Coronavirus live news: half of Americans would take vaccine, poll shows; second wave arrives in South Africa





05:26

Japan reports record new cases

Japan has reported a record daily number of coronavirus cases, prompting health experts to urge people not to travel in the run-up to the New Year holidays.

The country reported 2,811 new infections on Wednesday, as well as a record 555 people with serious Covid symptoms, the Kyodo news agency said.

Record daily case numbers were seen in six of the country’s 47 prefectures, including the popular tourist destinations of Kyoto and Kagoshima, a city in the far south-west:





05:16

And now for a break from coronavirus news:

In a groundbreaking “armpit advertising” campaign revealed on Thursday, Cricket Australia announced a commercial partnership with the Australian deodorant and antiperspirant brand Rexona.

Part of the deal requires umpires in the domestic Twenty20 competition to sport the product’s branding under their arms, which will be fully revealed to the watching world upon the signalling of a six (both arms raised, two logos revealed) or a bye (just one):

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04:45

In the Pacific, 33 Tokelauns who have been stranded overseas since the start of the pandemic will finally reach home – just in time for Christmas – having spent weeks in quarantine in Samoa.

Radio New Zealand reports the group has set sail on board the MV Mataliki for Tokelau from Apia, where they had to spend 21 days in quarantine (an extra week on the usual mandated figure), after two passengers on their flight from New Zealand tested positive for Covid-19.

Tokelau, a New Zealand dependency in the South Pacific, remains free of Covid-19.

A socially distanced classroom at the Taimoana Primary school in Papeete, on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti. French Polynesia has been one of the worst hit Pacific countries with the Covid-19 virus.

A socially distanced classroom at the Taimoana Primary school in Papeete, on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti. French Polynesia has been one of the worst hit Pacific countries with the Covid-19 virus. Photograph: Suliane Favennec/AFP via Getty Images

In French Polynesia, seven more Covid-19 deaths have been recorded, bringing the total number of pandemic fatalities in the territory to 86.

The French territory has recorded 15,332 confirmed cases: but more than 5000 in the past month.

All but 62 of French Polynesia’s cases have come after borders were re-opened in July and mandatory quarantine abolished in an effort to boost tourism and restart a faltering economy.

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A four-year-old Sydney boy with autism stranded in India and separated from his father since March has missed specialist treatment for so long he has become non-verbal.

While just over half of those registered as stranded with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in September have returned home, the number of Australians registered has since grown to 36,875.

In March, Tulika Singh travelled to India with her sons Yuvraj and Ayushmaan to visit her family, with the intention of returning to their home in Strathfield in April. Her husband remained in Sydney.

As Australia shut its borders and India was placed in a nationwide lockdown, Tulika was unable to purchase flights home and nothing has changed in the months since.

While she checks booking sites up to three times a day, she is unable to afford the three fares she needs, which cost about $24,000

Her seven-year-old, Ayushmaan, has been unable to attend school all year, but Tulika is more concerned about Yuvraj.

Before they left for India, Yuvraj had made progress in therapy and had begun to speak. However he has not been able to attend his Australian therapy sessions since March.

“He has stopped talking and he’s stopped responding to me,” Tulika said. “It’s happened gradually.”

A medical assessment by a therapist Yuvraj saw in Mumbai stated he had stopped speaking entirely. It noted his close relationship with his father and suggested their separation was a cause for his regression:





03:09

US to confirm record daily death toll for Wednesday – reports

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02:38

Australian scientists develop genome sequencing to trace Covid-19 cases within four hours





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01:14

Britain’s economy will bounce back next year from the Covid pandemic but a fifth year of weak business investment will delay a full recovery until the end of 2022, according to CBI forecasts.

A combination of Brexit uncertainty, which is expected to continue into next year with or without a deal, and the blow to business confidence during the first and second lockdowns will delay a rebound in private sector investment.

Business investment has remained flat since the 2016 Brexit vote as companies struggled to assess the impact of Brexit while negotiations continued:





00:53

South Africa now experiencing Covid-19 ‘second wave’: minister





00:27

Half of Americans would take vaccine, poll shows





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Summary

source: theguardian.com