- A leading Republican senator says President Donald Trump should start wearing a mask at least some of the time because politics is getting in the way of protecting the American people from COVID-19. “The stakes are too high for the political debate about pro-Trump, anti-Trump masks to continue,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
- The UN labour agency says the coronavirus pandemic had a more severe impact on jobs than previously estimated, reflecting increasing fallout in many regions and particularly in developing economies. The International Labor Organization estimated 14% of working hours were lost worldwide in the year’s second quarter, ending Tuesday, compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. It says that’s equivalent to the loss of 400 million full-time jobs. A month ago, the ILO estimated the loss at 10.7% of working hours, equivalent to 305 million full-time jobs.
- Los Angeles will close beaches and ban fireworks displays over the holiday weekend. California officials are warning further restrictions may be necessary to curb a troubling spike in coronavirus cases in much of the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s prepared to impose targeted shutdowns of counties or businesses.
- Britain’s medical regulatory agency has approved the resumption of a trial testing whether hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug favoured by US President Donald Trump, might help prevent health workers from contracting the coronavirus.