Reuters Health News Summary

Anchorage city officials this week sued to halt indoor dining at Kriner’s Diner, a popular eatery that defied an emergency ordinance issued on July 31 restricting restaurants to outdoor service and take-out due to a surge in coronavirus infections.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Germany adds parts of Romania, Bulgaria to list of COVID risk areas

Germany has declared certain regions in Romania and Bulgaria as risk areas after an increase in COVID-19 infections there, as Europe struggles to control an uptick in cases during the summer season. Germany's foreign ministry late on Friday issued a warning against traveling to the Romanian regions of Arges, Bihor, Buzau, Neamt, Ialomita, Mehedinti and Timis as well as to Bulgaria's Blagoevgrad, Dobritsch and Varna regions. Fauci warns COVID-19 vaccine may be only partially effective, public health measures still needed

An approved coronavirus vaccine could end up being effective only 50-60% of the time, meaning public health measures will still be needed to keep the pandemic under control, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, said on Friday. "We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%. I'd like it to be 75% or more," Fauci said in a webinar hosted by Brown University. "But the chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach." Brazil COVID-19 deaths reach 100,000 and barrel onward

Brazil's death toll from COVID-19 is expected to hit 100,000 on Saturday and continue to climb as most Brazilian cities reopen shops and dining even though the pandemic has yet to peak. Confronting its most lethal outbreak since the Spanish flu a century ago, Brazil reported its first cases of the novel coronavirus at the end of February. The virus took three months to kill 50,000 people, and just 50 days to kill the next 50,000. U.S. CDC reports 4,920,369 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 4,920,369 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 62,042 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,340 to 160,220. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Aug. 7 versus its previous report a day earlier. U.S. surpasses 160,000 coronavirus deaths as school openings near

U.S. deaths from the coronavirus pandemic exceeded 160,000 on Friday, nearly a quarter of the world's total, according to a Reuters tally, as the country debates whether schools are ready to reopen their doors in the coming weeks. The country with the most coronavirus cases, the United States recorded 160,003 deaths and 4.91 million cases. Coronavirus deaths are rising in 23 states and cases in 20 states, according to a Reuters analysis of data the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks. UK orders recall of 741,000 coronavirus testing kits over safety concerns

Randox Laboratories, a Northern Ireland-based medical technology company, has been instructed by Britain's medicines regulator to recall up to 741,000 coronavirus test kits from the national test and trace program as a precautionary measure. The government had on July 15 instructed the program, run by the National Health Service (NHS), to stop using the kits, citing concerns that they may not meet required safety standards. Paris imposes face mask order for outdoor markets, River Seine strollers

Parisians and holidaymakers strolling along the banks of the River Seine or browsing open-air markets in Paris must wear a face mask from Monday after authorities imposed new measures to curb a rise in coronavirus infections. The order, which applies to people aged 11 and over, covers busy outdoor areas in the French capital, although tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees boulevard were not listed. Havana back on lockdown as coronavirus rebounds

Cuba placed Havana back on a strict lockdown on Saturday following a rebound in coronavirus cases, ordering restaurants, bars and pools once more to close, suspending public transportation and banning access to the beach. Cuba, which has been hailed as a rare success story in Latin America for its textbook handling and containment of its coronavirus outbreak, had eased lockdown restrictions last month after cases dwindled to but a handful per day. COVID-stricken Anchorage wins court ruling in diner dispute

As COVID-19 cases spike and hospital bed space dwindles in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage officials on Friday won a key ruling in favor of a ban on indoor restaurant dining after a standoff over the issue moved to court. Anchorage city officials this week sued to halt indoor dining at Kriner's Diner, a popular eatery that defied an emergency ordinance issued on July 31 restricting restaurants to outdoor service and take-out due to a surge in coronavirus infections. Ireland reports highest number of new COVID-19 cases since early May

Ireland on Saturday reported 174 new cases of COVID-19, by far the highest number of infections since May and up from 98 on Friday and an average of 58 cases per day for the past week. Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said 118 of the new cases were linked to the three counties - Kildare, Laois and Offaly - where some restrictions on movement were reintroduced on Friday following a surge in cases there.

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