Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

As researchers say the virus can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days

US President Donald Trump will try to put his bout with Covid-19 behind him when he returns to the campaign trail on Monday, while the White House called on Congress to pass a stripped-down coronavirus relief bill.

AMERICAS

* US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had fully recovered from Covid-19 and was not an infection risk for others.

* Brazil registered 559 additional coronavirus deaths over the last 24 hours and 26,749 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. It has now registered 5,082,637 total confirmed cases and 150,198 total deaths.

EUROPE

* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce new measures to tackle a growing coronavirus crisis on Monday, moving to work more closely with local leaders from England’s worst affected areas

* Liverpool City Region will go into the strictest “third tier” of new anti-coronavirus restrictions to be announced imminently by Britain, its leaders said.

* Slovakia will put in place stricter coronavirus containment measures from Thursday, including a requirement to wear face masks in public and limits to public gatherings, its health minister said.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore, Australia and Japan are gradually easing some international travel restrictions as coronavirus cases slow.

* India’s coronavirus caseload reached 7.12 million on Monday, with 66,732 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

* The New Zealand government signed a deal to buy 1.5 million Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Germany’s BioNTech.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Iran plans to make mask-wearing mandatory in public in other large cities after imposing it in Tehran to fight rising coronavirus infections, the health minister said on Sunday.

* Lebanon said on Sunday it will close bars and nightclubs to help contain the Covid-19 outbreak in a country also reeling from financial crisis and an explosion in Beirut two months ago.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The coronavirus can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Chinese stocks led Asian markets higher on Monday as investors bet on a steady recovery for the world’s no. 2 economy, though caution about the fate of US stimulus kept the dollar firm and a central bank policy tweak unwound some of the yuan’s gains. [MKTS/GLOB]

* Japan’s core machinery orders unexpectedly rose in August, extending gains and highlighting resilience in capital spending even as the economy remains under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.