The US tops the list of the most affected nations amid the pandemic - over 33.4 million have been infected in the country, and the death toll there exceeds 601,000. Next is India, with over 29.8 million confirmed infections and more than 385,000 deaths, followed by Brazil, with 17.8 million confirmed cases and over 500,000 fatalities.
Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!
US authorities have prolonged a ban on non-essential travel through land borders with Canada and Mexico until at least July 21, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tweeted on Sunday.
DHS officials said that the agency had identified "positive developments in recent weeks and is participating with other US agencies in the White House’s expert working groups with Canada and Mexico to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably."
The US restrictions were imposed following a new travel suspension announced by Canada on Friday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – One in two Japanese citizens think that the government's decision to lift the COVID-19 state of emergency in nine prefectures was hasty and about 86 percent fear a possible new coronavirus wave if the Olympic and Paralympic Games proceed as currently planned, a survey conducted by Japanese news agency Kyodo showed on Sunday.
While over 55 percent of people agree with the government's decision to limit the number of spectators at the Olympics, 40.3 percent believe that the games should be held with no spectators at all, while 30.8 percent want the event to be canceled altogether, the poll found.
As many as 68 percent of the Japanese consider the country's vaccine rollout slow, the poll found.
The survey was conducted over telephone on June 19 and 20. The pollster did not specify the number of respondents.
The Olympic Games are due to start on July 23 and the Paralympic Games on 24 August.
As of Saturday, more than 784,600 people in Japan have tested positive for the virus, the with the highest numbers registered in Tokyo (168,709 cases), Osaka (102,334 cases) and Kanagawa (65,294 cases). This past Thursday, the Japanese prime minister said that the COVID-19 state of emergency would be lifted on Sunday in all prefectures but Okinawa, while intensive anti-virus measures would be extended in the prefectures bordering Tokyo until 11 July.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Philippine government has reached a deal for the supply of 40 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, the ABS-CBN News broadcaster reported on Sunday, citing the country's coronavirus vaccine chief.
"We are very happy to report that the government and the management of Pfizer have finally concluded our negotiations. [Health] Secretary [Francisco] Duque and I signed yesterday the supply agreement for the biggest and most decisive deal we had for 2021", Carlito Galvez Jr. said, as quoted by the media outlet.
The delivery of the vaccines is expected to begin in August.
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY, Russia (Sputnik) - Vaccination of pregnant women against COVID-19 will protect both mothers and their newborns, as antibodies from the mother are passed on to her baby during breastfeeding, Alexander Gintsburg, the chief of the Russian Gamaleya research centre, said on Sunday.
"As we see, [vaccination] protects not only pregnant women but also newborns through breastfeeding", Gintsburg told the Rossiya 1 broadcaster.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - The first case of mucormycosis, also known as the "black fungus," has been confirmed in Argentina, the country's Health Ministry says.
"The Ministry of Health of the Nation informs that the first notification was received by the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS-SISA) of a case of mucormycosis, known as 'black fungus', associated with a patient from [the province of] Formosa who had COVID-19", the ministry said on Saturday.
The patient is a 47-year-old woman with a history of high blood pressure and type II diabetes. She experienced the onset of coronavirus symptoms on 11 May and was tested for mucormycosis earlier in June.
Argentina’s Health Ministry says the death of a person in the province of Buenos Aires is also being investigated as a potential mucormycosis case.
