The Latest: Florida doctors urge public to heed virus rules

MIAMI — A top Florida doctor says the state’s rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases is turning Miami into the “epicenter of the pandemic.”

That assessment came as Florida recorded more than 12,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases Monday after a record-setting weekend. The spike partly reflects the larger number of tests being performed, but also a high percentage of those returning positive.

While the outbreak has been spreading through much of the state, it has hit South Florida particularly hard.

Florida International University epidemiologist Dr. Aileen Marty called the region’s situation “extremely grave.” She says the public is not taking the virus seriously enough, ignoring rules on large gatherings, social distancing and wearing masks in public places.

Dr. Lilian Abbo is the chief for infection prevention at Jackson Health System. She described nurses and doctors working around the clock and some of them getting sick.

She added: “Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic. What we were seeing in Wuhan six months ago, now we are there.”

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— The World Health Organization warns that the pandemic is worsening globally and things won’t return to “the old normal” for some time.

— Hong Kong bans public gatherings of more than four and requires face coverings on public transport

— Recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 at U.S. military bases on Japan’s Okinawa grow to more than 90.

— The November election is coming with a big price tag as America faces voting during a pandemic

— America’s two largest generations agree: the pandemic has smacked many at a pivotal time in their lives

— Families of Italy’s virus dead seek answers, solace, justice

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Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

LONDON — The U.N. is warning that the COVID-19 pandemic could result in another 130 million people going hungry this year.

The warning was included in a new report published Monday.

Officials at five U.N. agencies estimate there were about 690 million people in 2019 who went hungry worldwide, with the majority in Asia and Africa.

The report says that another 83 to 132 million people may go hungry in 2020 due to economic problems triggered by the pandemic. Still, the report also stresses that it’s too early to gauge the full impact of virus-related lockdowns.

Experts said a healthy diet costs far more than $1.90 a day, which is the international poverty threshold. Experts estimate that about 3 billion people cannot afford that daily price tag. As a result, numerous children under age 5 had stunted growth or were malnourished last year.

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MADRID -- The mayor of Barcelona says the Catalonia region of Spain has an inadequate number of contact tracers as it battles coronavirus outbreaks.

Mayor Ada Colau told a news conference Monday that the region of some 7.5 million people, whose capital is Barcelona, has just 120 contact tracers, working in three shifts of 40 people each.

Between July 6 and 12 the number of new cases recorded in the city roughly tripled from the previous week.

Spain’s head of the emergency response, Fernando Simón, said Monday that several provinces have complained about a lack of resources to carry out contact tracing.

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GENEVA — The World Health Organization says decisions to reopen schools should be part of a broad strategy for the fight against COVID-19, adding: “we can’t turn schools into yet another political football in this game.”

Dr. Michael Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies chief, says any such decisions require a look beyond just how schools, workplaces or long-term care facilities respond individually to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have got to focus on a comprehensive long-term strategy that focuses on everything at one time. We’ve got to chew gum and walk at the same time,” he said, suggesting countries needed to make decisions based on their setting or current levels of transmission.

“We can’t turn schools into yet another political football in this game. It’s not fair on our children,” Ryan said. “We have to make decisions that are based on the best interests of our children, be it their educational or their health interests.”

The comments come as Trump administration officials have increasingly been calling for schools in the United States to reopen.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — A hospital system in South Carolina is suspending elective surgeries due to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients that officials say are straining staff and resources.

Effective Tuesday, officials with Roper St. Francis in Charleston say procedures that aren’t time-sensitive will be put on hold across its four facilities to free up staff for an “unrelenting flood” of patients needing treatment for COVID-19.

More than a third of all of Roper’s inpatient care were those who had become ill after contracting the coronavirus

Hospital officials say emergency surgeries will still be performed as needed.

Earlier this year, Gov. Henry McMaster asked that elective surgeries be called off across the state for several weeks in an effort to keep hospital resources available for pandemic response. Those procedures were allowed to begin anew this spring, but McMaster has said he could move to shut them down again if needed.

The decision comes amid a resurgence of confirmed cases across South Carolina, where state officials said there had been 56,485 total confirmed cases as of Sunday.

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NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus is warning all travelers that they have to complete a form stating their personal and flight details and where they’ll be staying while on the east Mediterranean island nation or face either a 300 euro fine or an immediate return home.

Authorities said Monday that the online completion of the so-called Cyprus Flight Pass is compulsory 24 hours before boarding a flight, regardless of which country the traveler is arriving from. Penalties for not completing the form take effect July 13.

Cyprus has placed countries in categories based on the state of coronavirus infection rate. Travelers from more than 20 countries including Germany, Japan and Australia, which are deemed to have a low infection rate, aren’t required to obtain a health certificate declaring them virus-free 72 hours before boarding a flight. Travelers from another 17 countries including Italy and France are obligated to obtain a health certificate.

Cyprus’ Health Ministry said travelers must also provide their contact details and the reason for traveling to the island. They must also sign a sworn statement that the information they’re giving is true or possibly face a perjury charge.

Even travelers who don’t need a health certificate but haven’t completed the Cyprus Flight Plass will be fined 300 euros and will have to pay an additional 60 euros for a conoravirus test at the airport.

The ministry issued the warning after a passenger who flew into Cyprus and later tested positive for COVID-19 provided false information when asked to complete the form on his arrival at the airport.

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LONDON — The head of the World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening globally and things won’t return to “the old normal” for some time.

At a press briefing Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future.”

Tedros said that while numerous countries, especially in Europe and Asia, have brought outbreaks under control, too many others are seeing virus trends move in the wrong direction.

Tedros also chastised political leaders for mixed messages about outbreaks that damage trust, without referring to any politicians by name.

Tedros called for countries to adopt a comprehensive strategy to curb the soaring caseloads in many countries, noting that about half of all the new cases are now coming from the Americas.

Still, Tedros said there was a roadmap out of the pandemic and that it’s never too late to control its spread even in places with explosive transmission.

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PARIS — France’s government signed accords with unions promising to invest 8 billion euros in salaries and new staff for public hospitals, which struggled to treat waves of coronavirus patients after years of cuts.

The agreements signed Monday come after two months of negotiation launched by President Emmanuel Macron after criticism of his government’s handling of the pandemic.

The new investment includes raises for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff. Health Minister Olivier Veran said it would include 15,000 new jobs.

Public hospital workers have been protesting for years against staff and equipment shortages and hospital closures.

Unions stepped up demonstrations after France started relaxing its confinement measures in May. Unions representing at least 50% of public hospital staff signed the accords, though some health workers say they don’t go far enough to fix problems.

France has reported more than 30,000 virus-related deaths and treated more than 100,000 virus patients in hospitals.

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HONG KONG — Hong Kong has banned public gatherings of more than four and required face coverings on public transport as the city battles an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Restaurants won’t be allowed to offer dine-in services from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., while fitness centers and beauty salons will be closed for 7 days. The measures take effect July 15.

The city will also increase testing to identify asymptomatic patients who are infected.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam, who announced the measures on Monday, also urged the private sector to put in place work-from-home arrangements for employees.

On Monday, 41 out of 52 coronavirus infections reported in Hong Kong were locally-transmitted cases.

Since July 6, Hong Kong has reported 250 new cases, with Monday’s tally being the highest since March.

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TOKYO — Recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 at U.S. military bases on Japan’s Okinawa have grown to more than 90.

Okinawa prefectural officials said that 32 more cases were confirmed Monday at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, bringing the recent total to 95 across the installation and three other bases. Most of the cases are at the air station.

Governor Denny Tamaki held telephone talks on Saturday with Lt. Gen. Stacy Clardy, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force. Tamaki demanded the U.S military increase disease prevention measures, stop sending personnel from the mainland U.S. to Okinawa and seal the bases.

Okinawa is home to more than half of about 50,000 American troops based in Japan under a bilateral security pact. Many Okinawans have long complained about pollution, noise and crime.

Outside the U.S. military bases, Okinawa has had about 150 cases of the coronavirus. Cases have surged recently in Japan, mostly in Tokyo and other major cities.

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BEIJING — China on Monday said two World Health Organization experts were in the country as part of a mission to trace the origin of the global coronavirus pandemic.

China had been reluctant to allow a probe into the virus that was first detected in the central industrial city of Wuhan late last year, but relented after scores of countries called on the WHO to conduct a thorough probe. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the representatives would with Chinese scientists and medical experts on “scientific cooperation on the new coronavirus tracing issue.”

China has argued that the virus might have originated outside of China and has angrily denied allegations that it covered up the scale of the outbreak as it was first beginning to spread. The U.S. has moved to cut funding for the WHO over accusations it responded too slowly to the virus outbreak and repeated Beijing’s claims of having dealt with it swiftly without verification.

“We have a basic consensus with the WHO that virus tracing is a scientific issue that requires international scientific research and cooperation of scientists across the world,” Hua said at a daily briefing.

The WHO has confirmed the visit by an epidemiologist and an animal disease specialist but has not given out information on its agendas while in China. The virus is believed to have originated in bats and then jumped to humans via an intermediary species, possibly the anteater-like pangolin that is prized in China for its scales used in Chinese medicine as well as its meat.

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NEW DELHI — India reported another record surge of coronavirus infections on Monday, adding 28,701 new cases over the previous 24 hours.

Authorities in several cities are reinstating strict lockdowns after attempting to loosen things up to revive an ailing economy.

The new cases raised the national total to 878,254. The Health Ministry also reported another 500 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 23,174.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune are among the key Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections. Several states introduced weekend curfews and announced strict lockdowns in high-risk areas to slow down infections.

India is third in total coronavirus caseload, behind only the United States and Brazil.