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Melbourne Orders Compulsory Masks as Australia Battles Coronavirus

Anyone venturing out in Australia's second-biggest city was ordered Thursday to wear a mask as authorities struggle to contain multiple coronavirus clusters in the country's southeast.

Most people seen by AFP on the quiet streets of Melbourne's city centre wore masks in the second week of a six-week local lockdown.

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Israel Names Coronavirus Supremo as Infections Grow

Amid mounting calls for Israel's government to appoint a dedicated coronavirus response coordinator, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named a public health professional to the post, his office said Thursday.

It said in a statement that the job went to Ronnie Gamzu, CEO of Tel Aviv's Sourasky medical complex.

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More than 15 Million Coronavirus Cases Detected Worldwide

At least 15,007,291 cases of the new coronavirus, including 617,603 deaths, have been detected worldwide since the pandemic emerged late last year, according to an AFP tally on Wednesday.

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Virus Vaccine Key for Olympics Go-Ahead in 2021, Says Tokyo Chief

The development of a coronavirus vaccine or treatment will be key to allowing the postponed Tokyo 2020 games to open in a year's time, organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said Wednesday.

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Trump Says Pandemic to 'Get Worse', Australia Sees Record Infections

The coronavirus death toll in the United States has spiked again with Donald Trump conceding the pandemic crisis will get worse, as record infections in Australia underscored second-wave dilemmas globally.

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WHO Handling of Pandemic Led to 'Dead Britons', Says Pompeo

The World Health Organization's actions during the coronavirus pandemic led to "dead Britons", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told lawmakers during a trip to London, British media reported Wednesday.

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Silent Spread of Virus Keeps Scientists Grasping for Clues

One of the great mysteries of the coronavirus is how quickly it rocketed around the world.

It first flared in central China and, within three months, was on every continent but Antarctica, shutting down daily life for millions. Behind the rapid spread was something that initially caught scientists off guard, baffled health authorities and undermined early containment efforts — the virus could be spread by seemingly healthy people.

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Scientists Report that Airborne Coronavirus is Probably Infectious

Scientists have known for several months the new coronavirus can become suspended in microdroplets expelled by patients when they speak and breathe, but until now there was no proof that these tiny particles are infectious. 

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Australia Posts Record Number of New COVID-19 Infections

Australia reported a record 501 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, nearly four months after the pandemic initially peaked in the country, with authorities warning of a critical new phase in its two biggest cities. 

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Trump Backs Face Masks as EU Agrees Huge Virus Aid Plan

President Donald Trump changed his tune in favor of face masks as a tool to combat the coronavirus in the United States, as European leaders on Tuesday agreed on a massive aid package for their pandemic-ravaged economies.

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