastating.”

The numbers: Victoria now has 14,981 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, while the death toll has increased to 229.

Australia has reported more than 21,000 coronavirus cases, including 313 deaths.

11:18 p.m. ET, August 9, 2020

Mexico surpasses 480,000 total coronavirus cases

From journalist Karol Suarez in Mexico City and CNN’s Claudia Dominguez in Atlanta

A worker wears personal protective equipment (PPE) to treat a patient infected with Covid-19 in Mexico City, on August 8. Eyepix/Sipa USA

Mexico’s Health Ministry reported 4,376 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 480,278.

The ministry also registered 292 new deaths, raising the country’s death toll to 52,298.

Moment of silence: Earlier on Sunday, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador paid tribute to the victims of the pandemic and healthcare workers by holding a moment of silence in the presidential palace in Mexico City.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, Lopez Obrador can be seen walking down the halls of the presidential palace into an empty courtyard where he joins a soldier.

The President claps after the soldier blows a horn in honor of the victims.

Lopez Obrador said that was the best way to honor the victims of the “tremendous pandemic” and said his government would continue to improve the country’s health system.

8:14 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

Student in Georgia tests positive for coronavirus after 9 cases reported at high school

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

One student at Sammy McClure, Sr. Middle School in Paulding County, Georgia, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a letter sent to parents by Principal Jaynath Hayes.

The student was in school "for at least some time last week" and reported to the school that they have tested positive, the letter said.

The school is being cleaned by custodial staff and is following Georgia Department of Public Health recommendations, according to the letter.

The school is asking anyone whose child exhibits symptoms to have them tested as soon as possible and notify the school.

The district's high school has already announced that it will close for at least the next two days for cleaning after nine people tested positive. The school will move to digital learning Monday and Tuesday and announce the next steps Tuesday evening, a letter from the district said.

11:03 p.m. ET, August 9, 2020

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attacks lockdowns and the media

From journalist Rodrigo Pedroso in Sao Paulo

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has used an online post to criticize coronavirus lockdown measures and news coverage of the pandemic, in his first comments almost a full day after Brazil surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths.

In a series of tweets Sunday, Bolsonaro pointed to a story published by the UK’s Daily Mail that criticizes lockdown measures to address the spread of coronavirus.

It concludes that lockdown killed two people for every three with Covid in the UK. In Brazil, even without official data, the numbers would not be very different," Bolsonaro tweeted.

The Daily Mail article suggests “it is thought that as many as 16,000 people died because they didn't get medical care between March 23 and May 1.” The story claims -- without evidence -- that those people didn't go to hospital during lockdown because they feared catching the virus.

Bolsonaro went on to criticize Brazil’s biggest TV station without specifically naming it, saying the TV station “only spreads panic in the population and the discord among the powers” and “disdained, debauched and discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine."

Brazil surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths on Saturday the country has reported more than 3 million cases, according to the Brazilian Health Ministry.

Bolsonaro's only mention of the 100,000 coronavirus deaths reached in his country on Saturday was to criticize the TV station's coverage of the topic.

“In a cowardly and disrespectful manner to the 100,000 dead Brazilians, this TV celebrated that date yesterday, as a true World Cup final, blaming the President of the Republic for all the deaths," he wrote.
He added that “misinformation kills even more than the virus itself. Time and science will show us that Covid's political use of this TV has brought us deaths that could have been avoided.”