Karnataka reports 10,947 new Covid-19 cases

A Chinese experimental coronavirus vaccine being developed by the Institute of Medical Biology under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences was shown to be safe in an early stage clinical trial, researchers said, reports Reuters.

According to the Union health ministry's dashboard, India on Wednesday added 72,049 Covid-19 cases and 986 deaths which pushed the tally to over 6.75 million. The total cases include 907,883 active cases, nearly 5.75 million recoveries and 104,555 deaths.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his office said on Wednesday, after a minister who attended a high-level meeting chaired by the premier on Saturday contracted the virus, reports Reuters.

A new report suggests that people who recover from COVID-19 infection may experience "brain fog" and other neurological symptoms due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an effect observed in past human coronavirus outbreaks such as SARS and MERS, reports ANI.

Authorities in Sri Lanka have banned all public gatherings as a new cluster of coronavirus infections expands in the Indian Ocean island nation.

Health authorities said on Wednesday that the outbreak centered at a garment factory has risen to 830 confirmed cases while more than 1,000 people have been asked to quarantine at their homes, reports AP.

Top US infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose advocacy of public health guidelines to fight the coronavirus has conflicted with President Donald Trump's downplaying of the pandemic, said on Tuesday the recent rash of infections at the White House could have been prevented, reports Reuters.

Australia's city of Melbourne, capital of the coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria, on Wednesday reported the lowest two-week average of new cases after a second contagion wave that led to one of the world's toughest lockdowns, reports Reuters.

Oil prices slipped on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump dashed hopes for a fourth stimulus package to boost the coronavirus-hit economy and on a larger-than-expected build-up in US crude stocks, reports Reuters.

South Korea has reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus, its first daily jump of over 100 in a week. Health officials had raised concerns that infections will rise because of increased travel during the five-day Chuseok harvest holiday that ended Sunday, reports AP.

New York state will reinstate restrictions on businesses, houses of worship and schools in and near areas where coronavirus cases are spiking, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday, saying the severity of shutdowns would vary by proximity to the hot spots. The planned restrictions include school and business shutdowns in some areas; others will see limitations on gatherings and restaurant diners, reports AP.

Mexico faces a years-long struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels of employment, income and poverty after an expected economic contraction of 9.0 percent in 2020, the IMF warned on Tuesday. The International Monetary Fund urged the Mexican authorities to do more to boost Latin America's second-largest economy with fiscal and monetary stimulus, reports AFP.