US coronavirus deaths near 130,000 amid July 4 fete: Live updates

• The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States has hit almost 130,000 as the country wraps up its July 4 Independence Day celebrations. More than 2.8 million people have been infected in the US with the states of Florida and Texas posting a combined record of almost 20,000 cases in just one day.

• The World Health Organization said that it was discontinuing its trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 after the medications failed to reduce mortality. 

• Brazil passed 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases with almost 65,000 deaths, according to the health ministry, as cities reopen bars, restaurants and gyms, sparking fears infections will keep rising.

• Worldwide cases have reached 11.18 million while 6.03 million patients have recovered, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University tally. The number of deaths worldwide hit more than 528,000.

Here are the latest updates.

Sunday, July 5

01:23 GMT – China reports eight new active cases, seven asymptomatic patients

China reported eight new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 4, compared with three cases a day earlier, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday quoting the health agency.

Six of the new infections were imported cases, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, while the capital Beijing reported two new cases. There were no new deaths.

China reported seven new asymptomatic patients, up from four a day earlier.

As of Saturday, mainland China had 83,553 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. China’s death toll from the COVID-19 remained 4,634, unchanged since Mid-May.

00:29 GMT – Mexico’s coronavirus death toll surpasses 30,000

Mexico’s health ministry has reported 523 more deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 30,366, and 6,014 new infections, bringing the total to 252,165.

The government has previously said the actual number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the number of confirmed cases.

Citing unpublished figures from the country’s civil registry, broadcaster Milenio reported that as of June 19, nearly twice as many people had died from the coronavirus than were reported by Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell. Reuters news agency was unable to verify the information.

00:05 GMT – Ghana’s president self-isolates after close contact with infected person

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo will self-isolate for 14 days on the advice of doctors after a person in his close circle tested positive for the coronavirus, Reuters news agency reported, quoting a government statement.

“He has, as at today, tested negative, but has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution,” the statement said, adding that the president will continue to work during the period, in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.

The statement did not say if the close person was a staff or family member.

Ghana has recorded 19,388 coronavirus cases, one of the highest number of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, with 117 deaths.

The West African nation’s deputy trade and industry minister, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, resigned on Friday after violating coronavirus self-isolation measures following a positive test for the virus.

00:01 GMT – Brazil registers 37,923 new cases of coronavirus, 1,091 deaths

Brazil has recorded 37,923 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as well as 1,091 deaths, Reuters news agency reported, quoting the country’s health ministry.

Brazil has registered more than 1.5 million cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths total 64,265, according to the ministry.

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Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

You can find all the latest developments from yesterday, July 4, here.