The Latest: Spain hits daily record of 44,357 virus cases

A staff health worker is vaccinated with the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at Clinica Universitaria, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

In this photo released by Argentina's presidential press office, Argentina President Alberto Fernandez gets a shot of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, administered by Nurse Marcela Yanni at the Posadas Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. (Esteban Collazo/Argentine Presidential Press Office via AP)

People wait in line for the COVID-19 vaccine in Paterson, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. The first people arrived around 2:30 a.m. for the chance to be vaccinated at one of the few sites that does not require an appointment. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A man waits by his empty oxygen tank in a line of other customers outside a shop that refills them in the Villa El Salvador shantytown of Lima, Peru, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Javier Casana leaves flowers on the portrait of his uncle Jorge Luis Casana, 62, a doctor who died from COVID-19, in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, January 19, 2021. The Peruvian Medical College reported that at least 11 doctors have died during the first days of 2021. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A pedestrian passes the perimeter fence of the Presbyterian Church in Bedfordview, Johannesburg South Africa, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. The fence is covered with ribbons to represent a person who has died in the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

This April 26, 2017 file photo shows the Eli Lilly & Co. corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, its COVID-19 antibody drug can prevent illness among residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care locations. It’s the first major study to show that it may prevent disease. The drugmaker said participants who got the drug had up to a 57% lower risk of getting COVID-19. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Nurse Brianne Stockman, left, injects study participant Lani Muller with either a COVID-19 vaccine or a placebo in a mobile medical unit parked in the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. With more vaccines in the pipeline, scientists worry whether enough volunteers will join and stick with the testing needed to prove if they, too, really work. To help, researchers in more than a dozen spots around the country are rolling out mobile health clinics to better reach minority participants and people in rural areas who might not otherwise volunteer. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

In this Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 file photo, President Joe Biden speaks during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The Biden administration is taking quick steps to keep the United States in the World Health Organization, part of his ambition to launch a full-throttle effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Just hours before Wednesday’s inauguration, the Biden-Harris transition team announced its plans to “take action” to halt a U.S. withdrawal begun under Trump and work with partners to reform WHO and support its response to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, file)

In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, Brenda Bravo Torres stands at a park in Reno, Nev., holding a photograph of her husband Miguel Angel Lopez Villal Pinzon who died of COVID-19 in August 2020. Nevada reported 71 new deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, surpassing the highest single-day death toll, the 63 reported just last Saturday. (Andy Barron/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP, File)

Ela Gubbiotti hugs her partner Giancarlo Vannimartini, an anesthesiologist who has been hospitalized for 10 days, in a safe room where patients and relatives can hug each other protected by a plastic film screen set up inside the COVID-19 ward of the Ospedale dei Castelli Hospital in Ariccia, near Rome, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Students wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as they pray upon their arrival at their school, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Pakistani authorities started to reopen schools in phases despite a steady increase in deaths and infections from the coronavirus, official said. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

A man walks out of a Marc's Store, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, lowering claims to 900,000, still a historically high level that points to further job cuts in a raging pandemic. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, file)

This Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 file photo shows the New York Stock Exchange, right, in New York. Stocks are churning close to the breakeven line in the early going on Wall Street Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, as traders increase their focus on company earnings reports. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Nurse Coralie Ferron prepares doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, southern France, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Boxes of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are pictured in a fridge at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, southern France, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

MADRID — Spain posted a new daily record of 44,357 coronavirus infections.

The Health Ministry reported 404 deaths on Thursday, increasing the confirmed total to 55,041 deaths and 2.5 million cases.

The country’s 14-day average case rate rose to 796 per 100,000 inhabitants, up from 736 on Wednesday.

Despite the numbers, government coronavirus expert Fernando Simón says the country could be reaching a plateau. But he says a decrease in new “hospitalizations and admissions to ICUs won’t be noticed for at least another week.”

ICU bed occupancy by COVID-19 patients is at 36% nationally. Two regions, La Rioja and Valencia, have occupancy rates above 50%.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

President Joe Biden signs burst of coronavirus orders, requires masks for travel. US Chamber of Commerce supports Biden’s virus plan. Dr. Anthony Fauci vows full US engagement with WHO. Angela Merkel sees signs of coronavirus decline in Germany, but extends restrictions until Feb. 14. India sends 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Bangladesh.

__Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

PARIS — France will require people wear higher quality face masks in public, a measure likely to render many home-made cloth masks obsolete.

Government officials say the new rule will be published Friday to help slow the spread of a possibly more contagious variant of the coronavirus.

The rule will require face masks worn in public approach the standard of surgical masks in their ability to filter out most tiny particles.

Officials say most washable masks sold in French stores already meet the required standard. However, lower-quality homemade cloth masks are unlikely to make the grade.

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine President Alberto Fernández was given the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for the coronavirus after local health authorities recommended its use for those 60 and older.

The 64-year-old president was given a shot by a nurse at the Hospital Posadas in Buenos Aires, the capital. Fernández assured Argentines that the vaccine, which has been distributed to the public since Dec. 29, is safe.

Argentine officials on Wednesday expanded their recommendation to cover vaccinating those 60 and older after receiving data from Russia indicating it was safe and effective for that group. Fernández will get a second dose after 21 days.

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VILLA EL SALVADOR, Peru — The Peruvian government announced new oxygen-production equipment it says will assist hospitals across the country.

Oxygen has become a scarce commodity in this city of more than 508,000 during a second wave of coronavirus infections. Most of the hospitals in Peru lack the equipment necessary to produce oxygen.

The desperation has led some businesses to triple its price, forcing many to plunder their savings or sell belongings to afford it.

While some are price gauging, others are stepping in to help. In Villa El Salvador, a group of 13 friends, among them engineers, economists and lawyers, pooled their savings to recently open an oxygen plant and offer lower prices.

Peru has recorded more than 1 million confirmed cases and more than 39,000 deaths during the pandemic.

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WASHINGTON — The largest business lobbying group in the U.S. is supporting President Joe Biden’s early moves to confront the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief policy officer Neil Bradley says Biden is correct in his assessment that controlling the coronavirus is the key to fully reopening the economy.

“America must return to health before we can restore economic growth and get the 10 million Americans who lost their jobs in the last year back to work,” Bradley said. “We support the new administration’s focus on removing roadblocks to vaccinations and reopening schools, both of which are important steps to accelerating a broad-based economic recovery for all Americans.”

Biden’s predecessor had put pressure on states to quickly reopen. The U.S. is facing its most deadly wave of the pandemic, with joblessness on the rise again.

The U.S. Chamber is particularly influential with Republican Congressional lawmakers, who hold sway over Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus package.

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JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s president says Jackson Mthembu has died from the coronavirus, becoming the first cabinet minister to succumb to the disease.

The 62-year-old Mthembu in recent months had been a central figure in communicating to the public the South African government’s response to COVID-19. In announcing the death Thursday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Mthembu “an exemplary leader.”

He tested positive on Jan. 11. Mthembu’s death comes as South Africa battles a second wave of the coronavirus that may be driven in part by a new variant of the coronavirus.

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CHICAGO — Health researchers say young children need to be careful with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially dispensers at eye level.

The researchers say they’ve seen more cases of children who got the substance in their eyes.

Studies published Thursday in JAMA Ophthalmology detail cases in France and India, some resulting in eye pain and cornea ulcers that ultimately healed. But a few youngsters required eye surgery and researchers say risks include blindness. Many cases involved dispensers in public places.

U.S. poison control centers also have had an increase in calls about kids exposed to hand sanitizers. While most resulted in little or no harm, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes the products should the kept out of young children’s reach.

If a child does get sanitizer in their eyes, doctors advise washing the eyes with warm water and having the youngster get an eye exam to make sure there is no damage.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is extending a statewide order requiring face masks in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Ivey announced the decision at the state Capitol on Thursday. The new order means the rule will remain in place through March 5.

Medical officials had urged Ivey to extend the order amid the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, which have been hindered by a limited national supply.

The state of nearly 5 million people has had 446,000 vaccine doses delivered and administered 184,000 doses.

There’s been about 430,000 confirmed cases and more than 62,000 deaths from the coronavirus in Alabama.

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PHOENIX — Arizona, the state with the worst coronavirus diagnosis rate in the country, reported nearly 9,400 confirmed cases on Thursday.

The Department of Health Services reported 9,398 cases and 244 confirmed deaths, increasing the state’s pandemic totals to 699,942 cases and 11,772 deaths.

According to the state’s coronavirus dashboard, there were 4,580 hospitalized COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds on Wednesday, down from the Jan. 11 record of 5,082.

One in 147 Arizona residents was diagnosed with the coronavirus from Jan. 13 to Wednesday. South Carolina was close behind at one in 148.

Arizona’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases declined from 8,884 on Jan. 6 to 6,973 on Wednesday. The rolling average of daily deaths rose from 103 to 142 during the same period. That’s according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project.

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BEIRUT — Lebanon has extended a nationwide lockdown to Feb. 8 amid a rise in coronavirus infections and deaths that has overwhelmed the health care system.

The lockdown had been scheduled to end Feb. 1. Hospitals in Lebanon have registered a 91% occupancy of ICU beds. Deaths have surpassed 2,000, with between 40 to 60 daily deaths this week.

The national health committee had recommended a two-week extension. But the government decided to keep the lockdown, in place since Jan. 14, until Feb. 8.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Drugmaker Eli Lilly says its COVID-19 antibody drug helped prevent illness among residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care locations.

It’s the first major study to show an antibody medication may prevent disease. The drugmaker says residents and staff who got the drug had up to a 57% lower risk of getting COVID-19. Among nursing home residents only, there was up to a 80% reduction in risk.

U.S. regulators last year allowed emergency use of the antibody treatment for mild or moderate COVID-19 cases that don’t require hospitalization. It’s a one-time dose given through an IV.

The study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health, involved more than 1,000 residents and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care locations.

In the U.S., those residents account for less than 1% of the population, but nearly 40% of deaths from COVID-19. The U.S. leads the world with more than 406,000 deaths.

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BRUSSELS — European Union leaders are holding a video summit amid concern the new coronavirus variants.

The leaders on Thursday will assess such measures as further border restrictions, better tracking of mutations and improved coordination of lockdowns.

The highly contagious nature of the variants is a major source of concern and has already led some EU countries to strengthen restrictions by imposing stricter curfews and more stringent mask requirements on public transportation and in shops.

The EU’s executive arm aims for 70% of the adult population across the bloc vaccinated by the end of the summer.

Since the EU doesn’t expect vaccines to be readily available before April, leaders should in the meantime find efficient ways to contain the new variants. The commission believes better tracking of the mutations with genomic sequencing, coupled with an increased use of rapid antigen tests, will be crucial.

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NEW YORK — More potential COVID-19 vaccines to fight the pandemic still are being tested, and some researchers are driving mobile labs into neighborhoods to recruit diverse volunteers.

With scarce supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna shots, proving whether additional vaccines work is critical. So is ensuring they’re tested in communities of color that are hard-hit by the coronavirus yet have questions about vaccination.

A U.S. program offers researchers RV-sized mobile clinics that help volunteers enroll in studies of the AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines without having to visit a doctor’s office. At the same time, researchers can answer general vaccine questions from those passing by.

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s foreign minister says Beijing has promised to provide 500,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine by Jan. 31.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi says his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi gave made this commitment during a phone conversation on Thursday. He says China is providing the first shipment of half million doses of vaccine without charge.

He hoped Pakistan will get another 500,000 doses of vaccine from China next month.

However, Qureshi didn’t specify which vaccine China would give to Pakistan.

Also Thursday, Qureshi took twitter, saying “with encouraging results of Chinese vaccine and our historic relationship, Pakistan has approved emergency use authorization of SinoPharm.”

The announcement comes a day after a top Pakistan said its talks with the manufacturers of Sinopharm and Cansino vaccines were at an advanced stage.

Pakistan has reported 54 confirmed deaths and 2,363 cases in the past 24 hours. Since the pandemic began, Pakistan has registered 11,157 confirmed deaths from and 527,146 infections.

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is putting forth a national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks for travel.

Biden will address inequities in hard-hit minority communities as he signs 10 pandemic-related executive orders on Thursday, his second day in office.

Biden administration officials say a coordinated nationwide effort is needed to defeat the virus. They’re also depending on Congress to provide $1.9 trillion for economic relief and COVID-19 response.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will set up vaccination centers, aiming to have 100 up and running in a month. Biden ordered the CDC to make vaccines available through local pharmacies starting next month.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s top medical adviser on the coronavirus, also announced renewed U.S. support for the World Health Organization.

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