PARIS — The total number of people killed by the novel coronavirus around the world passed 750,000 on Thursday, with some countries toughening control measures as caseloads once again creep up. Italy, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe, imposed mandatory coronavirus testing for all travelers arriving from some fellow EU nations and banned all visitors from Colombia. Health officials worry that Italians returning from foreign holidays may bring home the virus and pass it on at summer events. In secretive North Korea – which long insisted it had no cases – officials could be seen disinfecting underground train carriages, distributing hand sanitizer, and checking temperatures of masked passengers at station entrances. Moscow is pressing ahead with production and distribution and says it has pre-orders from 20 countries for one billion doses.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 13, 2020 17:37 UTC