Australian state of Victoria records 19 deaths; US cases pass 5m; UK daily infections pass 1,000 for first time since June. Follow the latest updatesGlobal infections near 20mGreece sees highest daily case riseUS passes 5m Covid-19 cases as Joe Biden says pandemic ‘breaks heart’Brazil scientist’s despair as coronavirus deaths hit 100,000See all our coronavirus coverage 2.48am BST When the Guardian’s Luke Harding began suffering symptoms of Covid-19 he assumed he would be laid low for a couple of weeks. Five months later he is still unwell, and he has found hundreds of people like him: Related: The Covid long haul: why are some patients not getting better? 2.35am BST More from New Zealand with Charlotte Graham-McLay:New Zealanders who fancy a summer break in the Cook Islands could be in luck, with Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister, telling reporters that a travel “bubble” between the two destinations could be in place by the end of the year.Tourism operators in the Cook Islands – a tiny nation in the South Pacific with close political ties to New Zealand – are desperate for travel to reopen due to the country’s dependence on tourism. There is no known community transmission of the virus in either country. Ardern’s Cabinet on Monday agreed to a draft text of how the bubble would work and who would be eligible. It would allow travelers to move between the islands, and New Zealand, without time in quarantine on their return, and apply to New Zealand passport holders based in New Zealand, plus others in the country who qualify for visas. Officials will begin work on the ground in both countries within the next ten days to ensure quarantine-free travel could be undertaken safely, Ardern said. While she didn’t want to confirm a specific date, she hoped the “bubble” could be in place by the end of 2020. Currently, only New Zealanders and their families can enter the country, and all arrivals must spend two weeks in government-managed quarantine. Continue reading…
Via: Coronavirus live news: Global infections near 20m as Australia suffers deadliest day
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