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VOA - World News

COVID-19 infections continue their rapid spread. The number of cases has surpassed 30.8 million, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.  

The U.S. remains the country with the most infections.  Recent growth in U.S. cases in the Southwest and Midwest is being attributed to the reopening of schools and colleges.  

A four-day motorcycle rally has Missouri and other states bracing for an outbreak.  Last year, over 100,000 people attended the Bikefest Lake of the Ozarks event.  The annual event in Central Missouri began Wednesday and ends Sunday.  

FILE - Thousands of bikers rode through the streets for the opening day of the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle rally, Aug. 7, 2020, in Sturgis, S.D.

A similar event was held last month in Sturgis, South Dakota.  COVID-19 cases and one death in several states were traced back to Sturgis. 

The U.S. has nearly 6.8 million cases, Hopkins reported early Sunday.  India follows the U.S. with 5.4 million cases and Brazil comes in third with 4.5 million infections, according to Hopkins. 

India said Sunday that it had recorded 92,605 new cases in the previous 24-hour period.  

Pharmacy workers give instruction on how to administer a COVID-19 nasal swab self-exam at a drive-up CVS pharmacy in Dallas, Sept. 18, 2020.

The U.S. has also recorded the highest number of COVID-19 deaths.  The U.S. has more than 199,000 of the world’s more than 957,000 coronavirus deaths. Brazil follows the U.S. in coronavirus deaths with more than 136,000 deaths.  India has reported nearly 87,000 deaths.  

European countries announced new coronavirus restrictions Friday, one day after the World Health Organization warned infections have started to spread again across the continent at “alarming rates.” 

In Spain, which has more cases than any other European country with more than 640,000, the regional government of Madrid ordered a lockdown effective Monday in some poorer areas after a spike in infections there. While movement in the area will be restricted, people will still be allowed to go to work. 

Authorities in Nice, France, have banned gatherings of more than 10 in public spaces and cut bar operating hours, after new restrictions were imposed earlier this week in Bordeaux and Marseilles. 

Spectators keep social distance as they attend the outdoors performance of theatre play 'Voices of The West End', at Bywell Hall, Northumberland, as the north-east of England is under lockdown, Sept. 19, 2020.

Britain said it is considering a new national lockdown after cases nearly doubled to 6,000 a day in the latest reporting week. British Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said another lockdown should be a last resort but that the government would do whatever is necessary to contain the virus. 

Starting September 28, Britain will impose up to a $13,000 fine on anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus and fails to self-isolate. The fine will also be charged to anyone who has been traced as a close contact of someone with the virus and also fails to self-isolate.  

Israel began a second lockdown Friday because of a sharp jump in the number of coronavirus cases.  

The three-week-long restrictions come just as the country begins the Jewish holidays.   

People protest against the government's decision to close beaches during the three-week nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sept 19, 2020.

Israelis are allowed to travel no more than 500 meters from their houses, with few exceptions.  

In Iran, a senior Iranian official said the country should be on “red alert” after it reported 3,049 new cases Friday, the highest daily gain since early June.  

Canada has decided to extend the closure of its U.S. border to nonessential travel until October 21, after seeing an increase in infections in recent weeks. . The closing was first announced March 18 and has been extended each month since.  

The U.S. Air Force has transported a large field hospital to Jamaica.  The U.S. Southern Command said in a statement the hospital was donated “to support the Caribbean nation’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”