Evening roundupTuesday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• [block type="summary”]The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 26 new cases of coronavirus were discovered yesterday, of which 25 were residents. The death toll has increased by one to 122.

  • The latest risk assessment by the ECDC praised the Grand Duchy’s efforts to control the virus using the large scale testing strategy.
  • 3 positive cases have been found at children’s summer camps. Activities were cancelled following the discovery. Participants were sent home for testing and potential quarantine.

  Around the world

  • Just seven weeks after bringing its first coronavirus wave under control, experts say Spain is once again in a “critical” situation with the worst infection rate in Western Europe.

  • Russia claimed Tuesday it has developed the world’s first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the coronavirus, as the pandemic marked another bleak milestone with 20 million infections globally. Western scientists have raised concerns about the speed with which Russia has developed vaccines, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.

  • New Zealand’s dream run of 102 days without locally transmitted coronavirus ended Tuesday, prompting a stay-at-home lockdown order for the country’s largest city.
  • UK department store chain Debenhams has axed 2,500 jobs, a spokesman said Tuesday.
  • Confidence among investors in Germany soared to its highest level in almost 17 years in August, as Europe’s largest economy accelerates its rebound from the crushing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Bhutan has been largely shielded from coronavirus but on Tuesday, the remote Himalayan kingdom went into lockdown for the first time. The country of 800,000 people between India and China has recorded just 113 novel coronavirus cases and is one of the few nations to report zero deaths.
  • India’s largest airline IndiGo hopes to raise $534 million by issuing shares to try and boost liquidity after the coronavirus pandemic sparked record losses and job cuts.
  • Australia’s Northern Territory will be closed to visitors from virus hotspots for a further 18 months to protect its large and vulnerable Aboriginal population, authorities said Tuesday.
  • The White House traded barbs with Democratic leaders on Monday over who is to blame for the failure to agree on a new pandemic relief package, even as coronavirus cases soared and workers continue to struggle to pay the rent.
  • And lastly, since the discovery of the deadly contagion in Wuhan at the end of last year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sought to model itself as the vanguard in the fight against COVID-19. The National Museum of China’s “Unity of Strength” showcases paintings, sculptures and calligraphy, all faithful to the socialist realism style, that depict what the regime says is its success in responding to the crisis.