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Ohio governor Mike DeWine has tested positive for coronavirus, just hours before a planned meeting in Cleveland with Donald Trump. Mr DeWine, 73, took a Covid-19 test “as part of the standard protocol” to greet the president.
The Texas coronavirus death toll jumped by more than 300, handing the Lone Star state one of its biggest daily increases in fatalities on record. A further 306 people died, the state’s health department revealed, up from 236 on Wednesday.
A surge in Uber’s food delivery business was unable to counteract a 75 per drop in global ride-sharing, dragging the company’s overall revenues down 29 per cent as it continues to count the cost of the coronavirus crisis.
US stocks marched higher on Thursday amid hopes for further fiscal stimulus and after data showed fewer Americans than expected applied for unemployment aid for the first time. The S&P 500 was up 0.6 per cent to notch its fifth consecutive day of gains and move closer to record levels.
The mass participation London Marathon has become the latest casualty of the coronavirus crisis, with organisers cancelling the race while keeping an elite event featuring stars including Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei. Organisers said they had decided to cancel the event “with a heavy heart”.
The US has lifted its level-four travel advisory for international travel that has advised American citizens since March to avoid travelling overseas owing to the global spread of coronavirus.
Pakistan on Thursday announced the easing of restrictions on restaurants, parks and cinemas, almost five months after they were shut to stop the spread of coronavirus. Asad Umar, minister of planning, said these locations will reopen from Monday.
US household debt plunged for the first time since 2014, driven by a steep fall in credit card balances as consumer spending plunged amid coronavirus lockdowns. Consumer debt balances amounted to $14.27tn at the end of the second quarter, a 0.2 per cent drop from the previous period.
An Israeli laboratory will start human trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine in October. The Israel Institute for Biological Research, a government-run research centre based outside Tel Aviv, and the Weizmann Institute have been working on a vaccine since March.