September 14 coronavirus news

Texas has now recorded 14,405 coronavirus deaths, the third-most of any US state behind New Jersey and New York, according to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

New York, with 33,023 deaths, and New Jersey, with 16,031 deaths, hold the two top spots for deaths across the US. California is now in fourth place, reporting 14,386 total deaths, per JHU data.

Texas has a total of 681,885 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began -- the second highest of any state behind California.

The US has recorded 6,520,606 coronavirus cases, according to JHU, with 194,084 deaths.

There are mixed developments across Europe as the continent continues to grapple with the pandemic. Here is your latest roundup:

France

Daily coronavirus infections dipped slightly in France on Sunday, a day after the country recorded more than 10,000 new cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Health authorities say Sunday’s total number of new cases was 7,183, down from Saturday’s record-breaking number of 10,561.

Italy

The Italian Health Ministry says six people have died of the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of pandemic deaths to 35,610.

Some Italian schools reopened Monday. Students and teachers have been given masks and hand sanitizer, but some schools have not received the new single person-desks which are supposed to help with social distancing. Italy has a high percentage of teachers over the age of 50, a group at greater risk from coronavirus.

The number of patients in intensive care in Italy has been steadily increasing, reaching 187 on Sunday.  

Germany

Case numbers continue to rise in Germany, albeit more slowly than in some other European countries.

The number of total cases in the country increased by 927 to 260,335, said the Robert-Koch Institute, the national agency for disease control and prevention, on Monday. So far 9,350 people have died of the virus, with one additional death since Sunday.

Meanwhile authorities say a 26-year-old US citizen has caused a coronavirus spike in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The unnamed woman had recently returned from a holiday abroad, according to Stephan Scharf, press officer of the District Administrator's Office in the southern German town.

Scharf told CNN he did not know which country she had returned from, but it had not been from the US. The woman developed Covid-19 symptoms, took a coronavirus test and was told to stay at home to wait for the results, said Scharf, but this did not stop her from going out and socializing.

She has since received a positive test result and is in quarantine, said Scharf.

UK

Britain's health care system is experiencing “significant demand” for coronavirus testing from people who do not have symptoms, its health department said Monday, amid reports that its testing program has a backlog of 185,000 test swabs.

“[National Health Service] Test and Trace is working and our capacity is the highest it has ever been but we are seeing a significant demand for tests including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible,” a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson told CNN.

The UK recorded 3,330 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning. Five more people have died, bringing the total official death toll to 41,628.

England is preparing for new restrictions to come into effect Monday after a recent rise in the infection rate. As of Monday, only six people can gather in England at any time. 

Switzerland

Switzerland has added some regions in neighboring countries to its quarantine list, according to its Department of Health.

Several French regions will be added to the list, including Provence-Alpes Cote d’Azur and Ile de France, which contains Paris. The Austrian capital of Vienna is also now on the quarantine list, as well as the whole of Spain.

Some countries were removed from the list, including Ecuador, the Faroe Islands, Guatemala and South Africa.

Switzerland reported 475 new cases on Sunday, taking the total to 47,179. A total 1,747 people have died, with a further four on Sunday, according to the Department of Health.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic set a new daily record for coronavirus infections, with 1,541 new cases recorded Saturday, according to its health ministry. The spike in cases coincides with increased testing, with an average of 15,000 people being tested every day. On Friday alone, 18,200 people took a test.

A total of 453 people have so far died of coronavirus in the Czech Republic, and there have been 35,401 total infections.

Sweden

Sweden has lifted its travel warning for non-essential travel to the UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the decision was taken because of the UK’s “reduced Covid-19 risk," and will take immediate effect.

Keir Starmer, leader of the UK's opposition Labour party, has gone into self-isolation while a member of his household awaits Covid-19 test results after developing symptoms. 

"This morning Keir Starmer was advised to self-isolate after a member of his household showed possible symptoms of the coronavirus," said a spokesperson for Starmer.

"The member of his household has now had a test. In line with NHS [National Health Service] guidelines, Keir will self-isolate while awaiting the results of the test and further advice from medical professionals.”

The UK recorded 3,330 new coronavirus cases on Sunday morning. Five more people have died, bringing the total official death toll from Covid-19 to 41,628.

England is preparing for new restrictions to come into effect Monday after a recent rise in the infection rate. As of Monday, only six people can gather in England at any time.

The Indian government is considering an "emergency authorization" of Covid-19 vaccines, the country's health minister, Harsh Vardhan, said Sunday.

Vardhan said that while Phase 3 trials are usually six to nine months long, an emergency authorization could cut that time period.

"Any emergency authorization is always done by adopting re-enforced safeguards so that people need not worry about safety," he said.

At present, the Covid-19 vaccines that are at the most advanced stage in clinical trials in India include Covaxin, which is being developed domestically, and vaccines that the Serum Institute of India is collaborating on with Astra Zeneca, Oxford University and Codagenix USA.

Vardhan said the results of these vaccine trials will be available by the first quarter of 2021, and there will be efforts to ensure that the vaccines can be manufactured in parallel "so that we don't lose precious time (in) providing vaccines to the population."

Senior citizens and those working in high-risk professions, such as healthcare workers, will be given priority in getting the vaccination, the minister said.

"No corners will be cut in the clinical trials, and vaccines will be made available only when the government can ensure its safety and efficacy," Vardhan added.

India reported 92,071 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total to more than 4.8 million. There were also another 1,136 deaths, bringing the total death toll to 79,722.

Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, US President Donald Trump tops the list of things Germans fear the most, according to a survey published by the country's largest insurance group last week. 

The annual poll into the fears of people living in Germany shows that 53% of respondents are concerned by the consequences of ''a more dangerous world due to the politics of Trump," putting the US president at the top of their list of worries.

This is the second time since 2018 that Trump tops the survey, which is carried out by insurance group R+V.

"This year, the fear of a serious illness is surprisingly small, although it is dominated by corona," said Brigitte Roemstedt, head of R+V's information center, in a company statement.

The poll found that 32% of Germans worry about catching a serious illness -- compared to 35% in 2019 -- before the coronavirus outbreak began to spread.

Roemstedt added ''only about one in three respondents is afraid that they themselves or people around them could become infected with coronavirus.''

The survey also showed that 42% of Germans believe that globalization could cause more pandemics, and 51% said they are concerned about the economic fallout of the coronavirus.

The annual R+V survey has been conducted since 1992. Researchers ask people about their greatest personal, political, economic and environmental fears. 

For this year's study 2,400 people participated in June and July 2020, according to R+V.

Britain's health care system is experiencing “significant demand” for coronavirus testing from people who do not have symptoms, its health department said Monday, amid reports that its testing program has a backlog of 185,000 test swabs.

“[National Health Service] Test and Trace is working and our capacity is the highest it has ever been but we are seeing a significant demand for tests including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible,” a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson told CNN.

According to the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper, leaked DHSC documents indicate the government’s testing program has been so overwhelmed that swabs have been sent to labs in Germany and Italy to help keep up with demand, as British labs have seen “chaos” in their supply chains.

The DHSC spokesperson did not confirm or deny the specific details in the Sunday Times’ report.

“Our laboratories are processing more than a million tests a week and we recently announced new facilities and technology to process results even faster," the spokesperson said in a statement.

“New booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for those who need them and we are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, and prioritising at-risk groups,” they added.

German authorities say a 26-year-old US citizen has caused a spike in coronavirus infections in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The unnamed woman had recently returned from a holiday abroad, according to Stephan Scharf, press officer of the District Administrator's Office in the southern German town.

Scharf told CNN he did not know which country she had returned from, but it had not been from the US.

The woman developed Covid-19 symptoms, took a coronavirus test and was told to stay at home to wait for the results, said Scharf, but this did not stop her from going out and socializing.

She has since received a positive test result and is in quarantine, said Scharf.

"We don’t know how many people the assumed spreader infected, although we know she was out being infectious,” Scharf said.

On Friday there were 33 new cases in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

"We did not have so many even during the height of Corona,” Scharf said. “This kind of behavior of course is everything but commendable."

Garmisch-Partenkirchen recorded a seven-day incidence rate of 55 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the latest figures.

German authorities have agreed to reimpose measures in areas where the incidence rate rises above 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

As a result new regulations came into effect in Garmisch-Partenkirchen over the weekend, meaning local pubs and bars have to close at 10 p.m. local time.

Only five people can be at a table indoors, and 10 people outdoors -- half of what it was allowed before. The number of attendees allowed for parties have also been slashed from 200 to 100, Scharf said.

The woman works at the Edelweiss Lodge, a US Armed Forces Recreation Center Resort operated by the US Army, and Scharf told CNN 24 staff members had tested positive for coronavirus.

The US Army Europe Public Affairs Department said in a statement Sunday that the resort would be closed for two weeks starting from Monday.

France's daily count of coronavirus infections dipped slightly on Sunday, a day after the country recorded more than 10,000 new cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

There were 7,183 new cases on Sunday, according to health authorities, down from Saturday’s record-breaking number of 10,561.

However a nationwide lockdown is not in the French government's "mindset" despite the "clear deterioration" of the coronavirus situation, said Prime Minister Jean Castex in a televised address on Friday.

Castex said he is “particularly worried” to see “a substantial increase in hospitalizations for the first time in a number of weeks."

The Prime Minister said a national lockdown should be avoided and gave power to local authorities to impose restrictions instead of the central government.

"Measures should not be decided from Paris," said Castex, explaining that the virus is spreading unevenly.

Marseille, Bordeaux, and Guadeloupe are particularly badly affected, he added. Local authorities have until Monday to present measures to the Prime Minister.

Castex also announced changes to the French government's testing and isolation strategy.

In face of the “significant waiting times" the priority will be to test people showing symptoms, those who were in close contact with coronavirus patients, and healthcare personnel, Castex said.

“France has become the third European country in terms of testing,” he added, with around a million tests per week.

Castex also announced the mandatory isolation period for people with Covid-19 will be reduced from 14 to 7 days, a “period where there is a real risk of contagion," he said.

“Tomorrow depends on you, tomorrow depends on us," said Castex.

In the US, the term "rage mom" has been used to describe fed-up mothers who are demanding change after months of juggling their roles as teachers, employees, caregivers, and parents with limited support during the pandemic.

And while it's not a movement, the sentiment is also felt in the United Kingdom, one of the countries worst hit by coronavirus.

British "rage mums" say they, like their sisters across the Atlantic, are mobilizing to hold their government to account and make their voices heard.

Watch: