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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5:16 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

US and Taiwan sign memorandum of understanding on health cooperation

From CNN’s Paula Hancocks in Taipei, Taiwan

US Health Secretary and Human Rights Services Alex Azar (left) and Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung display the signed documents during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 10. Pei Chen/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The United States and Taiwan have signed a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation.

According to a news release, the signing was witnessed by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Shih-Chung Chen.

"This visit represents an acknowledgement of the United States and Taiwan's deep friendship and partnership across security, economic, health care and democratic, open, transparent values," Azar said during a news conference after the signing.

Chen added that it marked the beginning of a "new chapter in Taiwan-US relations."

"This MOU further expands ... cooperation in areas including global health security, infectious disease prevention and control, chronic disease prevention and health promotion, maternal infant and adolescent health, environmental health, occupational health, tobacco control, health inequality, digital health, misuse of opioids, health communication and human resources for health," the press release said.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic Cultural Representative Office in the United States also signed a different MOU on health cooperation on "global health security, investigation and control of infectious disease, research, prevention and treatment of chronic disease, and the development of drugs and vaccines," a press release from the AIT said.

Read more:

Top US health official meets with Taiwan President

4:32 a.m. ET, August 10, 2020

How New Zealand went 100 days with no community coronavirus transmission

From CNN's Julia Hollingsworth

Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield speaks to media during a news conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on August 6. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand has marked an enviable milestone -- more than 100 days since its last coronavirus case was acquired locally from an unknown source.

As of Monday, the country had reported 1,219 confirmed cases, including just 21 active infections, all in managed isolation facilities. No cases had emerged via community transmission in 100 days, authorities announced Sunday, with all new infections coming from abroad.

In total, the island nation of 5 million people has reported 22 coronavirus deaths.

While other countries -- including Pacific neighbor Australia and the United States -- continue to battle outbreaks, New Zealand has been held up as an example of how to fight Covid-19. One key reason is that although the country appears to have the coronavirus under control, authorities are still testing thousands of people a day.

"We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can reemerge and spread in places where it was previously under control," Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said Sunday.
"We need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand. Don't let the team down -- none of us can afford to do that."

Read more here about how New Zealand hit its 100-day milestone:

How New Zealand went 100 days with no community coronavirus transmission

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

Indian regional health minister tests positive for Covid-19

From CNN’s Esha Mitra in New Delhi

B. Sriramulu during the oath taking ceremony of the 23rd Chief Minister of Karnataka at Raj Bhawan on May 17, 2018 in Bengaluru, India. Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

The Health Minister of southwest India's Karnataka state, B Sriramulu, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday after showing flu-like symptoms, he said in a tweet.

He added that he is now receiving treatment at a government hospital in Bangalore.

In the last few months, Sriramulu has visited 30 different districts in performing his duties. He has asked anyone who has been in contact with him to take precautionary measures.

Other politicians testing positive: Sriramulu is only the latest politician to test positive for coronavirus in India. Last week, the Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah and the chief minister of Karnataka also tested positive for coronavirus.

Kamal Rani Varun, the minister of technical education in Uttar Pradesh state, died earlier this month in the hospital where she was receiving treatment.

What's happening in India? Last week, India became only the third country in the world to report more than 2 million total coronavirus cases, only three weeks after announcing it had hit 1 million confirmed infections.

As of Monday, India has reported 2,215,074 cases of coronavirus, including 44,386 deaths and 1,535,743 recoveries. In India, not all patients require a test to be considered recovered.

Read more about India's outbreak:

India now has more than 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases

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.