Pope Francis holds first public audience since March

Globally, there have been more than 25.7 million reported cases of Covid-19, and more than 850,000 people have died, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Here’s the latest on the pandemic.

Night curfew to be imposed in Havana as coronavirus cases surge again: For the first time since the pandemic hit Cuba, Havana residents will face a nightly curfew and will not be allowed to travel to other provinces as Cuban authorities have struggled to control a second wave.The curfew, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., which starts Tuesday evening local time, will last for at least 15 days, and will increase penalties on those not wearing a mask. 

South Korean pastor apologizes after more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases linked to his church: Jun Kwang-hoon, pastor of the Sarang-jeil Church in South Korea’s capital Seoul, apologized to the public following his release from hospital 16 days after testing positive for Covid-19. The church attracted widespread backlash in August when it became the center of a coronavirus outbreak, with more than 1,083 cases linked to the church as of Tuesday, according to the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Wednesday, Jun addressed the public wearing a face mask and apologized for the concerns he and his church have caused.

Australia pushed into recession for the first time in nearly 30 years: The pandemic has pushed Australia into its first economic recession in nearly three decades, with the country’s GDP contracting 7% in the second quarter compared to the prior one, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said Wednesday. It marks the second straight quarter of declines for Australia — GDP shrank 0.3% in the first quarter — and the largest drop since records began in 1959. 

Hong Kong relaxes some Covid-19 restrictions as new cases fall: Hong Kong will relax some Covid-19 restrictions as the city’s locally transmitted cases start to drop. Starting on Friday, restaurants will be allowed to extend dine-in services until 10 p.m., instead of the current 9 p.m. rule, while gyms, massage parlors, some sports grounds and playgrounds will also be allowed to reopen.

source: cnn.com