World Coronavirus Dispatch: Second wave in Asia prompts fresh lockdowns

EU lets member nations suspend import duties on medical equipment, Gold continues to surge, Australia posts daily virus record and other pandemic-related news across the globe

The European Union let its member countries suspend import duties on medical equipment needed to fight the coronavirus for three more months. The European Commission allowed EU governments to waive the bloc’s tariffs on goods such as masks, testing kits and ventilators until October 31, amid a resurgence in Covid-19 cases worldwide. The move also maintains a suspension of value-added tax on the products. Read more here

Let’s look at the global statistics:

Total Confirmed Cases: 16,264,048


Change Over Yesterday: 208,139


Total Deaths: 648,966


Total Recovered: 9,407,977

Nations hit with most cases: US (4,234,140), Brazil (2,419,091), India (1,435,616), Russia (811,073) and South