Coronavirus: latest global developments

The pandemic has killed 555,036 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally on Friday based on official sources.

The United States is the hardest-hit country with 133,291 deaths. It is followed by Brazil with 69,184, Britain with 44,602, Italy with 34,926 and Mexico with 33,526 fatalities.

The US on Thursday posted 65,551 new coronavirus cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to Johns Hopkins University.

- Bolivia leader has virus -

Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Anez announces that she has tested positive for coronavirus, tweeting: "I'm fine I will work from isolation."

Anez is the second South American president in a matter of days to contract the coronavirus after Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro announced he was positive on Tuesday.

Another high-ranking Latin American government official to contract the virus is Venezuela's Constitutional Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, widely considered the second-most powerful person in the country after President Nicolas Maduro.

- Israel hits daily record -

Israel also records its highest number of coronavirus infections over a 24-hour period, with nearly 1,500 new cases confirmed, the health ministry says. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted in a press conference that the decision to allow businesses, including bars and event spaces, to reopen may have been made "too soon".

- Australia restricts returns -

Australia will slash the number of returning citizens allowed into the country by half as it struggles to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak in its second-largest city Melbourne.

From Monday, only 4,000 Australian citizens or permanent residents will be allowed back each day.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the move is needed to focus resources on countering the "very concerning" virus surge in Melbourne, where authorities reported a record 288 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

- Serbians protest for third day -

Thousands of people protest for a third day across Serbia against the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike the two previous days, Thursday's protests largely pass off peacefully.

The protests were sparked by a weekend curfew to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections that has overwhelmed hospitals in Belgrade. The president later backtracked on the plan but the protests have continued, turning into a general rebuke of his handling of the crisis.

- Hong Kong closes schools -

Hong Kong will close all schools from Monday after recording an "exponential growth" of locally transmitted cases in the past few days, including 32 on Friday.

- China bans some food imports - 

China temporarily bans food imports from three Ecuadorian companies after detecting coronavirus on packaging for frozen shrimp, following fresh scrutiny on refrigerated goods after a recent disease outbreak in Beijing.

- Kazakhstan-Chinese disease claim -

Kazakhstan denies a claim by China's embassy that a pneumonia outbreak more deadly than the novel coronavirus is rampaging through the Central Asian country, saying it does not "correspond to reality".

In an alert for Chinese citizens posted on the embassy's website Thursday, Beijing warned of a disease with "a mortality rate far higher than COVID-19".

- Formula One adds two races -

Formula One's governing body the FIA adds two new confirmed races at Mugello in Italy on September 13 and Sochi, Russia, on September 27, bringing the number of races in its coronavirus truncated season to 10.

- Singapore votes despite outbreak -

Singaporeans voted in a general election despite struggling with an upsurge in virus cases.

The ruling party was branded irresponsible for insisting on holding the ballot, with voters wearing face masks and gloves joining long queues at some polling stations.