Coronavirus live news: China reports highest cases since January; New Zealand won’t risk ‘UK-style policy’

Russia, which is battling a surge in cases, on Tuesday again reported a new national record of 737 deaths over the past 24 hours.

Covid deaths in the country hit at a record high for five days in a row last week, but President Vladimir Putin has for now refrained from calling another lockdown.

On Wednesday China reported 57 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for 6 July, up from 23 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Wednesday. It was the highest daily tally of infections since 30 January.

Fifteen of the new cases were local infections, the National Health Commission said in a statement. All 15 cases were located in the Yunnan province, in the city of Ruili which borders Myanmar. In response, authorities locked down the city, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home.

The latest cases were discovered during mass testing of residents. The positive cases include both Chinese and Myanmar nationals in the city, where there is an active cross-border trade. Authorities said they would step up border controls.
Ruili previously had a Covid outbreak in March and launched a campaign to vaccinate the entire city in April.

China has relied on a tough lockdown strategy and mass testing to tamp down outbreaks, even as it has stepped up the pace of vaccinations. Central health officials have said they want to vaccinate 80% of the population.

Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan.

On Wednesday China reported 57 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for 6 July, up from 23 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Wednesday. It was the highest daily tally of infections since 30 January.

Meanwhile Russia, which is also battling a surge in cases, on Tuesday reported a new national record of 737 deaths over the past 24 hours.

Here are the key developments from the last few hours:

• Two million people could contract Covid in the UK this summer, potentially meaning up to 10 million must isolate in just six weeks, Guardian analysis shows.
• Zimbabwe has gone back to a strict lockdown to tackle a resurgence of Covid-19 amid vaccine shortages, the country’s information minister has announced.
• Tunisia has broken its record for positive Covid tests, with 7,930 confirmed on Tuesday, Reuters reports. The increase is in addition to 119 deaths, according to the north African country’s health ministry.
• The human rights commission in Mexico has accused authorities of keeping nearly 90 people in overcrowded facilities, without face masks to prevent Covid-19 or medicine.
• It comes as Mexico has reported another 8,000 confirmed cases, and another 269 deaths. 233,958 have now died from the virus.
• The situation is still bleak in Brazil, as it recorded another 1,780 deaths and 62,504 new cases, its health ministry said on Tuesday.
• In Latvia, employers will be allowed to sack employees who have not had their vaccines by 15 September, according to the country’s main news agency.
• Dozens of staff at a seafood plant in Northern Ireland have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 42 workers at Kilkeel Seafoods, in County Down, have had confirmed infections, out of 250 staff at the site.
• Heathrow, the Gaucho restaurant chain and the City Pub Group in England are set to continue with mask-wearing rules despite government plans to sweep away most safety measures from 19 July.