Epidemiologists have found that people are at a greater risk of contracting the coronavirus from members of their own households than from contact outside the home.
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The pandemic has killed more than 639 981 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, with more than 15.8 million people infected, according to an AFP tally at 11:00 GMT on Saturday based on official sources.
The United States has the most deaths with 145 546, followed by Brazil with 85 238, Britain with 45 677, Mexico with 42 645 and Italy with 35 097.
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Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Daily record surge in US
For the second straight day the United States reports more than 70 000 new cases and over 1 000 deaths as the virus takes hold in the country’s south and west.
Asia new outbreak
South Korea reports its highest infections figure in nearly four months, adding 113 new cases, including 86 among people who arrived from overseas.
And in Vietnam the first locally-transmitted case in nearly 100 days is detected.
Losing support
A survey of six countries by the Kekst CNC communications consulting group reveals that governments are fast losing support for their handling of the pandemic from a public that widely believes death and infection figures to be higher than statistics show.
Of the six countries included in the report – United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Japan and Germany – only France was the exception, where approval rose from mid-June by six percentage points.
Pressure on US schools to reopen
The top US health body the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues new guidelines on the reopening of schools, clearly weighting its recommendations in favour of having students return to their classrooms from September.
China kick-off at last
Top tier football returns in China, with the Chinese Super League holding a minute’s silence before getting the season underway five months late because of the pandemic.
Football star tests positive
Former Barcelona star Xavi Hernandez has tested positive for the virus, his Qatari club Al-Sadd says, adding he will miss their league restart fixture against Al-Khor.
No carnival for Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, the biggest city in virus hotspot Brazil, says it is indefinitely postponing its 2021 carnival because of the pandemic.
Rio de Janeiro, home to the largest carnival in the country, and one of the most famous in the world, is considering a similar move.