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US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers who conducted web-based infection surveillance during the first 11 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic have found that nearly two-thirds of the first confirmed cases in each affected country outside of mainland China had a history of travel to Italy, China, or Iran. Findings of the study, published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, show that from Dec 31, 2019, to Mar 10, 2020, 32,459 cases were identified in 99 countries outside of mainland China. Seventy-five of the 99 countries reported their first cases in people with a travel link to another country, with 27% of those cases originating in Italy, 22% in China, and 11% in Iran. (Van Beusekom, 7/30)

England topped Europe's grim league table for highest levels of excess deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new analysis published Thursday by Britain's Office for National Statistics. The analysis of more than 20 European countries — including the four nations of the United Kingdom — found that England’s death rate was 7.55 percent higher this year through the end of May, compared with its five-year average. Spain was next, with a 6.65 percent increase over its average. Scotland was 5.11 percent above its average and Belgium 3.89 percent. (Adam, 7/30)

Scientists at Imperial College London say they are immunizing hundreds of people with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an early trial after seeing no worrying safety problems in a small number vaccinated so far. Dr. Robin Shattock, a professor at the college, told The Associated Press that he and colleagues had just finished a very slow and arduous process of testing the vaccine at a low dose in the initial participants and would now expand the trial to about 300 people, including some over age 75. (7/30)

As a ban on dine-in eating took effect here Wednesday, a construction union asked members on Facebook where they were having their lunch. One said he was "having a side of sawdust" and posted a photo of his takeout box at his building site. Another wrote that his bread got wet after a sudden downpour, so he abandoned his meal. Several shared photos of workers huddled under walkways or on sidewalks, eating on the ground as people passed by. (Mahtani, Liang and Ho Kilpatrick, 7/30)

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday he felt weak and might have "mold in the lung" having spent weeks in isolation after catching Covid-19. In his first Facebook live video since recovering from Covid-19, Bolsonaro said: "I've just taken a blood exam. I was a bit weak yesterday. They have also found a bit of an infection. I'm taking antibiotics now. It must have been those 20 days inside the house, we catch other things. I've caught mold, mold in my lungs. It must be that." (Pedroso and Woodyatt, 7/31)

Poland reported its highest number of new daily coronavirus cases since the global pandemic started for the second day in a row on Friday, with 657 new cases, according to the Health Ministry. The ministry reported seven new deaths, with a total of 45,688 reported coronavirus cases and 1,716 deaths. (7/31)

Russia reported 5,482 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, pushing its national tally to 839,981, the world’s fourth largest caseload. Officials said 161 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 13,963. (7/31)

The Philippine health ministry on Friday confirmed 4,063 novel coronavirus infections, reporting the highest daily case increase in Southeast Asia for a second straight day. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections have risen to 93,354, while deaths increased by 40 to 2,023. (7/31)