Coronavirus latest: Fresh virus clusters raise fears in China

• China fears resurgence in local transmissions as parts of Beijing go under lockdown
• EU nations sign deal for 300 million doses of coronavirus vaccine
• Over 7.7 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed globally, with nearly 430,000 deaths

All times in GMT/UTC 

04:36 In Germany, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen by 247 to 186,269, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.

The death toll climbed to 8,787, with six new fatalities reported on Sunday. Around 300 more people were added to the list of 172,200 recovered patients.

03:35 France has nearly 20 million unsold face masks after the coronavirus crisis. Earlier this year, hundreds of textile and luxury goods companies in the country had stepped in to churn out cloth masks to protect people from COVID-19 amid fears of a shortage.

However, within weeks the demand for these domestically produced masks decreased.

Both the government and the manufacturers said that many suppliers and consumers were still choosing cheaper, disposable face masks from Asia. The French companies are now asking the government to assist them in promoting and finding buyers for the unsold surplus.

01:30 The United States on Saturday reported 734 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. The country, which has both the highest number of deaths and infections, is recording around 20,000 daily cases of COVID-19.

President Donald Trump’s administration has acknowledged the new rise in coronavirus cases in some states, but has stressed the economy will not be shut down if there is a second wave.

01:05 China on Sunday reported its biggest rise in new coronavirus infections since April. According to health authorities, 57 new cases were registered within 24 hours.

Thirty-six of these were domestic infections from a new cluster in Beijing.

00:30 Fears are growing in China of a resurgence in local transmissions as a lockdown was imposed in parts of Beijing to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 cluster.

On Thursday, Beijing reported its first infection in two months. It then went on to announce 50 more infections, all traced back to a meat and vegetable market in the city.

China, believed to be the source of the coronavirus outbreak, had strict local and regional lockdown measures that had till now largely eliminated transmission within its borders.

Read more: Beijing orders lockdown amid fresh outbreak

The recent transmissions have fuelled fears of a resurgence in the country, where the curve of the outbreak has been months ahead of the rest of the world.

Authorities have announced mass testing and ordered residents in 11 residential estates to stay home. A “wartime mechanism” that saw hundreds of police officers deployed was also activated.

00:00 Catch up on yesterday’s coronavirus updates here.

In reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, unless otherwise specified, DW uses figures provided by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Coronavirus Resource Center in the United States. JHU updates figures in real-time, collating data from world health organizations, state and national governments, and other public official sources, all of whom have their own systems for compiling information. 

Germany’s national statistics are compiled by its public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). These figures depend on data transmission from state and local levels and are updated around once a day, which can lead to deviation from JHU. 

dvv/stb(AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters) 

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