Health News Roundup: Romania's coronavirus cases over 30,000; CEPI to invest $66 million to boost Clover's COVID-19 vaccine and more

Day record takes Romania's coronavirus cases over 30,000: government The number of coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a daily record of 555 new cases on the day taking the cumulative total to 30,175 cases, the government said on Wednesday, as the country is under a state of alert that is due to end on July 15.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

New York expands coronavirus travel quarantine as U.S. pandemic widens

Visitors from three more U.S. states who travel to New York will be required to quarantine for 14 days to control the spread of coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday, as alarm grew over a surge in infections in large parts of the country. New York state, which had been the early epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, unveiled the travel advisory last month in an effort to prevent a resurgence after the state got its outbreak under control.

Day record takes Romania's coronavirus cases over 30,000: government

The number of coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a daily record of 555 new cases on the day taking the cumulative total to 30,175 cases, the government said on Wednesday, as the country is under a state of alert that is due to end on July 15. Since Romania's outbreak came to light on Feb. 26, 1,817 people have died.

Spain's Catalonia makes masks compulsory in public at all times

Catalonia on Wednesday ordered all residents and visitors to wear face masks in public at all times, becoming the first Spanish region to toughen a national directive mandating their use when in close proximity to others. The order, which takes effect on Thursday, was announced by regional leader Quim Torra four days after more than 200,000 people in the Segria area were placed under a local lockdown following a series of coronavirus outbreaks there.

U.S. government to invest $42 million in Becton Dickinson's injection device production

Becton Dickinson and Co said on Wednesday the U.S. government will invest $42 million to expand the medical technology company's manufacturing lines for injection devices to support vaccination efforts against COVID-19. The company has also finalized an initial order from the government for 50 million needles and syringes to be delivered by the end of December 2020.

Biogen submits U.S. marketing application for Alzheimer's disease drug

Biogen Inc on Wednesday announced the widely awaited submission of a U.S. marketing application for its experimental Alzheimer's therapy, aducanumab, sending its shares up more than 8% before the bell. If approved, aducanumab could become the first treatment to hit the U.S. market to reverse the mental decline caused by the memory-robbing disease, which affects nearly 5.8 million Americans aged 65 and older.

In Africa, lack of coronavirus data raises fears of 'silent epidemic'

When the new coronavirus hit Tanzania in mid-April, President John Magufuli called for three days of national prayer to seek God’s protection from the scourge. Barely a month later, he claimed victory over the disease and invited tourists to return to his East African nation. His rush to reopen came despite alarm from the World Health Organization (WHO) over an almost total lack of information on the spread of the virus in the country of 55 million people, which has one of the region’s weakest healthcare systems.

CEPI to invest $66 million to boost Clover's COVID-19 vaccine trial

China's Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc has received $66 million in investment from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) to bolster the testing of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, the global epidemic response group said on Wednesday. Last month, Clover became the sixth Chinese developer of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to move into human trials by launching a study in Australia to test its vaccine with boosters.

WHO's Tedros pulls out of UK event after U.S. confirms to exit WHO

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pulled out of a London event at the last minute on Wednesday after organisers said he had to attend meetings linked to the U.S. notification of its withdrawal from the WHO. The event at London's Chatham House think tank had been due to feature Tedros in a live webinar about the COVID-19 pandemic led by David Heymann, a former senior WHO official and a professor of global health.

South Korea seeks remdesivir to treat over 5,000 COVID patients: lawmaker

South Korea has asked Gilead Sciences Inc's to supply enough of its anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat more than 5,000 COVID-19 patients in preparation for a potential second wave of infections, an opposition lawmaker said on Wednesday. One of the few treatments shown to alter the course of COVID-10, remdesivir is in high demand, but there are concerns about its availability after Gilead allocated nearly all of its supply to the United States over the next three months.

Exclusive: EU secures potential COVID-19 drugs from Roche, Germany's Merck - source

The European Commission has struck deals with drugmakers Roche and Merck KGaA to secure supplies of experimental treatments for COVID-19, a Commission source told Reuters on Wednesday. The deals cover Roche's arthritis medicine RoActemra and Merck's multiple sclerosis drug Rebif - both seen as potential treatments for COVID-19 - and will secure supplies to any of the 27 EU member states willing to buy them, the source said.

(With inputs from agencies.)