 | | | | A fresh outbreak of infections in Australia's coronavirus hot zone of Victoria eased further on Wednesday, while the country agreed a deal to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine that it plans to roll out cost-free to citizens. | | | | | | Medication costs for COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the United States have dropped sharply since May, reflecting advances in treatment, shorter stays and use of cheaper generic drugs. | | | | | | Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: | | | | | | Rich countries should not hoard a coronavirus vaccine and should only give pandemic-related bailouts to companies committed to protecting the environment, helping the most needy and the 'common good', Pope Francis said on Wednesday. | | | | | | Britain plans to bring in regular, population-wide testing for COVID-19 so it can suppress the spread of the virus and limit restrictions that have crippled one of the worst hit countries in the world. | | | | | | Britain is working with London's Heathrow Airport on a plan to use COVID-19 testing to help shorten quarantine times, in an effort to help airlines and airports kickstart travel and the wider economy. | | | | | | Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed 20,000 on Wednesday with 153 deaths in the past 24 hours, the health ministry spokeswoman told state TV, as the number of total cases hit 350,279. | | | | | | Nepal temporarily banned public and religious gatherings and most transportation in its capital Kathmandu and surrounding areas on Wednesday, asking residents to stay home to control the spread of the coronavirus as cases surge. | | | | | | India reported more than 64,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus in a single day, with more than 1,000 deaths in the same period, federal health ministry data showed on Wednesday. | | | | | | The Philippine health ministry on Wednesday confirmed 4,650 new coronavirus infections and 111 additional deaths. | | | | | | Indonesia reported 1,902 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 144,945, data from the country's health ministry showed. | | | | | |
