As cases in the US state of Florida continue to rise a top Miami doctor warns that the city is facing a fate similar to that of the original virus epicentre of Wuhan.
Meanwhile in Australia Woolworths has confirmed a staff member from a store in the Southern Highlands has tested positive to coronavirus.
This story was last updated at 1: 45am on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s key moments:
- Britain and France will make face masks in shops mandatory
- JPMorgan Chase sets aside billions to cover losses
- Police in the Philippines will do house searches for new cases
- Israel reports record high daily-infection increase
Miami has become the ‘epicentre of the pandemic’ according to US infections expert
A top Florida infectious diseases doctor says the state’s rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases is turning Miami into the new “epicentre of the pandemic”.
“What we were seeing in Wuhan — six months ago, five months ago — now we are there,” Dr Lilian Abbo said during a press conference hosted by the Miami-Dade County Mayor.
Florida reported a record increase in COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday with 133 more lives lost, raising the state’s total deaths to more than 4,500. The previous record increase was 120 on July 9.
The state recorded over 9,000 new cases on Tuesday, down from 12,000 on Monday and a record increase of 15,000 on Sunday.
Florida International University epidemiologist Dr Aileen Marty ca