New Zealand postpones general election; US coronavirus death toll passes 170,000; Italy closes nightclubs for three weeks
Japan’s economy has been hit by the worst economic contraction in its modern history as the coronavirus pandemic closed businesses and buffeted consumer spending. It came as New Zealand postponed its general election for a month as its Auckland Covid cluster grew and Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic.
Gross domestic product in Japan shrank a record 7.8% in April-June, which equates to an annualised rate of 27.8%, marking the biggest decline since comparable data became available in 1980.
Related: India's invisible catastrophe: fears over spread of Covid-19 into poor rural areas
The US death toll has passed 170,000, with 5.4m infections. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection, the rolling 7-day average for new cases stood at 52,182.
China reported no new local coronavirus cases in the western region of Xinjiang on according to national data, marking the first time the area’s case count was zero since mid-July. Nationally there were 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for 16 August, compared with 19 cases a day earlier, the health authority said.
Mexico’s health ministry reported on Sunday 4,448 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 214 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 522,162 cases and 56,757 deaths.
France’s health ministry on Sunday reported 3,015 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours, the second day in a row in which new cases have surpassed the 3,000 mark.
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