Australia retains curbs; NZ eases rules

CANBERRA－Australia will retain restrictions on public movement for at least four more weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, dashing speculation that the country's sustained low growth in new cases could spur a quicker return to normal.

Restaurants, bars and other "nonessential" businesses have been shuttered and public gatherings of more than two people banned under the threat of fines and even prison.

In response, the daily rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low single digits, from about 25 percent several weeks ago, for a total of 6,458 as of Thursday.

Still, Morrison said the rules would not be relaxed until national testing capacity had been increased, contact tracing of known COVID-19 cases expanded and a response to any future outbreak fully prepared.

In neighboring New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned on Thursday it would be far from a return to normal as the country is expected to start easing a nationwide lockdown next week.

New Zealand has been one of the most successful in containing the outbreak, with just over 1,000 cases and nine deaths. It had only six new cases on Thursday.

India said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to 414 and the total infections were at 12,380. This is a jump of 22 deaths and an increase of 447 cases since Wednesday evening.

In Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Wednesday unveiled a device that can detect people infected with COVID-19 from a distance, so a coronavirus diagnosis does not require a blood test anymore.

Total infections reached 77,995 in Iran on Thursday, while the death toll was 4,869.

In Iraq, the authorities on Wednesday decided to extend the nationwide curfew until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan to contain the spread of the coronavirus, as the total number of infections rose to 1,415.