The Latest: Patients filling beds in India’s largest cities

By The Associated Press

NEW DELHI — India recorded another 10,000-plus coronavirus infections as patients swamp health services in its largest cities.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday also reported a 24-hour increase of 380 deaths due to COVID-19, driving the death toll to 9,900.

The 10,667 new cases raise the nation’s total to 343,091, fourth-highest in the world behind the U.S., Brazil and Russia. The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons such as limited testing.

Maharashtra, the western state that is home to Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital, continues to have the highest state toll. Mumbai, Chennai and the capital New Delhi are seeing rising infections swamp their health services.

Delhi is a growing concern with the federal government criticizing its contact tracing and hospital capacity. The capital has about 10,000 beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients, half of which are already occupied. Hotels and sports stadiums are being considered for use as field hospitals.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— China reimposes some travel restrictions in the capital to contain a new outbreak, highlighting calls for vigilance as the U.S., Europe and Latin America continue to reopen.

— Health care workers are reckoning with the psychological toll of their work treating virus patients and fears of a resurgence.

— U.S. data says death rates are 12 times higher for virus patients with chronic illnesses, hospitalization 6 times more likely than for otherwise healthy patients.

— A judge ruled the U.S. Treasury Department must release $679 million in coronavirus relief funding for tribes that it intended to withhold while a challenge over payments to tribal governments played out in court.

— Many businesses are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch the coronavirus.

— Baseball commissioner says whole season in jeopardy after a breakdown in talks over money issues.

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Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand is no longer free from the new coronavirus after two women who flew from London to see a dying parent tested positive.

The new cases sparked a round of testing for anybody who might have been close to them, including their flight’s fellow passengers and crew, staff members at a hotel and a family member.

The women are isolated and have delayed the funeral of their parent until they have recovered.

New Zealand has counted 22 deaths from COVID-19, and until Tuesday, everyone else among the 1,500 people known to have been infected had recovered.

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MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials have placed a central city back under strict lockdown and retained quarantine restrictions in the capital for another two weeks as coronavirus infections continue to spike alarmingly.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved in a televised meeting Monday night with key Cabinet officials a recommendation to lock down Cebu city anew and retain quarantine restrictions in metropolitan Manila, where many of the nearly 26,500 infections and more than 1,000 deaths have been recorded.

First imposed in mid-March, the COVID-19 restrictions in metropolitan Manila have been among the longest in the world.

“The battle with COVID isn’t over,” Duterte said. “I can’t stop you from going out and I can’t catch all of you … don’t blame us. Do not forget that we warned you about the grave consequences.”

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HONOLULU — A woman travelling with a group of 21 people arrested on suspicion of violating Hawaii’s coronavirus quarantine says they have agreed to leave the state because they have received threats from residents.

Kendra Carter says that when the group arrived earlier this month, they didn’t realize Hawaii’s mandatory 14-day quarantine would be enforced. Court documents say they were seen at a beach park shortly after arriving.

The quarantine doesn’t allow travellers to leave a residence or hotel room for any reason except medical emergencies.

The leader of the group, Eligio Bishop, pleaded no contest Monday to the quarantine violation.

Attorney Donald Wilkerson, who represents two other men arrested with the group, said the other cases will be dismissed but would be refiled if they return to Hawaii and violate the quarantine.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said current limits on businesses and gatherings would remain in place while health officials evaluate whether the state’s uptick in cases is cause for concern.

“Recently we’ve experienced some trends that require additional evaluation and analysis,” Sisolak said at a news conference, mentioning the upward trend in the number of new daily cases reported in the last three weeks and the per cent of individual tests that come back positive.

Nevada reported 106 additional coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the statewide total to 11,279 confirmed cases, including 8,815 in Clark County. No new deaths were reported Sunday, keeping the statewide death toll at 465. On June 11, the state reported 277 new confirmed cases, the second-highest daily uptick since the start of the pandemic, behind May 22.

Sisolak said he and state health officials anticipated an increase in new cases after reopening and expanding testing capacity throughout June.

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BEIJING — Beijing is imposing further control measures in an attempt to prevent a new outbreak in the capital from spreading to other parts of the country.

In addition to locking down communities and ordering mass testing, China’s capital is banning residents of areas considered at high risk from leaving the city, health authorities say. Those from such areas who have already left must report to local health bureaus as soon as possible.

The number of passengers on buses, trains and subways will also be limited and all will be required to wear masks.

The outbreak traced to a wholesale market in the city’s southwest may also be disrupting plans to restart China Super League soccer as early as next month.

Coaches and players for Beijing Guoan, the city’s top team have been tested and given a week off because their training camp is in the same district as the source of the latest outbreak, local media reported Tuesday.

The Associated Press

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