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.
